Is There A BETTER Day to Start the New Politics Thread?

by **The Nightman Cometh** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 17:38:17

Seriously though conservative dems are the most utterly useless people on the planet. I might not agree with most Republicans, but at least they try to accomplish things.

by **drsmooth** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 19:50:56

Doctors Pursue House, Senate Seats

Forty-seven physicians — 41 Republicans and six Democrats— are running for the House or Senate this year, three times the number of doctors serving in Congress today, according to a USA TODAY review.

An influx of doctors to Congress could alter the landscape for future debates over Medicare and rising insurance premiums months after lawmakers approved President Obama's 10-year, $938 billion health care law.

Physician candidates start with at least one political advantage: voter confidence. A Gallup Poll in March found 77% of Americans trust doctors to do "the right thing" on health policy, compared with 32% for Republican leaders and 49% for Obama.

~10% of congress would be physicians if all these cats won.

The devil is very much in the details however; specialists would almost certainly take MUCH different positions on the "right" health reform tactics than GPs, even as there would be differences AMONG specialists & GPs.

I have not seen the candidates list, but I would be surprised if most of the Republican MD candidates are specialists vs GPs.

by **Werthless** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 09:44:56

Those crazy Europeans are at it again.

AN overseas holiday used to be thought of as a reward for a year’s hard work. Now Brussels has declared that tourism is a human right and pensioners, youths and those too poor to afford it should have their travel subsidised by the taxpayer.

Tajani, [the European Union commissioner for enterprise and industry] who unveiled his plan last week at a ministerial conference in Madrid, believes the days when holidays were a luxury have gone. “Travelling for tourism today is a right. The way we spend our holidays is a formidable indicator of our quality of life,” he said.

The scheme, which could cost hundreds of millions of pounds a year, is intended to promote a sense of pride in European culture, bridge the north-south divide in the continent and prop up resorts in their off-season.

And some people are wondering if health care is a right.

by **jerseyhoya** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 16:38:57

by **traderdave** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 17:21:01

My daughter got that sticker plus two free homework passes for voting for her school's end of year party theme and snack.

I have a strong feeling that a lot of budgets are going to go down in NJ this year. I think historically we have approved 75% of the budgets; I don't know if I'd be shocked if 75% were voted down this year. That is probably a bit extreme but you get the point. Mr. and Mrs. Vox could confirm this but there really seems to be a strong push to vote down the budget in Cherry Hill. I don't get the same vibe in my town but I am still a little worried.

by **jerseyhoya** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 18:38:35

The fun thing about school budget elections is one vote really can make a difference. I remember one year maybe 10 years ago the Medford budget ended up tying, which counted as failing.

by **traderdave** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 19:05:54

jerseyhoya wrote:The fun thing about school budget elections is one vote really can make a difference. I remember one year maybe 10 years ago the Medford budget ended up tying, which counted as failing.

Absolutely, which is why I spent the last week or so hitting up friends and neighbors to get out and support our budget today; I hope it worked. I am going to head down to my polling place around 9 tonight (when our polls close) to see how my district made out. Ahhh, might as well check out how I'm doing while I'm there - LOL!

by **TenuredVulture** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 19:20:02

jerseyhoya wrote:The fun thing about school budget elections is one vote really can make a difference. I remember one year maybe 10 years ago the Medford budget ended up tying, which counted as failing.

This is perhaps the dumbest thing about voters--they turn out in droves to vote in a Presidential election, where their vote is not going to make a difference, unless they happen to live in THE swing state in a close election, but they won't turn up to vote in local elections, where their vote really might be decisive.

by **VoxOrion** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 20:12:31

That's the dumb thing about politics in general. Your local and state government probably has 75% more influence on you than the Federal government, but thanks to conglomeration of media and the cost efficiencies of not covering local issues (and the shine and glitz of Federal government activities), no one pays attention. This isn't a right or left thing, it's an American thing.

Meanwhile, I watch as people stare dumbly at one another when they hear that cell phone bans and smoking bans and stuff are in effect, as if they have no influence or control over such things if they just, you know, voted (and maybe stopped re-electing incumbents +80% of the time).

by **jerseyhoya** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 22:36:48

Medford Lakes budget failed 522-480. So the count was 522-476 among people that don't live in my house.

by **pacino** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 22:41:57

who needs a budget?! NOT ME! it was fun when i wasn't paid, let others experience that! yayyy

by **TenuredVulture** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 22:46:22

Nutley's school budget failed by 8 votes.

by **jerseyhoya** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 22:47:30

Budgets going down all over the place.

I hope all the ones in towns where teachers took pay freezes passed.

by **jerseyhoya** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 22:49:40

Medford budget failed by less than 50 votes out of 5000. Jeez.

by **TenuredVulture** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 22:51:08

Deal approved its school budget 56 to 52. I dunno, that seems like a pretty low turnout. In 2000, population was about 1000.

by **TenuredVulture** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 22:55:48

jerseyhoya wrote:Budgets going down all over the place.

I hope all the ones in towns where teachers took pay freezes passed.

My friend the mayor claims on face book that the Fair Haven teachers agreed to the freeze at 3 pm, and that's why the Fair Haven budget passed. (Polls there opened at 4.

by **jerseyhoya** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 23:03:17

Of results confirmed by the Courier-Post, only Magnolia and Gloucester Township have approved spending plans, while 10 districts will go back to the drawing board after voters had their say.

Evesham, Mt. Laurel voted down their budgets by big margins

My mom's office is going to be a hell of a place to be tomorrow

by **TenuredVulture** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 23:04:13

Lakewood's budget went down 659-5448. It looks like only 1 or 2 budgets passed in ocean county.

by **TenuredVulture** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 23:09:38

That Ocean County bit is probably a bit misleading, as it takes into account all those tiny little shore towns--Toms River, which I would guess is the biggest district in the County passed its budget.

by **jerseyhoya** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 23:14:05

TenuredVulture wrote:That Ocean County bit is probably a bit misleading, as it takes into account all those tiny little shore towns--Toms River, which I would guess is the biggest district in the County passed its budget.

Brick's about the same size and they voted theirs down.

Thought TR had more old people. Surprising.

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Is There A BETTER Day to Start the New Politics Thread?