The War on Food Stamps: The Continuation

A little over two years ago, I wrote a post entitled The War on Food Stamps.  It quickly became and still is my most read and commented on post.  Two years have passed and yet the war on food stamps sadly continues unabated.

This past week, a small battle was one in this continuing war on the poor and working poor: The “bipartisan” Farm Bill was defeated in the House of Representatives.  This was an amazing event as farm bills are never defeated because they are loaded with subsidies that primarily favor big agri-businesses such as Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM).  The bill was defeated because a majority of Democrats (24 voted for it) couldn’t stomach the $2 billion a year in cuts to the food stamps program (along with other provisions that would make it tough for people to quality for food stamps).  It was also defeated because 62 Republicans didn’t think the cuts and restrictions were draconian enough.

But why is this war still being fought?  I mean, we have no problem writing checks directly to farmers and major corporations in the form of price supports and other subsidies.  Why should we begrudge the poor and working poor from eating, which actually helps those very farmers and major agri-businesses?  I honestly cannot fathom why Republicans and 24 Democrats in the House of Representatives (the Senate version of the Farm Bill includes $400 million a year in cuts to food stamps, so they aren’t saints either) feel the need to keep stomping on the necks of those who have so little or nothing at all.

The economy hasn’t changed that much in the two years since I wrote that original post.  Unemployment is still extremely high.  Many of those who do have jobs are either underemployed (barely working part-time) or are working multiple jobs.  Many are still struggling to pay their bills and to put food on the table, if they are able to at all.  And yet, we have members of Congress (and our President) who think that we should be cutting food stamps and making it tougher for people to qualify.

The war on food stamps and the greater war on the poor and working poor in the United States needs to end.  How can we be the greatest nation if we refuse to take care of the least of us?

Shitty Conservative Ideals Are The Reason for Voter Suppression

If one truly thinks about it, the real reason for conservatives love affair with voter restrictions and suppression is that their ideas suck.  Period.  They can’t get the vast majority of Americans to agree with their draconian and theocratic concepts of how life should be in the United States, so they seek to disenfranchise large swaths of potential voters who might keep that vision from ever coming to fruition.  That is why we have seen in the last decade a huge push to restrict the eligibility of those who are allowed to vote, the attempts to suppress the vote by giving out the wrong date for elections and outright voter intimidation.

Conservatives have been focusing their efforts on the poor and various minority groups, but what is say that they won’t change their tactics and go for broke and just target all who think differently than they do.  The current constitution of the U.S. Supreme Court and their previous rulings on voter identification and their upcoming cases regarding the Voting Rights Act, leaves me to believe that conservatives would have no issue expanding voting restrictions and suppression.  Some have already voice their displeasure with the 17^th Amendment and have called for its repeal (including hypocritical candidates running for the U.S. Senate).  Some have even expressed their desire to restrict voting to property owners, as was once the case in the early United States.

Their failure in gaining super majority support for their vision on abortion, equality for gays and lesbians, racial equality, financial equality, the environment and a host of other issues is what has driven conservatives to their latest gambits.  Why else would we be seeing the party of conservatives, the Republican Party, hiring firms that engage in illegal voter registration activities such as registering people only to be Republicans  or trashing registration forms of those denoting their desire to be Democrats.

Of course, it would be much better for everyone if conservatives were to change their ideology so as more people would support them, but that is not going to be the case.  So, we need to do all we can to fight back against these efforts of voter restrictions, voter suppression and voter intimidation.  We need to fight conservatives at every level of government and remind them that if their ideas weren’t so shitty, people might actually want to vote for them.

United Christian States of America

A lot has happened in the three years since the 2012 election when Rick Santorum was elected president and social conservative Republicans secured a two-thirds majority in the House and filibuster proof majority in the Senate.  Within a month of the election, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus presided over a reforming of the Republican Party into the United Christian Party.  President Santorum and his allies were able to push through Constitutional amendments to rescind the 13^th, 14^th, 15^th, 17^th, 19^th and 24^th Amendments. 

New amendments making the United States into the United Christian States, eliminating freedom of religion, banning abortions and contraceptives plus banning all political parties other than the UCP were also enacted.  Former leaders of the now banned Democratic Party were tried for treason, found guilty and executed on national television including former President Obama.  Any person of African or Latin descent who hadn’t “self deported” themselves were rounded up and sold to the highest bidder.  Gays and lesbians, such as myself, had their property seized and forced into “detainment camps” like the one I am currently in.

Public schools, colleges and universities were closed and sold off.  The military was ordered to burn Hollywood to the ground and all entertainment production has to be approved by the Department of Christian Standards.  The Department of Education was reformed into the Department of Christian Development.  The Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services were abolished, as were all social programs, including Social Security and Medicare.

The United Nations and NATO are no more.  Mexico is now a territory of the United States plus Iraq and Afghanistan are officially “protectorates”.  Iran is occupied after our successful invasion in 2014.  Now there are rumors that Saudi Arabia and other oil producing nations in the Arabian Gulf may be invaded as well.

Ah, the rumors.  Every day there is a new rumor or an expansion of an older rumor.  Rumors that only clergy belonging to the UCP may hold public office.  Rumors of executions on sight of Mormons and Muslims.  Rumors that gays and lesbians aren’t being deported, as the government ordered, but are instead being executed and buried out in the desert.

It is scary to think that all of what has happened since 2012 didn’t have to come to pass.  It is scary to think that President Obama lost the election because he tried to be Republican-lite and didn’t stand up for liberal ideals.  It is scary to think that Democrats thought they had an easy win and didn’t need to fight.

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I was never very good at storytelling, but this dystopian future doesn’t have to happen.  This is a future that President Obama and other Democrats can prevent, but they need to see the error of their ways.  They need to see that embracing long held Republican ideals is not the way to win over progressives and liberals.  Democrats can’t be wishy-washy on renewable energy, equal rights, abortion, fair taxation or the social safety net.  They need to be something more than “Not the Republicans”.

The Quest To Protect The Republican Super Majority

The Republicans have a stranglehold on Arizona politics.  This is an undeniable fact.  Republicans control all state wide elected offices including Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State.  They have a super-majority in the Arizona Legislature.  They also hold six of eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and both seats in the U.S. Senate.  A pretty good feat considering Republicans make up only 36% of registered voters in Arizona.  Democrats make up 33% and independents (those with no party affiliation) make up 30%.

In a state where even most Democrats are moderate to conservative, party affiliation does mean a lot.  To be a Republican means you are almost guaranteed a seat at the table of power.  To be an ultra-conservative Republican improves those odds even more.  Independents are deemed to be the deciding factor in close races and even they tend to vote Republican when push comes to shove.

In a state with a registered political make up that is split almost evenly between Republicans, Democrats and independents, you would think that the Republicans couldn’t enjoy such success.  In steps the affect of redistricting:  The process of creating congressional and legislative districts that is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.  Before 2000, the Arizona legislature was tasked with creating the various districts and it did everything possible to secure a permanent Republican majority in the state legislature as well as congressional representation.

In 2000, voters were so fed up with the protection of incumbents that they stripped the legislature of its authority to redistrict and put that authority into the newly created Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC).  The AIRC isn’t tasked with simply redrawing existing districts to meet its charge.  It must start from scratch, thus ensuring that the state’s congressional and legislative district maps change dramatically decade from decade.  To give a quick example of the dramatic change: I currently reside in what is Congressional District 3, but under the draft map, I would be in Congressional District 6.

Now, the AIRC is composed of 5 members.  Two are Democrats, each of who were nominated by the respective Democratic leaders in both houses of the legislature.  Two are Republicans, each of who were nominated by the respective Republican leaders in both houses of the legislature.  The registered independent is picked by the other 4 members of the AIRC.  In my opinion, there should be 3 Democrats, 3 Republicans and 3 registered independents, but that will require a voter modification that could turn very messy.

Throw into the redistricting mix the fact that Arizona is one of the states required to receive “pre-clearance” of their efforts by the U.S. Justice Department before the new districts can go into effect.  The 2001 AIRC was actually rebuffed by the Bush Justice Department for not protecting minority voters and had to reconfigure their maps to meet the requirements of the Voting Rights Act.  We are all hoping that the 2011 AIRC doesn’t repeat the same mistake.

Now that I have some of the background laid out, let’s fast forward to 2011.  The AIRC members were chosen in great controversy, some with court challenges, all due to the machinations of state Senate Majority Leader Russell Pearce and Speaker of the House Andy Tobin.  After the members of the AIRC were formally seated, the “tea party” movement tried to call into dispute the AIRC’s legitimacy, even getting Attorney General Horne to open an “investigation” into accusations of the AIRC violating Arizona’s open meetings law.

Through all of this, the five members of the AIRC have done their job and have approved draft maps of congressional and legislative districts.  Now that the draft maps have been adopted, the public has 30 days to comment and recommend changes.  In steps the Republican elected officials and their bold claim that the draft maps represent too much competiveness and threaten their respective incumbencies.  They are hell bent on protecting the Republican super majority in the legislature and the Republican majority of held seats in the House of Representatives.  Of course, they are bitching about draft maps, not the final product.  And like it or not, they will probably bitch more after it the final maps go through pre-clearance.

 I myself am not happy with the draft maps because they allow for safe districts for both Republicans and Democrats while only proposing three competitive districts.  I think every district should be competitive, giving anyone running a real chance to win.  No district should be “safe” for one party or for an incumbent.  No one party or incumbent should feel they are entitled to their elected seat.

I think the goals of meeting the requirements of the full mandate of the AIRC can be done with full competitiveness and without gerrymandering.  The AIRC just has to have the will do so and I don’t think they do.  I think, they will bend to Republican political pressure and adopt final maps that won’t be pre-cleared by the DOJ.  I am hoping the AIRC does the right thing.  I just don’t think it will, which will be a huge disservice to the voters of Arizona.

For more information about meetings of the AIRC, please take a look at The Arizona Eagletarian and his great work.

Dennis Burke: Democrat for Senate? ***UPDATED***

Dennis Burke, Possible U.S. Senate Candidate

It was announced today the Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for Arizona, Dennis Burke, has resigned his office, effective today.  To me, I find it rather odd that an AUSA would resign in the middle of his term, especially since he has been spearheading a very high profile investigation into Sheriff Arpaio and Mr. Burke is not involved in any known scandal.

The only conclusion that I can draw is that Andrei Cherny, the head of the Arizona Democratic Party, has recruited Mr. Burke to run for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Jon Kyl in 2012.  To me, that would be a very logical decision on Mr. Burke's part.  He could just as easily have been recruited to run for the new House seat being created due to the 2010 census, but I just don't see that option being very valid, not considering Mr. Burke's status.

Mr. Burke is not a liberal, but is instead a moderate to conservative Democrat.  That makes him a strong challenger to anyone who the Republicans pick to run for Senator Kyl's seat.  In Arizona, it is much easier for a moderate to conservative Democrat to win a state-wide election, as seen by the election of former Governor Janet Napolitano (now Secretary of Department of Homeland Security), than for a liberal Democrat.  Liberal Democrats are more likely to win in a Congressional or legislative race, especially after redistricting.

Now, one could reasonably ask, why wouldn't Secretary Napolitano want to run for Senator Kyl's seat.  The simple answer is that I think she is very comfortable at DHS and should President Obama win a second term, she would be fairly easily reconfirmed or even confirmed as Attorney General.  The more complicated answer is that many Arizona Democrats feel that Secretary Napolitano abandoned her post as Governor and gave us Governor Jan Brewer.  Many feel this set Arizona and the Democratic Party in Arizona back many years, if not decades.

Of course, all of this speculation.  I don't know for a fact that Mr. Burke will run for the U.S. Senate, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if he did.  What are your thoughts on Mr. Burke's resignation?

***UPDATE***

It now appears that Mr. Burke resigned due to the failed ATF Operation Fast & Furious.

A Suggestion for Speaker Boehner

Speaker of the House John Boehner has a problem.  No, it doesn't have to do with the fact that he loves to cry or that his skin is the color of a pumpkin or his golf swing.  No, the problem is that he cannot lead his fellow Republicans in passing a "debt ceiling" increase that doesn't destroy the nation.  In fact, his days as Speaker of the House are numbered.

My suggestion is very simple: Offer the moderate Republicans and the Democrats a clean, stand alone "debt ceiling" increase.  There should be enough moderate Republicans in the House, along with all of the Democrats, to get the 218 votes he needs to pass the increase.  I know it will be a hollow victory for Speaker Boehner, but it would prove that he is willing to put the needs of the United States above the ideology of his "tea party" cohorts.

But its just a suggestion.

Preserving the Super Majority, Arizona Style

Is it me or do the Republicans in Arizona care more about staying in a super majority in the state legislature than they do about governing for all?  I know, it is kind of silly question, but one still needs to ask it.

My friend over at The Arizona Eagletarian has been reporting on the Arizona Independent Redistricting Committee and their attempts to fulfill the mandate of the Arizona voters.  The voters of Arizona approved a constitutional amendment that took redistricting out of the hands of the legislature and placed in the hands of an “independent” commission.  The voters’ goal was that this commission would create competitive legislative and congressional districts that protected neither Democrats nor Republicans.

But the UC/TF and “tea party” movement members of the Republican Party appear to see the AIRC as a threat to the newly won Republican super majority, if not the majority they have enjoyed for over 40 years.  They have focused their attacks onto the chairwoman who is the only independent on the commission.  They claim that because her husband worked as a consultant for Democrats (forgetting that he had also worked for Republicans), that she was really a secret Democrat.

They have also raised issue with the fact that the commission chose a mapping consultant that has worked with Democratic and liberal groups, most notably the Obama 2008 campaign.  Never mind that the Republicans on the commission rated the chosen consultant the highest, even if they didn’t vote for it.

The UC/TF and “tea party” is also making efforts to call a special session of the legislature to remove the chairperson for being a secret Democrat and also to place on the 2012 ballot an effort to return redistricting to the legislature.  Add to this that UC/TF Republican state Attorney General Tom Horne has launched an “investigation” into the actions of the AIRC.  All of this of course is to discredit the AIRC in the eyes of public.

All of this is bullshit of course.  Their true intention is not to make the AIRC “fair” and “transparent”.  No, their true intention is to eliminate the AIRC and turn redistricting back over to the legislature in order to preserve the Republican majority and super majority.  Their greatest fear is that if the AIRC creates truly competitive districts that meet the standards of the Voting Rights Act that Democrats will gain control of the legislature and reverse the damage done to the state by decades of UC/TF Republican rule.

Their fear is not without basis and that’s why they are working so hard to preserve their super majority against the will of the voters.

The Secret to Democractic Success

Democrats across the nation got their asses kicked in the 2010 election.  Republicans took over governorships and solidified control of legislatures in state after state.  Though the "tea party" movement of microwaved social conservatives didn't get a seat in Congress, they took several seats in various legislatures.

Some claim that the Democratic losses were due to the "tea party" movements ideology of cutting taxes and cutting entitlement spending.  Others claim the losses were due to the passage of controversial laws such as the Affordable Health Care Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act.  Still others claim that as our nation is "right of center", the Democrats tried to take us too far to the left.

I believe all of the reasons given are wrong.  Fiscally and socially conservative Democrats (Blue Dogs) lost 31 of their 54 caucus members.  Moderate Harry Mitchell was defeated in his reelection bid in Arizona's 5th Congressional district.  Even Jon Hulburd, who ran to the right of Ben Quayle here in Arizona's 3rd Congressional district was trounced.  The reason they all lost?  They weren't being Democrats.  They weren't being liberal enough.

You read that correctly.  I believe we Democrats got our asses handed to us because Democrats forgot what it is to be a modern Democrat and to be liberals.  Led by President Obama, Democrats gave us tax payer funded welfare for insurance companies.  They gave us Wall Street reform that was bereft of any real reforms and allowed the "too big to fail" companies "too big to fail".  They even failed to rescind the Bush tax cuts that have cost us over $3 trillion since inception.

If the Democrats had passed real health care insurance reform that included the ability to purchase into Medicare at any age, we wouldn't have lost the House.  If the Democrats had passed real Wall Street reform that separated investment and commercial banks once again, they wouldn't have lost so many seats in the Senate.  If the Democrats had passed real mortgage banking reform that actually helped homeowners, they wouldn't be wondering why they lost.

America is ready and needs strong liberal leadership and ideas.  We could never afford the ideology of the fiscal conservatives and we can ill afford them now.  The Democrats need to push for Medicare at any age.  They need to push for real Wall Street reform.  They need to push for real mortgage reform.  They need to push for a national high speed passenger rail network.  They need to be the liberals that the nation needs.  That is how the Democrats will win in 2012.