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Monthly Archives: August 2011

I Get It Now!


I think I have it figured out! Each day I read the opinion pages and the various pundits (political and otherwise).None of us really have a clue as to what Congress is doing. The Congress is actually the driving force behind any efforts made on behalf of the United States in other countries and within our borders.The President (whoever that may be) can only propose projects whether they are national or global, the final decision is left to Congress. Keep in mind that we (the people) elect the Congress based on their appeal to our mental processes. basic beliefs and ethnicity, unfortunately we also are subject to the advertising of candidate’s ability and what we are told they will do. At this stage of my life I have had an opportunity to look back on what I have read and heard and have come to understand that the only real truth is the truth within each one of us.If we as individuals do not act as individuals we are already lost and the politicians who constantly under represent us while espousing advocacy for us have won -Again! I propose that we as voters pay less attention to what seems correct and more attention to what is not.

The Learning Curve


Today I witnessed the essence in parenting. Two (2) Moms literally drug their children across a busy street in the middle of the block, against traffic instead of going to the traffic signal at the corner. Habits learned at the feet (and hands) of the parents continue into adult life. If confronted with this potential deadly habit how many children will killed in traffic accidents? Where were they going in such a hurry that they could not walk to the corner (about 20 or 30 steps) and set a good example? They were going to the “Y”! I have witnessed this same behavior with other patrons of the “Y”, could this be because the entrance and exit to the “Y”s parking is located in the middle of the block but directly across from the main entrance. It is obvious that the entrance or the parking lot access cannot be moved but a little common sense would be a big step.

The Catalyst


Now I understand the forces behind the overall dislike, fear and perhaps hatred of President Obama. First he is a history maker, secondly he has pushed harder for some ideas than some of his predecessors. There are many who say he has not kept any of his promises and is not forceful enough to get things done. On the other side there are those who feel he is not capable. This all comes about at a time when the past 10 years have seen the economy go from bad to worse with a little lift in the middle.The Congress has been the biggest offender in these past 20 or so years and now we really see how anti Black American our Congress (and by extension our nation)is. What we have is a person of color who has made the leap from bystander to action figure (sort of) and in the process provided a catalyst that has galvanized the country’s elitist Congress and related groups into a racist group of idiots who would have burned witches in the 15th century. I wonder how many of our legislators can win relection on their merits and accomplishments with the hyperbole of political slander and what eventually are found to be wild promises. If the elitist legislature were truly interested in advancing the cause of the country’s economy and interests, we would not have the rest of the world looking at us as truly “ugly Americans”.

Healthcare Again


Recently a European correspondent with NPR commented on the ease and relatively inexpensive cost of healthcare in Europe. The cost is graduated according the income of the person contributing. Apparently what the current President is attempting to achieve is a Healthcare system modeled along the same lines. Our erstwhile Congress is unable to see beyond race, place of birth or perhaps the support of big insurance. I do not completely understand the full scope of the European system however if it is a working system, perhaps we Americans should be pushing our representatives to look a bit closer at it. These representatives have no qualms in jetting anywhere for research they want but to do a research job on something that could be of benefit to their constituents is seemingly not high on their list. I submit that if our Congress spent more time, money and effort in looking into issues for the benefits of the voters we would be in a better fiscal position than we are now. Presidents have come and gone but most of Congress remains. The blame for the events of the past number of years falls squarely on the shoulders of these long-term members of Congress. This is not to suggest that the European model is perfect and should be adopted in total but it is an idea that has a decent track record even though it is now showing the beginnings of some financial problems. It is possible that a blend of the two with what works kept in place and what doesn’t work removed. There will always be detractors and advocates for any proposed plan but without a sincere effort we will still have an imperfect system that barely works.

Celebrity Tippers


You would think we had better things to think about that who the worst celebrity tippers are. The research for this is no more than entertainment fluff. We have more serious concerns than low or no tipping celebrities. Many of us have forgotten then these now famous folks were not always so well off. In some case perhaps these folks deem a signature is worth something, after all don’t we pursue them for signatures? As far as one TV celebrity advocating 15% or less, look at the economic situation we are in and would we make so a fuss over ordinary folks who tip small or not at all? It is not newsworthy to put out information that has no educational merit! To put a fine point on it, we as the entertainment seekers forget that these well known’s have very little personal life save for their secluded homes and unlisted numbers after all they are human and deserving of the same privacy we as ordinary citizens crave.

Lilliegate?


A high placed administrator in the Springfield Urban league has all but gutted the Head Start program. This administrator who retired from a state position in Health and Human services at a level 5 (this on the lower end of the supervisory scale). Her emergence as a third in line at the Urban League has created an air of deceit, deception and incompetence. The clients in this case are countless children who use the services of Head Start on a daily basis. Her “reign” of terror has eliminated all but the most basic, building upkeep, the inability to service the clients and their families by diluting the staffing of certified and qualified teaching staff.The advent of Unionization has brought some relief but the cloud of “Lilliegate” lies heavy over the program.The extent of this persons negative influence has spread to her own church in that she was asked to step down from a leadership role in a church program. What we have in the presence of this person is the advent of a low-level administrator moving above her capability to oversee important programs. When the real truth is brought to light there will be many threads that lead back to the Lillie’s gate.

Fast Food Is Not!


After many visits to several fast food operations locally, I have concluded that fast food is not so fast.To begin with it is a off-putting exercise in just placing your order.Initially you are assailed with a recorded message to get you buy a supersize, specialty item or a full meal. When you tell them what you want it usually takes two (2) times to get your order across correctly (hopefully). Once you accomplished that feat, you go to the pay window and there your order is verified. You then move to the window where you receive your order after answering the question verifying your order. Overall this process appears simple except in the establishments where you can “have it your way”. Once embarking on the road to “having it your way”, chances are your order will be wrong at least 1/2 the time. Once have determined that your order is wrong , you have to go into the store and get it corrected. You will then receive a multitude of pardons for the mistake while your stomach growls. The conclusion I have reached is fast food is not and the chance of having it your way is sure to create chaos in the establishments routine and increasing the chance of an error in your order. Now to discuss the workers, I have noticed that many of the workers are incompetent and zombie like.All of then save a few suffer from the ability to clearly communicate with the customer. It is like dealing with someone who would rather be elsewhere, doing some thing different.

Building What?


There has been some media coverage on the multi site housing erected by Springfield Housing. This is a wonderful development and much-needed but I am a bit disturbed that there is very little participation in the building by minorities. What ever happened to the program administered by the Springfield Urban League to train community youths in the construction trades to enable them to participate in these construction projects? The program called “Youth Build” was supposed to train eligible youths in the construction trades, then place them with local contractors for on the job training. Since the beginning of the program there it appears that no actual permanent or temporary positions were made available for those participants. Those trainees would have made a good step in raising the standards of living on the East side while removing some families above the poverty level and off the public dole.

Taxation without Effect


The latest edition of the Illinois legislature in action has appeared. The State is in dire financial straits but the “leaders” have decided to impose a tax increase to cure the problem. This tax increase is supposed to be “temporary” but given the past financial malfeasance, this no doubt will continue beyond the projected expiration date. The voters of this state (and the Nation) have been snookered, bamboozled and lied to for years but we still elect the same morons because of sound bites and innuendo (advertising). The art of politics is to put on a theatrical production before elections and perform sleight of hand actions (that would amaze David Copperfield). These machinations have created a fiscal morass that appears impossible to overcome by the current administration. The entire legislature is to blame but no more than the voters (us) who put them there. The election season (season of signs, media ads and personal appearances) brings a mass media assault equal to a military campaign but having no substantial content. These office seekers can be likened to whipped cream which goes flat when warm. The cure is to listen carefully to what these aspirants say and believe none of it especially if they have been in office for more that 2 terms. The founders intended that these positions would be part-time not permanent or perpetual. The thought was to allow various views and fresh thoughts, we certainly have not seen much of that in the past 50 years or so. This latest debacle is not an oddity, it is more an ongoing process of line their pockets and lie to the public. We as voters have too long accepted the elitist attitudes as long as we get ours, which is not as much as we need.

Twisting In The Wind


Each day as I read the various and assorted opinions by well know columnists, pundits and poorly informed readers, I am so disappointed by the ignorance of their statements. So many of the statements are so racist as to served up with a burning cross. Since the beginning of this country race has been an economic issue and secondly a color “thing”. Some Americans have not made much progress beyond the antebellum era of the United States. Our Congress has never made the leap to modern times but have made a few allowances such as allowing women and people of color to serve in their hallowed chambers while keeping the same attitude of elitism. When a member actually shows an initiative towards the real job of serving in a Congressional manner are shut down or bought off with an assist for their constituents. This leaves the majority of Americans twisting in the wind and ripe for plucking by any reasonable sounding right, left or radical sect. The envisioned America is one in which the voters can trust their representatives. We are twisting in the wind and buffeted by gale force winds of B.S.