Changing Parties to Vote in Local Elections?

A lot has been written lately about changing parties to vote in the Republican Primary, due to the dysfunctional government that exists in Cecil County. Since the county government is controlled by Republicans and their dysfunctional party, common sense and logic should dictate that voting for the same people will not change the direction of your local government. If you want real change you should be registering as Democrats and voting for the Democratic Party. The Republicans cannot run their own party, how can you expect them to run your government. The local Democratic Party is unified and eager for our candidates to change the direction of our county government and serve the people of Cecil Couty, not Political Actions Committees or friends of elected officials or narrow interest groups. Remember elections have consequences and the last 3 republicans elected as County Commssioners have done nothing but move us backward, better government means electing Democrats.
To change to Democrat go online to the Maryland State Board of Elections website (elections.state.md.us) and print a Voter Registration Application. Complete the application per the instructions, checking off the box for “Party Affiliation Change” and then for party check the box for “Democratic Party.” This form must be mailed to, or dropped off at: Cecil County Board of Elections, 200 Chesapeake Blvd, County Administration Building, Elkton, Md 21921.

Cecil Business Leaders – fraud or honest broker

We were at the organizational meeting for Cecil Business Leaders for Better Government, a local PAC.  We  had high hopes that it would be broadly focused and truly non-partisan. It was billed as a non-partisan group who would vet all candidates. However, at the organizational meeting, …before the vetting process has been decided upon, they had already indicated that Robert Hodge was their pick. Since then they have refused to vet any democratic candidates for council and did not vet all the candidates for county executive. Their actions indicate that they are just another front organization for a faction of the republican party. They have decided not to pick someone in the executive race since there are so many candidates, they don’t want to pick a loser that doesn’t make it to the general election, they would then be on the wrong side of the potential county executive. Their process should indicate to all voters that their recommendations should carry as much weight as their one-sided vetting process does. The agenda of this group appears to be very narrow, what can they get from local government, not what makes government better for the county as a whole.

One other thought, Alan McCarthy was on the original board of the group, and they picked him to run. How is this any different from the republican central committee picking one of their own for the charter commission. For any of this to have any fairness and integrity there needs to be degree of separation in the choices and there must be a fair, open and honest process that is transparent to the public, otherwise there is no integrity and the final choices must be suspect. 

The real problem with local government is the fact that it is controlled by the Republican Party, so why on earth would you vote for more republicans to continue this mess, the democrats have many very good and exceptional candidates for local office and one should consider changing their party to democrat to get one of these better candidates elected.

Teapublican Hypocrisy

Just a few weeks ago with the help of our Representative in Washington, Andy Harris, Republicans successfully fought off an attempt by the Democrats to help keep the US government solvent and pay down the federal debt by raising the tax rate on the richest 2% of Americans. Those who typically pay 15% on their earnings were protected while wage earners in the 25 to 33% tax bracket were set up. Well done A.H.!

Now Congressman Harris and his Teapublican brethren are facing another challenge. Back in 2010 President Obama signed into law a tax cut on payroll taxes saving the average American who earns $50,000 per year $1,000. If you make $100, 000 it saved you $2,000. It expires December 31st. The President wants it renewed.

This one does not benefit the rich. President Obama’s tax cut is for lower and middle class wage earners. Roughly 160 million families.

“I don’t think extending it is a good idea” said chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Dave Camp (R-Michigan). Paul Ryan, (Republican/Tea Party), concurs. Because “it would push the deficit higher.”

There’s a pattern here. These Republicans have no problem raising the deficit so as long as they’re the ones doing it, and it benefits the uber rich. They have no problem paying down the deficit as long as it’s workers and small businesses doing it for them. Remember that when your pay check takes a hit in January. Like your investments did a couple of weeks ago.

America can still do big things

The Republican (Tea Party) has indicated by their recent actions and assertions that the United States is no longer a great country and we can no longer dream and do big things. Their assertion that spending needs to be reigned in will assure that great and big things will not be accomplished in the near future.
This party states that we have a spending problem. That is completely wrong. This country has a jobs problem and an economic growth problem. If we as a country decide to be a great nation and set our minds to do big things, this will create jobs and economic growth, that will wipe out the budget deficit, just ask Bill Clinton how economic growth works on budget deficits.
Why would the Republican (Tea Party) want this country to come up small? Because they see poor jobs and economic growth as their only path to victory. They have overtly decided that the destruction of middle and working class incomes and homes is in their interest and they have charted a course in that direction.
I don’t know about you, but as Democrats we still believe this is a great county and that We Can Do Big Things. Call out our local Republican (Tea Party) congressman for thinking and being small.

Republican (Tea Party) Terrorists

Last March we posted an article asking who the real terrorists in this country were. Today that article seems to be very prescient. In light of the recent debt ceiling debacle, the Republican (Tea Party) has moved from just using terror to get its way into hostage taking. In addition, their actions actually killed the hostage after they got their ransom. The Republican (Tea Party)  cannot exist without the use of fear, making them terrorists. However, the Tea Party has upped the ante.   Their stated goals of reigning in budget deficit spending (while laudable) actually backfired. The decline in spending will probably cause 1.2 million jobs to be lost, along with the tax revenue. In addition, since S and P knows that the budget cannot be balanced without tax increases, the recent Tea Party credit downgrade will result in higher Treasury borrowing costs. This will also add to the budget deficit. The only conclusion that can be drawn from this is the Tea Party and the Republican Party has as their only goal, the destruction of the federal government.  This point is actually supported by their patron saint Grover Norquist, who famously said “my goal is to shrink the government to a size where I can drown it in a bathtub”. 

Why would the Republican (Tea Party) want to do this?  Because it is very difficult to steal, pollute, transfer wealth to the rich, rape and plunder the environmental riches of this country, on a national basis,  however, state by state they can plunder and steal all they want.

People who hate government this much, should never be allowed to govern.

Thank You County Commissioners

Thank you Commissioners Mullins, Dunn and Broomell. The property tax cut that you approved is greatly appreciated. I just thought I would let you know that with the $10 tax cut you gave me I am going to help the local economy. I am going to go to a local pawn shop and see if a can buy a gun for the $10. I figure I will need to protect myself as the Sherrif’s Department will probably respond more slowly and several more Children will probably drop out of school and turn to a life of crime, due to the cuts to those budget’s that were necessary for this tax cut. However, the $10 is greatly appreciated, you guys are brilliant.

Where is the Republican Party?

The current budget impasse appears to be drawn along ideological lines. The Democrats, while acceding to cuts in spending, are working to preserve women’s health, clean air and water, and independent news and entertainment organization, among others. However, conservative elements in the Republican Caucus have indicated that the budget cuts are not really what they are after. They are after a complete dismantling of the Federal Government. Like Grover Norquist indicated in the past, they want to shrink government till it is so small that they can drown it in a bath tub.
The problem with this, as we saw in 2008, is that if the government does not function, the rich and corporate powers will step into the void and cause all kinds of damage. After all, based on current business theology, private industry’s only purpose is to generate profits at any cost. 
It is evident that responsible Republican politicians want to compromise and do not want a scorched earth policy. The tea party, however, is begging for a government shutdown. The question then becomes what has happened to the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. The party that believed in equality and was progressive in saving the environment, looking to a future for all citizens. The answer is that the party of Lincoln and Roosevelt no longer exists, it has been replaced by the tea party, a right wing reactionary group funded and owned by the Koch Brothers, Dick Armey, et al. From here on out we should refer to the two major parties as the Democratic Party and the tea party, or the responsible party and the bully party.