Wednesday, December 20, 2006
BARTLE, LEMBKE DON'T CARE WHAT VOTERS THINK
In 1999, voters defeated Proposition B, which would have enacted a concealed carry weapons law. That didn't matter to a newly-conquering Republican General Assembly, which in 2003 ignored the will of the voters and passed a statewide concealed carry weapons law.
Two Republican legislators seek to repeat that bold act of telling voters that they don't matter.
Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit and Rep. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis announced plans to place a "short, simple, straightforward ban on human cloning" on the 2008 ballot. The short, simple straightforward reason: They want to repeal Amendment 2.
They think that embryonic stem cell research is the same thing as abortion. They believe in a political pro-life agenda. They want to cram their narrow moral world-view down the collective throats of the majority.
Bartle and Lembke are giving a bad name to the rest of Republicans in the General Assembly. Even Gov. Blunt distanced himself: "My position on this is well-known," he said at a news conference Tuesday. The AP reported that Blunt said the language voters passed sufficiently bans cloning while allowing research.
In 2005, Rep. Jay Wasson told the Christian County Headliner that voters should be the ones to decide about embryonic stem cell research. "I don't think the legislature can agree on it," he said. "It's a difficult issue-passion gets involved on both sides."
The more Lembke and Bartle do to repeal Amendment 2, the more it will weaken the Republican party's hold on the state's moderates. They should be good, little legislators by shutting up and championing the will of the people.
In 1999, voters defeated Proposition B, which would have enacted a concealed carry weapons law. That didn't matter to a newly-conquering Republican General Assembly, which in 2003 ignored the will of the voters and passed a statewide concealed carry weapons law.
Two Republican legislators seek to repeat that bold act of telling voters that they don't matter.
Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit and Rep. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis announced plans to place a "short, simple, straightforward ban on human cloning" on the 2008 ballot. The short, simple straightforward reason: They want to repeal Amendment 2.
They think that embryonic stem cell research is the same thing as abortion. They believe in a political pro-life agenda. They want to cram their narrow moral world-view down the collective throats of the majority.
Bartle and Lembke are giving a bad name to the rest of Republicans in the General Assembly. Even Gov. Blunt distanced himself: "My position on this is well-known," he said at a news conference Tuesday. The AP reported that Blunt said the language voters passed sufficiently bans cloning while allowing research.
In 2005, Rep. Jay Wasson told the Christian County Headliner that voters should be the ones to decide about embryonic stem cell research. "I don't think the legislature can agree on it," he said. "It's a difficult issue-passion gets involved on both sides."
The more Lembke and Bartle do to repeal Amendment 2, the more it will weaken the Republican party's hold on the state's moderates. They should be good, little legislators by shutting up and championing the will of the people.
Labels: ELECTIONS, politics, STEM CELLS
Monday, November 20, 2006
EVANGELICAL'S OPPOSITION TO AMENDMENT 2 HELPED IT PASS
A final thought on one of the most contentious issues of the 2006 election: Embryonic stem cell research.
Amendment 2 passed with a slim majority. Conventional wisdom held that evangelicals would turn out to the polls and quash the proposal. Obviously, that didn't happen. The Mailbox thinks that the religious-based opposition to the measure helped it pass.
The Mailbox has talked before about how embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) is not abortion. Yet opponents used abortion arguments to try to defeat the amendment. They said it legalized cloning. They said it used deceptive language. They even equated it to killing babies.
There were legitimate reasons to vote against Amendment 2. The bill was written by an institution with a lot of money to throw at an election. It gave constitutional protection to a business industry. And it stripped our legislators of power to make a decision about an important issue.
But that wasn't sexy enough for evangelical pro-lifers. In effect, they tried to cram their anti-abortion debate into another forum. If Amendment 2 would have lost, it would have been a tremendous victory for the pro-lifers and encouraged them to take their platform to the next logical step.
ESCR promises a wealth of life-saving cures. The Mailbox isn't so sure that we needed a constitutional amendment to reap those benefits, however. In any event, ESCR is here to stay.
A final thought on one of the most contentious issues of the 2006 election: Embryonic stem cell research.
Amendment 2 passed with a slim majority. Conventional wisdom held that evangelicals would turn out to the polls and quash the proposal. Obviously, that didn't happen. The Mailbox thinks that the religious-based opposition to the measure helped it pass.
The Mailbox has talked before about how embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) is not abortion. Yet opponents used abortion arguments to try to defeat the amendment. They said it legalized cloning. They said it used deceptive language. They even equated it to killing babies.
There were legitimate reasons to vote against Amendment 2. The bill was written by an institution with a lot of money to throw at an election. It gave constitutional protection to a business industry. And it stripped our legislators of power to make a decision about an important issue.
But that wasn't sexy enough for evangelical pro-lifers. In effect, they tried to cram their anti-abortion debate into another forum. If Amendment 2 would have lost, it would have been a tremendous victory for the pro-lifers and encouraged them to take their platform to the next logical step.
ESCR promises a wealth of life-saving cures. The Mailbox isn't so sure that we needed a constitutional amendment to reap those benefits, however. In any event, ESCR is here to stay.
Labels: ELECTIONS, STEM CELLS
Sunday, November 19, 2006
CHRISTIAN COUNTY VOTERS SURPRISINGLY CHRISTIAN
Sorry about the lack of posts lately. The Mailbox BRBs, then doesn't show up for a week after the election. All the Mailbox will say is that big things are circulating.
As for the 2006 elections: No big shockers. Presiding commissioner John Grubaugh was re-elected (David Stokely made a respectable showing of 41 percent). Big majorities for Jay Wasson, Dan Clemens, Roy Blunt and Jim Talent, which fall in line with the county's Republican majority. County voters said no to Amendment 2 by 59 percent, no to Amendment 3 by a bare 50 percent.
The lone surprise for Christian County: Voters passed a minimum wage increase to $6.50 an hour by 73 percent.
The U.S. Census reports that as of 2003, the county's median income was $42,566 and the percentage of people below the poverty line was 9.3. The minimum wage is $5.15 an hour, which adds up to an annual income of $10,712 before taxes, significantly below the poverty level.
That means a majority of voters who make much more than the poverty level were generous enough to give more to the poor. That's significant in a Republican-minded area, because conservatives fear raising the minimum wage, believing it to hurt small businesses and raise prices in the economy. It's incorrect to label the vote as charity, because Christian County voters didn't vote to give their own salaries to the poor -- they simply told businesses to raise theirs. However, it's interesting that 73 percent of the voters chose to deviate from this conservative conventional wisdom.
Sorry about the lack of posts lately. The Mailbox BRBs, then doesn't show up for a week after the election. All the Mailbox will say is that big things are circulating.
As for the 2006 elections: No big shockers. Presiding commissioner John Grubaugh was re-elected (David Stokely made a respectable showing of 41 percent). Big majorities for Jay Wasson, Dan Clemens, Roy Blunt and Jim Talent, which fall in line with the county's Republican majority. County voters said no to Amendment 2 by 59 percent, no to Amendment 3 by a bare 50 percent.
The lone surprise for Christian County: Voters passed a minimum wage increase to $6.50 an hour by 73 percent.
The U.S. Census reports that as of 2003, the county's median income was $42,566 and the percentage of people below the poverty line was 9.3. The minimum wage is $5.15 an hour, which adds up to an annual income of $10,712 before taxes, significantly below the poverty level.
That means a majority of voters who make much more than the poverty level were generous enough to give more to the poor. That's significant in a Republican-minded area, because conservatives fear raising the minimum wage, believing it to hurt small businesses and raise prices in the economy. It's incorrect to label the vote as charity, because Christian County voters didn't vote to give their own salaries to the poor -- they simply told businesses to raise theirs. However, it's interesting that 73 percent of the voters chose to deviate from this conservative conventional wisdom.
Labels: CHRISTIAN COUNTY, ELECTIONS, politics
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
ELECTION RESULTS 2006: A PLAN FOR CHANGE WITHOUT A PLAN
What an interesting election. Since the Mailbox was working throughout the night, it's a little behind on analyses. Keep checking for election-related posts throughout the next couple of days. In the meantime, other bloggers have some interesting takes worthy of checking out: Click on some of the Official Friends of the Mailbox to see what I mean.
The Mailbox heard Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh frothing at the mouth over the change in balance of power, and how it is tied to a verdict on the Iraq war by voters. They had one point they repeated: The Democrats have no plan for Iraq. That's a lie, but let's indulge the blowhards for a second. If the Dems won without a plan for Iraq, it follows to reason that the American public decided that no plan was better than the President's plan.
Surely Hannity and Limbaugh aren't suggesting that...?
What an interesting election. Since the Mailbox was working throughout the night, it's a little behind on analyses. Keep checking for election-related posts throughout the next couple of days. In the meantime, other bloggers have some interesting takes worthy of checking out: Click on some of the Official Friends of the Mailbox to see what I mean.
The Mailbox heard Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh frothing at the mouth over the change in balance of power, and how it is tied to a verdict on the Iraq war by voters. They had one point they repeated: The Democrats have no plan for Iraq. That's a lie, but let's indulge the blowhards for a second. If the Dems won without a plan for Iraq, it follows to reason that the American public decided that no plan was better than the President's plan.
Surely Hannity and Limbaugh aren't suggesting that...?
Sunday, November 05, 2006
SEN. DAN CLEMENS: A NO-SHOW WHO DESERVES NO VOTES
A few thoughts on the upcoming election:
~ The Mailbox wishes it could vote for Doug Harpool for state senator. His campaign's DougTV ads are great. And his campaign has been nothing but class: He has attacked his competitor, Sen. Norma Champion, on the issues and nothing else. Champion has resorted to ugly, baseless attacks that say nothing about the issues. Unfortunately, the Mailbox doesn't live in the 30th District...
~ ...It lives in the 20th District, represented by Sen. Dan Clemens. Four years ago, Republicans in the 20th overwhelmingly chose this newcomer over Democrat and former Speaker of the House Jim Kreider, who lived in Nixa. What did Christian County get for its removal of a hometown native? A man who is continually a no-show.
The latest example of Clemens' lack of attention to Christian County happened last week when the Christian County Headliner News and the NixaXpress hosted a candidates' forum in Ozark. Commissioner candidates John Grubaugh and David Stokely showed up. Rep candidates Jay Wasson and Mark Blevins showed up. Senatorial candidate Barbie Kreider Adams showed up. But her opponent, the incumbent Sen. Clemens, didn't bother coming. Headliner editor Donna Osborn does a good job explaining why that is a problem.
Apparently, Clemens loves being a no-show. This is not the first time he's missed important forums with voters -- just ask the League of Women Voters. His campaign site is bereft of opinions and plans of action about many major issues facing Missouri: He has no attitudes on stem cell research, education funding or restoring Medicaid cuts (again, judging from the content on his Web site).
When Republicans launched a vicious attack on Jim Krieder in 2002, they hoped to place a puppet in the Senate, and the Republicans in Christian County fell for it. Clemens has done nothing of value to address Christian County's growth. He also hasn't had the courtesy or common decency to attend a campaign forum. The Mailbox recommends that Christian County Republicans remember this slap in the face and vote for Barbie Kreider Adams. Christian County was better represented when a Kreider was in office.
~ Though the Mailbox has a left-leaning mind, it has always been fiscally conservative, and believed that before the state can establish any new outreach programs, it must be able to afford them. No candidate has better represented that point of view than Dist. 141 Rep. Jay Wasson (no Web site found). He has balanced good fiscal spending with common sense legislation. Though he is proud to be a Republican, he is not a mouthpiece for the party. Many will probably vote for Wasson based on name recognition alone. That's a good thing: There are many good reasons to send Wasson back to the General Assembly to keep up the good work he's doing.
His opponent, Mark Blevins, means well, but the Mailbox can't support a candidate who has so many typos on his Web site.
~ As for Christian County's presiding commissioner, John Grubaugh (no Web site found) will probably walk away with the election. Which is too bad. Grubaugh says the county's coffers have grown under his leadership. Well, duh. The economy is getting better and the commission cut a massive chunk from the sheriff's department in 2003. In the meantime, Christian County -- the fastest growing county in Missouri -- HAS NO RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CODES. Some leadership.
David Stokely believes in bringing in more stakeholders to development issues and upgrading planning and zoning. Of course, Stokely is biased: He has had a front-row seat to watch Christian County's broken growth policies in action.
A few thoughts on the upcoming election:
~ The Mailbox wishes it could vote for Doug Harpool for state senator. His campaign's DougTV ads are great. And his campaign has been nothing but class: He has attacked his competitor, Sen. Norma Champion, on the issues and nothing else. Champion has resorted to ugly, baseless attacks that say nothing about the issues. Unfortunately, the Mailbox doesn't live in the 30th District...
~ ...It lives in the 20th District, represented by Sen. Dan Clemens. Four years ago, Republicans in the 20th overwhelmingly chose this newcomer over Democrat and former Speaker of the House Jim Kreider, who lived in Nixa. What did Christian County get for its removal of a hometown native? A man who is continually a no-show.
The latest example of Clemens' lack of attention to Christian County happened last week when the Christian County Headliner News and the NixaXpress hosted a candidates' forum in Ozark. Commissioner candidates John Grubaugh and David Stokely showed up. Rep candidates Jay Wasson and Mark Blevins showed up. Senatorial candidate Barbie Kreider Adams showed up. But her opponent, the incumbent Sen. Clemens, didn't bother coming. Headliner editor Donna Osborn does a good job explaining why that is a problem.
Apparently, Clemens loves being a no-show. This is not the first time he's missed important forums with voters -- just ask the League of Women Voters. His campaign site is bereft of opinions and plans of action about many major issues facing Missouri: He has no attitudes on stem cell research, education funding or restoring Medicaid cuts (again, judging from the content on his Web site).
When Republicans launched a vicious attack on Jim Krieder in 2002, they hoped to place a puppet in the Senate, and the Republicans in Christian County fell for it. Clemens has done nothing of value to address Christian County's growth. He also hasn't had the courtesy or common decency to attend a campaign forum. The Mailbox recommends that Christian County Republicans remember this slap in the face and vote for Barbie Kreider Adams. Christian County was better represented when a Kreider was in office.
~ Though the Mailbox has a left-leaning mind, it has always been fiscally conservative, and believed that before the state can establish any new outreach programs, it must be able to afford them. No candidate has better represented that point of view than Dist. 141 Rep. Jay Wasson (no Web site found). He has balanced good fiscal spending with common sense legislation. Though he is proud to be a Republican, he is not a mouthpiece for the party. Many will probably vote for Wasson based on name recognition alone. That's a good thing: There are many good reasons to send Wasson back to the General Assembly to keep up the good work he's doing.
His opponent, Mark Blevins, means well, but the Mailbox can't support a candidate who has so many typos on his Web site.
~ As for Christian County's presiding commissioner, John Grubaugh (no Web site found) will probably walk away with the election. Which is too bad. Grubaugh says the county's coffers have grown under his leadership. Well, duh. The economy is getting better and the commission cut a massive chunk from the sheriff's department in 2003. In the meantime, Christian County -- the fastest growing county in Missouri -- HAS NO RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CODES. Some leadership.
David Stokely believes in bringing in more stakeholders to development issues and upgrading planning and zoning. Of course, Stokely is biased: He has had a front-row seat to watch Christian County's broken growth policies in action.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]