VOTE Election Day 2010

The American elections of 2010 are crucially important to the well-being of all Americans - to our families, to our careers, to our values, and to our future and the future of those yet unborn.

The balance of power in the United States Senate, the House of Representatives, a number of Governorships, and other critical offices will all be determined on November 2nd by YOUR vote. Choose wisely.

Consider carefully all the social issues at stake, and consider them along with your analysis of the current and longer term economic issues. Do your homework, and vote from your conscience and consciousness as well as from your pocketbook. Vote to build up, not to tear down. Vote from optimism and a belief in a great future. Don't cast your vote out of fear or desperation.

Whatever your sincere and reasoned beliefs about this election, choose wisely and VOTE.

VOTE on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. ... and ask your friends to vote too.

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I will now share my own perspective on the issues - how I will vote and why...

Please read everything on this page! But if you don't have the time, here's the bottom line...

I am voting Democratic and asking all my friends to get out and vote Democratic because...

1. Big banks, big oil, and big business need to be controlled so we can have stable money, stable home mortgages, stable American jobs again.

2. Democrats will create American jobs - and in the process, rebuild the infrastructure and advance renewable clean energy.

3. The Democratic orientation is compassion - honoring all individuals regardless of the state of their health, or their race or religion. The Republican orientation is fear and selfishness - how the rich can save a few dollars on their taxes by ignoring the sick or downtrodden.

PLEASE get out and VOTE - and Vote Democratic!

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BIG BANKS - BIG OIL - BIG BUSINESS

Why did the real estate market crash? Big banks run amok. Why are there unsafe wells in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico? Big oil run amok. Who can control big business and keep it from grabbing all your money and political influence? The unholy alliance of big business and Republicans is deeply entrenched. Can the Democrats put a leash on big business? I hope so. Certainly big business will hold a bigger club over your head if Republicans take over.

JOBS

President Obama inherited an economic mess from his predecessor - bankers profited wildly and unsustainably from underfunded mortgages. As chance would have it, this mess unraveled just before President Obama took office - the stock market crashed, housing values plummeted, and many people lost their jobs.

While private companies are great at creating jobs when everything is looking good, they lay off rather than create jobs when an economic downturn hits. That is when it is time for the Federal Government to step in. In spite of strong opposition, President Obama began a jobs creation program. This is a very serious recession, and there is a long way still to go in creating jobs, but let's move ahead faster, not throw up our hands at the problem as the Right Wing would advocate.

REBUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE

Many of our roads are in disrepair and a number of our highway bridges are literally ready to fall down. (As of 2007, over 72,000 US highway bridges were "Structurally deficient"). With so many jobs having been lost in the construction industry due to the crash in home building, rebuilding our infrastructure is one way to accomplish two critical goals at once - creating well paying jobs and restoring a safe and efficient highway system.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

As the Gulf spill shows, as the continued tension in the Mid-East shows, as global warming shows, as oil reserves begin to run dry worldwide (data at www.hubbertpeak.com), the United States needs an accelerated program of large scale solar (thermal and photovoltaic), geothermal, and other technologies, including a renewed focus on modern nuclear plants and an upgrade to the nationwide electric transmission grid - which in many ways is in even worse shape than our highway bridges. A federal focus on renewable energy is another way to accomplish two goals at once by creating skilled jobs - which creates discretionary spending and in turn creates service, retail, and other jobs.

Who do you think is going to repair roads and bridges, bring us to a new era of American-produced clean energy, and create professional, service, and retail jobs in the process? Of course it is the Democrats. It is certainly not the Right Wing, and especially not the tea party.

HEALTH CARE

For me, universal health care is the only compassionate and acceptable choice for America. A number of wonderful people I know personally have suffered greatly as a result of being denied health care. One friend suffered severe pain and a pronounced limp for several years until he reached 65 and could have a hip replacement paid by Medicare. What a cruel and stupid policy! This man could have had his pain and limp eliminated years earlier in any other first-world country, but not in the United States.

Yes, the recently-enacted health care legislation is imperfect, but what do we want to do next? The Republicans are committed to repealing even this step toward a compassionate health care policy! Democrats will continue to improve compassionate health care for the United States until we can proudly compare ourselves with any other country, and more important, until we can know that our friends, our relatives, and perhaps someday ourselves will not be denied pain-relieving and perhaps life-saving treatment because of an inability to pay.

SOCIAL SECURITY

The Republicans want to reduce social security payments that your social security taxes have already paid for. Don't let them do it.

VALUES

As anyone who has read my Daily Inspiration knows, I place a very high priority on honoring all individuals - honoring their being, their beliefs, and their private practices. It is not my place to judge anyone as better or worse for being Black, White, Yellow, or Red - for speaking French, German, Chinese, or Spanish - for believing in Catholicism, Fundamentalism, Atheism, Islam, or Buddhism - for being Gay or Straight - for being Male or Female. Moreover it CERTAINLY isn't the place of my government to pass laws that treat people unequally or unfairly. Being a member of a majority class does NOT confer the right to discriminate against those with minority beliefs or practices.

Who is going to uphold and fight for the American Bill of Rights? Again, it is Democrats.

VOTE! Vote Democrat! Ask all your friends to vote!