Dear Readers; I received the following comment and gave it some real consideration:
"Instead of calling this "Another Great Comment That Deserves Its Own Post", how about giving it a unique identity:
"Guest Column -- The Republican Revolution"
Let's let people know that the true Republicans fiercly defend our nation's constitution and the equal rights of all people.
This is a tradition worth keeping."
I did give it about a minute of consideration before deciding that I will, in fact, be allowing a "guest column" on my blog. Let's make our inaugural (pun intended) guest column begin on President's Day, and let's also make it a weekly column, every Monday.
Please send all of your "guest" columns or opinions to my email, writemarsh.gmail.com or, click on the link below:
writemarsh@gmail.com
For consideration, all guest column email must be received at least 24 hours before the Monday deadline. (With the exception of the "inaugural" column"!) Also, please include your real name and email address in your guest column. It will not be published, unless you add the disclaimer: "You may use my real name", otherwise, I will sign the column by your guest column number (Monday's being "Guest Columnist #1).
3 comments:
Check out the Pennsylvania politics 101 article on http://www.pacleansweep.com/politics101.html
They make some good points. Here's part of what they say:
Local Party Committees (The "Machine")
Historically, when there is more than one candidate from either major party on the ballot at a Primary Election, that party's local committee will usually get together and endorse one candidate.
In the local committees of the party which represents the gerrymandered majority of voters, the party bosses are generally cronies of elected officials. Naturally, when endorsement time rolls around, those incumbents usually get the nod over any challenger.
Those "official" endorsements are usually reported by the local media and voters are led to believe that the party's endorsed candidate is the best person for the job.
However, what most voters do not realize is that in addition to party bosses kowtowing to elected officials, the endorsements itself is often rigged.
In many areas, a "pay to play" policy may be an unwritten rule, but in at least one county in PA, PACleanSweep has discovered evidence that this policy is actually written into committee bylaws.
Here's how it works in that county: any endorsed candidate in a primary is expected to pony up 10% of their first year's salary for the elected position; win or lose, opposed or not. If that candidate wins the primary and is then opposed by another party's candidate at the General Election, they are expected to pony up another 10%.
The Results
With incumbent legislators manipulating the borders of districts every ten years and directing traffic in the local "pay to play" party committees, it's not too hard to see why the General Assembly traditionally had a 98% retention ratio year after year - until 2006, that is.
This has led the General Assembly to have faith in their ability to get re-elected and has emboldened them to pass some outrageous legislation - capped off by Act 44, the unconstitutional pay raise of July 7, 2005.
At PACleanSweep, we hope you will join us in saying "enough is enough" and work to defeat this system which no longer represents the citizens of Pennsylvania.
Some Questions Every Pennsylvanian Should Ask
1. If the purpose of Primary Elections is to allow voters to choose their party's nominee for the General Election, why do local committees cloud the issue by making an endorsement? Why not simply allow the voters to choose the candidate they prefer?
2. Knowing that party endorsement is a "pay to play" system, is your local committee's endorsed candidate really the best person for the job, or merely the person most willing or able to buy or trade for the favor of local party bosses?
3. If only Republican and Democratic voters can participate in most Primary Elections, why do ALL taxpayers have to foot the bill? Isn't that taxation without representation?
4. If your local party bosses wish - through their "endorsement" process - to select the candidate they prefer, why not simply do that without the expense of a Primary Election, just like the other parties do it?
5. Who are the members of your local party's committee?
6. Who are the officers of your local party's committee?
7. Who sits on the Executive Committee of your local party?
8. Is this any way to run a Commonwealth?
At PACleanSweep, we believe it is emphatically NOT the best way to run a Commonwealth. We helped to reverse this trend in 2006, when a total of 55 legislators were replaced, and we aim to continue that effort in the future
http://www.pacleansweep.com/politics101.html
Please note:
By posting this comment I am in no way supporting PA Cleansweep or it's leadership.
In fact, I do not support the views of PA Cleansweep nor do I share in their philosophy. By printing the comment posted here, I simply am offering my readers a chance for healthy debate on the subject of re-districting.
As I said in my previous post-I will not censor any comment unless:
a) I cannot fact-check an allegation made by the comment's poster, or
b) the comment posted is attacking an innocent party who may be linked to the blog entry's subject, whether by association or by relation.
I hope this is clear for any and all future posts-if not, I may make this a permanent text article on my sidebar-
B.
Just remember that Clean Sweep was pointing to some unfortunate political practices in Pennsylvania that need to go and was not pointing to any particular political party.
Please let your state reps and state senators know that you care about what happens in Harrisburg, especially things like Redistricting because unfair redistricting destroys the integrity of our political system.
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