Category Archives: Politics

27 January 2012

Mr. Gingrich

By Nicki

What makes Newt Gingrich electable? While Mr. Gingrich is known, and has proven that he still is, as a great debater, being able to deflect rhetoric and talk in a controlled environment does not indicate someone who is able to govern a country. Gingrich would respond with the fact that he did govern when he was in Congress. I will not deny that but also know that one of the most charismatic presidents in recent history was in the White House at the same time, meaning that governing was not all on the House.

In South Carolina, only one state I know, Mr. Gingrich took an overwhelming victory in the GOP primary. Surprisingly, he won over almost all different categories of voters, including evangelicals. These would be Christians. Yet, Gingrich has been married three times and divorced twice. He has admitted to having an extra-marital affair with Mrs. Gingrich Number 3 while still being married to Mrs. Gingrich Number 2. This is adultery and not something most Christians believe in or tolerate. I do believe Mr. Gingrich when he says he has sought forgiveness on the wrongs he has done. I do believe in second chances. I do believe in private matters – politician or not. I also believe that some private matters shed light on character.

My guess is that a lot of voters believe that a debate will decide who wins the White House in November. Since no one party holds a majority of the voters or voters do not always vote along party lines, both President Obama and the GOP nominee – whomever that may be – need to be able to appeal to the independents and to the other party. I am a Christian, though not an evangelical. I am a woman. I have followed politics since I was 12. I am registered in a political party – meaning I am not an independent – though I have only twice, since I have been able to vote for president, voted for a nominee of one of the two major parties.

What do all of these statements mean? One, both Obama and the Republican nominee had best hope that a viable third party candidate does not appear. Two, whoever wins will have to have more than a good debate. Three, the ability to appeal to both independents and those who are not in “your” party will play the most decisive part in who will win come November.

Do you follow politics? Do you only follow once it is a general election? Do you vote on party lines?

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26 January 2012

Moderation

By Nicki

On Sunday, January 22, Bob Schieffer did a commentary on definitions during his 30 minute Face the Nation program. Earlier in the program, he spoke at length with South Carolina primary winner Newt Gingrich. The commentary did not reflect on Speaker Gingrich but was about politics.

Schieffer discussed the labels used in politics: moderate, liberal, conservative. I sat laughing as I readied to go for a run. Schieffer pointed out that moderate, by definition, may actually be what the nation needs or is really looking for in a president. Conservative, despite many who are called that using the word moderate as a derogative term, is defined as moderate in point of view.

What one word is used in both politics and health care, yet with extremely different meanings? Moderate or moderation. Do we not want to eat those rich foods in moderation? Yet, it seems we do not want – according to the recent name calling during the GOP primary process – a presidential nominee that is moderate in point of view.

If a candidate can communicate a moderate point of view on most issues, my guess is that will appeal to more people that a democratic or republican point of view on issues.

http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf

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17 January 2012

2012 GOP Primary

By Nicki

I have been watching the GOP presidential primaries and caucuses with interest. I am not a registered Republican. I do find the primary/caucus/nomination process amazing, though. I am particularly interested in this year’s GOP as there is an incumbent president of the opposing party who is running for reelection.

I realize that as a country we encourage anyone to run for elected office. Each state has its own threshold for getting a name on the ballot for the primary or caucus that is held in that state. While some of these hoops that need to be jumped through are high, most are reachable with a small organization.

What amazes me – particularly with the GOP the last two election cycles – is the massive number of initial candidates! Is it really necessary to have 8 to 12 choices? Can there possibly be that many varying views within the party. On top of that, can it possibly be good for the general election to have your candidates dragged through the mud by their own peers prior to that time?

I realize this process is not solely the property of the GOP. This particular election cycle, though, it is and it seems worse than in previous years. While there are not 12 GOP members trying to run the gamut of primaries and caucuses, the negativity started with Iowa – which started earlier than previous years due to wanting to be first. To the only slightly trained political eye that is mine, it seemed that the GOP had decided who was going to win the primaries and caucuses to become the party’s nominee before the actual voting began. Due to this unspoken nominee, the negativity came out first thing. Rather than waiting and letting the opposing party vet the negativity on the nominee, the other, non-ordained GOP candidates seem to be doing the Democrats’ jobs of picking apart each of the possibilities, including those who have little chance of being the party’s nominee.

Does the primary/caucus process seem more negative this year, already? Do you even pay attention prior to the general election cycle?

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26 September 2011

September 22nd, 2011

By Nicki

I was hoping to go to bed. I was attempting to be ignorant of news and world events. The area I live in had just been through a 100 year flood, the second time in five years. I was happy to be ignorant.  Unfortunately, I turned on CNN or MSNBC or some other 24 hour news channel. I was seeing that there had been a delay in an execution in Georgia.

 

Since I had a board of education meeting that evening, it was well past 8 pm when I turned on the television. The execution was originally scheduled for 7 pm ET. There was not a stay of the execution. The state was delaying it so, if it so chose, the Supreme Court could order a stay.

 

Why did this particular event, to take place in Georgia, catch my attention? News was saying that many, seven to be exact, of the witnesses that had original testified that Troy Davis had murdered an off-duty police officer had recanted their testimonies. Davis had been on Georgia’s death row for over a decade. Four hours after the originally scheduled time, the state of Georgia did execute Troy Davis.

 

My problem is why. If there is some doubt that the original trial was not valid, why execute a man?  Are we God? Can we take a life? I know many who would quote the Old Testament in saying an eye for an eye. Unfortunately, I believe in a God that gives second, third and fourth chances. I believe in a God that forgives, even when we mere humans cannot. It is not society’s job to act as God and take a life. There is no way to justify killing someone.

 

I probably would have let this execution, along with others that happened last week, go without any notice. Then I read a blog piece by Alex at Late Enough. We should all voice our concerns, if we have them, over a government that thinks killing a person – a member of its society – is the way to curtail murders.

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12 September 2011

Disillusionment: A Political Commentary

By Nicki

I have been a political junkie since I was young. I stuffed envelopes for my first presidential campaign at the age of 12.  Yes, that qualifies me as a junkie.  Imagine my dismay when I realized that tomorrow is primary day in New York State and the recent flooding had totally put it out of my mind.

 

My immediate question/thought was that I was positive that polling locations had been effected and that the date would have to have been moved.  I remember – in a flash back to 2001 – the primaries were on Sept. 11 and they were postponed statewide a week.  I knew it was a possibility but had I totally spaced on news coverage of this and missed the announcement. No, the announcement – at least for Broome County – was out there but it was not what I thought.

 

Broome County Republican and Democratic leaders appealed to the state board of elections to allow postponement of the primaries but the request was denied as was an appeal to the governor’s office, according to an article in the Press & Sun-Bulletin. A direct quote from the newspaper is “Instead, local elections officials should set up tents and use generators on Tuesday, state elections officials told local leaders.”

 

In two major locales at least half of the polling places were effected by flooding. Add to that the thousands still in Red Cross shelters or staying with relatives or friends. One of this villages, Johnson City, has a lot riding on the local election.  The current mayor and council are considering dissolution of the village.  Who wins the primary can effect what will happen regarding this issue.

 

Broome County is going with the ruling that this primary cannot be postponed. Shuttle buses are being provided to polling locations.  Emergency shelters will be visited by election officials to be sure those wanting to vote get their chance.  The bigger problem is neighboring Tioga County.  The county office building in the county seat Owego was under water and may still have water in it.  It is a building that has flooded previously.  A local news reporter cannot get a phone number that works to find out what is going on with those primaries.

 

The response by state and local official to the natural disaster this area has just experienced has been unbelievably good. I have heard few complaints but the handling, on the state level, of the primaries has left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and extremely disillusioned.

 

For those of you able to vote tomorrow, just a reminder – my little PSA – that primary voting in upstate NY is from noon until 9 pm.

1 comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Just my Thoughts, Politics

22 July 2011

Selling Personal Information

By Nicki

Just what are you willing to do to help your state remain solvent?

You may wonder why I ask. The state of Florida DMV is selling registered drivers’ information. This information is not being sold to blanket companies. It is being sold to insurance companies, towing companies, car manufacturers. The state made over $60 million last year selling information. The only way to opt out is if you fall into one of several professions.

I guess I do not have a problem with this idea. In NYS, the state can use the funds that may be generated. The information that Florida is selling is information that they are required to supply and, under federal law, could do so without charge. The state of Florida just chooses to make money on provided this information to companies.

Do I have problems with the entire premise? Yes. My main problem is that it does not seem that the consumer, the registered driver is told about the sale of the information at all. My other issues, in no particular order, are discrimination as certain professions are allowed to opt out, misuse of funds as the reports I have seen do not show how the monies are accounted for, and, again, notification of the consumer.

Do I also think this is a good idea? My bottom line is that if federal regulations require DMVs to provide this information to certain companies, the states should benefit in some way.

So what do you think?

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20 June 2011

January Regents a Thing of the Past

By Nicki

Back during the making of the New York State budget, the Board of Regents requested $15 million dollars to develop and administer NYS Regents.  A regents is a test that is given in high school, statewide, at the same time and day everywhere in the state.  These tests include a Global History regents (given at the end of 10th grade after two years of global history), US History (given at the end of 11th grade), English (this has been a variety of tests over the years but always at the end of 11th grade), various maths and sciences.  NY is one of the only states that gives these tests in so many subjects and, until last month, offered the exams three times a year – January, June and August.

 

The budget request for $15 million did not fall on deaf ears but did fall somewhere as NY is in a huge fiscal crisis.  The Regents received $7 million.  As a means of saving $1.4 million, the Board of Regents decided to stop offering January exams.  An additional $700,000 savings will come from totally removing foreign languages from the Regents.  The Regents only offered a third year exam in Spanish, French and Italian at this point in time and the last of these will be given this month.

 

Do I think this move will effect me, or my family, personally?  No.  I have one high school student left, out of six children.  He took his English and US History Regents last week and will take a Chemistry Regents on Wednesday.  He should pass all of these.  Truthfully, he need only pass the English and US History to graduate high school.  He has already passed two other science Regents in previous years: Earth Science and Living Environment.

 

Will this move effect other high school students in the state?  Definitely!  Many years back when the first major change was made to the English Regents – the exam went from a one sitting of three hours maximum to a two sitting of six hours maximum, many school districts were fearful of the pass rate in June.  Consequently, the districts opted to give the English Regents to 11th graders in January.  Those who did not pass – and they needed to pass with at least a 65 to graduate – had four more chances to take the test before actual graduation.  Once the test was a known commodity, additional districts opted to give the English Regents in January as 11th grade also includes the US History Regents, possibly a 3rd year foreign language Regents, possibly a math Regents, and possibly a science Regents.  In addition to these Regents tests, many 11th graders are also taking Advanced Placement tests just prior to end of year testing.

 

Many people believe that eliminating the January testing dates will put too much pressure on students who MUST pass the exam to graduate.  Many large city schools also feel that their at-risk populations will have trouble with two less chances to pass required-for-graduation tests.

 

My personal thoughts are this is going to hurt those who are most at-risk for not finishing high school.  Those who are AP (Advanced Placement) or IB (International Baccalaureate) students will manage their stress and take the Regents when they are offered.  Might it have been easier to have a January option?  Undoubtedly.  Is it a necessity?  Definitely not.

 

If you live in NY, what are your thoughts?  If you do not live in NY, what does your state require, as far as testing, for graduation from high school?  I will write my thoughts about the abolishing of foreign language testing at a future date.

 

Please realize these thoughts are mine and mine alone.  They do not reflect the feelings of the school district my child attends and of which I am a member of the board of education.

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Just my Thoughts, Politics

2 May 2011

What is Community?

By Nicki

Community! We all live in one but do we have other communities that we are a part of?  I know I belong to many different communities.  I frequently wonder what makes community and how hard it is to keep a community together.

I am a member of the “running” community.  A lot of the runners I “know” are not people that I have met before but people that I communicate with online. We support each other. Even when we are running a race together, and therefore technically against one another, runners will help each other and encourage each other.  The race, as we all know, is actually against ourselves and our own personal bests.

I am also a member of  religious community.  I have written about my beliefs and my sense of community within my church many times.  I became a Catholic because of the sense of community I felt in the Church.  I truly feel that church is not a building but a group of people, a sense of community.

I worry sometimes that the strands that hold communities together are fragile.  Can a community where the beliefs are different – like the running community where there are fast and slow runners and each has his or her own beliefs – stay together for long?  Can the love of the run hold the community together when other parts are so different?

Thoughts about what might tear a community apart or hold a community together, not the running community as that is just an example, got me to thinking what is community and how do we come to be a part of a particular community.  Dictionary.com has several definitions for the noun community but the one I am talking about is:

a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists

So exactly what would cause the common characteristics or interests to change enough to end a particular community?  Would individual interests be strong enough to alienate one from community?  If so, how is it that community forms to start?  All of these questions are rhetorical but have been circling in my mind for over a month now.  I do not have answers but I do frequently wonder if one part of a community’s particular interests being held to be more important can tear apart the threads of the community.

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1 February 2011

NYS Budget

By Nicki

What a difference a year makes!  Last year’s State of the State address was around this time.  Now, a new governor and I am watching the executive budget presentation on February 1st.  Better than that, the entire event – comments by Lieutenant Governor Duffy and Budget Director Megna and the presentation itself from Governor Andrew Cuomo – took less than one hour.  I am in awe of both Cuomo’s ability to tell people what they do not want to hear – budget cuts – and his ability to do it succinctly.

The big hits in the 2011-12 executive budget go to education funding, state government operations, and Medicaid.  Do I think that all these areas need cuts?  I am not sure but I do know that NYS cannot continue to spend as if its tax revenues were still the same as in the heyday of Wall Street.  NYS does not have the tax revenue to continue life as usual.  On top of not have income tax revenue, NYS is losing population due to property taxes.  So cuts must be made.

Will the “new attitude” in the Capitol filter down to the state legislature?  I hope so.  It would be nice to see cuts in the budget.  All current legislators should realize that everyone is taking a cut in this budget.  State operating costs are being cut approximately 10% while other cuts, such as the one to public education , are in the range of 2-3%.  These elected officials should also realize that those of us who elected them may not put up with much more.  I cannot continue to support lawmakers who make laws that encourage deficit spending.  If I cannot live that way, the state I live in should not be allowed to do so.

I will withhold judgement as I am still unsure how all these cuts will effect those I work with and those I represent.  As a school board member, having the governor’s budget this early is good.  Having Governor Cuomo plead with legislators to pass this budget on time is a good thing to know.  It is going to be a tough budgeting year for school districts.  Those with reserves will fair better than those without such.  Many changes will need to be looked at and implemented.  I hope that everyone realizes that change is hard – as the governor said many times – but change is necessary in NYS.

2 comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Board of Education, Just my Thoughts, Politics

2 December 2010

I’m Not the Environmentalist I Once Was

By Nicki

I say this – I’m not the environmentalist I once was – with great trepidation.  Unfortunately, I have to admit this situation to myself because I am reminded of it every day I run on the roads in my area.

 

In the past, I have been known to stack recycling up until it would fill the car and then some, trek it off to a recycling center.  I would do the extra required – take both top and bottom off cans and flatten – at the time and do so happily.  I went so far as to buy a book about how to be a good Christian and a good environmentalist while not worshiping the environment.  I do not recall the exact title at this time.  It was in the late 1980′s and it was a good book about stewardship, not worship.

 

As my children grew more plentiful (I am the mother of six), I had less time to really think about what was best for our environment.  I tried to instill a love for nature in my children while explaining that we are stewards of the lands.  More than one of my children is a hunter.  All have a healthy respect for the outdoors.

 

Now a huge debate has come to my doorstep, essentially.  You see I live in the middle of the Marcellus shale formation.  On my runs, I daily see signs both in support of gas drilling and in support of not gas drilling.  I am watching this debate pit neighbor against neighbor, county legislator against county executive (not all that odd but still), state legislators against taxpayers who want to lease their land.

 

I do not think that uncontrolled hydraulic fracturing is the answer.  I do not think a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing is the answer either.  I think there needs to be a medium stance that allows our country to lessen its dependency on foreign oil and natural gas without endangering our environment and drinking waters.

 

Do I place a blame somewhere for this dilemma?  Not squarely on anyone’s shoulders.  I do place some blame on the US government.  Back when I was in high school and college (I do have a forestry degree), the US had an energy crisis.  People balked at any type of conservation.  People made fun of then President Jimmy Carter as he put on a cardigan at the White House and turned the thermostat down.  Unfortunately, no one in government or industry attempted to find a solution to the problem.  At least one major South American country – I think it was Brazil but not 100% positive – worked diligently on alternative energies for their personal vehicles.  This country did what was needed.  The  US government instituted some gas mileage laws but would eventually let these slide to help the US auto industry remain competitive (a strategy which didn’t really work all that well).

 

So, am I out there say yes, frack away?  No!  Am I out there saying I want to keep living my life the way I currently do? YES!  Am I out there saying that you should frack somewhere else and “NIMBY” – not in my back yard?  No!  I am sitting firmly on the fence.  I want to be assured that my drinking water – I live in the country so have well water – is as protected as the drinking water of the nine million residents of New York City.  I am sitting firmly on the fence.  I want some answers from those who will be responsible for patrolling what is going on with fracking.  I am not willing to give up natural gas for cooking.  I am not willing to give up natural gas for heat.  I have even looked at a natural gas vehicle.

 

I am sitting firmly on the fence, waiting for information from companies that want to frack, waiting on information from governmental agencies who will have to enforce laws.  I am waiting to see what happens.

1 comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Just my Thoughts, Politics

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