By Alvaro F. Fernandez
Lincoln
Diaz-Balart, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart over the years
have brought shame on south Florida in the U.S. House of
Representatives. And 2005 may have assured their enshrinement into
the heartless politicians’ Hall of Shame. In ‘05, our three
republican Cuban-American members of congress voted against
raising the minimum wage to $7.25. Then in November of that same
year, all three supported cutting $784 million in public school
funding while also slashing funds for Medicaid. Earlier, they had
opposed protecting 
pension benefits for more than 120,000 United
Airlines workers.
Last
year, the three added to their illustrious record of bad doings by
voting against the Comprehensive Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a
program that covers poor children and teens not eligible for any
other medical assistance. And lest I forget, all three voted for the Iraq War and continue to do so.
Al’s Loupe Read Spanish Version
Money
talks in Washington, D.C.
Demo
stars Wasserman Schultz and Meek seem tied at the wallet with
republicans Lincoln, Ileana and Mario
By
Alvaro F. Fernandez
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Lincoln
Diaz-Balart, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart over the years
have brought shame on south Florida in the U.S. House of
Representatives. And 2005 may have assured their enshrinement into
the heartless politicians’ Hall of Shame. In ‘05, our three
republican Cuban-American members of congress voted against
raising the minimum wage to $7.25. Then in November of that same
year, all three supported cutting $784 million in public school
funding while also slashing funds for Medicaid. Earlier, they had
opposed protecting pension benefits for more than 120,000 United
Airlines workers.
Last
year, the three added to their illustrious record of bad doings by
voting against the Comprehensive Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a
program that covers poor children and teens not eligible for any
other medical assistance. And lest I forget, all three voted for the
Iraq War and continue to do so.
Based
on their records, you would think Lincoln, Ileana and Mario would
have been thrown out of office already. Yet, all three are
consistently reelected to their comfy congressional positions where
their children need not worry about health insurance and their
paychecks are in the six-figure range -- another example of wasted
tax dollars.
In
an article by Leslie Clark of The Miami Herald, “Democrats
torn between party, GOP friends”
she informs us that U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a
darling of the Democratic leadership, and Kendrick Meek, a member of
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 30-Something Working Group, citing
personal and professional reasons, will stay out of the upcoming
congressional races for districts 18, 21, and 25 -- the districts
belonging to Ileana, Lincoln and Mario respectively.
How
do Lincoln, Ileana and Mario do it?
First,
they are propelled by a corrupt system that uses the Cuba issue to
spread fear and do its dirty work -- and voters have bought into it.
Second, their backers, in exchange for bus loads of government
dollars, some
which end up in their campaign coffers,
have managed to control the Miami media thereby seconding their Cuba
lies and hiding the damage they do while on Capitol Hill. Lastly, as
I’ve already mentioned, democrats have backed them.
The
Democratic Party has always feared Cuban American republicans. But
worse than the fear is the love some like Wasserman Schultz and Meek
show them.
Lincoln,
Mario and Ileana have been friendly with Wasserman Schultz and Meek
since their days in the Florida legislature. And Lincoln, Mario and
Ileana have made sure of creating the kind of relationship
politicians love with the two democrats. Debbie and Kendrick have in
the past been recipients of Cuban political dollars. Now in congress,
Wasserman Schultz has been charged with distributing the dollars
aimed at many new Democratic members by the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC.
Reports also show that Wasserman has received $22,000 herself and
Meek $10,500 from the same PAC.
Sellouts? Money hungry? I don’t know. But as respected as they may be by some, both have shown a side that doesn’t jive with their reputations.
Rep.
Meek, together with his mother Carrie, whom he replaced in the House,
have recently had to answer questions about federal dollars Kendrick
pushed towards south Florida which never reached much needed
low-income housing programs in Liberty City. All the while Carrie
Meek received lobbying fees and use of a Cadillac Escalade from the
dubious housing developer. As for Wasserman Schultz, in face to face
conversations she has shown me that she believes family unity has a
price tag.
Who
pays? The U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC, where, for a price, she leads the
charge among Democrats in supporting the cruel 2004 Bush regulations
limiting family travel to Cuba.
A great number of democrats and republicans in Washington are controlled by the same motive -- the almighty dollar. Why should south Florida democrats be any different? I just cannot understand how any decent human being, including politicians, would ever support the three Hall of Shamers from Miami. (And by standing on the sidelines in the upcoming election, that is exactly what Wasserman Schultz and Meek are doing.) Especially when you are supposed to oppose almost everything these three republicans vote for.
