2004-10-14 - 10:19 a.m.
Oh my god this election is driving me up the fucking wall. I can’t figure out why we are in the situation we’re in now where millions of people are losing their jobs, we have record deficits, and a war that we keep sending more and more young people to. How can close to half of the country approve of that? Are “social” issues like same gender marriage and abortion really worth your children dying in Iraq? Are those issues really so much more important that your ability to finance your children’s education and access affordable healthcare?
I wrote an entry where I asked people to give me one concrete example of how my ability to have my relationship with mr. Activision legally recognized directly impact their lives. While I know my readership is not going to offer anything up, I have spent some time perusing anti-gay websites and still couldn’t find anything more specific than the whole moral fabric issue. But here’s stuff that WILL impact your life – taxes. As pointed out by several Democratic candidates in the Democratic primary, you may have received a tax cut by the federal government, but you had your property tax raised because the President underfunded No Child Left Behind. Not only that, the education shortfall also meant that schools would end up charging fees for services they normally provide for free. One example I can think of is that my high school is now charging for Driver’s Ed. Up until a few years ago it was free. For the University of Maryland, the Trustees are raising tuition in the double digits. That being said, in my own life, I ended up PAYING taxes for the first time in my life in 2002 and 2003. Where the fuck is my tax cut?
For those of you in the military, I have to paraphrase Janet Jackson (circa 1986) and ask, “what has he done for you lately?” Here’s things the Great Pretender cut: military pay, veterans benefits and funding for VA hospitals and, get this, prosecutors who will go after businesses who fired reservists being sent to Iraq. Isn’t that great? Go for active duty and then lose your job. That’s your reward? And the man won’t even attend the funerals of those who gave their lives in service of this country. Dude, fuck that.
And what the hell is up with this tort reform bullshit? Does anyone honestly think that insurance companies will just magically lower their premiums once they get a guarantee that they will pay only so much for someone’s pain and suffering? I checked what happened in Texas with tort reform. Limits were placed on how much someone could receive in punitive damages. You know what happened? Insurance premiums went up. And that makes sense, when the government is handing you money by limiting how much you have to pay in a settlement and you are under no obligation to lower your premiums, take the money and run. Why not cap insurance companies premiums?
I guess I have to ask this to people who are undecided or voting for the Great Pretender: has your life gotten better in the last four years? Do you feel more secure that you will have money for your retirement? Do you feel more secure your kids won’t have to take out loans the size of a mortgage to finance their education? Do you feel more secure, period?
