I shit you not. Someone actually came to the 43rd District Democrats monthly meeting, and spoke out against the Schools levy (props 1 and 2). While I have to commend her for willing to come before a what could have been a very hostile audience, and believe her primary focus was on Prop 1 (the capital levy), her entire argument seemed to be based on "schools haven't done a good enough job with previous levy money, and therefore don't deserve it."
I call bullshit. And unlike my "I'm voting no, but you should vote yes" for the housing levy (if it would have failed, it would have decimated public housing options in our city), I'm voting yes, and so should you. We cannot sit back and continue to do harm to our children. Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson does enough of that on her own.
But, why should I try to explain it, when Jello Biafra did so well:
Someday, even the experts will figure out that crime is not caused by rap music. Or even MY music. But by a power structure of self-absorbed property owners, so brain-dead and stupid, they won't even see that if you're too goddamn greedy to pay taxes for schools and services, they're not going to be any good anymore. And that uneducated time bombs are a very poor investment as a future workforce. And if you go on teaching people that life is cheap, and leave them to rot in ghettos and jails, they may one day feel justified in coming back to rob and kill you.
Duh.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Let the Blame Game Begin!
What a tragic moment in Democratic history. The seat held by John Kennedy, and then by Ted Kennedy, lost to a Republican who promised to block health insurance reform. All in a state that has all statewide elected officials from the Democratic Party, supermajorities in the State House and State Senate, and all the congressional seats held by Democrats.
Of course, all sides are quickly looking to blame someone else. But it is clear - this is everyone's fault.
Martha Coakley - after you won the primary, you should have kept on running. There's an old saying - always run like you're ten points behind. You ran like you were thirty points up, and that turns off people. Expecting them to vote for you because they have before, because you are a Democrat, is insulting.
Barack Obama - you should have done more than an email ask, followed by an appearance very late in the game. You had the team that could have helped, you could have taken notice sooner, but instead you took Massachusetts for granted.
DNC - Just like Obama, you waited until the last minute to get involved. Howard Dean knew that you have to take every race seriously. Tim Kaine - you are officially a failure.
SDCC - Just like the DNC, you also are a complete failure in this race. Perhaps it was the candidate, perhaps it was the lack of resources and talent provided, but you also bear responsibility. Sen. Martinez, I hope that this is not a harbinger of November.
And everyone else who didn't make a phone call to Massachusetts, who didn't email all their friends to make sure they got out and voted, who just sat back and said, "we're going to win this" - this is your fault, too.
So buck up, and get ready. We have a lot more work to do if we're going to keep our Party strong, and if we're going to maintain leadership in the US House and Senate, along with the State Legislature here at home. A lot of work.
Of course, all sides are quickly looking to blame someone else. But it is clear - this is everyone's fault.
Martha Coakley - after you won the primary, you should have kept on running. There's an old saying - always run like you're ten points behind. You ran like you were thirty points up, and that turns off people. Expecting them to vote for you because they have before, because you are a Democrat, is insulting.
Barack Obama - you should have done more than an email ask, followed by an appearance very late in the game. You had the team that could have helped, you could have taken notice sooner, but instead you took Massachusetts for granted.
DNC - Just like Obama, you waited until the last minute to get involved. Howard Dean knew that you have to take every race seriously. Tim Kaine - you are officially a failure.
SDCC - Just like the DNC, you also are a complete failure in this race. Perhaps it was the candidate, perhaps it was the lack of resources and talent provided, but you also bear responsibility. Sen. Martinez, I hope that this is not a harbinger of November.
And everyone else who didn't make a phone call to Massachusetts, who didn't email all their friends to make sure they got out and voted, who just sat back and said, "we're going to win this" - this is your fault, too.
So buck up, and get ready. We have a lot more work to do if we're going to keep our Party strong, and if we're going to maintain leadership in the US House and Senate, along with the State Legislature here at home. A lot of work.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
It's January, MoFo!
And an interesting January it has been.
All of the national and international goings on aside, we have a new mayor here at home, along with two new city council members and a new city attorney.
While I would hate to attempt Dominic Holden style humor at the expense of the new mayor's first 100 minutes, I do have little to no problem letting loose. That is one of the joys of being a gadfly of sorts.
First, where I can praise our new mayor - park and ride lots, while temporary, are a good thing to allow near the outlying light rail stations. Light rail is already performing under expectations, and if there isn't some way to encourage more ridership, then we will basically have a longer, more expensive version of the S.L.U.T., with little to no public will to really make light rail a major transportation system. While some purists (ie: Publicola, FutureWise) believe in the all or nothing approach to alternatives to vehicles for transportation, McGinn has shown that he has at least some sense of pragmatism, and long-term thought capability.
Additionally, he has promised, through his brain raking 50 minute long speech at the City Hall open house, more outreach to the community, and better constituent services from the mayor's office. Combined with the anticipated 100% awesome constituent services from Councilmembers Bagshaw and O'Brien, this can only be a good thing.
But then there is the not-so-good.
For one, and this ties in with the outreach, how many town halls do you need before you decide what you are going to do? The fact is, Mike McGinn, you were elected mayor. You should have had a better idea of what you were planning to do before you jumped in the race. You and your staff get paid to govern. Governing by the people is anarchy, and I would caution you to move down that path. Get input, sure. Explain what you're doing and why? Definitely. But it is now your job to actually lead.
For two - WTF was up with the iPhones? I will be the first to admit that people throwing a fit about the cost need to calm down a bit - in the grand scheme of things, it isn't that high. But coming off of the whole health insurance debacle, along with you stating over and over that we need to do things more efficiently and lower the cost of running government (great GOP line), this symbolic move towards a much more expensive item to the city, that doesn't sync well with everything else the city uses, tells me that either you don't trust your staff to quickly and effectively learn to use a Blackberry, or that the rules of lowering costs only apply to other departments.
I suppose I shouldn't be too upset. I didn't vote for you, and I voted for just about everyone who is on the Council. If you don't take a leadership role, and quickly set the agenda, I'm sure that the nine other mayors...er...councilmembers...would be glad to set the tone for the next four years.
It's up to you.
All of the national and international goings on aside, we have a new mayor here at home, along with two new city council members and a new city attorney.
While I would hate to attempt Dominic Holden style humor at the expense of the new mayor's first 100 minutes, I do have little to no problem letting loose. That is one of the joys of being a gadfly of sorts.
First, where I can praise our new mayor - park and ride lots, while temporary, are a good thing to allow near the outlying light rail stations. Light rail is already performing under expectations, and if there isn't some way to encourage more ridership, then we will basically have a longer, more expensive version of the S.L.U.T., with little to no public will to really make light rail a major transportation system. While some purists (ie: Publicola, FutureWise) believe in the all or nothing approach to alternatives to vehicles for transportation, McGinn has shown that he has at least some sense of pragmatism, and long-term thought capability.
Additionally, he has promised, through his brain raking 50 minute long speech at the City Hall open house, more outreach to the community, and better constituent services from the mayor's office. Combined with the anticipated 100% awesome constituent services from Councilmembers Bagshaw and O'Brien, this can only be a good thing.
But then there is the not-so-good.
For one, and this ties in with the outreach, how many town halls do you need before you decide what you are going to do? The fact is, Mike McGinn, you were elected mayor. You should have had a better idea of what you were planning to do before you jumped in the race. You and your staff get paid to govern. Governing by the people is anarchy, and I would caution you to move down that path. Get input, sure. Explain what you're doing and why? Definitely. But it is now your job to actually lead.
For two - WTF was up with the iPhones? I will be the first to admit that people throwing a fit about the cost need to calm down a bit - in the grand scheme of things, it isn't that high. But coming off of the whole health insurance debacle, along with you stating over and over that we need to do things more efficiently and lower the cost of running government (great GOP line), this symbolic move towards a much more expensive item to the city, that doesn't sync well with everything else the city uses, tells me that either you don't trust your staff to quickly and effectively learn to use a Blackberry, or that the rules of lowering costs only apply to other departments.
I suppose I shouldn't be too upset. I didn't vote for you, and I voted for just about everyone who is on the Council. If you don't take a leadership role, and quickly set the agenda, I'm sure that the nine other mayors...er...councilmembers...would be glad to set the tone for the next four years.
It's up to you.
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