Are you really a Republican? Take the RNC testDate: 11/30/2009 By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
Lots of things are buzzing through my noggin, so let's go!
Here's an interesting item from the Zogby polling organization: "A majority of likely voters agree the U.S. has a greater obligation to reduce carbon emissions because we consume more energy than others, and 48 percent say the U.S. should do so even if other large nations do not take similar action. However, less than half are willing to pay any additional costs for their own energy consumption under legislation that might reduce emissions, a new Zogby poll finds."
I don't get it. We all know there are costs in changing how we live and how we conduct business to become "green." These costs are called "investments" and we have to make them so we all have a future.
Do people really think this entire switchover to sustainable technologies is going to happen thanks to elves working overnight on our behalf?
Of course there are many people who think climate change and environmental concerns are just liberal scare tactics to justify the intrusion of government into our daily lives.
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Speaking of politics, there are some conservatives who are hoping the Republican National Committee will adopt the following litmus test to purge the party of candidates who aren't Republican enough.
Here are the standards candidates must meet and the goal is for everyone to have a score of 20 percent compliance:
We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama's "stimulus" bill;
We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run healthcare;
We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;
We support workers' right to secret ballot by opposing card check;
We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;
We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;
We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;
We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;
We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and
We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership.
If you're a Republican, how did you score? By the way, didn't the last Republican president and Congress grow the government? What is the Republican-approved solution to the health insurance crisis? Do Republicans support the labor movement at all? The government doesn't fund abortions already, right? How do we deal with illegal aliens?
I'm just asking.
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My recent column discussing free speech was criticized by two readers, a conservative and a liberal, who both found fault with it. Let's see whom I irritate with this comment.
Holyoke Police Chief Anthony Scott recently sent out a press release about how the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) refused to question the state law that prevented him from picketing outside of a courthouse this past summer. The same group, though, fought for the rights of a convicted domestic terrorist to speak at UMass.
Scott has been very vocal of how judges treat the criminals his department and others bring before the bench for trial and frankly, his concerns are on the money in my book.
The ACLU apparently dismissed Scott's request for action with a statement indicating they thought the state law was acceptable. This isn't acceptable to me. Scott is questioning how our judicial system treats multiple offenders and how this affects public safety. He should have the same rights as anyone to put forth his concerns to the public.
The ACLU was wrong in brushing Scott off, in my humble opinion. Perhaps they would have thought differently if they took the time to understand what Scott and other police chiefs are facing with the release of repeat offenders to the street after arrest.
This column represents the opinions of its author. Send your comments online to news@thereminder.com or to 280 N. Main St.,East Longmeadow, Mass. 01028.
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