LETTER: Take back the country from who?
I continue to hear the same old rhetoric from the Tea Party and the Republicans: "We need to take back our country."
My question is, from who? Thirty years of Reaganomics have severely dismantled labor in this country. I have a novel idea, let's take it back from corporate interest and the lobbyists!
Let me list the achievements of the Democrats for labor in this country. Here's a list of the bills that were introduced and passed by the Democrats which the Republicans blocked several times:
Health care, jobs bills, unemployment extension, re-regulating the banks, increased education benefits for our veterans, the child SCHIP bill, social security benefits under Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt, medicare under Democrat President Lyndon Johnson, minimum wage increases, restarting the college Pell Grants and health care for our 9/11 heroes.
Folks, this is democracy at its finest.
I want to know all you senior citizens who voted for the Republicans in the midterms, are you enjoying the social security and medicare that the Democrats are responsible for passing? How about all you veterans out there? How about all you retired union workers? What about all you ministers that use your pulpit to persuade your flock to vote for the Republicans who are against labor and the helping the less fortunate in this country.
I believe this life is about helping others. It used to be that the millionaires and billionaires paid a higher tax rate and the country as a whole benefited from this. Now, labor in this country is footing the bill with higher taxes and work hours cut at lower wages and heavier work loads.
Teachers' unions are under tremendous threat, once again due to the Republicans.
"Taking back our country" is nothing but a talking point, we as progressive Democrats stand on the issues and we win every time, the Republicans avoid the issues.
Why? That's simple, they don't represent labor in this country!
Tony Parker
Weidman
