Tweeting is Bitching

Summary

The author vents frustrations about the lack of action on Valley Fever research funding in Arizona and California, particularly criticizing politicians Kevin McCarthy, Kyrsten Sinema, and Doug Ducey for their inaction or changed stances on the issue.

Abstract

The article titled "Tweeting is Bitching" reflects the author's use of social media, specifically Twitter, to express discontent with political figures in Arizona and the Southwest. The author, who primarily writes on Medium, turns to Twitter to address unresolved issues such as the neglect of Valley Fever, a severe fungal respiratory disease. Despite its significance, the disease has not received adequate attention or research funding, particularly from House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has seemingly forgotten his previous commitment to addressing Valley Fever now that he has ascended to a leadership position. The author also targets Sen. Kyrsten Sinema for her shift towards Republican stances and her failure to support a $15 minimum wage, as well as Arizona's governor Doug Ducey for his inconsistent pandemic policies. The author finds therapeutic value in this passive-aggressive outlet, which provides a platform to hold politicians accountable for their unkept promises and inadequate responses to pressing public health issues.

Opinions

The author believes that politicians like Kevin McCarthy have prioritized their political alliances over crucial health issues like Valley Fever.
Senator Kyrsten Sinema is criticized for moving away from her Democratic roots and not fulfilling expectations, such as supporting a higher minimum wage.
Governor Doug Ducey is seen as irresponsible for his lax pandemic policies and for not mandating masks.
The author perceives local Fox reporters as unintelligent and selling out to political figures like Ducey.
The author uses Twitter as a form of passive-aggressive therapy to deal with hostility towards politicians and to highlight their broken promises.
There is a sense of disappointment and betrayal in the author's tone regarding politicians' failure to address Valley Fever, despite its impact on their constituents.
The author hopes to provoke a response from these politicians to engage in a more meaningful dialogue on the issues at hand.

Passive aggression rids me of unkept promises

I spend little time on Twitter mainly because I’m busy writing on Medium. And mostly, I relieve my hostilities there via humor and essays.

But once in a while the regional politics of Arizona and the Southwest and certain national issues get me so riled up I have to single out a few of the most annoying players and sling some arrows at them.

One of my biggest annoyances is that no one in Arizona or California is pushing for research monies to combat Valley Fever, a life-threatening fungal disease that enters the lungs from spores in the air and kills hundreds of people every year.

Epidemic in Arizona and California, this respiratory disease used to be a part of House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s platform since he represents an area in California hard hit by the disease. When he hit the big time and became the Minority GOP leader, I thought we would see some big changes.

But as soon as McCarthy became a VIP in Congress, he buddied up with Trump. Valley Fever funding went out the window even before the pandemic cost us billions. Now every chance I get, I call McCarthy a “jerk.”

I’ve got a lot of opportunities since he automatically blasts any Democrat-starting legislation or executive orders like the recent gun curtailment. He also has amnesia about a family member who suffered for a time with Valley Fever. No mention of this at all or that the top valley fever spore producer is Bakersfield, CA, part of his 23rd district!

I enjoy tweeting the word “jerk” to berate him. I have got no answer, but I’m working toward that goal. I really hope he’ll come back at me with something nasty so I can vary my pejoratives.

I also am planning to home in on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, now the senior senator in Arizona, who shortly after being elected had a brief conversation with my husband about her stance on Valley Fever. She made no promises, but at least then she sounded like a Democrat and I was hopeful. Nowadays she’s sounding more and more like a Republican. Recently she voted down the $15 minimum wage part of the COVID trillion-dollar rescue package, and I felt like strangling her. If she can’t give hardworking people $15 an hour, I doubt she’ll care if they get Valley Fever.

She’s full of empty words and phrases. One day she’s honoring national holocaust memorial day, another time it’s a tweet for national burrito day. She celebrates Cesar Chavez and MLK, which is all so politically correct you figure she’s following Chase’s Calendar of Events. For women’s history month, she paid homage to Lucretia Breazeale Hamilton, a botanical illustrator who specialized in Arizona cacti. Maybe Kyrsten could add little cocci spores to the cacti to make it more realistic. At least then she might remember her pledge to Arizonans.

I’ve also funneled my fury at Doug Ducey, who’s Arizona’s second-term governor and another one of my most favorite jerks. During the pandemic, he sided with Trump and wouldn’t mandate masks. Now he’s not exactly anti-vax, but he’s opened up all the restaurants to full capacity but still insists on keeping social distancing. The two are incompatible, Doug.

Every once in a while I also like to tweet the local Fox channel, especially when reporters say something really dumb like, well, any time. The last tweet I posted said they’d sold out to Ducey and I wouldn’t buy any products they hawk. Got at least one retweet on that one, so my anger is infectious.

After a 10-minute tweet/bitch session, I always feel better and way less hostile so my new passive-aggressive therapy must be working. The only problem is that Ducey can’t run for a third term. I wonder what Republican dimwit I’ll be tweeting the same time next year.