George Graham

Candid Legislator Defines Republican Party’s Philosophy

If you’ve ever seen a movie or play about Victorian England – or read one of Charles Dickens’ masterpieces – you should know what the ideal Republican state would look like. Remember Oliver Twist asking for a second helping at the orphanage? The response was incredulous. A second helping? Had the child gone mad?

hungryThat’s exactly how Republicans see the world. But you don’t usually hear them admitting it as bluntly as State Representative Cynthia Davis of Missouri (photo at right) did recently. She makes no bones about her position on child hunger. She thinks it “can be a positive motivator” and should be encouraged.

The chairwoman of the state legislature’s Special Standing Committee on Children and Families outlined her philosophy in an attack on a government program that provides free meals to low-income childen during the summer. Here’s an excerpt from her newsletter:

Who’s buying dinner? Who is getting paid to serve the meal? Churches and other non-profits can do this at no cost to the taxpayer if it is warranted…. Bigger governmental programs take away our connectedness to the human family, our brotherhood and our need for one another…. Anyone under 18 can be eligible? Can’t they get a job during the summer by the time they are 16? Hunger can be a positive motivator. What is wrong with the idea of getting a job so you can get better meals? Tip: If you work for McDonald’s, they will feed you for free during your break…. It really is all about increasing government spending, which means an increase in taxes for us to buy more free lunches and breakfasts. 

Liberal commentators like MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann were aghast at the Missouri legislator’s position. But why? I am sure they’ve heard many Republican politicians embrace the same philosophy, though not in those words. For decades, Republicans have fought against government attempts to make America a more compassionate society. They fought Social Security. They fought Medicare. They fought Unemployment Insurance. They fought the minimum wage. And they are fighting universal health care.

They want more tax dollars for weapons and the military, more “incentives” to business, more tax breaks for the rich. In their eyes the poor are undeserving and contemptible. Let them eat cake.

About the author

gwgraeme

I am a Jamaican-born writer who has lived and worked in Canada and the United States. I live in Lakeland, Florida with my wife, Sandra, our three cats and two dogs. I like to play golf and enjoy our garden, even though it's a lot of work. Since retiring from newspaper reporting I've written a few books. I also write a monthly column for Jamaicans.com

6 Comments

  • What I couldn’t understand is how could they get people who make less then 200k a year to care about the tax increases? Why would anyone who makes minimum wage care about the tax increase to the wealthy?

  • I give up! Baa, humbug. The Italians have a great saying when anything is futile….What ‘cha gonna do? Trying to educate the vast unwashed masses of America seems to be so futile. They all seem to want freedom,( from what, I’m not sure ) their rawght’s to bear arms,( why have any law at all, do away with the police. ) and protect the unborn, no matter what the circumstances. I guess the end, justifies the means. I can only surmise that in allowing the rich to make obscene amounts of moneywithout any controls or consequense and submit the poor to indignities and oppression, they are are apparently thinking that some day they will be among the small percentage called the rich. In my opinion the very rich have seized control of all goverments, they own the media, and are squeezing the middle class out of the picture. They think their way of life should be the criteria for the rest of the world, including rejection of any form of socialism, but the latest polls suggest that the happiest people in the world are from the Scandinavian Countries. I guess I’m babbling out of sheer frustation. Billy G.

  • they say that education is the key but it is a challenging task to educate the masses…