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Opinion

Vote Democrat and replace politicians who put special interests before people

Isaiah Warner
Opinion Columnist

Election Day is upon us. Voters have the opportunity to choose who represents us, something the founders of our country fought and died for. We can honor the sacrifices of those who have served in the military to defend that same freedom. In addition, we have the opportunity to reject the status quo and vote for change.

Elected officials sweep the youth of America under the rug simply because they can. When faced with a choice to provide free college or free prescription drugs, the youth will always lose. Until we vote in the numbers that senior citizens do, we will always lose in policy decisions that exclusively affect our age group. 

The American Association of Retired Persons is the most powerful lobby in Washington because the people it represents vote in large percentages. This year can be the start of the youth’s movement to become a political force. Students can either accept their diminished role in politics or vote for change. 

For Texans, we are near a point of no return. In the past decade, we have voted for candidates who have put the people of Texas on the back burner to special interest groups. Instead of considering the benefits of alternative transportation, Republican leaders only consider projects that give millions of dollars to the concrete lobbyists who helped get them elected. Today, we have the opportunity to speak with one voice.

The most visible race pits Democrat Chris Bell against Republican Rick Perry alongside two other would-be Republicans. 

Perry has presided over a disastrous tenure as governor during which future budget shortfalls have expanded astronomically. Carole Keeton Strayhorn has flip-flopped on issues, political parties and last names far too many times to be considered a viable candidate. Last, and certainly least, Kinky Friedman has made a mockery of the democratic process by simply using his campaign to increase his personal sales of action figures and T-shirts. If the people of Texas want to "shake Austin up," a vote for Bell is the only vote for change. 

Bell would go to Austin with a clear plan to right some of the wrongs in this state. For college students across Texas, he will work to reverse out-of-control tuition increases through the re-regulation of tuition rates. He also said textbooks should be tax-exempt, supported by the logic that offering a tax-free weekend for clothes and other items should be extended to educational materials. If UH students are tired of having to work additional jobs to afford the latest round of tuition increases, they should vote for change.

In the U.S. Senate, we have the opportunity to replace one of the biggest rubber stamps for President Bush. Kay Bailey Hutchison has chosen to vote the party line instead of voting the voice of her constituents. She chose to give Bush a blank check in authorizing the Iraq war and stood by as the nation’s bravest fought in the quicksand without an exit strategy. Opponent Barbara Ann Radnofsky is an intelligent, honest woman who will use her office to represent all Texans, not just the ones who cut campaign checks. We can choose to either stay the course in Iraq or to vote for change.

Nationwide, Democrats stand to make huge gains in the House. Locally, several races in the Houston area are vital to success. Former congressman Nick Lampson already took the con out of Congress; now he seeks Tom DeLay’s old seat to accurately represent District 22. 

In District 7, Jim Henley has courageously fought against John Culberson’s relentless disregard of his constituents. Voters in these districts have the chance to lead the nation by casting a vote for change.

Some are willing to do more than say that the nation is addicted to oil. 

Some are willing to secure the borders and ports instead of using immigration as 2006’s wedge issue. Actions speak louder than words, and the incumbent Republican Party has failed across the board. Today, we vote for change.

Warner, the UH Young Democrats president, 
can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu