House Leaders Order Furloughs for Staff

We wonder if Rep. Steve D'Amico will volunteer to take the five furlough days to help return to the taxpayers the $3000.00 plus raise that was "forced" onto him.
Story from the AP Nov 21, 2009:

House leaders are ordering their staff to take five furlough days, although lawmakers will not have to take them. House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and minority leader Bradley Jones of North Reading said in a statement yesterday that furloughs for the 540 staff members will save the state $620,000. They also highlighted other recent cuts, including discontinuing reimbursement of Massachusetts bar fees and staff business cards, capping franking privileges, and reducing cleaning costs. But this week lawmakers rejected Governor Deval Patrick’s request for authority so he could cut both legislative and judicial budgets himself. The furloughs do not apply to the 160 House members because their salaries are set by constitutional amendment.

Republicans Second Shot at Redemption

"There exists a limit to the force even the most powerfull may apply without destroying themselves. Judging this limit is the true artistry of government. Misuse of power is the fatal sin. The law cannot be a tool of vengence, never a hostage, nor a fortification against the martyrs it has created. You cannot threaten any individual and escape the consequences" ~Frank Herbert

What did we really see on November 2, 2009? Was it really a reprimand of Barack Obama? Has the country recognized the error of it's ways and returned to it's conservative roots? The answer is yes, and the answer is no.

The American people on 11/2 showed at the very least they are not head-over-heals in love with Obama anymore. They are no longer buying his excuse that the problems we face today are problems that he inherited from Republicans. Because almost a year into it Mr. President; You own it. At the very worst the American people are realizing that Obama is not giving them the government they thought they were getting. Perhaps they are realizing that instead of "change" what they are really getting are "chains".

Republicans have a special moment here. A second chance. A shot at redemption. They way they respond to this opportunity to return to grace will dictate if they succeed, or illustrate how quickly they too can fall.

The American people have not forgotten that the Republicans made some big mistakes over the last decade. To say their hands are clean would be laughable. But theere is a reason that the Republicans were allowed to toil for 8 years, and it seems the democrats barely get 2 years. We are awake now, and we are paying attention. We the People expect to be heard and not ridiculed when we speak to our government.

When the American people voted for Barack Obama they were voting for change yes, but they were voting for change that they wanted. They were not voting for the radical change that Obama, Pelosi, and Reid seem to want. The American people do not want a changed America; they want their old America back.

The American people voted the Democrats into power because the Democrats promised that they would listen. However between the stimulus package, cap and trade, government bailouts and government takeovers of business and healthcare; it has become painfully clear that the Democrats have no intention of listening to the American people.

Republicans will not be voted back into power on their conservatice philosophy alone. The Republicans are being voted back into power because they are being given another chance to listen to the American people.

I hope they do.