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Published The Brownsville Herald Feb 1, 2010

The election of 2010 is shaping up. The Democrats had a good majority in the Congress, the country in their hands, the Republicans blamed for the problems, and the potential of building a new version of Camelot. The folks really felt good about President Obama.
Then on Jan. 14, President Obama was in full battle mode as he rallied House Democrats behind his health care reform. He said “If Republicans want to campaign against what we’ve done by standing up for the status quo and for insurance companies over American families and businesses, that is a fight I want to have.”
The administration’s view of what “We the people” wanted was forced on the country even though the “We the people” spoke up by starting the Tea Party Movement.
That lasted just three days! When the President campaigned in Boston on the 17’th for health care supporter Martha Coakley, not once did he mention the health care bill.
After Coakley’s defeat, Obama pretended that the real cause was a generalized anger and frustration “not just because of what’s happened in the last year or two years, but what’s happened over the last eight years.”
Can it be that the ill feeling for George W. Bush is so enduring and powerful that it just elected a Republican senator in Massachusetts? Truly amazing!

Scott Brown won by running against the arrogant dealings of the Administration and Congress passing law with no consideration for “We the people”, or the transparency he touted.
Mr Brown won by brilliantly nationalizing the race, running hard against the Obama agenda, most notably Obamacare. Killing it was his No. 1 campaign promise.
An astonishing 56 percent of Massachusetts voters, according to the Rasmussen poll, called health care their top issue. In other polls, 78 percent of Brown voters said their vote was intended to stop Obamacare. Only a quarter of all voters in the Rasmussen poll cited the economy as their top issue. Massachusetts was not just the usual anti-incumbent resentment you expect in bad economic times.
Brown ran on a very clear agenda.
Stop health care; don’t Mirandize terrorists; don’t raise taxes – cut them; and no more secret deals with special interests.
The “Louisiana purchase” and the “Cornhusker kickback” had started a national disgust with the corruption and arrogance of one party rule. The final straw was the union payoff where the labor bosses got a five-year exemption from a the “Cadillac” health insurance tax that Democrats were imposing on those private-sector workers who are not unionized.
Does that sound familiar? Could we see some of that in our local politicians?
The leadership ignored the tea-party movement, the first clear early sign of trouble. They contemptuously dismissed the protests as the mere noise. Then Virginia and New Jersey turned Republican in the two gubernatorial elections.
The evidence was unmistakable: Independents, who in 2008 had elected Obama, swung massively against the Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. On the fateful Tuesday, it was even worse: Independents went 3-to-1 Independent-Republican in the Democrat bastion of Massachusetts. Not only that – the turnout on Tuesday was the highest for any nonpresidential Massachusetts election in 20 years.
Massachusetts, the most liberal state in the country with there own version of universal health care, had an election.
Independent – Republican Scott Brown won a remarkable victory in the most liberal state in the country. It appears that the party emphasis is on the Independent!
A Washington Post described the big upset, “Voters have been drawn to Brown’s energetic demeanor and populist message of cutting taxes and reining in the federal government. They interact with him as if he were an old friend trying to get them out of a financial jam.”
Then the a number of the loyal followers started abandoning ship. A number of Democrat Congressmen in moderate areas that had avoided town meetings and voted for Health Care against the wishes of the constituency have announced that they will not run for reelection.
It appears that there will be big changes in the Congress, in the coming election.
In order to not have a complete loss, the administration must adjust the priorities to be a bit more centrist and perhaps follow the pattern that President Clinton took by encouraging more cooperation with the Republicans and accomplish reforms and economic actions that have bi-partisan support.
The Republicans don’t seem to be in such great shape either as there doesn’t seem to be a consistent concept as to what they are for, nor a view as to who they are and who speaks for the party. The chair speaks in ideals and conservative values and Presidential Candidate McCain advocates some of the social reforms that were found wanting in the most liberal sate in the Country.
We must remember the “Independent” in Scott Browns win.
Let us consider where we are now!
The U.S. House & Senate voted to withhold our S.S. cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011.Our Medicaid premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years and we will not get the 3% COLA: $660/yr.
Our total 2-yr loss and cost is around $1,600 or $3,200 for a husband and wife. The Rulers still voted themselves $4,700 and $5,300 raises! Over 2-yrs they each get $10,000.
Do you think these rulers of ours will have our benefits for the cost of drugs, doctor fees, local taxes, food, etc. increased? Not likely!
They have their raise and better benefits. Why care about us? We never did anything about it in the past.
We must obviously be too stupid or just don’t care.
Do you really think that Salomon, Nancy, Harry, Charlie, Barnie, etc. care about us? We need to SEND THE MESSAGE—YOU’RE FIRED!
This year we will have a chance to get rid of all the House of Representatives and up to 1/3 of the Senators.

On Wednesday President Obama gave his State of the Union speech. I had a difficult time following it; for some reason it seemed more like a campaign stump. He did however say that the national economy needs to have priority.
Apparently, the President missed the massive dissatisfaction of the electorate when he renewed his call for government takeover of the health program.
At another he pointed out that there were two million people working who otherwise wouldn’t be; then described them as government workers. To me the economy is primarily our local businesses which do not seem to be improving very fast.
The President again mentioned the Bank fees which I don’t quite get. I understand that all banks had to pay fees even though many have already paid the loans with interest and others are paying with interest but all must pay the fee. Now the President proposes a $30 billion inflow to community banks – will they now have to pay a fee too?
In the whole speech his references to business, where most of the real jobs are, were that exports must be advanced and the proposal of a tax benefit. Then he went on to propose a Freeze Gov’t Spending in 2011 and to retain a larger tax on those making over $250,000 py.
On the positive side he claimed that he cut taxes – I will reserve judgment until I finish my tax return.
I must say that the speech gave me increased confidence in our national security nor was it increased that the economy would improve soon without further political change.
We must remain angry in November and remind the replacements not to screw up.
Let’s take back our Country. Get involved in the coming elections!

1. Fred Drew says:

   March 7, 2010 at 9:36 am

   With regard tp Ms Ramirez comment “Drew stated, “We must obviously be too stupid or just not care.”
   If we didn’t vote for change in the past we must fit that criteria. I know for many years until I became involved in politics, my day to day issues seemed to take priority so I just didn’t care, then. Now I do!
   As to writing nicethings about President – I have pointed out some in earlier columns. He has beliefs and goals and is actually working towards achieving them. Many of us dn’t even go to the polls…. Check the recent election!
   I didn’t receive a tax cut – I don’t have enough income for it to register. I do realize however more people are still losing jobs every day.
   Lastly, having been in the maritim industry I understand “offshore tax havens” and for most purposes they are very much alive and well.
   We must realize that not everything a politicion says is true…

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2. Natalia Ramirez says:

   March 7, 2010 at 9:10 am

   YOUR VOICES
   From the Brownsville Herald of 2/7/2010

   Column was wrong to criticize Obama
   Editor:
   This is in reference to Fred Drew’s column, “Get involved in elections,” of Feb. 1.
   In the first place the county voters in these elections must get involved to clear the problems and to pay homage to the men and women who have given their lives for the freedom of our country. They haven’t died in vain.
   It’s indeed stupid that the voters in the state of Massachusetts just elected Sen. Brown. Drew stated, “We must obviously be too stupid or just not care.” It appears that by voting for this senator, the voters of Massachusetts are running scared and stupid.
   President Obama’s State of the Union speech was a job well done. I grade our president with an A+. Drew was wrong to say it was a campaign stump. Our president very clearly took steps to identify who is not fixing it.
   Moreover, Drew failed to mention that our Congress passed a tax cut for 97 percent of working families. He extended unemployment benefits and made it easier for struggling families to remain in their homes. He’s gone after credit card companies controlled by banks that have gouged Americans with outrageous fees. He cracked down on offshore tax havens. He made it easier for women to command equal pay. He appointed the first Latina to the Supreme Court. He’s restoring the image of America around the world and yes, he rescued the nation from a deep depression, etc.
   Drew didn’t say anything nice about President Obama and the Democrats.
   Natalia Ramirez Garcia Brownsville

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