The year 2009 has been the grand inaugural year for a truly great experiment in promoting and simplifying democracy. For Politivote, this has been a great year of growth and expansion. More and more people are becoming members and voting on important issues. Through out the year, health care reform, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and our economic troubles have been at the forefront of our thoughts. My experience as a member of Politivote has given me the opportunity to examine, critique, and vote on bills being brought before the legislature.
In examining these bills, I have seen good bills that will contribute to the welfare of our nation, and others that are a complete waste of time and tax payer’s money. To me, this is the essence of Politivote. We should become more knowledgeable on the areas in which our government does its job well and those that need improvement. Having gained this knowledge, we should use politivote to vote and be heard.
So, as we go into the New Year, I resolve to become more informed than I was last year about political issues that may impact my life. In addition, I will make more use of politivote to make my voice known on these issues. I strongly urge those who read this article to do the same. If you are not yet a member, go to the site and register. Your free registration allows you to vote on the bills that effect you. If you are unhappy with something that your representatives are doing, use the tools of this site to vote and be heard! In the year 2010, we can become more informed citizens and in so doing make our nation a better place.
Archive for December, 2009
Closing out 2009: Reflecting on the Past and Pressing Forward into the Future
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
a Failed Terrorist Attack and Its Implications for Our Democracy
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 Last Friday, Umar Farouk Abbulmutallab attempted to explode a plane when he lit a bag which contained a combination of potentially explosive materials. However, his concoction did not explode and he was subdued by other passengers. President Obama ordered a review of the nation’s watch-list system and of its air safety regulations because of its failure in this case.
As I reflect on this incident, I realize that there are implications for our democracy. Many times, when systems put in place by our government fail to work, it is up to the people to take the initiative and insure there own safety. In the year’s sense 911, I have heard other stories of incidents that could jeopardize the safety of airline passengers in which the passengers took control of the situation. On the surface, this might not seem relevant to democracy, but the idea is that everyone participates and has a role in securing the safety of the group. The people do not sit back and passively expect the government to take responsibility for their safety. They realize that they must take some of that responsibility themselves.
The second implication is on measures the government takes to prevent future attacks. Contemplating the government’s potential reaction to last Friday’s aborted attack causes me to reflect on my thoughts on what took place in the aftermath of 911. I was disturbed by the fact that torture of prisoners was a part of the discussion on preventive measures for terrorist attacks. I was also ambivalent about some of the other measures taken which included keeping detainees in prison without trial for an indefinite period of time, and the patriot act. To me, this is a confusing and ambiguous piece of legislation that attempts to describe what our government may or may not do to prevent more attacks in the future. My attempts to understand the provisions of this act only left me more confused and increasingly uncomfortable.
In reflecting on the problem of terrorism, it is my overall conclusion that the American people have an active role to play in the solution which consists of being vigilant and of holding the government accountable for its actions in dealing with national security with regard to terrorism. In an ideal world, we would be perfectly safe and enjoy our freedoms. However, in enacting stronger security measures, it is possible that our basic freedoms will be curtailed. However, if we wish to maintain these freedoms, it is possible that our safety will be compromised. Sometimes, we may have to sacrifice freedom for safety or vice versa. These are the issues we face when confronting terrorism.
Encouraging Inclusion: “Democracy Restoration Act of 2009 S.1516”
Friday, December 18th, 2009 A bill was introduced in the senate and referred to the judiciary committee which insures the right to vote to those who have been excluded from voting in federal elections due to a felony conviction. This bill provides that if the person has served his or her sentence, and they are on probation, they have the right to vote.
I applaud Mr. Feingold and others who are responsible for creating and promoting this bill. It is my sense that most people would be in favor of this bill, but the issue of the rights of former prison inmates has been overlooked in the past. S.1516 is long overdue.
If someone has served their time and is preparing to integrate into society, S.1516 makes it possible to accomplish this by insuring these former inmates the right to vote in federal elections. When someone has finished a prison sentence, it is the hope that he or she will again assume their role as responsible citizens. The alternative is that the person will repeat the offense and will be sent back to prison. If this happens, there are no winners. If a person does not have the right to vote, it will be difficult for them to assume their place as citizens of this nation.
Through out the history of this country, many groups of people have faced exclusion from the democratic process based on their race and their thnicity. In recent years, we have seen these barriers struck down. S.1516 removes the barrier to inclusion for former prison inmates. Inclusion is at the heart of democracy. If certain groups of people are excluded, we cannot claim to be a democratic nation. For a democracy to truly function, everyone must have a voice.
H.J.RES.45: Bad Money Management
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Recently, H.J.RES.45 was passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This resolution increased the limit on the public debt. When I read this piece of legislation, I grow concerned. I don’t know a single entity responsible for money that would increase your credit limit if you can’t pay off your current debts. To me, H.J.RES.45 is the equivalent of having debt on one credit card that I am not able to pay and applying for another credit card that I can’t pay. It makes absolutely no sense.
Recently, we have had huge government investments. I wonder if the tax payer is getting a return on these investments. We bailed out major industries that were in trouble. We had the economic stimulus package. I question the return we are getting on the investments.
Controlling the national debt needs to be a serious discussion for the American people. Congress and the American people need to take a look at our expenditures and seriously ask if these are merited. If there are expenses that are unnecessary, we need to get rid of them. I would not even call this concept finance 101, I would call it remedial finance, or the prerequisite to what one needs to know to take Finance 101. This is the sort of thing households do when they experience debt if they want to recover. When I run into financial trouble, this is the sort of thing I do. There are many competing interests that want government money for this or that. However, if we are going to get out of debt, we need to assign priorities to projects or ideas that require investing tax-payer’s dollars. Some investments are worthwhile and others can and should be discarded. Congress and the American people should address this issue.