Dallas County Democrats
Women For Gore

"W Stands for Women"...Not THIS Woman

Every time I hear " 'W' stands for women," I feel the slow anger stoked up just a little more. Maybe Laura Bush can attest to the wonderful husband and father George W has been, but I see his record and what he stands for as an insult to half of the population. I want more than just a good guy, or the person who shows up at the party with the pizza and beer for my President.

But, what do you say when a friend says she has not made up her mind yet?

That good guy image hides foreshadowing of bad times ahead that will affect women in particularly harsh ways. In issue after issue, George W manages to add the twist that hurt women because of the reality of where we are in American society at this point in history. He assumes that we will vote for him because of his charming smile. Sorry, but the issues that are important to men are equally important to us, if not more so.

There are more elderly women than elderly men so the long-term solvency of Social Security and the inclusion of prescription drug benefits to Medicare, both Gore stances, are of particular interest. The Bush proposals of investing payroll taxes in the stock market and contracting with private insurance for drug coverage shows a misplaced confidence in the marketplace to provide a security net. The market has never leaned toward consumer protection as one of their goals, and probably will not start now.

Although the situation is changing, women are impacted more severely when there are problems with the health and the education of children. The word games that W has spread around the country regarding his role in the passage and implementation of CHIPS (Children's Health Initiative Program) and the reform of education in Texas has been thoroughly discussed but please don't forget a couple of points. Bush supported a much smaller CHIPS program that would have left 200,000 children without insurance and argued in the legislature against any state funded teacher raises.

Gore, on the other hand, is a strong proponent of the patient's bill of rights and has concrete proposals for improving education through increasing numbers of teachers, and school construction, among other measures. These two areas can take a lot of a caregiver's time when there are problems in the system, so we should support efforts to really improve the systems.

And last, but definitely not least, is the issue of a women's right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices. If we follow that charming "W" smile, we will have clones of Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court which will ensure the over turning of Roe vs. Wade. Do not be fooled into complacency by the Bush's waffling on reproductive rights and related health care needs of women.

We also must pay attention to how W has run his administration in Austin. The President, like the Governor, has power in his appointments. State records show that Mr. Bush has appointed many fewer members of minority groups than Ann Richards - 80 percent of his appointees have been white, compared with 66 percent of Ms. Richards's and 55 percent of the Texas population as a whole. In addition, only 37 percent of Mr. Bush's appointees have been women. The appointments have not been representative of the population and have slighted women, plus the person selected often was like the fox watching the hen house. For example, all Bush appointees to the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (the state EPA) have all been employees for businesses who fought environmental regulation.

Just imagine the possible appointments to the Supreme Court and the Chair of the Federal Reserve if Alan Greenspan should retire. A court tilted by conservative Bush appointees could overturn Roe vs. Wade and assert a doctrine of states rights that would take environmental protection out of federal hands plus push back civil liberties and gun control into the colonial era. And I don't even want to think about Alan Greenspan's possible replacement when the New York Times has described Bush's economic program "as a stunning combination of social inequity and flawed economic theory."

Obviously, this short message only hits a few points and it should be noted that foreign policy is not addressed. Although W has expressed opinions about troop deployment and foreign aid, he will have to rely on his running mate, Dick Cheney, for the "record" and past experience.

Bottom line, "W" does not stand for me, or the discerning women I know. And, we are NOT voting for George W. Rather, we are staunchly with Vice President Al Gore who offers superior stature, ability and vision for national leadership. Vote for Al Gore and the Democratic ticket this week at early vote locations around the county or Tuesday, November 7 at your regular polling place.

Vote Democratic !!

--Theresa M. Daniel, Texans for Gore-Lieberman Co-Chair for Dallas County

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