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Aren't There Any Good Democrats Left In This Country?

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2008

I read, sometimes with amusement, John Reiners' column in your newspaper. I have met and spoke with John on a few occasions, but try to stay away from politics knowing his views and mine aren't always the same. I also know John's charming and very talented wife, Marsha. I had the fortune to be with her in a few plays at Stage West, and not only can she sing, but is also a very fine actress.

This last article he says he grew up in Jersey City, N.J., home of the very strong, at one time, Democratic Party. They used to kid about Election Day in Hudson County. The cry was "vote early and often." I grew up a few miles from Jersey City, Elizabeth and, when I first came out of the service worked for a company that had relocated from Jersey City, to Union. I would say 95 percent of the employees were from Jersey City, and many times I heard the name of Frank "I Am The Law" Hague mentioned.

John forgets to mention that along with his supposed crookedness he also built a beautiful maternity hospital there named after his wife. The Margaret Hague Hospital where rumors had it he would sometimes show up late at night with white gloves and run his hands over the doorways to the room, and lo and behold if they came back with dust or dirt on them there was hell to pay.

John also failed to mention how many needy families there received food and coal compliments of the mayor. It was said anyone who was needy could count on help from his administration. The difference in today's politician and yesterdays were the old liners shared, the new breed do not. The people I worked with there were crazy about him.

I can't for one minute think of Bush and Cheney sharing anything with us common folk. As for John McCain and his age, I know he was a hero, but there is a rumor about that a lot of POW's of that era do not want to break bread with him. The age so much doesn't scare me because I am there and still, I think have most of my facilities, but he has voted 90 percent of the time on Bush's proposals, and now seems to want to distance himself from Bush.

I have read many a column that Bush will go down as the worst president we ever had. McCain is in favor of staying in Iraq for the next 100 years if need be. Yes, McCain is a military man as were his father and grandfather. Military men are trained for war, and in my time I have seen enough of it. World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf and now this. When does it stop?

In a conversation with John recently, he mentioned that Roosevelt and, I think, Truman were the last Democratic presidents he liked. In fact, he mentioned when he returned to Jersey City recently he was shocked that Hudson Boulevard was now Kennedy Boulevard, named after John F. Kennedy.

I grew up as a child in the Roosevelt Administration and served in Korea under Truman. I don't think we will ever see another man like Roosevelt, mistakes, yes, but he had genuine concern for the common working man, although he was not.

I usually tell people who are against the so-called government giveaway that maybe they should return their Social Security check and refuse Medicare, so-called handouts. Just think how solvent both programs would be if this were done. I have a high school classmate who is a tunnel vision Republican who I suggested it to, and never got an answer to that e-mail.

C'mon John, there has to be some good Democrats.

Jack Joyce

Spring Hill

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