Comments from January 19, 2019

My comments at the Spring Convention on January 19, 2019:

I’ve always thought that conventions are a time for us to come together to rededicate ourselves to our principles and to solidify the strong bonds that unite us together. I heard it once summarized that the Democratic Party is the party of “WE,” not the party of “ME.”  

We believe that government can be a positive force for good in our community—a force that can nurture, protect, and defend the rights of all people.  

We are the party of the American Dream that nourishes the roots of liberty.  We are the party of FDR who passed the National Labor Relations Act that protects our right to organize and bargain collectively.  We are our neighbors’ keepers as the party of social security, Medicare, and Medicaid that support our neighbors when they need it the most.  We are the party of civil rights and liberties fighting to protect all Americans from discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, and sexual orientation.  We are the party that protects working people by making sure that employers pay a minimum wage, overtime, and provide leave when we or a loved one are at our sickest. We are the party of affordable healthcare because individual freedom cannot exist if we can’t afford a roof over our heads or the prescriptions we need to live.  We are the party of public K-12 education because all children in our country deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams. We are the party of environmental protection as we seek to leave our country a better place for generations to come.

Republicans simply refuse to believe in the power of “WE.” They talk about government like it is an invading army.  They brag about starving government caring more about passing a tax break for companies and the uber wealthy than doing something about the 14,000 GM jobs being eliminated.  They care more depriving millions of the healthcare they depend upon and more about starting wars than taking care of our soldiers when they return home.

Instead of doing the work of the people, they have selectively shut down some of our public institutions and are holding hostage 800,000 federal employees who don’t know when they will receive their next paycheck.  All to build a $5 billion wall at a time when their plan to starve government has left our roads and bridges collapsing, our schools crumbling, and our people paying top dollar for drinking water that poisons them.

My fellow Democrats, today at our convention, let us remind ourselves that we are stronger united together to nurture, protect, and defend the rights of all people!  Let us stand united against the politics of greed and self-indulgence. Welcome to the first day of our road together toward re-taking our democracy in 2020!

 

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