What did we lose in 2010?

[CC27]

MineralMan Donating Member (1000+ posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list    Sun Mar-13-11 11:24 AM
Original message
What did we lose in 2010?
   
Well, we lost a lot, in every state and nationally. In Minnesota, where I live and work on precinct politics, we lost both houses of our legislature to the Republicans. Similar things happened in many places. But, it's only when you think about the results of that loss in Minnesota that you realize the real cost of that election. Here are some of the things we lost:

1. With a Democratic Governor in place, had we maintained a strong majority in both legislative houses, Same sex marriage would have become a fact of life in Minnesota. There's no chance of that happening now.
2. Our Governor is committed to raising taxes on the wealthy of our state. The legislature will send him no such legislation. A Democratic-controlled legislature would have.
3. Cuts are being proposed to education.
4. Cuts are being proposed to health care for the uninsured.
5. Cuts are being proposed to veterans services.
6. Cuts are being proposed to assistance to the homeless.
7. Cuts are being proposed to assistance to small cities and towns that are on the verge of bankruptcy.
8. Infrastructure projects are going to be cut.
9. Tax cuts are proposed for corporations and the wealthy.
10. Tax increases are proposed for homeowners.
11. An Arizona-style immigration bill is proposed.
12. Cuts in pensions, health care, and other things are proposed for public employees in Minnesota.
13. Cuts in environmental issues across the board are proposed.

There are many more effects. Our Democratic Governor will veto some of these things, but probably not all of them, because they will be attached to bills that must be signed to prevent the state from financial collapse. Had we elected a Democratic-controlled legislature, all of the things on that list above, and more, would have been turned right around, and the opposite would have happened.

In our urban cities, heavy GOTV efforts managed to turn out enough voters to get Governor Dayton elected. Such was not the case in many rural and suburban areas. The result was that Republicans won enough of those legislative districts to take over control of both houses of the legislature.

Similar things happened in many states. Wisconsin, for example, failed to elect a Democrat as Governor, so the Republican-controlled legislature can pass reactionary measures, as in the list above, and they will surely be signed by Walker. We lost a Democratic Senator, too, from Wisconsin.

How did your state do? What was the turnout of your election? Could anything have been done to make that better? Will the same thing happen again in 2012? These are things we all need to think about. Government, on the state and local level, is hugely important to achieving progressive goals. We must not let dissatisfaction with national political leaders keep us from electing those on the local level who really control much of the way we live our lives.

Let's not do what we did in 2010 in 2012. Please! Start working today to reverse this ugly trend and to put us back on a progressive path. The 2012 election begins now.

 

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x632568

[Randy]

In 2010 you lost fiscal irresponsibility on the state level. In 2012 you're going to lose it on the federal level. Suck it up. Live with it. Love it.

[franksolich]

You know, at times it's very hard to take the anti-osteopathic primitive, the mineral man, very seriously.

[Ballygrl]

They also lost the ability to control redistricting.

And how the heck did MM have what? 10,000 posts at Free Republic?

[Tucker]

Andy823 (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list    Sun Mar-13-11 11:31 AM
Response to Original message
2. I live in Washington state
   
Over a half million people that voted in 2008 did NOT turnout to vote in 2010! We still kept control of the states government, but we also had things on the ballot that would have helped the debt, like taxes on those who made over $250,000, it failed! Now we are seeing cuts in education, state employee salaries, cuts in health care programs the state offers, etc. Half a million voters didn't take the time to vote, that hurt!

I think if one looks at the numbers of voter turnout in the states where republicans took control of the state governments, you would find the same thing with turnout being way down! NOT VOTING is the same as voting for a republican, and we have to change that if we don't want to see more republican takeover in 2012!

I would bet my last dollar that it failed because of no support from democrat voters. Keep in mind that democrats support social programs with other peoples money.

[Ptarmigan]

They lost their sanity. Oh wait! They are not sane! 

[franksolich]

I would bet my last dollar that it failed because of no support from democrat voters. Keep in mind that democrats support social programs with other peoples money.

The Andy823 primitive's remarkable in two things, sir.

Number one, an abysmal lack of knowledge about how the political system works--this is the primitive who nearly two years asked why, since they were doing such a lousy job for him, the Big Zero just didn't fire Bela Pelosi and Scary Harry from their leadership positions in Congress.

Number two, the Andy823 primitive's keyboard must be missing the period key.  He ends every sentence of every post with an exclamation point.  Always every sentence, an exclamation point.

I suspect that subconsciously, the Andy823 primitive's afraid he's not going to be heard.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

What?

No FEMA camps?

[GOBUCKS]

The Andy823 primitive's remarkable in two things, sir.

Number one, an abysmal lack of knowledge about how the political system works--this is the primitive who nearly two years asked why, since they were doing such a lousy job for him, the Big Zero just didn't fire Bela Pelosi and Scary Harry from their leadership positions in Congress.

Number two, the Andy823 primitive's keyboard must be missing the period key.  He ends every sentence of every post with an exclamation point.  Always every sentence, an exclamation point.

I suspect that subconsciously, the Andy823 primitive's afraid he's not going to be heard.

Is he the one who wanted President Bush impeached so John Kerry could replace him?

[franksolich]

Is he the one who wanted President Bush impeached so John Kerry could replace him?

I think so, but I can't find verification it was he.

I do have verification on the Big Zero firing Bela Pelosi and Scary Harry, though.