This has been one of the mantras of the RNC and the waldenbush crowd, smaller government is best, business can do it better, get government out of the way and the problems will get solved. This attitude of contempt for government is, by extension, contempt for governing; leading to corruption, ineptness, and cronyism. This is a big country with diverse people and geography and needs, it takes serious attention to deal with this. There are a whole lot of things the government is the only source for, for example: disaster management. No locality or state has the resources to deal with a Hurricane Katrina, this falls to the Federal Government and disregard of the system and its operation leads to further disaster.
The practice of handing projects to the "Halibutons" of this nation does not ensure businesslike competence, it creates a lobbyist's dream and no incentive to do reasonably priced excellent work. Businesses are by definition about making money, a great thing in a competitive market, a disaster in a cronyism market. Competition forces a business to either cut prices or produce a clearly superior product, an end result Americans can be happy with and what we don't get from the waldenbushes.
No, it's not the government's job to wipe your nose for you, but it also is not the government's job to create corporate behemoths and spoon feed them with our tax dollars. The government is a monopoly and placing a business into that situation creates the kind of monster that the anti-trust and monopoly acts were intended to bury. Good government requires respect and the people involved should inspire admiration. Look what we get instead.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Waldenbush Rural Votes, Thanks Greg
If you give the wealthy big tax breaks and run a war and have some little things like hurricanes happen you get a deficit, a really big deficit. The RNC and waldenbush ran on "values" with the idea that it would play well in Rural America. Judging from the vote breakdown it did, so here's what their "values" amount to.
The waldnenbush votes:
Education, Health Care, Heating Assistance, Rural Firefighters, Food Stamps & Other Resources Needed Here
Voted to cut food stamps, health care, college student loans, Medicaid, child support enforcement, foster care, Social Security Insurance for the disabled and many rural programs. The H.R. 4241 bill summary said this bill: "terminates funding for… valued-added agricultural product market development grants, rural business investment programs, rural business strategic investment grants, rural firefighters and emergency personnel grants, and for initiative for future food and agriculture systems." If Walden had voted no, it would have been a tie [the same as not passing]. Instead -- WALDEN CAST A DECIDING VOTE TO CUT RURAL PROGRAMS, HEALTH CARE, FOOD STAMPS, FOSTER CARE AND OTHER FUNDS FOR POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE.
[H.R. 4241 (Passed 217 to 215) – Roll Call Vote #601 (11/18/05)]
Voted to cut funds for rural health care, community college grants, heating assistance for low-income families and education (the first cut in education in a decade). Although Walden and Tom Delay voted for this, 22 Republicans voted no. This failed despite Walden's vote. WALDEN VOTED TO CUT EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, HEATING ASSISTANCE AND OTHER FUNDS FOR POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE.
[H.R. 3010 (Failed 224-209) – Roll Call Vote #598 (11/17/05)]
Voted against reducing proposed tax breaks to the wealthy. Rep. Obey said, with this amendment, people making more than $1 million would average $27,000 more in tax cuts instead of $140,000, saving $10 billion for deficit reduction and $16 billion for education, health, science, veterans, homeland security, environment, law enforcement and community development. WALDEN VOTED FOR LARGER TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH.
[H.Amdt. 66 (Failed 180 to 242 – A no vote kept tax cuts at a higher level than proposed in this amendment.) - Roll Call Vote #82 (3/17/05)]
Voted to give wealthy Americans an additional $106 billion in tax cuts. Rep. Slaughter said this budget cuts more than $20 billion from Medicaid, $21 billion from student loans, Pell grants and other educational spending, and more than $5 billion from farm nutrition programs, slashing the food stamp program. WALDEN VOTED TO CUT MEDICAID, STUDENT LOANS, FOOD STAMPS & TO INCREASE TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH.
[H.Res. 154 (Passed 228 to 196) - Roll Call Vote #79 (3/16/05)]
Voted against raising payments to rural hospitals to bring their funding up to the same level as urban hospitals. WALDEN VOTED NO TO MORE MONEY FOR RURAL HOSPITALS.
[H.J.Res. 18 (Failed 195 to 215) - Roll Call Vote #18 (2/5/03)]
I know where I live and who lives here, I guess waldenbush has forgotten or maybe you never were important to him. This is my home and it's important to me and the nation. We take care of the vast majority of American land and people here are different than their urban compatriots, this counts for a lot. Certainly, the votes aren't here in the House and the sham dress-up these people play at for votes doesn't mean they have a clue. It's up to the rural representative to carry the message of the importance and difficulty of being rural. And then vote like it's understood.
The waldnenbush votes:
Education, Health Care, Heating Assistance, Rural Firefighters, Food Stamps & Other Resources Needed Here
Voted to cut food stamps, health care, college student loans, Medicaid, child support enforcement, foster care, Social Security Insurance for the disabled and many rural programs. The H.R. 4241 bill summary said this bill: "terminates funding for… valued-added agricultural product market development grants, rural business investment programs, rural business strategic investment grants, rural firefighters and emergency personnel grants, and for initiative for future food and agriculture systems." If Walden had voted no, it would have been a tie [the same as not passing]. Instead -- WALDEN CAST A DECIDING VOTE TO CUT RURAL PROGRAMS, HEALTH CARE, FOOD STAMPS, FOSTER CARE AND OTHER FUNDS FOR POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE.
[H.R. 4241 (Passed 217 to 215) – Roll Call Vote #601 (11/18/05)]
Voted to cut funds for rural health care, community college grants, heating assistance for low-income families and education (the first cut in education in a decade). Although Walden and Tom Delay voted for this, 22 Republicans voted no. This failed despite Walden's vote. WALDEN VOTED TO CUT EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, HEATING ASSISTANCE AND OTHER FUNDS FOR POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE.
[H.R. 3010 (Failed 224-209) – Roll Call Vote #598 (11/17/05)]
Voted against reducing proposed tax breaks to the wealthy. Rep. Obey said, with this amendment, people making more than $1 million would average $27,000 more in tax cuts instead of $140,000, saving $10 billion for deficit reduction and $16 billion for education, health, science, veterans, homeland security, environment, law enforcement and community development. WALDEN VOTED FOR LARGER TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH.
[H.Amdt. 66 (Failed 180 to 242 – A no vote kept tax cuts at a higher level than proposed in this amendment.) - Roll Call Vote #82 (3/17/05)]
Voted to give wealthy Americans an additional $106 billion in tax cuts. Rep. Slaughter said this budget cuts more than $20 billion from Medicaid, $21 billion from student loans, Pell grants and other educational spending, and more than $5 billion from farm nutrition programs, slashing the food stamp program. WALDEN VOTED TO CUT MEDICAID, STUDENT LOANS, FOOD STAMPS & TO INCREASE TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH.
[H.Res. 154 (Passed 228 to 196) - Roll Call Vote #79 (3/16/05)]
Voted against raising payments to rural hospitals to bring their funding up to the same level as urban hospitals. WALDEN VOTED NO TO MORE MONEY FOR RURAL HOSPITALS.
[H.J.Res. 18 (Failed 195 to 215) - Roll Call Vote #18 (2/5/03)]
I know where I live and who lives here, I guess waldenbush has forgotten or maybe you never were important to him. This is my home and it's important to me and the nation. We take care of the vast majority of American land and people here are different than their urban compatriots, this counts for a lot. Certainly, the votes aren't here in the House and the sham dress-up these people play at for votes doesn't mean they have a clue. It's up to the rural representative to carry the message of the importance and difficulty of being rural. And then vote like it's understood.
Elections
Wouldn't it be nice if we were sure who won a political race? Not too long ago there was a hanging chad disaster that the Supreme Court sorted out. I don't think that went well, but it's done. Now we have computer touch screens to keep things straight. I have a computer and you obviously also have access to one and I have a virus scan that gets to do some work. It's doing that work because people are maliciously trying to harm my machine. Now I don't think it's paranoia to extend my experience to computer voting machines. In testing they have been messed with and I don't like the idea that there is no verification system to back up these machines. I have a paper trail for my business, I seldom look at that paper, but it is available in a catastrophe.
In the recent past elections have had some real close results, close enough that it wouldn't take large discrepencies to throw an election. If you throw in some political motivation on the part of the manufacturers you have the makings of a real problem.
Disenfrachising voters is a disgrace. Some people are not allowed to vote and should not vote. There's no problem with that. There is a huge problem with denying people the vote "by mistake." These "mistaken" denials seem to clump around certain "types" of voters living in certain areas. This is the case of the state taking away a right without any sort of due process. It is Jim Crow at its most cowardly, some bureaucrat sitting at a desk behind a computer screen just clicks them off.
In the recent past elections have had some real close results, close enough that it wouldn't take large discrepencies to throw an election. If you throw in some political motivation on the part of the manufacturers you have the makings of a real problem.
Disenfrachising voters is a disgrace. Some people are not allowed to vote and should not vote. There's no problem with that. There is a huge problem with denying people the vote "by mistake." These "mistaken" denials seem to clump around certain "types" of voters living in certain areas. This is the case of the state taking away a right without any sort of due process. It is Jim Crow at its most cowardly, some bureaucrat sitting at a desk behind a computer screen just clicks them off.
Our Veterans
American veterans have given more to this nation than anyone. They have risked everything because our nation asked them to. We told them we would look out for their interests. GWB, the RNC, and Greg Walden now tell them "Too bad, we've got a deficit."
More is known now about veterans' issues than when these programs were instituted and this knowledge has actually made these issues more complex and threatening. The waldenbush solution is to cut programs. I am not a veteran, but I am the recipient of their actions and sacrifices and I'm not happy to have to take any credit for the actions of this Congress and Administration in this regard. We don't get to duck the responsibility no matter who we voted for, these people "represent" all of us. If you don't want to vote for Chuck, that's fine, then get on the phone, write letters, rant at your neighbors, whatever you can think of to put a stop to this. I am truly ashamed and I am doing what I can.
More is known now about veterans' issues than when these programs were instituted and this knowledge has actually made these issues more complex and threatening. The waldenbush solution is to cut programs. I am not a veteran, but I am the recipient of their actions and sacrifices and I'm not happy to have to take any credit for the actions of this Congress and Administration in this regard. We don't get to duck the responsibility no matter who we voted for, these people "represent" all of us. If you don't want to vote for Chuck, that's fine, then get on the phone, write letters, rant at your neighbors, whatever you can think of to put a stop to this. I am truly ashamed and I am doing what I can.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
2nd Amendment Crusader
The media had this to say about me and while it is possibly exaggerated in tone, the real problem with it is that my stand has been unwavering, ALL civil liberties are equally important. You don't get to have a favorite that's sacrosanct while others are negotiable. If you tell the government that infringing the "Right to keep and bear arms" is ok, why are you surprised when they learn the lesson? The lesson is that frightened people want to be taken care of and are willing to give things up for it, like their Rights. Like "Freedom from unreasonable search and seizure" or (oh my) "Freedom of speech". These things are about all Americans, not just the likeable ones, all of them. Forgetting that leads to real peril.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Socialized Medicine
If anybody mentions a single payer health system the first thing up is a howl of "Socialized Medicine!!" Here's a piece of news for those folks, you already have it, just a highly bastardized inefficient version. Hospitals, HMOs, and Insurers already pass the cost of unpaid or unfunded health care on to you, after they take their cut. You get to pay for it with sky high premiums and truly nasty bills from the providers. Now the RNC's solution for this is to cut funding for Medicare, rural hospitals, etc and pass a draconian bankruptsy bill so that people can spend the rest of their lives paying for something they couldn't afford to begin with. These are the same people who tout Health Care Savings, now here's an idea only they could come up with, the people who can't afford it are supposed to save money to cover the insurance they can't afford that won't cover the deductibles that they can't afford. Who exactly does a program like this help and what problem does it actually address? Empty rhetoric to impress the public that, "Hey, we're doing something."
Yes, the dirty word is out, single payer system. At least Medicare and Medicaid are somewhat efficient and the system could be tooled up to work well, with incentive to do such a thing. An opt out system with weighted treatments and a prevention priority would work, but the money interests that understand that a 7% return on some money isn't nearly as good as a 7% return on a whole lot of money won't like it. And so ...
Yes, the dirty word is out, single payer system. At least Medicare and Medicaid are somewhat efficient and the system could be tooled up to work well, with incentive to do such a thing. An opt out system with weighted treatments and a prevention priority would work, but the money interests that understand that a 7% return on some money isn't nearly as good as a 7% return on a whole lot of money won't like it. And so ...
The Patriot Act
The Patriot Act is a mess and should be junked. Not tinkered with, not compromised, junked. Then, start from scratch with clear safeguards for the Rights of Americans and actual upgrading of law enforcement capability. That's capability, not convenience, it is supposed to be difficult to lock somebody up.
Frightened people do really stupid things, so these guys must be scared spitless.
Frightened people do really stupid things, so these guys must be scared spitless.
Sen Wyden's Flat Tax Proposal
Sen. Ron Wyden D-OR has a tax proposal I find interesting and a good shot at addressing the inequities in the present system. This proposal reduces the Brackets to 3, treats all income the same, and preserves the useful and important deductions while reducing the deficit by $100 Billion in 5 years. As an elected Representative I would be in a position to help him bring this proposal into being and willing to put real energy into the issue. I applaud him and I hope you will let him know of your support.
http://wyden.senate.gov
http://wyden.senate.gov
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Baggage
Shortly before the Primary vote I will have 18 years of sobriety. I didn't get sober because it tasted bad or for some little reason, I got sober because my life was a complete mess. 18 years ago I got to start over from behind 0, not at the beginning. I had to take a real good look at myself and get that straightened up so that I could look at myself and be comfortable.
I'm not offering you the "same old choices", and that's a fact jack. I'm not your guy if you like politics as usual. I intend to stir you up as a hardnosed blunt talker and I intend to represent you that way and stir them up. I've had the politically knowledgable tell me to let surrogates do the tough talking while I come across as the nice guy, well guess what, nope. I'm sick of that garbage and I figure you are, too.
I'm not offering you the "same old choices", and that's a fact jack. I'm not your guy if you like politics as usual. I intend to stir you up as a hardnosed blunt talker and I intend to represent you that way and stir them up. I've had the politically knowledgable tell me to let surrogates do the tough talking while I come across as the nice guy, well guess what, nope. I'm sick of that garbage and I figure you are, too.
Financing My Campaign
I gave this one a lot of thought, I thought about how I'd manage to cover this district strictly on contributions and what I personally could put into that. I'm going to put a lot of miles on a vehicle and lose my weekends for work or relaxation and my nights are shot, that's what I've got. Your contributions are going to finance this, I cannot.
I thought about setting limits on amounts. Then reality set in, I have no stances that are going to attract big money from anybody I could be indebted to. It's laughable to think that my taking swats at waldenbush tax policies are going to gain ground with the wealthy and powerful unless they're pretty darn altruistic. The same goes for any power group I can think of.
Here's the concept about government being for sale, the Congressman is sitting in his office and he has a limitted amount of time, out in the hall are two people, one donated $25 and one rounded up $150, 000, who get's seen? The answer is pretty obvious. Now let's move on down the hall to the Congressman that's not seen a big donation and outside are "flannel shirt" and "Armani suit" and each has a pressing concern. Which one of those folks is closer to stepping off an economic cliff? You bet "flannel shirt" get's seen, the other person has room to wiggle.
That's the gist of it, if what you see and hear is what you want in Washington DC then your contributions are going to pay for getting there. Yes, political poverty means every message and conversation ends with a plea for money.
I thought about setting limits on amounts. Then reality set in, I have no stances that are going to attract big money from anybody I could be indebted to. It's laughable to think that my taking swats at waldenbush tax policies are going to gain ground with the wealthy and powerful unless they're pretty darn altruistic. The same goes for any power group I can think of.
Here's the concept about government being for sale, the Congressman is sitting in his office and he has a limitted amount of time, out in the hall are two people, one donated $25 and one rounded up $150, 000, who get's seen? The answer is pretty obvious. Now let's move on down the hall to the Congressman that's not seen a big donation and outside are "flannel shirt" and "Armani suit" and each has a pressing concern. Which one of those folks is closer to stepping off an economic cliff? You bet "flannel shirt" get's seen, the other person has room to wiggle.
That's the gist of it, if what you see and hear is what you want in Washington DC then your contributions are going to pay for getting there. Yes, political poverty means every message and conversation ends with a plea for money.
Patriot Act Compromise in Senate
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one, a bunch of Congressmen say the bill got passed because they hadn't time to read it thoroughly, so, now they'll "compromise" to get it past the House and White House. The library objections are addressed, kind of, but the truly noxious portions are retained or expanded. Now what the heck is this all about?
No bill passed is better than a bad one passed. That should have dawned on the panic stricken members the first time and let it wait until they understood it. Back to the same nonsense, "oooh noooo! Time's running out." Conventional law enforcement tools had picked up enough of the 9/11 conspiracy to roll it up if they'd connected the dots. Instead, out comes the already worked up Administration bill. Sneak and peak would not have helped them and you can ask a certain Portland lawyer if it worked in his case.
The Terrorists' agenda is to change the Policy of the US government through fear, so anyone who infringes the Rights of Americans is an ally of that agenda. Get this right, the Constitution of the United States of America does not grant us Rights, it Guarantees them, and there's a huge difference. If the Senate is scared of the House of Representatives then we need people in the House that understand what Rights are. Check waldenbush's vote.
No bill passed is better than a bad one passed. That should have dawned on the panic stricken members the first time and let it wait until they understood it. Back to the same nonsense, "oooh noooo! Time's running out." Conventional law enforcement tools had picked up enough of the 9/11 conspiracy to roll it up if they'd connected the dots. Instead, out comes the already worked up Administration bill. Sneak and peak would not have helped them and you can ask a certain Portland lawyer if it worked in his case.
The Terrorists' agenda is to change the Policy of the US government through fear, so anyone who infringes the Rights of Americans is an ally of that agenda. Get this right, the Constitution of the United States of America does not grant us Rights, it Guarantees them, and there's a huge difference. If the Senate is scared of the House of Representatives then we need people in the House that understand what Rights are. Check waldenbush's vote.
I know, this rhetoric is way too harsh. So what are you going to do if the truth is ugly, prettify it up?
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Are You Nuts?
That's a fair question. Incumbents win 92%, the R machine is fat and nasty, and the political gurus do not say Oregon is "in play." In the real world of Democratic politics in Oregon's 2nd CD there's not much to be done about the money gap, oh I'll beg repeatedly and it'll dribble in and I'll beg some more. "In play" means the folks who really know say there's good odds with all considerations of a district that it could go either way, they say all seats in Oregon are safe. Then there's incumbency, that's supposed to be a real advantage, I only see one disadvantage, there's a record to be run on. I say Greg Walden's record is assailable and I intend to take a sledgehammer to it. I know, that doesn't sound subtle or polite, well, I figure Greg Walden and Bush and Co (hereafter known as waldenbush) have earned themselves a bare knuckle street brawl. They've worked real hard to get where they are, so they should be obliged.
Now, there are two things going on with my campaign:
One, when the Primary is over the only candidate that should be bleeding is waldenbush.
Two, anybody that shows me a better machine and that they're willing to go after waldenbush as hard as I am, can have my withdrawal and my campaign assets. This isn't about my ego, this is about trying to get some social and economic justice and protection of our Civil Liberties, here in the 2nd CD and nationally. Democratic resources are scarce and I'll be darned if I'll suck them up to stroke my ego.
Does that sound like I don't want to be a Congressman? I want to beat waldenbush and then go be a good Congressman for my district and my nation. I also like being a construction contractor, I don't feel a burning desire for a career change, and I like living in Baker City, Oregon. If I didn't love it out here, I wouldn't be here, and I certainly wouldn't make my life difficult by running against waldenbush. But this is my home and somebody is messing it up and messing with my neighbors and I don't like that one little bit. No, not my home and not my neighbors. You don't get to do that for free.
Now I'm going to beg, I need money, I need people. I can't buy my way into the fight and I can't buy my way through it, this will work if it's important, if it's important enough for you to cough up money and time. If it's not that important things will go on as they have been. But by gosh, don't come to me and complain that the rich are getting richer, the poor, poorer; that your Civil Liberties are vanishing; that Government is for sale; that the Iraq policy is a disaster, that Oregon law is subject to some fringe element's whim... There's no "and" in that sentence because there's no ending implied, waldenbush isn't just silliness, what Bush & Co want, Walden supplies.
Did I mention I need money and people?
Link to ActBlue in the Sidebar
If you can help - snail mail
Campaign to Elect Chuck
1318 4th St
Baker City, OR 97814
"If the voter can't think of me as Chuck, I've no business representing him.
Now, there are two things going on with my campaign:
One, when the Primary is over the only candidate that should be bleeding is waldenbush.
Two, anybody that shows me a better machine and that they're willing to go after waldenbush as hard as I am, can have my withdrawal and my campaign assets. This isn't about my ego, this is about trying to get some social and economic justice and protection of our Civil Liberties, here in the 2nd CD and nationally. Democratic resources are scarce and I'll be darned if I'll suck them up to stroke my ego.
Does that sound like I don't want to be a Congressman? I want to beat waldenbush and then go be a good Congressman for my district and my nation. I also like being a construction contractor, I don't feel a burning desire for a career change, and I like living in Baker City, Oregon. If I didn't love it out here, I wouldn't be here, and I certainly wouldn't make my life difficult by running against waldenbush. But this is my home and somebody is messing it up and messing with my neighbors and I don't like that one little bit. No, not my home and not my neighbors. You don't get to do that for free.
Now I'm going to beg, I need money, I need people. I can't buy my way into the fight and I can't buy my way through it, this will work if it's important, if it's important enough for you to cough up money and time. If it's not that important things will go on as they have been. But by gosh, don't come to me and complain that the rich are getting richer, the poor, poorer; that your Civil Liberties are vanishing; that Government is for sale; that the Iraq policy is a disaster, that Oregon law is subject to some fringe element's whim... There's no "and" in that sentence because there's no ending implied, waldenbush isn't just silliness, what Bush & Co want, Walden supplies.
Did I mention I need money and people?
Link to ActBlue in the Sidebar
If you can help - snail mail
Campaign to Elect Chuck
1318 4th St
Baker City, OR 97814
"If the voter can't think of me as Chuck, I've no business representing him.
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