thank god for government
warning: this is going to be the most boring post if you don't like politics, and even then...
But I just need to get these thoughts out.
I was quite upset after watching another election hearing at the statehouse on Tuesday about election reforms in the commonwealth. Granted, some of the groups testifying were asking for too much and didn't have the best solutions. Yet, a couple of the respresentatives didn't seem to care at all about one person, one vote, especially Senator Brown (a Republican, cough cough, who now represents Wellesley...he's in cheryl jacques old seat). When some of the experts were testifying about election problems around the country, he stopped them and (oh so intelligently) asked them why we should care about problems outside of Massachusetts. Righhhttt. When they discussed (matter-of -factly) how Republican senators own many of the companies that make and service the vote tabulating machines, he asked them for proof of corruption. Then another representative argued with an expert who wanted mandatory hand-counting of ballots, saying "obviously you've never run for public office. you don't know how hard it is to wait until 4 am to find out if you've won." That was amazing. Sometimes I wish I were a reporter, but I think people would think I made this shit up.
Then yesterday I had to read to the complaints Massachusetts voters had during the 2004 election to the Election Reporting System. People were denied provisional ballots, many names from communities with high numbers of minorities were taken off the rolls...we're supposed to be beyond Florida!
All this comes after reading What's the Matter with Kansas (thanks Dan)...great book, but so depressing. In one chapter, Franks really gets into the anti-government culture that taking over America (interesting fact from mom: most states now don't require cars to be inspected every year...scatching any plans for a road trip now).
Some hope: So today, I had to use intratrac to look up bills in Massachusetts that the League might support...and after reading all the ones on money for affordable housing, I felt much better. So, the statehouse is a bit behind on social issues, but at least it's coming through somewhere...
I know this isn't any sort of a solution since there's so much more that needs to be done, but damnit I need something to hang onto politically...It's gotten so hard to watch the news.
Scandals (and real ones that fuck over a lot of people) seem to be everywhere, yet ignored...i guess brad pitt's health is more important than our own. Now with the Supreme Court...an important issues, but it taking over other important news now (btw: totally tied on that: the political side in me hates that guy's views and fears for the next century, but the legal side loves that he's consistant - no sandra day o'connor. long run, he's better for the legitimacy of the supreme court).
off home for a long weekend.
But I just need to get these thoughts out.
I was quite upset after watching another election hearing at the statehouse on Tuesday about election reforms in the commonwealth. Granted, some of the groups testifying were asking for too much and didn't have the best solutions. Yet, a couple of the respresentatives didn't seem to care at all about one person, one vote, especially Senator Brown (a Republican, cough cough, who now represents Wellesley...he's in cheryl jacques old seat). When some of the experts were testifying about election problems around the country, he stopped them and (oh so intelligently) asked them why we should care about problems outside of Massachusetts. Righhhttt. When they discussed (matter-of -factly) how Republican senators own many of the companies that make and service the vote tabulating machines, he asked them for proof of corruption. Then another representative argued with an expert who wanted mandatory hand-counting of ballots, saying "obviously you've never run for public office. you don't know how hard it is to wait until 4 am to find out if you've won." That was amazing. Sometimes I wish I were a reporter, but I think people would think I made this shit up.
Then yesterday I had to read to the complaints Massachusetts voters had during the 2004 election to the Election Reporting System. People were denied provisional ballots, many names from communities with high numbers of minorities were taken off the rolls...we're supposed to be beyond Florida!
All this comes after reading What's the Matter with Kansas (thanks Dan)...great book, but so depressing. In one chapter, Franks really gets into the anti-government culture that taking over America (interesting fact from mom: most states now don't require cars to be inspected every year...scatching any plans for a road trip now).
Some hope: So today, I had to use intratrac to look up bills in Massachusetts that the League might support...and after reading all the ones on money for affordable housing, I felt much better. So, the statehouse is a bit behind on social issues, but at least it's coming through somewhere...
I know this isn't any sort of a solution since there's so much more that needs to be done, but damnit I need something to hang onto politically...It's gotten so hard to watch the news.
Scandals (and real ones that fuck over a lot of people) seem to be everywhere, yet ignored...i guess brad pitt's health is more important than our own. Now with the Supreme Court...an important issues, but it taking over other important news now (btw: totally tied on that: the political side in me hates that guy's views and fears for the next century, but the legal side loves that he's consistant - no sandra day o'connor. long run, he's better for the legitimacy of the supreme court).
off home for a long weekend.