America’s original sin, slavery, continues to define our society and political institutions to this day. This is because the U.S. Constitution, which was designed to preserve slavery, now undermines our democracy.
If Americans believe in democracy — and one of our two major political parties, the Party of Trump fka the Republican Party, decidedly does not — we must move to amend the Constitution to remove the lingering vestiges of slavery and usher in a revival of American democracy.
Voting is a privilege of citizenship under the Constitution. There is no express guarantee in the Constitution that the franchise to vote is a fundamental constitutional right. This has allowed the states to disenfranchise and to discriminate against its citizens denying them their vote in a myriad of creative ways. An amendment guaranteeing the franchise to vote is a fundamental constitutional right is necessary to fight GOP voter suppression efforts.
The electoral college is a lingering vestige of slavery. There is no direct popular vote election of the president and vice president, as in every other modern democracy in the world. Americans vote for electors who then vote to elect the president and vice president. There have been five United States presidential elections in which the electoral college winner lost the popular vote, twice since 2000, favoring Republicans. It is long past time to amend the Constitution to repeal the electoral college and adopt the direct popular vote election of president and vice president as in every other modern democracy in the world. Republicans are likely to oppose repeal of the electoral college because they have lost the popular vote in six of the last seven elections.
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Political Calendar for the Week of October 7, 2018:
Continuing:Oktoberfest on Mount Lemmon, 10300 Ski Run Road, Mt. Lemmon (Tucson). Free admission. $5 parking and highway fees. Enjoy a festival of German food and music in the forest at Mount Lemmon Ski Valley during the last two weekends in September and first two weekends in October: Sept. 22-23, Sept. 29-30, Oct. 6-7, and Oct. 13-14, 2018. No dogs admitted, please. For more information please call (520) 576-1321.
Monday, October 8: Columbus Day.
Monday, October 8, Noon: Democrats of Greater Tucson luncheon, Dragon’s View Restaurant (400 N. Bonita, South of St. Mary’s Road between the Freeway and Grande Avenue, turn South at Furr’s Cafeteria). New price: buffet lunch is $10.00 cash, $12 credit; just a drink is $3.50. Multiple Speakers on Ballot Initiatives. Next Week: Kalie Pawlik on “Yes on Prop 127.”
This is the person who brought suit against the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law that resulted in the Citizens United Ruling bringing on the scourge of Dark Money. This is the person, when this county was in its worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression, vowed along with other small unpatriotic conservatives; to obstruct the … Read more
Arizona Legislative District 23, a district that includes parts or all of Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, and Rio Verde, has not seen a local Democratic Representative in recent memory. In fact, Republicans ran unopposed in the recent 2012 and 2014 elections. Democrat Tammy Caputi ran and gained about 26 percent in a three-way race with the two Republicans that did take both State House Seats in 2016.
Saying “It is time for a teacher,” Scottsdale Educator Eric Kurland seeks to build on Caputi’s performance and beat either incumbent Jay Lawrence (a reactionary conservative who looks like arch villian Stephano DeMira from Days of Our Lives) or Senator John Kavanagh (another reactionary conservative who is running for the House seat because he is term-limited from running again in the Senate.) Both Republican candidates have been accused by Mr. Kurland of being aloof and inattentive to the needs and concerns of their constituents while catering their votes to the needs of Dark Money (Koch Brother for example, interests).
Profiled earlier this summer (please see link below), Mr. Kurland described, at breakfast at the Scottsdale Restaurant “Randy’s” the current state of his campaign and where he sees his path to victory.
Please describe the three top issues the people want you to discuss the most when you meet with them.
“ Education-charter school oversight-people protective of taxpayer dollars It is not a partisan issue when elected officials take public tax dollars for your kids and line their pockets. People that are following the rules should be glad the light is shining on the bad actors. Education funding is also a top priority along with dirty money and the elected officials not serving the people that elected them. I want to Reform ballot initiative process so it is easier. Charters getting some $1500 extra dollars because they cannot go out for overrides can be fixed be establishing taxing districts where charters can get their votes just like all other charter schools. They (the legislature) stopped Cave Creek from converting to public schools (so they could get additional funding assistance) but let Eddie (Farnsworth) keep the rules that enabled him to cash out. All public schools need to play by the same rules. We need to have a level playing field. I am for school choice but we need a larger conversation about accountability and transparency. I am only in favor of vouchers for severe special needs kids.”
Last month, Mr. Kurland, in reaction to the Arizona Supreme Court Ruling taking Invest in Ed off the ballot, commented that “this ruling was decided in 2016 when the majority party, despite the objections by the Chief Justice, packed the court by expanding the number of justices from five to seven. It is quite clear that the few, well-connected can remain anonymous as they buy their politicians and then sit back smoking cigars while the voice of everyday people is muted.” Furthermore, he stated, “the solution is to not just vote for people like myself but to get others to do so as well. I will put legislation in play that models the Tempe ordinance on dirty money that garnered 91% of the vote. Then, we will honor the will of the voters and place a revenue source for public education on the ballot and let the people decide. As a teacher, I see this in terms of a math question. How many doors must a person knock on to get 31 + 16 + 1? I also might add. The incumbents haven’t listened when the vast majority of their constituents reportedly told them that they want public education funded properly. They haven’t listened when 91% of the voters in Tempe wanted to unmask Dirty Money. They only listen to those that put money into their campaigns. And I will make a prediction that they will continue not to listen and won’t show up to any of the debates. They just can’t be bothered by the everyday person.”
America’s original sin, slavery, continues to define our society and political institutions to this day. This is because the U.S. Constitution, which was designed to preserve slavery, now undermines our democracy.
