MOST. CORRUPT. GOVERNMENT. EVER.
Posted on 11/22/2010 5:38:22 AM PST by Kaslin
Charlie Rangel, convicted of eleven ethics violations – the most ever found against any member of Congress – was resoundingly re-elected, getting 80% of his district’s vote.
After 40 years representing these folks, you can’t conclude he was an unknown commodity. Granted, the conviction occurred after the election, but the charges were well publicized.
Has Charlie Rangel’s leadership produced life so grand in Harlem that flagrant and persistent unethical behavior by their Congressman means nothing to its residents?
The national poverty rate is around 14%. In the 15th district of New York, Charlie Rangel’s district, it’s 24.3%. The child poverty rate is 30.9%.
Whatever it is that Harlem voters find so attractive about Mr. Rangel, it’s hard to conclude that quality of life is something they feel they owe to him.
But let’s think about this in a broader context.
Charlie Rangel is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
There are now 41 House members who belong to the Caucus. In the most recent elections, 37 of them ran as incumbents and all regained their seats handily. The four seats that were vacated were easily captured by new black Democrats.
That’s a 100% return rate. These Black Caucus Democrats recaptured their seats getting an average 75% of their district’s vote.
In a year when 62 Democrats were defeated – a 25% reduction in the bloc of 252 Democrats in the current Congress – the reduction of the bloc of 41 black Democrats was zero.
The average poverty rate in the districts of Congressional Black Caucus members is 20.3% - six points higher than the national average. The average child poverty rate in these districts is 28.8%.
So, as in Charlie Rangel’s case, it’s hard to conclude that these Black Caucus Democrats are being sent back to Washington by large voting margins, year after year, because they are delivering such fine lives to their constituents.
A problem here is that elections in Black Caucus districts are not exactly what might be described as free and open.
About three quarters of these districts are Majority Minority districts, hard wired to guarantee election of blacks. The remaining districts are also gerrymandered through various schemes flowing from collusion of political parties and state legislatures.
The initial provision of the Voting Rights Act, passed in 1965, to deal with voting problems was structured to counter schemes going on in the South – literacy tests, etc – rigged to keep blacks from registering and voting.
But by the 1970’s, this provision morphed into district gerrymandering. What was initially meant to protect the voting rights of blacks evolved into provisions to guarantee the election of blacks.
The result of this overall process is a bloc of politically manipulated districts which, coupled with other institutional biases protecting incumbents, virtually guarantees the election of black Democrats.
You might say that rigged elections might be justified if it meant better lives for black constituents.
But given that these districts are largely characterized by persistent poverty and some of the worst public schools in the country, this is a conclusion that’s hard to reach.
Earlier this year, the New York Times profiled the prodigious money raising prowess and dubious ethics of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The Times editorialized, “Of all the money machines shaving ethical corners, few rival the Congressional Black Caucus…..the caucus spends far more on gala entertainments and golf outings than on the scholarships that billboard its charity drives.”
Political markets are like commercial markets. The absence of competition results in shoddy products.
When we send American soldiers into harm’s way abroad to fight for free elections, perhaps we should spend more time considering the quality of our own democracy at home.
“...these districts are largely characterized by persistent poverty and some of the worst public schools in the country...”
Exactly...and HOW can these poor voters not see this???????
They continue to reelect these political leeches.
Charlie Rangel is a Boil and needs to be lanced.
Yes!
The initial provision of the Voting Rights Act, passed in 1965, to deal with voting problems was structured to counter schemes going on in the South – literacy tests, etc – rigged to keep blacks from registering and voting.
Of course the same problem could have been solved simply by teaching people how to read, and encouraging them to do the same to their children. To this day no one has been able to offer a good explanation as to why illiterate people should be allowed to vote when they clearly cannot discern for who or what they are voting.
Rangle was elected in Harlem. Fatso Al sharpton could raise a mob to stop traffic on the brooklyn any time he wanted.
But the Black Politicians and race hucksters in the Black community can’t do anything about the education of Black inner city Children in the last 50 years or more,and our congress can’t do anything for the Black children in Wash. D.C. who are diractly under their supervision.
The whole thing is political show.
They continue to reelect these political leeches.
The vast majority of voters in these districts clearly have no problem with this behavior. They expect, and quite apparently, embrace such actions.
The excrement will hit the rotating air moving device over this one. There are select GROUPS that are beyond criticism in today’s political world...this is THE BIG ONE.
Worse yet, the criticism is coupled with TRUTHS that make some people uncomfortable. For shame.
It has been oft said that people get the government they truly deserve. That too is a terrible truth.
“The vast majority of voters in these districts clearly have no problem with this behavior. They expect, and quite apparently, embrace such actions.”
That’s a given...but I still have to ask WHY?????
‘The initial provision of the Voting Rights Act, passed in 1965, to deal with voting problems was structured to counter schemes going on in the South – literacy tests, etc – rigged to keep blacks from registering and voting.’
ALL of these voting schemes to deny blacks their voting rights were created by the DEMOCRAT party, yet the media blatantly lies about this fact and blames the GOP for racism during this time period.
Because they think it is more preferable to live off of the hard work of others than to support themselves. Why they think that, I don't know either.
They evidently think Rangel is sticking it to “whitey”, when all along he’s really been sticking it to them.
The national poverty rate is around 14%. In the 15th district of New York, Charlie Rangel’s district, it’s 24.3%. The child poverty rate is 30.9%.
Rangel voter logic:Why let a good thing go. /s
It would seem to me, then, that this is an opportunity for some GOOD conservative activism in these communities to help bring about effective and meaningful change for the better.
It will take a firm commitment to education and WORK to do that.
You can holler term limits all you want, but this would do nothing to stop the election of socialist Black congressmen and women. When Rangel’s gone, the voters in his district will simply elect another progressive i.e. socialist who will continue to fleece the public and keep the chains on them as Charlie has done for the past forty years.
Your statement, with respect, is not completely correct. The GOP in the various states aquiesced in creating these districts, because by segregating..er.. concentrating blacks in these districts, the surround CDs could be drawn to favor Republican. It’s more about incumbent protectionl Look at California..is this past election of huge political turmoil, how many CDs flipped? One, Two?
In the North East, if you do not lie, cheat and steal whenever possible, You are considered a fool.
Wait and see the fine soul who will replace Charlie when he dies.
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