The House of Delegates gun control vote yesterday, 78-61, looks strangely familiar. It’s nearly a carbon copy of the recent gas tax vote,76-63. What’s up with that?
If you think Maryland is a deep-blue state with an invincible Democratic majority, those two votes seem hard to explain. Democrats hold a majority, 98-43, in the House of Delegates.
But looking closer, it’s clear that Maryland isn’t immune from the blue-red divide afflicting the rest of America. Far from it. Continue reading →
The vote on the gasoline tax in the Maryland House of Delegates gives us an interesting snapshot of the political balance in Maryland, a state considered to be among the bluest of the blue. The picture might not exactly match the popular perception. Continue reading →
“Sequestration” went into effect in America this week, reducing U.S. government spending by $85 billion.
What does it mean? It means that the United States has accepted “Austerity.”
It’s not the end of the world. The vast majority of U.S. government spending will continue as usual. The government will not grind to a halt, at least not because of sequestration. It’s still possible that Congress could force a shut-down of government sometime in the future, but not likely this year.
Failure of Government Decision-making
Most interestingly, Austerity was NOT imposed by the normal processes of legislative or executive action.Continue reading →
Today, Dispatches from ConsterNation publishes a guest post by Judy Davis:
Since the election of Woodrow Wilson in 1912, the Democratic Party has used our government to make laws which have improved working conditions, provided elderly support, promoted racial equality, protected the environment and addressed other social concerns. Wilson established the Federal Reserve Board, making banking safer and monitoring financial markets. The Clayton Antitrust Act allowed workers to petition for better working conditions, shortened work days and initiated child labor laws.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “New Deal” programs provided relief, recovery and reform to ease the Great Depression. FDR is responsible for initiating Social Security, which provides Old Age, Survivors and Disability insurance. Through FDR’s efforts, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation increased water development facilities in the U.S. and provided work for the unemployed.
What do these two leaders have in common? They were Democrats!
John Fitzgerald Kennedy established the Peace Corps and negotiated a ban on nuclear weapons testing with the United Kingdom and Soviet Union.
His successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, passed numerous socially significant programs, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and “The War on Poverty” – Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, Work Study and food stamps.
Jimmy Carter is a human rights advocate and has worked to promote peace in the Middle East and limit the number of nuclear weapons. He encouraged energy conservation to ensure an energy-secure nation.
Bill Clinton passed the Omnibus Budget Act, which cut taxes for 15 million low-income families, made tax cuts available to 90 percent of small businesses, and raised taxes on the wealthiest 1.2 percent of taxpayers.
President Barack Obama has regulated banking and credit cards, extended health and unemployment benefits, implemented hate crime legislation, passed an economic stimulus package spurring job creation, modified bankruptcy terms, reinforced Iran sanctions, and reformed health care. No small feat for less than 2.5 years!
“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.” — ROBERT F. KENNEDY, from www.democrats.org/issues.
Democrats speak for the people! We are responsible for each other and should provide the safety nets needed to ensure basic rights for all.
Living Simply And Still On The Grid 