Our local paper has a weekly listing of bills presented to both the House &
Senate, with a table of every Ohio Rep & Senator's vote.  If they were
absent for Roll Call, quorums or voting sessions that's listed too.  If
they're not present, the D.C. bureau tries to find out why (stumping for
votes at home, off on a "junket", etc.).  Our paper, the Columbus Dispatch,
is so rife with "yellow journalism that the locals call it the Columbus
Disgrace.  The voting record section is on of its few redeeming qualities.
Still, ya gotta wonder how many folks even read the section or even care how
their reps. vote.  They sure can piss & moan when something passes that
affects them directly, though, can't they?

Case in point:  I tend to lean toward the right, but our "education"
president is supporting a house bill that would give control of the "Head
Start" program to the states.  In general, being a "states' rights"
proponent, I support most things that give individual states more control,
but Head Start's not one of them.  A lot of chaff came out of Johnson's
administration, but here is a program for pre-schoolers that, for the most
part, works.  If it ain't broke....?  Plus, in this case, there's no
evidence that the states would do a better job, but a lot of evidence that
the funds would be used to fill some fiscal potholes.

The bill's sponsor probably won't get the votes, but if he does there will
be a lot of surprised parents out there wondering what happened.  Why?
Because the lower-income groups that benefit most are also the least likely
to vote.  Such a pity: the very group of people who worked so hard to win
the right to vote during the "civil rights years" are the least likely to
exercise that right.  It's not just the "poor black" sector, though.  Voter
turnout has been steadily declining for years in all demographic groups.
The generations before who worked so hard at maintaining the rights and
freedoms we enjoy today realized that if you don't hold government
accountable to the masses, government will soon become accountable only to
itself.

Why does it seem as if our leaders cater to the wealthy?  It's not just
because the wealthy support the candidates through campaign funding--it's
also because they vote.  Folks in the highest ten percentile income bracket
also have the highest voting turnout at "non-presidential" elections.

Kyle

-----Original Message-----
From: ken barber [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2003 8:26 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Quiz About 9/11


> > well, even if i'd disagree with her assessment of
> what
> > to do in afghanistand, i certainly like the fact
> that
> > she is present to vote most of the time. people
> really
> > should check up on whether or not their reps are
> > present to actually be a rep. there are many on
> both
> > sides of the isle that many times no shows at
> votes.
> > even if you elect a person you agree with on
> issues
> > and he/she don't show up, they are hardly
> representing
> > you are they?
> >