Extremism destroys a democracy. Thanks to extremists and obstructionists within the right wing, our government remains in gridlock, and our Democratic Republic, the system established by our founder fathers, has been removed. In its place is an oligarchy. 535 men and women in Washington control the lives of more than 320 million. They have failed to answer to the American people; legislating bills which improve their lives, and the lives of their supporters; the one-percent.
An important battle is underway here in my state of Nevada. Harry Reid is retiring, and either Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, or “Freedom Caucus” extremist Joe Heck will fill his seat. Polls reveal that they are in a virtual tie, but I just don’t get it.
The voters of my state often disappoint me. They fail to vet the candidates thoroughly and elect the most qualified individual, and the man or woman who most closely supports their needs and desires.
Heck has been in the House since 2012. He fails to have a single accomplishment on his resume. The truth is that he has opposed several pieces of legislation which would have greatly benefitted our state’s people. He even opposed proposals by our Republican Governor which brought thousands of jobs to Nevada, and repaired our failing educational system. (And some of you thought I hated all Republicans. Most of the ones I dislike are in the federal government). Heck was a member of the group who sought to shut down the government if funding for Planned Parenthood was not removed. Nevada has many poor women who would not have any form of medical care without Planned Parenthood.
Masto served two terms as our Attorney General. She worked closely with Governor Sandoval and established multiple laws and regulations protecting our state’s citizens. Among her efforts was a bill to add increased penalties for the trafficking of young women. She has been endorsed by every law enforcement agency in the state.
Heck is a tool of Wall Street and rich individuals including the Koch brothers. He brags about having been a General in the Army; it’s true, but he is a medical doctor and was never on a battlefield.
Harry Reid calls Heck a “phony,” and that is an applicable word to describe him. He was partly responsible for the House rejecting an immigration bill in 2013. Nevada’s casinos employ thousands of immigrants; they could not operate efficiently without them.
Reid noted that the Senate had passed a comprehensive and fair immigration bill, but Heck was one of the obstructionist who refused to allow a vote in the House.
“He could have gone to House leadership and said ‘Let’s have a vote on that,'” he said of the Republican congressman. “We passed it in the Senate, had he done that, and others had done the same thing, we could have had a vote.”
“I want the Hispanic community to know that Joe Heck is a fraud,” he added.
This man has failed the people of Nevada, and must not be allowed a seat in the Senate. We cannot afford to allow a man who has done nothing for two terms in the House to be given a six-year term in the Senate. We need someone who will work for Nevadans, not work against them.
Op-Ed
By James Turnage
Photo Courtesy of DonkeyHotey
Follow me on Twitter: @jamesturnagenov
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