I've Had Enough

Haley Barbour the governor of Mississippi gave the keynote speech at the recent Michigan Republican Convention in Lansing. I was there and can attest to a standing room only crowd. I can also attest to the fact that they weren’t disappointed.

The governor talked of many things. Naturally I enjoyed his mention of how in this time of disaster for our party he talked about changing the party and that the change had to be from the “Bottom Up”. I felt his main thrust was the idea that both Parties by definition were coalitions of groups with some different ideas. To make this change from the “Bottom Up”, Governor Barbour talked of 80%. He talked of 60%.

He said that at any one time 60% of the voters could vote Republican if they were given a reason. That is where the 80% and coalition building came in. He talked from experience when he said most Republicans can agree upon 80% of the ideas each other holds. Whether we chose to focus on the 80% or fight over the remaining 20%, will determine how well we do at the polls.

That is how coalitions are built. Agreeing upon the 80%. The Republican party in my estimation lacks the built in foot soldiers of the Democrat Party. We have no ready troops from the likes of labor unions, teacher unions, trial lawyers etc. Year in and year out the Dems can count on these groups for money and campaign workers. We have little along those lines. A built in political infrastructure of support is needed.

We need to reach out to any groups that, echoing Haley Barbour’s idea, share 80% of our ideas. I’m talking fiscal and value voters. I’m talking about getting the religious right behind us again.

We need a method to our madness. Other wise we seem like crass capitalists who are out to get rich. The bible talks of being wise stewards of our money. There is a reason and that reason is that if we are wise leaders, the people will benefit. It also talks of throwing the money changers out of the temple. Of teaching men to fish vs. giving them fish. It doesn’t condemn free enterprise, it simply says to use it wisely. To let the values of religion guide us in the use of this powerful tool.

Perhaps it is time to ground our political theories in those concepts again. Force ourselves back to not just paying lip service to those ideas but to acting upon them all the time. At this point I must point out that compromise and acting upon ones principles are not exclusive of each other. Politics is precisely that. Two people who have differing ideas agreeing to get something done by finding what common ground they have that will allow them to follow their principles.
This thought leads me to the following link

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/19092.html
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In this link Politico talks of Bobby Jindal and how he is the first to actually say no to at least part of the stimulus. This is a big step to take in this day and age, at least seemingly from the shocked response of the media.

Allow me to digress. Quite awhile ago I was traveling with my two young children and outside of a burger joint we found a twenty dollar bill on the ground. My children wanted to spend it right away. I had them give it to the business to hold for anyone claiming they lost it.

The whole idea of the Stimulus Bill is similar, and I realize it may be a stretch except the idea I’m alluding to comes out of values. That money wasn’t ours we didn’t earn it and there is no such thing as free money without any strings.

My kids new that, Bobby Jindal is simply pointing out the same and showing the strings attached and he is deciding that he doesn’t want his state and the people in it to become puppets.

I noticed too from the article that Haley Barbour and some other governors are tentatively voicing the same opinion. I give Bobby the credit for being the first to risk his position for the sake of his values. I will look forward to hearing his rebuttal to Obama.

I must chime in here from a local point of view. I helped a friend last spring set up a small neighborhood garden along with a few other people. The garden actually worked. Some neighbors grew food there along with flowers. Let me tell you it was the worst piece of ground I ever saw. But it worked. Very little money was spent. She rented a rototiller and paid for it herself. She also tilled her own garden and two others used it that day along with the community garden. My friend has been seeking some money to help build some raised wheelchair accessible boxes and to buy the lumber and dirt. $500 to $1000 would be more than enough.

Community Mental Health has held hearing and meetings and come up with grant money for ours and other neighborhood gardens and parks. Now we are to learn later today exactly what strings are to be attached to the project. My friend told me she thought we were in line for $12000 in money. To get that they are talking that the city has to come in and put in a water system. We have to have meetings with MSU master gardeners. We need to do a lot of other things to help justify the money. We must pay city employees to do the work of building it. Etc. My friend told me that she thinks it is a waste of money.

I feel she thinks it is an insult to her. She started this thing and got people together and now the CMH wants to buy their way in. We’re talking at least 4 government agencies taking the credit and I imagine a good part of the money along with it.

I will go to find out more facts about the program today and report tomorrow. If this is the case. I will urge her to say NO to the FREE money.

The obvious compromise would be to force them to only give us $750 and not the whole $12,000. I consider that impossible. I can’t imagine a government bureaucracy being forced to do anything, much less giving away less free money.

BUT

Believing in miracles as I do, you never know.

In our America change must start somewhere.

Perhaps as Governor Haley Barbour says this time it will start from the “Bottom Up”

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative