tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post473195414227801025..comments2023-12-03T04:31:58.288-05:00Comments on Walberg Watch: Thoughts on Jim BerrymanFitzyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416823898560265455noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post-54570222477000282902007-05-12T11:40:00.000-04:002007-05-12T11:40:00.000-04:00Fitzy,Don't for a second get sucked into Walberg's...Fitzy,<BR/><BR/>Don't for a second get sucked into Walberg's rhetoric on education and NCLB. Yes, he is not supportive of NCLB, but look at his past comments on education.<BR/><BR/>He wants to abolish the Department of Education and claims the federal government has no role educating is citizens. In his capacity as a state legislator, he voted against funding for schools and colleges. He has repeadedly pushed for government funding of religious schools (which is what Hoekstra's a-plus bill does) and even vouchers for people who home school their kids.<BR/><BR/>To contrast that, most in the education field oppose NCLB for very different reasons. NCLB might just be the largest increases in education funding in the history of this nation. It was propsed by W and rammed through a republican senate and house. The thing educators hate are the crazy, new mandates which schools must fulfill to get that money.<BR/><BR/>Be careful when applauding what Walberg does. While he may be attacking some of the same problems we all would like fixed, he is usually trying to push the issue in the opposite direction as the rest of us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post-15249385350269443632007-05-12T10:26:00.000-04:002007-05-12T10:26:00.000-04:00You hit the nail on the head Fitzy. Walberg repre...You hit the nail on the head Fitzy. Walberg represents everything wrong with politics today. His alignment with CFG and other right-wing wacko organizations make him one of the worst practictioners of public service today.<BR/><BR/>What he did to Joe Schwarz was unconscienceable. He claims to be a man of faith, but doesn't practice it with the way he "demonizes" those who are different from him. <BR/><BR/>He has shown utter neglect for the Western half of the district, doesn't care about anyone west of 127 and only looks after those in his comfort zone in Lenawee and Hillsdale. He has placed a radio personality as his mouthpiece in lieu of honest representation. He has no backbone and little character.<BR/><BR/>Basically, he's not good enough to represent us and won't for much longer. His election was a fluke, because the GOP is so screwed up and voters were apathetic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post-44390834234236744622007-05-12T09:50:00.000-04:002007-05-12T09:50:00.000-04:00what is the Congressman lacking? bi-partisan legis...<I>what is the Congressman lacking? bi-partisan legislation with Patrick Kennedy, an understanding to develop and encourage alternative fuels, taking a reasonable approach to the Farm Bill by making sure our family farmers are protected, standing up to the Bush administration on the onerous No Child Left Behind legislation? ...or standing up to his leadership when he thinks the Bush administration has gone too far in warrantless eavesdropping (only 23 R's joined the D's) in passing this amendment (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll339.xml)<BR/>???</I><BR/><BR/>Let's look at Congressman Walberg for a moment.<BR/><BR/>First, there is the positive. On certain issues, he has shown a backbone, and voted differently than his party leadership. He doesn't support NCLB, which is good, but I'm not convinced that his way is better. He has shown willingness to work with Democrats in a few issues, as with Patrick Kennedy.<BR/><BR/>But one or two instances of bipartisanship and a few good votes doesn't make up for voting several times to prolong the war in Iraq, voting against raising the minimum wage, voting against bills that would improve oversight and prevent corruption... and so on.<BR/><BR/>The pattern that emerges, to me, is that he blindly supports the Bush Administration's foreign policy (which worries me) and that he doesn't have the interests of ordinary people in the 7th District in mind.<BR/><BR/>He even votes against symbolic legislation, for reasons I really don't understand. What's wrong with "World Water Day" or honoring Rachel Carson? What's wrong with "National Child Care Worthy Wage Day"?<BR/><BR/>So, I oppose Walberg on ideological grounds. I would like to be represented by a moderate or progressive, who can see the value in some of the legislation Walberg has voted against.<BR/><BR/>But that's not all. I'm not comfortable with his Grover Norquist attitude of never, ever voting for tax increases. Real conservatives are able to admit that sometimes, you've got to raise taxes to balance a budget. Conservatism isn't about spending less, it's about spending <I>responsibly</I>.<BR/><BR/>I'm not comfortable with a representative who said that politics could be "an intentional ministry," and who seems to have no problem mixing his faith with public policy. Faith helps to guide your decisions, but I'm worried when it becomes the only thing that guides your decisions.<BR/><BR/>I'm not comfortable with the way the man demonizes me. Not me, Fitzy the blogger, but my politics. I'm a liberal, and Timothy Walberg made that sound like one step away from Satan during the 2006 campaign.<BR/><BR/>I'm not comfortable with a representative that got a majority of his high-dollar campaign contributions from outside the state of Michigan. The elitist members of the Club for Growth, around the country, donated money to him not because they thought he would represent our interests, but because they knew he would represent their interests.<BR/><BR/>You might think that Tim Walberg is a fine congressman, and that's your opinion. I think that he's entirely wrong for the district, and a couple moments of bipartisanship won't change that.Fitzyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10416823898560265455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post-76718334251754988002007-05-12T00:21:00.000-04:002007-05-12T00:21:00.000-04:00what is the Congressman lacking? bi-partisan legis...what is the Congressman lacking? bi-partisan legislation with Patrick Kennedy, an understanding to develop and encourage alternative fuels, taking a reasonable approach to the Farm Bill by making sure our family farmers are protected, standing up to the Bush administration on the onerous No Child Left Behind legislation? ...or standing up to his leadership when he thinks the Bush administration has gone too far in warrantless eavesdropping (only 23 R's joined the D's) in passing this amendment (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll339.xml)<BR/>???Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post-70649058203693245262007-05-10T14:50:00.000-04:002007-05-10T14:50:00.000-04:00At this point, I'd just prefer someone reasonable ...At this point, I'd just prefer someone reasonable and realtively competent. The depths of Walberg's ineptness is truly astonishing and it's bringing us all down.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post-81720877816485584032007-05-10T03:06:00.000-04:002007-05-10T03:06:00.000-04:00Well, I'd rather have a liberal looking for a job ...Well, I'd rather have a liberal looking for a job than a right-wing, gun-totin', lower-taxin', warmonger--all of which fits our Mr. Tim.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post-69550993766337688002007-05-09T23:08:00.000-04:002007-05-09T23:08:00.000-04:00Jim Berryman is just another liberal looking for a...Jim Berryman is just another liberal looking for a job... you really need to check his record in the Senate, this guy is no moderate! We're talking gun control, abortion on demand, and higher taxes... and here he starts out talking about the corporate welfare giant called MEGA - great you see how well that's been working... 7 1/2 percent unemployment... what a joke...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post-77117820038032971922007-05-08T11:05:00.000-04:002007-05-08T11:05:00.000-04:00http://goberryman.comhttp://goberryman.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post-50120207163348785852007-05-04T16:25:00.000-04:002007-05-04T16:25:00.000-04:00Someone in the Democratic Party needs to tell Shar...Someone in the Democratic Party needs to tell Sharon Renier to stay on her organic farm for this election.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534894.post-70550273966741282282007-05-03T12:58:00.000-04:002007-05-03T12:58:00.000-04:00I'd bet my left foot Berryman would have supported...I'd bet my left foot Berryman would have supported this bill, which Walberg and 72 other republicans voted against. It is another symbolic bill, meant to draw attention to issues dealing with child care in this country. I guess Walberg has a problem with children being raised by anyone other than their mother, so why would he have any compassion for a working mom or a single parent...<BR/><BR/>Her is the text:<BR/><BR/>HCON 112 EH <BR/><BR/><BR/>110th CONGRESS<BR/><BR/>1st Session<BR/><BR/>H. CON. RES. 112<BR/><BR/>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR/><BR/><BR/>CONCURRENT RESOLUTION<BR/>Whereas approximately 63 percent of the Nation's children under 5 are in nonparental care during part or all of the day while their parents work; <BR/><BR/>Whereas the early care and education industry employs more than 2,300,000 workers; <BR/><BR/>Whereas the average salary of early care and education workers is $18,180 per year, and only 1 <BR/><BR/>/3 have health insurance and even fewer have a pension plan; <BR/><BR/>Whereas the quality of early care and education programs is directly linked to the quality of early childhood educators; <BR/><BR/>Whereas the turnover rate of early childhood program staff is roughly 30 percent per year, and low wages and lack of benefits, among other factors, make it difficult to retain high quality educators who have the consistent, caring relationships with young children that are important to children's development; <BR/><BR/>Whereas the compensation of early childhood program staff should be commensurate with the importance of the job of helping the young children of the Nation develop their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills, and to help them be ready for school; <BR/><BR/>Whereas providing adequate compensation to early childhood program staff should be a priority, and resources may be allocated to improve the compensation of early childhood educators to ensure that quality care and education are accessible for all families; <BR/><BR/>Whereas additional training and education for the early care and education workforce is critical to ensuring high-quality early learning environments; <BR/><BR/>Whereas child care workers should receive compensation commensurate with such training and experience; and <BR/><BR/>Whereas the Center for the Child Care Workforce, a project of the American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation, with support by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and other early childhood organizations, recognizes May 1 as National Child Care Worthy Wage Day: Now, therefore, be it <BR/><BR/><BR/>Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress supports the goals and ideas of National Child Care Worthy Wage Day, and urges public officials and the general public to honor early childhood care and education staff and programs in their communities and to work together to resolve the early childhood care and education staff compensation crisis.<BR/>Passed the House of Representatives May 1, 2007.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com