Author: Gill for Congress 2006

The right to vote is one of the most important rights we have as citizens of the United States of America. It is a right that is the foundation of our great democracy. It is the vehicle that we use to express our concerns, and an invaluable tool we have in voicing our desires. Many aspects of our government are dependent on our collective voting. Most importantly the election of our local, state and federal officials who govern our society.

     Throughout the history of our country, there have been many assaults on our voting rights by those who do not want to see liberty given to all. The 15th amendment was passed in order to ensure that all Americans would be able to exercise their right to vote. Opponents of democracy prevented many Americans from voting through legal loopholes, and it required the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to ensure that the voting rights of everyone were secure. Many provisions of the Voting Rights Act are set to expire in 2007. The current administration seems ambivalent to the fact that many Americans will be subject to restrictions and limitations to their right to vote. Irregularities in recent elections in such places such as Florida and Ohio have many people concerned with the government’s commitment to the voting rights of all Americans.

     As a congressman, I will fight for universal suffrage. The government must restore confidence in the democratic process. The expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act must be renewed. I am also in support of paper trails for electronic voting machines. Only when we can guarantee that all votes are counted can we have complete confidence in our system. If we are to remain the model of democracy for the world, we must correct the problems that exist today. The indifference that our elected officials are showing in this area is inexcusable, and I will do all that I can to make sure we all are treated equally as citizens.

Dr. David Gill

The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object.  – Thomas Jefferson

The will of the people is not being heard. The job of a Congressman is to give voice the will of his constituents. In our great country, we entrust our elected officials with responsibilities. A Congressman is elected by the people. A look at the major pieces of legislation passed recently shows who Congress actually represents. Many people are complaining about rising health care costs, rising energy prices, a faltering education system. Do we get health care reform, an energy bill that addresses the problem or a commitment to the education of our children? No. We get international trade agreements that benefit big business, a bankruptcy bill that further burdens consumers and tax cuts for the extremely wealthy.
    The price of health care is expected to rise by about $597 per person next year. Experts estimate the price of energy to continue to rise. Personal savings is at an all time low. The budget is out of control. And what legislation is the number one priority of the Republican controlled Congress? Elimination of the estate tax. As of 2005, the estate tax affects estates valued at 1.5 million dollars and over.
    The great thing about our government is ultimately, the power is in the hands of the people. The power is not in the hands of a few people who serve as mouthpieces for corporate America, but in the hands of the many. The everyday American is a tax paying, law abiding, and hard working citizen. It is time for all of us to band together, and demand our government quit playing politics with our future. We must remove officials who are unwilling to stand up for the common man, and replace them with ones who will. We have seen five years of a Republican controlled White House and a Republican controlled Congress. Have the will of the people been heard? There is an alternative. There is a future.

Brian Amoah
Friends of David Gill

    I grew up with a different definition of morals. Morals were not conveyed by words, but by actions. How can one say he or she supports the traditional family, and then make it impossible for the traditional family to survive? When we are seeing more and more families with parents who are working two jobs and still not able to afford health care, is the priority really to ensure that credit card companies collect money from those Americans who are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet?   

I grew up with a different definition of morals. Morals were not instilled in what you said, but in what you believed. How can one say they are a Christian when Christ himself said we will be judged by how we treat the least among us? The least among us are struggling. The least among us are not asking for much. They are asking for a chance to guarantee their children can go to the doctor, should they get sick. The least among us are asking that their children have the opportunity to obtain an education, should they want to succeed. The least among us are asking that the leaders of this country listen to them, should they make their voices heard.

I grew up with a different definition of morals. Morals were not something that could be altered, because they were something innate in your heart. Morals were the burning desire to see the world change for the better. Morals were the golden rule. Morals were making decisions that might not make you money. Morals were making decisions that might not make you famous.

Morals were saying you were wrong, but you would try to reconcile it. Morals were doing something you believed would make you a better person. Morals were doing something that you believed would make everyone around you a better person, and make this a better world. Most importantly, morals were the ability to look yourself in the mirror each and every day and say, “I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

They, the “experts,” said the last election was about morals:  “The Republicans won because of their moral clarity.”   “The Republicans won on a moral platform.”   “The Republican Party is a party of morals.”

I look at the leadership in Washington, and I wonder where real morals have gone.   They go out the door the second that the election is over.  I look forward to bringing real morals to the House, and I won’t leave them at the door as the Republicans are so fond of doing.

David Gill

Over the past month, many new and deeply troubling revelations about the GOP culture of corruption and cronyism have come to light. Rep. Tom DeLay, Sen. Bill Frist, and now Rep. Roy Blunt have been implicated in various scandals.  It is important to remember that Republicans, just over 10 years ago, entered into a contract with America that was supposed to represent a complete reversal of the Washington culture.  Today, we know Mr. DeLay himself has become one of the worst offenders driving the Washington culture towards further corruption.