Blog4kerry - He's the Real Deal

A quote from former Senator Warren B. Rudman, Republican of New Hampshire sums it up, "I think he's a moderate Democrat — very liberal on social policy and reasonably conservative on foreign policy and defense matters."

Sunday, September 14, 2003

 
Alabama has one of the most regressive tax rates in the nation. Anyone who makes over $4000 a year pays income tax. Sales taxes are high (hurts poor people), property taxes are incredibly low. Food and medicine are taxed.

The Republican governor, Riley, as a religious conservative believed this was wrong and inconsistent with the gospel. (I don’t agree with needing religion to realize this, but hey at least he came to it.)

The governor proposed raising income tax/property tax on the upper ends of the residents of AL and take the tax burden off the poor. The majority of the people in the state would have benefited. He would have also increased public education (the great equalizer).

Anyway to make a long story short, the special interests went on a campaign of distortion. The people of AL defeated the resolution 65% to 35%... Sad, huh? Alabama will continue to rank 48th and/or 50th in education depending which national ranking you use.

I like Bill Maher, but yesterday on his HBO show his comment was the people of AL should “lay in their own bed.” Don’t think he gets it. I do think Kerry does.

I went to public school in AL (later had a scholarship at a good liberal arts private college) and I know the difference between the incoming knowledge of a freshman who went to public school in AL and a prep school kid, all to well.

Kerry understands education is the great equalizer. The quality of education one gets early on determines where they will go in life. Elitists like Dubya have too many built in advantages in this society, how dare they act like this country is a “meritocracy” where the cream rises to the top, while at the same only giving lip service to public education.
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