My Political Rants
My Opinion Counts
The last two years served as a wake-up call to millions of people who previously ignored politics and felt there was little they could do to influence what our government did. It certainly shook me awake and I've started speaking up.
Some friends wish they could keep social media just for cute kitten photos and birthday greetings. I and many others are discussing politics and planning action. Sorry, but this is no time to remain silent and on the sidelines.
I've saved some of my political rants and will share them here. There's a comment section at the end, so feel free to give me a thumbs up or explain why you disagree with me. If you are nasty in your disagreement, it gets deleted. Keep it civilized and informative.
Everything Is Political
Tell Your Member of Congress What You Want
You find out interesting things on Facebook, such as people don't think they can ask or tell their congressman something because they didn't vote for him (or her).
They don't know if we voted for them or not. They represent us and calling to tell them our opinions does sway their vote. The issue being discussed was the Keystone Pipeline.
No matter who we voted for, we still have the right to let our elected leaders know how we feel about something like the pipeline and how it affects our health, the health of our planet, and the impact on global warming. You can call or send an email.
One friend reminded, "Those 35 permanent jobs it will bring are nothing compared to the lack of food, water and fresh air facing our children and grandchildren in 20-30 years."
Don't know who your representative is or how to contact them? The House of Representatives has a handy page for
Just put your zip code in and it gives you the answer. Click on the highlighted link next to your representatives' picture and it takes you to their full page of information. Look around until you see the words CONTACT ME.
Do it. Get your concerns heard. The election may be over, but you still have a voice and can influence the process of government.
Money and Politics - Not a Good Idea
Republican Wins Do Not Indicate a Mandate
Someone said on Facebook the morning after the 2014 mid-term election that it was a sign that this country needed a new direction. She continued by saying "Everyone knows what a failure Obama and cohorts have been." She felt it was time for a change.
I had to say that I disagreed. It's a sign that fear tactics (Obama is coming to take your guns, etc.) will activate voters who really don't know the issues. It's a sign that gerrymandering, billionaires paying for campaigns/"news," and that voter disenfranchisement can affect the outcome of elections.
I think the biggest failure of the Democratic party is not getting the word out about what has been accomplished. The progress on the economy and on health care has been excruciatingly slow with the Republicans blocking everything along the way but there was progress.
Has everyone forgotten the panic at the end of Bush's term? It was a time when the economy was crashing on a huge scale. People were cowering in their homes afraid to spend a penny, worrying about losing their jobs and houses. Yes, some did lose jobs and homes, but the new administration was able to slow that down and start turning it around.
Just think how far we could have progressed with recovery if Congress hadn't stalled everything.
I'm sure I'll get some negative feedback on this post, but I had to get my opinion out.
These posts were previously published on sites like Niume and Bubblews. Those sites have now closed.
Rick Scott, Charlie Crist, And My Opinion on Florida Politics
(Originally published for the governor's race in Florida)
Many of the races are still undecided, but I'm finding it hard to watch the returns. In Florida, the current governor (Scott) has a slight lead. I sure don't want to see him win.
In my opinion, his policies have been bad for the state. He turned away some big federal money for light rail that would have benefited Central Florida. The money went to another state for their rail project.
He cut funding for education, laying off many teachers. Florida already lagged in their school rankings, and that didn't help at all.
Twenty percent of Floridians lack health insurance as he wouldn't cooperate with the Affordable Healthcare Act.
His challenger, Charlie Crist, used to be the governor before Scott. I wasn't crazy about him then, but he has since switched parties and to me is a better choice than the one we have now.
It's a nailbiter. Maybe the votes will come in right at the end for the candidate I want.
(So, Crist lost, and Scott won. Time marches on, and now Scott has designs on getting into Congress next. He was hoping to get a position in Trump's administration but that didn't happen. This man is bad news and I hope that two terms as governor has disillusioned enough voters to keep him from his ambitious plans.)
© 2018 Virginia Allain