Thursday, June 29, 2006
Susie - You've Got Some 'Splainin' to Do...
Sue "The Enabler" Kelly continued her unbroken loyalty to the far right wing agenda on Wednesday by voting in favor of English-only ballots. Fortunately the proposal was defeated 254-167 by the votes of all but three Democrats and almost 1/3 of Republicans. By voting for this mean-spirited, regressive bill, Sue drank the kool-aid offered by one of her buddies, Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla) who said "If you have the good fortune to be able to vote in the United States, then it is not too much to ask that this be accomplished in English. I don't think the United States government should be forced to pay for (bilingual) assistance".
Well, Cliff, for one thing, the US government doesn't "pay" for anything - the US taxpayers pay for it (and by the way, we pay your salary too). US taxpayers are made up mostly of US voters - and as voters and citizens we have a strong bias toward accessibility and fairness in our election process.
And second - Sue and her buddy Rep. Stearns probably don't know this, but only US citizens are able to vote, and even those whose native language is English can have trouble reading complex ballot initiatives, much less those who learned English as a second language.
So shame on you, Sue, for taking a cheap shot at all those hard working immigrants who have sought the American Dream by studying and working to become US citizens, only to have someone like you try to take away their full ability to vote in a responsible way.
Optimists that we are, we keep hoping the Republican Congress will wake up one morning and realize it has a responsibility to the nation to honestly debate and deal with the vital issues we face as a country today - healthcare, voting rights, security, education, and so on.
No such luck - instead, they focus on flag burning, repeal of the estate tax, gay marriage, resolutions condemning press "leaks" of a program that the President himself had already publicly discussed, and so on. And now - English-only ballots!
Isn't it time for a change?
Well, Cliff, for one thing, the US government doesn't "pay" for anything - the US taxpayers pay for it (and by the way, we pay your salary too). US taxpayers are made up mostly of US voters - and as voters and citizens we have a strong bias toward accessibility and fairness in our election process.
And second - Sue and her buddy Rep. Stearns probably don't know this, but only US citizens are able to vote, and even those whose native language is English can have trouble reading complex ballot initiatives, much less those who learned English as a second language.
So shame on you, Sue, for taking a cheap shot at all those hard working immigrants who have sought the American Dream by studying and working to become US citizens, only to have someone like you try to take away their full ability to vote in a responsible way.
Optimists that we are, we keep hoping the Republican Congress will wake up one morning and realize it has a responsibility to the nation to honestly debate and deal with the vital issues we face as a country today - healthcare, voting rights, security, education, and so on.
No such luck - instead, they focus on flag burning, repeal of the estate tax, gay marriage, resolutions condemning press "leaks" of a program that the President himself had already publicly discussed, and so on. And now - English-only ballots!
Isn't it time for a change?
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I found it odd that a Republican from Florida would risk alienating all the Cuban ex-pats down there. They vote pretty much GOP, ever since Kennedy left them high & dry at the Bay of Pigs. It's fairly typical of much of the GOP, pander to various groups, tell them what they want to hear, then vote the way the party tells you to. That sounds like someone a lot closer to our home here in NY, doesn't it? Ears burning, Sue?
'Party over country' seems to be the new motto of today's conservative Republican movement and Sue Kelly plays her role as enabler very, very well.
Don't forget Net Neutrality and more important Supporting Military Families.
**shaking my head**
Just look at the following Resolution:
Supporting intelligence and law enforcement programs to track terrorists and terrorist finances conducted consistent with Federal law and with appropriate Congressional consultation and specifically condemning the disclosure and publication of classified information that impairs the international fight against, etc.
Want to guess how Susie voted?
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**shaking my head**
Just look at the following Resolution:
Supporting intelligence and law enforcement programs to track terrorists and terrorist finances conducted consistent with Federal law and with appropriate Congressional consultation and specifically condemning the disclosure and publication of classified information that impairs the international fight against, etc.
Want to guess how Susie voted?
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