The NYT is reporting just now that Charles Rangel, the NY Democratic US Representative who (now formerly) chaired the powerful Ways and Means committee, will step aside amidst the swarm of ethics inquiries he has faced.
Archive for the 'Democracy' Category
If this request offends, I’m sorry. Please delete it and understand that I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
This weekend, it appears that the United States House of Representatives is poised to pass broad legislation that will guarantee that nearly everyone in the United States be covered by health insurance. This is a boon to the health insurers, to be sure, but more than this, it is the centrist legislation that, through mainly private, market-based means, guarantees every United States citizen fair access to the health care that they need.
EVERY VOTE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COUNTS, and EVERY VOICE THAT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES HEAR TODAY IMPLORING THEM TO VOTE YES for this measure is a VOICE that will COUNT to bring this change.
EVEN THOUGH my representative, the honorable representative Illeana Ros-Lehtinen, has stipulated that she will NOT vote for this, I am calling her as soon as I send this e-mail, and will IMPLORE her, as a taxpayer of this great nation, that I believe that this investment in our nation cannot be passed up any longer.
Without the competitive advantage brought about by guaranteeing EVERYONE coverage and access to the highest quality health care that we, as a country, know we can provide, we will continue to slip into economic decline. Every other industrialized nation on the face of this planet has recognized what we, somehow, have failed to see: a healthy, active, and robust populace is the ONLY thing standing between us and returning to the stature of once again becoming the strongest economic powerhouse.
I beg you to PLEASE CALL your representative today. Remember: even if they say they are voting “no,” your voice will have been heard. It’s not a wasted call.
Go now! Call. Be politically active this one time like your life depends on it. Some day, it may.
I’m glad that one of the first things Obama did when he took office was to right the wrongs of the previous administration by signing executive orders stating the goals of a transparent administration guided by people who have no lobbying interests. Unfortunately, the second thing he did was to make an exception to this rule for messers Patterson and Lynn.
I am all for government transparency, and laud the efforts of this new administration; however, I do question the workability of these rules as we move forward.
The other things that Obama needs to work on are Geithner and Daschle. These gentlemen aren’t your run-of-the-mill citizens. They are smart people. Shouldn’t they have the money to hire accountants to make sure they aren’t cheating their once and future employer out out taxes?
I do my own taxes, and can appreciate one’s desire to do their own taxes, but come on – even my coworker officemate uses an accountant.
Now that Obama has been the president-elect for two weeks, I am in the process of figuring out where this blog is going to go. I’ve never been a frequent blogger, but I think I might want to try doing that.
Ideas from my two readers will always be accepted.
Today is the first day of early voting in Miami-Dade County. The Miami Progressive got in line at 7:45 this morning, and walked out of the polling place at the Coral Gables Library 50 minutes later. It was a great experience – the poll workers were quite professional, and knew what they were doing. The only slow thing was the actual process.
Because the ballot is long, I would recommend filling out the sample ballot before going in. Additionally, there is much legalese on the ballot, and as such, The Miami Progressive recommends the following:
For President and Vice President – Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The Obama/Biden ticket provides the injection of hope that this country needs to get it back on its feet after years of neglect during the Bush presidency. The election of Obama and Biden will not FIX the problems, but it will be a good start – and will provide an administration the public can work with to make America great again.
Representative in Congress for FL District 18 – Annette Taddeo. Ileanna Ros-Lehtinen has provided good service, but she voted for the bailout package which will bail out the big banks while doing little to help the middle class. I initially thought I was going to have to review my recommendation on this, after seeing that she initially voted “no” for the bailout in its initial form, but Ros-Lehtinen went back and voted yes on round two.
State Representative – District 111. Frank Morra.
County Clerk – Harvey Ruvin. Ruvin has been there for years, and while his attempts at modernization of the courts has been thwarted, he promises to bring the needed modernization to fruition.
Property Appraiser – Pedro J. Garcia. Garcia is the only one of the four with any in-depth property appraisal experience. Margolis, who is probably the frontrunner, is a lifetime politician. And we’ve seen what politicians do when they involve themselves in an environment without having the knowledge to run it.
Constitutional Amendments…
Amendment 1 – Declaration of Rights. This amendment will delete provisions authorizing the state to regulate property owned by aliens ineligible for citizenship. The Miami Progressive recommends a “no” vote on this.
Amendment 2 – Florida Marriage Protection Amendment. This amendment says that marriage and civil unions shall be limited to one man and one woman. The Miami Progressive recommends a “no” vote on this.
Amendment 3 – Changes and Improvements Not Affecting the Assessed Value of Residential Real Property. The Miami Progressive recommends a “no” vote on this amendment.
Amendment 4 – Property Tax Exemption of Perpetually Conserved Land; Classification and Assessment of Land Used for Conservation. The Miami Progressive recommends a “yes” vote on this amendment.
Amendment 6 – Assessment of Working Waterfront Property Based Upon Current Use. The Miami Progressive recommends a “yes” vote on this amendment.
Amendment 8 – Local Option Community College Funding. The Miami Progressive recommends a “yes” vote on this amendment.
Enjoy your voting!
And, quite frankly, I couldn’t be happier – though I do think that McCain still does have some more punches to throw. As he has stated before, he cannot be counted out yet. That’s why if we want Barack Obama to win (as I do), I cannot stress enough the importance of getting out there and actually casting your vote.
While early voting starts in Florida on October 20, 2008, you can contact your local Elections department (here in Miami-Dade it’s www.miamidade.gov/elections) and request an absentee ballot. Absentee voting is safe, effective, and it helps you avoid the long lines that are being predicted at the polling places. Here in Miami-Dade, the elections department is preparing for a 90%+ turnout for this election.
While the race for president is the most talked about, it is by no means alone in its level of importance in terms of ballot initiatives and measures. In the coming days, The Miami Progressive will be featuring information that you need to be aware of from a local, state, and national perspective.
Stay tuned!
Not that I really want the U. S. federal government to actually take an ownership stake in me – I think I am already patriotic enough with all the taxes I pay. Oh wait… I’m one of those lucky students who has a great job, with great benefits, who gets away with paying maybe 1% in income taxes. But I say this just for those of you out there who might care, or who might search to see what The Miami Progressive really is…
The point I wish to make this morning is this: We Americans have been, since before the start of the United States of America, a bunch that is accustomed to going it alone. As I was discussing with Mrs. Miami Progressive this past weekend, the Republicans have typically been the party that represents this quintessentially American ideal – namely that we innovate so that we can exist. And by “we,” I mean each of us, individually, is generally encouraged to support ourselves, do the best we can, and make it in this world.
I like this ideal… and in the early days of the founding of our country, and in the subsequent days of the westward expansion, this ideal fit. To travel out west, individuals and families had to have, at the very least, a modicum of ability to support themselves. Otherwise the harrowing travels that awaited would, more likely than not, lead to one’s death.
This ideal still fits today – in the entrepreneurial spirit that we find amongst so many, especially new immigrants to this country who want to make it their home.
Where the Republicans have gone wrong, recently (and perhaps not so recently – looking back to the Regan years), is that with all the deregulation the Republican administrations have been able to accomplish (some of it with the help of Democrats – namely Carter and Clinton), we have created an environment where big business (not the mom-and-pop, entrepreneurs, but huge business – especially the financial services industry) routinely takes advantage of the individual. I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who has been relieved of some of his hard-earned money for “overdrafts” that have occurred on an account because withdrawals have been subtracted before deposits have been added.
It’s time that we in the middle class get a leg up from Washington. I don’t expect this to come from Obama, mind you, putting him and Biden in office is just the start… but I do believe that it is a better start than we’ll get from McCain/Palin.
I do believe, as Obama stated in the last debate, that basic health care is a right that should be accorded all Americans. Why? Because as a country, we can obviously afford it – if we can afford to socialize our entire financial system. And think of the productivty gains that could be realized, if everyone was healthy and happy? Right… I’m not a total believer in that – but I do think that we need to focus on the people, rather than big business.
I’ll get off my soapbox now.
Do me a favor – tell your friends to get out and vote. Even if they do vote for McCain, at least they will have voiced their opinon.
McCain/Palin is just that… McCain/Palin… with the emphasis (for the purposes of this article) on Palin…
John McCain is 78 years old. While his mother is still alive, and I hope John McCain lives for another 20 years too, we must understand that he is older than most Americans will ever get (with the average age being 77.8 years). He has served our country like no one else. I concede this.
But his age does concern me – but mostly because of who will step into the Oval Office if he happened to kick it while president. Sarah Palin.
I think Maureen Dowd said it best in her commentary on Palin, as…
“Palin finally took questions on Tuesday from her traveling press corps on her campaign plane. Asked if she thought Senator Obama was dishonest, McCain’s Mean Girl meandered:
‘I’m not saying he’s dishonest, but in terms of judgment, in terms of being able to answer a question forthrightly, it has two different parts to this. The judgment and the truthfulness and just being able to answer very candidly a simple question about when did you know him, how did you know him, is there still — has there been an association continued since ’02 or ’05, I know I’ve read a couple different stories. I think it’s relevant.’”
In his commentary on Palin, Thomas L. Friedman makes perfect sense.
What an awesome idea. A museum on wheels, taking the effects of “Compassionate Conservatism” all the way to the voters. And it will be here in Miami tomorrow, from 11am to 1pm, at “The Shoppes” at 7780 NW 25th St., specifically to help highlight the achievements/failures of the Diaz-Balart brothers.
More information can be gotten here: www.bushlegacytour.com
