When the current administration was campaigning, I kept hearing “change”. Always “change”.
And I hoped against hope that it would happen.
There were promises of stopping earmarks, removing special interests, openness, and a chance to be heard.
And I hoped against hope that it would be true.
Now the campaign is over and it is time to see where that change might take us. It is time to put it into practice.
How are we doing? Not so good!
There seems to be a problem finding anyone who pays their taxes to staff the cabinet. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Where is the change in that?
And when is the last time you felt like anyone in Washington DC had a clue what you were thinking about or concerned about? No change on that front.
The temporary budget to keep things going for the rest of the fiscal year was loaded with those earmarks that we were promised would be reviewed and only allowed through on their individual merit. Next year is the story now. What do you suppose the excuse will be next year?
The stimulus package, which we were told we would have time to review, was pushed through so fast that even those who were voting on it didn't have time to read it. Now that the AIG bonus flap has hit the fan, all the powers that be in Washington DC are tripping over each other trying to avoid getting any of it on themselves. Fact of the matter is, if the promise of time to review had been kept, someone would have caught this. If anyone would have grown a back bone and upheld their oath of office, somebody somewhere would have caught that piece and there would have at least been a chance to try to do something about it. But it got rushed past us, under the cover of night, and we got taken to the cleaners. As we have been so many times before.
So now I want to know. What else did they hide in there? Did they revoke the constitution? Have the rescinded the bill of rights? What kind of surprises do we have coming down the pike that just happen to have been slipped into this drive by mugging that they called a stimulus package? What did they do to us really?
The only change I am seeing right now, is in the cast of characters that are in charge of spending more money than our nation can afford and maybe where they spend it. But it hasn't changed that much. We are still headed towards disaster but we can't get the conductor or the engineer to listen to us when we tell them the tracks are out ahead.
It really is just more of the same stuff, different day.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Who decides who gets to be the boss?!
From the sources I have been able to locate so far, it appears that about 60% of the eligible voters are registered. That means that 40% of the voters, by not getting out and registering have arranged not to have any say in how our country is run.
Sure there are lots of excuses to feel frustrated or that our voice isn't heard (boy can I relate to that feeling). That my "one" vote isn't going to make a difference. That it is all corrupt. But that is what they are, excuses! If everyone one that didn't register, got out, registered and voted, if they had all felt the same way about who should be president, they could have out voted those who did get to pick this time.
In the 2008 election, about 33% of the voters were enough to be the majority needed to elect the president of the United States. That means there were a lot of votes that could have pushed him higher, or elected someone else.
As far as not feeling like you are represented, or they are corrupt, get out and do something about it! Write to your representatives. Call them. Email them. If they don't get any feedback, positive or negative, they are going to think that everyone is happy with what they are doing.
If only a vocal minority is making their voices heard, then the legislature will think that everyone agrees with that minority is saying.
We can't afford to be the silent majority any more. Otherwise that 33% will have the only votes that are counted.
Now maybe that is good and maybe it isn't. But the only way to really, truly, know what the voice of the people is saying, or wants to say, is if the people speak up. Stop waiting for someone else to make your case for you.
If the founding fathers had done that, we would still be a British Colony!
And if the selection in the last election seemed a little thin, get out and vote in the primaries! That is when it is decided which choices we will have in the general elections. Once again, if only a few folks show up to vote, those few folks are the ones who get to make the choice. They get to make that choice for all of us just because they took the time to "speak out".
So, if you don't like how things are going, and didn't vote. Too bad, you had your chance. Make sure you speak up next time.
If you did vote and don't like how things are going, make sure that all your friends turn out and vote too. Maybe they will be enough to make the difference.
And if you voted, and do like how things are going, make sure you get out and vote again and bring your friends. Otherwise it might get turned around next time.
We the people, have a voice. But if we don't use it, we won't be heard. But if we band together, take the time to make sure that our "leaders" know what we like and don't like about what they are doing, you can bet they will hear and respond.
After all, we can fire them if we don't like the job they are doing. We just need to get out and make our voices heard!
Sure there are lots of excuses to feel frustrated or that our voice isn't heard (boy can I relate to that feeling). That my "one" vote isn't going to make a difference. That it is all corrupt. But that is what they are, excuses! If everyone one that didn't register, got out, registered and voted, if they had all felt the same way about who should be president, they could have out voted those who did get to pick this time.
In the 2008 election, about 33% of the voters were enough to be the majority needed to elect the president of the United States. That means there were a lot of votes that could have pushed him higher, or elected someone else.
As far as not feeling like you are represented, or they are corrupt, get out and do something about it! Write to your representatives. Call them. Email them. If they don't get any feedback, positive or negative, they are going to think that everyone is happy with what they are doing.
If only a vocal minority is making their voices heard, then the legislature will think that everyone agrees with that minority is saying.
We can't afford to be the silent majority any more. Otherwise that 33% will have the only votes that are counted.
Now maybe that is good and maybe it isn't. But the only way to really, truly, know what the voice of the people is saying, or wants to say, is if the people speak up. Stop waiting for someone else to make your case for you.
If the founding fathers had done that, we would still be a British Colony!
And if the selection in the last election seemed a little thin, get out and vote in the primaries! That is when it is decided which choices we will have in the general elections. Once again, if only a few folks show up to vote, those few folks are the ones who get to make the choice. They get to make that choice for all of us just because they took the time to "speak out".
So, if you don't like how things are going, and didn't vote. Too bad, you had your chance. Make sure you speak up next time.
If you did vote and don't like how things are going, make sure that all your friends turn out and vote too. Maybe they will be enough to make the difference.
And if you voted, and do like how things are going, make sure you get out and vote again and bring your friends. Otherwise it might get turned around next time.
We the people, have a voice. But if we don't use it, we won't be heard. But if we band together, take the time to make sure that our "leaders" know what we like and don't like about what they are doing, you can bet they will hear and respond.
After all, we can fire them if we don't like the job they are doing. We just need to get out and make our voices heard!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
AIG Bonus Thoughts
Everyone is outraged over the bonus money going to the division in AIG that apparently was one of the leading causes of the economic mess we are in right now.
And we have a right to be.
This is wrong. Absolutely wrong.
But let’s look beyond the surface to the rest of the wrong here before we start up a lynch mob.
The legislature and the administration, as far back as Clinton, have resisted any attempts to regulate some of these items that are now broken and taking the rest of us with them.
In their effort to be “fair” to everyone, some factions of the legislature have encouraged lenders to make loans to folks who were in no position to pay for them.
I have been watching ads for years promising credit to folks, regardless of credit history, or income, or… and thought, even with my limited experience on such things, this can’t be good. It is going to catch up to someone somewhere, sometime.
I underestimated a bit though because it caught up to everyone pretty much everywhere.
Anyway, the problem isn’t just the AIG execs. They just took advantage of the situation that the government presented to them. That doesn’t excuse them. They need to be tried, fairly and they need to be punished.
But this is not the way to accomplish it.
For the congress of the United States of America to write a special law in order to tax that money back from the is so terribly wrong. And even if such an act is in anyway legal or constitutional, it terrifies me.
If they can do this now, to those people, they can do it anytime to anyone for any reason they chose!
Can you just imagine what potential that has for the business climate in our nation? Everyone would be looking over their shoulder all the time. It could potentially cause that great financial calamity that everyone is trying to avoid.
Please, write your congressional representatives, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. We must not allow this to gain any traction or we are going to head down a road that will be very difficult to recover from.
And we have a right to be.
This is wrong. Absolutely wrong.
But let’s look beyond the surface to the rest of the wrong here before we start up a lynch mob.
The legislature and the administration, as far back as Clinton, have resisted any attempts to regulate some of these items that are now broken and taking the rest of us with them.
In their effort to be “fair” to everyone, some factions of the legislature have encouraged lenders to make loans to folks who were in no position to pay for them.
I have been watching ads for years promising credit to folks, regardless of credit history, or income, or… and thought, even with my limited experience on such things, this can’t be good. It is going to catch up to someone somewhere, sometime.
I underestimated a bit though because it caught up to everyone pretty much everywhere.
Anyway, the problem isn’t just the AIG execs. They just took advantage of the situation that the government presented to them. That doesn’t excuse them. They need to be tried, fairly and they need to be punished.
But this is not the way to accomplish it.
For the congress of the United States of America to write a special law in order to tax that money back from the is so terribly wrong. And even if such an act is in anyway legal or constitutional, it terrifies me.
If they can do this now, to those people, they can do it anytime to anyone for any reason they chose!
Can you just imagine what potential that has for the business climate in our nation? Everyone would be looking over their shoulder all the time. It could potentially cause that great financial calamity that everyone is trying to avoid.
Please, write your congressional representatives, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. We must not allow this to gain any traction or we are going to head down a road that will be very difficult to recover from.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Change the score board!!
In the United States, and it would appear, most of the world, the only way anyone keeps score is, “Who has the most money?”, “Came in first?”, or “Has the most clout?”
There is no grading on a curve, no points for second (My understanding is a race driver from a few years back, Michael Andretti, said that, "Second place is just first loser." I don’t know if that is original from him or if it actually came from someone else first.)
Because of this, the mind set for all business in our country, if not the world is, get the most market share. Make the most money. Sell more products no matter what.
I knew that “add on” product sales were encouraged in retail sales of all kinds. Add one or two items to every sale and make $xx more dollars over xx amount of time! Always try to find a way to get a little more money than the customer planned on spending. If the customer seems reluctant and still has reservations about the “add on” item, talk them into it anyway!
What blew me away was when I saw this same practice in a medical situation! No matter where you are, or what you are doing, someone is going to try to get a few more of your hard earned dollars. Whether you need the product they are selling or not, whether you can afford it or not, they are going to try to talk you out of some of your hard earned dollars so that their corporation can get a little more money to pay CEOs and stock holders,and sometimes, even the employees.
If all we are doing is looking at that narrow spectrum, then that is where the focus will be. And unfortunately, there a too many who will have no scruples when it comes to how they get that little bit more.
Now I don’t claim to know what the answer is yet but hope someone can come up with one.
We need a new score keeping system.
Instead of just looking at the bottom line for corporations, how much a business makes, what the net worth of Joe So and So is, we need to find a more meaningful method of keeping score.
Somehow we need to develop a composite scoring system that takes into account ethics, community responsibility, and environmental responsibility, sure we should still keep profitability as part of the mix, and include some form of indicating how good a company is to work for or an individual is to work with.
With our current system of measuring “success” we tend to develop a one dimensional, shallow society that makes too little effort to be good neighbors and friends and too much effort to make more money.
Our nation was founded by men and women who believed in capitalism and making a living. But if that had been their only motivation, do you think that they would have taken the chances they did?
To them honor and freedom also mattered. They were willing to risk all for those and other dreams and hopes.
Today, in our nation, too often it seems that all that matters is making a profit… NOW!!!
Let’s change the way we keep score and see what that does for our image in the world and at home.
There is no grading on a curve, no points for second (My understanding is a race driver from a few years back, Michael Andretti, said that, "Second place is just first loser." I don’t know if that is original from him or if it actually came from someone else first.)
Because of this, the mind set for all business in our country, if not the world is, get the most market share. Make the most money. Sell more products no matter what.
I knew that “add on” product sales were encouraged in retail sales of all kinds. Add one or two items to every sale and make $xx more dollars over xx amount of time! Always try to find a way to get a little more money than the customer planned on spending. If the customer seems reluctant and still has reservations about the “add on” item, talk them into it anyway!
What blew me away was when I saw this same practice in a medical situation! No matter where you are, or what you are doing, someone is going to try to get a few more of your hard earned dollars. Whether you need the product they are selling or not, whether you can afford it or not, they are going to try to talk you out of some of your hard earned dollars so that their corporation can get a little more money to pay CEOs and stock holders,and sometimes, even the employees.
If all we are doing is looking at that narrow spectrum, then that is where the focus will be. And unfortunately, there a too many who will have no scruples when it comes to how they get that little bit more.
Now I don’t claim to know what the answer is yet but hope someone can come up with one.
We need a new score keeping system.
Instead of just looking at the bottom line for corporations, how much a business makes, what the net worth of Joe So and So is, we need to find a more meaningful method of keeping score.
Somehow we need to develop a composite scoring system that takes into account ethics, community responsibility, and environmental responsibility, sure we should still keep profitability as part of the mix, and include some form of indicating how good a company is to work for or an individual is to work with.
With our current system of measuring “success” we tend to develop a one dimensional, shallow society that makes too little effort to be good neighbors and friends and too much effort to make more money.
Our nation was founded by men and women who believed in capitalism and making a living. But if that had been their only motivation, do you think that they would have taken the chances they did?
To them honor and freedom also mattered. They were willing to risk all for those and other dreams and hopes.
Today, in our nation, too often it seems that all that matters is making a profit… NOW!!!
Let’s change the way we keep score and see what that does for our image in the world and at home.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The United States of America
As I watch the Republicans and the Democrats going all out to pass blame for everything that is falling apart around them. Neither side wants to take credit for anything that is going wrong. Both are going back years looking for reasons to attribute the state of our economy and our nation to the other side.
Let's face it there is plenty of blame to go around for everyone.
They have all been there in one form or another, they have all contributed. They have all made mistakes, are making mistakes, will continue to make mistakes. They have all been more worried about dollars, reelection, power and influence than upholding the constitution as they have taken an oath to defend.
Greed in the corporate world has contributed. Greed and not enough accountability.
We the people are to blame too. We have wanted to much. We have wanted it to fast. We have not done our due diligence when we have elected our leaders and we continue to put folks back in office who have demonstrated that their priorities are not always in harmony with what we the people want.
Let's step up, realize we all have made mistakes, stop trying to find someplace to pass the buck, roll up our sleeves and get to work. At this point, assigning blame is going to solve the problem. Using the cover of blaming the other guy and continuing to do the same things, put the same folks in charge, and keep on doing what we have been doing will get us more of the same.
It doesn't really matter who broke it right now, we all need to fix it.
As I watch the name calling, the finger pointing and back stabbing going on with our political leaders, I can't help but ask myself, "Is this how Israel and Palestine started?"
All those years ago, did it start with a political disagreement, move on to name calling and back stabbing and then finally graduate to tanks, rockets, bullets and suicide bombs?
How long until democrats and republicans are doing the same?
Let's face it there is plenty of blame to go around for everyone.
They have all been there in one form or another, they have all contributed. They have all made mistakes, are making mistakes, will continue to make mistakes. They have all been more worried about dollars, reelection, power and influence than upholding the constitution as they have taken an oath to defend.
Greed in the corporate world has contributed. Greed and not enough accountability.
We the people are to blame too. We have wanted to much. We have wanted it to fast. We have not done our due diligence when we have elected our leaders and we continue to put folks back in office who have demonstrated that their priorities are not always in harmony with what we the people want.
Let's step up, realize we all have made mistakes, stop trying to find someplace to pass the buck, roll up our sleeves and get to work. At this point, assigning blame is going to solve the problem. Using the cover of blaming the other guy and continuing to do the same things, put the same folks in charge, and keep on doing what we have been doing will get us more of the same.
It doesn't really matter who broke it right now, we all need to fix it.
As I watch the name calling, the finger pointing and back stabbing going on with our political leaders, I can't help but ask myself, "Is this how Israel and Palestine started?"
All those years ago, did it start with a political disagreement, move on to name calling and back stabbing and then finally graduate to tanks, rockets, bullets and suicide bombs?
How long until democrats and republicans are doing the same?
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