Mean-spirited, at the wrong time in history
I think that I explained this before, but let me try again, because someone is not listening.
The Republican victories in November 2010 were not a mandate from the people. In a two-party system, the victories merely reflect dissatisfaction with the incumbents in addressing issues that are important to the American people right now. Republicans who believe that their victories represent anything more will likely find themselves on the outside after their NEXT election.
I repeat that message, because I see some actions by Republicans (Democrats have their OWN set of problems! 
) that suggest they did not understand the message sent by the electorate.
The time for reflection that has occurred after the tragic shootings in Tucson, AZ, should give us all time to back away from the abyss, as we did after the Kent State and Jackson State shootings, and look at “where we are” and “how we got here.” Sadly, many will not come up with the right answers, because they are looking for “logical” explanations, as though we were a logical species.
This week, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives were going to tackle the dismantling of newly passed health care reform laws. While some Republican leaders decry the “inhuman” nature of the murders and attempted assassination in Tucson, other Republicans are attempting “inhumane” actions against those struggling to cope with health care at a time in which 9.4% unemployment exists in the United States (12.4% in California) (Note added January 23, 2011: Make that 12.5%!) because “American” corporations prefer NOT to hire workers in the United States and NOT to assist with recovery from the Great Recession that they created.
Republicans are taking actions in three areas this week that make me believe that they are not listening:
1) Dismantling health care reform: At a time when 12.4% unemployment (Revised January 23, 2011: 12.5%!) exists in California (not counting the “discouraged workers” and others), Blue Shield, one of California’s largest health insurers, announced plans to raise its premiums by as much as 59%. When the plans were announced late Thursday, Blue Shield stressed that its decision has “almost nothing to do with the federal health reform law.” CNNMoney says:
“Despite the steep double-digit hike, the insurer maintained it still expects to lose tens of millions of dollars on its individual healthcare business in both 2010 and 2011.”
Maybe the company is badly managed. Maybe executive compensation is too high. Who knows? In any case, California is usually among the FIRST states where companies try such things, certainly not the last. Imagine where we ALL (at least 99% of us) will be if health care reforms are dismantled. (Note added January 21, 2011: The Consumers Union (the folks who publish “Consumer Reports”) offers THIS link where you can voice your displeasure about Blue Shield’s earlier and newly proposed rate hikes.)
2) Immigration: Just as many Democrats, particularly in “Left-leaning” states like California, find themselves on the wrong side of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights, some Republicans seem to find themselves on the wrong side of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Section 1 of which states:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”
The reason? To deny citizenship to the children of “illegal immigrants…” Nevermind that Republicans are attempting these actions in a country that is FILLED, 100%, with immigrants of one kind or another. Even Native Americans came from somewhere else, just much earlier. These Republicans propose two things:
It is hard to believe that the modern Republican Party is descended from “the party of Abraham Lincoln.” Such actions smack of closet racism and seem to seek to deprive people of the right to vote. These are not American values. A nationally syndicated columnist provides “8 reasons to leave <the> 14th Amendment alone.”
3) The environment: The New York Times reports:
Are these Republicans, who must have slept through their high school Science classes, the same ones who slept through their History and Civics classes in issue #2? I would really like to know. On issues related to the environment, the CHOICE seems to be between money and public health (issue #1). As the big, red Button on TV says, “That was easy!” Senator Barbara Boxer of California. chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, responded with a defense of the Clean Air Act and other landmark environmental laws:
Fred Upton, the new chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, replied through his press secretary:
Sadly, this is a “red herring.”
We have seen how corporations sitting on piles of cash would rather CONTINUE to sit on those piles of cash or invest them OVERSEAS than to hire American workers. There is no reason to believe that throwing MORE cash at those corporations by relaxing environmental regulations (and making people sick) would change their actions.
In fact, such corporations SEEM to LIKE the U.S. having a near-10% unemployment rate just fine. From THEIR point of view, I understand why.
It seems that, at this stage of American History, the first party to realize that they are elected to represent “The People” (and not just the 1% who are rich) are likely to be the ones who remain in office, while the others are progressively “rotated out” of office.
Sure. This process may take awhile. Take the long view. Our kids and grandkids will inherit the world we leave them.
At 1%, the rich can supply the money, but not the numbers, to elect candidates to office and keep them there.
-Bill at
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