Enough is enough

America is under attack.  I am not speaking metaphorically.  I am not using hyperbole.  We are under attack.  The opposition has been building up its forces, its munitions, and its other resources for many years now.  It has been waging a propaganda war for quite some time now and has been softening us up without our even knowing it.  The first shots have been fired.  They have been strategic  attacks aimed at our best and only defenses.  They attack now with impunity secure in their beliefs that we have become so apathetic and helpless that there will be no resistance.  They fight with words.  They fight with ideas.  They fight with money.

I've had enough.  I am not content to let this happen.  Wisconsin has shown us that resistance is not futile.  We have numbers.  We are the people and we should all be saying, "Enough is enough!"  Sure we have differences, but we should be united by what we have in common, rather than divided by how we are different.  Divide and conquer has been their mantra.  We need to stop saying, "Why should that person get something when I don't?"  We need to start saying, "What can I do so we can all have that?"

There is an orchestrated concerted effort on many new/ish Republican governors acting under the guise of fiscal conservatism.  They are making a power grab.  They are eliminating their competition.  They are working to do the opposite of their traditional role of limiting government.  The patterns are there across the country.  Anywhere they can, they are increasing the influence of corporations and diminishing the rights of actual human beings.  Michigan's governor is trying to pass legislation that would allow a corporation to swoop in during a "financial crisis" and actually dismiss elected officials.  Who decides if it's a crisis?  The governor.  The Wisconsin governor has been trying to eliminate public unions' right to collective bargaining under the guise of a budget repair bill.  Thanks to a prank phone call, we got proof that he is just a tool for corporate money.

It's time for elected officials to stop pandering to corporate interests.  They represent us, not a company.  They need our best interests in mind, not how they can raise more money for their campaigns.  Across the nation, our "leaders" are attempting to push through legislation that limits people's rights.  In the name of fiscal responsibility, education is being gutted with school vouchers to private/religious institutions as an alternative.  Schools are being told that they need to increase performance, will be held accountable for students scores, and must do all of this with drastically reduced funding that will result in larger class sizes, fewer resources, and no respect.  The Pennsylvania governor announced a budget that would no longer reward teachers for earning Master's Degree and would actually lower the requirements to become a teacher!

I'm sick of it.  I'm sick of money ruling all.  I'm sick of personal gain being a roadblock to societal success.  Do we want to be a successful country, or do we want it to be easy for corporations to run their businesses?  I'll leave you with one last question:  Where do corporations go to make the most money?  They go to countries with the laxest laws that let them do whatever they want to the workforce to mass produce products regardless of the cost to human welfare.  Is that where we are going? (sorry, had to add another question.)

Please, contact any and all government officials that you can.  Remind them that there are more of us than them.  They call rile up the extremes of their party all they want, but all parties have reasonable people with common goals.  People need to come first, not money.

Letter from my state representative

Pennsylvania is considering a bill that will implement a voucher system.  I contacted my state representatives to voice my concerns which include public money to religious institutions (many private schools), public money being used to fund education that is not held to any standards or accountability, and public money to institutions that get to pick and choose who gets in and who doesn't.  That is only a very brief version of the problems I have with school voucher programs and was more detailed in my contact.

Today I got a letter from Lynda Schlegel Culver who is the representative from the 108th district, located in Sunbury and whose email is unashamedly partisan:  lculver@pahousegop.com (please contact her with concerns).    Her response ignored every single one of my concerns while thanking me for the time I took to share them.  In fact, it highlighted the fact that Senate Bill 1 would expand a program that gives tax cuts to corporations that donate money to a scholarship that funds student tuition at NONPUBLIC schools - corporate tax cuts to fund possibly/probably religious institutions.  I thought the letter was bad at that point.

In the closing paragraph, the letter read, "It is important to know that my constituents have concerns when it comes to the debate about increased educational options and parental choice...Rest assured that I will carefully consider the pros and cons of any legislation that reaches the House floor for a vote, and will make my decision based on what is most beneficial for my constituents."  I am a constituent.

Is it just me, or does she not care what my concerns?  Is she going to consider what her constituents want, or is she going to do what she thinks is best?  This letter disgusted me.  Other letters I've gotten have at least responded to at least once concern that I raised, but this one was such a form letter, it couldn't even be bothered to address any of my concerns and actually highlighted one of them as a benefit of the Bill.