« The First Republican Calls for DeLay's Resignation as Majority Leader | Main | Activism Events for April »
April 11, 2005
Republican + Democrat = Republicrat
Are you a good Democrat? What do you stand for? What expectations have you set for your elected officials? What issue(s)do you demand results?
My fellow Democrats we must continue to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions in office. I was debating this week with a few Houstonians on politics and I was asked why should they vote for Democrats? I love being asked this question so naturally I began to tell them about our views on Healthcare, Education, championing working class values, ect. A Republican in the group came up and started talking about the House and that our “loyal” Democrats were voting with many Republicans on issues that most Democrats would not agree with. I asked him elborate on this accusations with something substantial. He immediately started talking about the Tx state budget and Craddick’s Republicrats. He immediately referred to a proposed amendment to the state budget which would have allocated 1.2 billion to increase health benefits to teachers and school employees. He began telling our group about a few Democrats that left before the vote. I did not want believe him, so I blew it off until I got home and researched the information for myself. Now based on what I read it doesn’t say anywhere that Craddick “told” any Democrat to vote, not to vote, or leave for this amendment. Unfortunately based on the information that I read, the Democrats had enough votes to increase health benefits for teachers and school employees. Hmmmm.
Message to all Democrat House members:
First of all, thank you for your hard work and service to your constituencies. Most of you are really warriors for the American people. What follows is for the few members who can do better. We understand that both sides have to compromise to get things done. Right now (from the cheap seats) it looks like we (Democrats) are doing all the compromising. We sent you up there to do a job. We don’t want excuses, we don’t want to hear about how “hard” it is or unfair. Of course it is hard and I am sure things are not always fair. Here is the deal; we cannot expand our base unless we make things clear that we are champions of the working class. That cannot be shown, just by words but by actions. Even though we may not win every vote it is still vital that you vote the right way (or vote at all). Republicans frequently run for cover under the bi-partisan umbrella. Every time something blows up, there are always a few good scapegoat democrats there to take a few shots for the team. If you need any inspiration then may I suggest Rocky I-IV. Americans want happy warriors to champion working class values, not politicians who stick their head in the sand at the first sign of trouble. Always remember with your head in the sand, you are in the perfect position to get your butt kicked.
Message to all Democrats:
Support your elected officials! Show them that we care how they vote and that they are being sent to office with expectations to always perform their duties in the best interest of their constituency. How long would a Republican that consistently votes for tax increases for the wealthy stay elected? Hold your elected official accountable for his/her votes in the legislature. Don’t expect perfection, just please be aware of what is going on and discuss these issues with your elected officials by calling his offices or waiting for a town hall. If you need more information on your elected officials give us a call at the party HQ or email me at allblue22@gmail.com. Just as MLK desired us to judge each other by the content of our character we should also judge our leaders by their legislative conduct and what they bring home to our communities. In the end, that is all that matters to the American people.
Posted by James Robertson at April 11, 2005 01:11 AM | Permalink
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.houstondemocrats.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/112
Comments
You said it, James! The vast majority of people want to hear about issues near and dear to them. At the very least, they want to know that the people they voted for are fighting for them and not running off at the first sign of trouble (or at the first possible threat of being taken off a key committee). We all can do better.
Thanks!
Posted by: Stace Medellin at April 11, 2005 10:20 AM
Thanks for your comments James. We need to know how are representatives are voting and even more important we need to support them in ored for them to support our Democratic principals.
Posted by: Leif Hatlen at April 11, 2005 01:17 PM