George,

Once again, Democrats let Republicans screw the “least among us” and we show no outrage. The latest example is this: In a year when Medicaid and other human services are being severely cut, Republican leaders in Richmond decide to revise the long-established formula for distribution of state lottery proceeds for education. The formula used to be designed to help poor students by including consideration of the percentage of children in free and reduced lunch programs. The new formula eliminates that consideration and thus gives more to middle class school districts at the expense of districts heavily populated by the poor. The Republican philosophy: cut programs for the poor and give additional help to the middle class and rich.

Republicans know they can get away with this because the poor are not likely to turn out and vote, and Democrats can’t even muster a murmur of protest let alone lend support to those they are supposed to be representing – the working class and the poor. Was there one Democratic leader in Richmond who called a press conference to point out the injustice of the revised school formula – this reverse Robin Hood Republican policy? Is there one Democrat who called a radio talk show to tell the world of this outrage?

I have not heard the words “working class” or “the poor” on the lips of any Democratic leader in the past 20 years. We have abandoned our main constituency. No wonder the working class and the poor do not vote. Who is there to vote for? Who is standing up for them? (Don’t get me on the subject of Obama’s loss of audacity.)

Democrats are not willing to fight for their principles of equality and fairness. They should have filibustered Bush’s tax cut for the wealthy back in 2001, for example. We are afraid to use the words “rich” and “poor,” because we will be accused of “class warfare.” Wake up Democrats! We have been in a class war since William Jennings Bryan. It is about time we began to fight it. The only difference is the we have gone from a “Cross of Gold” to credit default swaps.

David RePass (Electronic mail, March 1, 2010)