This is about AFSCME President Gerald McEntee's response. Specifically he said, "Eric Cantor may think the greatest economic crisis in seventy years is a joke, but we don't. He should talk to the people in Virginia who are losing their jobs, health care and homes."
Now, that's a legitimate response, and true. But McEntee would have been better just going to the video. He should have said, "Hey, Cantor, we do take out the fucking garbage. We clean the streets, coach little league, file library books, give vaccinations, give driving tests, issue death certificates and put out your fucking fires. And unless you want those basic services to stop, you should support this fucking bill, asshole. Otherwise, local governments will just fold up shop, and your constituents will start asking you why the trash hasn't been removed."
Just once I wish someone would just call the bluff of these Republicans and say, "Yes, we do all the work. No, a twenty-three year old banker should not make more than the President of the United States." It's really time for some good old-fashioned populism. McEntee's a brawler, he should act like one.
4 comments:
The Repuns have a problem with the pet projects and with trying to slip in "conditions" on certain amendments that shouldn't rerally be in this paricular bill. Other things are important too...pet projects that do not stimulate the economy is not something we want in the bill. The other big problem is that we want programs out that will not have an immediate effect on stimulating the economy. A program that begins in 2012 does not belong in this particular bill either. We wanted to keep it simple.
That being said, I have to say that Repubs targeting this particular union is NOT something I am proud of as a Repub. These are essential workers, as since my family has owned a paving company since 1947 I have to back up what they are saying. Yes, the unions are sometimes a pain in the ass to deal with b/c there is a lot of corruption. But the union WORKERS are hard working, ordinary people who should not be lampooned or parodied.
This is NOT what Republicans like me like to see at all!! True Republican values are as follows (which I am copying and pasting from my friend's blog, The Broader View - basically b/c I don't want to type it all out):
1. Reduce the size of government - instead they expanded it dramatically (Department of Homeland Security)
2. Reduce entitlements - instead they expanded old ones and created entire new ones. (Prescription drugs)
3. Run government more efficiently - instead they created layers of added bureaucracy. (no child left behind)
4. Run government more competently - instead they brought cronies with no legitimate credentials and experience into positions of importance (can you say Attorney General Gonzalez? FEMA director Michael Brown?)
5. Keep government off the backs of ordinary people - instead they drove government intervention deeper into our daily lives (can you say Terry Schaivo, Gay Marriage, Abortion)
6. Reduce the deficits - instead they spent like drunken sailors and created the largest deficits on record.
7. Run the government more ethically - instead we got scandals like Tom Delay
We got hijacked by the evangelicals, neo-cons and other far right groups...I wish they would all go form their own party and get out of mine!! They make us all look a bunch of baffoons. But the far right is a battle for another day...I just hope people begin to realize there are a lot of people like me, who keep our beliefs down to true Republicanism.
Hey Allison, long time reader, first time responder. Just wanted to point out that some of your list of true republican values (e.g. ethical government, efficiency and competency) aren't really partisan differentiators - it's not like the democrats want an inefficient, incompetent and unethical system - they just want different things out of gov't than republicans do. I think that the aspirations you have for a political party are in many ways commendable, but they're not particularly republican (or democratic) - they're a bit more universal than that.
Also, since I'm already bagging on, I'd also argue that "reducing the size of gov't" isn't really an appropriate end in and of itself. If the government is doing what the electorate asks it to do, and in the manner that you and I agree is best (ethically, competently and efficiently), then its size will be appropriate to its duities. If it's not doing what it's being asked to do - then we have a problem with democracy, but that's not necessarily fixed by saying "make it smaller", it's fixed by making it do what it's supposed to do. Fixing it may turn out to make the gov't smaller. On the other hand, proper provision of the services required by the people might make it bigger. Either way, size follows (properly executed) function, not the other way round.
Do enjoy your contributions - look forward to your ongoing conversation with Dre.
ANON:
No one party has a monopoly on what is right..."There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle".
Democrats are just as capable of being good or bad as Republicans. And I'm not trying to imply that Democrats are advocating a scandel...trying to increase the deficit...or promote to do things incompetantly. These are the things happened during the Bush Admin, so that's why I pointed them out. I wasn't attempting to explain difference between Dems and Reps...just an attempt to point out how they strayed so far away from their fundemental values.
And truthfully...I'm pretty pisses!! VERY pissed. About a lot of stuff that went on under Bush...no all of it was Bush's fault, the the far far right neo-cons were successful in hijacking my party. Not every Repub is anti-Choice, por-death penalty, anti-gay marriage, against gun control. The social issues need to get out of Republican politics b/c they are not practical. Democrats are practical on social issues...
PS...Smaller Governemnt means smaller FEDERAL G. Let the states and municipalities have more control on spending, and less mandates from Fed. telling them how to spend it. You know, on the off chance that people living in Boston have different needs than the people living in La Jolla.
Post a Comment