What is the most important single issue for you during the Mid-Term elections?

[AtLast]

I wonder how close our community comes to all those big polls out there! Are we apathetic or involved in political issues other than those directly impacting us?

Comment freely... and often!

[ravfem]

For me, it's equal rights and health care.

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by ravfem

For me, it's equal rights and health care.

ARGH... I am freaked about all the repeal talk on the health care reform acts. The pre-existing condition situation is just plain critical for me.

I am feeling a lot about the many friends I have that have been laid off, and not re-hired, however. Some over a year, now. They have put part-time and under-the-table things together, but are getting close to going through savings and then it will be taking $ out of retirement funds.

DADT, ENDA and marriage equality are up there for me, too.

[MsDemeanor]

The most important issue is retaining a Democratic majority in the House and getting 61 Democratic Senators. If we achieve that, all of the other issues will be resolved.

[pajama]

I know it's a dead horse, won't happen, won't happen quickly, yadda yadda

I want our troops home. I didn't believe in this war when it started, I haven't supported it all along (although Mad Props to our soldiers), I don't feel we have the slightest business being the police to the world when we are so f-ed up ourselves.

Then issue number two...take all that money that we won't be pumping into a war and put it into educating our future and re-educating displaced workers. Our educational system is hog tied by beurocratic b-s and lack of funding. These are our children for F sake!

Okay...sorry...off my rant! But you asked. LOL

A

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by MsDemeanor

The most important issue is retaining a Democratic majority in the House and getting 61 Democratic Senators. If we achieve that, all of the other issues will be resolved.

I know! The chances of anything moving anywhere good depends on this! I get upset with the Dems, but, the GOP does not represent the things I care about in any reasonable form.

I feel that if the Dems can hold on, even with a small majority, there will be significant change in the economy by 2012 and then, maybe more of a majority will be gained- AND THEN.... some things will get done! As much as I get mad at Obama sometimes, I just don't see me voting Republican now or then. And I don't want to throw my vote away to allow GOP candidates to win. The idea of the Tan Man as Speaker of the House is really awful!

I want Reid to be re-elected, but to step down as Senate Majority Leader. I don't see him as effective. But, we need him in the Senate.

Have to say that seeing all the money that goes into the wars being used differently sounds good. But, I do support our service people and don't want them short-changed. I do want them home and safe!

Oh, and CA races are really making me nervous!

[Laerkin]

This is a toughy. I agree that keeping a Dem majority is very important. I'm most concerned about reproductive rights (as it's directly correlated to women's equality and people of color) and gay equality (DADT, marriage, health care).

[Jess]

Absolutely agree with just about everything being said here.

At Last mentioned not wanting soldiers to get short changed. Unfortunately, a pay increase for our servicemen and women was part of the Defense Bill. So, not only are gay soldiers waiting to serve with their honor intact, they are now also waiting for a raise.

Equal rights is always a primary issue as I tend to think so very much of our country's economic and educational development stems from a population with healthy self esteem and federally protected rights.

I have a hard time separating Gay Rights from those of POC/ Immigration/ Reproductive/ Women's. For me, the right of human beings to be equal to one another trumps it all and promotes a "more perfect Union".

It's also difficult to guess which needs to happen first... human rights or employment/ economic recovery. Both are essential and affect the overall health of our nation.

[betenoire]

I'm Canadian so my concerns will be a little different from most of what the US-ians on here will be concerned about. (ie - I am fortunate enough to not have to worry about openly being queer in the military, equal marriage, or health care). So, that being said:

My main concerns are 1 - making public transit more efficient, more accessible, more available, and more....attractive to people. And 2 - making green sources of energy more affordable and available to the average homeowner.

EDIT - I do get that the question was specific to the US and your elections. But I felt like talking about my stuff too.

[EnderD_503]

Another Canuck here.

The Harper government is a big concern of mine, and more specifically the danger that government presents to Canada's health care system (Americans often criticise the Canadian health care system without realising that the reason it tends to go bonkers every once in a while is directly related to a Conservative government being in power, and the Conservatives are hell-bent on emulating the American system, unfortunately) as well as overall individual rights. For example, Harper keeps trying to bring the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage back to the debating table, though luckily he keeps getting shouted down. I also hate that the Harper government was very easily let off the hook for the transgressions made against the liberty/freedom of movement of Torontonians during the G-20 meet, as well as the ridiculous amounts of money he spent on hosting the monarchies of the modern western world. I also hate that the media turned the G-20 fiasco around and made it look like "phantom anarchists" or some so-called "black bloc" were responsible. If society were more educated on anarchists, anarchist tactics as well as the issues actually being protested by groups who showed up over the G-20 weekend (who were largely not anarchists, but groups protesting the meet itself, issues like the Israeli apartheid/the plight of Palestinians, individual rights issues and so on), then the issue wouldn't be continually taken advantage of by the media. It angers me that Harper, McGuinty and Miller all got away with temporarily turning Toronto into a police state for 3 days. So getting rid of the Conservatives, in particular, is a big concern of mine that is intertwined many other issues like preserving our health care system, as well as Canada's avant-garde approach to individual/human rights.

I'm also concerned with the public transportation system, at least here in Toronto. The TTC recently bumped up fare prices to 3 dollars, which is one of the most expensive public transit fares in the world. All that would be fine and dandy if we were actually getting better service for our money, but we're not, and seems like service has actually decreased. David Miller seemed addicted to putting street car tracks in random places, like on St. Clair west, where all it does is congest traffic. The buses and trains schedules are largely set to "frequent service," which seems to be their way of circumventing giving people regular service. Bus schedules especially seem to be sporadic at best. With the trains they now appear to want to emulate the European system, minus the efficiency (German trains are rarely if ever late, run frequently and run later/earlier) and affordability (the U-Bahn in Munich cost 1,20 Euro, which is the equivalent of 1,65 CAD, and riders get far more for their 1,20 Euro than 3 dollars gets us in Toronto. The S-Bahn is obviously a little more expensive, but it travels outside Munich. The regional and national trains are also affordable, link up with local trains, and they have machines at all stations where you can get your schedule for all regional/national/local connections printed for free) of a system like they have in Germany. From what I saw of the Netherlands it was the same there, and it seems it is the same all over Western/Central/North western Europe. Canada really needs to catch up on transport.

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

Another Canuck here.

The Harper government is a big concern of mine, and more specifically the danger that government presents to Canada's health care system (Americans often criticise the Canadian health care system without realising that the reason it tends to go bonkers every once in a while is directly related to a Conservative government being in power, and the Conservatives are hell-bent on emulating the American system, unfortunately) as well as overall individual rights. For example, Harper keeps trying to bring the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage back to the debating table, though luckily he keeps getting shouted down. I also hate that the Harper government was very easily let off the hook for the transgressions made against the liberty/freedom of movement of Torontonians during the G-20 meet, as well as the ridiculous amounts of money he spent on hosting the monarchies of the modern western world. I also hate that the media turned the G-20 fiasco around and made it look like "phantom anarchists" or some so-called "black bloc" were responsible. If society were more educated on anarchists, anarchist tactics as well as the issues actually being protested by groups who showed up over the G-20 weekend (who were largely not anarchists, but groups protesting the meet itself, issues like the Israeli apartheid/the plight of Palestinians, individual rights issues and so on), then the issue wouldn't be continually taken advantage of by the media. It angers me that Harper, McGuinty and Miller all got away with temporarily turning Toronto into a police state for 3 days. So getting rid of the Conservatives, in particular, is a big concern of mine that is intertwined many other issues like preserving our health care system, as well as Canada's avant-garde approach to individual/human rights.

I'm also concerned with the public transportation system, at least here in Toronto. The TTC recently bumped up fare prices to 3 dollars, which is one of the most expensive public transit fares in the world. All that would be fine and dandy if we were actually getting better service for our money, but we're not, and seems like service has actually decreased. David Miller seemed addicted to putting street car tracks in random places, like on St. Clair west, where all it does is congest traffic. The buses and trains schedules are largely set to "frequent service," which seems to be their way of circumventing giving people regular service. Bus schedules especially seem to be sporadic at best. With the trains they now appear to want to emulate the European system, minus the efficiency (German trains are rarely if ever late, run frequently and run later/earlier) and affordability (the U-Bahn in Munich cost 1,20 Euro, which is the equivalent of 1,65 CAD, and riders get far more for their 1,20 Euro than 3 dollars gets us in Toronto. The S-Bahn is obviously a little more expensive, but it travels outside Munich. The regional and national trains are also affordable, link up with local trains, and they have machines at all stations where you can get your schedule for all regional/national/local connections printed for free) of a system like they have in Germany. From what I saw of the Netherlands it was the same there, and it seems it is the same all over Western/Central/North western Europe. Canada really needs to catch up on transport.

Your comments about the canadian health care system and the conservative factors is really interesting to me. Oh, you all do not want the US models of health care that our conservatives want!!! From people I do know from Canada, I have heard more positive things about your system. But, yes, our conservative politicians take pot shots at it!

Originally Posted by betenoire

I'm Canadian so my concerns will be a little different from most of what the US-ians on here will be concerned about. (ie - I am fortunate enough to not have to worry about openly being queer in the military, equal marriage, or health care). So, that being said:

My main concerns are 1 - making public transit more efficient, more accessible, more available, and more....attractive to people. And 2 - making green sources of energy more affordable and available to the average homeowner.

EDIT - I do get that the question was specific to the US and your elections. But I felt like talking about my stuff too.

Public transportation is critical to both of our countries, I think. You cite the key variables that we need! I have to say that because I do live in an area that overall has good public transportaion, I have an awful time when in major cities that do not. Some of these cities are in Canada as well as in the US.

What is so nuts with green construction in the US overall is that for the average person, the costs are too high. Some things like solar energy are better. And what really sux is that the people that could use cuts in energy costs the most, can't afford most of the types of green technology that would bring costs down for them. Going green is very much an elitest way of life in the US!

A few years ago, I spent over 4 months traveling in canada and then up to Alaska. What was interesting to me is that in small rural areas, people there made the same kinds of anti-big government comments as I hear in the US small towns! You have a share of the right-wingers there, too.

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

Going green is very much an elitest way of life in the US!

I think that much can be said for all of North America, and think that's where a more European model is needed (among many other areas, imo). There are some really interesting green projects going on in Europe, that is for sure. But I think what you say about going green can also be said about related issues like organic foods, contributing to various charities and so on. It seems like many of these issues have undergone a certain degree of tokenisation, and are primarily aimed at the upper middle class and upper class. Going green shouldn't be as expensive as it is, but it's quite obvious that the usual culprits see there is a lot of cash to be made on upper class "guilt" or rather the status that exists today behind appearing "humanitarian" and up to speed regarding environmental issues. I find it ridiculous that even donating to certain charities has been commodified.

[Nat]

My main concern is that extremist bigoted crazy people will have more power.

There are so many issues right now that really scare me but I think the very scariest is the threat to social security - but threats to health care, abortion, separation of church and state, education issues, immigration, the increasing lean towards privatized for-profit prisons, and the fear of losing all the hopes for equal rights for gays - all that too is extremely scary to me.

I'm not the greenest person but I'm also concerned with the earth and what we are doing to it. I dont know that either party is committed to environmental justice. The economy bites too and I think it could bite worse.

[theoddz]

I think I'm most concerned about losing all of the progress we've made in the past 2 years and having to revert back to what we had during the 8 years Bush/Cheney/Wolfowitz/Rumsfeld/Elites/Corporatists were in power. Now we've got the nut jobs like the the Teabaggers running around, and the ultra-conservatives spouting their garbage, so its even more scary that some of the "fringe" elements of the Rethuglican party are getting more attention and an honest chance at political "legitimacy".

Just take all the changes, even the small ones, we've made with the Obama administration and cancel them. That's what scares me most. It's not just one issue, it's all of them.

~Theo~

[Kat]

Peak Oil, Peak Water, Peak Food, and global warming. You know, the stuff that Democrats are making sure no one knows much about...

[Apocalipstic]

I think I am most worried about the wars and the right to abortion and the possible repeal of Social Security and Medicare/aide.

I am with Theo, I am way freaked out about all the issues, but the above listed bother me most.

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Nat

My main concern is that extremist bigoted crazy people will have more power.

Yup! Sometimes I think, could Palin become president (or, VP) given what is going on? The other thing that is one big slap in the face to me is that such a large number of the women candidates running in the mid-terms are as goofy as she is! And her deciples via the Tea Baggers. To me, it is one thing that a candidate just represents ideology contrary to mine. Quite another that the are unbalanced!

[Sachita]

The environment and quality of our food.

[rlin]

health care... economy... unemployment... civil rights... aids funding... the middle east... china... hell... all of it...
without doubt this is the most important time in history that we maintain a majority and it would be amazing if we could attain a clear majority... i would love to do it without having to count an independent or a 3d party candidate...
and... maybe take reid out... theres a couple of names i would prefer to sit there... dems need to be kicked into shape a little... just a little more grit maybe...

[Apocalipstic]

Every post I read on this thread I keep thiking of more and more issues I am all riled up about!

Sachita, the genetic engineering of food totally creeps me out!

Civil Rights, the environment, health care....on and on and on!

Great thread AtLast! Nightmarish, but relevant!