A Creative Solution

It saddened me to see that there are actually several races in South Carolina where the "republic" candidate is running unopposed.

I talked it over with my son, who had an immediate, common sense solution:  we are just writing-in Stephen Colbert for every unopposed race.

Not only would he be better than the unopposed "republic" candidates, but why cry when you can have a laugh?

I Worry

I know, I worry too much.  The world tends to go on, people forget that some foods used to be more readily available, and we eventually just live without.  Teachers make do with whatever budget shortfalls they routinely have to deal with.  Parents accept that maybe their children won't get the best education, won't go to Harvard, won't end up with a well-paying job with good benefits.  We all accept that we now have to pay -- a lot -- out of pocket for health insurance, which doesn't insure us being healthy anymore.  Our jobs may make us sick or injured because they are stretching us too thin (increased productivity).  We may be fired so that people can  be hired at lower pay, and even offered the lower paying jobs, to be fair.  When our company gets downsized, the stock market goes up.  The folks who go on and on about values are the ones who expect us to work two jobs to make ends meet while we try to raise our children to be healthy and moral.

All this, and much more, I worry about.  But right now, at the end of October, 2010, I worry about how people are not involved in the coming election.  There is no one, not one person, that I work with, who will carry on a discussion with me about the candidates.  And here in South Carolina, there is so much that we need to talk about.

Outside of my political affiliations, and an occasional furtive few words with a customer, it is unacceptable to talk about what is going on politically.  Apparently.  And that is what I worry about now, one week before this important election.

Shame and Loathing

I got my property tax bill a couple of weeks ago, and today I realized I have been simmering, subconsciously, about it.  It was lower than last year's bill.

That's right folks, government services are dying in South Carolina.  Government jobs frozen, salaries, ridiculously low to begin with, cut by forced furlough days and COLA a thing of the past.  Schools, libraries, police and fire fighters, roads and bridges (except for improvements paid for by federal stimulus money, which South Carolina's governor tried to refuse), all dying.

And my property taxes on my $125,000 home, WENT DOWN.

I am embarrassed, feel ashamed, want to send a check to at least make up the difference from last year.  But I am one of those government workers whose wages are lower than the legal definition of poverty.  And I wonder how it must feel to have a truly secure income, health care and a car with less than 100,000 miles, iPods and iPads, vacations without agonizing over cost, a tidy retirement savings...

How does it feel to have more than what you need, and see your property tax go down???

And then there are the middle income people, who have what they need, but don't feel too secure about it.  Capitalism unfettered, and republicans espousing Reagan's trickle-down fantasy have led us all to feel insecure and afraid.  So even though we still have what we need, maybe even a little more, we are the Tea Party society, demanding more for less, a government that should spend money on keeping others out of the country and law breakers in prison but NOT MY MONEY.  And not for your kids to go to school.  And not for your retirement.  And DEFINITELY not for your family's health care.

If you have a secure job, secure income, affordable health care, and you look at your tax bill and feel good that your republican leaders have cut your taxes, shame on you. 

Do the Math

In 2006, Jim Rex defeated his republican opponent by 455 votes.  If we lose the post of Secretary of Education in 2010, we will be looking at the death of the public school in South Carolina.  That means the children of the wealthy continue to get the best educations, and the rest of us will face more illiteracy, higher dropout rates, lower numbers of college graduates, and lower paying jobs and unemployment for our children.

455 votes!!!

Grab all your friends and family and get out and vote.  It makes a difference!

FRANK HOLLEMAN

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

The Blahs

I get exhausted hearing what "they" have to say:  the Limbaughs, the Cheneys, the whole new crop of Tea Party candidates that the wacko right wing has nominated to run the country, Sarah Palin and Jim Demint, who in my mind should be linked forever -- wouldn't they just deserve that?

I get exhausted and then I feel the need to get away.  In other words, stop learning, stop writing, and of course the next step is, stop voting.

This is where many of us are right now.  In South Carolina, where our corrupt primary system is about as likely to change as Boeing is likely to pay its fair share for the right to take advantage of our cheap labor, we face a difficult choice.

If we are republican, we are going to stand in line for as many hours as it takes to make sure the folks who are going to run our schools, libraries, roads, hospitals and fire and police departments into the ground get elected, because they've promised us they won't raise taxes.

And if we are Democrats?  Do we vote for Alvin Greene and Ben Frasier?  Or do we vote for good people with strong democratic ideals who don't have a chance to win because they are third party candidates, have no deep pockets, or friends with deep pockets, but who are taking the chance of their lifetimes to try to right the wrong that is our primary system and our broken government?

Or do we stay home?

For me, staying home is not an option.  I will stand in line with all the good ole' boys and gals, and I'll vote for Tom Clements for Senate and Rob Groce for Congress, and those good Democratic candidates that somehow slipped through the primaries into the general election.  Because it would be wrong to not cast my one little vote.

Because this year if enough of us don't exercise that right, we could lose bigger than we did during the Bush dynasty.

Where In the World Is Alvin Greene?

Haven't heard much from Alvin Greene.  He hasn't answered either of my emails, one of which included a link to this blog, when I was still writing about him, but that's not unusual for a Democrat.  They are usually too busy fighting the good fight to realize how important it is to acknowledge a potential voter and constituent who has actually contacted them.

But he also hasn't taken advantage of the national stage, people who love to highlight the underdog, and believe me, Alvin Greene is the underdog of all underdogs.  His publicity organization, who were to provide their services pro bono, have also been silent.  Couldn't even find them on the internet to thank them for taking up this fight.

Apparently he has turned up at a meeting of the State Democratic Party, but nearly had to be dragged up to the podium, at which time he had no prepared remarks.

Now, I don't believe Greene is dumb, as some do.  He may not be a genius, but jeez, have you taken a look at our Senate lately?

My first impressions about Greene were that he was a Republican set-up.  Slipped $10,000 to get his name on the primary ballot against a legitimate candidate.  And then, with the help of the Neanderthal primary voting rules in this fair state, which allow us all to vote for the least appealing of the opposing party's candidates, and no doubt some plain old poll-booth tinkering, voila!  The mysterious Alvin Greene, with the added bonus of Jon Stewart getting to thank South Carolina once again for our comedic flair, this time for the stupidity of its voters.  

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-june-14-2010/alvin-greene-wins-south-carolina-primary 

But, you know, Jim Demint is really despicable.  So I decided to take a long, hard look at Alvin Greene.  Since that wasn't possible, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.  That story goes like this:

A young, naive but idealistic young man saves every penny he earns while in the military (while also bucking some military authority, also because of his ideals), so he can help his friends and neighbors back home, and yes, his country, by running for office.


You don't have to be terribly astute politically to know how bad Jim Demint has been for South Carolina, so, encouraged by his church and family, he took that nest egg and used it to run in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.  And, because Vic Rawl, also running on a shoestring despite his long list of credentials, had a name that begins with "R", Greene was able to walk away with his name on the ballot for November.


Hard to believe, isn't it?


Yes, I have to admit, it is harder to believe than Greene being a shill for the republicans, and understanding that he needs to try, but not too hard, so that it will seem like he is really running for office.

Meanwhile, Jim Demint doesn't even have to give the appearance of running a campaign, which frees him up to use his substantial PAC dollars to help elect other radical extremist right-wing fanatics to office across the country.

So, let me just conclude with this:

Don't let Demint's thugs get away with this.  Vote for Alvin Greene in November.


Because, regardless of how it came about,

Alvin Greene

because he's

Better than Demint!

 

Not Easy Being Greene

Alvin Greene is going to have a tough campaign.  And not because Demint and his gang are going to try very hard to defeat him.  Demint is acting as though he's unopposed these days; smug enough to be spending his time endorsing other corporate conservatives.  Hell, he doesn't even feel the need to be spending much time here in South Carolina acting like he cares about who's unemployed or doesn't have a home anymore.


Alvin Greene is going to have a tough campaign because we Democrats don't trust him.  We the party of equal opportunity don't think someone with Alvin Greene's lack of polish and cash can go to Washington and figure out how to govern.


Well, I doubt that he can do the damage that six more years of Demint will do.  I'm willing to give him a chance.  If Alvin Greene wants to try to help us get jobs and better schools, why not see what he can do?  We KNOW what Jim Demint can do, and our country and the state of South Carolina just can't take it anymore.

Shakespeare and Palin Aren't the Only Ones

Jim Demint gets apoplectic over what he calls the "Death Tax".  I remember back when it was called the "Estate Tax", because the tax is actually on the estates of the deceased.  Now those of us who don't know too much about the government, myself included, were afraid that when we died, the government would take our homes and every penny we had saved up for our children and grandchildren.

Not true.  The estate tax is only on the very wealthy.  It's called an estate tax because the very wealthy tend to live in "estates". It is a tax on those who have lived well in this country, and have now died well.  I like to think of it as paying it forward.  You know, back to the country that provided the fertile ground for your wealth, and keeping that ground fertile for others.

Now I don't know how many of those houses that John McCain owns that he really needs, but I'll bet after he goes he won't need that many.  But he and Jim Demint are fighting to keep every one of them in the family.

Jim Demint is an ad man.  A very successful one.  He and his colleagues invent phrases like "death tax" to scare us.  It has worked.

Don't let him scare you this time.


Alvin Greene doesn't know a lot of big words.  He doesn't have a staff or lobbyists to help him invent phrases intended to manipulate and control.


Visit his website and add your support:


www.alvingreeneforussenator.com


While you're online, send a message to Jim Demint.  Tell him to stop voting for the wealthy and powerful corporations that hoard their fortunes rather than reinvest in our country and our people, and that pay to keep him in office so that they can continue to hoard their fortunes, even after they're gone. 

 

On the Scene

Lawrence O'Donnell believes Alvin Greene may just be "better than Demint":

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/38316719#38316719 

We know he doesn't have deep pockets.  We know he is unemployed.  So when he says he wants to help South Carolinians find jobs, we know where he is coming from.

Jim Demint is currently employed, and has friends that have lots of cash, and are very willing to help out.  Because they know Demint will help them in return.

So why is Alvin Greene getting so much national publicity?  Check out the hot you-tube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar09czbfE8o 

Maybe this time around we aren't looking for the well-dressed and well-rehearsed and well-funded Jim Demint.  Maybe we'd just rather have the man who looks a bit uncomfortable with all the attention, but just wants to change the way things are done in Washington.

www.alvingreeneforussenator.com 

Get "on the scene" with Alvin Greene.

Why Alvin Greene? Why Not???

While we are all feeling a bit depressed about the fact that Democrats in the Democratic Party have been telling us since the last election that they plan on losing in 2010, we are wasting a golden -- yes, golden -- opportunity.  Thanks to some anonymous donor, we have Alvin Greene.

I don't know what Alvin Greene stands for.  But I do know what Jim Demint stands for.  And I'm against it.

If you are too, vote for Alvin Greene