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Time to throw the bums out

by: davesnyd

Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 08:43:29 AM EST

I understand this site is largely pro-Democrats and that arguing to deprive incumbents of re-election when we hold all statewide offices and (at least nominally) both Houses is not expected.

But it's now time to Tell Truth To Power: we need to throw the bums out of Albany, including Democrats.

Don't want to do that? Or-- more to the point, if you're one of the bums-- don't want to have that happen to you?

Then fix Albany and do it now.

davesnyd :: Time to throw the bums out

I think we should pledge to vote against every incumbent in Albany. We have a situation in which the state spends too much, taxes too much, and doesn't deliver nearly enough.

Yes, I'm pissed at the lack of Progress since we "took the Senate" last year. But it's more than that.

It's the whole just keep doing what you're doing thing in Albany. The attitude of spending without question, not working to fix the upstate economy, not working to diversify the downstate economy, and not providing the best in services to the people of New York.

As such, the Democrats in the Assembly are part of the problem. So are the Republicans in the Senate. They've both ruled those chambers through the long and slow decline of the state.

The Democrats in the Senate have proved to be worse than neglectful-- they've shown themselves to be completely incompetent this term.

Surprisingly enough, the Republicans in the Assembly haven't proven themselves to be as useless as the rest but I'm sure they would rise to the occasion, given the opportunity.

Same is true for the statewide elected state-level offices: Governor, AG, and Comptroller. Arguably, Cuomo has the least responsibility here because he is on the law enforcement side. But unless he shows leadership and helps fix things then I don't see an argument to either retain him or help him move up to the Governorship that many believe is his for the asking.

Do you want to be re-elected? Then prove yourselves worthy. You have a maximum of 10 months-- and maybe really only 6-8-- before the next election is full-on. What are our problems? According to the Governor, we're overspending by about 8%. According to our business leaders, we're overtaxed. According to our prison statistics, we're overincarcerated. According to our thought leaders, we're undereducated. According to our moral leaders, we're not taking adequate care, health and otherwise, of our most disadvantaged.

Sounds like a tough set of problems to solve-- especially simultaneously: reduce spending generally, reduce taxes, increase spending to targeted areas. Solve them, and you've earned reelection.

Otherwise, it's time to throw the bums out.

Tags: incumbents, 2010 election, (All Tags)

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Time to throw the bums out | 4 comments

Too simple (4.00 / 1)

Every problem has an answer which is simple, appealing...and wrong. "Throw the bums out" is a classic example. It's also an example of how often our political thinking is reduced, both morally and intellectually, to the level of a high school pep rally.

Don't get me wrong; I certainly sympathize with the sentiment. I just don't think it's likely to be very effective. Tossing out "all the bums" is just going to get us a different set of bums.

Let's act like grownups for a change: how about if we put together a set of specific things we'd like to see concrete support (not just words) for (or against), and publish a scorecard for everybody in the Legislature against it? Then we can tell people why we think certain bums should be thrown out, and which ones deserve to be tossed.

--- Mike Jones

by: mike.jones @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 18:29:40 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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Well... (0.00 / 0)

how about if we put together a set of specific things we'd like to see concrete support

To be fair, I've tried to do that here

And ya know what? It's their job to fix the problems. That's why they're elected.

As for:

Tossing out "all the bums" is just going to get us a different set of bums.

I'd rather see them fix the state in the next six months so that we don't follow the "throw them out" plan.

But yes, I'm frustrated enough with the lack of any progress (lower case "p"; even more frustrated with the lack of Progress with an upper case) that I'm inclined to toss them all out.

It isn't childish, it isn't simplistic. It is recognizing the fact that there is no other threat that we can make that they will hear.

And it's hard to believe that the new bums would be any worse than the current ones.

Yes, I'm inclined to believe that the only way we'll really solve the problem is a combination of a constitutional convention to change how things are done plus clean money, clean elections to get better people in place.

But no, I find it hard to believe that a clean slate would be worse than what we've got right now.

by: davesnyd @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 21:38:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm not a New Yorker (0.00 / 0)

so maybe my 2 cents isn't worth squat. Still, we've got the same problem in every state and in the nation, so I'll have my say . . . .

There are plenty of bad politicians, but it is we who made them that way. If (as Ratigans like to say) "government is the problem", it is because the people ultimately responsible for governing (you and me) have not done their job.

I've committed myself to a consistent plan of action similar to the one which I append below. I've paraphrased this from a recent Michael Moore piece, and I admit that I only try to do step #1 once a week, instead of daily. Still, that's 100 times more participation than just voting every 2 years.

If we want government to work (and I do), we must get off our butts and go to work on governing. If, like davesnyd suggests, we just "throw the bums out", I think Mike is right that all we'll get is a new bunch of bums. Bad as our current "representatives" may be, I believe it is our responsibility to bring and keep on the pressure to make them represent us. If we've done that and they still won't do what we demand, then by all means throw THOSE bums out and elect someone who will.

-----------------------------------------------------------

[paraphrased from Michael Moore]

FIVE THINGS WE CAN DO TO MAKE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT LISTEN TO US:

1. Each of us must get into the daily habit of taking 5 minutes to make four brief calls: One to the President (202-456-1414), one to your Congressperson (202-224-3121) and one to each of your two Senators (202-224-3121). To find out who represents you, click here. Take just one minute on each of these calls to let them know how you expect them to vote on a particular issue. Let them know you will have no hesitation voting for a primary opponent -- or even a candidate from another party -- if they don't do our bidding. Trust me, they will listen. If you have another five minutes, click here to send them each an email. And if you really want to drop an anvil on them, send them a snail mail letter!

2. Take over your local Party. Get everyone who doesn't like what's going on and go to the monthly meeting of your town or county Party -- and become the majority that runs it! There will not be many in attendance and they will either be happy or in shock that you and your friends have entered the room looking like you mean business. The people's agenda will never happen without mass grass roots action -- and no politician will do the right thing if no one has his back, whether it's to stand with him, or push him in the right direction. When we all become the local Party, our representatives will either lead, follow or we'll make sure they get out of the way.

3. Recruit someone to run for office who can win in your local elections next year -- or, better yet, consider running for office yourself! You don't have to settle for the incumbent who always expects to win. You can be our next representative! Don't believe it can happen? Check out these examples of regular citizens who got elected: State Senator Deb Simpson, California State Assemblyman Isadore Hall, Tempe, Arizona City Councilman Corey Woods, Wisconsin State Assemblyman Chris Danou, and Washington State Representative Larry Seaquist. The list goes on and on -- and you should be on it!

4. Show up. Picket the local branch of a big bank that took the bailout money. Hold vigils and marches. Consider civil disobedience. Those town hall meetings are open to you, too (and there's more of us than there are of them!). Make some noise, have some fun, get on the local news. Place "Wall Street Did This" signs on empty foreclosed homes, closed down businesses, crumbling schools and infrastructure. (You can download them from my website.)

5. Start your own media. You. Just you (or you and a couple friends). The mainstream media is owned by corporate America and, with few exceptions, it will never tell the whole truth -- so you have to do it! Start a blog! Start a website of real local news (here's an example: The Michigan Messenger). Tweet your friends and use Facebook to let them know what they need to do politically. The daily papers are dying. If you don't fill that void, who will?

FIVE THINGS WE SHOULD DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THIS MESS:

1. Take your money out of your bank if it took bailout money and place it in a locally-owned bank or, preferably, a credit union.

2. Get rid of all your credit cards but one -- the kind where you have to pay up at the end of the month or you lose your card.

3. Do not invest in the stock market. If you have any extra cash, put it away in a savings account or, if you can, pay down on your mortgage so you can own your home as soon as possible. You can also buy very safe government savings bonds or T-bills. Or just buy your mother some flowers.

4. Unionize your workplace so that you and your coworkers have a say in how your business is run. Here's how to do it (more info here). Nothing is more American than democracy, and democracy shouldn't be checked at the door when you enter your workplace. Another way to Americanize your workplace is to turn your business into a worker-owned cooperative. You are not a wage slave. You are a free person, and you giving up eight hours of your life every day to someone else is worth being properly compensated and respected.

5. Take care of yourself and your family. Sorry to go all Oprah on you, but she's right: Find a place of peace in your life and make the choice to be around people who are not full of negativity and cynicism. Look for those who nurture and love. Turn off the TV and the Blackberry and go for a 30-minute walk every day. Eat fruits and vegetables and cut down on anything that has sugar, high fructose corn syrup, white flour or too much sodium (salt) in it (and, as Michael Pollan says, "Eat (real) food, not too much, mostly plants"). Get seven hours of sleep each night and take the time to read a book a month. I know this sounds like I've turned into your grandma, but, dammit, take a good hard look at Granny -- she's fit, she's rested and she knows the names of both of her U.S. Senators without having to Google them. We might do well to listen to her. If we don't put our own "oxygen mask" on first (as they say on the airplane), we will be of no use to the rest of the nation in enacting any of this action plan!

by: Bob in AZ @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 03:38:48 AM UTC

by: you @ soon

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You need to know New York (0.00 / 0)

We have, by most rankings, the worst and most dysfunctional legislature in the country.

So while I don't think throwing the bums out will necessarily make it better, it is hard to believe that it could make it worse.

On the other hand, at this point in time, with no popular governing levers (referendum, recall), the only option we have is to at least threaten to throw the bums out and hope that they do something right.

by: davesnyd @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 13:17:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]