Category Politics

Aug 3 2011

THE GODS OF HYPOCRISY

THE GODS OF HYPOCRISY

 

            Imagine yourself in need of an army.  You are faced with the task of changing the political landscape of rural New England states that for years had been known for their frugal, independent and God-fearing lifestyles.  How would you accomplish this?  How would you wrest the traditions that made up the fabric of years of generations linked by blood from the very fingers of the parents that birthed them?  You would follow the template set forth in the European Marxist and Communist revolutions of so many years ago.

Take the earnest hopes of parents who have sacrificed for a better future for their little ones.  Promise to be trusted stewards of these children’s education.  Pretend to hold this sacred trust in reverent high regard.  Now that you have control of these children at their most vulnerable stage, just beginning to blossom into adulthood, instead of teaching the very skills and practicum necessary to excel at the specific professions they may choose, you begin to barrage and impregnate their young impressionable fertile minds with your own agenda in an effort to stimulate a revolution that would devastate and crumble years of foundations laid in the hearts and minds of America’s youth.  You would capitalize on the rebellious nature of young emotions encouraging their propensity to defy authority, enflaming them with rhetoric railing against the institutions of government claiming it has failed the common man.  At the same time, you would mock the homespun common sense beliefs of the children’s upbringing, declaring them not worthy of higher learning.  In time, it would seem success was nothing short of imminent.

Imagine yourself in the present.  You have established a death grip on the educational system of New England.  Your classrooms have been the breeding ground for liberal think tanks across the nation for years.  Students have followed your model of “the end justifies the means” and have wreaked havoc on the local and State political system compromising its integrity.  But the common man in Maine finds himself in much worse conditions than before all the promises of a New Deal were made to him.  So the “commoners” revolt and, much to your surprise put a common man in a place of power.

Imagine your reaction when the leaders put there by the common man, despite their weak and clumsy attempts at leadership, put in place a reform that shakes the very core of your power structure.  They demand honesty, accountability and integrity in the voting system.  No longer will there be giggles and snorts at fraternity and sorority parties after young students have done your dirty work and made a mockery of the democratic process on election nights.

Imagine how you would retaliate.  It would be loud and angry.  You would decry the fact that the Republicans are denying these young students the right to vote…and vote…and vote again.  After all, these are educational opportunities.  They’re young and they need the practice.  And voting in multiple States brings so much diversity to the experience.

Imagine if the empire you had worked so hard to build was in danger of crumbling.  You would use every diversionary tactic you could think of to avoid the honest truth.  Wouldn’t you….or would you?

Jul 18 2011

A Fine Mess

        Recently, the State Chairman of the Democrat Party published an article belittling the accomplishments of the new Governor of the State of Maine.  With the usual arrogant smug detachment from reality that generally accompanies any discourse from the deep yawning cavern of a liberal mind, this man fairly gloated over the what he characterized as a lack of improvement from the forty years of fiscal catastrophes that he and his Democrat friends have worked so hard to compile.  After all, the Governor has had all of 180 days.  Shouldn’t Governor LePage have corrected the litany of Democrat mismanagements by now?  The good Chairman, that’s sarcasm by the way, chose to ignore the fact the Governor LePage did one thing in six months that the Democrats didn’t do in forty years.  Enact welfare reform.  Oh, there is that.

But the Democrats are so proud.  They are so proud of this mountain of debt they have worked so hard to build.  It’s not everyone that can plan so perfectly how to make promises that you never intend to keep.  Then keep layering more lies upon broken promises upon false hopes until the bloated cancer is so entrenched it is virtually immovable.  Only Democrats could create such a scheme and get away with it and no Governor is going to turn this fiasco around in six months.  The Democrats are crowing with glee because no one, and they mean no one, can create a mess like a Democrat can.  “See,” they say, “this Governor can’t clean up our mess.  It’s… too….messy.”  Well, he did institute healthcare reform, just a trifle.  And he did make good on some promises that Governor Baldacci made and neglected to keep.

Which really burns the Democrats biscuits, doesn’t it?  Can’t Governor LePage understand that you just make the promises?  You don’t keep them?  The liberals had a good thing going.  Just promise “pie in the sky”, keep the entitlements flowing and keep raising those taxes.  Who cares if you can’t pay for it?!  We’re politicians.  We don’t have to pay for it.  We just vote our own salaries.  Raise the taxes!!!  What?!  Governor LePage just instituted one of the biggest tax cuts in Maine history and he plans to do more?  Ehh, Gaaddss!!!!  What does he think he’s doing?  Putting money back in people’s wallets?  This is unsettling to a Democrat’s delicate constitution.  Weelll, I can’t say that word either because it has negative implications to a Democrat, perhaps a Democrats delicate persona.

They comfort themselves with the knowledge that they have created such a gargantuan forty year mess that it will take much longer than six months to turn things around.  And with the help of their moderate Republican allies they just might be able to stall the cure long enough for the folks to get impatient.  Then they can have their power back and keep that big slimy stinking mess they’ve worked so hard over forty years to pile up.

Now, they’ve created a website called the “61% ers” or something.  Which is appropriate because Democrats have always viewed voters as merely numbers anyway.  It’s a “seeourmessissobadtheGovernorwillnevergetreelectedcausehecan’tfixourmesscauseitisreallybad” website.  I guess…if you like that kind hypocrisy…..

Oh, the Democrats are so proud.  So proud of the mess they’ve made.  Can’t you hear it in their voices?  They don’t think anyone can fix it.  We’ll see….  By the way, if you would like to ask the Governor and his commissioners about the mess the Democrats are so proud of, he will be holding a “Capital for a day” town hall meeting at Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft, Thursday at 6 PM.  Doors open at 5:15 PM.  See you there!!!!

Jul 4 2011

WHAT IS CLEAN?

Nearly 3,000 miles separate us from Arizona yet in recent days a Supreme Court decision has linked this western State with this most eastern State of Maine.   The Supreme Court has declared the Arizona State Clean Elections system unconstitutional.  The State of Maine has a Clean Elections Law that is a mirror image of Arizona’s.  It doesn’t take the deductive powers of Sherlock Holmes to figure out Maine’s Clean Elections may not be so clean under the keen scrutiny of the Constitution of the United States.

What the Supreme Court discovered in their deliberations is something the voting populace has understood for years.  It is morally reprehensible to take money from the public and then, in turn, use those monies to fund entities, programs or individuals that taxpayers may not agree with.  Of course, the citizens are endowed with an abundance of certain positive character traits that most politicians quickly find repulsive upon the acquisition of public office, those being, common sense and a moral compass.

For example, if candidate A and candidate B choose to run for public office and do so as clean elections candidates they receive an initial lump sum from the taxpayer, you and me.  This in itself creates a moral dilemma, as both conservative and liberal taxpayers must fund through their tax dollars candidates whom they find objectionable to their personal convictions and would not support if they had free choice.  Now, you might say that both sides have their standards violated so it’s essentially fair, it washes out.  Ummm….weeeeell….You, ….you really wouldn’t say that, would you?

But Clean Elections takes this travesty upon the public one step further with its matching funds provision.  If candidate B, who is a Conservative, works his tail off to raise $100,000.00 from his supporters, candidate A, who is a Liberal, doesn’t have to do a blasted thing and the taxpayers must pay candidate A the matching amount.  So essentially, for every dollar you give your candidate you support, you are forced through Clean Elections to give a matching dollar to the candidate you do not support.  Doesn’t that just make you feel warm and fuzzy all over?

This is the essence of elitism, which permeates the Democrat Party.  Only elites, who have freed themselves from the shackles of common sense, which so easily encumbers the lowly populace, can be trusted with the weighty decisions of society and its futures.  Aware that if the voters had free access to an uncomfortable thing called “the truth”, their progressive elite candidates would not fair so well.  But what if Democrats had the ability to force Conservatives to fund the very candidates they hope to defeat?   That, coupled with the various tax loopholes arranged for their George Soros type benefactors would make it almost impossible for Conservatives to compete in the message game and lies and half-truths would rule the day.

Then there is the Constitution.  Oh, that crusty old Constitution.  You see, Liberals, who pine after European Socialism, long for the day when the United States will mirror the crumbling societies of the lands across the sea.  In their eyes, government is the answer for the people and should rule over them.  Government knows better and can protect the people from themselves.  That’s why they espouse these many government programs, which stifle the voice of the public and eliminate voters’ right to choose.  But a bunch of guys in funny wigs and hats, who left Europe and wanted nothing to do with Europe, collaborated to create a document called the Constitution to insure we would never become Europe.  And this is the final levee against the onslaught of tyranny in our Country.

Our President doesn’t like it.  He called it a document of “negative liberties”.  It stands as a roadblock to the Democrat agenda.  The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the people, but instead of learning the lessons of the Constitution, the liberals have responded with a Time magazine article asking, “Does the Constitution really matter?”  Yes, yes, it does.  Thank God, it really, really does.

Jun 19 2011

COMPROMISE OR CAPITULATION

The Maine Conservative Voice has often characterized the events of the past couple of years as a Conservative revolution.  It is a revolution that is dearly needed for the future of this State and the future stability of the generations that reside here.  It is a revolution that is still ongoing.  As with all battles, those ideological and those with tangible physical weapons, often there are setbacks and disappointments.   In those hard times, leaders may find that opinions on the way forward are often diverse and consensus hard to achieve.  Tribulations in the midst of honorable strife demand that leaders maintain a singular focus on the ultimate goal so that differences of opinion do not sabotage unity with dissension.

In the not so distant past, this columnist asked my readers to contact the members of the finance committee and implore them to pass the Governor’s budget without additions or compromise.  We asked that the committee not cave to the Democrat party and their special interests, specifically unions. We asked that the budget presented would result in a smaller government that spends less.  The finance committee achieved none of these things.  That is why The Maine Conservative Voice finds the budget presented by the finance committee to be inconsistent with conservative principles and we cannot in good conscience indorse it.

Many of my good friends and allies may take exception to these statements.  Some have felt that the Governor’s budget with its many flaws was at least a first step.  Perhaps frustrated with the lack of progress from the legislature, some may be happy to see at least some semblance of legislating.  It is the opinion of The Maine Conservative Voice that frustration with the lax leadership of the legislature should not find us so quickly willing to accept mediocrity in a vain effort to herald accomplishment.  The people of Maine have asked for better.  They deserve better.

The budget calls for $300 million in new revenues and it raises spending from $5.7 billion to $6.035 billion.  Yes, that is billion with a “B”.  The tax cuts have been so watered down that, much to the Democrats glee, they will provide very little help to revive struggling economies in Northern and Central Maine.  Why is it that moderate Republicans are so quick to use the welfare of rural Maine as a bargaining chip to Democrats?  If north-central Maine were ever allowed to develop its own resources it would produce an economy that would rival the South.  Maybe ….that’s ….why….?    No, No, I hope not, because a prosperous Maine, anywhere in Maine, benefits all of Maine.

Welfare benefits are capped at 5 years, which is good, but Democrats have been allowed to pepper it with exemptions.  You and I know that individuals that have made a lifestyle out of government entitlements will certainly find a way to work every exemption to their benefit.  And Democrat activists are printing up training manuals as I write, you can be sure.

Much needed pension reform has been implemented reducing the unfunded liability by $1.7 billion, but unfortunately it comes at the expense of retirees.  Current employees simply have a 2-year pay freeze with no reduction in benefits.  This was a union demand and the Republicans cowered giving in.  It seems the message the union is sending to their members is that once you retire you are fair game.  Pension reform is needed desperately but it needs to be done fairly across the board with all members sharing the sacrifice.

Once again the roads of Maine have been ignored.  Once again the little bit of commerce that happens to come to rural Maine will continue to dwindle as businesses and vacationers will be reluctant to see their products, goods and recreational property pummeled and damaged by north-central Maine’s crumbling infrastructure.  Once again the basic function of government has been neglected.  Once again the needs of rural Maine have been regulated to a secondary priority.  The Governor was swept to victory on the strength of a galvanized rural Maine.  He promised to treat Maine as one Maine.  Sadly, the legislative rendition of his budget does not reflect those promises.

The Maine Conservative Voice asks its readers to call the Governor’s office and respectfully implore the Governor to veto this budget.  This will show the Republican leadership that they must start taking orders from the people not the Democrat Party and its union interests.  The people have voted for an end to 40 years of Democrat rule and, yet, after one year of a Republican majority, it seems we have had 41 years of Democrat rule.