End Republican Congress! That's the "status quo"

“Status Quo? Hell No” (borrowed from a GOP poster) – End Republican Congress!

For 29 of the last 35 years we've had a Republican-controlled Congress. In one of President Reagan mid-terms and Obama's first two years, although a Democrat majority, on many issues, southern Democrats sided with we Republicans.

During that time, our national debt has risen dramatically, budget deficits have risen.

America's middle class has been decimated, while the upper class has become fabulously rich. We Republicans have presided over a redistribution of wealth from the working and middle classes, to primarily the super rich and powerful.

We've had deregulation of banks, Wall Street, business in general, along with business failures, tax-payer funded bailouts and rampant fraudulent practices.

Campaign contributions/bribery(?) have spun out of control, at the hands of us Republicans. A long-lasting, essentially failed bi-partisan effort to reign these in, have been blocked by the Republicans in Congress and the right-wing Supreme Court Republican appointees.

During our tenure, medical costs have dramatically risen. Until 1983, most health insurance was private-not-for-profit. Since 1983, it has become for profit and costs have sky-rocketed.

We Republicans have given drug and insurance industries regulatory and de-regulatory gifts (e.g. Medicare Part D and no Public Option). Result: huge costs to the struggling elderly, the poor and the tax-payer and consumers generally. Further, the huge costs impoverished local and state governments, resulting in reductions of essential services: police and consumer protection, public and mental health.

We've reduced taxes on the rich, in hopes of improving American economy, and in thanks and patriotism they've moved industry to Mexico, China, etc. and moved their money to foreign banks.

Although we say we're opposed to abortion, and had a 7-2 majority in the Supreme Court (6 of them Catholics), in 35 years we've passed no law significantly limiting abortions. Most laws proposed are against women, with no proposed law holding the fathers responsible. Yet, men often call the shots and abusive men often cause abortions. The chance to add a Hyde Amendment piece to Affordable Care Act, was ignored because the Republicans in Congress didn't want to give President Obama “a victory” on universal health care. This was stated by Senate leader Mitch McConnell and others. As far as my party seemed concerned, victory over Pres. Obama was more important than children in the womb and “the common good.”

In 1986, we Republicans passed an immigration law that was supposed to stop undocumented persons from entering the US. We never saw that it was enforced, resulting in approximately 11 million undocumented being in the US for many years. American farming and service industries, primarily, “needed these workers.” Numerous efforts to solve immigration and the injustice and the family problems that attach to this, despite two bi-partisan proposals, have ultimately been blocked by Republicans in the House and/or by Republican Senate filibusters.

Professional organizations have become partisan with financial gain and power their primary goals, rather than good performance and integrity.

Police and regulatory agencies, be they local, state or federal, and education and medical care quality and outcomes have become considerably reduced, mainly at the hands of we Republicans since we took control in 1982.

We've neglected the infra-structure, with many bridges dangerous, roads and public buildings deteriorating. We seem only able to build new, where the most money is to be made (and political contributions generated?). We've played politics rather than having the discipline to take care of what we've expended our tax-dollars on one, two or more generations ago.

Although, throughout history, we've raised taxes to finance wars, we Republicans continued to insist on tax breaks for the rich, during recent conflicts. With the excessively expensive privatization of the second Iraq war (see Joseph Stiglitz's Price of Inequality) our national debt rose precipitously.

Bounce the status quo: No more Republican Congresses. Please! (Except maybe Senator John McCain, who responsibly has led bi-partisan efforts to corral campaign finance, fix immigration, regulate banks, control unrequested military spending and stands up for civil discussion.)

Written by Robert E. Golden, with help from Gary Kent, Gerard Morrisey, Mary Humpton, Brian Chanecka and Patrick A. Golden

Robert E. Golden – Republican, 43 years in Criminal Justice, chair of a Pres. Reagan's advisory committee(four years), NYS Probation Commission(8 yrs.), Buffalo Diocese Justice and Peace Commission, USArmy, Holy Cross (Jesuit) grad, Masters in Counseling, published CJ articles+

Gary Kent – Ran for NYS Assembly, after serving as an Orleans County Legislator, Social Studies teacher, named “Teacher of Year” twice, Albion Betterment Committee, many community activities, author of numerous published political articles and hundreds of letters to editor.

Gerard Morrisey – Assessor/Appraiser, Hearing Officer in Western New York, business owner, local political guru, Fordham(Jesuit) Univ. grad, life-long Republican, who just resigned his Republican registration, many community activities, raised on family farm

Mary Humpton – teacher, guidance counselor, graduate work in History(Cornell Univ.) and Masters in Counseling, numerous community activities, varsity college athlete, raised on family farm

Brian Chanecka, librarian, 2 Masters in Comparative Religions and Information Management, historian, world traveler, did a weekly radio show in Tucson, AZ. Democrat who supports Ann Kirkpatrick for US Senate. and supports an “open border” between all nations, even as Pres. Reagan said he hoped for an open border between the US and Mexico, with people going back and forth freely.

Patrick A. Golden – Sr. Analyst with NYS Legislature, Parish Representative on Albany Diocese Social Justice Council, Graduate of St. Bonaventure (Franciscan) College, Masters in Economics, past analyst with NYS Better Business Bureau.