Those who know me know that both Becky Edwards and DJ Schanz are friends of mine. I believe that they are both good people and each would do their best to represent our district according to the dictates of his or her conscience.
The question is not which “friend” I should support. The question is which person do I believe truly represents my values, beliefs and views as well as those of my neighbors in legislative District 20.
Some of you may think that the Republican Party in Utah has moved too far to the right and others may think that we have allowed our party to be directed by the more moderate wing. Just for the record the name of my blog is “leaningwright” not “moderately middle” so hopefully you understand my political position.
I believe that the only time our party has been represented accurately according to our State and National platforms is when it is represented by those whose political leaning is to the right; the conservative agenda.
Ronald Reagan is without question the most revered conservative Republican president in modern times. He never left anyone to question how he stood on issues. He always made it clear that he was a conservative who held true to his conservative values.
Having said this, I also realize that he occasionally made decisions that were not in line with the conservative agenda, such as amnesty to ill-legal aliens and his support for free-trade which ultimately led to free trade agreements that sent American jobs out of the US and into other countries. Neither of these ideas is based on conservative principles. And I am willing to cut him some slack for bad decisions just as I would Becky if “some” of her decisions were not in line with our Republican platform.
But when it came to basic conservative and Republican principles Reagan never wavered but held true to things like protecting our country with a strong military, family values; his belief that government sponsored abortion and abortion on demand was wrong, his opposition to special rights for selected groups, his support for the sanctity of marriage, parents right to choose the education of their children, and his opposition to high powered and corrupt unions including the NEA are among just a few of the conservative principles he believed. And he never apologized for being a conservative!
We live in the most conservative State in the US and the Bountiful area is also very conservative. It is amazing to me how many people in this area have the same conservative views yet don’t get enough information and vote for candidates that don’t truly represent their political views.
This is why people like Sheryl Allen are elected for sixteen years under the guise that they are Republican and support the State platform when in actuality they vote like a Democrat. And in her case she is now running for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on the Democrat Party ticket! When someone of this position finally steps into the light everyone can see the truth about their political agenda.
Although DJ Schanz has been telling us that he is a conservative and he has been espousing his conservative political views for months we have nothing to judge him on except his statements and his promises. And all politicians make promises when they run for office just like Becky did when she ran two years ago against conservative Paul Neuenschwander with the slogan “Representation for Real.”
I would assume that everyone who voted for Becky two years ago in the Republican primary expected that her slogan meant that she would vote and represent her constituents like a “Real” Republican and according to the beliefs and values “Real” Republicans in Legislative District 20 care about.
I want to take a moment here and list some issues that both candidates have responded to. I have compiled their responses and how they would vote on each issue. If you are still not sure which candidate best represents your political values and beliefs, perhaps this list will help.
1. Would you vote to keep instate tuition for students here in Utah and our country illegally?
Becky: YES
DJ: NO
2. Would you vote for a bill to increase taxes including cigarette taxes?
Becky: YES
DJ: NO
3. Would you vote for a bill to make it easier for cities to increase recreation taxes?
Becky: YES
DJ: NO
4. Would you vote for a bill to require licensing on hunting guides and outfitters?
Becky: YES
DJ: NO
5. Would you vote for a bill to permit power companies to restrict your electrical consumption without your approval?
Becky: YES
DJ: NO
6. Would you vote for a bill that allows a teacher to receive half of their income after quitting teaching and working full time for the UEA?
Becky: YES
DJ: NO
7. Would you vote for a bill that requires cities to make financial information available to the public?
Becky: NO
DJ: YES
8. Would you vote for a bill that would allow Utah to withdraw from the Western Climate Initiative, which imposes unnecessary and unproven regulation on private companies based on questionable Global Warming science?
Becky: NO
DJ: YES
9. Would you vote for a bill that would end Affirmative action n Utah State Government employment positions which includes State Colleges and Universities, even as most minorities are lobbying to get rid of it?
Becky: NO
DJ: YES
10. Would you vote for a bill in favor of "common ground" initiatives to grant special rights to gays and lesbians?
Becky: YES
DJ: NO
Questions 1-8 represent actual bills that did come before the Utah State legislature and the responses Becky gave were based on how she voted. The last two questions are based on bills that will come before the legislature and the responses represent the positions that Becky and DJ have taken on each issue.
Two years ago Becky was in the same position as DJ and those who voted for her had to trust that she would represent according to the values and beliefs she claimed. For DJ, he has the challenge of convincing the voter if elected he will be the legislator he claims he would be. He claims to be a conservative Republican and that he will not vote for anything that challenges the constitution. That he will not vote for anything that takes away or unfairly restricts our freedoms, compromises are morals, standards and Republican values and that he will not vote for unfair or un-needed taxation.
However, with Becky we can look at her record for the last term. Do you believe that Becky Edwards votes the way you would vote? Does her record prove to you that she represents your Republican values? She is still using her original slogan of “Representation for Real.” Is this the real representation that you want to send back to our State government?
I believe that her vote on these issues tells us something about the type of “Representation for Real” she must have meant when she ran the first time and the type of representation she will continue to render in our behalf if re-elected.
I have noticed that DJ’s campaign signs say “Republican for Real.” Based on what we have heard from both candidates and based on the record that Becky has created in her first term, I believe the voters in our Republican primary MUST ask themselves this question; “Which of these candidates truly represents me and which candidate IS the Real Republican?”
Don’t vote for your best friend, vote for the person that you believe will best represent you each time a new bill or issues comes to the floor Representation for Real or Republican for Real, you decide.
*For a list of the bills quoted in this blog go to PAGE THREE: “BECKY EDWARDS, Is this the Representation for real you voted for?”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Blogs that I Follow
-
-
Why you should avoid Alamo Rent-A-Car - This week my family split apart for 25 days so my wife could visit family in the USA. Because of some fortunate events she was able to travel with friends...
10 years ago -
Responses to Gay Marriage Arguments - Many people support gay marriage as policy, even though they don’t support it morally, on the grounds that the law must be equally applied or that individu...11 years ago
-
New Zeal Blog Has Moved - Over the weekend my blog was upgraded and moved to a new address, TrevorLoudon.com Most of you will already be aware of this, and when you visit the old si...13 years ago
-
Subscribe To
Posts
Comments
DJ is the true conservative in this race and Becky's voting over the last two years is that of a Democrat who is trying to sell herself as a "conservative" that happened to vote for Obama in the primary and gave our state the sad voting record sited above.
ReplyDeleteThis is an easy vote if you are a conservative and believe that government's over exteneded reach into all aspects of our life is the problem rather then the solution.
Nice to see this blog that has the facts for the voters with Becky's voting record which draw a clear choice of who the best canidate for UT is.
Unfortunately, things are not nearly as cut-and-dried as DJ - and apparently Phill - would have us believe. DJ has shown great skill at picking and choosing which things to publicize out of context, and at imputing motive. I'm not sure how that skill translates to serving as a representative of the people of District 20.
ReplyDeleteHere are some alternate perspectives.
1. We have no control over who is in the country illegally. We can either try to make the best of a bad situation or make the worst of it. DJ is apparently one who would like to make the worst of it.
2. The increase in cigarette taxes brought Utah's up to the national average. The funds raised by the additional taxes will continue to be used to pay the increased health-care costs associated with smoking. It's a question of personal accountability - people who smoke should pick up the tab for the increased costs associated with smoking.
As far as other taxes go: it's not a wise position to state that one would not raise taxes under any circumstance. It doesn't take much imagination to think of a situation that might require an increase in taxes - think "disaster", for example. A better test is to see how she's voted when other tax and fee increases have come up. Hint: she helped identify and amend out fee increases in an omnibus bill that came up at the end of the 2009 session.
3. Local control, people. Should the state be in the position of bullying cities?
4. I don't know the background on this, but if unqualified hunting guides and outfitters are putting people at risk, then we had certainly better do something about licensing them. This position is not innately non-conservative.
5. Becky told me this was a mistake. We're all grateful that it was vetoed.
6. You actually got this backwards - Becky voted against a bill that would dictate to school districts that which should be decided locally.
7. It isn't hard to think of circumstances where Becky's vote would be the correct conservative choice. For example, what about cases where making the information available would represent a significant cost to the city without concommitant benefit? What about local control - or is it a conservative position to have the state bully the cities into doing what's "right"?
8. You've misrepresented this one. HJR 21 urged Governor Herbert to withdraw from the WCI - it didn't "allow Utah to withdraw". If you check carefully, you'll find that Becky did NOT vote against this resolution. (Think of that in the same light as "DJ 'opposed' Obama".)
9. I appreciate that Becky doesn't vote for bills brought by out-of-staters for their own self-aggrandizement.
10. I'm glad that Becky recognizes that gays and lesbians are, after all, people. I expect the gay community will be much more receptive to arguments as to why gay marriage is a bad idea if they've been treated with some amount of dignity and respect rather than ostracized and ridiculed.
Becky not a Republican? I beg to differ. Becky is, in fact, a registered Republican and supports the platform. Seriously, if you think she's a Democrat masquerading as a Republican you need to get out more.
One of the main reasons I'm supporting Becky is that she runs a clean campaign. She doesn't go out of her way to misrepresent her opponent. I wish the same could be said about DJ, because other than that he seems to be a pretty decent guy.
Lumpyuniverse ??? I simply listed the bills that Becky voted on. I then stated the bill number. Your attempt to re-explain the "FACTS" is silly at best. Facts are facts lik'em or not.
ReplyDeleteI think it is also an absurd argument to attack a bill based on "WHO" brought it forth (out-of-staters)if it's a good bill and it makes sense I would thank Mickey Mouse for his wisdom and good judgment in authoring it!
Don't overlook that two years ago Becky ran against Paul Nuenschwander and insulted him with her campaign slogan "Representation for Real" as if Paul's representation was "FAKE."
I like Becky and I have been fair and impartial in this campaign, but recently I started to research some of her positions and then read the bills she voted for or against and it became apparent to me that she is NOT a conservative.
I NEVER said she wasn't a Republican, in fact I have defended her against accusations that she was a Democrat before becoming a Republican and on her Obama vote, that she admits was a hasty mistake.
Becky is one of the nicest people I know. But as I said in my blog post, we can't vote based on friendship, we need to vote according to our political beliefs.
I happen to believe that we need more conservative thinking not "Feel Good" political decision making.
If she is re-elected she wont destroy our Republic. But I have decided to support the candidate that I believe will best represent MY beliefs and values.
Becky is a big girl and she knows how to campaign as is most certainly not free of misrepresenting her opponent just as she did with Paul two years ago. Perhaps a little of that tends to happen in every campaign.
I don't like putting my head on the chopping block by making a choice between two friends and I hope that my friendship will remain with both Becky and DJ whomever wins.
But I have to be true to myself and I believe that based on what I have learned of both candidates that DJ is the conservative that I identify with most.
If DJ is elected I hope he will be the person I believe I am voting for. When Becky won the primary against Paul two years ago I campaigned for her in the general election and I will do it again if she wins this primary because I believe that she would be a better Representative than what the Democrats have offered.
I knew that Becky was more moderate than Paul Nuenschwander two years ago, but after winning the Primary I hoped that she would become more conservative over time but her record shows that she more often than not leans to the left when I lean to the right.
I don't know anyone with as much knowledge of history and current events as D.J....Just challenge him in a game of Trivial Pursuit. He has been a constant student of government and how it affects "us", the people. Thanks for running D.J.!
ReplyDeletelumpyuniverse
ReplyDeleteLet me correct you:
1) DJ wants the laws on the books enforced and has said we need to end the welfare incentives which motivates foreigners to exploit our broken system. We want them to come here just not for the welfare incentives and coming here legally should be smiled upon. But, with the current system we do not want to continue to give them In-state tuition dollars forcing the people of Utah to pay tax foreigners to come here. Becky is for continuing to give foreigners American money. It's the Welfare we need to stop and DJ will fight to stop this.
2)Utah has a Sigma for the rest of the country to come here and vacation ... and as a Non-LDS person it's very easy to point this out. Adding taxes on Alcohol and cigarettes never helps business owners and it gives no incentive for people come to Utah and pay $10+ for a glass of Wine on vacation and now higher cigarette prices. Since we have this stigma here we need to acknowledge it and work around it by LOWERING taxes so when people cannot use that as a reason for not coming to our great state. Becky tries to justify her position in the tax as if governmental solution work ... By doing this Becky makes the collectives case form more governmental control for "medical causes." But she never addresses why we should be further enslaving each other to socialized medical solutions offered by the government.
3) I see no bulling but a clear opportunity to work together to keep taxes low. -- Freedom of keeping your money brings people together not apart.
4)WOW Unqualified? Now the State determines who is qualified to take people into our wilderness? Will you tax parents who take groups of children into the wilderness next? This is unbecoming of a free society to allow the state to determine who is fit and who is not. The truth is this is ANOTHER tax Becky helped to put into place.
5) With DJ in office people should feel very confident that he is not going to make mistakes since his principles are sound and he will not bend them for governmental growth -- The Individual is in charge not the Government
6)If you make it easier to Lobby while being paid for the state tax payers this need to be pointed out to the people. It's not like they will ever lobby for less money to be taken from the Private sector. EVER!
7) Government has NO role in telling you that you are married or not married ... Nothing .. and they have no power to do this -- This is not a function of Government. DJ is right on this position. Government does not grant rights - You were born with them. Government grants privileges that when we study history have often been taken away.
Phill,
ReplyDeleteIn my view, governing consists in more than leaning right - no offense intended. If you're a student of Skousen, you will recognize his statement that good government consists of finding the correct balance in issues where the government is a legitimate player. Too little government has the potential to create as many problems as too little government. The task of a good legislator is not to push to the right, but to find solutions that optimize both order and freedom. That's why I support Becky - she analyzes legislation on the basis of what is best, not on the basis of how far to the right things can be pushed.
diesterh,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the corrections. My thoughts:
1. We all want the laws enforced. Unfortunately, it's not up to us. That responsibility resides in the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. We have to deal with the situation we have. It's unfortunate that we have any welfare programs to be exploited. It's unfortunate that we have closed employment and closed health care. These all conspire to make a bad situation worse. So, the question is this: is there a way out that does not pit Latinos against (sorry) Gringos, that doesn't make a bad situation worse. We can decide whether we want children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition or not. It's our choice. So, would we prefer that these children - who are most likely here for life, based on past experience - have a harder time getting an education and being socialized, or do we prefer to ostracize them and polarize the community? It's our call.
2. Nobody makes a decision on whether to come to Utah or not based on cigarette taxes. Liquor laws are another question - Becky thinks are current laws are silly and would like them changed, but it isn't up to her.
3. Cities should be able to decide whether to raise or lower taxes. The cities are US, not some foreign entity. Why shouldn't it be our choice at the local level to govern ourselves as we see fit?
4. I assume you must be in favor of eliminating licensing requirements for everybody, including doctors and lawyers. Not necessarily a bad option, but that of course depends on the circumstances.
5. You ought to check out how many Senators and Representatives made the same mistake. Trust me - DJ will make mistakes. We all do.
6. If the school district is okay with spending their allotment on lobbying, then so be it. Their constituents should hold them accountable if they care.
7. Government does have a role in marriage. The point of the marriage license is this: it is a contract between a couple and the state that ensures a stable environment for raising children. The state benefits greatly from this arrangement, and so has a more than casual interest in it.
Well, that was funny, but what I meant was "Too little government has the potential to create as many problems as too much government." But you knew that.
ReplyDeleteI agree on the whole "Becky is not a Republican thing." I'm disappointed that DJ would push that one. That aspect of his campaign really bothers me.
ReplyDelete[Hey, Phill, I'm just trying to get you a little more traffic. Thanks for going to the effort to put up this blog!]
Pops,
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to comment on my recent post. And thanks for your interest in getting me more traffic.:-) And just for the record, my blog has enourmous traffic each month and it continues to grow thanks to people like you. I do appreciate it!
Pops
ReplyDeleteThese are adults, not children when we are talking about in state-tuition issues about. A soft case for welfare has and will always fall on deaf ears since the real question we should be asking each other here is: Should our tax money even be used for higher education in the first place? When did we stop having to take risks on ourselves? ... It's not a matter of should it be going to illegal immigrates or not.... The real question is should we be doing it in the first place? If you feel you have the right to open up a person's wallet or purse who did not even finish High school and use governmental force on them to subsidize someone is well beyond me.
Increasing taxes on cigarettes is now another reason people can now use to skip coming here. I agree, it's not a deciding factor but it does not help our businesses owners and if we want to show off our strong family culture along with our beautiful state to others then the first thing we need to do is recognize Utah does have a false stigma attached to it. If we acknowledge this then I would say we need to work to overcome this phony idea that gets attached to Utah rather then giving a potential customer a reason to potential view us in a negative light. We cannot change hearts and minds if we cannot get them here in the first place.
I agree with you to a point but that does not give a county or city right to supersede a state's laws -- Too Much government is too much government and we have too much in all areas of our lives right now. The funny thing is in a free society we never tell people don't come together and raise revenue in the form a charity, yet that is seldom good enough to meet the desires of the authoritarian people. Many authoritarian people who are determined to promote their causes through taxation love loopholes that they can exploit then use to push their agenda. Soon they will make ordinances for certain streets people live on to pay for their causes... oh wait they already do that.
Yes I am in favor of eliminating unnecessary regulation. Also known as another way to tax the people, and I hope you are too cause we need more people who understand that if your business is a fraud we already have laws for that and anything false will play itself out to be false over time so you cannot run a failing business for very long. The market rewards successful people in their field and we don't need to pay a tax to be in our fields and the ridiculousness of paying a tax to walk people in the woods is over the top. The government does not own us and we surely are not it's property.
DJ could make a mistake but the chances are very slim. He would have to device himself and I can tell you that is highly unlikely to happen. He has the same answer for ALL questions that will have arisen and will arise. -- It's a philosophy of siding with individual over the collective -- It's not his philosophy, it's been borrowed and shared and refined from many great minds from Aristotle to Thomas Jefferson to F.A Hayek to Mises to Goldwater to Reagen --- DJ will never bend. You may disagree with him but he is not bending and that is what helps set him aside from others as it's principles over politics. The Individual > the Collective
I would agree with you if it was their money in the school district raise by voluntary means.... but it's not, it's taxation -- So the last thing many of us want is our own tax money being used to push for more lobbying so they can get more of our money. -- It's principle. -- They can lobby for free all they want but don't be using our own tax money to pay them to be doing it.
Government has no role in marriage -- nothing -- They got into it for money (go figure they found a new tax) in the late 19th century and I can tell you that in my marriage it's between me and my wife and neither one of us ask the government permission to do anything. We ask only each other as their is no role for government in a marriage and surly not mine.
Take care
I WILL NOT PRINT VULGAR OR INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS ON MY BLOG. Those of you who continue to send me your vile comments are wasting your time. They will not be printed. Exercise some personal restraint and maturity.
ReplyDeleteThis comment will probably also disappear into the void, but I promise it isn't vulgar or inappropriate.
ReplyDeleteFirst, a too-short explanation of where I'm coming from. I use a rather unconventional model of politics in which the consideration of a proposed piece of legislation is a two-step process. The first step is to determine whether the body in question has the constitutional authority to act. In this arena, it's possible to be right and wrong. Stepping outside the bounds is to be strenuously opposed. It's why we should be extremely upset about our Federal Government.
If a proposed piece of legislation passes the constitutional test (using the appropriate Constitution, as the US Constitution isn't intended to enumerate the powers delegated to the Utah State Legislature), the second step is to find an optimal solution on the Skousen spectrum, where the far left is tyranny and the far right is anarchy. It's pretty hard to define "right" and "wrong" in this context, and it's probably a mistake to make that attempt - it's more a matter of finding what will work best to solve the problem being addressed. It's in this phase where all points of view need to be considered and debated. But one thing that kills this important debate and leads to bad government is when we start labeling and accusing and drawing lines in the sand. A legislator who behaves in this manner is a detriment to government. One needs to be able to engage, to listen, and to communicate effectively.
DJ appears to me, at least at this point in his political evolution, to not understand this responsibility of a legislator. Take, for example, his reaction to Becky's vote on SB77. "Becky Edwards supports teacher unions. Becky Edwards voted to allow tax dollars to pay teachers to participate in union activities. Our money should stay in the classroom and not to pay [sic] for union activities." In point of fact, Becky did NOT vote to allow tax dollars to pay teachers to participate in union activities. She voted against a bill that would have, in her view, swatted a mosquito with a baseball bat. But DJ refuses to discuss that - he prefers to use her vote as an excuse to put a label on her and not talk about what really happened. I can't see how DJ will be able to work with the other 42 Representatives who voted against SB77. If he can't even talk to them about the issues, how in the world is he going to participate in the debate? Is he going to just sit on the floor playing solitaire, throw an occasional bomb out, and cast the occasional Real Republican (TM) vote?
Well, thanks for listening. I understand that you don't agree, and I'm okay with that. Thanks for letting us have this conversation.
Pops,
ReplyDeleteOK, first of all your comments were not the vulgar or inappropriate comments I was referring to. I appreciate your thoughtful comments, even though I don't agree with everything you are saying.
You said that the debate is killed when we "start labeling and accusing and drawing lines in the sand" None of us can get away from labels. The word Republican is a label. I wear it proudly, just as I wear the label "Conservative" proudly. The idea that labels should not exist is promoted by those whose labels are not widely accepted by the public or that have created a negative connotation such as "Liberal." So I have to dismiss any discussion about labels.
And please, don't assume that just because someone such as DJ who is a conservative, won't take the time to listen, evaluate and communicate effectively. Again, this idea comes from a liberal strategy to try to show that only they have a heart and ears and only they can listen, when in fact they are the most closed-minded and alienating of all political groups.
And Pops, you are simply wrong when you say that Becky DID NOT support the teacher leave act that allows a teacher to continue to receive half of her salary while working full time for the NEA, the fact is that she DID support this! I heard it from her own mouth on more than one occasion. It irritates me when misinformation is circulated until people finally believe it. Becky knows what she said and she simply made a MISTAKE in supporting this.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that only a "MODERATE" can listen to all sides of an issue and then make the right decision. This too is FALSE! Being a conservative doesn't mean that you don't listen to other points of view, it means that you make decisions according to your core beliefs and values, you don't compromise the US or State Constitution just to make a certain group "feel good."
As far as drawing a line in the sand, I HOPE AN PRAY that my representative will at times draw a line in the sand, just as President Reagan did when he called the Soviet Union the "Evil Empire" or when he stood against the liberals with another line in the sand against tax increases and instead he achieved one of the largest tax cuts in US history that created enormous income to the US treasury.
So if DJ is elected I will encourage him to stick to his conservative beliefs and draw a line in the sand anytime necessary.
I have met Becky and DJ and I think that DJ is the most honest. Becky can't answer a simple question without three chapters of dialog.
ReplyDeleteIf you ask if she supports special rights for gays and lesbians it takes her 20 minutes to answer but she never actually gives an answer.
Fortunately for me I have been to a meeting where she was pressed for an answer and she finally said, "YES!"
The same was true when asked if she actually voted for Obama and if she supports affirmative action she said "YES."
Phill this blog post is going everywhere and Becky is scrambling to get her liberal supporters to try to stop it.
Someone forwarded an email to me that she wrote to a Precinct Chairman in her district. I was amazed at how she distorted her voting record and tried to make herself look conservative when in fact she is not.
Stop lying about it Becky there are enough of us who know that you admitted voting for Obama, you support special rights for Gays, you voted for higher taxes on many occasions, you sided with the UEA on the teacher leave act and you have NEVER authored a bill that was actually passed in the House!! Why do you lie about these things??? And now you want our vote again?
I hope enough people who voted for you last time realize the mistake they made and don't do it again.
The only 2 Representatives who are endorsing her are also LIBERAL Republican RHINOS!
Becky why don't you just come out of the closet and be the Democrat you really are?
Oh wait a minute, it must be for the same reason Sheryl Allen never did, so that you can continue to fool voters into thinking you are a Republican.
People of District 20 if you are looking for the Real Republican and the Real Conservative its DJ Schanz! He has my vote!
Another GREAT post Phill! Keep them coming!
Remington,
ReplyDeleteOUCH for Becky supporters! Thanks for taking the time to comment on my post.
Remington you are so RIGHT! I am furious with Becky! I too know her personally and she should be ashamed at herself for stretching the truth. Why do so many people get into politics on false pretenses? Do they think that we are all so dumb that we'll never check the facts? Becky is a nice person, but I will take the advice Phill and not vote for my friend but for the person that I believe will support my conservative values and that person is Mr. Schanz!
ReplyDeleteThe problem with DJ in particular and the Tea Party in general is that they've suffered gimbal lock. They are no longer able to discriminate between the two tasks of a good legislator:
ReplyDelete1. Decide whether it's appropriate for the government body to which they belong to address an issue. This is black or white, yes or no, no compromise.
2. For appropriate issues, determine the type and scope of government action required to resolve the issue. This requires input from constituents and careful evaluation and debate. The scope and nature of the solution will vary depending on the circumstances. There is no right or wrong except at the extremes (do nothing vs. stomp out freedom). Instead, there are better and worse alternatives. Good legislators gravitate toward the best solutions, taking into account all aspects of the situation.
Because of the gimbal lock, to the Tea Party folks everything looks like (1) above, and the correct answer to everything is less government and lower taxes. Unfortunately, that doesn't produce good government. It happens to be the (mostly) correct answer when it comes to the Federal Government, but not so much our State Government. We aren't the best-managed state in the union because the government has run amok.
Hey Pops! What is the gobbly-gook stuff you are puking all over this blog? You are not impressing anyone with your phony intellectual bla bla bla. Do you sit around all day frantically reading any political book that you think will make you look intelligent? The sad thing is that the more you write the less intelligent you sound. First of all you don't even know DJ. I happen to know both DJ and Becky and I, unlike you have had the intellectual honesty to actually read the bills Becky has voted on that are listed in this blog. But Becky has been extremely dishonest in her response and has sent her misinformed and fooled followers to try to defend her against the truth when it is presented in blogs like this. You continue to swing at DJ with baseless accusations of what he would do and how he would vote. Who made you DJ's official spokesman? You don't speak for him, gee you have a hard time just speaking for yourself. Stop focusing on how DJ would vote and simply look at how Becky HAS voted. She is not a conservative, she is just as liberal as Sherill Allen and I hope that enough people in this district realize it and vote her out! Now why don't you get a life, let other people comment on this blog and maybe get your own blog!
ReplyDeleteRemington,
ReplyDeleteSorry to have offended you.
I expect that if DJ wins the election, I will be forced to resign my position in the Republican party and withdraw my registration, along with thousands of others who will no longer be Republicans. That will certainly free a lot of time for other things I need to get done.
Best wishes.
Pops you are a real goof ball! You act as if Becky is your Savior. Give me a break! She is a politician for Heaven’s Sake!! And she is very LIBERAL!
ReplyDeleteShe claims that she has the support of other "Conservative" Republicans in the House and that too is a BIG LIE! She only has the support of two of the most liberal House Republicans and you should know that since you are such a big supporter!
If DJ is elected he will uphold the Republican Platform principles that I would assume people like you support! But then, if you are such a big Becky supporter I would guess that you use line item deletion in the State Platform just like she and Sheryl Allen do to justify their liberal votes.
DJ will fight against tax increases, he won't support special rights for selected groups of citizens, he will fight for a parents right to choose the course of their children's education and he will stand up to special interest groups like the corrupt NEA and our local UEA! The last time I read the Republican State Platform these were some of the ideals it contained. Which platform do you support? And what "position" do you have in the Republican Party? I don't remember voting for anyone called "Pops."
Below is a list of just four items on the Utah State Republican Platform that Becky has conveniently decided to ignore. Instead, she votes just like the DEMOCRATS. Anyone who honestly looks at these things can see how obvious it is that BECKY IS NOT A CONSERVATIVE BUT A LIBERAL!
EQUAL RIGHTS
We believe that no individual is entitled to rights that exceed or supersede the God-given
individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Utah. BECKY SUPPORTS THE COMMON GROUND INITIATE. THIS GOES AGAINST THE STATE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
FAMILY VALUES
We recognize the traditional family as the fundamental unit of society. BECKY SUPPORTS THE COMMON GROUND INITIATE WHICH IF ENACTED WILL GRANT GAYS AND LESBIANS THAT SAME STATUS AS HUSBAND AND WIFE AND WILL ULTIMATELY DESTROY THE TRADITIONAL FAMILY! THIS GOES AGAINST THE STATE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
EDUCATION
We believe that all children should have access to quality education. Parents have the primary right and responsibility to educate their children, and we support their right to choose public, private, or home education. BECKY SUPPORTS THE UEA ON NEARLY EVERY ISSUE! THE UEA IS “AGAINST PARENTS RIGHT TO CHOOSE ANYTHING OTHER THAN PUBLIC EDUCATION! THIS GOES AGAINST THE STATE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
TAXATION
We accept the necessity for limited taxation in order for government to perform and administer those services which meet essential public needs. However, we recognize that the power to tax is also the power to control, and believe that the best way to control government is to strictly control the amount of taxes imposed on the people. . BECKY SUPPORTS HIGHER TAXES ON CIGARETTES AND NEW LICENSING FEES FOR HUNTER GUIDES AND OUTFITTERS. NEW FEES IS THE SAME AS TAXES! I DON’T SMOKE OR HUNT BUT I DON’T BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WHO ENGAGE IN THESE ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE TAXED MORE. THIS GOES AGAINST THE STATE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
Pops do your party a favor and read the platform then reevaluate your support for Becky and stop assuming that if we elect someone like DJ that your political belief system will fall apart.
On second thought, your political belief system is so distorted now that it will fall apart when DJ is elected. But that’s a good thing because we’ll all rally around you to get you put back together they way you should have been in the first place!
SusieQ
Thanks for the feedback, SusieQ. I can't say that I agree with everything you've written, but then you already knew that. The "Becky is your Savior" bit was particularly hilarious.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest objection to DJ's campaign is that he purported to know why Becky voted the way she did, even more so than Becky herself. His message would have worked a lot better if he had focused on what he's about and talked about specific approaches he would take on specific issues.
Then there's the whole "conservative" thing. You probably have no idea what pure conservatism looks like: no public higher education, no public schools, no public libraries, no public parks, no public fire departments, no state licensing of doctors or lawyers or engineers or businesses, no zoning laws, no building codes, no food inspections. Life would be different - not necessarily worse, but different.
But now it's all over, save for the cheers and the tears. I can't say that I'm not relieved. Maybe life will get back to normal now, which for a crazy stupid person like myself probably doesn't mean anything.
Sayonara, my friends.