I am so glad that the majority of Massachusetts voters has (finally) woken up and has elected Scott Brown as our next Senator. I have never been more passionate about an election than this one. Massachusetts is America's bluest state. For the first time, I felt that my voice might actually be heard. And this recent election has shown that the voices of the people were also heard loud and clear.
We were sick of the wasteful spending of our hard-earned tax dollars. We were sick of the higher taxes that were levied on us to pay for everything. We were angry with Obama-care being forced upon us which would increase the national deficit and further raise taxes. People are struggling to stay in their homes while unemployment remains high at around 10%. We were sick of the misinformation and constant negative ads from the rapidly fading Coakley campaign. We were sick of the status quo. Yesterday, the minority became the majority.
Over the past several days, I've learned a lot about myself and about people from their various comments from face-to-face interactions, clippings from local newspapers, and status updates left on Facebook. I've learned that a lot of people make a complete mockery of our privilege as citizens to vote. I've learned that many people have not taken the time to research all of the candidates and their platforms. I've learned that a lot of people would rather speak in generalities and paint people with broad brushes than to spend a few minutes to understand the issues. A lot of people would repeat the one-liners that they've heard on talk shows, radio and TV ads, and from their peers and then call themselves "informed" voters. It's really a shame.
A 23-year-old girl said in a recent Lowell Sun article that she was voting for Coakley only because her dad was a strong Brown supporter and she wanted to cancel out her dad's vote. I can feel a headache coming on. Another person said they were voting for the Independent Party regardless of his/her platform just to "send a message" that the other candidates didn't deserve their vote. I need an Advil.
The act of voting is not just some joke where you get to flex your personal freedom muscles. Your choices affect millions of other people. It's all well and good to speak in generalities and wish that the government could fix all of life's problems. But those programs cost money and you know where that money comes from? Your tax dollars. It's easy for the government to just spend away...when it's not your money. But when you own a home, pay property taxes that continue to increase from year to year, and work your tail off to pay taxes to our governments, just consider where your money is going.
The next time you see the cop parked in front of the Dunkin Donuts in downtown, think about how much it is costing you and other tax payers. Think about him when you drive by a construction site when he should be directing traffic but instead, he's on his cell phone. Think about the cop who instead of patrolling the streets was parked in his driveway at home for 4 to 5 hours a night to collect his almost 6-figure salary. I wonder how much safer our neighborhoods would be if these state workers actually did what our dollars are paying them to do.
How about your education? Some of us went to UMass Lowell. Are you satisfied with the quality of your education? Do you feel that you received the proper attention and were taught the skills needed to compete in this marketplace? Do you feel that the price that you paid for tuition was worth the expense? I would hope the answer is yes.
This recent election has truly inspired me to write and this will be the first of several posts about politics. I'll talk about the issues and why I think the way I do. You may or may not agree with me and that's okay. But at least visit this site (2009 State Payroll) and see where your tax dollars are actually going.
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