Mass. Voters

[Worknprogress]

Where is the 'OPEN' government we were promised? What we have instead is back door deals giving special exemptions to states and the unions just to push this thing thru.

We were promised we could watch it all on C-Span, weren't we? What happened to that? I guess they don't want us to see the back door deals.

I'm also upset that this country is so far in debt and so many people unemployed and losing their homes but yet we don't help our people out but we are sending millions to Haiti that we cannot afford to send. What about the people who need help here? Let's help Haiti out but not to the point that we are again burdening the backs of taxpayers. We pay billions to the UN, are they not the organization that is supposed to help out in cases like these?

My best friend brought up this very same point today.

Don't get me wrong. I voted for Obama because I like so many wanted change. But again, I am like so many now because the change that is happening is not what I was hoping for. I am also alarmed with an administration that wants to push a Health Care Reform Bill that only 1 in 3 Americans wants. That tells me they have their own agenda, not ours.

Isn't Democracy about the majority winning? Why is Washington ignoring the voices of the American people?

 

[pink_fortitude]

I agree with you guys 100%. The question now is whether or not our "representatives" will actually listen to us, the American people, or continue to blame each other for "failed" this and "you did" thats to justify continuing their own agendas. I am cynical when it comes to politics and the egos involved, so I am not going to hold my breath, but I want to remain hopeful.

I actually like Jen's idea about kicking them all out and starting over!

Melissa

 

[macska]

Brown's win is a sign of serious buyers remorse. The country realized that Obama is not a miracle worker but just another politician. He is trying to do too many things at the same time and achieves nothing. Health care needs to be fixed but not by Nancy Pelosi -- that's one big cause of the general anger. Too left to the folks in the center but too right to the far left. Promising us transparency, war ending, working with both aisles etc and all we have is dirty Chicago politics, worse economy, corruption, and secrecy. No wonder that people are angry on both sides.

 

[BuffyR]

I think the vote shows how americans are tired of this congress trying to push this health care reform bill down the throats of americans that are opposed to it. Where is the 'OPEN' government we were promised? What we have instead is back door deals giving special exemptions to states and the unions just to push this thing thru. I thought these people were representatives of the people, not their party. Why the rush to push thru a health care bill that is so complicated and costly? Why not take the time to do it right?

I'm disappointed that this government is not listening to the people. Anyone who speaks out is branded a 'tea bagger' or a right winger.

I'm also upset that this country is so far in debt and so many people unemployed and losing their homes but yet we don't help our people out but we are sending millions to Haiti that we cannot afford to send. What about the people who need help here? Let's help Haiti out but not to the point that we are again burdening the backs of taxpayers. We pay billions to the UN, are they not the organization that is supposed to help out in cases like these?

Man, your views toward helping Haiti just makes me sad. The amount of money the President pledged to help Haiti is about $100 million. That's equivalent to what Bush spent in Iraq every three hours. I'd rather have spent all of the money wasted in Iraq and Afganistan at home but unfortunately Bush never asked me about where I want my tax dollars spent.

 

[pixiesis]

I'm also upset that this country is so far in debt and so many people unemployed and losing their homes but yet we don't help our people out but we are sending millions to Haiti that we cannot afford to send. What about the people who need help here? Let's help Haiti out but not to the point that we are again burdening the backs of taxpayers. We pay billions to the UN, are they not the organization that is supposed to help out in cases like these?

A few questions. Did you oppose Bush and his wasteful spending? If you are going to say that we should not send millions of dollars to Haiti, how do you feel about the TRILLIONS Bush spent on wars and his buddies at Halliburton and Blackwater?

Do you feel any twinge of conscience saying this while Haiti is still bulldozing bodies into mass graves? If you don't feel a moral obligation to help the Haitians, did you know that there were 45,000 Americans in Haiti before the earthquake and that only 1000 of them have been accounted for? Do you understand that 44,000 Americans are potentially in need of our emergency help?

Do you really think the UN can and should budget for massive earthquakes of biblical proportions that will go down as one of the worst natural disasters of recorded history?

Do you know that there were two more huge earthquakes/aftershocks there just today? Have you tried to imagine the hell on earth that our fellow human beings are experiencing?

When you ask "What about the people who need help here?" are you truly interested in the federal government helping America's poor (as in welfare)?

Do you really want to count the pennies going to saving lives and assisting in a crisis of epic proportions while conveniently forgetting the fortunes that we have spent in Iraq on a war that we were misled into fighting?

 

[ImFiddY]

A few questions. Did you oppose Bush and his wasteful spending? If you are going to say that we should not send millions of dollars to Haiti, how do you feel about the TRILLIONS Bush spent on wars and his buddies at Halliburton and Blackwater?

Do you feel any twinge of conscience saying this while Haiti is still bulldozing bodies into mass graves? If you don't feel a moral obligation to help the Haitians, did you know that there were 45,000 Americans in Haiti before the earthquake and that only 1000 of them have been accounted for? Do you understand that 44,000 Americans are potentially in need of our emergency help?

Do you really think the UN can and should budget for massive earthquakes of biblical proportions that will go down as one of the worst natural disasters of recorded history?

Do you know that there were two more huge earthquakes/aftershocks there just today? Have you tried to imagine the hell on earth that our fellow human beings are experiencing?

When you ask "What about the people who need help here?" are you truly interested in helping America's poor, some of whom might need federal assistance/aka welfare to survive?

Do you really want to count the pennies going to saving lives and assisting in a crisis of epic proportions while conveniently forgetting the fortunes that we have spent in Iraq on a war that we were misled into fighting?

Oy,,, try living in reality for a few minutes. We are not spending 100mil to rescue Haitians, most of the 100mil is supposed to go to help rebuild. But lets be honest. Haiti was a slum before the earthquake and is infested with corruption. The 100mil will most likely not go to those who need it. How many warnings have you heard about which charity you should contribute to?

Why is it the USA's job to help all disasters around the world? I do NOT feel any guilt saying we CANNOT afford to spend this money right now. Disasters happen. How much money did other nations send the US when Katrina hit? How many nations sent help to Katrina victims??

Bad things happen and I'm tired of the USA taxpayers having to bail everyone out. Let's offer what help we can while protecting our nation from bankruptcy. And not everything in world is Bush's fault... groan....

 

[pixiesis]

Oy right back at you. I don't know what to say. I could respond to your post but you already do an excellent job discrediting yourself with your moronic and morally repugnant nonsense. I'm embarrassed for you.

 

[baylian]

I just wanted to see who voted.

However since this has now turned into a flame war I may have to voice my opinion. I really haven't been near the computer.

MASS ELECTION - a big friggin wake up call. Listen to the people or we will vote you out. And if Pelosi and Reid push this through it will be cataclysmic for the Dems. And it will show they have gone beyond socialist and teeter near communist.

HAITI - tough one to call. I agree with much that Ifiddy said in the sense that Haiti was poor to begin with and the corruption is all to evident. I too am getting tired of being the "go to" people for every natural disaster. We are in debt and now they are gong to vote to raise the debt ceiling again. China sent one million and the oil rich mid-east countries haven't sent crap. Oh - and why is it that it's termed "Obama pledged $100 million" - it should read "The American Taxpayer has pledged $100 million". And get ready - they will try to get into the country. Let the orphans in but forget the rest. We already have illegal alien issues.

WAR - I too would like to see us out but until we can drill, drill, drill for our own oil we will be ensconced in the mid-east.

Glad that our Catheletes got out to vote. It's important.

 

[ennea4]

I am a big supporter of universal healthcare. I am also self-employed, and cannot afford health insurance. I live in Massachusetts, but the cut-off for the Massachusetts state health plan is 3x poverty level, and I earn slightly more. I did not vote for Coakley, because I don't support the Obama health plan, which is a give-away to the big insurance companies, in that it forces people who can't afford insurance at market rates to pay fines. I am not a supporter of Brown and his reactionary politics. I abstained from voting, as my interests and concerns were not represented by either candidate. I am sure many others did the same for similar reasons.

 

[nancy324]

Very well stated, Amy! I'm still in shock over the vote in MA. Kennedy was a great legislator who was in office for 47 years, yet by voting for Brown it's like MA has already forgotten Kennedy ever existed, or worse, like they're spitting on his grave.

 

[BuffyR]

I just wanted to see who voted.

However since this has now turned into a flame war I may have to voice my opinion. I really haven't been near the computer.

MASS ELECTION - a big friggin wake up call. Listen to the people or we will vote you out. And if Pelosi and Reid push this through it will be cataclysmic for the Dems. And it will show they have gone beyond socialist and teeter near communist.

HAITI - tough one to call. I agree with much that Ifiddy said in the sense that Haiti was poor to begin with and the corruption is all to evident. I too am getting tired of being the "go to" people for every natural disaster. We are in debt and now they are gong to vote to raise the debt ceiling again. China sent one million and the oil rich mid-east countries haven't sent crap. Oh - and why is it that it's termed "Obama pledged $100 million" - it should read "The American Taxpayer has pledged $100 million". And get ready - they will try to get into the country. Let the orphans in but forget the rest. We already have illegal alien issues.

WAR - I too would like to see us out but until we can drill, drill, drill for our own oil we will be ensconced in the mid-east.

Glad that our Catheletes got out to vote. It's important.

Mass. You are making assumptions that people are against health reform. This is a misconception. Most people want health reform but not necessarily the bill passed out of the Senate. Without health care reform, this country will fall deeper and deeper in debt. We already pay more as a percentage of GDP than most western countries with little to show for it. The status quo is not going to make this better. Personally, I favor Medicare for everyone.

Haiti - Really, your views are unconscienable. Even George Bush, who is morally corrupt I believe, doesn't think the world just abandon the Haitians and let them die. What the U.S. has pledged is really a drop in the bucket as compared to the U.S. GDP. I'm truly embarrassed that there are Americans that think like you.

Wars - Who is currently getting the oil from Iraq? It's not us, I can assure you of that. Moreover, if you believe that oil obtained from drilling in the U.S. is kept in the U.S. you are truly naive. Oil obtained by drilling in the U.S. is sold on the open market worldwide just like oil obtained in the middle east. How does that help Americans? The only way to get out from under the thumb of oil rich countries to to move en masse towards renewable energy sources.

 

[Worknprogress]

Ladies, can't we state our personal opinions without personally attacking each other?

We are all individual people with different lives , backgrounds, and upbringings, etc. that help to develop our opinions.

The average age on this board is 40 something, isn't it? We all should be able to have our own voice without having to worry about vicious, personal backlash.

 

[BuffyR]

Ladies, can't we state our personal opinions without personally attacking each other?

We are all individual people with different lives , backgrounds, and upbringings, etc. that help to develop our opinions.

The average age on this board is 40 something, isn't it? We all should be able to have our own voice without having to worry about vicious, personal backlash.

There is a huge difference between attacking someone personally and challenging someone's views.

 

[Gayle]

WOW!

Fiddy - Just be happy that you (and most of us here in Catheland) hit it big in birth lottery and just happened to be born in a place where most of its inhabitants aren't born into abject poverty. So much for compassion...

Pixiesis - I'm with you!!

Oy,,, try living in reality for a few minutes. We are not spending 100mil to rescue Haitians, most of the 100mil is supposed to go to help rebuild. But lets be honest. Haiti was a slum before the earthquake and is infested with corruption. The 100mil will most likely not go to those who need it. How many warnings have you heard about which charity you should contribute to?

Why is it the USA's job to help all disasters around the world? I do NOT feel any guilt saying we CANNOT afford to spend this money right now. Disasters happen. How much money did other nations send the US when Katrina hit? How many nations sent help to Katrina victims??

Bad things happen and I'm tired of the USA taxpayers having to bail everyone out. Let's offer what help we can while protecting our nation from bankruptcy. And not everything in world is Bush's fault... groan....

 

[Worknprogress]

Buffy - I wasn't talking about you but there is a post on this thread that is a personal attack.

In the past, once a personal attack is made, it starts to fester with all sorts of nastiness between posters and I just don't want to see this thread go that route.

I would like to be able to discuss this topic. I like to hear other's views and would like to share mine as well. Challenge each other - absolutely nothing wrong with that. It often helps those with open minds to think outside their own box and see something in a different light and perhaps even change an opinion.

I just want this to stay civil, that's all.

 

[BuffyR]

Buffy - I wasn't talking about you but there is a post on this thread that is a personal attack.

In the past, once a personal attack is made, it starts to fester with all sorts of nastiness between posters and I just don't want to see this thread go that route.

I would like to be able to discuss this topic. I like to hear other's views and would like to share mine as well. Challenge each other - absolutely nothing wrong with that. It often helps those open minds to think outside their own box and see something in a different light and perhaps even change an opinion.

I just want this to stay civil, that' all.

Agreed. Personal attacks are not helpful. I think people (including me) tend to get very passionate about politics.

 

[pixiesis]

Well, I guess you are talking about me (even though Buffy and I have said similar things). It was fiddy's post and not fiddy herself that I attacked. That is not a personal attack.

I totally agree about the importance of civility, which is why I support helping Haiti in her time of desperate need.

 

[Beavs]

I totally agree about the importance of civility, which is why I support helping Haiti in her time of desperate need.

Agreed! And that has nothing to do with one's politics.

 

[Worknprogress]

I had mentioned in an early post that my friend had the same opinion as ImFiddy. She had just recently saw a documentary about New Orleans and the amount of devastation that still exists there.

I would think that nobody would have a problem with our troops and money going to help dig this country out of this horrific natural disaster. I couldn't even imagine what they must be going through. But I think disagreement arises with people thinking that we shouldn't use US funds to help rebuild Haiti when there are so many areas in the US that have been hit by severe natural disaster and are far from being restored.

As far as health care reform - I would also think that nobody has a problem with all Americans having access to affordable health insurance. I just don't think people are in favor with the bills that are on the table now.

I also don't like the closed sessions now when we were promised live C-Span to ensure government transparency. And then to hear the back door deals being made for votes. I know that has been going on for years. Let's face it - that's nothing new. However, Obama promised he was going to change that aspect of Washington.

 

[NY25]

The views expressed by some here about helping starving, homeless, distaster stuck people are frankly, abhorrent. Isn't there a saying "there but for the grace of God go I?" wow is all I can say!! Rebuilding is what help is - you know for frivolous things like HOSPITALS!!! For the dying people laying in the streets. wow

As for the US, Katrina victims and New Orleans were neglected and ignored by their own country. And by the way - other countries did offer to help - many, many of them. And the Bush admistration rejected their offers!!

As for the new guy - I'm just kind of disturbed by all the conservatives falling all over themselves with glee - the guy posed naked in a girlie-magazine (full-frontal) and in his acceptance speech tried to pimp out his daughters! (like that would ever fly if he was a Dem). The people of America didn't vote - the people of Mass did.

Corruption is everywhere in D.C. - it is D.C. Party is irrelevant. The best intentions can go awry in that city. Compromise is never easy or acceptable when political points are to be scored and your party is your priority. Reality tends to be want you want it to be. You can't get everyone on this board to agree on simple matters, let alone on D.C. or the country to agree on big ones, so let's all take a breath.