I hate my home state
Jul. 1st, 2002 09:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kellinatorhttp://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/07/01/tennessee.budget.ap/index.html
The people affected include several of my friends who attend Tennessee colleges, high-school classmates who were laid off from their teaching jobs this past spring, and my mother, a secretary for the Department of Children's Service, who has been laid off this week.
I am so livid. Tennesseans in general are too fucking stupid to understand that they're paying one of the highest sales taxes in the nation, sales taxes are hardest on lower-income people, and an income tax, with a resulting reduction in the income tax, would probably save 90% of the rock-throwing horn-honking protesters outside the state capitol money. I was especially infuriated to hear they were screaming at college students demonstrating in favor of the income tax to "go get a job." Indicative of Tennessee's general attitude -- why work to improve yourself when you can drop out of high school, get a shitty job, and drink beer and watch UT thugball on the weekends?
Even worse, they're talking about booting the sales tax up to 9.25% (including food)until November, when voters will apparently vote on an income tax. Look, I believe in democracy, but it's obvious the voters are living in a never-never-land and don't understand what is necessary or even fair. Sometimes what's the best thing to do isn't the popular thing. Should we have had a referendum in the '60s to let the voters decide on integration? I think fucking not.
But then again, what do you expect from a state that spends millions to attract pro sports teams but next to nothing on education?
It's no fucking wonder Tennessee's such a joke -- and well on track to replacing Mississippi and Arkansas as the national laughingstock.
The people affected include several of my friends who attend Tennessee colleges, high-school classmates who were laid off from their teaching jobs this past spring, and my mother, a secretary for the Department of Children's Service, who has been laid off this week.
I am so livid. Tennesseans in general are too fucking stupid to understand that they're paying one of the highest sales taxes in the nation, sales taxes are hardest on lower-income people, and an income tax, with a resulting reduction in the income tax, would probably save 90% of the rock-throwing horn-honking protesters outside the state capitol money. I was especially infuriated to hear they were screaming at college students demonstrating in favor of the income tax to "go get a job." Indicative of Tennessee's general attitude -- why work to improve yourself when you can drop out of high school, get a shitty job, and drink beer and watch UT thugball on the weekends?
Even worse, they're talking about booting the sales tax up to 9.25% (including food)until November, when voters will apparently vote on an income tax. Look, I believe in democracy, but it's obvious the voters are living in a never-never-land and don't understand what is necessary or even fair. Sometimes what's the best thing to do isn't the popular thing. Should we have had a referendum in the '60s to let the voters decide on integration? I think fucking not.
But then again, what do you expect from a state that spends millions to attract pro sports teams but next to nothing on education?
It's no fucking wonder Tennessee's such a joke -- and well on track to replacing Mississippi and Arkansas as the national laughingstock.
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Re: GRRRR
Date: 2002-07-01 10:41 pm (UTC)I believe some of your facts may be in error, and if you would like to check my thoughts on it I have responded to your points here (http://www.geocities.com/noctifer3/Reply.html). (I made it into html because txt was unreadable and its not safe to download doc files from stranger's replies ;) ) Otherwise please just accept my appologies.
Re: GRRRR
Date: 2002-07-01 11:09 pm (UTC)Also, I was not "lashing out" at you. I was responding to the statement that you had made earlier regarding Dawn getting government assistance while addressing other points that had been made in other posts at the same time. Notice I did not go through and analyze every line you wrote like you felt like you needed to do with me. I think that instead of breaking down my post into pieces that you can pick apart with your argument you should take what I said to be what it is, MY OPINON, and it has not changed, despite your explanation. Does that make it gospel truth? No. But it's really not necessary to go do research on my home state to attempt to prove me wrong. The only reason that I said anything directly to you is because I do think it was very unfair for you to sit in judgement of Dawn and tell her what she should do when you didn't know anything about her. I saw that you apologized for that, and I'm glad. I also wanted to make the statement that it is difficult in the state of the economy today for anyone to do it all without some help, not to mention someone with a family like Dawn has.
I'm sorry if you felt my post was a personal attack at you. It was not at all. And please don't pick this reply apart too, or at least do it in private email. I'm not in a pissing match. The fact is - the system is fucked up and hurting innocent people in the process. I think we could at least agree on that.
I apologize for starting a ruckus in your journal, Kelly.