Opinion
Tammy Baldwin not right for UW
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Also by Sara Mikolajczak:
- A wake up call to UW conservatives (September 26, 2008)
- American tragedy lives with us (September 12, 2008)
- Resist liberal indoctrination on campus (August 6, 2008)
- Ruling ensures prevention of electoral fraud from illegal immigrants (May 1, 2008)
- Leave alcohol age to states (April 17, 2008)
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When Jimmy Carter was president, his energy policy was an absolute failure. Telling the American people to “turn down the heat and put on a sweater” simply wasn’t going to fly. Thirty years later in the United States, we are still facing energy issues, now with a financial crisis on top of it. With the University of Wisconsin in the Second Congressional District, we are lucky to have our congresswoman, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, sitting on the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
That is, we would be lucky if Baldwin was at all effective in Congress or did anything related to her position on the committee. However, Baldwin has done nothing about the impending energy crisis or the current financial situation. She serves on a committee that, by its title, dictates it would be at the forefront of two of the most important issues our nation is facing right now.
Instead of trying to do anything about the financial crisis — instead of even talking about the bailout bill — Baldwin was not available for comment until after the vote. Commerce has everything to do with the economy and therefore, the situation we are facing right now. Other members had no problems talking about the economy and the bailout. Even members who do not sit on the committee seemed to be better informed than our representative.
With regard to the energy situation, Baldwin has done the same thing as with the financial crisis: nothing. The American people, by a large margin, wanted to lift the ban on offshore drilling to begin to lower the prices of energy and Baldwin’s constituents have expressed the same desire as the rest of Americans. Time and time again, Baldwin has voted against the wishes of her constituents.
So if Baldwin isn’t listening to her constituents and she isn’t talking about the important issues of the day, what exactly are we paying her to do? Well, aside from calling for the impeachment of the U.S. president in a time of war, she has authored a number of unnecessary pieces of legislation. House Resolution 431 recognizes the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, which legalized interracial marriage within the United States. House Resolution 981, also authored by Baldwin, recognized March 6, 2008 as the first-ever World Glaucoma Day. And this is only the beginning. After nearly 10 years in Congress, these are our representative’s recent major accomplishments — according to her own website.
The constituents of Wisconsin’s Second Congressional District deserve better. We do not have a competent representative. We do not have someone who is thinking about our best interests as we elected her to do. Come Nov. 4, demand something better. Let Baldwin know we want someone who will go to Washington for us and not to push a pathetic, personal agenda. This November, elect someone to Congress who is truly representative of what we want. Elect someone smart who will spend his time in Washington getting us what we need and providing solutions to the problems we face today.
Peter Theron has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and is running against Baldwin to bring solutions to Congress. Theron is smart and has great ideas about how to fix our country. Better than that, he has promised that, if elected, he will truly represent us. This November, send a message to Tammy Baldwin that we want and we deserve better; this November, vote for Peter Theron.
Sara Mikolajczak (wisconsincrs@gmail.com) is chair of the University of Wisconsin College Republicans.
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Phase 1 – Dramatically Increase U. S. Energy from All Sources – 2008-2012
o Permit safe drilling everywhere on the continental shelf,
o Permit safe extraction of oil shale,
o Permit safe and limited drilling in the ANWR oil fields of Alaska,
o Permit the building of additional environmentally safe, clean coal power plants,
o Encourage the use of safe coal-gasification or syngas,
o Immediately change federal regulations and tax policy to encourage investment in additional building of new oil refineries,
The first 6 points on your beloved saviors website. Everything else after that, for real alternative fuel solutions, he uses the word “encourage”.
From the EIA 2007 Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) and the 2007 report issued by the National Petroleum Council (NPC) states, and I paraphrase, that all this magical oil substance won’t have an effect on gas prices until 2030 and that the effect would be insignificant! Not to mention oil drilling never being safe for anybody. Oh no, lets believe the conservatives instead!
Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies!
The people have been lied too and how about we support someone who supports actual energy independence instead of giving more handouts to the oil companies.
Hey Sara,
Saying someone “doesn’t have our best interests in mind” doesn’t make it true. Tammy is, by far, the best choice for the people of the second district.
I feel sorry for you though. It’s got to be hard to be a Republican when the entire Republican brand is being rejected across the board as the American people finally see you for what you really are.
Sara,
Let Theron campiagn for himself. Your generic last paragraph mentioning of him did him zero favors. Smart and great ideas and will TRULY represent us? Nice.
By the by, you also mentioned he would FIX the country…inplying its broken. So you admit its broken. Finally.
I’ll spare you my usual critique of your writing style and logic and move on to the substance of your argument…
“So if Baldwin isn’t listening to her constituents and she isn’t talking about the important issues of the day, what exactly are we paying her to do?”
I think the language you used here demonstrates a misconception about governance. James Madison, one of the most influential and important of our founding fathers, would rather you think that the role of government and elected officials is not to necessarily represent the every whim of the majority, but rather lead as someone with a fiduciary duty would.
Sometimes that means you don’t do things that the majority wants you to do because it may be unwise or incorrect. In this regard, Baldwin’s opposition to the offshore drilling makes sense as it does have an environmental impact that you may or may not recognize.
But, with regard to her bits of other legislation, it’s hard to accept your view that glaucoma awareness or racial equality are not important because in reality, it’s just not important to you. This is precisely why our system was set up as a Republic, because the majority would dominate all issues and determine which issues matter.
In a society where we’re as bitterly divided and people like you, with sub-par intelligence, are afforded the right to vote the same as anyone else, it’s probably for the best.
Everyone wants the US to be more “green” but when prices go up we’re allowed to just forget about that? Instead of taking the easy way out (offshore drilling) spend some time trying to find ways to generate energy without oil….novel concept, eh?
i’m not tammy’s biggest fan either, but your attacking her for taking 2 mins to author a RESOLUTION (not a law) that says “interracial relationships won’t be the downfall of the republic”?
wow. good luck with that.
oh, and what else ya got besides domestic offshore drilling? and while we’re on the topic, how much will it save consumers, and how long will i have to wait before i see those savings?
TIA…
Over the years, I haven’t favored or hated the policies of Tammy Baldwin. As far as I’m concerned she’s always been one of those mediocre representative - she doesn’t lead but she doesn’t straggle in the back either. That’s all well and good, we can’t all take charge in congress… I don’t actually have a problem with this methodology. But in September, when she announced the “Executive Branch Accountability Act” she turned down a path that lost any support she had from me. This act is one (or both) of two things: An ignorant attempt to blame the misdirections of the last 4 years of government solely on Republican party (Not that I entirely disagree, but I still remember that the Congress was democratic) , or an attempt to limit the authority of the Executive Branch. This latter part is a very serious transgression in my eyes, as it would be a rather blatant attempt to disrupt the checks & balances system that our nation was founded on.
Anyway, I don’t plan on voting for Tammy Baldwin. I don’t plan on voting for any incumbent this year. The future of America is change, and sending the same Congress that has been there for the last 4 years back, regardless of party affiliation, is a mistake in my eyes.
Hey, Batshit Sara.
Try citing your assertions.
Wow! Peter Theron is smart, has great ideas, and promises to represent us while bringing solutions to Congress?! Color me convinced.
But on a serious note, Sara, if you truly wish to inform the student body, consider giving us reasons why Theron’s politics are a better fit for the district. You complain frequently about the left-wing bent on this campus and would likely agree that Theron’s ideology is not a good fit for most students. It’s up to you to explain why it is that these “great ideas” are palatable to so many people who will not think twice about voting for Baldwin. This column leaves me with the impression that you know nothing about the man’s proposals and would rather drone on about Baldwin being ineffective. I knew several Dave Magnum supporters who did the same thing; look at where that attitude got him.
Why is it that the CR chair gets BH space to lie about Rep. Baldwin, but the Democrats aren’t offered a chance to make their case?
Conservative bias in the media? You betcha!
Baldwin has had her chance. She did nothing. Time for someone else.
I agree with Sara. Baldwin does nothing term after term except campaigning when she’s up for re-election. A few buzzwords about healthcare and some pandering to senior citizens & liberals during the election seasons, and she hits the snooze button until next time. It mystifies me why she continues to be re-elected, and I’m beginning to believe it’s simply because she’s a token homosexual. This district is overrun with rabid liberals.