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Monthly Archives: November 2010

Here We Are Again!


What will it take for the voting public to pay attention to what our representatives are not doing for us? The local Illinois representatives want to maintain secrecy over open government. These “servants” of the people are busily keeping some constituents happy and others are left in the cold. A vote is the driving force behind all elections and to achieve that goal our representatives will say anything, agree to anything to stay in office. It all comes back to the voters allowing our representatives serve(?) more than 2 terms in office. There is no better way to for voters to have control over their representatives than limiting the time they serve. If these representatives cannot accomplish what needs to be done in 2 terms, then why do we need them? If there were no political parties, no PAC’s and no special interest groups  then maybe the elected representatives could work as a cohesive unit to get the work of the people done. We as voters have been advertised into electing the same mistakes time after time and regretting it each time yet we forget each time we hit the polling booth. Change is only accomplished by the voters and not the person running for  or serving in the office.

The Politricks of Politics


The unassailable truth of our political system is that it is broken and no linger functions as it was supposed to.We have had years of self-serving elected officials with a few decent ones mixed in. There have been idealists turned into cynics, cynics turned into idealists and a fortunate or unfortunate mix of both. The elected positions have all become races for power  to no good end. We have suffered through abnormal Government mistakes which have been fomented by individual parties jockeying for power. The goal appears to be for each major party is to control the Congress and thereby control the Presidency. The President is the person who is supposed to be the front man and moral compass of  the country is left (and remembered) as the scapegoat of the people and the world. It is unfortunate that voters are in a steep learning curve on who to vote for. The voting public has been manipulated by mass media browbeating, in your face attack ads and yard signs which are trip hazards. We have become victims of own fears and prejudices exacerbated by the very people we elect. These officials have failed us constantly and we still elect them, in effect we have allowed these elected officials to turn us into our own worst enemies.

Dishing The Dirt?


The ever increasing media coverage of politics has taken a turn for the? Unfortunately the political game is no better than it was before. We have a sitting president who was elected for change but the change was only for not having another candidate occupy the office. The people who aspire to the nations highest office are usually backed by one of the major parties both of whom are as trustworthy as angry skunk. We voters end up listening to endless robo calls. media presentations and sound bites that either extol the virtues of the candidate or trash their opponent. We end up voting for a candidate out of sheer frustration or something that was said by a candidate that triggers an inner fear of the other candidate. The constant lack of information in the non election season offered by these elected officials should be suspect  due to the lack. Wouldn’t you think these officials could offer some insight into what they are doing for us when not reaching for votes? I find it hard to cast a vote for some one who hides their activities in a non election period but will spend millions to keep an office with lies and innuendo.

Hardly Concealed


The underlying feelings about the sitting President and his initiatives appear to be based more on his skin color than his actions. It is a sad state this country is in when so many of us can not leave the racism of the past behind and move into the current century. This is evidenced in the recent elections around the country where barely hidden racist voting has occurred. The Republican agenda no matter how it looks outwardly is designed to tear apart some initiatives that while not perfect, but are a needed beginning. These agendas carry the faint aroma of America’s antebellum past. It is so sad that our country is still swayed by the color division even after numerous examples showing that race should not be a factor in the forward progress of the nation. To cite just a few minor contributions: traffic signals (Garrett A. Morgan;first practical traffic signal,sold patent to GE, 1923), air conditioners for long haul trucks and the Tuskegee airmen in the second world war. Now is the time that All Americans should wake up and pay close attention to what our “leaders” are saying as there are a lot of unspoken truths put out as fact especially when race is involved. This country did not become what it is solely on the contributions of whites only but from the melting pot that is America. The sitting representatives from all states are suspect in they all have turned a part-time position into lifetime appointments designed to build  their own status and wealth.

High Flying Liars


During my daily perusal of newspapers and blogs I am ever amazed at the audacity of the highly paid CEO’s of well known companies who defend their poor reasons for the continual of the rape of their customers. These are people who have earned high degrees in their fields and have learned from the best professors who teach the “correct” methods of doing business to get the most reward for the service provided. Once these former students arrive at their high level of power , the greed kicks in and they forget everything except their own pockets. This behavior reminds me of the entire “Star Wars” saga. The villan lures the unsuspecting young hero into the depths of evil using the tragedies of his life and the mercurial promise of unlimited power and salvation. These CEO’s are the epitome of the overall class warfare that is plaguing this country and other parts of the world. How is this possible? This is all brought to us through their skills in manipulating the system that no longer works for the people- The U.S. Congress! The protectors have become the gate keepers and are keeping us in check by using our fears against us while perpetrating the idea that they are working for us.

We All Need To Listen With Cynicism.


My  daily read of the local and national political news, it seems that even many pundits are not seeing or acknowledging the real problem in government. Anyone can take pot shots and swipes at the person in charge. More to the point assume that the Congress served the same amount of time as a President (4 to 8 years), how much more would be done without the withering amount of political rhetoric, innuendo and outright lies put out by each major party and their associated factions.? In plain words, why not tell the public the truth? The truth is always the same no matter what untruths are placed on top of it. The American voter has been blinded by the prosperity of the past years  and aided by the unfulfilled promises of the officials we elect time after time because we refuse to look at their track records but believe what they tell us if they throw in something that we believe even if it’s not true. The current political is broken and has been for some time but we voters have allowed it to limp along out of our own comfort. It took the election of a non white man to the nations highest office to galvanize any action  and for the all the wrong reasons. What we now have is an opposing party that refused to participate in prior activities relating to the health and financial welfare of the citizens but now wants to dismantle what has been done. All of this will do is cause a stoppage of normal (such as it is) government work. Where the voters need to gain an edge is to listen to what being said by our elected officials with a cynical ear and not blindly believe what comes out of their mouths

The Human Rope


As the power shifts in the U.S. Congress we are hearing that the healthcare and financial reforms will dismantled. While neither of the issues may be perfect. To just dismantle them with nothing in their stead is ludicrous. The soon to be majority is busily determining the fate of the national economy and the physical health  of the people while the people are still being used as a human rope in a political tug of war. The entire political system is about the power that can be gained by serving (“the people?”). What if as a gesture of good faith, the Congress reduced their pay and benefits, amended the law they passed to insure their own annual cost of living  increases and eliminated the pork spending  that they have sanctioned in the name of special interests that do not benefit the public as a whole.

Opinion is His Job


The release of Juan Williams by NPR comes as a shock and a mystery to me. Of course Mr. Williams voiced an opinion held by many on the air but that is what reporters do. Would it have been the same if he had said he was nervous each time he saw some one white on the plane or what of the many blacks who were shied away from and eyed suspiciously just for being black? How about the many Amish who wear the traditional dress but are not looked on nervously but accepted because they are white? What of the American Indians who are looked on suspiciously (except on the reservations) in the regions where they are most prevalent. If the American Indian is in traditional garb then they are viewed as a curiosity.

Snake Oil


Somewhere in Taylorville there is a car salesman who is probably proud of his ability to move vehicles. This pride is more arrogance than ability, a close friend of mine purchased a vehicle from this person and has no end to problems on a vehicle that was “thoroughly checked over”. An extended warranty was purchased at the time of purchase and even with that the problems were not solved. My Friend finally took his vehicle to a Ford dealer for service and a full check up, it was determined that there were many issues (some were supposed to have been repaired by the seller) with this vehicle but some of them would be covered by the extended warranty,my friend is Hispanic but his English was good enough to purchase this vehicle and negotiate a deal but the same old prejudices against minorities and greed took over and caused the problems of having this vehicle running the way it should and would have had the correct action or check up had been done.The moral of the story is there are still some snake oil salesmen in the car business and you cannot believe what they say especially if you are a minority.
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Hard Choices


The past year has brought some changes in government which were easy and some that were hard. I have noticed that the harder the choice, the more the public protests after some politician emits some political rhetoric which has little basis in fact. The change touted by the current administration is not brand new but it appears that the popularity contest of previous administrations is not lost on this one but has not deterred them from the stated goal of making government work for the people. The public has for so long made the elected officials bend to their will in maintaining a certain standard of living while many of their fellow citizens sink lower into poverty. Cries of socialism, too much government have echoed from main street to the Capitol dome but history has shown that choices now being made should have been made years ago. The events in the financial and political areas have been in the works for years but just been ignored and covered up by the “movers and shakers” to their own advantage. Apparently many of us are still relying on the old and time worn shouts of racism, socialism and government take over yet failing to see that we are in trouble and have been for years. The greed of men has all but crippled this country’s economy while pointing the finger at other unrelated causes. We have allowed outsourcing to the detriment of production and manufacturing aside from the health issues presented due to unsafe outsourced manufacturing. The issue is simple: understand and acknowledge the Hard Choices that are needed, ignore the hype and sound bites that are designed to obscure the facts of hard choices and garner support for election or reelection.