DID YOU VOTE FOR THIS?

Twelve miners lost their lives in a mine explosion in West Virginia. That mine, the Sago mine, had more than 270 safety violations over the past two years. In the past year it was cited 9 times for failing to have proper ventilation, which is important in preventing fires and explosions in the mine. It was fined approximately $247 for each violation, not enough to have the mine owner fix the problems. Why weren’t the important regulations enforced? The Bush administration appointed biased people from the coal and oil industries to oversee the mines. They were more interested in cooperating with the mine owners than in enforcing the regulations that might have saved the miners lives. These former coal company officials were not particularly interested in enforcing safety laws. One miner said, on TV, that if the miners complained about the problems they were fired. They had no union.

We have millions of illegal aliens living among us, causing our state government to pay for their health care, education of their children, and provide protection from the crime that some of them commit against other illegal aliens and against our own citizens. They have taken our jobs and have been an important factor in the lowering of wages. The administration and supporters in Congress are reluctant to solve this problem because of the large campaign contributions of the employers.

The prices we pay for drugs are the highest of any country. The administration refuses to let us import drugs from Canada because of the debt it owes to the pharmaceutical industry. The much-touted Medicare drug program pours millions of dollars into the coffers of the drug makers but provides minimal financial help to seniors.

Well over 2,000 of our finest young men and women have been killed in Iraq. Multitudes have been injured and life will never be the same for them. Our country should never have started that war, and now it is almost impossible for us to leave.

There have been lavish tax cuts for the rich, huge deficits, and programs to help the poorer among us have been cut.
So many of you voted for this administration because you were against gun control, abortion, or gay marriage. But think about all the other consequences of your vote. Was it worth it?