Shays

Chris Shays is a good man, but this year he should have been voted out of office. It didn't happen. Because the democrats won big, no one is asking why...


November 13, 2006

I was thrilled at the election. It turns out the country isn't as far right as everyone thought. Many of us are either conservative democrats or liberal republicans. Most were unhappy with the war. It wasn't a good year for moderate republicans either, that is, except here in Fairfield County, where Christopher Shays hung on to his congressional seat. The rest of the country felt it was important to send a signal to Washington -- why didn't it happen here?


Some folks will say that it was Shay's character that got him the votes, his record in office, that he's a great guy, a mensch. I voted for the man since the early nineties -- he is all of those things. But this election wasn't about local politics, it was about the war and the overall direction in Washington. Fairfield County should have followed the rest of the country, but it didn't.

Why?

Two things -- the war is too far removed from much of the population here. But perhaps more important, money, moolah, cashola.

Housing might be in the dumps, but Wall Street is booming. There will be record bonuses paid this year. Folks in this neck of the woods couldn't face repeal of those high-income tax breaks put in by Bush.

Is it fair to say that these people don't care about global warming, the kids dying in Iraq, or the millions in this country that can't afford health insurance. If you asked them point blank, of course they'd say they care. Most would mean it too. But if they have to make sacrifices, like putting off that kitchen remodel, or that third house in the south of France, well that's another thing.

The irony is that even with tax break repeal, many here could afford all of that and still not notice the tax burden.

What's most disheartening is that nobody is asking the question. Everyone is back to what they do around here. Kids have to get to school. Folks work out at the gym. The 6:12 am train to the city is as packed as ever. Hordes of Mexican gardeners are blowing leaves. McMansions are still under construction.

Kids still die in Iraq.