Something has changed within me,
something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules, of someone else's
game
Too late for second-guessing, too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and LEAP
— "Defying Gravity" from the musical "Wicked"
To begin my Halloween celebration this year,
I took a break from Revolution 2010 and treated myself with a
Danversbank Destinations trip to see "Wicked" at the Boston
Opera House.
I had a wonderful time, but of course I
didn't take a break from Revolution 2010. Even as I identified
with the "wicked" witch Elphaba, having stopped playing by the
rules of the political establishment game decades ago, I thought
of the newbie activists in the tea party when I heard her sing
the rest of the song.
Some of them were politically asleep, and are
now trusting their instincts as they leap into the election
arena. However, they are not closing their eyes. Their eyes are
wide open and they see very clearly what they have to do on Nov.
2.
They see an America under assault by those
who do not understand that this country, despite its flaws, is
the last best chance for freedom on earth — or perhaps, by those
who are more interested in their own power and privilege than
our freedom and our jobs.
They see congressional incumbents who don't
want to talk about their records, their votes for more
deficits/national debt, government bailouts and takeovers of
healthcare, but spend their special-interest money for silly ads
attacking, for example, 2008 Halloween lawn signs.
They see a commonwealth being brought down by
more special interests and the lack of balance in a one-party
system.
Other inattentive voters have refused to
address the national and state problems in the past; I suspect
they too have finally had enough because they began Revolution
2010 with their election of Scott Brown in January. Sen. Brown
is showing his gratitude to them now, working for the change he
started, endorsing all the Republican Congressional challengers
and even some legislative candidates like Brett Schetzsle in
Beverly.
In the 6th Congressional District, they can
vote for Bill Hudak, an ordinary citizen who had the guts to
leap into the dusty, vicious political arena to help save the
country for our grandchildren. Or they can vote for the
dirty-campaigning John Tierney and never again wonder why good
people don't run for office, as the grandchildren's future
drowns in debt and increased government power.
In the statewide offices, they can naively
vote again for the simplistic slogan "Together We Can" or they
can admit that, let's face it, together Deval Patrick and the
overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature can't manage their way out
of a scary ongoing fiscal crisis.
Or they can choose proven manager Charlie
Baker, endorsed last weekend here by Chris Christie, the tough
and funny Republican governor of New Jersey, who convinced his
Democratic legislators to cut their budget deficit without new
taxes, and is beginning to turn New Jersey around.
They can choose for state auditor an actual
auditor like Mary Connaughton, or a former legislator who
couldn't audit her own illegitimate tax breaks, taking a primary
residence property tax exemption on both her Massachusetts
homes.
They can vote for the vital, energetic Karyn
Polito for state treasurer or pick a longtime Democratic party
fundraiser who has worked hard for many years to protect our
arrogant, secure one-party system.
They can vote Yes on 1 to repeal the unfair
"double" tax on alcoholic beverages, which we're told is
earmarked for treatment programs; but if Beacon Hill tradition
holds, will be used for that worthy cause only until the repeal
effort by the abused little package stores is defeated. Then the
money will go into the general fund like previously earmarked
cigarette and gas tax hikes did.
They can vote Yes on 3 to cut the sales tax
from 6.25 percent to 3 percent, either because they want a 3
percent sales tax or to send a message that they are angry about
last year's tax hike and have waited long enough for the income
tax rollback they voted for in 2000 that was frozen by the
one-party Legislature.
Even more important, they can defeat the
legislative incumbents who voted to raise that sales tax rate
from 5 percent to 6.25 percent. Some of the exciting new
challengers to these tax-hikin' incumbents in this area are
Senate candidates Christopher Dent, Richard Jolitz, Jamison
Tomasek; and House candidates Janet Holmes, Kate Kozitza, Jim
Lyons, Martin Scafidi and Val Troyli.
They can honor the extraordinary effort made
by newbie Jim McKenna to get on the ballot with stickers, or
they can vote for the incumbent attorney general, who persecuted
the innocent Amirault family in a case reminiscent of the Salem
witch trials.
Did someone mention "witch"? I'll leave you
with more lyrics from my new favorite musical. Sing along with
me, voters of northeastern Massachusetts:
I'm through accepting limits, cuz'
someone says they're so;
Some things I cannot change, but til I try, I'll never know.
It's time to try defying gravity...