When Will We Ever Learn?

Wrong! Just pure, total wrong!

It is time to put our foot down Americans. It is time that we demand some accountability from our elected officials from the Federal offices on down to the local level.

The congress of the United States of America got a raise this year. And yet that same group has voted to not allow a cost of living increase for social security recipients this year because of the state of the economy and tax revenues.

They along with big business and the rest of us have a share in the blame for the state of the union. They as our elected officials should be leading the way. They should be the first in line to take a cut when times are hard.

Instead of remodeling an office every time a there is a change in its occupant, make what is there do. We the people cannot afford your expensive taste snobbery.

They have medical insurance that the rest of us can only dream of. And even as they plan to put the rest of us on their idea of medical reform, they are keeping their current benefits. Again, they are putting the blasted package together; they need to be the first ones to sign on!

They have retirement that won’t quit after a just a very short time in office. Again they aren’t going to go without. They have protected themselves very well. What about the rest of us. Social Security is going down the tank and most of us will have to work until we die. Again, they should be the first signing up for the program! It is immoral and indecent for them to take care of themselves and leave the rest of twisting in the wind.


And out state legislatures, and federal programs are cutting education dollars, teachers’ salaries, programs for our children’s education left and right. Here again, they should be leading the way. They should be the first to step up and take the pay cuts. Since they were in charge of the system to begin with, they let things get into the condition they are in, they need to be accountable and they need to feel the pain just as bad, if not more than the rest of us do!

And let’s not forget big business. I don’t know how many times I hear of a CEO running a company into the dirt, only to be given a big bonus and severance so they can be put to pasture and hopefully someone else can clean up the mess that they made! Does this strike anyone else as just completely wrong? If a business has been put into the tank by a leader or a group of leaders, they need to feel the pain. Since when do we award bonuses for doing things wrong?

And we the people have a share in the blame. We need to stop electing self serving individuals to represent us. We need to not just vote because they are in our party or not in our party and start voting for someone who will stand up for what is right and not just what is expedient for the next election or the next big fundraiser!

We need to contact companies that are doing it wrong and take our business elsewhere. It is the only method of voting that they will understand!

I keep hearing that we need to pay top dollar to get the best people. I have been hearing that line for a long time. Guess what! It isn’t working! Paying top dollar just attracts greedy people who are looking for, power, money and influence.

Let’s start reducing pay for politicians and executives to the point where you are attracting those who want to serve the public, serve the shareholders and serve the citizens of their community. Instead of serving themselves and their cronies as they have been doing for years now.

We can’t keep going the way we are but at the same time, I don’t believe we can go the way either one of the major parties are trying to take us.

The economy got bad. People all over the world have had to cut back and make do with less. It is time for the politicians to do the same.

You were elected to lead. It is time to lead by example.

Shame on us America

Too long we have sat idly by and not taken the time to make our voices heard. Too long we have expected things to get better without making noise about things getting worse.

WE NEED TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD! WE NEED TO SHOUT!

Our big businesses have put profits ahead of the future of our nation, of our jobs, our children’s future employment and lifestyle and we have said nothing.

The motto used to be “the customer is always right.” Now the mantra is “get every last dime you can from the customer.” The add on sales for more supplies or items to “compliment” your purchase, or warranty to protect your purchase hit critical mass for me when I even saw it being done in a hospital! “Since you are in here for surgery anyway, how about we sell you this shot too?” And we put up with it!

More and more of our jobs are being outsourced to foreign plants to make more money for the “stock holders” and the board of directors with no thought to the fact that if ever those foreign nations become hostile towards the United States, they can shut down our production. And by that time, we will no longer have the infrastructure, or possibly the know how to put it all back together again!

It is great to be part of the world community and work together but we have put ourselves into a dangerous, dependant situation.

And through this all, our elected government has made it possible for those jobs to be shipped out. And yet we keep electing the same people back time after time! I have heard the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. And yet we keep electing the same people over and over again. Does anyone see the correlation there?

Neither party has had the corner on the market for helping to export our manufacturing, development and intellectual capabilities to outside suppliers. While on one hand our elected officials are trying so hard to gain the favor of one group of deep pockets they have allowed our future production capacity be shipped overseas, the other group is punishing them by making it too expensive for them to even consider coming back. Both sides are so busy trying to gain the favor of various special interest groups in order to benefit from their support and donations that they no longer even bother to listen when the majority of Americans have an opinion. They are sure that they know better than we do what we need.

These politicians and big businesses, in the name of profits, market share, power, influence and control, have nearly bankrupted our once great nation. They have created a debt so massive that our children’s children will probably be paying for it! And that is only if we stop them! They want to run up more of a tab than they have already!

While some of the things they want to accomplish may be honorable and laudable, they need to be done when we can afford it. We can’t keep spending what we don’t have. If you keep doing that, eventually the bill comes due and then you end up like so many in the mortgage crisis, with a payment schedule that you can’t support so you get foreclosed and kicked out of your home.

It is time to remove the whole bunch in Washington DC and start over fresh. Yes that will probably cause us some pain and difficulty but then again, what has the last year and a half been if not pain and difficulty? We the people have the power, we need to exercise that power. If we do, you can bet the next bunch will listen a little closer when we speak!


Ater all, where are we going to go if America gets forclosed?

You can make a better world!

To President Obama,

You want to do good things. You hate to see folks facing difficulty and suffering. It seems unfair for some to have so much while others have so little.

But, if you take from the haves just so the have nots can have “their fair share”, you will destroy incentive and initiative. You will destroy independence and self determination. And by so doing, you will dry up the well that is needed to grow and nourish our nation. If the haves see everything or a large portion of what they work for taken from them just to give it to those who are too lazy or too afraid of failure to get out and make their own way, they will stop trying, they will climb on the hand out train with the rest or they will leave.

Then where will you go to provide for all your programs and entitlements? While you need to make sure any artificial barriers are removed, make sure that those who have are not using unfair means to get more and keep others down, if you don't let the have nots raise their own level by their own effort, if you step in and just give to them with no restrictions you will make them dependant. You will cripple any hope of self improvement, growth, and progress they may have had.

We are already headed in a dangerous direction as so much of our industry and manufacturing is being outsourced to foreign countries in the name of “lower prices" and "bigger profits.” What happens when those foreign countries decide not to work with us because of national interest, politics, or because our nation is so far in debt that they no longer feel they will get a return on their investment? Who will produce our goods then?

We won’t have the infrastructure or the knowledge any more.

Instead of using the model of redistribution of wealth, you need to change the way we keep score. Right now, the only score board is “net worth”. “Gross national product.” “Market share.” First place.” Everything about our system keeps score in such a way that selfishness and self interest are all that matters, the only way to "get ahead." Get the most, get it first and get it now! You need to show a profit for the shareholders now! Don’t worry about the next 100 years, just get your numbers up in time for the next profit and loss statement.

We need to change the way we keep score. It needs to be a composite measure of the civic awareness and support of the individual or company. It needs to include ethics, environmental considerations, future sustainability, family supportiveness… It needs to be a combination of the factors that make a good citizen as a business or an individual. It needs to (and I know this will be subjective and difficult to develop) reflect the values, cooperation and sense of community building of individuals and corporations.

That way it won’t be just the dollars earned that is considered but also how they were earned, how they help the community, how they help the nation and if they are building and growing with the future and sustainability of not only their business but our world and way of life of those who are in their sphere of influence. If the score card can be changed to reflect the efforts individuals and corporations make to help those in need, they will stand in line to help the have nots who, for whatever reason, truly cannot provide for themselves.

You mean well. You are trying hard. Please open your eyes to something farther down the road then the next election.

Our nation is over 200 hundred years old. While there have been mistakes, overall, this nation has done more to improve the world and the quality of life in the world than just about any other at any time. Please make a better nation and a better world for hundreds of years. Not just until the next “profit and loss” statement is due.

To Kill a Nation

I saw a part of the President's town hall in Colorado today.


While he sounds sincere, I can't trust him. Especially after the congress gets their hands of the intent of any kind of health care reform and twists it around for their needs and wants. Or at least the whims of those interests that they represent.


Don't be fooled, the government of the United States does not represent the people at this time. They represent themselves and their special interest groups. Those who have time or money to push their issues and pet projects through the process.


The average citizen is busy working, busy dealing with the messes that our government has created for us. They are trying to take care of their families, not wanting to be pushed into someone else's idea of what is right and not wanting to push their own ideas on someone else who has another idea of how their life should be run.


While President Obama sounds like he wants to make a better world. He is going about it all wrong.


This nation became what it is because everyone had the opportunity to succeed or fail. They could go out and take a risk and either fall on their face, or they could learn and grow.


Some took advantage of others. Some failed to play by the rules and by so doing deprived others of opportunity but overall most have had the chance to fail or succeed on their own.


And it should be that way. If the government takes that opportunity away and starts "giving" everyone everything they need to be comfortable, they will destroy that self reliance and self determination that has lead this nation to grow into what it is today.


By giving too much the government will kill initiative, kill accountability, and create of nation of dependants with diminished motivation and determination to stretch themselves and grow stronger and better.


By taking from those who have, in order to make life better for those who have not, you will crush both innovation and risk taking, or you will drive the best and the brightest out so they can have the benefit of their labor somewhere else. Someplace that will allow them to enjoy the fruits of their labor.


You will create a nation of mediocrity that will fade into oblivion.


You need instead to find ways prevent those who would take advantage of others and prevent others from finding their own way, from being able to block others from finding their own way to provide a better living for themselves and their families. But this must be done carefully. For you must somehow, discern the difference between those who are trying to keep others down and those who are just rising above the crowd on their efforts. Judgments and rules must be carefully considered so as to allow those with initiative and drive to move forward, allow those who are too lazy to fail, and those who are truly disadvantaged and while willing to try are still unable to move forward to be carried along by those who can.


If you hold back the few who excel honestly and with honor, you will hold back the nation and kill her future.


If you allow the few who truly can't move forward because of health or other limitations then you allow a part of our nation’s soul and conscience to die and take the rest of us with it.


But if you allow those who can and won't provide for themselves, because of laziness or fear or some other reason, to continue in their sloth by providing for their needs, you will kill the will and the drive of those who are out, following the rules and trying to provide for themselves and their families. It will demoralize those who give their best effort to improve their lives to have others who are capable but unwilling to strive given the same rewards.


Your intent appears noble but you need to find another way to bring it about.


Someday I will share some ideas on how to accomplish, I mean really accomplish, making the world a better place.


You are trying to give men fish. That will feed them today.


Who will feed them tomorrow?


You need to help teach them to fish for their own support instead.

Health care for all?

I can’t say what motives are behind president Obama’s rush to reform health care. I would like to hope that they are truly well intended and he wants to make the world a better place for people.

But this health care thing has the potential to blow up in someone’s face. Unfortunately the people who are designing it are “exempt” from the plan so they have no vested interest in getting it truly right. They won’t get hurt if it backfires.

If it doesn’t work, they are still covered by their “government” health care plans. Or as President Obama stated, I have a Dr. following me around all the time.

Do you really want the government designing and mandating your health care?

They say that they intend to maintain private insurance but, the way the health care reform is being reported, that support for maintaining your current health care plan, whether you like it or not, is lip service at best. It won’t survive.

The government has the postal system. It is going broke.

They have Medicaid and Medicare and reports tell us those are going broke too.

They have social security and the reports on SS indicate that is falling apart faster than has been anticipated in the past.

They set up cash for clunkers and planned so well for that one that they ran out of money in 4 days.

And now they want you to trust them to put sickness or health, life and death bureaucracy in place and put it in motion. Without really taking time to consider what they are doing or what the consequences of those actions might be?

Maybe without taking time to actually read the final bill, whatever form it takes, when it gets through being cut and pasted, with who knows whatever else tacked on to get someone to vote for it.

If they get it wrong. It isn’t a problem for them. They won’t be on the plan. They have a separate plan for themselves and their families. If they get it wrong they won’t be hurt.

Does anybody see taxation without representation here?

Does anyone see, “Do as I say, not as I do.” here?

Does anyone see snake oil salesmen?

Or maybe a little bait and switch potential? They tell us it is health care but what really comes out of the other end?

When President Obama and the congress, along with all their staffs, have a plan that is for everyone, including them and their families I will think about it. Then I might be able to believe that what they do is from the heart and truly intended to make things better.

This business of putting a plan out for everyone but them and their “closest” friends and contributors smells of set up at the very least. More likely it smells of corruption and paybacks for political favoritism.

If they get this wrong it might be your life on the line. Or mine. Or it might be your children’s or my children’s lives and livelihood that is on the line.

This is too important to “hurry up”.

This could, if crafted correctly bring health and well being for generations to come.

But if it is done wrong it could cause heart ache and pain, misery and suffering and untold damage to countless lives for years on end.

If it is done wrong it could cause financial ruin to our nation and destroy our civilization as we know it.

We need to remind our representatives that this thing they are playing with has the potential for tremendous good but it also has the potential for unimaginably detrimental consequences in countless people’s lives.

Please tell your representatives to slow down, take a good look and get this right.