You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the
other man‘s freedom - Clarence Darrow
My name is Steve Saus, and I'm the new Democratic precinct captain
for Precinct 20-B (that’s us). Whatever that’s supposed to
mean.
So what's this bit of paper in your hands? Allow me to explain.
I’ve lived in this area for over two years, and I hadn't heard
from the local Democrats. Period. I didn't know they existed. As far as
I knew, I was the only one here. I felt disconnected, out of touch, and
like nobody cared.
I don't want that to happen to you.
I plan to meet as many of you as I can, and finding out what’s
important to you. I'm always skeptical of those polls in the news - I
don't remember them asking my opinion, y'know? I want to take your
questions, your concerns, your ideas, and present them to our
candidates and get answers back to you. I want to let you know of
events going on around town.
I want you to feel connected. I want you to know that someone cares.
While the news gives you a lot of soundbites about the Presidential
race, it's often harder to find out about the people who are candidates
here in Montgomery County - where it can make a lot of difference how
we live our daily lives. Here's a list of local Democratic candidates.
Starting next month, I'll be running a short profile of one or more of
them in this space.
- Senator Eric D. Fingerhut – US Senate
- Jane Mitakides – US House of Representatives
- Jason A. Stanton – OH Senate
- John R. Doll – OH House of Representatives
- Tony Capizzi - Common Pleas Court Judge Juvenile Division
- Debbie Lieberman - County Commissioner
- Jeff Patzer -Court of Appeals Second District Court
Columnist Paul Krugman tells us in a 1 June column that: “[L]ast
week The Washington Post got hold of an Office of Management and Budget
memo that directed federal agencies to prepare for post-election cuts
in programs that George Bush has been touting on the campaign trail.
These include nutrition for women, infants and children; Head Start;
and homeland security. The numbers match those on a computer printout
leaked earlier this year — one that administration officials
claimed did not reflect policy.”
Color me kooky, but why would you have two different memos warning
about something you’re not doing?
Still, this wouldn’t be the first time Bush said one thing
and did another – take the No Child Left Behind Act.
In January 2002, Bush said: "We're going to spend more on our
schools, and we're going to spend it more wisely." But his
administration's budget proposal cut funding for the No Child Left
Behind Act by $90 million from last year. In combination with
inflation, the result is 18,000 fewer teachers getting trained, 33,000
fewer children in after-school programs, and yet another year without
the needed resources to turn around failing schools.
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with
unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive
values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth
and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its
people. -John F. Kennedy
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