4/5/04 - How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office

Ms. Sinreich,

Regarding your previous counterpoint to my missive regarding the title affixed on the aforementioned occasion, I was cognizant of the existence of a marketeable tome bearing the identical nomenclature, but was puzzled by its comedic intent no less than that of its derivative confabulation, given its obvious recourse to categories of prejudicial invective normally eschewed by purveyors of such political discourse.

Seriously, Ruby, why so formal?

John, please repeat after me:

D - E - L - I - C - A - T - E - S - S - E - N

Joe:

He-he-he-he-he...

I don't get it.

I'd settle for getting stupid PEOPLE out of office--regardless of race, creed, or color. Unfortunately--we seem to get the politicians we deserve--or, to quote Alexander Hamilton (Certainly white and male--stupid?):

"Your people, sir, is nothing but a great beast!"

Melanie

Not sure if this is the right thread for this post, but it seems to fit.

When I read Terri Tyson's letter to the editor in the Chapel Hill Herald on last week, I thought they had printed an April Fool's joke on the wrong day. Tyson was calling for measures to lure more Billionaires to NC. To do that we need to eliminate taxes so's we can all be hired to work for those Billionaires. I was laughing until I heard Tyson recycle her letter as a WCHL editorial this morning.

I thought Cam's Duke-hating April First editorial was deadpan funny, but Tyson's is completely irony-free!

http://billionairesforbush.com/ however is an antidote

Ms. Tyson might like to consult these folks on the efficacy of tax incentives for corporations in North Carolina ....

http://www.cfed.org/

--- and in particular, she should read their assessment of the Bill Lee Act, the largest source of state tax incentives for job creation:

http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:WqCWt0QQ93kJ:www.cfed.org/sustainable_economies/20030912%2520Lee%2520critique.pdf+%22William+Lee+Act%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

That program -- an experiment -- is roundly considered a failure by folks on the right and the left and the center: only 4% of the jobs claimed under the act (and thus, earning the companies tax credits) were found to have been attributable to the act's incentives, and most of the money has gone to areas of the state that need it the least.

That's just one example. If you want some more examples of how little you get for your money when counties start rebating property taxes for decades and providing all manner of free infrastructure, check out the experience of the counties in the Isothermal area, and the experience of AdvantageWest (the regional economic development entity up there).

I can't find her letter to the editor, and the last Tyson commentary posted on the WCHL web site is her protest of the use of the word "Meadowmonster."

From http://www.wchl1360.com/commentators.jsp Spelling directly from WCHL:

2004-04-06

Terri Tyson

Billioaires

"This is Terri Tyson. There are not enough billionaires living in North Carolina..."

So, the title of this is supposed to be funny?

Mr. Hood, it's the name of the book which the event was promoting. http://indyvoter.org/book.html

Personally, I find the title more depressing than funny.

I would love to hear a report from anyone who was able to attend.

The event was successful-a good number of activists involved in voting rights and voter mobilization turned out, and Boupha Toomaly, one of the contributors to the book, had some good insights on political organizing at the local level. The book "How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office" is filled with over a dozen pieces on grassroots organizing on a number of issues. Adam Sotak from Democracy North Carolina also spoke about local initiatives and voter organizing strategies.

I found it interesting that the book names NC as an "undecided" state in the upcoming presidential election...if memory serves correctly, NC electoral votes have lately gone to the republican pres. candidate. However, the almost weekly plant closings in the state, along with the steadily increasing number of US 82nd Airborne troops returning home maimed for life (those who don't come back in body bags, that is), might translate into a democratic victory this year...I have faith that even republican voters can tell when they are being lied to. Hundreds of workers across the Piedmont learn every month that the "strong economy" isn't strong enough to keep them employed (thanks to corporations acting in their best interest by sending factories overseas, with Bush's best wishes, and to hell with humans so affected) and, since the Bush regime has continued gutting social programs, jobless folks have scarcely a string left from what was already a threadbare social safety net. And his efforts to screw the troops by 1) sending them off to war with lies, 2) cutting VA benefits, combat pay (!!!), and other military benefits, WHILE THEY ARE IN THE FIELD, and 3) keeping them perched atop the lousiest "victory" in modern military history (any more such victories and we may be better off losing), do not go unnoticed by military families and their communities. In short, Bush may have hundreds of thousands of NC dollars in his war chest, but as for the "hearts and minds" of the NC people, that is far from assured.

Maybe it would be better to have a book called "How to Get A Stupid White Man Out of Office".

How to get stupid white men out of office?

Rice 2008!

Oh, great. Replace Stupid White Men with Stupid Black Woman. You're missing which of the 3 words is the important one to change....