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GRAFTON, Mass. - TheDailyVoice.com accepts letters to the editor. Signed letters may be emailed to jpaluzzi@dailyvoice.com.
To the editor:
Scott Brown’s campaign slogan suggests that he’s for “us.” After reviewing his voting record, however, I am confused: Who is the “us” he refers to? It’s certainly not me, and it’s probably not you.
Are you a policeman, fireman, first responder or teacher? Scott Brown voted to block funding for a bill providing funding to first aid workers sick from the after-effects of 9/11. He filibustered the Back to Work Act that would have provided financial relief to local communities in order to pay their police, firemen and teachers. He’s not “for” you.
Are you a woman? Brown supported the infamous Blunt Amendment, which would have allowed your boss to deny coverage to you for contraception because he disapproves of your lifestyle. He voted against equal pay for work. He’s not for you.
Are you a student? Brown voted to filibuster student loan assistance to thousands upon thousands of Massachusetts students. He’s not for you.
Do you have a 401K? Brown has worked behind the scenes to weaken Wall Street reforms he claims to champion. He’s not for you.
Are you middle-class? Brown voted against the Middle Class Tax Cut Act in July – when your boss was on vacation. He’s not for you.
Police, firemen, teachers, students, women, the middle class. Scott Brown… who is he for again?
Ed Prisby
25 Danielle Dr
Grafton, MA
Comments (25)
First off, the 9/11 bill was initiated before 9/11 happened. It then was re initiated after 9/11 and made it retroactive back to 9/11. It was a spending bill to give an extra benefits to the existing benefits of firefighter, Policemen, and first responders. They used 9/11 as a way of trying to pass this legislation. It was a typical political move to use something of 9/11 to get a spending bill passed.
The equal pay was a bad bill. Think Obamacare on a smaller level. There should be equal pay for equal work but this bill wanted to build a beauracracy to have businesses provide records to the Gov't on why they paid someone a certain wage. There was already a bill passed on this. The lawyers would have cleaned up in lawsuits.
Student loans? Elizabeth Warren and her husband had a salary of $400,000 each for teaching one class at Harvard. She got rich off the backs of the students who will be paying off their loans for decades.
401ks and pensions? Elizabeth Warren wants to attack oil companies and Banks which are basically in 95% of all Mutual Funds that are in everybody's retirement plan. If she kills them everyone is going to lose money especially Seniors who need the dividend paying stocks like the oil companies and banks. Our older generation can't even get 1% off their retirement savings because of the monetary policies.
Middle Class? President Obama and Elizabeth Warren are building up the the bottom class by building dependency on Government. They by their own standards have failed but still want to blame everyone but themselves. Where is the job growth that they promised?
I will take Scott Brown any day because at least he respects the taxpayers money and he does not think Government is the answer to everything.
Scott Brown is better at representing Massachusetts citizens, than a professor! Who rings bank!
Scott Brown supports me and I him, just think he has the nerve to ask how things are paid for as opposed to just spending more money we don't have. Although pro-choice, he supports the rights of all of his constituents, even those whose religous befiefs are contrary to his pro-choice stand. He has truly been bi-partisan, which is what we need to make deals in DC.
If any of you think the Socialist Squaw will work in a bi-partisan manner, you are nuts.
The Seer.
These moonbats don't want anything to do with bipartisanship. They want to get their way all the time and how dare you have your own opinion! The Democrats are for tolerance........unless you disagree with them and then you better just keep your thoughts to yourself.
This is why Mass is the promised land to moonbats. They can ban bottled water, make you keep your cat on a leash, make you take down your American flag, and don't even think about mentioning God or Christmas all while ignoring the laws they don't want to follow or having to maintain any sort of fiscal responsibility. Hypocrites, plain and simple.
Go ahead and post some obnoxious comment about Republicans if you like, I'm not a Republican. Just a citizen fed up with the vitriol and hate coming from the left. You want to criticize people? You need to be willing to hold those you support to the same standards.
"Socialist Squaw"
The GOP home of the racist angry name calling males.
I am the seer, just as I obserbed Captian Ahab and the crew of the Peaquod. You don't know if I am male, or a member of the GOP. I observe and inform.
Professor Warren's actions speak for themselves, hence the socialist obseration. If she truely had her way, she would either nationalize or regulate to the point that American business would do the Government's bidding. She is neither for the working class, or the middle class, but for the ruling class of intellectuals and scolds that think the citizens too dumb to think for themselves.
As for Squaw, it is self named. Personally, I think she as much a Cherokee and I am Portuguese because some sailor washed up on ths shores of Ireland and married into my clan 400 years ago.
The GOP wants to take our personal freedoms away. The freedom to marry who people love, and they want a government small enough to fit in every women's uterus. Truly frightening.
The Mass GOP wont endorse the national platform but instead "Tables it".
The giant corporations drive your view point, yet you think you came upon it on your own.
I'd rather support a party that favors smaller, leaner gov't that one that favors big government that will eventually take over every aspect of our lives.
Our founders did NOT have that in mind when the constitution was drafted John B.
Our founders were owners of human beings. They had that in mind when the drafted the document, when Africans were considered 3/5 of a person. They are plenty of flaws in the constitution. Our founders were wise enough to create a mechanism in the document to allow change. Such as the 19th amendment that allowed women to vote.
Currently the GOP is trying to turn back on the clock on the voting rights act and engage in other voter suppression tactics on the state level.
I prefer to live in the present and not try to go back to the old days. The old days were terrible.
So John, you can compare requiring an ID as voter suppression to the Black Panthers who holding night sticks at the polls and the voter fraud committed by ACORN.
funny.... i see two town policemen with scott brown signs in their lawn.
what does that have to do with anything?
I see 1 % with Scott Brown signs in their lawn.
There is a reason why the Mass Citizens For Life endorse Brown. They believe he is the best choice to limit a woman's right to choice. While I think Brown is not a bad candidate, i do think women, and those who support them, urgently need vocal and real opposition to republican extremists (but case in MO)...Warren is that voice.
One-issue voters
As the second most bipartisan voting member of the senate I'd say that he's light years closer to representing "us" as Americans first than his competition who would be lockstep with the Democratic party. I want someone who is going to look at an issue and vote on it objectively, even willing to upset the party they belong to to vote for what is right. Scott Brown has shown his willingness to do so.
Re-elect Scott Brown!
I agree with Mr. Prisby. I also would like the US legislature to get back to doing the work of the people, instead of the obstructionism we've seen on the part of Republicans whose #1 purpose has been to block any initiative proposed by their opposition, regardless of the urgent needs of their constituents. It's been shameful. What ever happened to the era of Ronald Reagan/Tip O'Neil compromise? I'm voting for whatever Democrat I can who can shift the balance and get the government back to doing the work they are paid to do.
The answer to your "what happened...to the era" question JLW is that nearly all politicians forgot they are there to serve the people. They are serving their own interests and will do what ever possible to not get elected out of office. It's not about left or right, Democrat or Republican. Inside the district, party lines disappear and for the most part they are all in cahoots.
That's what happened.
Continuing the reply to JLW's question "what happened...", the problem has been made worse by the Citizens United decision which essentially grants corporations and other special interests the same rights as citizens when it comes to donating to campaigns and funding Politcal Action committees.
The Citizens United decision allows corporations and others with deep pockets nearly unlimited donation potential. The money flowing into the political process from these non-citizen entities has shifted all the power from the citizen electorate to the corporate treasuries and the special interests funded by the wealthy 1%.
Politicians no longer need to keep the voter happy, they need to keep the corporations and other special interests happy. That's what's happening, in my opinion.
There needs to be an Amendment to undue Citizens United if we want to get back to the days of politicians representing people.
The Corporations are seeking to gain control, this is a well financed movement. But not one spoken in conservative circles.
It is like the hunger games, "May the odds forever be in your favor" wink wink. But the deck is stacked against the small business and the mid sized ones. Corporations of the 0.1% They are not people too.
lay off the kool-aid. these sound like left wing talking points.
let's crucify big oil and wall street while you're at it
Scott Brown represents me and I think he has done a good job of reading the legislation and carefully considering what to vote for and what to vote down As the previous responder stated there is so much negotiation and "pork" put into bills that many people are unaware of and that's how Congress works. Scott has been working in Congress and is not one of the non-thinkers.
I am not pleased with many politicians but I believe Scott is trying to do what we elected him to do - REPRESENT the people of Massachussetts - and I thank him for his representation..
When the topic of abortion & rape comes up in that back room you speak of who do you want sitting across from the nut case 'legitimate rape' senator from Missouri? The answer is Warren.
To answer your question, I hope that nut job doesn't get elected in the first place. Not quite sure what that has to do with this race at all. Are you one of those nut jobs yourself who wants to imply that Scott Brown supports those heinous crimes? Keep the arguments grounded in reality and resist the urge to bring fantasy smear campaigns to the table as the candidate you support seems so willing to do. Elizabeth Warren has already shown herself to be less than truthful in her career. What makes you think she's so trustworthy now? Or do you just like people who tell you what you want to hear?
Mr. Prisby, in full disclosure, I support Scott Brown. My response here is not to say why he is better than Elizabeth Warren. Each of us has the constitutional right to listen to the candidates and decide for themselves who they think will do the best job for an elected seat.
Where I take exception with your Letter is how it paints half a picture. Washington is full of back room deals. Please ask yourself what else was attached to the bills Sen. Brown voted against. While Congress will say they have reduced earmarks, a number of elected members from both sides of the aisle want the moratorium lifted. There are still line items attached to appropriations that are completely unrelated; see: FY 2012 Labor/HHS appropriations bill that includes close to 10% redundant spending to what is already in said appropriations.
What kind of "pork" was added that had no business being included with a bill supporting first responders or teachers? Might this be why Senator Brown voted against these bills versus he doesn't support "us"?
Perhaps he didn't. Though I would be remiss in not asking this as a rebuttal to your letter.