Why Even A Musician Should Vote

I am on the road til November 16th, so the posting will be less regular than it normally is, that being every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Please accept my apologies for missing two days last week.   I'll make it up to you, I promise and this time i mean it.  Now, on to the post...

It's Monday, November 3, 2008. Tomorrow, one of the most important elections of our lifetime will be decided. Will we go with the most qualified, most intelligent, most educated man? Or will we go with more of the McSame?

I don't mind telling you that I am frightened of the outcome. With all the documented proof of voter suppression by nefarious people in the once proud Republican Party, I am concerned that enough of the votes won't be counted or will be discounted in some fashion to, once again, hand the presidency to someone not up to the job.

What does this have to do with music, you are wondering? Simple. Whether you notice or not, we are impacted by what our government does.

Seven years of an illegal war in Iraq have actually bankrupted this country, which means that even though you are taxed, you will be receiving less services for your tax dollars in the form of less or no funding for the EPA, NPR (which is the only place that music like yours probably gets airplay beside the internet), Education, even the Interstate Highway System.

Over twenty years of de regulation of the financial institutions has resulted in financial meltdown that is impacting us in a number of ways.

I played Baldwin Station in Sykesville, Maryland on Wednesday. The promoter, the delightful Joyce Sica, said that since this crash, she has had exactly half as many people per show as she usually has. That was certainly the case for my show. Half as many people, half as much money. See how it impacts us?

When Carter was president and the oil companies pulled a monopoly stunt and raised the price of oil while withholding supplies, which resulted in them making enormous profits, he hit them with a windfall tax.

This oil president has presided over the largest profit by oil companies in the history of corporations. Tens of billions of dollars of profit per quarter and then they are given tax breaks. HELLO!

I did a house concert in New York on Saturday night. I not only had half as many people there as I did last time, but it also cost me almost twice as much to get there and do it.

Airfare, car rental, hotels, meals - it's all gone way up, and in some cases doubled. The cost of everything has increased due to the mismanagement of the government during this Bush sleepwalk.

That's why you need to put people in Washington that are informed and inquisitive. People who want to surround themselves with the brightest and the best, not just a coterie of sycopants and yes men.

Lincoln's cabinet was made up of the very men who opposed him in the race for the presidency. All ambitious, talented and intelligent men who brought their expertise and frequently their opposing opinions to the table.

Lincoln listened to everything and, most importantly, by hearing and considering opposing views was able to make informed and obviously wise decisions. We have not had the benefit of wise decisions in at least eight years.

Get out and vote tomorrow and please think about voting for the man I endorse - Barack Obama.

And now back to your regular programming. Wednesday we will talk about the arts again.

Comments

[Bobby Brogan]

my younger brother...is certain their will be voter...well fraud..throwing out of (democratic) votes...etc
So he registered Republican...he's more Left Wing than me...but he feels like this might protect his vote...I may very well be right...tho I could never register Republican...I'd rather eat my own head

Namaste,
Bobby

PS- We are all scared