"When it's all said and done, Mississippians will look at 13 years of mainstream conservative Republican representation that reflects the values of Mississippi."What are these "mainstream conservative Republican values"? Let's take a look at a few of Roger Wicker's votes and see if they "reflect the values of Mississippi" .
Oct 31, 2007 - HR1025 Wicker voted against assistance to workers who lose their jobs due to the effect of globalization.
Wicker is from Tupelo. There is no area in Mississippi harder hit by the effects of globalization than the surrounding area of Tupelo. Just ten years ago, Tupelo was the shining industrial star of Mississippi with its burgeoning upholstered furniture industry. There were furniture manufacturers ranging from gigantic (Action Industries) to mom and pop outfits littered throughout the 40 mile radius of Tupelo. The supporting industries such as fabrics were also well represented in northeast Mississippi.
Fast forward to today and you see shuttered factories and closed shops growing in number by the week. Many Mississippians have seen their jobs replaced by the cheap labor of Mexico or China. Corporations have chosen to relocate overseas at a fraction of the labor cost, and minus pesky things like employee benefits, minimum wage or fair wage laws, and American safety standards.
Jan 10, 2007 - HR018 Wicker voted against increasing minimum wage to $7.25.
It goes without saying that Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the union. According to research done in 2006, 155,000 Mississippians would benefit from even a modest rise in the minimum wage. Minimum wage laws had not been updated in TEN years prior to this legislation. Those on the dirty end of the stick saw their wages frozen in time for a decade. These jobs likely also have no benefits and leave the employee helplessly stuck well below the poverty line.
Oct. 27, 2007 - HR1009 Wicker voted against adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility
SCHIP provides health care to poor children. Roger Wicker voted against making sure an additional two to four million poor American children had access to health care. I don't know how many of those poor children reside in Mississippi, but I am sure it is a disproportionately large number in comparison to the rest of the U.S.
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These votes do not reflect what I call Mississippi values. In the Mississippi I know we love our neighbor just as we were taught in Sunday school. Voting against a minimum wage hike after ten years of stagnation, voting against temporary benefits for those losing their jobs due to our changing trade laws, and voting against access to health care for children who have no say in their socioeconomic condition does not reflect the values of my Mississippi.
You fail to point out that the SCHIP formula would have kicked children off of private coverage and put them on a government funded program. Why should we have to pay for kids that are already covered? What the formula would do is put people on the rolls that can afford to have private coverage. Taxing does not create prosperity. It never has and never will. People expect the
ReplyDeleteGovernment to take care of their every need, but that is not the function of Government at all.
We live in a global market and the only way people will stop losing the jobs you are talking about is stop trading with these countries.
It’s a harsh reality, but people in our state and nation have to become smarter and take higher paying secure jobs.
Why do people want to socialize healthcare? It does not work and everyone losses, being doctors and patients. Ted Kennedy would not been able to hand pick his doctor under that formula, but yet he supports it.
Thanks for posting. I always appreciate your well though out rebuttals.
ReplyDeleteAn overwhelming majority of the childern covered under SCHIP had no coverage. The ones who did could not afford private coverage realistically. The poor should not be forced to cut back in other vital areas like food, housing, and transportation, just to pay medical bills. I don't want to give the house away, but I would rather offer a hand up than a foot on top their heads. Maybe I am just a bleeding heart, but that is the way I see it.
Globalization is here to stay. That you and I agree on. What is wrong with TEMPORARY assistance to those effected? The no government help approach I find cold and outside the values of Mississippi.
Ted Kennedy unlike you is not thinking of himself, but the 50 million uninsured Americans who deserve access to health care because like pvoerty, health care is a moral issue.