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Usually I like to keep Politics and Religion out of most conversations. I have a military like stance, don't ask don't tell. I know I am not going to change anyone’s mind, even though I would like to, so talking about it or arguing about it is pointless. However, in light of the current campaigns and the magnitude of this election I would like to put my two cents in. After watching the Vice Presidential Debates I hope it has become appallingly clear that Sarah Palin has absolutely no clue what she is talking about. She has, so far, been unable to answer a question directly regardless of the interview or forum. She skates around the issue and regurgitates what she thinks her contingents want to hear. Joe Biden answered every question directly and concisely. The clear winner of that debate was Biden. Regardless of your opinion on the issues that were discussed Biden won that debate.I am a recovering Republican, not really though, my parents were Republicans but that was because they were well off and liked the tax breaks. They understood Reaganomics and were in a tax bracket that voting Republican would benefit them. Yes, they are conservative on most issues but not the ones you might think or for the reasons you might think. I would call them fiscally Republican and socially Democrat. I was a Republican because they were. This brings me to my next point. If you are a Republican because of your religion then you are not thinking critically. Unless your church pays taxes (NONE of them do) then they should NOT be preaching politics. If you are voting the Republican ticket because someone else told you to or tried to sway you, you are not thinking critically. Try thinking for yourself, if you really do, then a light should come on in your head. Ask yourself this question. Am I voting on issues that I know are right, or that have been sold to me by someone else? Examples would be friends, family members, pastors, priests, deacons, rabbis, peer group members. etc. etc. I am going to list some keys political points and then show that critical thinkers should vote using their brains, not their “hearts”.
National Security: John McCain (JMc) would be a worse threat to national security than Barack Obama (BO). BO has huge international support, when he gets elected BO will reflect that Americans are fed up with the current government and we are indeed ready for change. Both in foreign policy and domestic policy, the world would view us as a different country than we have been for the last 8 years. JMc would be viewed as an extension of George W. Bush. Therefore, our foreign policy would not really change, our enemies would still hate us and we would be more vulnerable to attack. Both here and abroad.
Gay Rights: Are you are married? Do you plan on getting married? How would you feel if the government told you that you could not marry the person you love? Gay people are just that. They are People. They are not to be “tolerated” like Palin implied, they are to be treated with the same respect every person deserves. You as an American have the right to marry or do pretty much anything you want, as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else. Gay marriages don’t hurt anybody. They are not “abominations”; they are people that are just different than you. It is not a choice or a lifestyle. They are born that way.
Roe v. Wade: This is a touchy one but if you think critically you will understand my point. Mind your own FUCKING business.
Global Warming: We do not need to start off-shore drilling, this is a band aid. Yes, it will decrease dependence on foreign oil but it will help perpetuate the carbon emission problem. BO is right on the money, we need to focus on new energy resources. This will create new jobs and clean up the air. If we set the example the rest of the world will follow. We could actually make a new export! Imagine, having a real export besides grain. Now we would become players in the global economy again instead of just being consumers.
Taxes: If you make over $250,000.00 a year BO’s tax plan might hurt you a little in the pocket book. It is fact that the top income earners pay most of the taxes in the U.S. Even if you DO make more the $250K (I think I know ONE family right now that does) a year this would not be a reason to vote Republican. If you do make $250K or more then good for you, you can afford to pay higher taxes. You can also do your part in helping your country pull out of Iraq and giving health care to millions of Americans who don’t have it. If you are like me and most are, then BO’s new tax plan will help you.
The War: Haven’t enough people died over there? We need to get our troops home now. I have had friends and neighbors that have been on multiple tours. They are tired and have served their country well. They don’t need to go back. Having a full scale withdrawal would help international affairs not hinder them. The only thing that I agree with G. W. Bush on is “Mission Accomplished”. If you define ‘winning’ the war, over throwing the old régime and installing a democracy winning the war. Then we have won, and we need to get out. If you define it as occupying a foreign country and securing the region to control the flow and price of oil, then no, we haven’t won and we never will. We still need to get out of that country before the rest of the world joins the Taliban.
I know there are a lot more topics but these are the top six as far as I am concerned. If you have anymore that you want to discuss feel free to respond. I know I am not going to sway you. This is why I use the term over and over, think critically. Critical Thinkers vote for Obama!Superstitious people with imaginary friends vote for McCain. Think or know don’t “feel or believe”.Heathensrule
Showing posts with label barack obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barack obama. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
tupacs contribution to the world are we rady fora black president?
Rappers Imagine What Tupac’s Contribution Would’ve Been In Election ‘08
Rappers Imagine What Tupac’s Contribution Would’ve Been In Election ‘08
Written By Danica Dow
With a black presidential candidate on the ballot rappers have become very active in this year’s election. Unfortunately, Tupac Shakur, one of rap’s biggest activists is no longer with us. In honor of the 12th anniversary of his death, SOHH had David Banner, Lupe Fiasco, Juelz Santana and Consequence consider what ‘Pac’s contribution to election season would’ve been.
Before his untimely death in 1996, West Coast rapper, Pac was using his rhymes to paint accurate descriptions of society’s problems and to advocate political, economic and social equality.
Though some of hip-hop’s biggest stars, like Jay-Z, Nas and T.I., have all voiced their political opinions, the rappers SOHH polled believe that Tupac could’ve made an even larger contribution.
“I think if Pac was here hip-hop would have more of a voice in what’s going on in this election,” said Mississippi rapper, David Banner.
Consequence agrees. He thinks Tupac would’ve used his fame to urge the hip-hop generation to turn up at the polls come November.
“Tupac was definitely one of the more vocal artists when it came to matters that matter,” said the G.O.O.D. Music rapper. “I definitely think he would have urged the younger generation to let their voice be heard by voting.”
“I think Tupac would be one of the people that could rally young people together,” echoed Banner. “He’s one of the few artists that would’ve been able to take his fame and actually be able to focus that to somewhere positive.”
From the Young Jeezy and Nas collabo, “Black President,” to Ludacris’ controversial cut, “Politics” many rappers have been recording songs endorsing Barack Obama. Lupe Fiasco thinks that Tupac would be among them.
Lupe thinks that, Pac who notoriously rapped that the world wasn’t “ready to see a black president,” would have to publicly admit that we was wrong in a remix to his Grammy nominated song, “Changes.”
“I think he would have to bite his words. [He said,] ‘Although it seems heaven sent/ we aint ready to see a black president’. I think now he would be like, ‘I think we are,’” said Lupe. “I think he would remix that record and change the lyrics a little bit.”
Dipset rapper Juelz Santana thinks that Pac’s impact could’ve transcended rap. “They would be scared of Tupac. They’d try to kill Tupac right now. Not even on no rap sh*t, Tupac would be a scary dude.”
“Tupac might have run for president,” said Santana. “It’s hard to say if Tupac were here what he would be like. He was that unpredictable when he was here. He was a genius.”
Source: sohh
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Old Yesterday, 04:24 PM #2
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I don't honestly think we are ready for a black president and I only say that becuz they gonna try and throw everything and anything him if we were ready onli nov can truly tell bcuz I believe we will have another florida its already starting to happen. that's crazy im responding to this california love jus came on I think obama going to be ok
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Old Yesterday, 08:59 PM #3
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I don't honestly think we are ready for a black president and I only say that becuz they gonna try and throw everything and anything him if we were ready onli nov can truly tell bcuz I believe we will have another florida its already starting to happen. that's crazy im responding to this california love jus came on I think obama going to be ok
One thing I do know, if he's elected racial tensions will boil over. We'll see a spike in hate crimes and racially motivated fights between people.
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Old Yesterday, 09:44 PM #4
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Originally Posted by J-Banks View Post
Lupe thinks that, Pac who notoriously rapped that the world wasn’t “ready to see a black president,” would have to publicly admit that we was wrong in a remix to his Grammy nominated song, “Changes.”
“I think he would have to bite his words. [He said,] ‘Although it seems heaven sent/ we aint ready to see a black president’. I think now he would be like, ‘I think we are,’” said Lupe. “I think he would remix that record and change the lyrics a little bit.”
how ignorant is this lil mofo
Obama gettin elected doesnt mean we are ready to see a black president. if he even gets elected... fuckin idiot
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Old Today, 10:31 AM #5
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how ignorant is this lil mofo
Obama gettin elected doesnt mean we are ready to see a black president. if he even gets elected... fuckin idiot
True. And to add on with that, Pac said this about 15 years ago. Times changed, so no one would be biting their own words. Shit, on the other hand, we're ready to drink, smoke and fuck more than anything anyway. So who knows if we'll appreciate the fact that we have a Black president in the 'White' House until there is one there anyway? It remains to be seen.
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Old Today, 03:34 PM #6
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If McCain gets in it's at least another 4 years of Bush, we can't survive through that.
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Old Today, 03:45 PM #7
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Vote for John Mccain.....
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Old Today, 05:50 PM #8
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^^^^ yeah right, if john mccain gets elected fuck it im moving to Canada!!! and i aint tryin to leave my country SO OBAMA all the way son!!!
Rappers Imagine What Tupac’s Contribution Would’ve Been In Election ‘08
Written By Danica Dow
With a black presidential candidate on the ballot rappers have become very active in this year’s election. Unfortunately, Tupac Shakur, one of rap’s biggest activists is no longer with us. In honor of the 12th anniversary of his death, SOHH had David Banner, Lupe Fiasco, Juelz Santana and Consequence consider what ‘Pac’s contribution to election season would’ve been.
Before his untimely death in 1996, West Coast rapper, Pac was using his rhymes to paint accurate descriptions of society’s problems and to advocate political, economic and social equality.
Though some of hip-hop’s biggest stars, like Jay-Z, Nas and T.I., have all voiced their political opinions, the rappers SOHH polled believe that Tupac could’ve made an even larger contribution.
“I think if Pac was here hip-hop would have more of a voice in what’s going on in this election,” said Mississippi rapper, David Banner.
Consequence agrees. He thinks Tupac would’ve used his fame to urge the hip-hop generation to turn up at the polls come November.
“Tupac was definitely one of the more vocal artists when it came to matters that matter,” said the G.O.O.D. Music rapper. “I definitely think he would have urged the younger generation to let their voice be heard by voting.”
“I think Tupac would be one of the people that could rally young people together,” echoed Banner. “He’s one of the few artists that would’ve been able to take his fame and actually be able to focus that to somewhere positive.”
From the Young Jeezy and Nas collabo, “Black President,” to Ludacris’ controversial cut, “Politics” many rappers have been recording songs endorsing Barack Obama. Lupe Fiasco thinks that Tupac would be among them.
Lupe thinks that, Pac who notoriously rapped that the world wasn’t “ready to see a black president,” would have to publicly admit that we was wrong in a remix to his Grammy nominated song, “Changes.”
“I think he would have to bite his words. [He said,] ‘Although it seems heaven sent/ we aint ready to see a black president’. I think now he would be like, ‘I think we are,’” said Lupe. “I think he would remix that record and change the lyrics a little bit.”
Dipset rapper Juelz Santana thinks that Pac’s impact could’ve transcended rap. “They would be scared of Tupac. They’d try to kill Tupac right now. Not even on no rap sh*t, Tupac would be a scary dude.”
“Tupac might have run for president,” said Santana. “It’s hard to say if Tupac were here what he would be like. He was that unpredictable when he was here. He was a genius.”
Source: sohh
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Old Yesterday, 04:24 PM #2
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I don't honestly think we are ready for a black president and I only say that becuz they gonna try and throw everything and anything him if we were ready onli nov can truly tell bcuz I believe we will have another florida its already starting to happen. that's crazy im responding to this california love jus came on I think obama going to be ok
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Old Yesterday, 08:59 PM #3
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Originally Posted by youngsetta View Post
I don't honestly think we are ready for a black president and I only say that becuz they gonna try and throw everything and anything him if we were ready onli nov can truly tell bcuz I believe we will have another florida its already starting to happen. that's crazy im responding to this california love jus came on I think obama going to be ok
One thing I do know, if he's elected racial tensions will boil over. We'll see a spike in hate crimes and racially motivated fights between people.
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Old Yesterday, 09:44 PM #4
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Originally Posted by J-Banks View Post
Lupe thinks that, Pac who notoriously rapped that the world wasn’t “ready to see a black president,” would have to publicly admit that we was wrong in a remix to his Grammy nominated song, “Changes.”
“I think he would have to bite his words. [He said,] ‘Although it seems heaven sent/ we aint ready to see a black president’. I think now he would be like, ‘I think we are,’” said Lupe. “I think he would remix that record and change the lyrics a little bit.”
how ignorant is this lil mofo
Obama gettin elected doesnt mean we are ready to see a black president. if he even gets elected... fuckin idiot
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Old Today, 10:31 AM #5
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Originally Posted by AzawX View Post
how ignorant is this lil mofo
Obama gettin elected doesnt mean we are ready to see a black president. if he even gets elected... fuckin idiot
True. And to add on with that, Pac said this about 15 years ago. Times changed, so no one would be biting their own words. Shit, on the other hand, we're ready to drink, smoke and fuck more than anything anyway. So who knows if we'll appreciate the fact that we have a Black president in the 'White' House until there is one there anyway? It remains to be seen.
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Old Today, 03:34 PM #6
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If McCain gets in it's at least another 4 years of Bush, we can't survive through that.
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Vote for John Mccain.....
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Old Today, 05:50 PM #8
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^^^^ yeah right, if john mccain gets elected fuck it im moving to Canada!!! and i aint tryin to leave my country SO OBAMA all the way son!!!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Obama mobilizing his followers
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Mobilizing His Followers
This AP story points out that Mr. Obama is harnessing the real-time power of Twitter to mobilize his followers to vote. I can just picture the tweet come November: "Hoping you'll go make me president—right now!"
Obama's campaign has used the Internet to boost fundraising, building upon Howard Dean's Web strategy in 2004, but the campaign's use of text messaging has the potential to mobilize voters in a new way.
Obama's campaign has encouraged supporters to sign up for e-mails and text messages and sent text messages to voters on the days of key primary contests. The messages also helped encourage supporters to attend local events and tune into Obama television appearances.
On the Web, Obama's Twitter site now has more than 60,000 followers, who receive updates from Obama's town hall meetings and links to his Web site.
Nick Shapiro, an Obama spokesman, declined to release the number of cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses the campaign has amassed. He said the text messaging has been "valuable because not everyone sits in front of a computer or a television."
The article also mentions that "Republican John McCain's campaign, meanwhile, has not highlighted text messages," Instead McCain is going old-school with viral YouTube videos, "McCain's recent 'Celeb' ad, which compared Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, has received about 2 million hits on YouTube."
Mobilizing His Followers
This AP story points out that Mr. Obama is harnessing the real-time power of Twitter to mobilize his followers to vote. I can just picture the tweet come November: "Hoping you'll go make me president—right now!"
Obama's campaign has used the Internet to boost fundraising, building upon Howard Dean's Web strategy in 2004, but the campaign's use of text messaging has the potential to mobilize voters in a new way.
Obama's campaign has encouraged supporters to sign up for e-mails and text messages and sent text messages to voters on the days of key primary contests. The messages also helped encourage supporters to attend local events and tune into Obama television appearances.
On the Web, Obama's Twitter site now has more than 60,000 followers, who receive updates from Obama's town hall meetings and links to his Web site.
Nick Shapiro, an Obama spokesman, declined to release the number of cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses the campaign has amassed. He said the text messaging has been "valuable because not everyone sits in front of a computer or a television."
The article also mentions that "Republican John McCain's campaign, meanwhile, has not highlighted text messages," Instead McCain is going old-school with viral YouTube videos, "McCain's recent 'Celeb' ad, which compared Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, has received about 2 million hits on YouTube."
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Russel Simmons on The politics and the presidency
ABOUT SARAH PALIN
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she's like the most popular
girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and
won't vote for her can't quit smiling when talking about her because
she is a "babe". It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months. She is "pro-life". She recently gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby. She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the
gym. She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just "puts things out
there" and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.
Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin's kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans. Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.
She's smart. Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents. During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had
given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative". During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn't even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later--to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road
projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing. While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once.
These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city. As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today's surplus, borrow for needs. She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren't generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.
While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys". Plain fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal--loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State's top cop (see below).
As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's Police Chief because he "intimidated" her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska's top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support. She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn't like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her. When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the "old boys' club" when she dramatically quit, exposing this man's ethics violations (for which he was fined).
As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the "bridge to nowhere" after it became clear that it would be unwise not to. As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects--which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance--but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as "anti-pork". She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah. They call her "Sarah Barracuda" because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah's mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as "AGIA" that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum. Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National WildlifeRefuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked to global warming. She campaigned "as a private citizen" against a state initiative that would have either a) protected salmon streams from
pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the
state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State's lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior's decision to list polar bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President. There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she. However, there's a lot of people who have underestimated her and are getting it.
CLAIM VS. FACT
*"Hockey mom": true for a few years
*"PTA mom": true years ago when her first-born was in elementary
school, not since
*"NRA supporter": absolutely true
*social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill
that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconstitutional).
*pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.
*"Pro-life": mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life
legislation.
*"Experienced": Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska.
No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city
administrator to run town of about 5,000.
*political maverick: not at all.
*gutsy: absolutely!
*open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
*has a developed philosophy of public policy: no.
*"a Greenie": no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
*fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
*pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city
without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
*pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents.
*pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla's history.
*pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union doesn't make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Secondly, I've always operated in the belief that "Bad things happen
when good people stay silent". Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don't have a job she can bump me out of. I don't belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that's life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the
100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against
Sarah's attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to
say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor)
from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of Wasilla, and I can't recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall--they are
swamped. So I can't verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for
the population of Wasilla, ranging from my "about 5,000", up to 9,000.
The day Palin's selection was announced a city official told me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90's.
Anne
-Russell Simmons
Please login to post a comment
Kdollaz1
September 08, 2008, 03:46 PM EST
Barack or Die!
September 08, 2008, 05:23 PM EST
• Hi Russell: thanks for the information. This election is tough because you have one candidate who is advocating change and demonstrating how this change will come along. And you have another candidate who is advocating change but is really not demonstrating how that change will come along. I think that when Obama “picked a fight with McCain” he picked a fight based on the issues and it is those issues that I think should be the center of the campaign. When McCain picked a fight with Obama, I don’t think that he really had a foundation. In this debate, I think that the issues we should focus on are what is being ignored by the McCain Camp. (Economy/ Health care/ The War). I have read this article and it is very informative. Note that I am not looking to bash any candidate. I just want to choose a candidate who will be right for the position. To me, this election is a job interview and each candidate should be well qualified. At the selection of Sarah Pallin, quite frankly, I think that she is more “eye candy” for the McCain Camp rather than legitimate candidate who can make a difference. There is a serious disparity in the McCain Camp with Pallin. Like, I have every confidence that should “god forbid” anything happen to Obama; Biden would step into his shoes and do the job with ease. But should, god forbid, anything happen to McCain, “are you kidding me that this inexperience girl would because the leader of this nation. Please I hope that people open their eyes and see beyond her beauty and see the depth of this person. In my opinion, she is not the right person for the job. She is too inexperience, She is not within the league of Hilary Clinton or any of the senior governors.
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she's like the most popular
girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and
won't vote for her can't quit smiling when talking about her because
she is a "babe". It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months. She is "pro-life". She recently gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby. She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the
gym. She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just "puts things out
there" and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.
Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin's kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans. Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.
She's smart. Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents. During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had
given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative". During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn't even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later--to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road
projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing. While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once.
These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city. As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today's surplus, borrow for needs. She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren't generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.
While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys". Plain fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal--loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State's top cop (see below).
As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's Police Chief because he "intimidated" her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska's top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support. She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn't like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her. When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the "old boys' club" when she dramatically quit, exposing this man's ethics violations (for which he was fined).
As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the "bridge to nowhere" after it became clear that it would be unwise not to. As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects--which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance--but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as "anti-pork". She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah. They call her "Sarah Barracuda" because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah's mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as "AGIA" that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum. Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National WildlifeRefuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked to global warming. She campaigned "as a private citizen" against a state initiative that would have either a) protected salmon streams from
pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the
state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State's lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior's decision to list polar bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President. There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she. However, there's a lot of people who have underestimated her and are getting it.
CLAIM VS. FACT
*"Hockey mom": true for a few years
*"PTA mom": true years ago when her first-born was in elementary
school, not since
*"NRA supporter": absolutely true
*social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill
that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconstitutional).
*pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.
*"Pro-life": mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life
legislation.
*"Experienced": Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska.
No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city
administrator to run town of about 5,000.
*political maverick: not at all.
*gutsy: absolutely!
*open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
*has a developed philosophy of public policy: no.
*"a Greenie": no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
*fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
*pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city
without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
*pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents.
*pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla's history.
*pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union doesn't make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Secondly, I've always operated in the belief that "Bad things happen
when good people stay silent". Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don't have a job she can bump me out of. I don't belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that's life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the
100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against
Sarah's attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to
say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor)
from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of Wasilla, and I can't recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall--they are
swamped. So I can't verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for
the population of Wasilla, ranging from my "about 5,000", up to 9,000.
The day Palin's selection was announced a city official told me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90's.
Anne
-Russell Simmons
Please login to post a comment
Kdollaz1
September 08, 2008, 03:46 PM EST
Barack or Die!
September 08, 2008, 05:23 PM EST
• Hi Russell: thanks for the information. This election is tough because you have one candidate who is advocating change and demonstrating how this change will come along. And you have another candidate who is advocating change but is really not demonstrating how that change will come along. I think that when Obama “picked a fight with McCain” he picked a fight based on the issues and it is those issues that I think should be the center of the campaign. When McCain picked a fight with Obama, I don’t think that he really had a foundation. In this debate, I think that the issues we should focus on are what is being ignored by the McCain Camp. (Economy/ Health care/ The War). I have read this article and it is very informative. Note that I am not looking to bash any candidate. I just want to choose a candidate who will be right for the position. To me, this election is a job interview and each candidate should be well qualified. At the selection of Sarah Pallin, quite frankly, I think that she is more “eye candy” for the McCain Camp rather than legitimate candidate who can make a difference. There is a serious disparity in the McCain Camp with Pallin. Like, I have every confidence that should “god forbid” anything happen to Obama; Biden would step into his shoes and do the job with ease. But should, god forbid, anything happen to McCain, “are you kidding me that this inexperience girl would because the leader of this nation. Please I hope that people open their eyes and see beyond her beauty and see the depth of this person. In my opinion, she is not the right person for the job. She is too inexperience, She is not within the league of Hilary Clinton or any of the senior governors.
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