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.
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.
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"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
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.
# posted by 
: 9:04 PM
: 9:04 PM
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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