With less than 30 days before the election, Ray urges us not to get distracted by the nonsense and noise of the national campaigns and focus our attention on our broken state legislature.
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About Me
- Ray Richardson
- I live in Westbrook with my wonderful wife Dee Dee and our four children. We have been residents of Maine for a little over 22 years, moving here from Florida in 1985.
Blog Archive
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2008
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October
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- His Own Words
- Against the Grain
- A Spooky Postscript
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- Go Westbrook!
- Heads Up
- Everyone's Invited
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- Keep the Pressure On
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- Eye on Casinos
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- Ray Gets E-Mail
- Are You On the Team or Not?
- Friday on the Morning Show
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- Thoughts on Gay Marriage
- And the Crowd Goes Wild!
- Snowe and Palin Arrive
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- Just an Observation
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- Calling Shenanigans
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October
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10 comments:
Let's see, health care costs for the country out of sight - for those who have health care, the Dow is below 10,000, our national debt has doubled (last count) since Bush, wages are depressed, banks and brokerage firms are going under at a rate not seen since the depression, people's retirement accounts are devastated and on and on.
The solution for Maine is to throw the Democrats out because what we need is solid Republican economics to get this state turned around. After all, health care is so much less expensive in NH. That's under Governor Lynch errrrrr A Democrat.
Just as with Palin Ray, you hit the nail right on the head. I just hope your same fingers aren't holding it!
No my friend, I realize you want to couch this as Republican vs Democrat, but it is not.
This is about liberal economic policies that are centered on big government solutions that are failing, versus conservative economic policies that have led to prosperity.
What you are seeing in our nation currently has nothing to do with conservative philosophy. The Bush administration has been fostering "conservative policies on economics" about like a mouse is equal to a lion.
Conservatives do not believe in greed. Conservatives do not believe in deficit spending. Conservatives do not believe that growing government programs is the answer to long-term, sustained economic growth.
Government spending leads to higher taxes which leads to less money in the pockets of average citizens which undermines our economy.
You want to blame Republicans for this? Go ahead, of course that means you have only read the headlines and have not looked at who pushed what policies that led to this mess.
The truth is, both parties failed us. Both put petty, personal, political agendas ahead of the national good.
If you want to blame this on conservative philosophy, you are simply singing a song that has a loud chorus, but no substance.
So strictly speaking economics, you feel Clinton was a better president than W has been. Democrats in Maine are OK, we just have the wrong Democrats. In my limited time listening, I have never heard you speak positively about any Democrat, local or national.
Your last point is the telling one, "limiting government programs". Any program that doesn't work and has no potential to do so should be canned. A good program that doesn't work right should be fixed, even if that means increased funding, as long as the cost to benefit ratio is in line.
The Republican fingerprints on today's problems stem from limiting government where it is doing good. The reason Wall Street got out of hand is lack of government oversight. "Let the free market do what it does best" Creative minds made a "swap" out of insurance. Thus eliminating regulation. When the derivatives failed, there was no money to back them up.
Other instances include FDA food regulation. How many warnings of tainted food have there been recently? How many defective or lead tainted toys have there been lately? Even though we are lucky, how about FAA air traffic controllers and aircraft maintenance oversight? Remember all the grounded aircraft? You get the idea.
Bottom line, effective government cannot be limited. It needs the funds to properly protect us. The above agencies need their budgets dramatically increased. Saving taxes on limited government is fine until it's your family that gets rear ended while in your Pinto with Firestone 500's on it! How old am I! :)
Ray you forgot to tell the great communicator that "conservatives do
not believe in deficit spending" as you say
From W Post article Jan 2004
"The line is not likely to make this week's eulogies to Ronald Reagan, but when Vice President Cheney allegedly declared, "Reagan proved deficits don't matter," he summed up an enduring argument from the former president's economic legacy".
The fiscal shift in the Reagan years was staggering. In January 1981, when Reagan declared the federal budget to be "out of control," the deficit had reached almost $74 billion, the federal debt $930 billion. Within two years, the deficit was $208 billion. The debt by 1988 totaled $2.6 trillion. In those eight years, the United States moved from being the world's largest international creditor to the largest debtor nation"
Ray said Conservatives do not believe in greed. Give me a break. They are the original what's mine is mine and no one is going to make me share with someone who does not have the same beliefs as I do, group
Since when do bleeding-heart liberals get to determine what it means to be a conservative.
For either of you to imply that deficits, or hoarding are conservative principles only speaks to your narrow scope of thinking that is defined by the modern media interpetation of conservative, not its actual definition.
I realize no one knows much about the Constitution any more or that it really doesn't matter much when you have Justices and Judges who legislate from the bench, but spending is appropriated by the Congress according to the Constitution.
Russell,
I have spoken highly of several democrats. I do not struggle with Democrats.
I do not trust liberals, an entirely different concept.
Since when do bleeding-heart liberals get to determine what it means to be a conservative.
We are not determining just stating what we believe to be true
You have said you don't trust me. i am hurt
By the way last week when you were lamenting about people who had their homes foreclosed because the value went down, I asked you if you knew anyone personally who has had their mortgage foreclosed on even thought they have made all their payments on time. No response. Not surprised. it is much easier to make claims than it is to back them up with facts.
Ray said
"I have spoken highly of several democrats. I do not struggle with Democrats".
I am sure they really valued your opinion of them
You said on conservative definition
"not its actual definition"
Check out Webster's dict.( liberal rag I am sure by your standards)
I would say they are right on in the def. of liberal and conservative.
Big Mac sure looked old last night.
Good thing he has young Sarah on the tkt
You betcha!!
Of course in your mind you are the only one that knows anything about the constitution with your poli sci bachelors degree. Oh and that makes you an ecconomic guru too. Typical out of stater, comes to Maine to enlighten us natives
What was your point anyway about the House of Rep being where money bills originate?
As for justices legislating from the bench. You don't seem to mind when they legislate your way.
Your idea of a justice is one who ignores the first few lines in the second ammendment in their decision
My idea of a good justice is one who determines the Constitutionality of a law, not making a new law.
The Right to Privacy, as an example, does not exist in the Constitution. They made up this concept to justify their actions.
Russell said he had never heard me speak nice about a democrat. I explained that I had.
Whether they cared or not, I do not care.
You should know by now, as you apparently listen every morning, that I really do not worry about what others think of me. If I did, I think it is pretty clear I would take a different approach.
Yes, I guess I would be all broken up if a guy like me did not trust a guy like you. I mean, we know each other so well that you really should place a lot of importance on what I think of you. Bet it keeps you up at night.
Democracy can only flourish in a moral society.
I would have no problem with liberals pushing the boundaries ... IF ... there were some lines they would not cross.
Instead, it appears their are no boundaries for liberals, therefore, they will eventually lead to our ruin ... along with the fake conservatives who will do anything to stay in the good graces of the masses.
I have never understood the desire of public people to be loved by people they do not know.
In my own life, I view praise and condemnation through the same lens and treat them as equal.
Those who love me do not know me and those who hate me do not know me, therefore, neither has a lot of meaning.
The quest for being loved by the masses has ruined our political process.
What we need is a true-reformer who doesn't give a damn about the Congress and will turn the heat up on them everyday by going to the people on all the issues.
Congress is broken and corrupt. There are some decent people serving there, but the truth is, they hold a very small place in that body.
You said you weren't defining conservatism, just stating what you believed to be true.
Since you have not witnessed any actual conservatism at work in the political climate in 25 years, I am uncertain how you reach your conclusion.
Are you defining George Bush as a conservative? What about his Dad?
I did not see your earlier comment about the foreclosure question. I do not personally know anyone in foreclosure, at least not that I am aware of.
I have, however, spoken to several local bankers who have said under the current rules in place, this could become more prevelant and has happened to a small degree in Maine already.
As it appears you are retired (you have a lot of time on this board, so that is an assumption) do you actually do any homework, like talking to industry officials, before you question my statements, or do you simply question them automatically because of the source?
"Since you have not witnessed any actual conservatism at work in the political climate in 25 years, I am uncertain how you reach your conclusion."
Gee Reagan got done 20 years ago. Wasn't he the flagboy for Conservatism and seems to me Newtster was billed as a conservative.
I am not retired
I have 1 employee actually on my payroll.
And i am Chairman of our town Planning Board so the issues like the Contract Zone interest me. And your hate of unions (except police) puzzles me.
I just know how people take what guys like you say as real and I want to help debunk the myth.
You have a bully pulpit to grouse from and you use it.
By the way social values are what we need not "morals' as you call them. I would call your ideas against social services immoral
It does not take long to type or read. or post .I can spare a half hour in my 10 hour day
Ray, I cannot hear you any more, where I am there is no cable and forget 1300. Two trips down 95 in different vehicles last week and I could get NO 1300 signal all the way through Portland.
My degree is in Earth Sciences not Political as is Bruce's. You know 100 times more about the US Constitution and Presidents than I ever will. I enjoy going back and forth with friends of mine who are conservative. I don't get them and I don't get you. In all honesty, I feel like you dance around my assertions and try and change the topic without directly responding.
Keeping it local, as this thread started, what Maine Democrats do you support/endorse? You didn't touch my question on Clinton.
What is the line that it is OK for liberals to come close to, but not cross?
You mention the Right to Privacy not being in the Constitution, but how about two citizens being allowed to marry? OR, a woman having the right to choose what she does with her body?
Christianity has an opinion on the above topics, but I don't see how that is involved with the Constitution. You seem to intertwine the two.
What was the country like 25 years ago that "true conservatism" was responsible for? As I remember the National Debt went up significantly during Regan's administration. There must be something else.
Isn't Susan Collins (R) the quintessential example of wanting people to like them? Every political ad I see from her is about someone getting a government handout that Susan is responsible for. She never mentions Brunswick NAS in her listing of accomplishments.
Maybe if you could be specific about life under a "true" conservative administration. Please believe me, I am being serious, not sarcastic.
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