Victoria needs a clean break from libertarianism

Victoria needs a clean break from the libertarian Ron Paulite mindset, so we can get something done in our city. I don't know anything about our city officials, but I certainly don't want a fiscal conservative when the economy is fragile. Fiscal conservatives are needed when the economy is stable or booming, to remind us that we need to keep our fiscal house in order. Right now our officials are running scared of spending an extra nickel, even if it means savings in the future. I'm not asking for our city officials to empty the bank accounts. I just want them to be prudent and account for the expenditures. They have made some serious mistakes in the past, and they need to be held accountable but they still have run the city/ county and not listen to the people that are trying to save $1.25 of property tax.

I got a taste of that when the city decided to spend $6,000 for iPads. One poster said, we could've got cheaper alternative tablets not knowing that Apple makes a sturdy product, and you get what you pay for. Another poster told a story of practically duct taping his old desktop to save money. There's fiscal conservatism and then there's cheap to a fault.

We have to have some of the most close- minded posters I've ever seen. Our police officers want to form a collective-bargaining union and without hearing the proposal; our close-minded citizens say, "no way Jose." If there's a proposal for a pay increase for county or city employees it's the same answer. I know no one cares if we keep competent people at the county, because it's all about keeping property taxes low. These people are moving and taking their money with them. I understand that they have not had a raise in four years, and most of their benefits have been cut back. You hear stories like the taxpayers are struggling not realizing public employees are taxpayers. I wish the city and county would privatize everything, because that's the only way that it will get through their thick skull..Wait, I take that back, it’s an impossible task because they will make up some sort of excuse. Private companies will not repair their equipment or meet all the demands because it would take away from their profits. As long as we have public employees, conservative/libertarian Republicans will shun them because it's the nature of their ideology of individualism and an unfettered free market.

I knew people would try to nationalize the collective-bargaining proposal, and done from a right-wing perspective. Collective bargaining it just an agreement between the city and its employees on how to handle wages, complaints, work standards, and policies. It also gives the employees some say. I've never been in a union, but as a taxpayer; I'm not going to demonize an agreement between management and employees.

As long as we have Ron Paulites controlling the agenda, we can forget about growth because tax abatement, joint ventures, investments, and collective bargaining are all tools of the devil, in their Ayn Rand world of the unfettered free markets and individualism. We can start by electing a democrat to replace Congressman Blake Farenthold, and if you must elect republicans, elect compromising RHINOs.

I'm glad there are a couple of competent  posters giving the" just say no" crowd a run for their money at the VA forum but unfortunately they are wasting their time until we get rid of the libertarian/conservative mindset.

The Wisconsin wakeup call

It's funny how in my working years I always benefited because of the threat of the union but I never gave them their due. I selfishly applauded the fact that I didn't have to pay union dues or have to go on a picket line at reduced wages. Now that I see an organized effort by the republicans to crush unions taking hold; I wish I would would have been one of millions that made an effort to prevent that. Union members and democrats got too complacent and a tip of the hat to the republicans for exploiting that weakness.

Rachel Maddow  thoroughly explained how the republicans will use their power to stymie the democrats. Instead of trying to increase their numbers by recruiting minorities and young people, they will use methods to make it harder for the democrats to cast votes. Crushing the union's will cripple the cash flow needed to get out the vote but they don't stop there. Young people usually vote for democrats, so states like Wisconsin and New Hampshire are voting on laws that will make student IDs invalid for voting purposes. Minorities have always been a big constituency for democrats, so Texas will eventually(when passed) require a state ID to vote but there are two exceptions; the elderly and a holder of a concealed handgun permit. Naturally, the elderly in Texas vote for republicans as well as those with concealed handgun permits.  All across nation GOP control states are implementing abortion laws, taking that issue off the table, so it will no longer give women voters an excuse to vote for democrats.  This is definitely taken place but Rachel never provided the proof that it was a coordinated effort.

The national democrats were angry at president Obama for various reasons. The liberals  thought Obama dissed them at various points so they stayed home in 2010.  All democrats are not liberals but it's the union and liberal base that will lick the stamps, seal the envelopes, make phone calls, and go door to door campaigning. The more moderate democrats tried to mend fences and tried to work in a bipartisan way with their republican counterparts and paid a price because the republicans were only interested in the 2010 elections. It paid off for the GOP  and they're letting the democrats have it every chance they get.
The Wisconsin union loss should be a lesson for democrats to stick by their principles thick and thin because the voters will reward you for that. The protesters are not necessarily democrats; they are the policeman, firemen, and other professionals that see their unions been crushed by republican overreach. The independents will not aligned themselves with a party that is at war with itself that makes it  look weak and indecisive. That’s the reason democrats will have to keep the union fight going before it’s too late.

I have to admit that I didn’t see what all the criticism was about when it came to the health care bill. A lot of independent voters thought the democrats weren't paying enough attention to the issues important to them and just wanted to push their agenda. That's what I see of the republican overreach.