Mad as hell! About something!
The Trump approach to government reform.
While the state Senate drama staggered on inside the Capitol yesterday, there as a sort of follow-up to the Tax Day "tea parties" going on outside.
The theme of the "March on Albany" was "We're Voting the Ins Out!" -- though it sounds like maybe the incumbents don't have much to worry about.
If anything, it seems like the protest was an expression of a generalized anger toward government.
B has posted a photo set with a bunch of pics from yesterday's protest.
photo: B
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Comments
Just like the official site states today: The March on Albany is Over.
Look it, I want to support this stuff. I really do. But the zombie-minded progressives that permeate all facets of Albany life ostracize dissidents to the point of laughing stock. Look at those silly hats and signs! Donald Trump giggles!
Our freedoms are being challenged. Look at gun rights in Albany County. Stratton makes remarks in an interview that martial law is an option. 1/3 of B's pics are officers. This emerging trend disturbs me- and should concern you as well.
Yes, this rally is being reported today as a failure by most measures. Blame marketing.
So, what's next? Get ready for higher property taxes next year. BHO's stimulus money granted NYS was used to expand the 09 budget- not plug existing shortfalls. Now our legislative session suffers gridlock while the average NY citizen can't even name who their State Senator is.
AOA readers will take this all, as its presented to them, from our body politic. Tax hikes running rampant, more police monitoring, no reductions in government or education spending, and unaccountable elected representation. How many of you would even admit not being Obama supporters? How many lies and broken campaign promises will it take to change your mind?
Why not take a stand today and tell me which side you are on.
Or, you can remain concerned about inconsequential social issues, like Miss Gay Albany. Wake up folks. You are being played as fools by those you elected to power.
... said Jeff Stannard on Jun 17, 2009 at 11:51 AM | link
Jeff, your message got through loud and clear here, but I don't think it's the one you thought it was. Bad math, less education spending, anti-Obama rhetoric, and civil rights being "inconsequential", indeed.
... said B on Jun 17, 2009 at 2:11 PM | link
My issues with rallies and marches is that the subtle and often nuanced points that one might want to make at such an event are often disregarded by the supposedly coy signs rally-goers hold up. Republicrats? There are just as many Democrats that got where they got because Daddy held political office too. Aristocracy, political party aside, is what people ought to be against. Republicrat just looks more amusing on a sign. (To be fair, I dislike the Republicans probably more than the Democrats so funny me standing up for them.)
@Jeff
Social issues are never inconsequential. Education and civil rights may be social issues, but they are far from inconsequential. Once upon a time the right for a woman to hold a job was considered a social issue. Now women are leaders in all sorts of academic, scientific, medical and political fields.
Furthermore, not to sound crass, but allowing for same sex marriages in NY are not only a boon to human rights, but for the economy. So if social issues are too inconsequential, think about all that cold, hard cash!
... said Ellie on Jun 17, 2009 at 2:45 PM | link
@Jess: "1/3 of B's pics are officers.". Not wanting to let the cat totally out of the bag (but still), this is kind of a Flickr joke I shared with B a few weeks ago. For some weird reasons, photos of cops are really popular and bring traffic; is there a fetish going on, I'm not sure. I had noticed that a while ago while taking pictures at Alive @ 5. This came back in our discussions when I put the Freihofer's Run for Women shots online; out of 71 photos, some of them rather "explicit", two of the most "visited" are random shots of cops. Granted, you could find this emerging trend disturbing too...
... said -S on Jun 17, 2009 at 2:48 PM | link
Ellie- Perhaps "Republicrat" was a cross between "Republican" and "Democrat" (meaning all of them), not implying that Republicans are aristocrats. Just a guess.
... said HerberJo on Jun 17, 2009 at 3:01 PM | link
B- I was confused by your sentence fragment and what it implies. Please expound on your original comment.
... said Jeff Stannard on Jun 17, 2009 at 3:08 PM | link
-S is absolutely correct, right now one of the police photos is the most visited photo out of the set. It's a strange phenomenon.
Jeff: no.
... said B on Jun 17, 2009 at 4:39 PM | link
Ummmmmm
http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr235/TommyymmoT/Ummmmm1.jpg
I couldn't figure out how to post it.
... said Tommy on Jun 17, 2009 at 5:03 PM | link
@HerberJo
Then my case in point! A sentiment towards voting out the current administration mistaken for aristocracy! Signs are only as effective as the people reading them while discussion/debate allows for the nuance.
... said Ellie on Jun 17, 2009 at 5:11 PM | link
i am so sick of "libertarianism." call it what it is: EXTREME CONSERVATISM.
... said dave on Jun 18, 2009 at 8:41 AM | link
@B - You're obviously ignorant of how state finances work. Because the budget was sort of balanced using one-shot money from Obama's stimulus plan, the state essentially postponed its fiscal crisis until next year.
Also looming is the impact of the stock market collapse on the pension fund. Because New York is committed to keeping the pension system viable (unlike states like New Hampshire, whose pension fund is nearly insolvent), the Comptroller will be levying large contributions on local government next fiscal year.
That means that local property taxes will jump 10-20%, or schools, cities and towns will lay off many workers.
... said CommonSense on Jun 18, 2009 at 8:52 AM | link
I invite those who would like to learn more about the Obama Administration's latest position on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to read this statement:
http://www.hrc.org/12905.htm
Ladies and gentlemen, this is Obama hypocrisy of the tallest order.
My convictions regarding gay rights is more straightforward. I support gay marriage in New York State the moment Affirmative Action is repealed. Why I should be the object of state-sanctioned discrimination because I was born male and white within the last 40 years is, quite frankly, illogical. Let's take a hard look at civil rights for all then, and stop this pigeonholing towards those who hold dissenting opinion of narcissistic social causes.
The government is at fault for this. While we focus our energy and fight amongst ourselves over these inconsequential issues, they rob and steal from us when we are not watching. Get with the program. We need to come together to address the critical shortfalls that makes all levels of elected leadership dysfunctional at its core. US monetary policy is a good place to start.
This constant division serves but only one purpose: distraction.
... said Jeff Stannard on Jun 18, 2009 at 9:29 AM | link
@S- I'm going to assume you meant to respond to Jeff and not to me unless I've involved myself in this conversation unwittingly.
... said jess on Jun 18, 2009 at 10:15 AM | link
@jess: correct. If you look down, you will notice I had my choice between @jedd, and @jegg, but I went the extra mile to the left with @jess.
... said -S on Jun 18, 2009 at 10:54 AM | link
CommonSense: cool story, bro.
... said B on Jun 18, 2009 at 11:08 AM | link