The Many Reasons to Vote for Howard Dean

[CMT]

I gladly admit that I'm stealing from Will Pitt who put forth a positive post titled, Compendium of reasons to Vote for John Kerry. I hope that likewise this will be a positive post and lead to postive responses and civilized debate.

Dean's Vermont Record:
The Environment
* Preserved over 470,000 aces of land--nearly 8% of the state of
Vermont from development.
* Signed into law tough Emissions standards--more strident than
called for by Kyoto.
* A tough Executive order lowering levels of Mercury in water.
* Passed incentives to keep development in downtown areas to
preserve Vermont's scenic landscape.

Here is Dean's San Francisco speech on the Environment and its call for a Hundred Year Plan to protect and preserve our environment:
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7383&security

Dean's record on Children's rights in Vermont:
*First state to institute a statewide protocol for abuse
investigations. Incidents of physical and sexual abuse
of children declined 45%.
* Dean signed the Abya Prevention and Child Support Law which
requires abusers to pay child support and living expenses
to spouses who request court protection and have no means of]
support.

Civil Rights for All in Vermont
*Dean signed the Civil Unions bill on 4/26/00 which made Vermont
the first state to recognize same-sex unions.
*Dean strengthened protections against anti-gay violence by
signing a law adding sexual orientation and gender ID to Vermont
hate crimes statutes.

Here is a wonderful essay written by a 15-year old girl on the Civil Unions fight in Vermont and its aftermath and Dean's role which won the John F. Kennedy Library Profiles in Courage Award for Essay:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/pica_essay_winner_2001_dziczek.html

Dean and Health Care:
*96% of Vermont children have healthcare coverage in part thru
Gov. Dean's Dr. Dynasaur Program. An additional 3% are eligible
for the program.
* Dean expanded coverage for chldren in low and middle income
families. Children 18 and under, whose families are at or
below 300% of federal poverty level are eligible at virtually
no cost.

Here are details of Dean's healthcare proposal which was delivered
at Columbia University.
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5487&news_iv_ctrl=1428

Dean and the Economy:
*Repeal Bush Tax cut and use money to pay for Universal Health care,
Homeland security, and investments in job creation.
* begin balancing the budget,"We cannot have social or economic
justice without a sound fiscal foundation."
As a contrast to Bush, Dean has a solid record of balancing budgets.
and in contrast to most other states left Vermont in strong
fiscal shape.

Dean on Reproductive Rights
*Gov. Dean is 100% pro-choice. "As a physician, I do not believe
the congress or the president should practice medicine. Abortion
is a deeply personal decision, which ought to be made between a
woman and her physician. It's none of the government's business."
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_statement_health_reproductivefreedom

Dean on the Patriots Act:
"...unnecessarily compromised our freedoms in the name of fighting
terrorism."
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_statement_civilrights_patriotact

Dean and Iraq War:
Last but certainly not least, Dean opposed the unethical war on Iraq. It has been argued that his stand against the war was easy for him to make since he was not in the congress and thus didn't have to vote on the resolution, but he stood with many millions of other Americans and millions of people around the world against the war and spoke out vocally and consistently against it. In view of what has happened since his stand on the war is even more far sighted than first believed.

For a selection of speeches delivered by Dean go to:
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=about_speech_archives

[dsc]

1. great post

but believe it or not you actually understated his record on gay and lesbian rights. He also signed a civil rights bill for LGBT in 1992 and permitted same sex couple to adopt as a couple in 1996.

I would also add his home visit program as a great abuse preventer.

[CMT]

2. thanks for pointing these out

eom.

[Eloriel]

3. YES!! That's one of the MOST amazing things about his record

His program for early child intervention (a home visit offered to every new mom, which 91% of the new moms accept) has cut child abuse by 43% and child sexual abuse by 70%. Those are absolutely ASTOUNDING figures. And, the reason he started the program in the first place was because he didn't like spending so much money on prisons. He said: "Every kindergarten teacher can name the 4 or 5 kids in his/her class that will end up in prison" 20 or less years hence, so let's start attacking the problem instead of just applying bandaids. This is PHENEMONAL.

Speaking of the vision to look ahead, he is also talking about looking ahead 25 and 100 years on environmental issues and others. This is so important, so necessary. Native American tribes have a guideline, "unto the 7th generation." They would try to form policies or practices that would serve their tribe and its people for at least that long. I LOVE that Howard Dean is asking us to think in terms of 100 years hence.

And my most important reasons for supporting him: he's the real thing, AND he's empowering The People to take back their party, take back their government, take back their country. Handing the power right back. As a result, he and his campaigna and his supporters are literally revitalizing the democratic process. Also, as a result of his campaign's willingness to actually listen to us and take our ideas and thoughts, this has become the first iterative, Open Source Presidential campaign in history.

All those other guys? Some of them are pretty good. I like Kucinich's politics, for instance, and I love Al Sharpton. But what they offer is policies. You can't compare that to a whole movement full of people who are getting actively involved at the grassroots to take back the country. It is, quite simply, a revolution.

Eloriel

[KaraokeKarlton]

4. I took part in Success By Six...a great and very inexpensive program

And so easy to implement. It's not at all invasive and it's sort of like you get a "new parent" advocate to help you find whatever you need as well as provide you with all the resources and information you could ever want. All the different agencies and organizations are already there in just about every community in the country, too. Dean just got them together to work as a collaborative team and made them more proactive about getting information about their services to those who might need or want them. It's not just for kids at risk, either...it's for all kids. And it helps connect new parents through playgroups and various workshops and activities. Just bringing the organization of all these services together makes them SO MUCH more effective. Dean would try to implement this nationwide, I'm sure.

[Egnever]

12. Geezus Eloriel

I just love your posts!

Post more please :bounce:

[CMT]

14. that really impressed me too

I hadn't really checked into that until now when I posted this.

[sangh0]

15. I think that's a disgusting comment

He said: "Every kindergarten teacher can name the 4 or 5 kids in his/her class that will end up in prison" 20 or less years hence,...

I was one of those kids. I've never been in prison. I've never even been arrested, no thanks to Mrs. M.

[Clete]

5. I hope after four years of "the worst president we ever had",

we can look forward to the best president we ever had, Howard Dean.

[userdave2061]

6. Preserved over 470,000 aces of land--nearly 8% of the state of Vermont

That's a good record. I read up on the deal and he also made sure that snowmobilers had 100% access to enjoy the land they have been using for 30+ years. That is a big plus with many backwooders that vote with their hobbies and pastimes.

The whole attack on snowmobiles in the past few years has cost the Democratic vote more than was estimated by the extreme anti groups realized. I say GO DEAN!!!

[KaraokeKarlton]

7. Sledding is big here

We still have the typical insurance headaches that everywhere else has, though. Dean himself is a big outdoors man. The whole reason he got involved with politics in the first place was because he was lobbying for a trail for hiking and whatnot for the state. He's hiked every inch of it, too. :}

[snyttri]

8. He sounds better in TV interviews than he used to.

[CMT]

13. I agree

the more he does the better he is getting. People forget that candidates like Gep, Kerry, Edwards, Lieberman, have had many more appearances on shows like Meet the Press(because they interview Washington lawmakers more than governors) and have better understanding of what to expect. The more of these Dean does the better he will be.

[redeye]

9. Thanks

And another reason:

Dean and separation of church and state:
- Dean promises to protect the right to worship "in church, in mosque, in synagog - or nowhere at all."
- Dean is by his own admission "fairly secular."
- While Dean is a Congregationalist, he and wife raise their children secular-Jewish (in other words: a few rites stripped of their religious meaning, and nothing close to organized religion).

One reservation: Kerry says he supports separation of church and state too, but like every other Senator but Jesse Helms he voted to condemn Newdow vs. Congress.

[loyalsister]

10. This says it all

"I am tired of being divided! I don't want to listen to the fundamentalist preachers anymore." -- Howard Dean Sacramento, California (March 15, 2003)

This was one of the quotes that helped win me over!

[GalleryGod]

11. And his Daughter Has one Helluva Slap Shot from the Point !

Saw it in person;1999.