Our Big Fat State Election

I live in New Jersey and yesterday I received a notice that a special election will be held on October 16th in which we will elect a new U.S. Senator…and even though that may sound strange (since the National election day is on November 5th, only 20 days later, that’s not the weird part. The weird part is that this special election day is on a WEDNESDAY. In the United States, Who ever elects someone on a Wednesday?

After U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) died on June 3, the NJ state Democrats wanted Gov. Christie to call the special election to fill his seat for Nov. 5, which would be the same day the Governor and candidates for all 120 seats in the Legislature are on the ballot. Why? Well, because…That’s election day!

Governor Christie, however, called for the Senate special election to be on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

This special election (On a Wednesday…only 20 days before Election Day) is estimated to cost the state of NJ an extra 12 and a half million dollars. Naturally the democrats have charged that Governor Christie wanted to hold a special election in October (did I mention that it’s on a Wednesday?)  because he did not want to share the ballot with a high profile Senate race…and the popular democratic candidate, Mayor Corey Booker, who may cause a big Democratic turnout at the polls (which, I take it, would not be good for the Governor and his re-election bid)

State Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer), sponsored a bill that would have  canceled the special election and placed the Senate election on the regular November ballot in the hopes of saving the state the extra expense of having two statewide elections three weeks apart.

Now you would think that Governor Christie who has spent the last 4 years talking about how government is just too darn big and how spending needs to be cut across the board and then making cuts in public education, senior citizen services, services for the disabled, police and fires services and personnel, state worker’s pensions…you know all the selfish deadbeats looking for handouts within the state…would agree that having two elections within 20 days was a waste of money (Did I mention that one was even to be held on a Wednesday?)

But no! Instead he vetoed the bill and said,

“New Jersey voters deserve to have their voices heard in the United States Senate as soon as practicable, which is why I called for a special election in October. I cannot support legislation that would require the citizens of New Jersey to wait to choose their representation in the United States Senate.”

But we’ve already waited 133 days…is waiting 20 days more too much? Just to save 12 and a half million dollars?

And why hold a “special” and major election on a Wednesday?

Was Tuesday busy?

What would you have done? I mean if you were really interested in saving money and in making sure that your state’s voter’s votes counted and didn’t want to confuse everyone by having 2 important elections within 20 days…(and one on a Wednesday when I’m sure no one is expecting to have an election!) and in such a special election too!

New Jersey and You…stronger than the storm…

And now disingenuous…

And fatter too!

Nuh-Uh!

Here is a hot mike conversation between Republican Senators Mitch McConnell And Rand Paul that was recorded while Senator McConnell was wired and ready for a soon to be conducted interview…

“I just did CNN and I just go over and over again ‘We’re willing to compromise. We’re willing to negotiate.’ I think… I don’t think they poll tested we won’t negotiate. I think it’s awful for [Democrats] to say that over and over again,” Paul said.

“Yeah, I do too and I, and I just came back from that two hour meeting with them and that, and that was basically the same view privately as it was publicly,” McConnell agreed.

Paul added, “I think if we keep saying, ‘We wanted to defund it. We fought for that and that we’re willing to compromise on this’, I think they can’t, we’re gonna, I think… well, I know we don’t want to be here, but we’re gonna win this, I think.”

Imagine that you are in an Olympic race and you win!

But as those who finish behind you gather across the finish line, they collectively decide to hold the medal ceremony hostage until you agree to negotiate and compromise on the subject of who really won the race.

The losers decide to go with the argument that they were really trying to win the race and even though they lost they are still willing to compromise on the outcome.

You however, take the position that you won fare and square and have no intention of compromising or negotiating as to the outcome of a race that was already decided…by running the freaking race!

So they snicker and look up at the crowd that is anxiously and a bit aggravatingly waiting for the medal ceremony to begin so the rest of the Olympic events can proceed, and the losers say to each other “We lost but he won’t negotiate with us! And just look at that angry crowd…I guess it’s pretty obvious that nobody likes a sore winner isn’t it?”

Remember when you were a child in school playing games with other children and invariably someone (maybe it was even you at one time) would come up with a way to cheat so they could win, or try to bully their way into winning, or subvert the rules, or throw a tantrum or simply try to negate everything and anything that would stand in the way of honesty and fair play by saying “Nuh-Uh!” just to get their way.

And you and everyone else would just hope that an adult would come along and set everything right by being the voice of reason and authority and by pointing out to the errant child or children that cheating or pouting or lying or bullying was not nor never would be an option to getting what one wanted, and would be a barrier to your growing up and becoming an adult?

And remember when getting caught doing those things was stigmatizing and embarrassing and a bad mark on one’s character? And that eventually you were going to have to learn how to play fair and by the rules if you ever wanted anyone to ever play with you again? And if you wanted to grow up and become like other adults some day?

Remember that?

When did it become OK to be the rotten kid, who has no manners, pouts when he can’t get his way, and never plays by the rules?

And when did it become OK to become an adult and still be that rotten kid?

And now that it’s OK, who is going to teach anyone anything anymore?

Shocking Yet Still Awesome?

“Every man, woman and child in our country should be able to access the health care they need regardless of their income.”

Is this not a statement that you would agree with? Are we not the most powerful nation on the planet? We can and do wreak destruction wherever, whenever and on whomever we desire. If we can provide death and destruction to others, Why can’t we offer basic health to our own citizens?…not that I’m an advocate of death and destruction to others…but still, why not a national health care system that provides quality health care for all in the most cost-effective way possible for all of the citizens in this most shocking and awesome country?

Yet, there are still about 50 million people in our advanced and wealthy nation who lack health insurance and millions more who can hardly afford the healthcare plan they have now. In fact, about 45,000 Americans die every year because they can not get to a doctor when a doctor is just what they need… which ironically enough is just about the same amount who also die in automobile accidents and get killed by guns each year… but more importantly, when it comes to life expectancy, infant mortality and other important health outcomes, the United States is behind almost every other advanced country in the world.

However, and this is the truly amazing part and the absolute crux and heart of the matter, the U.S. spends almost twice as much per person on health care as any other nation! That is amazing! We spend approximately $2.7 trillion annually — on health care…and yet 50 million of our citizens don’t get any! So who gets the money? And why so much of it? And why wouldn’t they want 50 million more customers?!

At least The  Affordable Care Act is an improvement. It prevents insurance companies from denying patients coverage for pre-existing conditions, helps lower-income Americans afford health insurance and keeps our children on our existing policies when they can’t find jobs…and it will help those who don’t have insurance now, find some.

And what do the House Republicans who hate the Affordable Care Act offer as an alternative?

Absolutely nothing!

Status Quo!

Just the same old 2nd world healthcare for a first world nation!

And now they are holding the US Government hostage by shutting it down and putting more Americans out of work while denying new healthcare benefits for those who may have none.

And I wonder…

Are we bombing anyone tonight?

The Villians, Thieves and Scoundrels Union

The 27th Amendment was ratified in 1992 to prevent senators and House members from boosting their own salaries before an election… But in reality this now means that Congress is the only class explicitly protected by the Constitution from financial pain in the event that they shut down the federal government and fail to fund regular government operations. Even their own congressional staff members will eventually have to be furloughed or go to work without the promise of getting paid even when the shutdown is over.

Meanwhile, in the real world CNBC polled two different groups, using “ObamaCare” for one and “Affordable Care Act” for the other. Forty-six percent of the group asked about “ObamaCare” opposed it while only 37% of those asked about the Affordable Care Act opposed that…even though they are the exact same thing!

The Affordable Care Act was passed into law over 2 years ago. It has survived over 40 votes to derail or defund it. It has weathered the scrutiny of the Supreme Court of the United States and been upheld as law. It has taken the national stage as an integral part of the last presidential election and its supporters, not its detractors won and were elected by a majority of American citizens to see it through. This is how democracy works.

The Affordable Healthcare Act changes nothing for about 240 million Americans who already have health insurance through an employer, or are enrolled in a government program like Medicare…but the millions of  other Americans who have no health coverage can begin shopping for health insurance on online marketplaces for a healthcare plan that they can afford…and just like automobile insurance which every American must have if they wish to own a car, all Americans must and will be able to find a healthcare plan that they can afford.

What is wrong with this? Why would anyone be against healthcare insurance for every American? Because of the cost? Do you have any idea what it costs to send 50 million Americans to hospital emergency rooms every year for their health coverage? Have you ever seen an emergency room bill? The great majority of those emergency room bills go unpaid and get passed on to the taxpayers now…with the Affordable Care Act that will end.

So why would providing affordable insurance that would be paid by the newly insured themselves along with the insurance companies who insure them… rather than the taxpayers who pay for it now, be a bad thing? Isn’t this what everyone has wanted all along? Especially the individual, freedom ringing, libertarian, capitalist loving, pull yourself up by your own bootstraps Republicans who had been clamoring for this kind of law before Mr. Obama became the President of the United States?

That’s what the Affordable Care Act does!

Read it!

Google it!

See for yourself exactly what the law provides for you, your children and all Americans.

Then ask yourself what these villains, thieves and scoundrels who have been demonizing it, misrepresenting it, and lieing about it for years are really after. And make no mistake about it because they, and not you will, be getting great healthcare and fantastic pay and benefits from you, the taxpayer, no matter how long they shut our government down…and they work and receive all of thier pay and benefits from OUR government! And they made sure of that by passing a LAW in 1992, exactly 2 government shutdowns ago!

It is unbelievable, unthinkable and unconscionable.

In fact it is exactly what you would expect from a Villain, Thief or Scoundrel…isn’t it?

And I have no doubt that they’re probably unionized too…Local 12, I suspect.