Who Benefits from Whose Program

A strong nod to John Showalter, Chair of HD41 for the thoughts behind this post. We'd gone out and cleaned up parks and bike trails, trails I intend to use shortly. Passers-by stopped and thanked us for what we were doing and as it turned from sunny and warm to overcast and cool, we went back to the headquarters to, as Democrats do, kibitz about the action. Which led to a discussion of larger programs and which party's programs benefit the most Americans.

Large Democratic programs tend to benefit all Americans. Think Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, Pell grants, our programs tend to benefit the majority of the population. Of course, I'm sure there are a few dedicated Republicans out there who return their Social Security checks uncashed or who don't take advantage of the benefit programs offered them. The vast majority, I'm sure, cash the checks, apply for student aid, use Medicare. Lacking the intellectual honesty or firmness of conviction to turn them down, they use programs Democrats have developed for them while complaining all the while.

On the other hand, Republican programs tend to benefit Republicans. Tax cuts primarily benefit the wealthy, traditionally a Republican voting bloc. "No Child Left Behind" has benefited private educators and the bloc of Republican voters who, despite all evidence to the contrary, are convinced that public schools are failing. Republican environmental policy only benefits business. While it could be argued that benefiting business benefits us all, I don't think mercury poisoning is a good sacrifice nor do I think polluted rivers and air have great social and financial benefits to the greater public. Of course, the Republican-led wars on drugs and on terrorism benefit no one except those who profit from wars, Republican voters. In fact, I looked up IRAs, 401k plans, all tax-advantaged plans anyone can take advantage of, all passed by Democratic Congresses.

I may be wrong. There may be a Republican initiative out there designed to benefit all Americans without discriminating toward the Republican voters. Can't think of any at the moment which isn't that great a surprise but until I'm presented with such a plan, I think John's thesis holds: Republican programs benefit Republicans, Democratic programs benefit America.

Happy Earth Day

Three Arapahoe County house districts cooperated with Democrats Work to clean up three parks in Aurora. Happy Earth Day, all! If you participated, thanks. If not, we'd like to have you out for the next Democrats Work function.

Earth Day and the cleanup brings a few things to mind I'd like to see happen for our Earth. Most of what was in my bag was those plastic grocery bags. The things never decay, they clog up water courses and animals' intestines, they drown or suffocate wildlife. Much as I hate the death of the trees, what's wrong with biodegradable paper? You can even compost paper bags, trapping carbon and fertilizing your garden without chemicals and the energy it takes to produce them. Should we approach our Democratic representatives and ask them to follow San Francisco and outlaw plastic grocery bags?

An issue mentioned afterward that could start to heal the rift between us and the Republicans (I try to type that with a straight face) is water. One idea I've been exploring could address the fact that 25% of our local water use is to grow Kentucky bluegrass. As a native Kentuckian, I appreciate the little view of home but I also realize we got 50+ inches of rain a year back there. We should be growing water-wise turf but for many, covenants require fescue or bluegrass, both wet-climate grasses although fescue is marginally better. I would like to approach our representatives to pass a law that covenants and HOAs could not outlaw prairie grasses such as buffalo grass and gramma, better adapted to our high, dry climate and requiring little to no irrigation.

Any more Earth Day ideas?

First blog

I am just learning to blog. My hope is that I & others concerned with HD 40 Dems can
deal with ideas, slants & other stuff that we want to air but which don't quite belong
on our website. The website, as I see it, is our workbench for communicating our message.
Basically just the facts. This blog is a place to vent & explore ideas--the war in Iraq, campaign finance reform, the privatization of government whether to build toll roads, house prisoners, whatever.

Getting started hasn't been that easy for me. I found the technology of blogging daunting.
I think it's worth it. Hope you will also.

How Important Is 2008?

Yesterday the U. S. Supreme Court upheld the Colorado Congressional districts drawn by a judge after the State Legislature was unable to redistrict before the 2002 elections. Had there been a clear Republican majority in 2002, it's doubtful that we would have sent as many Democratic representatives to the U. S. Congress or to the State House as we have. The Republicans again tried to gerrymander the state in 2003, the resulting map was thrown out in subsequent court trials leading up to the Supreme Court's decision, finally putting the matter to rest in 2007.

There are those who believe that 2008 will be a slam-dunk. I'd love to think so but in 2006 we didn't get Matt Bryant elected despite the national anti-Republican trend. We can't afford to lose any opportunity to equate Republicans at all levels with George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Ann Coulter, to equate their rule with lust for power and incompetence in its exercise, to point out that it was twelve years of Republican budgets that led to Walter Reed and the inability to respond to natural disasters. They wanted a Government that could be drowned in a bath tub. Instead, it drowned in New Orleans.

In three years we will be once again redrawing Colorado's political map. It is imperative that a Democratic majority do so. That is the importance of 2008, to build on our majority and to paint the State blue.

Walter Reed - Symbol of Republican Incompetence

I've seen it posted on blogs that the crisis at Walter Reed and other VA facilities is Bill Clinton's fault. He, they say, cut the budget for the facilities and for the military in general. While a number of the cuts happened on Bill's watch, truth is found in basic civics: The Congress holds the purse strings.

The Congress during Clinton's administration was Republican-controlled. They wanted a "peace dividend" following the fall of the Wall and the failure of communism. The Congress, with their power of the purse, cut funding for the Military, putting many of us out and reducing the number of bases, hospitals and facilities to treat the wounded.

So, the Republicans set the situation up. Furthering the incompetence was the current Administration. Their rosy-eyed predictions of easy victory, of tanks rolling over roses proved untrue. We armed but didn't armor our troops and they began to be injured in large numbers. The Pentagon reports about 27,000 wounded but if you take their own killed to wounded ratio, the number becomes closer to 56,000. That's a bunch more than the military health system was prepared or funded to treat.

So the next time a GOPer talks about supporting the truth, smile sweetly and ask them why they defunded Walter Reed and other military hospitals during the Clinton administration and why Bush didn't fund them when the need was known.

Ideas....

From John Fulton.... Last meeting generated a lot of ideas for activities to get us out there in front of the public. With a bit of literary license (sorry, John), here are some:

- Voter registration, both on campus (get 'em young....) and off. John checked out voter registration on campus - allowed but we can't show our sign. Kind of defeats the purpose.

- Earth Day: April 14--here's the link provided by Stacey Farley: http://www.stepitup2007.org ties in with Gore's message about the threat of global warming. Perhaps we could do something about each, but I suggest we go for April 22 (a Sunday) which follows by one day our monthly planning session Saturday, 4/21. This also is something we should discuss.

Two things John would like to see us do:

1. "Brand" ourselves as Arapahoe Democrats but also as HD 40 Democrats. We have a few dollars to invest in T-shirts. White Hanes Ts are really inexpensive. Matt has used decals & may still have some left. I feel strongly that we can & should do this. I think Arapahoe Dems would give us permission to use their logo.

2. The Arapahoe County Party is challenging us to put some money in the till. I have some ideas. Please think about this matter & bring your own ideas for discussion.

Elections: There are "off-year" elections this year. Pam Bennett is running for Aurora City Council @ large.There are two seats open @ large; top two vote-getters win. Aurora Ward VI in our patch will also be on the ballot in November(?). Our current in Ward VI, Councilperson Bob Broom, a Republican, is a pretty good Councilperson in my experience.

Bush Compares Himself to Washington

Where can I hurl?

Today the Deciderator actually had the gall to compare himself to George Washington, a man who had to be practically shanghaied into running for President and who maintained that Executive powers should be governed by restraint:

"I feel right at home here. After all, this is the home of the first George W. I thank President Washington for welcoming us today. He doesn't look a day over 275 years old," Bush said to laughter. (AP)

Furthering Bush's madness in comparing himself to the first President:

"And as we work to advance the cause of freedom around the world, we remember that the father of our country believed that the freedoms we secured in our revolution were not meant for Americans alone."

That, as people, including American citizens, are languishing in jails from South Carolina to Guantanamo, denied basic American rights by edict of the man who would compare himself to Washington? As I remember, Washington treated British POWs well and released them at the end of the war in contrast to the British treatment of American POWs. There is no comparison between the heroics and wisdom of Washington and the incompetence and arrogance of the latter-day "George W."

But "W" leaves an opening for us. For the next eighteen months we should never pass up a chance to equate Republicans with Bush, to contrast the deeds of the latter-day "W" with the first. The GOPers are their own worst press right now and as Sun Tzu wrote: "Keep him under a strain and wear him down."

Cross-posted from "A Colorado Progressive."