OP ED: Young Democrats Call Out Senator Brown
Those from Marlborough and the rest of the Metrowest Young Democrats offer their opinion on our Massachusetts leadership.
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As you get older, you look back on the wisdom and advice adults offered to you as you grew up. There are a lot of things grown-ups always like to say to children. Values and wisdom so commonly repeated they are accepted as axioms. Education is the key to your future. Stand up for what you believe. Treat people like you want to be treated.
One of the most difficult realizations I’ve come to lately is that some of the adults who preach these lessons don’t really mean it.
Over the last year, we called, tweeted, and emailed our two U.S. Senators to ask them to vote for a bill that would help improve our schools and put people back to work. It was President Obama’s Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act, a bill that would have supported 6,300 education jobs in Massachusetts. We’re proud that our Senator, John Kerry, voted for this important piece of legislation, but we were quite disappointed to hear that our other Senator, Scott Brown, refused, joining Senate Republicans in blocking it just because it would ask millionaires and billionaires (or the 1 percent) to pay an extra 0.5 percent.
When Scott Brown is on TV, he’s throwing around terms like "bipartisan," "creating jobs," and "independent." But its plain to see that while Sen. Brown talks the talk when the cameras are rolling, he doesn’t walk the walk.
A couple of weeks later, Scott Brown once again sided with Republicans to block the Rebuild American Jobs Act, which would have created 11,100 good Massachusetts jobs. Scott Brown once again sided with the rich because in order to create those 11,100 jobs, the wealthiest Americans would be asked to contribute an extra 0.7 percent.
When you learn about democracy in school, they teach you that elected officials are supposed to represent the people who elect them. But Scott Brown isn’t representing Massachusetts’ best interests, he isn’t representing all of us; he’s just standing up for the interets of Wall Street executives, CEO’s and hedge fund managers.
We may be young Democrats but we’re old enough to know that the only way to keep our economy growing and returning a sense of security to the middle class is with a balanced approach that calls for shared sacrifice. I guess Scott Brown disagrees.
—Courtney Elgart on behalf of the
MetroWest Young Democrats
Bob Havey
2:13 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
When you learn about democracy in school, they teach you that elected officials are supposed to represent the people who elect them."
That's what you get for believing what they taught you in school.
I understand that because you've placed yourself in a box labeled 'young democrat' you're using this to attack Scott Brown, but don't be naive; this works on BOTH sides of the aisle. Politicians are too often out for their own interests to the detriment of those they 'allegedly' represent.
This piece could easily be rewritten replacing Scott Brown's name with any number of names of political hacks on either side of the aisle who are out only for themselves or their 'cause du jour',
Damon Michaels
2:34 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Here is a link to some key votes that Scott Brown has been involved in:
http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/18919/
Bob Havey
2:46 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Thanks, but did you hear anything I said?
Because you call yourself a 'democrat', you're obviously against anyone labeling themselves as anything but a democrat. That's my point! This monster we've created - Politics - divides - always has - always will.
If Scott Brown voted the way you think he should on every issue, you'd still want him replaced with your candidate because he/she lives in the same box that you do.
This is exactly why I HATE politics and have little or no use for politicians, regardless of the box in which they may dwell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUrf_jzn_To&feature=related
Bob Havey
4:00 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Whoops! Sorry, Damon. I thought you were the author of this piece. My mistake.
Josh Gray is listed as the author, but now that I'm taking another look; it appears that the author is actually Courtney Elgart on behalf of the MetroWest Young Democrats.
Confusing!
Josh Gray
10:32 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
sorry. I thought I had taken myself off as the author.
Mickey McGuire
8:13 pm on Sunday, January 15, 2012
The jobs bill Obama proposed isn't the only way to get things done. Just because Obama tells you that doesn't mean it's fact. Yeah, the top income earners shouldn't be getting BS tax cuts, but you start by cutting wasteful spending..not just cutting spending for the sake of cutting spending but cutting WASTE..I think we can all agree wasteful government is doing nobody any good. I hope?
And when you say that 11,000 "good" jobs would have been created..where is the basis for the adjective "good"? You don't know that these jobs would be long-lasting or permanent..and that's pretty much just your opinion that they would be "good". Giving people jobs for a couple months isn't the solution..it's assuring that people are going to have jobs without the fear of getting laid off. To do that a healthy economic environment where business can grow is essential.
I agree with rebuilding the infrastructure and in-sourcing our job market..but it isn't as easy as just passing a bill..and just because somebody doesn't vote for a bill doesn't mean they disagree with the whole thing. Every congressman/congresswoman has shot down plenty of bills because of earmarks even when they agree with the general purpose of the bill.