Voters often make their choices based on where they believe they fit in. At times, determining where we fit in can be a challenge but, as a public service, I’m here to help. Fellow occupants of the working class (i.e., ‘the rest of us’) allow me to provide you with the information you need — but I’ll begin with this direct approach for those of you who are firmly planted on the right:

Unless you are part of the ‘1%’, voting for the GOP doesn’t make you one of them. And guess what? Given your not-so-upper-crust standing, they will never consider YOU one of THEM.

Tough to swallow? Did that dose of reality help to clear things up a bit? No? Let me explain. How about this:

Let’s say you’re a union member considering a vote for the GOP: WTF is wrong with you? You should consider the Republicans’ push to get ‘right to work’ legislation on the books in all states. The ‘right to work‘ sounds great, doesn’t it? It’s as if there’s some process or program that is being considered that will ensure full employment for anyone who wants a job.

But that’s not the case.

According to those who support it, ‘right to work’ means faster economic growth, lower unemployment rates, greater employment growth, an increase in personal income, and home value appreciation. Sounds good — but then why is there a battle against it? It’s because what supporters are not saying is that the flip side reveals nearly across the board, right to work states have lower average real incomes.

The faster economic growth comes from companies hiring cheaper workers. Greater home price appreciation comes from the fact that these states start out with lower than average home values so any increase ends up beating the average uptick in values that wealthier states would experience.

That’s what right to work — which is a fancy way of saying ‘union busting’ — does for us. And who doesn’t know by now, that the GOP is not pro-union? Ask the folks in Wisconsin who, upon ushering in Tea Party backed Governor Scott Walker, witnessed their right to collectively bargain stripped away in front of their very eyes. Organisations such as the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation — which says that they’ve been defending workers from “compulsory unionism” for years — will tell you the ills of belonging to a union without giving credit at all to the many benefits workers and the nation’s economy gain as the result of labor unions.

Logical conclusion? If the GOP was at all concerned about work and good jobs, they would not make tax cuts for the rich and control over the uterus the sole focus of bills brought before congress. They would support the American Jobs Act that could potentially put 2 million people to work.

Next example: How about if you’re a first responder considering a vote for the GOP? Let’s start with the Paul Ryan portion of the Romney/Ryan ticket. With another anniversary of 9/11 behind us, it should still boggle your mind that Rep. Paul Ryan voted numerous times in opposition of the First Responders Bill — but nobody should be surprised given his lockstep stance on ‘union thugs’.

Logical conclusion? Not all first responders belong to unions but all first responders are lumped into the opposition from the standpoint of the First Responders Bill. All of those wildfires that were raging in the midwest? First responders battled those. Amidst budget cuts. Voted on by Mitt Romney’s VP choice.

My final point in this part of the series is for those who occupy a space at the lower end of the working class: Seriously. What are you thinking? Based on what I see of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, the people on the lower rungs of the economic ladder are collateral damage in their budget war. Why? Because, according to their plans and priorities, you need too much.

Logical conclusion? A budget speaks to priorities. If the things you need are not included in a budget, you are not a priority. If you’re not a priority then where are you? You’re being scraped off the 1%’s shoes because you and your needs are considered a drain on the system; pesky things such as the need to eat, have housing, have access to affordable healthcare, and send children to (public) schools and, of course, eventually collect Social Security and Medicare are not on the GOP’s agenda. The things you need are considered slash and burn items.

Go ahead, vote against your own interests just for the sake of saying you’re a ‘conservative’.

When you have to cough up more funds to pay for basic public services than the guy who runs the company you work for, send us a note and let us know how that’s working for you.

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