11 responses so far ↓

• 1 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Nov 12, 2009 at 12:51 pm

  I generally agree with this editorial by Stephen George, but at the same time I have to be honest and say that the lack of civic activism is a real and gaping flaw in the Louisvillian character. A real and gaping flaw. And this applies to almost anyone of any political persuasion. Louisvillians in general just don’t like to stand up and be heard. This fear of public participation needs to be significantly reduced if we are ever going to seriously address the myriad issues our beloved city is facing.

• 2 Stephen George // Nov 12, 2009 at 1:09 pm

  I agree. That was the underlying message of this column, or at least what I was trying to convey without calling out the majority of our citizenry. It’s not an angry thing; I genuinely wish more people — the levelheaded, sane people I’m writing about who constitute the majority here — would become involved, so that the fringers wouldn’t have such a voice.

  Ah, perfect world.

• 3 Watcher // Nov 12, 2009 at 2:23 pm

  Unfortunately those of us who work a full time job, try to be good parents and scrap by to pay the bills in an atmosphere were we haven’t seen a raise in two years, watched our benefits skyrocket or be slashed are too bust trying to survive. On the other hand these nutjobs that have time to picket seem to be able to get away from their jobs and harass people who are just trying to get by.

  I did find time once, but in this current environment that seems to be harder to do. I wish sometimes I was a extremist, they always seem to have freetime!

• 4 Michael // Nov 12, 2009 at 3:34 pm

  I’m not sure it’s a fear of participating that stops people. One factor may be no matter how we/they vote nothing really changes. Sure we’ll get a small change here or there, but it ends the same way. See the local gubment over the past 20 years or so.
  I know over the past few years I have been worn down by “the Dems said this & the Repubs said that.” Maybe I’m delusional, but I would love for the city & nation to stop blaming the other side and start working on a solution to the many problems in the city/state/country.
  Politics has become a constant election bid instead of getting things done.
  This is the first in since I turned 18 (22 years) I am considering not voting in any election. The voice in my head (and my wife) says “you don’t vote you can’t complain”. I’m to the point of not caring because nothing will change.

• 5 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Nov 12, 2009 at 4:32 pm

  Watcher, there are a lot of possibilities for activism between someone who does nothing and the person who seems like they are a full-time activist. One can have a busy life, and occasionally make time to raise your voice on a community matter. One can make a phone call or write a letter/e-mail here and there. One can write thoughts in a blog, like you have done. One can engage in all kinds of microparticipation (to coin a term) that doesn’t divert one from their core life tasks. All forms of civic participation add up, most acts don’t have to be grand, and we shouldn’t have to ever look at activism as all or nothing.

  Michael, except in rare cases, no individual can make major changes in anything. But when more and more of us are active in some way, the “small changes here and there” add up and really do make a difference. Also, democracy doesn’t end on Election Day. There are countless opportunities between elections to have your say on various matters, and oftentimes this can make a difference in how legislation or a government policy is crafted.

  Note that I’m an occasional activist who should be burned out because of how the bridges project is moving forward, despite major community misgivings in how it’s designed and how expensive it’s going to be. I should be but I’m not, because there are remaining countless opportunities to give input and possibly even alter the course of this project. As long as I or anyone desires changes, there is no such thing as giving up.

• 6 Skeptical // Nov 12, 2009 at 5:30 pm

  As usual, Stephen George has done a thoughtful, thought provoking column. It certainly doesn’t seem likely Yarmuth will lose his seat mainly because he represents a heavily Democratic district and no plausible, well funded candidate has emerged to challenge him.
  Remember, Ben Chandler voted no because the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found the bill would NOT reduce costs for federal, state and local governments or for small businesses, individuals or the medical community.
  If it becomes law, however, some estimates say it will cost $1-trillion dollars over the next ten years.
  Put this Yarmuth vote in the context of supporting last fall’s bail out, the stimulus plan, taxpayer “loans” which helped turn General Motors into Government Motors and Congress, in a few short months, has already tripled the record national debt left by the Bush Administration!
  That record of running up the national credit card is not “mainstream”.
  There’s clearly a rising tide among the public…including Independents, Democrats and Republicans who are angry about it.

• 7 KYGuy // Nov 13, 2009 at 8:59 am

  Interesting that Stephen’s piece began with something that happened on one of our right wing talk radio stations. I assure you that Francene would rather have one extremist call than twenty calls reflecting a balanced view. Her job is to provoke controversy and heated debate, not reasoned discussion. I believe Stephen is accurate in portraying a quiet (not silent) majority who are actually doing the hard work and fighting the good fight. But don’t expect to hear them on commercial talk radio which is built on the fringe of our society and depends on that pool of extremists for programming.

• 8 jake // Nov 13, 2009 at 9:24 am

  Interesting. I’ve listened to Francene just about every day for years. And I’d estimate that 80%-90% of the time she’s holding a well-reasoned and balanced discussion.

• 9 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Nov 13, 2009 at 10:25 am

  Skeptical, the plan costs roughly $1 trillion, but is covered by cuts and revenue increases. It’s roughly revenue-neutral and doesn’t explode the deficit.

  Recognize that doing nothing is what is going to really explode the deficits and public debt in the future. That is, of course, what Republicans desire, as they want a campaign issue in 2012.

• 10 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Nov 13, 2009 at 10:28 am

  Further, methinks Skeptical would be crying a whole lot louder in the deep national misery of a Deep Depression if the bailout and stimulus plans hadn’t been passed with temporary high deficits. It’s like a cancer patient complaining about going into remission because the treatment was too expensive.

• 11 KYGuy // Nov 13, 2009 at 11:51 am

  Jake – I also listen to Francene regularly. Although not as often as I once did because I just don’t like her personality on the radio. She seems like a nice person in print and off the air. On the air, however, she follows the provocateur playbook. Stir things up, shout down dissenters, stoke the fires. If I had the time, I’d pull a Media Matters and list the provocative things she says to stir up controversy get the nutcakes to call in. They’re usually followed by her favorite (and irritating) expression “I’m just sayin’ . . ” She played back Yarmuth audio from Fox the other day and everytime Yarmuth got to the point of explaining his position she started yammering over him with that detestable nasal “Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . ” Maybe I just catch her in that 10% of the time when she’s awful.

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