Open Letter to Democrats

In this day and age of Obama, I wish to remind Democrats of one simple and unavoidable fact:  our vote for Democratic candidates is not to be assumed.

In several states around the country, Democratic governors and legislatures appear to be in a bizarre game of onedownmanship! Who can cut education more?  Who can balance their state's budgets while cutting funding for public services while still giving out tax giveaways to companies at a pace Republicans could only dream of.

Are you listening Ted Strickland of Ohio?

I am here to say that there will be consequences for squandering the public trust put into you after eight disaster years of Bush-Cheney and runaway right-wing thuggery, if you abuse the trust put into you.

Attacking librarians for their anger over shouldering cuts of 50% when the state budget shortfall is 6% is not "shared sacrifice" governor Stickland.  More information here. 

We will not stand for attacks on the public's need for essential services and real reform -- not just the mentality of "must cut to make my budget work" slight of hand -- in health care, education, library and information services to the poor and working classes, early literacy programs, support for colleges and universities, access to reproductive health care, efforts to dismantle the digital divide, and much more. 

Remember just spending stimulus money to balance your budget or widen roads or to give tax breaks to large companies does not count as real reform.

And our vote is not automatic if there is a letter D after your last name.