Saturday, October 15, 2005

I really appreciate Tom Moran's piece in the Star-Ledger on Friday:
Democrats lose interest in the fight for the poor
I was leaning toward John Edwards in the 2004 primary when it became evident early on who the Jersey Democratic establishment was supporting, & I realized the cause was hopeless, Edwards wouldn't make it this far. I can't recall the last time a Democrat on my ballot spoke about poverty & the working poor in words that were even mildly inspiring. I can usually trust how local elected Democrats will vote; I just can't expect them to show moral leadership on a variety of crucial matters. Over time, whatever strongly partisan party feelings I had weakened & I was looking for alternative voices & agendas; Ironically, I found them in "faith-based" groups & organizations.

Comments:
Christie Whitman was a study in contrasts. Her 30% income tax cut - a reduction in a progressive tax that benefited the wealthy - led to plummeting state aid for municipalities and skyrocketing property taxes (the property tax unfairly burdens the poor and middle class). In her second term, she launches NJ Family Care, a fantastic low-cost health care plan for the working poor. Of course, by the time she left office, the state was mortgaged up to her eyeballs.
 
Two of the better ideas came from GOP governors. Tom Kean set up a high quality "alternate route certification" route for older people who wanted to become teachers, & which Jim Florio deliberately neglected under heavy pressure from State college education departments (who had a monopoly, after all) & to a lesser extent the teacher unions. Fanily Care was strongly supported by good Democrats, but they were left with a mess at the end of the Whitman regime & a new Governor without the skills to clean it up.
 
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