The Latest and Greatest Aberrations to Democracy

Dinesh D’Souza, if there is anybody who can tear our country apart from the inside, it is that man. The garbage D’Souza spews in writing, film, and word, is media malpractice at its very finest. I can only assume people gobble it up for the same reason a car accident is inherently fascinating, there is something horrifyingly fascinating about destruction. That, I would say, is why D’Souza’s poorly written lies, talking points, and made up facts that effectively destroy democracy end up on best seller lists. Despite being continuously knocked back by actual facts, D’Souza continually comes back for more. 2 weeks ago he accused President Obama of attacking traditional christian values. Very ironic considering this damaging news came out the week later. D’Souza was caught having an affair with a married woman, traditional christian values indeed. It would appear that he finally brought upon himself some of what he deserves. How this man ever slept at night is beyond me. At least now he has lost his seven figure salary he was receiving from King’s College, a christian college where he was president.

This brings me to another wonderful pundit we all know and love. Ann Coulter is disgusting and vile. I have heard her opinions on talk shows before, but after scrolling through her twitter feed I have learned it is far worse than I thought. For a white, privileged, healthy, (and regrettably) influential woman to degrade the handicapped, spew racism and ignorance, and insult those with differing opinions in a public forum exemplifies the worst of this country. It is pathetic behavior of the worst kind, and the fact that it is in part embraced and accepted is deeply saddening. The sheer lack of respect for the President, and her fellow Americans is atrocious. Mr. Stephens commands my respect for handing the situation with more grace than I ever could. What a beautiful response in the face of complete disrespect and disregard. Dinesh D’Souza had to face his karma last week. Ann Coulter will get hers. I hope one day have the chance to meet Miss Coulter, so she can hear this from me personally.

As if it was hard enough to participate in democracy while being egregiously misinformed by the people who get payed to lie, there is a trend now of extremely wealthy business owners threatening their own employes if they vote “wrong”.  David Siegal, a Florida timeshare mogul has threatened to fire his employes if President Obama is re-elected. His threats were thinly veiled in this letter.

Subject: Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [David Siegel]
To: [All employees]
To All My Valued Employees,
As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration. Of course, as your employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best.
However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is in your best interest.
[…]
So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.
So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1 percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.
Yes, that is really the email sent to his employes. It should be mentioned that the company has had its most profitable four years ever under president Obama, with record profits. Also worthy of noting, Siegel is a billionaire who not long ago was on the quest to build the worlds largest house. There is a entire documentary about the perverse and obscene project. David Siegal needs a tax, should be a joke. Unfortunately this man is very serious, and that makes it not funny at all. Whats even worse is Mitt Romney will give him that break no questions asked. This type of thing should be illegal.

I know I am late on the draw here, but the way things are going I felt I couldn’t leave this one out. The new employment numbers came out a few weeks ago, they were down to 7.8, good news for the Dems. Jack Welch, ex CEO of GE immediately took to twitter with a response alleging the job numbers had been fudged. He said “these Chicago guys will do anything”. His conspiracy theories placed him in a bit of hot water, and he received substantial and deserved backlash. Before having the chance to be fired, he quit his position as columnist for Fortune and Reuters, which delights me since I no longer feel obligated to read it(It was never very good). My father taught me never to quit, it is not a display of good character. “Win with character, loose with grace”. Why he decided to criticize the President on the jobs number I will never know. How did that work out for you Jack?

I am not even going to get into this… or this. All I have to say is, really?

Democracy is a fantastic privilege, lest we forget.

I will leave you with some humor from last week.

By Evan Lonergan

The Finale, Romney and President Obama Meet For the Final Debate

A debate on foreign policy aimed at the average voter is a shallow concept. Presidential debates are already political theater, and they have been for some time. Foreign policy is a very complicated and sensitive subject, handled by experts who have worked in the field their entire lives. Regardless of how much time is spent studying and learning foreign policy, it is still difficult to get right. Outside factors are in play, there is a human element, actions that can not be predicted. Any candidate that makes promises in foreign policy is foolish. As a people, we understand very little of our foreign policy. The sensitivity of the subject prevents the majority of details to stay shrouded in secrecy. Only the Commander-in-Chief, and a select few in his cabinet have the whole picture. We the people cant understand foreign policy because we are given only fragments of the information. A debate on the subject is pure malarkey, as Joe Biden would say. There are no specifics, very little examples of policy, and almost no clarity of responsibility. The foreign policy debate is a last chance for the candidates to demonstrate characteristics that might sway the voters, and that’s why we have it.
With that said, there was a foreign policy debate on Monday evening. I’m not going to analyze what the candidates said, because due to the nature of the subject, they didn’t say much. Mitt Romney had an interesting night. Never have I been more frightened at the lack of qualifying attributes in a presidential candidate. Mitt Romney leaves a lot to be desired, but in no subject it that more clear than foreign policy. Now I’m aware that he doesn’t have to present facts to his potential voters, that much has been clear. He should present some sense that he is fit to be Commander-in-Chief however, or a least a shred of qualification for the position. Mitt Romney was a Governor for one term, the rest, as we have heard over and over, has been spent in the private sector. He has never served in Military, nor have any of the Romney boys. After receiving his party’s nomination for president, he failed to mention Afghanistan or veterans. I don’t expect Mitt Romney to be well versed in foreign policy, but I do expect him to make it seem like he is. He couldn’t do that, and that is a glaring hole in his candidacy.
Mitt Romney has gone rouge late in his campaign for better or for worse. A few weeks back there was a small mutiny by Ann and the rest of the Romney clan to gain more control of the campaign. It worked, and moderate Mitt was born. If it wasn’t for the undying and unfounded hate for president Obama, the far right would have been offended by Mitt’s betrayal. Foreign policy was the last area where Romney remained loyal to views he has expressed everyday for the past 18 months. Just two weeks before Monday nights debate Romney gave a now conservative foreign policy speech advocating the war in Afghanistan, massive increases in defense spending, and condemning the way the Iraq war was ended. Did his advisers really not expect him to flip positions when he had to face the nation? That is what this man does, he stands for nothing other than self advancement. Half of the nation has embraced him on that view. He can lie through his teeth, and it doesn’t make a difference. We have come to the point where lies are true if we choose to believe them. Mitt Romney has extreme views on foreign policy, and he has been expressing them for over a year. On debate night though, he comes on stage and agrees with almost everything Obama says with the slightest of alterations. Obama imposes sanctions on Iran. Romney agrees completely, adding only that they should have come sooner and been harsher. That was the debate, and a massive percentage of Americans ate it right up. For one evening moderate Mitt makes an appearance and is accepted by millions. This is our democracy, this is what we have created.
I fully acknowledge that Obama’s presidency has been deeply flawed. Despite that, when it comes to foreign policy the Obama administration can cite promises kept. Other than the closing of Guantanamo Bay, the Obama track record is a good one. Osama Bin Laden is dead, we are no longer fighting a war in Iraq, and there is a timeline for a withdraw from Afghanistan. When it comes to who I trust more to lead the country in terms of foreign policy, it is no contest Obama. The argument can be made that Obama has been too lethal with his powers, and that he has greater powers to wage war than any other president before him. With those powers he has killed an American citizen without trial, Anwar al-Awlaki. It make no difference, Romney has no criticism on those actions because he genuinely agrees with the targeted killing program.
This election will be close, and that is the worst and most dangerous part about it. Neither man is a perfect candidate, but one is a far far better choice for the well being of the nation. The President has served for years as Commander-in-Chief, he has experience. He has the qualifications to lead a nation. Unfortunately, this nation is ideologically paralyzed. Blame it on Dinesh D’Souza, blame it on Chris Mathews, blame it on media malpractice, personal ignorance, the echo chamber effect, or whatever you choose, but that is the current state. I am not a cynic or a pessimist, I believe we will move past this. Right now the state of democracy is in a dangerous place. There is an election on November 6. I have have educated myself and I will be voting. Active participation in the system is what drives my hope. Did I mention there was a debate on Monday night?

By Evan Lonergan

Why Big Bird Really Matters

Big Bird out of a job.

The back and forth fallout from the debate has been flying hot and fast since last Thursday morning. One thing has been talked about more than the others, and will haunt the Romney campaign into November. The endangerment of Big Bird is the kind of rhetorical slip up than can change results. Mitt Romney had an excellent presence on stage last week, but his performance is falling apart under the crushing weight of the lies on taxes and medicare. More importantly, are the details Romney did give on Wednesday night. When asked how he will reduce the deficit Romney proposed cuts of services including PBS and Amtrak. He claimed to like Big Bird but promised to eliminate the government subsidy to PBS.

This is where Mitt Romney goes wrong, the man has a fundamental misunderstanding of the American people and our national government. PBS in an institution of modern American society. It provides educational programming for millions of children across the country. PBS reaches around of 81 percent of children between ages 2 and 8. For those children with parents who cannot afford educational day care or early learning services, PBS can be a wonderful opportunity to provide free education. Mitt Romney does not understand that because he has always been insulated by wealth. Big Bird and friends teach everything from simple math and the alphabet to positive character examples. As a child I watched some Sesame Street, and other PBS programming. I will always have memories of learning colors, and participating in call and response activities on the shows. I am not alone in these memories. When you attack Big Bird, you attack a character that is looked upon fondly by millions of Americans.

PBS struck back directly at Mitt Romney saying he does not understand the value of public broadcasting to the American people.  Public broadcasting provides an incredibly beneficial return on investment. PBS’s subsidy is 0.012 percent of the budget. The subsidy is insignificant to the reduction of the federal budget. This is Mitt Romney, this is the man who wants to lead the nation. The only details he can produce to reduce the deficit are the cuts of public programs and the repeal of Obamacare.

My grandfather was employed by Amtrak. I still have his helmet with the logo emblazoned across the front, and Dick Frain printed underneath. It was a good job,  a job that allowed him to bring home food for his family. He was a member of the middle class, but thanks to Amtrak he supported a family of 7. He could be proud of his job and the life it allowed him. I will think of my grandfather when I ride the Amtrak later this week. Mitt Romney does not understand what its like to work a job like that. Romney only understands how to kill those jobs. He will cut the programs that take the smallest amount of the budget, but provide the greatest return to the American people. At the same time we can expect increases in defense spending that will more than offset the money saved in proposed cuts.

Big Bird will haunt Romney for the rest of the campaign, but the issue is bigger than big bird alone. This country needs to experience a recovery. If Romney can only propose cuts to beneficial public programs, then he is not fit to lead. We the people should not have to sacrifice the programs that make a difference in our daily lives to experience that recovery.

By Evan Lonergan

The First Debate: Romney Rises to the Occasion, Obama Deflates Expectations

They told us things wouldn’t change much. In the weeks leading up to Wednesday  night, we heard it from the pundits, and we heard it from the news media. The debates would not alter the campaign narrative, it was all an expectations game. Both candidates talked each other up while lowing expectations for themselves. The right talked about how Romney would be on offensive, and would come prepared with some zingers. On the left the discourse swirled around Obama’s experience and incumbent advantage. It was accepted that debates would be much of the same, a continuation of the races that had been run over the past 18 months. It would be a night of political theater in America, with little implication to the fate of the election. Then Wednesday night came, there was a debate, and now the political climate here in the United States has exploded into another dimension.
The Mitt Romney that walked on stage Wednesday night was a entirely different Mitt than the others we have seen throughout the decade. The Mitt Romney that walked  on stage last night was more prepared, more fluid, more aggressive, more confident, and more dominant than has ever been seen. Gone was the Romney of September, the faltering, distant, careless, Tea Party pleaser we had come to know since the primary. Absent was Romney of Bain Capital, the business killing, money grabbing, tax evading, venture capitalist of yesteryear. No, last night we did not even see the the robot or empty suit versions of Mitt Romney. The man who stood to face the president in the first debate last night, was a man that wanted the presidency. Romney came out of the gates swinging, poised and aggressive, and did not let up until the ringing of the last bell ceased. Over the course of 90 minuets, he reinvented and reignited a failing campaign. The policies he has been promoting for past 18 months, those were out the window. Romneycare, a healthcare program he passed during is time as Governor of Massachusetts, was suddenly his own once more. Romney maintained is aloof reputation with details, but offered us something else instead. He offered the vitality and the fire that his campaign has been desperate for. Last night Romney was a man of the people, a man of America. He brought the economy squarely down on the head of the president, and made Obamacare out be pure evil. He defended defense spending and denounced China. Romney ran up and down Obama with prevarications, contradictions, and zingers. Devoid of truth it was, but weak it was not. This is political theater remember, and to the American public Mitt Romney won this one in a convincing manner.
Obama was left to stand very alone and seemingly detached on stage. There was no political eloquence, the gifted orator of 2008 was so far gone. Behind the podium stood not only the president, but the presidency. All of the failures, the disconnect, the sellouts the uninspiring four years was compressed into his 90 minutes of debate. There was very little feeling of a man fighting for reelection. Excitement and appeal were non-existent as Obama spouted the numbers and facts behind his presidency. As Romney boldly addressed the nation, Obama was fading into the background. When the President spoke, the words he said were not sharp, nor did he directly address the viewing audience. As Mitt Romney ran away from everything he as built his platform on, Obama only saw it necessary to justify the centrist shift that has brought about his decreased popularity. The President and his administration abandoned many of his first term supporters when he made the shift after winning election in 2008. To many his presidency has been a disappointment, a mere shadow of what it was promised to be. Obama was not without opportunities to be competitive last night. Mitt Romney presented them one after another in the form of policy abandonment and lies. He walked on the president because Obama failed to stand up to his opponent. Briefly during debate on taxes Obama took the offensive, but soon slipped back into his submissive state. There was no mention of the 47 percent, no mention of Romney’s abysmal ratings in the state where he served as governor, and no mention of Bain Capital. The Obama administration has spent the morning rebutting and fact checking Romney, but it is too little to late. The time to call out Mitt Romney was last night, and Obama failed to do that. A failure that echoes the past four years, and a failure that will mark his presidency if he can not turn things around.
Two things needed to happen in Wednesdays debate to change the state of the race. Obama needed to fail to show up, and Mitt Romney needed to come on better than ever. Against all odds, that ultimatum became reality last night. Romney won the debate without question, while at the same time introducing a new more moderate version of himself to the viewing audience. President Obama produced a fantastically underwhelming effort. When the dust had settled Romney has done all he could and Obama had not done enough. Mitt Romney has renewed the support that was slipping from his campaign. The GOP and it’s super PACs will now be with the Romney Ryan campaign for the duration of the race. Obama has not thrown away the election, but he has assured that it will much closer, much nastier, and much more hard-fought than it ever had to be.

By Evan Lonergan

If All Else Fails There is Always Voter Restriction

As Mitt Romney’s nose dive continues to make headlines this week, it has become clear what needs to happen in this election to right the ship. If you can’t beat em, cheat! Wait, that’s not how the phrase goes; however it is how the GOP plans to proceed. Republicans across the nation in favor of voter restriction and voter ID laws are raising their voices. Clearly the right thing to do here, is to rip up the Constitution and create a lopsided election. I mean how else do we get Romney into office, right? Take a look at this quote from Pennsylvania Rep. Daryl Metcalfe on the voter ID law Wednesday morning.

METCALFE: “I don’t believe any legitimate voter that actually wants to exercise that right and takes on the according responsibility that goes with that right to secure their photo ID will be disenfranchised. As Mitt Romney said, 47% of the people that are living off the public dole, living off their neighbors’ hard work, and we have a lot of people out there that are too lazy to get up and get out there and get the ID they need. If individuals are too lazy, the state can’t fix that”.

Absurdity. I suppose Romney’s comments really inspired Metcalfe to make some inelegant comments of his own. I would laugh at the stupidity here, but these laws are actually going to repress the vote of disadvantaged citizens and destroy the shreds of integrity left in the process. While that may have some laughing, it should leave the rest of us enraged. Pennsylvania’s DMVs are already struggling to accommodate all the people frantically trying to meet the requirements of these laws. This infection spreads beyond Pennsylvania alone, take a look a this from Ohio. Its almost as if we are seeing Nixon’s southern strategy all over again. The difference being instead of appealing to racism, the GOP is appealing to the individualist values of the far right. Rather than make villains out of blacks, they make villains out of the “lazy” and “ungrateful” disadvantaged citizens. Worst of all, its not just a political agenda. It is being forced into law. How much more will those who trumpet the values that built this nation, ruin the values that made is great?

By Evan Lonergan

Source: Think Progress

A Divided America vs. A United America

From teachers strikes, to foreign policy, to class war, it has been quite the week on the campaign trail. As last week came to a close, the horizon was looking grim for the Obama Administration. The Chicago Teachers Union was on strike all week, and are set to continue into this week. Mitt Romney wasted no time springing into action, criticizing Obama’s lack of stance on the matter, claiming that Obama was not in support of the teachers or their union. Apparently, the Romney campaign was vague about their own support of teachers and unions. That news comes as no surprise, as the Romney campaign is know for proving minimal information on its exact policies. Meanwhile, sporadic violence and rioting broke out across the globe, including the attacks on US embassies that killed three American citizens. Early responses to those attacks were largely criticized by the right as being to sympathetic. Official White House responses later on, more forcefully condemned the violence. All in all, not the best of weeks for the Obama Administration. Several people I conversed with over the weekend voiced concerns about the negative impact those effects might have on the election. It was clear Romney was gong to have new material for the debates approaching in early October, that is until the turning of tables that occurred on monday.
Romney was speaking to high income donors at an “intimate fundraiser” on monday afternoon, when he decided to tell them how he really feels. According to Mitt, “the 49 percent of americans that don’t pay income tax will vote for Obama no matter what, and it is not his job to worry about them.” We all know that is sentiment is held by a substantial group of people in this country, Romney is just the first to express it so frankly. Both sides immediately took issue with Romney’s statements. The Obama Administration has been using it to their advantage since early this morning, while more the republican party quietly distance themselves from the Romany campaign. Romany has essentially declared a class war, and is already experiencing a backlash for the statements. As a student, I am a member of that “49 percent” Romney doesn’t care about. I had reservations about Mitt Romney before these developments, and now he has confirmed them for me. Mitt Romney is a man who embodies individualism in America and everything that is wrong with that ideology. Romney will argue to his deathbed that he is a self made American success story. Well, he is an American success story, but only at the cost of his fellow Americans. Romney started off wealthy whether he will admit it or not, and he will die wealthy. Romney’s values have no place in the government we need right now. This country needs to move forward together, it does not need division and individualism at the cost of others. I will vote for Obama in November because he is the best of two candidates. Obama has a far way to go, but much like my favorite president(Lincoln) he believes in a country unified. That is something I can stand behind.  Giving up on my fellow countrymen, is something I will never stand behind!

By Evan Lonergan

Mayor Emanuel’s Transition Plan

So I have a class this semester on Chicago Politics, and my first assignment was to read Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2011 Transition Plan and respond to an section that I found interesting. Below is my summary response to the the section on Government with emphasis on the budget deficit crisis.

Chicago is one of the great cities in America, and a Global leader in many fields. As the year 2012 draws to a close a close, America has reached a critical turning point. There must be changes across the board in order to move forward positively. As a leading a city, Chicago will play a large role in our transformation as a country. With the election of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago has already embarked upon its own transformation. As a city, Chicago will lead by example while making strides into Mayor Emanuel’s 2011 “Transition Plan.”  Mayor Emanuel knows unity of government and community is important. He knows he needs to strengthen the foundations of Chicago, education, infrastructure, safety, economy and budget. Improving those will improve the city has a whole. The halfway mark for the “Transition Plan” is approaching, and with it will be another level of improvement for Chicago.
The number one problem Chicago faces, and the first listed in Mayor Emanuel’s “Transition Plan,” is a crushing budget deficit. The budget deficit in Chicago is approaching $1 billion, with the expense revenue gap at nearly $700 million. It is an issue that simply cannot wait any longer. Things need to turn around now, and in that way Chicago mirrors the United States as a whole. There needs to be a solution to debt that lasts. There can be no more short term fixes. Debt restructuring, depletion of asset reserve funds, employee furlough days, and stimulus spending are no longer viable options to solve the debt crisis. Chicago’s deficit is structural, and that means that it reaches into the foundation of Chicago’s budget. To effectively combat that, Chicago needs to develop fiscal responsibility and a structurally balanced budget across all funds. The deficit problem can be fixed, and Mayor Emanuel’s “Transition Plan” outlines how he plans to do it.
The first initiative was an immediate cut of $75 million from the deficit. A reduction of debt on that level would give Mayor Emanuel sufficient breathing room to accomplish a long term solution. The process of cutting out 75 million was four fold. The first step was to freeze spending, thus preventing a deficit increase. Next a plan will be developed to starting cutting costs. Government performance will be improved, and immediate efficiency measures launched. Lastly, consolidations of support services, and eliminations of duplicate tasks would create savings opportunities. Improving communications between services could cut out measurable amounts of unnecessary spending. Mayor Emanuel was able to accomplish those initiatives in the first year of his term, and succeeded in creating savings of more than $83 million.
Those savings were tremendous, but a true solution needs to be longterm. Mayor Emanuel knew that, and his proposal to implement reform across the boards proves that. His transition plan contained initiatives for reforms of the budget, tax increment financing, and ethics. Mayor Emanuel proposed the creation of a more defined, more transparent, and more accessible budget policy for Chicago. He implemented a formal financial planning process with long and short term goals. He made tax increment financing more transparent and more accountable for its investments and returns. Chicago taxpayers are more able than ever to see exactly where and on what their money is spent. They can have peace of mind through new private and public monitoring systems. The Chicago government has long struggled with corruption, and Mayor Emanuel began an ethics reform to change that. Chicago now has a task force devoted specifically to ethics reform, and gaping loopholes in the lobbying process have been closed to eliminate the “revolving door.” The removal of some corruption from government is a beautiful thing, and is an awesome achievement for Chicago and its people.
The next set of initiatives continues to reduce the deficit by improving the structure of government. The structure of Chicago’s government at the time of Mayor Emanuel’s election was antiquated and inefficient. His “Transition Plan” addressed that. Mayor Emanuel has worked to simplify and streamline the structure of Chicago’s government. Similar to the way a software developer continues to update and improve his product to make it more efficient and easier to use, Mayor Emanuel is doing the same for government. He has begun to centralize services and partner with non-profit and non-governmental organizations to improve the way the way government provides services to the people of Chicago. Mayor Emanuel has made inroads to simplify regulations and inspections on businesses, to make Chicago a more appealing place for  companies to invest. He wants to bring more businesses in to create jobs and encourage more to start up. Mayor Emanuel has put into place performance and cost goals for the services Chicago government provides. The tangible structure of a city is also critical to its well being and Mayor Emanuel has realized that through goals to improve infrastructure. He has begun to outline the city’s infrastructure needs, and develop a 25 year plan. He has promised to put systems in place to track and improve the progress during that plan. Competition drives one to be better, and with these new goals Chicago will compete against itself to make continuous improvements.
The importance of the people who stand behind government cannot possibly be understated. That is true for both the the public, and those who are employed the government. Mayor Emanuel has invested in the health and well being of government employes and there families, exactly for that reason. A heathy worker is a happy worker, and a happy worker is a productive worker. Having productive workers in government will directly correlate to positive growth in Chicago. Under Emanuel, worker safety will be a top priority, in order to cut costs and keep more workers on the job. Mayor Emanuel also wants to encourage the participation of Chicagoans in government by making it as accessible and transparent as possible. After almost two years in office, Chicago citizens have more access to government records and information than ever before.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s “Transition Plan” was the answer to a lot of questions that needed answers a few short years ago in Chicago. No person is perfect, but mayor Emanuel has made impressive measurable progress to meeting the goals outlined in his plan. These are the types of long term solutions that will solve the deficit problem and bring prosperity to Chicago. Mayor Emanuel has promised to continue to work towards these goals as he enters the next half of his term. Chicago has seen improvement in many areas, but there is still a long way to go to meet all the “Transition Plan” goals. Together as city, Chicago must work towards continuous improvement. It is a quest for improvement that takes time, but is certainly achievable.

By Evan Lonergan

Paul Ryan’s Hollow Words

Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan has had his moment in the spotlight at the Republican national convention, a moment that was relied on heavily to give the Romney campaign some wind in its sails.  Ryan gave the speech he was expected to give, with its forced nostalgia and its righteous claims. He was a politically risky choice of running mate, but he has delivered some sense of needed urgency into the Romney campaign. He has delivered to the republicans what some of them want to hear, and has needled the democrats with his speech. Ryan has proved himself excellent at communicating just enough to make his platform seem authentic, without getting himself or Romney into hot water. Below are some of the best examples of this rhetoric from his speech.

“After four years of government trying to divide up the wealth, we will get America creating wealth again. With tax fairness and regulatory reform, we’ll put government back on the side of the men and women who create jobs, and the men and women who need jobs.”

This is a critical section of the speech. Ryan identifies and places blame the Obama administration with the phrase divide up the wealth”, a phrase the GOP cringes at. Why would Romney want to divide up the Wealth? That would mean he might have to lose insignificant amounts of his own fantastic personal wealth. No, what Romney wants is tax fairness. Fairness is a relative term here, and in this context means to stay the same. Currently the greater your wealth the less your taxes, perfect for Romney, Ryan, and the companies the finance them. Then Ryan promises to put government back on the side of people who create jobs, a dangerous promise. Romney and Ryan believe in a top down economy. What that means is that the big businesses, the fortune 500 companies are what keeps our economy alive and well. Unfortunately today there is too much corruption to rely on those companies to do their jobs and support out nation. If its left to Romney and Ryan that corruption will go unregulated, and there will be no trickle down for the bottom of our economy.

“In a clean break from the Obama years, and frankly from the years before this president, we will keep federal spending at 20 percent of GDP, or less.  That is enough.  The choice is whether to put hard limits on economic growth, or hard limits on the size of government, and we choose to limit government.”

Here Ryan identifies another problem, federal spending. He speaks of both administrations accountable for the problem but only names Obama, leaving the current administration to take the brunt of the blame. Ryan knows the Bush administration caused the problem, but will let slip for a chance to get a leg up in the election. Ryan goes on to promise to keep federal spending low through government limitation, but does not give any details, a trademark of his platform. That is because the details are not something people would like to hear. Romney and Ryan have purposed some of that saving through budget cuts for education. That means more neglect of a failing public school system, a continuing rise in the price of college educations and cuts to Pell grants for college students.

“By themselves, the failures of one administration are not a mandate for a new administration.  A challenger must stand on his own merits.  He must be ready and worthy to serve in the office of president.”

“We’ve had very different careers – mine mainly in public service, his mostly in the private sector. He helped start businesses and turn around failing ones. By the way, being successful in business – that’s a good thing.”

A true statement when presented by itself, but not when applied to the Romney Ryan campaign. Romney is a flip flop candidate, a placeholder for the GOP. He has no merits to stand on, other than a massive personal wealth. A wealth that was acquired through aggressive and reckless capitalism, that left a wake of debt in its trail. Mitt Romney grew up with money and since the first taste of it, it has been greed ever since. He has shown us his ability to destroy jobs and move millions of dollars into offshore accounts. He has shown us his ability to create a personal fortune through his private sector business success Bain Capital. A firm that was part of the corruption and irresponsibility on Wall Street that led to a crushing wold debt. Romney’s personal wealth is not a merit, and it does not make him worthy to serve in the office of president.

“We will not duck the tough issues, we will lead.”

Romney and Ryan have been ducking tough issues as long as there have been questions asked. Their platform appeals to people on the surface, but the truth, the red meat, only appeals to a select few. That is the way Romney and Ryan will have it. If it furthers the conquests of them and their allies, why would they share it with us. They would rather avoid giving all the details until they take office, and then they will rape and pillage and leave us in the cold in four short years.

“We will not spend four years blaming others, we will take responsibility.”

Show me what you can do don’t tell me what you can do. Romney and Ryan have spent their entire campaign shifting blame on the Obama administration. They point fingers on unemployment, the economy, and Obamacare. They will accept no blame for the role their party played in the recession, and they will not speak of the role Romney personally played in the economic downturn. Why would they change one elected?

Paul Ryan’s speech is not without truth or merit. There are moments when he is almost speaking from a place of authenticity, but his carefully managed rhetoric is conniving and deceitful in places. There are falsities and prevarications in the Romney Ryan platform and they need to be held accountable this week at the RNC. We cannot accept leadership without a careful analysis of the words and actions the candidates put before us.

By Evan Lonergan

Freedom is…

Freedom is for having control over thoughts and actions. Freedom is the ability make choices and decisions. Freedom is the the ability to rule the direction of our own lives. Freedom is thinking without restraints. Freedom is having free will, and rights. Freedom is the ability to go, do, see, interact, learn, represent, and communicate as the wielder of it sees fit. Freedom is a power, a power that power fears. Freedom is what makes people independent, and it’s what makes them unique. Power fears freedom because freedom is change. Freedom is revolution. Freedom is the power to live our dreams. Freedom is the power to change your reality, and better your situation. Freedom is not restrained. Freedom is not limited. Freedom is not controlled. Freedom is opinion. Freedom is a blessing. Freedom is creativity and innovation. Freedom is independence. Freedom is possibility. Freedom is the American Dream. Freedom is what this country was founded on, and freedom is what we MUST return to its core!

By Evan Lonergan