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Tag Archives: current-events

The Washington Marathon


The Washington Marathon is a major event often accompanied by the Washington Two step or the D.C. reel. A little heralded athletic event occurred in Washington D.C this week . The “running of the Congress” is a great event that has gained major significance over the past 3 to 6 months. Our Congress has tacitly avoided doing their jobs for  a while. These past several years have seen the Congress have their way with us regarding the economy, elections and who knows what else. These Needers and buskers have spent more time on the air and in the media “defending” their views than doing the actual work we pay them so dearly for. I wonder what kind of Xmas they are having in comparison to a majority of Americans who are affected by their inactions. It seems to me that these folks take every opportunity to avoid their work such as the Susan Rice issue, which turns out be someone elses fault (if there is any) but look at the time spent in pursuing something that did not require the time. That is time that could have been spent on the economy. Government is broken and we all know it but the disconnect is clearly in the Congressional halls. Election is the only and best remedy we have to correct this situation.  Voters who do not see the folly of party line voting need to take the blinders off to see all of  the issues involved. The actions of Congress has taken  the air of  an advertising on the scale of drug manufacturers touting a new product and telling you to ask your doctor about it..

Cooler Heads Must Prevail


Yesterday’s tragedy in Connecticut has and will certainly bring the  out the debates and shouts for more or less firearm laws but the facts about the shooter appears to be similar to the shooters in the other incidents. These folks were mentally ill, intelligent and in need of more help than they sometimes received. The Anti and Pro firearms group will have their say but the victims never will. We need to put these issues aside and focus on determining ways of assisting the survivors while looking for ways to identify the people who committed and could commit these terrible crimes. It has sometimes been determined after background examination that these shooters have had or still have mental issues. Is it possible to legislate for this? Can we determine a future  psychotic breaK?, probably not but we need to put the firearm issue on the back burner and look at the mental health part of the equation. This may be a better use of our energy.

Chicago and Firearms


The Chicago city council has again made erroneous statements regarding reasons to not have concealed carry. One council member made this statement: “Guns already are too plentiful on some neighborhoods’ streets. Alderman Roberto Maldonado said that while a concealed carry law would not allow gang members with criminal backgrounds to carry guns, the gang members could prey on law abiding citizens and steal their guns. Or, he said, they would have greater access to guns than ever before because their friends and relatives who do not have criminal records would be able to carry concealed weapons.” I wonder if these Council members  understand that illegal means illegal and if as stated  the gang members will use their friends and families to legally buy firearms then why aren’t they doing it now? or if they are then the concealed carry law will  effect NOTHING. It is apparent that the council members are reacting in a “knee jerk” fashion while the reason for the ban on firearms affects only law abiding citizens who cannot rely on protection from the police. How many of the council have firearms and even body guards? It would make more sense to adopt a concealed carry system and perhaps have an idea of who is on the side of the law instead of attaching bounties on firearm  and ammunition purchases by already legal firearm owners. Is the city of Chicago so afraid of its citizens that they are not willing to form a partnership in protection of them and their families?

Fiscal ?


The current debate on the fiscal cliff is at once confusing and practical. the confusion is the bottom limit on higher income folks and small business people are always mentioned. Unless I am mistaken, small business people do not necessarily personally make 250,000 dollars annually. Their business could generate that amount but after taxes, payroll and expenses it is no longer 250,000 dollars. My question is: how is the 250,000 dollar amount determined? The parties both throw out this number but no specific details ever follow.  The Dupublicans have thrown this figure out but only to garner support against the tax increase but in reality many small businesses will not be affected. The Scamocrats insist that this will not affect small businesses. Which is correct? This issue as far as I am concerned needs to be resolved in camera and not in the media. These daily reports serve only to confuse and infuriate the public. There are many offerings  from  well known third-party people and high profile business people but none of these have any effect on the problem. What if all of these ideas were to come together, could we devise a long term solution to the problem? Are we heading into 4 years of business as usual? Our political system has been broken for a long time and the party method is as obsolete as carbon paper. The party’s have firmly entrenched their beliefs in some draconian ways that do not relate to the modern world. It is fine to have a general party line but these “modern” planks are more self-centered and politically stagnant. If we as voters and citizens would dismiss our “party” sense we could then look at the overall effect of this “hardlinerism” and begin to remove these long term sitters to improve the “Congressional” blood lines.

Transportation and Trash In Springfield, ILlinois


I have watched and read the assorted stories and blurbs about trash pick up, rail line locations and where police and fireman  will live. All of this issues are important but let us look at them in order of importance.  There is no place in Springfield that cannot be gotten to in 20 minute or less. This is on the far end of normal emergency response time so any public servant in these two job areas would not be out of range of reporting for duty in an emergency. If any of these folks lived  any place beyond the range of Petersburg (for example) then there may be a problem but maybe only due to road and weather conditions (blizzard, tornado or the like). Trash collections, I live just outside the city limits but am still considered as living in Springfield  (except when local elections occur) and in my little area there are no less than 4 and as many as 6 trash haulers and if my neighbors are like me they pay monthly , quarterly or something similar. None of us have recycling (I  am not sure why not)  and we do OK. I would suggest that the city should if they need to assess a tax or what ever it is to be called on the trash issue , just do it and be done. The much talked about rail relocation is never going have a perfect solution but apparently Normal, IL.  was able to get it done (10 years in the making). Their solution seems to incorporate connections with the use of shuttles to the airport, on site parking for train and bus travelers. WE do not need much more than this and therefore need to resolve primarily the issue of train service rerouting. No doubt there will be some relocation but the solution is to decide and really have discussions with the folks who will be affected by the relocation. Town hall meetings are not the answer since the city really has no answers at this time, just guesses and by golly’s. My view is that these things need to be resolved and the city leaders should do what is required no matter how much screaming and yelling will come from the public, the public doesn’t trust you anyway so just get it done. Just remember NO ONE wants their status quo changed.

The Civil War – 150 Years Later.


The past 2 Presidential elections have brought out the best and worst in Americans. All of vituperative and laudatory comments have been couched in some cases by the underlying racism that some Americans harbor. The civil war was more about economics (slaves as chattel) than freedom but the widespread bias and hatred against non white (including Native Americans, Chinese and Hispanics to name a few) served to fuel a divisive war with a terrible loss of life and economic instability for half of the United States. This loss affected the entire country for many years after but the underlying prejudices were still festering in some areas including the North. To become what many consider the greatest country in the free world, residents must put aside the issue of race and move to strike a better understanding and cooperative tone. The first step in this is understanding that we all suffer under the same impotent legislative leaders. Do not think for a minute that the people you have elected have only your concerns in mind. The evil tone  in the last 2 major elections has been viral in the media with no substance as to what the cures for the economy would be. Now that the same man is in the Oval office, the tone has changed because it cannot be business as usual. This modern day “Civil War” has the same effects as the past one without the massive loss of life but the same disastrous economic effect. When the majority of Americans (all of Us) allows themselves to think beyond our personal biases we will begin to see  that we need to elect some new people to the Congress who will do what is required but first change the pay rates, benefits and pensions of the current Congress.  What if we had a Congress that reflected the American public instead of the one that seemingly reflects the troop of apes that shares the Name?

Does Willard Romney Really Care?


The recent weather disaster should give pause to folks who are considering voting for Mr. Romney. Under the guise of  suspending the politricking, he asked for food donations at his rally, this is to be distributed in the communities affected by the adverse weather. The real President suspended his election activities to do what Presidents do, guide and watch over the weather related problems. Any person who is on the fence should see that we already have a President who is doing the work  that is required up to and including the so called “OBamacare”. The health plan is named “The Affordable Health Care Act” and has afforded healthcare for millions of folks already. If Mr. Romney prevails all of that will be lost and the country’s health care will be in shambles. There are now people who are judging the actions of the President in this problem as politics but what should he have done? Remember Katrina?, its aftermath is still in evidence in the areas affected. I consider myself an independent voter but I spend a lot of time reading several papers and poring over  many websites to glean middle line information and facts yet I sometimes miss items. Consider what information the people who do not search for truth are getting and acting on. These are the folks that lean toward or are behind Mr. Romney. It does not matter to me who people vote for as long as they have done their due diligence in determining the facts.

Independent Business Done In BY The Chain Store


The upcoming new super  market scheduled for the MacArthur business area will have a convenience store and a gas station. At the corner of that site (which once was a Kmart) was a Shell gas station which had been in place for years. As I understand it the owner approached the grocery chain but never received any response. Of course this just an opinion on my part but if an established business exists and could be included in the new building plan, why not do it? The new company will still have a gas station and a convenience store however the 40 years of service and goodwill built up by the Town and Country Shell station (a full service facility) goes the way of the Dinosaur

October-Reason To Get Out Of Bed In The Morning


  Don’t want to wait for Halloween to celebrate a holiday? Don’t worry—this month has more to offer. Here are a few highlights to mark on your calendar: National Taco Day (October 4), Canadian Thanksgiving (October 8), National Dictionary Day (October 12), National No Beard Day (October 18), National Evaluate Your Life Day (October 19), and National Bologna Day (October 24).

Violent Religions?


An opinion in the local paper states that Islam is a violent religion. The writer opines that even if there are a few peaceful individuals within  the religion , it is still a violent religion. Going back millenia and less there were the crusades which was orchestrated by a Catholic Pope along with protestants and some nondenominational groups against the muslims (not all of them Islamists). War is violent and if a religion is involved, then it is violence. A religion cannot be violent as it is a belief, not an entity. The violence is issued from the individuals and their religious guides. There was a Catholic priest (Father Charles Coughlin) who was very antisemitic yet the entire Catholic Church was not. The idea that a religion in its self is violent is at best based on ignorance. Every religion has a basis in the same beliefs  no matter what the “Supreme” being is labeled.  To state that a religion is violent is the same as saying guns kill people. I would suggest that the writer read up on religions to understand that all of them have essentially the same basis and are divided only by  different methods of worship. The bottom line is no religion is violent only some of the followers who would have been violent if there were no religions.