I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around that 23,000 number. That doesn't leave much room for anyone to argue that the rich and businesses aren't paying their fair share, does it? There's no way my household is putting anywhere close that much into the federal government.In the Bush years, the Republican Congress has spent like liberals. Federal spending is now $23,000 per household, a $7,000 increase in the past five years. There has been an annual 7.7% increase in nondefense discretionary spending, and the number of earmarks is up 57%.
In the past two years there have been four Republican congressional scandals (DeLay, Cunningham, Ney and Foley), and only one Democratic one (William Jefferson). So by last fall the national approval rating of the Republican Congress had fallen to 30%, resulting in a loss of six Senate and 27 House seats on Election Day, costing Republicans control of both Houses of Congress.
We need preference choice voting so that we can vote for less popular candidates that reflect our views without casting a de facto vote for the person we like the least.
3 comments:
Bradley,
I agree. Who was in love with either Bush or Gore in 2004? I think nearly all of us made a choice for the least objectionable of the two. Preferential voting would allow for third parties and those with libertarian philosophies to have a legitimate shot at some real influence.
The question is, this: Can such a change be made in American political culture? To junkies like you and I it makes intuitive sense, but there is so much that is deeply ingrained in our political culture that might never ever change.
I'd take Delay off your list till some serious charges are brought up. The Travis County prosecutor is a political hack who had to go through three grand juries just to get one to go along (and you know they say a grand jury would indict a ham sandwhich if the prosecutor told them). If I was laying money on this one I would say the prosecutor won't be able to get this through a trial.
Dave, you may be right. Nevertheless, I'm not sad to see DeLay gone. I just was never comfortable with him.
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