Post by mikekerstetter on Apr 27, 2012 5:07:57 GMT -5
Here’s hoping the days of primary elections are numbered
by Chris Brady
Published:
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 8:10 AM CDT
It’s election day and just as with every previous election since I moved here more than a decade ago, I will vote. It’s not always a pleasant experience, but necessary nonetheless.
Not to pick on Pennsylvania, but when I moved here and took part in my first election and walked into that huge, metallic structure to pull a lever, I couldn’t help but think I was in some sort of ancient world.
Thankfully, the state has progressed from those monstrosities.
As a voter, I’ve been registered Republican and Democrat. I’ve lived in the south and north. Politics is different on either side of the Mason Dixon Line but the two parties, despite incredible shortcomings, remain.
If the Republican and Democratic parties were professional sports teams, it’s hard to see how either would have a stable, reliable fanbase. Each has players that have been suspended, thrown off the team or jailed. Some have players in the court system right now.
Both parties have been represented by less-than-honest presidents. Both sides have had presidents impeached.
Still the parties continue on; sadly, with the “politics as usual” banner flying proudly.
As an American, I’d prefer to be labeled an American. Some prefer to be called a Republican or Democrat, especially when the opposition party is in power.
My hope is that one day my children can go to the polls for the primary elections and select a candidate based on his or her credentials, not based on whether or not there is an “R” or “D” beside that candidate’s name.
Given the slow economic recovery, let’s look at the two issues splintering our wonderful two-party system at the moment: Republicans and an unwillingness to raise taxes and Democrats and a reluctance to address entitlement programs (Democrats, to their credit, have offered cuts and reforms, though not nearly enough).
Republicans today harp against any sort of tax increase, despite the uber-wealthy and their ability to sidestep tax law, seek out loopholes and hide cash in offshore accounts. Some have gone so far as to pledge to never raise taxes, ever.
Never? Really? The top Republican right now, Mitt Romney, makes more than $55,000 a year on capital gains and is taxed on those gains at just over 14 percent. No one in the Republican Party sees fit to raise that just a bit?
Why? Well, that’s the easy part. Those who vote to keep taxes low are funded by those who benefit most from those policies. Corporations, those flush with cash, spend millions annually on lobbyists fighting to ensure their tax rate is low or non-existent. Seems crazy, but it’s true. Spend to avoid spending.
Democrats hold steadfast on entitlement programs, despite the fact that many bilk the system, draining millions from honest, hard-working taxpayers to foot the bill for some who chose not to work or contribute to the system at all. Some drain entitlement programs their entire lives, yet no one from government steps in and says “enough is enough.”
Why? Well, that’s the easy part. Those who vote to keep entitlement programs churning out dollar after dollar do so in order to gain votes from that segment of the population. It also helps that many people rely on jobs provided by an entitlement society. Needless to say, those folks vote with the party that enables their government job to exist.
Do away with the Republican and Democratic parties and you’ll see an America well on its way to reform. There will be no party line to tow, no partisan machine to pump out rhetoric and prop up candidates whose voting record is called into question.
Quite simply, candidates will have to stand on their own two feet and do the job they were elected to do: Represent the people.
Sound American enough to you?
Chris Brady is managing editor at the Standard Journal. He can be reached at chris@standard-journal.com.
www.standard-journal.com/articles....a0482578620.txt
Read more: centralpenncommunity.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=newspaper&thread=7792#ixzz1tEZAWecF
by Chris Brady
Published:
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 8:10 AM CDT
It’s election day and just as with every previous election since I moved here more than a decade ago, I will vote. It’s not always a pleasant experience, but necessary nonetheless.
Not to pick on Pennsylvania, but when I moved here and took part in my first election and walked into that huge, metallic structure to pull a lever, I couldn’t help but think I was in some sort of ancient world.
Thankfully, the state has progressed from those monstrosities.
As a voter, I’ve been registered Republican and Democrat. I’ve lived in the south and north. Politics is different on either side of the Mason Dixon Line but the two parties, despite incredible shortcomings, remain.
If the Republican and Democratic parties were professional sports teams, it’s hard to see how either would have a stable, reliable fanbase. Each has players that have been suspended, thrown off the team or jailed. Some have players in the court system right now.
Both parties have been represented by less-than-honest presidents. Both sides have had presidents impeached.
Still the parties continue on; sadly, with the “politics as usual” banner flying proudly.
As an American, I’d prefer to be labeled an American. Some prefer to be called a Republican or Democrat, especially when the opposition party is in power.
My hope is that one day my children can go to the polls for the primary elections and select a candidate based on his or her credentials, not based on whether or not there is an “R” or “D” beside that candidate’s name.
Given the slow economic recovery, let’s look at the two issues splintering our wonderful two-party system at the moment: Republicans and an unwillingness to raise taxes and Democrats and a reluctance to address entitlement programs (Democrats, to their credit, have offered cuts and reforms, though not nearly enough).
Republicans today harp against any sort of tax increase, despite the uber-wealthy and their ability to sidestep tax law, seek out loopholes and hide cash in offshore accounts. Some have gone so far as to pledge to never raise taxes, ever.
Never? Really? The top Republican right now, Mitt Romney, makes more than $55,000 a year on capital gains and is taxed on those gains at just over 14 percent. No one in the Republican Party sees fit to raise that just a bit?
Why? Well, that’s the easy part. Those who vote to keep taxes low are funded by those who benefit most from those policies. Corporations, those flush with cash, spend millions annually on lobbyists fighting to ensure their tax rate is low or non-existent. Seems crazy, but it’s true. Spend to avoid spending.
Democrats hold steadfast on entitlement programs, despite the fact that many bilk the system, draining millions from honest, hard-working taxpayers to foot the bill for some who chose not to work or contribute to the system at all. Some drain entitlement programs their entire lives, yet no one from government steps in and says “enough is enough.”
Why? Well, that’s the easy part. Those who vote to keep entitlement programs churning out dollar after dollar do so in order to gain votes from that segment of the population. It also helps that many people rely on jobs provided by an entitlement society. Needless to say, those folks vote with the party that enables their government job to exist.
Do away with the Republican and Democratic parties and you’ll see an America well on its way to reform. There will be no party line to tow, no partisan machine to pump out rhetoric and prop up candidates whose voting record is called into question.
Quite simply, candidates will have to stand on their own two feet and do the job they were elected to do: Represent the people.
Sound American enough to you?
Chris Brady is managing editor at the Standard Journal. He can be reached at chris@standard-journal.com.
www.standard-journal.com/articles....a0482578620.txt
Read more: centralpenncommunity.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=newspaper&thread=7792#ixzz1tEZAWecF
