Dear Connecticut Voters: We Need Bernie's Policies

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday March 26, 2016 · 8:39 AM PDT

2016/03/26 · 08:39

April 26, 2016 is Connecticut's Presidential Preference Primary

For those of you who are unaware, Connecticut is in the midst of a budget crisis.

Back in February 2016:

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy proposed a $19.87 billion budget Wednesday that cuts most state agencies and previously approved municipal aid, and potentially eliminates "thousands" of jobs, while avoiding tax hikes to close a nearly $570 million deficit.

"We have to adapt even more," Malloy said in his budget address to the General Assembly. "Connecticut state government must reset our expectations of what we can afford, how we provide services, and how we save for our priorities. It won’t be easy, and it often won’t be politically popular. However, it is absolutely necessary if we want to create a more sustainable and enduring economy."

Read this compilation and timeline of articles to obtain a comprehensive overview of the budget crisis in Connecticut.

The Social Safety Net is facing the worst cuts:

The cuts for fiscal year 2017 add up to $570 million. The departments that are facing the worst cuts are the Department of Social Services ($61 million), Department of Developmental Services ($55 million) and from addiction and mental health services ($71 million).

This by itself would be worrisome, but it goes beyond that. According to the CT Community Nonprofit Alliance´s analysis, 72% of the cuts ($408 million) come from non-profit providers. Consequently, many core services offered by these providers will again face an uphill battle meeting the needs of low-income families in the state with diminishing resources.

The slow economic recovery has left many families behind. The budget is asking them again to bear the brunt of the state fiscal woes.

Additionally, Malloy proposed cuts to public, special and higher education:

Proposals for public education spending:

$20.2 million would be cut from the Board of Regents for Higher Education, representing a 5.75 percent reduction.

$13.9 million would be cut from the University of Connecticut, also a 5.75 percent cut.

$8.1 million would be cut from the UConn Health Center budget.

The Educational Cost Sharing fund would remain at its current $2.1 billion funding level, thus erasing a promised $7.3 million increase in the second year of the two-year budget cycle.

$757,725 in general funding to Regional Education Service centers around the state, like CES and ACES, would be cut.

$350,000 in funding for a program called CommPACT, a program led by UConn and which provides services to underperforming schools including Bassick High School in Bridgeport would be cut, eliminating the program unless another funding source can be found.

$52.9 million cut from Department of Education operating funds.

$8 million in cuts cuts from an excess cost grant to offset special education costs.

$18.6 million cut from interdistrict magnet school programs.

Raising taxes if off the table:

Though {Senate Chair of the Appropriations Committee} Bye said her colleagues in the Democratic majority continue to prioritize education, health care, municipal aid and assistance for the needy, the bipartisan opposition to tax hikes — coupled with surging fixed costs and limited economic growth — will take a toll not seen in recent history on the next state budget.

Here’s the latest response from the CT General Assembly:

Leaders of the Senate’s Democratic majority announced Thursday they believe there is enough support to pass a plan next week to close most or all of the $220 million deficit in the current state budget.

Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said talks also continue with the Democratic majority in the House and Republican caucuses in both chambers in hopes of passing a plan with bipartisan support.

In my opinion, incremental change is not going to fix the increased pain that the most vulnerable Connecticut citizens will encounter from these budget cuts. What we’re seeing in Connecticut is a microcosm of what is happening nationally. I don’t have the answers to this crisis, but I know a leader who may have a different approach.

Bernie Sanders On the Issues

The American people must make a fundamental decision. Do we continue the 40-year decline of our middle class and the growing gap between the very rich and everyone else, or do we fight for a progressive economic agenda that creates jobs, raises wages, protects the environment and provides health care for all? Are we prepared to take on the enormous economic and political power of the billionaire class, or do we continue to slide into economic and political oligarchy? These are the most important questions of our time, and how we answer them will determine the future of our country.

Ignoring the issues facing the most vulnerable and those in need, does not make the problems disappear.

A PRIL 26, 2016 is Connecticut’s Presidential Preference Primary. It has a closed primary system. Voters must be registered as a Democrat to vote in the Democratic primary.

Connecticut doesn't have same day/election day registration for primaries.

Voter Registration Information

Voter Registration Lookup

Voting Eligibility

If you are at least 17 years old and turning 18 years old before Election Day (November 8, 2016), you are eligible to vote in the Connecticut Presidential Preference Primary

ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION

To use the online voter registration system you must have a current and valid driver’s license, learner’s permit or non-driver photo identification card issued by the CT Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and a signature on file with DMV.

APRIL 21ST is the deadline for NEW VOTERS and UNAFFILIATED VOTERS to register to vote or register with a party by mail or online. NOTE: You are not a voter/affiliated with a party until your application is approved by the Registrar of Voters.

APRIL 25TH by noon is the deadline for NEW VOTERS and UNAFFILIATED VOTERS to register to vote or register with a party in person at their local Registrars of Voters office.

What is an unaffiliated voter? Unaffiliated is the term used to refer to voters who are not registered with a political party. This term is used instead of referring to these voters as independent to avoid confusion with the Independent Party, which is an established political party. If you write Independent in section 9 of your Voter Registration, you will be registered as a member of the Independent Party.

Absentee Ballot Voting

I believe that America needs Bernie Sanders as our next president. I also believe that the voting process from registering to vote through election day needs to be easy and accessible. Knowledge is power.

Thanks for reading.

Observations from a Registrars of Voters Office

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday January 10, 2016 · 2:05 PM PST

2016/01/10 · 14:05

I’ve been working in our local Registrars of Voters office since 2007. In my private life, I’m a very passionate Bernie supporter, but in the Registrars of Voters office I maintain my neutrality, especially during primary process. I need to keep my anonymity, but I wanted to share my observations regarding the impact that the presidential primary campaigns are having on voter registrations.

There are two Registrars of Voters: One Democrat and One Republican. Our office is a small one. And while we may disagree on a whole host of issues regarding politics, we all live in the same town — we are neighbors. We are not enemies. We have more in common than we have differences. As you can all imagine, even on the Democratic side of the office, we have a spectrum of beliefs on issues and candidates.

So when Bernie Sanders says that we need to find common ground and find solutions to the problems the majority of people agree on, I believe that his approach is a more attainable and sustainable one than making the Republicans into the enemy. Americans have been subjected to fear and hate from the 24 hour news cycle. I for one am tired of it.

I live in Connecticut, a blue state. However, overall, my suburban town is politically moderate.

In our town:

In the August 8, 2006 Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate, Joe Lieberman beat Ned Lamont.
In the 2008 Presidential election, the Obama/Biden ticket beat the McCain/Palin ticket.
In the 2014 Gubernatorial race, Tom Foley beat Dan Malloy .
In the February 5, 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary, Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama.

As you can see, it’s pretty moderate. It’s a town predisposed to Hillary Clinton winning the Democratic primary in April.

As part of my job, I enter in new voters. In our town, as well as Connecticut in general, most voters register with no party affiliation (Unaffiliated). The Democrats are the next largest group and then the Republicans are third.

Over the summer, as Bernie Sanders’ campaign took off and the news covered his rallies, I saw an uptick in people registering to vote or changing their party status to the Democratic Party. I tracked by age group and compared the increase of Democratic voters to that of Republican and Unaffiliated (no party affiliation) voters. At one point in September, the percentage of voters registering as Democrats was higher than those registering as Unaffiliated.

The largest increases of Democratic voters were ages 30 and under. Many of the voters registering in this age group and older were people who have never registered to vote in Connecticut before.

It would be difficult to know if the women registering in the Democratic Party want to vote for Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders or Martin O’Malley. It would be presumptuous assume that a woman would vote for Hillary just because she’s female. I’m glad when any voter registers as a Democrat.

However, during that time, these were some of the headlines:

How Bernie Sanders is plotting his path to the Democratic nomination

Bernie Sanders: Hillary Clinton Camp 'Getting Nervous'

Bernie Sanders’s Liberty University speech, annotated

Sanders racks up celebrity endorsements

Looking at the data and from my observations of the news, I think it’s fair to say that there is evidence of excitement by the Millennials and disaffected voters for Bernie Sanders, even in my politically moderate town. Excitement is translating into registered voters.

Alternatively, in December, when Trump started spewing his hateful remarks to Ban all Muslim travel to U.S., there was a marked increase in voters registering Republican.

I was disheartened and troubled by this increase. Fortunately, after the holidays, I’ve begun to see an increase in Democratic registrations again.

Connecticut’s Presidential Preference Primary is scheduled for April 26, 2016. It’s a closed primary state. January 26, 2016 is the deadline for those already registered in a party (Republican, Green, Independent) to switch to the Democratic party to be eligible to vote in the primary. New and Unaffiliated voters have until April 21, 2016 to register as a Democrat online to vote in the primary. Registering to vote online is an easy and painless process.

Being a small state with a small number of delegates, Connecticut will not be a big player in the primary process, but we can still do our part — vote, volunteer, contribute.

Thanks for reading.

April is Autism Awareness Month (2013)

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday April 02, 2013 · 7:24 AM PDT

2013/04/02 · 07:24

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states the latest statistics show 1 in 50 US kids now has autism.

Fifteen years ago, 1 in 10,000 kids had autism. Ten years ago it was 1 in 1,000, then 1 in 150, 1 in 88 and now 1 in 50. This means there is one child with autism on just about every school bus (one school bus holds about 50 children).

Autism Spectrum Disorders:

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.

More below. Read More

Keep an Eye on the "Connecticut Effect"

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday March 12, 2013 · 4:04 PM PDT

2013/03/12 · 16:04

NRA steps up lobbying efforts against Connecticut gun proposals

SUSAN HAIGH reports that

The National Rifle Association helped bus hundreds of supporters to the Connecticut Capitol on Monday, the latest sign of its stepped-up presence in a state that hasn't typically posed a challenge to the gun rights organization's mission.
Since the shooting, which left 20 first-graders and six educators dead, the NRA had not been particularly visible in Connecticut until Monday. Hohenwarter said the group has hired two lobbyists for this year's legislative session but has followed the debate from behind the scenes, working with lawmakers and keeping a low public profile.

Monday's "lobby day" was co-sponsored the Connecticut Coalition of Sportsmen, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Connecticut Citizens Defense League.

The NRA helped fund buses to transport gun rights activists from Cabela's to the State Capitol. Dailycaller.com helped recruit attendees.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) senior vice president Larry Keane told the Daily Caller that he

does not expect too much resistance to his group’s efforts, but conceded, “I’m sure there will be legislators who are hardcore anti-gun who will not be receptive to this information we’re giving them.”

The NSSF is claiming that an assault-weapons ban would cause approximately 1,700 job losses in Connecticut alone. Connecticut gun manufacturers are Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Stag Arms, and O.F. Mossberg & Sons. The NSSF rolled out a $50,000 ad buy for tv commercials in targeted Connecticut areas, including the cities of New Britain and Bristol, in opposition to the ban.

My blood is boiling. Of course, the gun rights coalition is threatening lawmakers with firing workers if they can't continue to manufacture and sell military weapons and ammunition. Don't worry about any innocent people being wounded or killed in the future. The right of wealthy people to make more money is always more important than human life. The rights of gun owners to own anything they desire is more important than the rights of others to live. What kind of country do we live in?

Meanwhile:

According to Marty Issac, President of CT Association Against Gun Violence:

The Public Safety and Security Committee has decided to hold a Public Hearing this Thursday, March 14, at 10:00 am in Room 2C of the Legislative Office Building.
A number of gun bills will be heard. All of the proposals fall short of what we want. But this gives us the opportunity to testify in favor of a comprehensive bill that is based on our agenda as well as the Governor’s proposal and the Task Force Democratic subcommittee report.

If you live in CT and can make the hearing, please testify. If you can't attend, call AND e-mail members of the Public Safety and Security Committee. Tell them you want nothing less than a strong ban on assault weapons and you want magazines of more than ten rounds removed from the state.

The agenda of bills to be discussed at the hearing is broad – but the bills themselves are inadequate. Our message is simple. We want comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation and we want it now!

The "Connecticut Effect" needs to be strong and comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation. Connecticut has Democratic majorities in the General Assembly and the Governor's office. They need to do the right thing.

Autism, Americans With Disabilities Act & Tom Harkin

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday January 27, 2013 · 7:17 AM PST

2013/01/27 · 07:17

Tom Harkin's

late brother, Frank, lost his hearing at a very young age, so he knows firsthand the challenges facing Americans with disabilities. Harkin is a longstanding champion of persons with disabilities and a national leader on disability policy.

As a family who lives with someone living with autism and intellectual disability, our family thanks you Senator Harkin.

Working with Senator Bob Dole and others, Tom Harkin authored the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landmark legislation that protects the civil rights of more than 54 million Americans with physical and mental disabilities. The day the bill was signed into law was one of the proudest moments of Tom Harkin's life. The principles of the ADA -including equality of opportunity and independence - provide the foundation for all of his work on disability policy.

The pursuit of equality of opportunity and independence, to the best of her ability, has been the cornerstone of my advocacy for my daughter for the past 20 years and will be into the future. Without ADA and IDEA, none of the rights afforded to her would have been possible. Thank you Senator Harkin.

He helped write legislation reforming education for children with disabilities, with a special emphasis on early intervention.

At a time when autism was rarely diagnosed and understood by a few, my daughter began receiving early intervention services because of ADA and IDEA. I studied those laws to the best of my ability and fought for services for which she was entitled. Although limited at the time, she received Birth To Three intervention services. We were able to obtain a full day Pre-School program for her when the school system only offered a few hours for three days a week. We pushed for sensory integration therapy when few occupational therapists had even heard of it. That was only the beginning.

Thank you Senator Harkin, because ADA and IDEA have given my family the support to fight for my daughter's right to a free appropriate education. Without these laws, I couldn't imagine what our lives would have been like.

Read on if you're interested

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday January 17, 2013 · 5:05 AM PST

2013/01/17 · 05:05

President Obama's campaign to move his plan to begin mitigating gun violence in America has begun.

whitehouse.gov:

Our nation has suffered too much at the hands of dangerous people who use guns to commit horrific acts of violence. As President Obama said following the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, "We won't be able to stop every violent act, but if there is even one thing that we can do to prevent any of these events, we have a deep obligation, all of us, to try."
Most gun owners are responsible and law-abiding, and they use their guns safely. The President strongly believes that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. But to better protect our children and our communities from tragic mass shootings like those in Newtown, Aurora, Oak Creek, and Tucson, there are common-sense steps we can take right now.

While no law or set of laws will end gun violence, it is clear that the American people want action. If even one child's life can be saved, then we need to act. Now is the time to do the right thing for our children, our communities, and the country we love.

If this effort to reduce gun violence is to succeed, it's going to require all of us coming together and calling for a safer country.

It's up to all of us. Let's begin here. Sign on to show your support for the President's plan to protect our kids and communities.

Kerry Magro: I'm Autistic: Please Don't Fear Me...

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday December 20, 2012 · 7:05 AM PST

2012/12/20 · 07:05

Kerry Magro, a 24 year old with Autism, posted the following video on his Facebook page and on the Autism Speaks website. He speaks for himself, but he also says many things that as a mother of a daughter who lives with autism speaks for me. Thank you Kerry for being so eloquent.

Many people living with autism are feared and misunderstood because they may act, learn and think differently. It hurts each and every time someone recoils or glares when my 20 year old daughter does something atypical. Isolation for those living with autism and the families who love and support them is already prevalent. Distorted media reports and the potential for scapegoating the autism community will only hurt an already vulnerable population. With the gun control debate resurfacing in the nation and Congress, we need to be careful not to marginalize a population of people who are generally the victims of bullying and abuse.

Difficulty with communication and social skills is the hallmark of autism. They have difficulty communicating and are misunderstood frequently, in a social world they tend to be isolated. Too many people living with autism are lonely. Instead of fearing or turning away from those who are different, we need to take the time to learn more about them. All of the individuals I know that live with autism have wonderful abilities and unique perspectives in the way they look at and approach life.

There is much we don't know about autism and with 1 in 88 being diagnosed with autism, we need to do a better job learning about them and making room for them in our society.

With great sadness and grief, for all of the victims, those who were lost and those who survive, may we do a better job of living together in our diverse society.

Linda McMahon- How Independent Would She Be?

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday October 21, 2012 · 3:56 PM PDT

2012/10/21 · 15:56

If Linda McMahon is truly the "Pro-Choice Candidate" she claims to be, then why has the National Right to Life PAC given $7,625 in support of her candidacy?

According to National Right to Life PAC:

National Right to Life Political Action Committee (NRL PAC) is the largest and by far the most effective single-issue pro-life political action committee in the country.
NRL PAC actively supports candidates for federal office who will work to further the goals of the pro-life movement. An important component of this assistance is educating candidates, the public, and the press so that myths about the abortion issue and the electoral process can be dispelled.

The capacity to consistently deliver votes to elect pro-life men and women to Congress explains why the National Right to Life PAC is held in such high esteem.

According to OpenSecrets.org another PAC supporting her candidacy is the conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce with $700,022.

But wait, there's more.

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday October 14, 2012 · 1:09 PM PDT

2012/10/14 · 13:09

I practiced a version of that phrase in my high school typing class. That phrase keeps replaying in my mind whenever I think about the radical GOP agenda, lies told about President Obama, voter suppression and intimidation. Additionally, I think of that phrase when I think of President Obama's American Job's Act stalled in Congress by the Republicans.

I come from a long line of Democrats. When I was growing up, my mom told me that one of the reasons she was a Democrat was because Republicans were for big business and Democrats were for the people. That description rings truer now more than ever.

My mom died last year. She was a woman of character, integrity and conviction. She taught my family to live by "The Golden Rule" and that kindness matters. She was a nurse, a political activist, an animal lover and a humanitarian in the truest sense of the word. She was a proud Democrat. FDR and JFK were two of her favorite presidents. Her support for President Barack Obama never waivered. I miss her deeply, but she lives on in me, my siblings and our children.

Recently we found a letter that my mom's father wrote to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1938. He wrote:

April 19, 1938
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of my family and myself, I write this letter to you that we are thoroughly in accord with your recommendations to Congress in regard to the appropriations for the WPA and the PWA.
Fortunately, neither now nor in the past have I needed aid but I cannot remain indifferent to those who are unfortunate.

Yours respectfully,
XXXXXXXXXXXXX

My grandfather understood that his tax dollars would be used to invest in people, to give others a hand up and to rebuild America.

The Public Works Administration (PWA), part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression. It built large-scale public works such as dams, bridges, hospitals and schools.
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) focused on smaller projects and hired unemployed unskilled workers.

The following is the response my grandfather received from President Roosevelt's office:

April 21, 1938
My dear Mr. XXXXXX:

The President was delighted to receive the recent letter and has asked me to assure you and your family of his appreciation of the thoughtful spirit which prompted you to send it.
Very sincerely yours,
W. H. McINTYRE
Secretary to the President

My grandfather took the time to express his support to an embattled President, even though he wouldn't directly benefit from the enacted policies. He demonstrated the best of the American character. The response from the President's office was equally valuable because my grandfather was heard, acknowledged and appreciated. Reading those letters made me cry with pride.

Not knowing about these letters at the time, when President Obama was inaugurated, my daughter (then 7 years old) drew a picture and mailed it to him. He responded with a letter the following August. We framed his letter and its hanging in her room.

My grandfather's letters told a story about the roots of our beliefs and my daughter's letters tell a story of our future. They symbolize the connectedness of our personal history and that of our country, the communication between citizens and Presidents and that each individual can make an impact in some way.

Now in 2012, just like in 1938, President Obama faces challenges similar to FDR. He needs our support, our voices and our votes. He needs a Democratic Congress that will support his policies and state governments that will partner with the federal government to benefit all of the people of this country.

Now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of our country.

Americans have a very clear choice on November 6, 2012.

Job Opening: POTUS 2012

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday July 30, 2012 · 3:47 PM PDT

2012/07/30 · 15:47

Hey Republicans: So you want to fire Obama? Let's take a look at the job description.

Job Opening: President of the United States of America

Start Date: January 20, 2013

Term: Four years. The president cannot serve more than two terms.

Job Description: The Constitution assigns the president two roles: chief executive of the federal government and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. As Commander in Chief, the president has the authority to send troops into combat, and is the only one who can decide whether to use nuclear weapons.

As chief executive, he enforces laws, treaties, and court rulings; develops federal policies; prepares the national budget; and appoints federal officials. He also approves or vetoes acts of Congress and grants pardons.

Qualifications: Natural-born citizen, 35 years of age or older, has resided within the United States for at least the previous 14 years.

Salary Requirements: The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them.
Note: Emolument is a legal term which refers to all wages and other benefits received as compensation in return for holding an office or performance of an employment.

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday July 12, 2012 · 11:43 AM PDT

2012/07/12 · 11:43

If Mitt Romney gives 2 answers to every question, then how do you know if you agree with him?

If you don't know if you agree with him, then how can you support him?

If Mitt Romney will not provide his tax returns for public scrutiny, then how can you not conclude that he's hiding something?

If Republican Presidential Candidate Romney has his money in off-shore accounts and Swiss banks to avoid paying more taxes, then why should any American pay more taxes?

If no American pays more taxes, then how does the United States of America survive?

If Mitt Romney believes that only the wealthiest shouldn't pay taxes, then why should the remaining 98% of us take care of the wealthiest?

If the GOP and Mitt Romney believe that the wealthiest Americans should continue to pay less taxes than the middle class Americans and more of the middle class is falling into poverty so more people need to use the social safety net, but the social safety net is being shredded due to budget cuts due to the deficit and partly due the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, then what happens to those who are hungry, sick, unemployed, homeless?

If you ignore a problem, then does it disappear?

If the employees and their labor are what create a profit for a corporation, and profit is the reason a corporation exists, then why aren't the employees compensated more fairly?

If profit is the reason a corporation exists and the United States government (Federal, State and Local) exists for the common good, then the only way to run the government like a business is to consider people as commodities, some having more value than others.

If the GOP believes that government should be run like a business and Democrats believe that government exists for the common good, then where does that leave you?

If you are not considered to have as much value as an older white male (the majority of the GOP), then why would you vote for people who devalue you?

If you are a woman and you believe that you are equal to any male and that he doesn't have the right to tell you what to do with your body or pay you less for equal work, then you need to vote for Democrats.

If you are maligned by the Republican Party because of who you are or who you love, then you need to vote for Democrats.

If you are a "working" person (from lower to upper middle class) and you believe that you deserve to be fairly compensated for your labor, to work in a safe environment and not have your productivity exploited, then you need to vote for Democrats.

If you are a person who uses the social safety net or love/take care of someone who uses the social safety net, then you need to vote for Democrats.

If you believe that this is a nation that was founded on a separation of Church and State and is not a "Christian Nation", then you need to vote for Democrats.

If states run by Republicans are trying to suppress the vote with Voter I.D. laws that disenfranchise the elderly, the young, minorities and Democrats, then you need to ask, why do they have to cheat?

If Republicans need to hide behind anonymous donations to shadowy organizations allowed by Citizen's United, then you have to ask what are they afraid of revealing?

If Republicans repeatedly lie, confuse, mislead and use racism to get people to vote for them, then how can they be trusted to do what they promise? Then you need to ask the 112th Republican Congress, where are the jobs, jobs, jobs that they promised?

If Republicans said “no” to everything President Obama proposed, then how can they blame him for the economy not improving more?

If they cheat, hide, lie, use hate to win, then how are they more moral than those they cheat, hide from, lie to and hate?

If they have nothing to hide, then why are they hiding everything?

If we work as a coalition of Americans by seeing that we have more in common by what brings us together rather than what drives us apart, then we can do better, do more for each other and the common good.

If the Republicans don't represent the people, their constituents, then they don't belong in government.

If there are more of us than there are of them, then we have to make sure that the Republicans don't win the next election.

Vote for President Obama, vote for more and better Democrats, help GOTV.

The Leveraged Buy-out of America & Truth in Advertising

Foundmyvoice

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday July 03, 2012 · 5:46 AM PDT

2012/07/03 · 05:46

I don't claim to have a deep understanding of Bain Capitol and leveraged buyouts. However, from what I do comprehend, it seems as though the following analogy would be logical: what Mitt Romney and Bain Capitol are to corporations, will be President Mitt Romney (with the help of Republicans) to the United States of America. Former President Bush/Cheney and crew already began the process with passing tax cuts for the wealthy, starting two wars, and passing Medicare Part D without paying for any of it and the Republicans in Congress have already continued the process of bankrupting America by opposing every proposal President Obama and the Democrats have put forth.

The Bush Administration with the assistance of a Republican led Congress, ran up the credit card. As soon as President Obama took office, he was blamed for the deficit, simply because he used more honest accounting practices. Who benefitted from those Bush policies? Bush's cronies, Bush's base. Who suffered from those policies? Everyone else.

The combination of propaganda, corporately funded lies, racism and Republican obstructionism has led us to a place where a President Romney is possible.

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Dear Connecticut Voters: We Need Bernie's Policies

Observations from a Registrars of Voters Office

April is Autism Awareness Month (2013)

Keep an Eye on the "Connecticut Effect"

Autism, Americans With Disabilities Act & Tom Harkin

Now Is The Time To Do Something About Gun Violence

Kerry Magro: I'm Autistic: Please Don't Fear Me...

Linda McMahon- How Independent Would She Be?

Now Is The Time For All Good Men And Women To Come To The Aid Of Their Country

Job Opening: POTUS 2012

If..., then...

The Leveraged Buy-out of America & Truth in Advertising