On Wisconsin...
I can honestly say I have never been more proud of my home state as I have been this week. Citizens who care are taking to the streets to engage their government peacefully and stand up for what they know to be right. Their voices are being heard on a national stage. This is how the system is supposed to work.
Unfortunately, just because that's how it's supposed to work doesn't mean that it is working. This is the most shocking part to me. As an elected official, when your constituents demand something -- like, say, compromise -- you give it to them. The Republicans -- in Wisconsin and the rest of the country -- are patently refusing to do so and hamstringing themselves in the process.
What's both sad and amusing to me is the fact that the only reason the Republicans came back this year was because of the Tea Party, who claim to want government by the people for the people. The Republicans said they would give it to them... but really they're just dishing out the same old serving of Republican way or the highway.
Take the union battle in Wisconsin, for example. This is very clearly not a big, urgent budget battle. Minnesota's deficit is two times bigger than Wisconsins', and our GOP has said this kind of fix isn't going to work and isn't a good idea. If it where super-critical, Walker wouldn't tell the unions -- who offered to accept his cut in pay to retain their bargaining rights -- to shove off and that there will be no compromise.
I'm sorry, but what part of "My shitty plan is the only option you have" doesn't sound like a dictatorship? Does Scott Walker not realize that he works for those people? What about the U.S. Reps. that are quietly passing bills while the vast majority of citizens are out trying to enjoy the weekends the labor unions fought so hard for?
Oh yeah. In case you didn't hear about that, in the wee small hours of the morning, the Republican-controlled U.S. House passed billions in cuts to benefit coal and oil companies while most Americans were either sleeping or drunk. Passing things on a Friday is something you do when you don't want anyone to know about it, and you just hope it goes unnoticed. It's something you do when you want to get away with something that you know the people aren't going to like. It's shady, it's not a open and involved process, and it's not how democracy is supposed to work.
So, what's the silver lining of what is effectively becoming a government hijacking by one party? Well, hopefully -- people will realize that no, these people really don't care about the Americans they serve. They aren't serving their people. They are ignoring their people because they are so convinced of their own initiatives for their own reasons. Can you tell me how abortion is a critical discussion to have right now when most Americans just want jobs? No, you can't -- and neither can they. I hope that -- sooner rather than later -- people will wake up and won't stand for this. They'll fire people like Walker who refuse to do the job they were elected to do, and the American people will start calling bullshit and give tyrants the boot once again.
The depressing part of all of this is that it isn't probably going to change en mass soon. We're just entering a new term, but already the true colors are showing. Closed-door votes. Deliberate attacks on organizations that tend to have Democratic favoring. Of course, the Republicans will tell you it's for a budget, or for families, or for whatever -- but it's not. They're doing it because it's what they want, and they will refuse to compromise even though it's the decent thing to do.
Unfortunately, just because that's how it's supposed to work doesn't mean that it is working. This is the most shocking part to me. As an elected official, when your constituents demand something -- like, say, compromise -- you give it to them. The Republicans -- in Wisconsin and the rest of the country -- are patently refusing to do so and hamstringing themselves in the process.
What's both sad and amusing to me is the fact that the only reason the Republicans came back this year was because of the Tea Party, who claim to want government by the people for the people. The Republicans said they would give it to them... but really they're just dishing out the same old serving of Republican way or the highway.
Take the union battle in Wisconsin, for example. This is very clearly not a big, urgent budget battle. Minnesota's deficit is two times bigger than Wisconsins', and our GOP has said this kind of fix isn't going to work and isn't a good idea. If it where super-critical, Walker wouldn't tell the unions -- who offered to accept his cut in pay to retain their bargaining rights -- to shove off and that there will be no compromise.
I'm sorry, but what part of "My shitty plan is the only option you have" doesn't sound like a dictatorship? Does Scott Walker not realize that he works for those people? What about the U.S. Reps. that are quietly passing bills while the vast majority of citizens are out trying to enjoy the weekends the labor unions fought so hard for?
Oh yeah. In case you didn't hear about that, in the wee small hours of the morning, the Republican-controlled U.S. House passed billions in cuts to benefit coal and oil companies while most Americans were either sleeping or drunk. Passing things on a Friday is something you do when you don't want anyone to know about it, and you just hope it goes unnoticed. It's something you do when you want to get away with something that you know the people aren't going to like. It's shady, it's not a open and involved process, and it's not how democracy is supposed to work.
So, what's the silver lining of what is effectively becoming a government hijacking by one party? Well, hopefully -- people will realize that no, these people really don't care about the Americans they serve. They aren't serving their people. They are ignoring their people because they are so convinced of their own initiatives for their own reasons. Can you tell me how abortion is a critical discussion to have right now when most Americans just want jobs? No, you can't -- and neither can they. I hope that -- sooner rather than later -- people will wake up and won't stand for this. They'll fire people like Walker who refuse to do the job they were elected to do, and the American people will start calling bullshit and give tyrants the boot once again.
The depressing part of all of this is that it isn't probably going to change en mass soon. We're just entering a new term, but already the true colors are showing. Closed-door votes. Deliberate attacks on organizations that tend to have Democratic favoring. Of course, the Republicans will tell you it's for a budget, or for families, or for whatever -- but it's not. They're doing it because it's what they want, and they will refuse to compromise even though it's the decent thing to do.