In a response to a posting that I made on MyLot asking to people to remember and pray for those who died (and their families) as a result of the cowardly attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, another person wrote a reply blaming ALL MUSLIMS. Please remember that it wasn't all Muslims, rather some radical extremists who apparently twisted the Kiran and the teachings of Islam like Kim Davis twists Christianity and the Bible. In both cases, the perpetrators disobeyed some of the basic and important principles of their religion in order for them to further their personal agendas which go against the teachings of their religion .
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Hey America, let's get our country back!
America was once the leader in innovation, technology, creativity-we were an industrial leader! We produced the best products and many American companies became synonymous with their products: documents were Zeroxed, the best products were called the Cadillac of _____, you ate Jell-O not gelatin. Sadly, America could be there again but we are being held back! We could become an industrial leader, creating new technologies and products and then build and sell the products all over the world! We could have a strong vibrant economy with plenty of high paying jobs! What's holding us back? Congress! Obsessed with obtaining great wealth, many of our supposed "representatives" in Congress have become PROSITUTES to special interests like Oil, preventing our country from taking the lead in other areas like clean and sustainable alternative energies. We need to clean house-vote out all incumbants currently in office, demand strict election and campaign finance reform, term limits, and find ways to prevent our representives from being able to accept bribes! Our Representatives need to work for all Americans and help build a stronger America!
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Dealing with increasing painful headaches & Cerebral Atrophy!
In December of 2010, my life changed dramatically when my doctor told me that I have Early Onset Alzheimer's. Having watched my wife seeing her mother slowly slip away because of Alzheimer's, I was devastated. As my posting, "So You've Got Alzheimer's!" eloquently stated, I knew that something was wrong but had prepared myself to hear that I had a brain tumor. Anyway, as it turns out, I don't have Early Onset Alzheimer's, I have Cerebral Atrophy, which is shrinking of the brain.
I knew that something was wrong because I was having so many headaches way to often. I got a Neurologist, whom I really didn't care for, by the way. She blamed my headaches on this, that and every other thing. I gave up or great reduced this, that and the other things but still had the headaches. I didn't graduate from medical school or from college for that matter, but I wondered why she didn't even think that the shrinkage in my brain might be at least part of the reason for headaches? She won't even entertain the notion! It seems reasonable to me that if you have a brain that starts shrinking that that is going to hurt.
Let me explain my headaches, I have three types of them. The most frequent of these is a general pain all over my head, sometimes feeling like my brain is being squeezed on the right and the left toward the middle. This headache is pretty much there all of the time. They were annoying but not severe so I got use to them, I mean what choice did I have? The second type of headaches is usually on one side of the brain at a time and in the beginning was not nearly as frequent. These headaches sometimes resulted in sensitivity to light and/or sound (I have total hearing loss in my right ear and only 25% hearing in my left ear.) and sometimes extremely sensitive to light (directly and indirectly). Often the pain was from direct light but sometimes it was from light from the side, like my peripheral vision. The pain was more intense and (in the beginning) didn't last very long. Now, I prefer to be literally in the dark most of the time. I use to love being out in the sun and enjoyed living in Florida, where it was sunny almost every day! The third type of headache, is the most painful of them all. The pain was like a sharp, intense pain in the back of the right side of my brain. The best way to describe it is like I got shot in the head from behind me. These are by far the most difficult to deal with. The length of these headaches varied. Usually, the last two types of headaches would require lying down and remaining very still in a dark room, usually my bedroom. I had prescriptions for these but nothing seemed to work very well. Having a Neurologist who was very wasn't forthcoming about my condition or treatment and seemed either like she really didn't believe me or really didn't care either way didn't help. Attendance problems from this and issues related to this, bi-polar disorder for one, and other conditions caused me to lose my job of almost 13 years. At that point, even with the bi-polar disorder, I had worked steadily for almost 40 years.
Now, I have been without insurance and basically without treatment for more than a year. My insurance under the Universal Healthcare Act begins in the beginning of March. I am hoping to be eligible for better coverage with a state program. You would think that this would be a relief but the co-pay for specialists is $80 per visit. I was able to get Social Security Disability and a small pension, but still the thought of that $80 every time is scary. Because I'm on Disability, I will be eligible for Medicare for another year or so.
Recently, I have been to the emergency room twice within the last year because of the headaches. The first time the medication was very helpful. A few days ago, the pain was so intense that my wife had called for an ambulance. While in the hallway of the hospital, waiting for a room, I hear one of the people say that they had never heard of Cerebral Atrophy! That wasn't very comforting! I don't know what they gave me but the first drug hardly worked at all. The second drug slowly reduced the pain, but made me really antsy, anxious and felt like I wanted to crawl out of my own skin. The second type of headache is more frequent and unfortunately so is the third type. Today, I told my wife that I would rather have a brain tumor. At least I would know what was going on and hopefully the doctors would be more familiar with treating it.
Look, I have heard that medical science knows or understands very little about the brain. Generally, they can't really know what's going on with Alzheimer's patients until they do an autopsy. I have been a big fan of the television show "Grey's Anatomy" before it even started. I wish that Dr. Derrick Shepard could go in a map my brain like he did with a young boy in an episode. I wish that they could pop me open and see what was going on and get a better understanding of what is happening to me and could help me reduce the pain. In episode 1109, "Where Do We Go From Here?, Dr. Meredith Grey found a pinhead sized tumor in a women's pancreas. The patient was accused of deliberately driving her car into other cars then purposely driving off of a bridge with her two children in the car. The husband said that she would sometimes be confused, stressed and forgetful while tending to the needs of her children and household. I wish that I could check into Grey/Sloan Memorial Hospital and get that kind of care and attention! I know what is happening to me but wonder if for a lack of understanding, or caring, I'll get another neurologist who belittles my symptoms and concerns or won't tell me what's going on! It's my body, my brain and I feel that I have a right to know everything that is going on. This neurologist told me and my wife that I had a brain aneurism and then when I asked about it later denied that I had one. Having had these experiences, I am reluctant and fearful of going to see another one, especially at $80 a visit. Are they are any Gray's Anatomy, gung ho types of neurologists out there who would be interested in my case?
I knew that something was wrong because I was having so many headaches way to often. I got a Neurologist, whom I really didn't care for, by the way. She blamed my headaches on this, that and every other thing. I gave up or great reduced this, that and the other things but still had the headaches. I didn't graduate from medical school or from college for that matter, but I wondered why she didn't even think that the shrinkage in my brain might be at least part of the reason for headaches? She won't even entertain the notion! It seems reasonable to me that if you have a brain that starts shrinking that that is going to hurt.
Let me explain my headaches, I have three types of them. The most frequent of these is a general pain all over my head, sometimes feeling like my brain is being squeezed on the right and the left toward the middle. This headache is pretty much there all of the time. They were annoying but not severe so I got use to them, I mean what choice did I have? The second type of headaches is usually on one side of the brain at a time and in the beginning was not nearly as frequent. These headaches sometimes resulted in sensitivity to light and/or sound (I have total hearing loss in my right ear and only 25% hearing in my left ear.) and sometimes extremely sensitive to light (directly and indirectly). Often the pain was from direct light but sometimes it was from light from the side, like my peripheral vision. The pain was more intense and (in the beginning) didn't last very long. Now, I prefer to be literally in the dark most of the time. I use to love being out in the sun and enjoyed living in Florida, where it was sunny almost every day! The third type of headache, is the most painful of them all. The pain was like a sharp, intense pain in the back of the right side of my brain. The best way to describe it is like I got shot in the head from behind me. These are by far the most difficult to deal with. The length of these headaches varied. Usually, the last two types of headaches would require lying down and remaining very still in a dark room, usually my bedroom. I had prescriptions for these but nothing seemed to work very well. Having a Neurologist who was very wasn't forthcoming about my condition or treatment and seemed either like she really didn't believe me or really didn't care either way didn't help. Attendance problems from this and issues related to this, bi-polar disorder for one, and other conditions caused me to lose my job of almost 13 years. At that point, even with the bi-polar disorder, I had worked steadily for almost 40 years.
Now, I have been without insurance and basically without treatment for more than a year. My insurance under the Universal Healthcare Act begins in the beginning of March. I am hoping to be eligible for better coverage with a state program. You would think that this would be a relief but the co-pay for specialists is $80 per visit. I was able to get Social Security Disability and a small pension, but still the thought of that $80 every time is scary. Because I'm on Disability, I will be eligible for Medicare for another year or so.
Recently, I have been to the emergency room twice within the last year because of the headaches. The first time the medication was very helpful. A few days ago, the pain was so intense that my wife had called for an ambulance. While in the hallway of the hospital, waiting for a room, I hear one of the people say that they had never heard of Cerebral Atrophy! That wasn't very comforting! I don't know what they gave me but the first drug hardly worked at all. The second drug slowly reduced the pain, but made me really antsy, anxious and felt like I wanted to crawl out of my own skin. The second type of headache is more frequent and unfortunately so is the third type. Today, I told my wife that I would rather have a brain tumor. At least I would know what was going on and hopefully the doctors would be more familiar with treating it.
Look, I have heard that medical science knows or understands very little about the brain. Generally, they can't really know what's going on with Alzheimer's patients until they do an autopsy. I have been a big fan of the television show "Grey's Anatomy" before it even started. I wish that Dr. Derrick Shepard could go in a map my brain like he did with a young boy in an episode. I wish that they could pop me open and see what was going on and get a better understanding of what is happening to me and could help me reduce the pain. In episode 1109, "Where Do We Go From Here?, Dr. Meredith Grey found a pinhead sized tumor in a women's pancreas. The patient was accused of deliberately driving her car into other cars then purposely driving off of a bridge with her two children in the car. The husband said that she would sometimes be confused, stressed and forgetful while tending to the needs of her children and household. I wish that I could check into Grey/Sloan Memorial Hospital and get that kind of care and attention! I know what is happening to me but wonder if for a lack of understanding, or caring, I'll get another neurologist who belittles my symptoms and concerns or won't tell me what's going on! It's my body, my brain and I feel that I have a right to know everything that is going on. This neurologist told me and my wife that I had a brain aneurism and then when I asked about it later denied that I had one. Having had these experiences, I am reluctant and fearful of going to see another one, especially at $80 a visit. Are they are any Gray's Anatomy, gung ho types of neurologists out there who would be interested in my case?
Thursday, January 2, 2014
WIKIPEDIA, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE TRUTH AND WHAT'S RELEVANT OR AREN'T YOU?
BE LEERY ABOUT USING WIKIPEDIA FOR ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE AND DEFINATELY DON'T SEND THEM ANY MONEY until we find out what happens! PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO READ THE INFORMATION BELOW AND TELL ME AND EVERYONE ELSE WHAT YOUR OPINIONS ARE ON THIS!
Earlier today, I edited an article on Wikipedia on their "Green Acres" page about Arnold Ziffle where Arnold Ziffle was born. I had changed the article to reflect that Arnold Ziffle was actually born in Mooresville, Indiana and I cited references. I got a message back from someone at Wikipedia stating that they are changing it back because it was better before I changed it. How can an incorrect fact be better than the truth? Okay, I know that we are talking about a pig who had a part on a old sitcom in the 1960's, but I don't like the tone of the message which is printed below:
Recent edits to Green Acres[edit]
Information.svg Hello, and thank you for your recent contributions. I appreciate the effort you made for our project, but unfortunately I had to undo your edit(s) because I believe the article was better before you made that change. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions. Thank you! Acabashi (talk) 06:27, 2 January 2014 (UTC)
I also received a message that they are going to delete my article about my uncle, Hubert Harju, who died in Imo Jima in World War II. They said that the article was about a person and that it wasn't worthy because I didn't indicate why the subject is "important or significant" and that I didn't indicate why it should be in an encyclopedia. The message is below:
A tag has been placed on Hubert Eino Harju requesting that it be speedily deleted from Wikipedia. This has been done under section A7 of the criteria for speedy deletion, because the article appears to be about a person or group of people, but it does not indicate how or why the subject is important or significant: that is, why an article about that subject should be included in an encyclopedia. Under the criteria for speedy deletion, such articles may be deleted at any time. Please see the guidelines for what is generally accepted as notable.
If you think that this notice was placed here in error, contest the deletion by clicking on the button labeled "Click here to contest this speedy deletion". Doing so will take you to the talk page where you will find a pre-formatted place for you to explain why you believe the page should not be deleted. You can also visit the page's talk page directly to give your reasons, but be aware that once tagged for speedy deletion, if the page meets the criterion, it may be deleted without delay. Please do not remove the speedy deletion tag yourself, but don't hesitate to add information to the page that would render it more in conformance with Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. If the page is deleted, you can contact one of these administrators to request that the administrator userfy the page or email a copy to you. ~Excesses~ (talk) 11:31, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
Granted, I only wrote about my uncle and the United States Marines 5th Division in World War II. It would seem that the TRUTH and the importance of AN ACTUAL event in history shouldn't be in an encyclopedia. I am going to challenge these but don't think that I should have to. The truth was changed in the first article because the article was BETTER before I made the change! I would think that as far as my uncle's article is concerned, I would think that a personal touch on a historical event is worth reading. It puts a name to one of the countless men who died during that battle.
Earlier today, I edited an article on Wikipedia on their "Green Acres" page about Arnold Ziffle where Arnold Ziffle was born. I had changed the article to reflect that Arnold Ziffle was actually born in Mooresville, Indiana and I cited references. I got a message back from someone at Wikipedia stating that they are changing it back because it was better before I changed it. How can an incorrect fact be better than the truth? Okay, I know that we are talking about a pig who had a part on a old sitcom in the 1960's, but I don't like the tone of the message which is printed below:
Recent edits to Green Acres[edit]
Information.svg Hello, and thank you for your recent contributions. I appreciate the effort you made for our project, but unfortunately I had to undo your edit(s) because I believe the article was better before you made that change. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions. Thank you! Acabashi (talk) 06:27, 2 January 2014 (UTC)
I also received a message that they are going to delete my article about my uncle, Hubert Harju, who died in Imo Jima in World War II. They said that the article was about a person and that it wasn't worthy because I didn't indicate why the subject is "important or significant" and that I didn't indicate why it should be in an encyclopedia. The message is below:
A tag has been placed on Hubert Eino Harju requesting that it be speedily deleted from Wikipedia. This has been done under section A7 of the criteria for speedy deletion, because the article appears to be about a person or group of people, but it does not indicate how or why the subject is important or significant: that is, why an article about that subject should be included in an encyclopedia. Under the criteria for speedy deletion, such articles may be deleted at any time. Please see the guidelines for what is generally accepted as notable.
If you think that this notice was placed here in error, contest the deletion by clicking on the button labeled "Click here to contest this speedy deletion". Doing so will take you to the talk page where you will find a pre-formatted place for you to explain why you believe the page should not be deleted. You can also visit the page's talk page directly to give your reasons, but be aware that once tagged for speedy deletion, if the page meets the criterion, it may be deleted without delay. Please do not remove the speedy deletion tag yourself, but don't hesitate to add information to the page that would render it more in conformance with Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. If the page is deleted, you can contact one of these administrators to request that the administrator userfy the page or email a copy to you. ~Excesses~ (talk) 11:31, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
Granted, I only wrote about my uncle and the United States Marines 5th Division in World War II. It would seem that the TRUTH and the importance of AN ACTUAL event in history shouldn't be in an encyclopedia. I am going to challenge these but don't think that I should have to. The truth was changed in the first article because the article was BETTER before I made the change! I would think that as far as my uncle's article is concerned, I would think that a personal touch on a historical event is worth reading. It puts a name to one of the countless men who died during that battle.
Friday, November 22, 2013
IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ THIS AND PASS IT ON!
I got this from good friend on Facebook, Mary Ellen. I wanted to pass it on to all of you!
IMPORTANT PLEASE READ
A friend stopped at a pay-at-the-pump gas station to get gas. Once she filled her gas tank and after paying at the pump and starting to leave, the voice of the attendant inside came over the speaker.. He told her that... something happened with her card and that she needed to come inside to pay. The lady was confused because the transaction showed complete and approved. She relayed that to him and was getting ready to leave but the attendant, once again, urged her to come in to pay or there'd be trouble. She proceeded to go inside and started arguing with the attendant about his threat. He told her to calm down and listen carefully:
He said that while she was pumping gas, a guy slipped into the back seat of her car on the other side and the attendant had already called the police.
She became frightened and looked out in time to see her car door open and the guy slip out. The report is that the new gang initiation thing is to bring back a woman and/or her car. One way they are doing this is crawling under women's cars while they're pumping gas or at grocery stores in the nighttime. The other way is slipping into unattended cars and kidnapping the women.
Please pass this on to other women, young and old alike. Be extra careful going to and from your car at night. If at all possible, don't go alone!
This is real!!
The message:
1. ALWAYS lock your car doors, even if you're gone for just a second!
2. Check underneath your car when approaching it for reentry, and check in the back before getting in.
3. Always be aware of your surroundings and of other individuals in your general vicinity, particularly at night!
Send this to everyone so your friends can take precaution.
AND GUYS...YOU TELL ANY WOMEN YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS Thanks,
Barbara Baker, Secretary Directorate of Training U.S. Army Military Police School
THIS IS TOO SERIOUS ... DO NOT DELETE PLEASE PASS IT ON!See More
A friend stopped at a pay-at-the-pump gas station to get gas. Once she filled her gas tank and after paying at the pump and starting to leave, the voice of the attendant inside came over the speaker.. He told her that... something happened with her card and that she needed to come inside to pay. The lady was confused because the transaction showed complete and approved. She relayed that to him and was getting ready to leave but the attendant, once again, urged her to come in to pay or there'd be trouble. She proceeded to go inside and started arguing with the attendant about his threat. He told her to calm down and listen carefully:
He said that while she was pumping gas, a guy slipped into the back seat of her car on the other side and the attendant had already called the police.
She became frightened and looked out in time to see her car door open and the guy slip out. The report is that the new gang initiation thing is to bring back a woman and/or her car. One way they are doing this is crawling under women's cars while they're pumping gas or at grocery stores in the nighttime. The other way is slipping into unattended cars and kidnapping the women.
Please pass this on to other women, young and old alike. Be extra careful going to and from your car at night. If at all possible, don't go alone!
This is real!!
The message:
1. ALWAYS lock your car doors, even if you're gone for just a second!
2. Check underneath your car when approaching it for reentry, and check in the back before getting in.
3. Always be aware of your surroundings and of other individuals in your general vicinity, particularly at night!
Send this to everyone so your friends can take precaution.
AND GUYS...YOU TELL ANY WOMEN YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS Thanks,
Barbara Baker, Secretary Directorate of Training U.S. Army Military Police School
THIS IS TOO SERIOUS ... DO NOT DELETE PLEASE PASS IT ON!See More
Monday, August 19, 2013
What I hate about Windows 8!
1) Even though I have two monitors, I can only have one open
Excel document on one screen at any given time.
With Windows 7, I could have one spreadsheet on one monitor and another
spreadsheet on the other monitor. It was
just so much easier!
2) If I am in Yahoo Mail, for example, then want to do something or go somewhere else
in the computer, I have to go to my
desktop then to Bing then hit something on their initial menu. If I hit Yahoo Mail, then I have to sign in
again.
3) I hate that they
want you to associate and sign into everything
with a Microsoft Account. I had Hotmail
a long time ago and now prefer Yahoo Mail.
As a matter of fact, I hated
Hotmail! I WILL NOT sign up for Hotmail.
They need to get over it! We shouldn’t have to associate our e-mail
account to anything, much less sign up for another e-mail address just because
it’s a Microsoft e-mail.
4) I miss the way you could file your pictures in Windows
7. They need to bring that back. The photo library in Windows 8 sucks!
5) I hate where you can’t see at least a glimpse every window
or screen that you have open. Bring
“switch between Windows” back.
6) Moving things
between screens can be really annoying!
Sometimes they just disappear.
Probably the same place some of my socks go to.
7) Don’t even get me
started on bringing your cursor to one of the corners crap… Sometimes the little menu will disappear
before you can move your cursor to the icon that you want. When you hit “Search” you should get the
entire list without having to go to the homepage or whatever they call it, you
know the middle icon with four boxes. That
whole concept is annoying! It’s like torture navigating through Windows
8!
If anyone knows of a way to navigate around these or correct
these problems with the current Windows 8 structure, let me know. Who wants to have to read a long instruction
manual? I like to play with stuff and
explore. When I do need help, I have
always found that the "Help" section needs a lot of help, you can imagine
it saying: “What? Huh?!?” and scratching it's head.
I’ve heard that many people go back to Windows 7, but we
shouldn’t have to. Windows 8 should be
an IMPROVEMENT, NOT A DOWNGRADE!
Personally, I think the designers were a little drunk when the wrote
this program.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Some BANKS and CREDIT CARD Companies are literally robbing the Consumer!
Does anyone else think that it is ridiculous
that Credit Card companies wait 7 or more days to apply your payment to
your balance and available credit? Everyone else is able to credit your
payment (utility companies and other service providers) to your account
within 24 hours. Credit Card companies are making a fortune in two
ways: Even though they claim the 7 or more days is for a check hold, they
get our money in their bank within 24 hours making interest plus they
are charging us interest on our balances ever day starting the day we make the purchase. In the age of INSTANT EVERYTHING, Banks and Credit Card Companies should be required
to apply your payment to your balance and available credit within 24-48
hours. (Oh, I forgot to mention that several Credit Card Companies will
apply your payment to your balance within 24-48 hours, IF you PAY AN
EXTRA FEE-sometimes $10 or more!!) I wrote to my U.S. Senators and Congressman to suggest
that they draft legislation to correct this unjustified greed and abuse!
They certainly subject our purchases to interest charges within 24
hours! How is that fair?
Of course, I realize you won't get charged interest if you pay your entire balance every month, but sometimes I can't and many people aren't able to either.
It is time to take a stand! Not only in America, every citizen should contact officials in their governments to end this fiscal abuse.
Of course, I realize you won't get charged interest if you pay your entire balance every month, but sometimes I can't and many people aren't able to either.
It is time to take a stand! Not only in America, every citizen should contact officials in their governments to end this fiscal abuse.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
A final moment with my Mom.
Yesterday, after taking some time to grieve and reflect, I've finally written a passage for the guestbook that comes along with her obituary. My sister, Joyce Harju Tredeau, did a wonderful job on it. It's available at: http://www.canalefuneral.com/obituary/AILI-LEAH-IRENE-HARJU/Marquette/1149990
My Mom was not only a wonderful mother but just as good of a friend that a person could hope for. She is a wonderful lady and is truly missed. But, as Mom taught me at an early age, it's polite to share. So may the Lord and of all of His Children in Heaven enjoy the true treasure that she is. And now, I offer my tribute to her, to be kept with her obituary, so that others will come to discover the marvelous person that she is.
To Leah, my loving Mother,
May you find a peace, happiness, joy and an abundance of love in Heaven. These are just a few of the many qualities that those of us who were lucky to have had you in our lives felt as your endless love shown through. May the rest of your journey be as wonderful as the memories and love that you gave so willingly and freely every single day.
I pray that you will find comfort in being able to be with your Mom, who was taken from you far to early in your young life. Now, you will be able to spend more quality time with your Dad, brothers, sisters and other family members, too. May you be a comfort and bring joy to those who left us before you, and bring the warmth of your smile, your laugh, your humor and your sweet voice. A life lived so sweetly, with caring and compassion and a heart beyond compare.
You are truly missed on this earth, a rare gem, a soul so full of life and of love. May a person who can live a life giving just a fraction of the kindness and goodness that you shared, be a truly rich soul who has lived a wonderous, bountiful and beautiful life. God smiled warmly the day that He created you! May His Goodness and Kindness allow Him to create a multitude of souls as gentle, thoughtful, gracious as you are. The world is a better place for your having been on it. With all my love, your Tom.
My Mom was not only a wonderful mother but just as good of a friend that a person could hope for. She is a wonderful lady and is truly missed. But, as Mom taught me at an early age, it's polite to share. So may the Lord and of all of His Children in Heaven enjoy the true treasure that she is. And now, I offer my tribute to her, to be kept with her obituary, so that others will come to discover the marvelous person that she is.
To Leah, my loving Mother,
May you find a peace, happiness, joy and an abundance of love in Heaven. These are just a few of the many qualities that those of us who were lucky to have had you in our lives felt as your endless love shown through. May the rest of your journey be as wonderful as the memories and love that you gave so willingly and freely every single day.
I pray that you will find comfort in being able to be with your Mom, who was taken from you far to early in your young life. Now, you will be able to spend more quality time with your Dad, brothers, sisters and other family members, too. May you be a comfort and bring joy to those who left us before you, and bring the warmth of your smile, your laugh, your humor and your sweet voice. A life lived so sweetly, with caring and compassion and a heart beyond compare.
You are truly missed on this earth, a rare gem, a soul so full of life and of love. May a person who can live a life giving just a fraction of the kindness and goodness that you shared, be a truly rich soul who has lived a wonderous, bountiful and beautiful life. God smiled warmly the day that He created you! May His Goodness and Kindness allow Him to create a multitude of souls as gentle, thoughtful, gracious as you are. The world is a better place for your having been on it. With all my love, your Tom.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Regarding the article: GOSH! WHO TALKS LIKE THAT NOW? ROMNEY DOES! that appeared in the New York Times and locally in "TBT* TampaBay.com"on Thursday, October 25, 2012.
The part of about the word "grunt" is my favorite part. It reads: "Perhaps the most intriguing of these is "grunt." Most people just grunt. Mr. Romney, however, talks about grunting. "Grunt" he says, onomatopoetically, when annoyed with a last-minute change in his campaign schedule."
Not only does Mr. Romney lack a real opinion, much less a platform, he seems to even lack a real personality and the ability to "act human". (Possibly it's an attempt to try relate to those of us [the infamous 47%] that he so despises.) Seemingly like the Scarecrow on the "Wizard of OZ", Governor Romney doesn't use much of his brain. I am willing to bet that on his first speech where he just says, "grunt", the speechwriters added it to the speech as stage direction, like in a movie script. Being Mitt, he just says it instead of doing it. Having made the mistake, he has had to continue the folly, so as to seem consistent, if you will.
The article, in it's entirety is below:
Gosh, Who Talks Like That Now? Romney Does
October 20, 2012 6:05 pm
By MICHAEL BARBARO and ASHLEY PARKER / The New York Times
Correction Appended
GOFFSTOWN, N.H. -- At a campaign stop in Rockford, Ill., not long ago, Mitt Romney sought to convey his feelings for his wife, Ann. "Smitten," he said.
Not merely in love.
The part of about the word "grunt" is my favorite part. It reads: "Perhaps the most intriguing of these is "grunt." Most people just grunt. Mr. Romney, however, talks about grunting. "Grunt" he says, onomatopoetically, when annoyed with a last-minute change in his campaign schedule."
Not only does Mr. Romney lack a real opinion, much less a platform, he seems to even lack a real personality and the ability to "act human". (Possibly it's an attempt to try relate to those of us [the infamous 47%] that he so despises.) Seemingly like the Scarecrow on the "Wizard of OZ", Governor Romney doesn't use much of his brain. I am willing to bet that on his first speech where he just says, "grunt", the speechwriters added it to the speech as stage direction, like in a movie script. Being Mitt, he just says it instead of doing it. Having made the mistake, he has had to continue the folly, so as to seem consistent, if you will.
The article, in it's entirety is below:
Gosh, Who Talks Like That Now? Romney Does
October 20, 2012 6:05 pm
By MICHAEL BARBARO and ASHLEY PARKER / The New York Times
Correction Appended
GOFFSTOWN, N.H. -- At a campaign stop in Rockford, Ill., not long ago, Mitt Romney sought to convey his feelings for his wife, Ann. "Smitten," he said.
Not merely in love.
"Yeah, smitten," he said. "Mitt was smitten."
It was a classic Mittism, as friends and advisers call the verbal quirks of the Republican presidential candidate. In Romneyspeak, passengers do not get off airplanes, they "disembark." People do not laugh, they "guffaw." Criminals do not go to jail, they land in the "big house." Insults are not hurled, "brickbats" are.
As he seeks the office of commander in chief, Mr. Romney can sometimes seem like an editor in chief, employing a language all his own. It is polite, formal and at times anachronistic, linguistically setting apart a man who frequently struggles to sell himself to the American electorate.
It is most pronounced when he is on the stump and off the cuff, not on the stuffy and rehearsed debate stage. But Mr. Romney offered voters a dose of it during his face-off with President Obama last week, when he coined the infelicitous phrase "binders full of women."
Mr. Romney's unique style of speaking has distinguished him throughout his career, influencing the word choices of those who work with and especially for him. Should he reach the White House, friends and advisers concede, the trait could be a defining feature of his public image, as memorable as Lyndon B. Johnson's foul-mouthed utterances or the first President Bush's tortured syntax.
Mr. Romney, 65, has spent four decades inside the corridors of high finance and state politics, where indecorous diction and vulgarisms abound. But he has emerged as if in a rhetorical time capsule from a well-mannered era of soda fountains and AMC Ramblers, someone whose idea of swearing is to let loose with the phrase "H-E-double hockey sticks."
"He actually said that," recalled Thomas Finneran, the speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives when Mr. Romney was governor. "As in, go to 'H-E-double hockey sticks.' I would think to myself, 'Who talks like that?' "
Mr. Romney, quite proudly. In fact, he seems puzzled by the fascination with something as instinctive (and immutable) as how he talks, as if somebody were asking how he breathes. "It's like someone who speaks with an accent," he said in an interview. "You don't hear the accent."
His Mormon faith frowns on salty language, and so does he. A man of relentless self-discipline, he made clear to lawmakers in Boston and colleagues in business that even in matters of vocabulary, he "held himself to a high standard of behavior," said Geoffrey Rehnert, a former executive at Bain Capital, the firm Mr. Romney started in the 1980s. Mr. Romney's father, George, whom he idolized, shared the same style of refined and restrained speech.
Those around him are so accustomed to his verbal tics that they describe them in shorthand. "Old-timey," said one aide. "His 1950s language," explained another. "The Gomer Pyle routine," said a third.
Asked about his boss's word preferences, Eric Fehrnstrom, a veteran Romney adviser, responded knowingly: "You mean like 'gosh, golly, darn'?"
For Democratic strategists, Mr. Romney's throwback vocabulary feeds into their portrayal of a man ill-equipped for the mores and challenges of the modern age. David Axelrod, a top adviser for an Obama campaign that has adopted "Forward" as its slogan, once quipped that Mr. Romney "must watch 'Mad Men,' " the hit television show set in Manhattan in the 1960s, "and think it's the evening news."
His exclamations can sound jarring to the contemporary ear -- or charming, depending on whom you ask. Midway into a critique of Mr. Obama's economic policies a few months ago in Charlotte, N.C., Mr. Romney declared: "They've scared the dickens out of banks," he said. "They've scared the dickens out of insurance companies."
He declared, "To heck with it!" while urging reporters to use their fingers to dig into a box of pastries he was passing around on a plane. "Darn good question," he replied to a voter in Kalamazoo, Mich., who asked how he would work with Congress if elected. (His wife also got the "darn" treatment in Michigan, when he enthused, "Gosh, darn, she is amazing!") "Thank heavens" is another favorite.
For people used to peppering their speech with four-letter words, time with Mr. Romney can prove an exercise in self-control. A half-dozen people recalled the precise moment when they swore -- almost always accidentally -- in his presence.
When Robert Travaglini, then the Democratic president of the Massachusetts State Senate, would curse in front of Mr. Romney, the governor would frown and interject, "Well, I wouldn't choose that diction," Mr. Travaglini recalled.
Mr. Rehnert, the former Bain executive, was mortified when a potential client he took into Mr. Romney's office promptly dropped a string of profanities. "Mitt wanted to know what cats and dogs I was dragging in here," Mr. Rehnert said.
His cussing colleagues said Mr. Romney took pains not to judge them publicly. "He did not impose his language preferences on us," Mr. Finneran said. "But I wonder if we became a little bit more restrained because we knew this about him."
Mr. Travaglini recalled lawmakers' discussing how Mr. Romney "should be more in tune with the vernacular of the day and express himself more passionately."
"But," he added, "that's not who he is."
Mr. Romney does have his own distinctly G-rated arsenal of angry expressions -- "Good grief," "flippin'," "good heavens" and even the occasional "crap."
Perhaps the most intriguing of these is "grunt." Most people just grunt. Mr. Romney, however, talks about grunting. "Grunt" he says, onomatopoetically, when annoyed with a last-minute change in his campaign schedule.
Many of Mr. Romney's verbal habits can sound like those of a hyper-literate graduate student who never left school. (In college, he majored in English.) He favors the gentlemanly qualifier "if you will," which he invoked three times during a recent speech in New Hampshire.
On how to reduce the debt: "You have to start accumulating, if you will, reserves."
On speaking to a group of soldiers: "The cadets were all lined up and sitting at attention, if you will."
On his business background: "I've had the experience of working in the real world, if you will."
In interviews, voters expressed an equal measure of admiration for and curiosity about his quaint dialect, which many described as a conspicuous break from the normally harsh tone of politicians.
"It's a wonderful change," said Irene Sperling, a retiree from Allentown, Pa. "He's a gentleman."
Wendy Tonn, 63, a Romney supporter who splits her time between Michigan and Florida, said she found comfort in his vocabulary, comparing it to the simple innocence of "Leave It to Beaver." "We are of that era, and we'd like to be returned to that kind of era," she said.
A few of Mr. Romney's acquaintances, however, have tried to drag him linguistically into the 21st century. Mr. Finneran, an admitted serial curser, said that after years of working closely with Mr. Romney, he began to fantasize about provoking him to utter a particularly crude word.
"It got to the point where I started to think that my greatest achievement of all time would be if I somehow or other got him to say the word," he said.
Once, Mr. Romney seemed on the cusp of fulfilling that wish during a heated discussion in the State Capitol. But he caught himself just in time.
"And I thought, 'Oh, God, my closest moment ever,' " Mr. Finneran said. "But it's not going to happen."
Correction: October 20, 2012, Saturday
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: An earlier version of a picture caption with this article misstated the location and date of a campaign stop by Mitt Romney. He was in DeWitt, Mich., in June, not in Virginia this month.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
It was a classic Mittism, as friends and advisers call the verbal quirks of the Republican presidential candidate. In Romneyspeak, passengers do not get off airplanes, they "disembark." People do not laugh, they "guffaw." Criminals do not go to jail, they land in the "big house." Insults are not hurled, "brickbats" are.
As he seeks the office of commander in chief, Mr. Romney can sometimes seem like an editor in chief, employing a language all his own. It is polite, formal and at times anachronistic, linguistically setting apart a man who frequently struggles to sell himself to the American electorate.
It is most pronounced when he is on the stump and off the cuff, not on the stuffy and rehearsed debate stage. But Mr. Romney offered voters a dose of it during his face-off with President Obama last week, when he coined the infelicitous phrase "binders full of women."
Mr. Romney's unique style of speaking has distinguished him throughout his career, influencing the word choices of those who work with and especially for him. Should he reach the White House, friends and advisers concede, the trait could be a defining feature of his public image, as memorable as Lyndon B. Johnson's foul-mouthed utterances or the first President Bush's tortured syntax.
Mr. Romney, 65, has spent four decades inside the corridors of high finance and state politics, where indecorous diction and vulgarisms abound. But he has emerged as if in a rhetorical time capsule from a well-mannered era of soda fountains and AMC Ramblers, someone whose idea of swearing is to let loose with the phrase "H-E-double hockey sticks."
"He actually said that," recalled Thomas Finneran, the speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives when Mr. Romney was governor. "As in, go to 'H-E-double hockey sticks.' I would think to myself, 'Who talks like that?' "
Mr. Romney, quite proudly. In fact, he seems puzzled by the fascination with something as instinctive (and immutable) as how he talks, as if somebody were asking how he breathes. "It's like someone who speaks with an accent," he said in an interview. "You don't hear the accent."
His Mormon faith frowns on salty language, and so does he. A man of relentless self-discipline, he made clear to lawmakers in Boston and colleagues in business that even in matters of vocabulary, he "held himself to a high standard of behavior," said Geoffrey Rehnert, a former executive at Bain Capital, the firm Mr. Romney started in the 1980s. Mr. Romney's father, George, whom he idolized, shared the same style of refined and restrained speech.
Those around him are so accustomed to his verbal tics that they describe them in shorthand. "Old-timey," said one aide. "His 1950s language," explained another. "The Gomer Pyle routine," said a third.
Asked about his boss's word preferences, Eric Fehrnstrom, a veteran Romney adviser, responded knowingly: "You mean like 'gosh, golly, darn'?"
For Democratic strategists, Mr. Romney's throwback vocabulary feeds into their portrayal of a man ill-equipped for the mores and challenges of the modern age. David Axelrod, a top adviser for an Obama campaign that has adopted "Forward" as its slogan, once quipped that Mr. Romney "must watch 'Mad Men,' " the hit television show set in Manhattan in the 1960s, "and think it's the evening news."
His exclamations can sound jarring to the contemporary ear -- or charming, depending on whom you ask. Midway into a critique of Mr. Obama's economic policies a few months ago in Charlotte, N.C., Mr. Romney declared: "They've scared the dickens out of banks," he said. "They've scared the dickens out of insurance companies."
He declared, "To heck with it!" while urging reporters to use their fingers to dig into a box of pastries he was passing around on a plane. "Darn good question," he replied to a voter in Kalamazoo, Mich., who asked how he would work with Congress if elected. (His wife also got the "darn" treatment in Michigan, when he enthused, "Gosh, darn, she is amazing!") "Thank heavens" is another favorite.
For people used to peppering their speech with four-letter words, time with Mr. Romney can prove an exercise in self-control. A half-dozen people recalled the precise moment when they swore -- almost always accidentally -- in his presence.
When Robert Travaglini, then the Democratic president of the Massachusetts State Senate, would curse in front of Mr. Romney, the governor would frown and interject, "Well, I wouldn't choose that diction," Mr. Travaglini recalled.
Mr. Rehnert, the former Bain executive, was mortified when a potential client he took into Mr. Romney's office promptly dropped a string of profanities. "Mitt wanted to know what cats and dogs I was dragging in here," Mr. Rehnert said.
His cussing colleagues said Mr. Romney took pains not to judge them publicly. "He did not impose his language preferences on us," Mr. Finneran said. "But I wonder if we became a little bit more restrained because we knew this about him."
Mr. Travaglini recalled lawmakers' discussing how Mr. Romney "should be more in tune with the vernacular of the day and express himself more passionately."
"But," he added, "that's not who he is."
Mr. Romney does have his own distinctly G-rated arsenal of angry expressions -- "Good grief," "flippin'," "good heavens" and even the occasional "crap."
Perhaps the most intriguing of these is "grunt." Most people just grunt. Mr. Romney, however, talks about grunting. "Grunt" he says, onomatopoetically, when annoyed with a last-minute change in his campaign schedule.
Many of Mr. Romney's verbal habits can sound like those of a hyper-literate graduate student who never left school. (In college, he majored in English.) He favors the gentlemanly qualifier "if you will," which he invoked three times during a recent speech in New Hampshire.
On how to reduce the debt: "You have to start accumulating, if you will, reserves."
On speaking to a group of soldiers: "The cadets were all lined up and sitting at attention, if you will."
On his business background: "I've had the experience of working in the real world, if you will."
In interviews, voters expressed an equal measure of admiration for and curiosity about his quaint dialect, which many described as a conspicuous break from the normally harsh tone of politicians.
"It's a wonderful change," said Irene Sperling, a retiree from Allentown, Pa. "He's a gentleman."
Wendy Tonn, 63, a Romney supporter who splits her time between Michigan and Florida, said she found comfort in his vocabulary, comparing it to the simple innocence of "Leave It to Beaver." "We are of that era, and we'd like to be returned to that kind of era," she said.
A few of Mr. Romney's acquaintances, however, have tried to drag him linguistically into the 21st century. Mr. Finneran, an admitted serial curser, said that after years of working closely with Mr. Romney, he began to fantasize about provoking him to utter a particularly crude word.
"It got to the point where I started to think that my greatest achievement of all time would be if I somehow or other got him to say the word," he said.
Once, Mr. Romney seemed on the cusp of fulfilling that wish during a heated discussion in the State Capitol. But he caught himself just in time.
"And I thought, 'Oh, God, my closest moment ever,' " Mr. Finneran said. "But it's not going to happen."
Correction: October 20, 2012, Saturday
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: An earlier version of a picture caption with this article misstated the location and date of a campaign stop by Mitt Romney. He was in DeWitt, Mich., in June, not in Virginia this month.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
A Look to the past to help us to save our future.
There
was a time that when you opened the door of a GM car, truck or van that
there would be an emblem on the bottom of the front doorways that said,
"BODY BY FISHER".
I always smiled when I would see that. It made me
think of my sweet but tiny Mom working
the afternoon shift struggling to move those large cushions to sew them
together to put into all of those GM vehicles. While I regret my Mom
having to miss most of my childhood. As I grew up, I came to understand
the sacrifices that she made, being away from her young children (I was
two and my eldest brother of the five of us was nine, when she started working at Fisher Body)
to make a better life for us, as her parents generation did for hers,
and their parents did for them. This is not the year to give up on
the middle class, the middle class that the American Labor Movement fought to create, just to let it die. This is the year to save the middle class, especially
those who have or are nearing retirement age.
The Social Security Act, enacted on August 14, 1935 as been a fund that every legal American Worker has paid into. The Social Security fund had always had a surplus until some greedy politicians started digging into it to pay for other things.
We, as Americans, have paid into the Social Security, Medicare, and disability insurance (FICA) since we were kids working our first jobs. We have paid into these funds with our hard earned money! These are not "entitlements", we aren't "dependent on government" or believe that "we are victims" and "are entitled to health care, to food, to housing to you name it" as Governor Romney likes to say about those of us 47% that he says, "I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives." Furthermore, Governor Romney said, "It's not my job to worry about these people." We aren't expecting a handout, we just want what is due to us, what we have paid for. Like many corporations, the Insurance Industry is a good example, all branches of Government are happy to take our money, but not so happy to give it back or pay us what we have earned.
I wonder why Governor Romney is so adamant about not showing his tax returns. It's probably because it will show the American People is that he is exactly what we are fighting against. The wealthy digging deeper into our pockets to make them richer. I doubt if Mitt Romney ever worked an honest days work in his life. I wonder what his father, George, would really have to say about Mitt's "business experience". While George Romney worked to turn American Motors Corporation around, making it competitive, his son Mitt, was CEO of a company that took companies and stripped them dry of assets, outsourced or just fired workers and bankrupted the companies while walking away with billion dollars of profits from those assets that they STOLE.
George Romney was a Republican and was elected Governor of Michigan in 1962, 64 and 66. I wonder what he, President Gerald Ford, and President Ronald Reagan (all Republicans) would think of the current state of the Republican Party? I know that I am so displeased that I severed my relationship with the Republican Party and became an Independent in the 1980's. Honestly, I wasn't a Democrat until I saw Barack Obama speak before the Democratic National Convention in 2004. The only reason that I tuned into the convention was that I was curious why Ronald Reagan, Jr. was making a speech to Democrats that night. You might call me an "Obama Democrat".
The Social Security Act, enacted on August 14, 1935 as been a fund that every legal American Worker has paid into. The Social Security fund had always had a surplus until some greedy politicians started digging into it to pay for other things.
We, as Americans, have paid into the Social Security, Medicare, and disability insurance (FICA) since we were kids working our first jobs. We have paid into these funds with our hard earned money! These are not "entitlements", we aren't "dependent on government" or believe that "we are victims" and "are entitled to health care, to food, to housing to you name it" as Governor Romney likes to say about those of us 47% that he says, "I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives." Furthermore, Governor Romney said, "It's not my job to worry about these people." We aren't expecting a handout, we just want what is due to us, what we have paid for. Like many corporations, the Insurance Industry is a good example, all branches of Government are happy to take our money, but not so happy to give it back or pay us what we have earned.
I wonder why Governor Romney is so adamant about not showing his tax returns. It's probably because it will show the American People is that he is exactly what we are fighting against. The wealthy digging deeper into our pockets to make them richer. I doubt if Mitt Romney ever worked an honest days work in his life. I wonder what his father, George, would really have to say about Mitt's "business experience". While George Romney worked to turn American Motors Corporation around, making it competitive, his son Mitt, was CEO of a company that took companies and stripped them dry of assets, outsourced or just fired workers and bankrupted the companies while walking away with billion dollars of profits from those assets that they STOLE.
George Romney was a Republican and was elected Governor of Michigan in 1962, 64 and 66. I wonder what he, President Gerald Ford, and President Ronald Reagan (all Republicans) would think of the current state of the Republican Party? I know that I am so displeased that I severed my relationship with the Republican Party and became an Independent in the 1980's. Honestly, I wasn't a Democrat until I saw Barack Obama speak before the Democratic National Convention in 2004. The only reason that I tuned into the convention was that I was curious why Ronald Reagan, Jr. was making a speech to Democrats that night. You might call me an "Obama Democrat".
Monday, July 9, 2012
Why am I a such an devoted democrat?
I'll bet many people wonder why I am such a devoted Democrat. I'm actually an Obama Democrat. When I was seventeen, I was to young to vote for President Ford. He lost the election because he pardoned former President Nixon. Twenty-five years later, historians, scholars and both the Democrat's and Republican's said that President Ford did the right thing and it was the best way to help America heal and move ahead. I was a Republican until the end of the Reagan Administration. After that, I was an Independent. I didn't lean toward the Democratic side until I watched the Democratic Primaries in 2004. I only tuned in because I was curious as to why Ronald Reagan, Jr. was speaking. As it turns out, he was speaking on behalf of funding for research for a cure for Alzheimer's and the use of cell stem research. That night, I heard a charismatic man who had just been elected as the Junior Senator of Illinois. I thought it was odd that someone of such low ranking be given such a prominent speech: the keynote address. His name was Barack Obama. He made a moving speech, one that reminded me of those made by Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The next day, I told my eldest brother, Kurt, that he would run for and become President in 2008. As I'm sure most older brothers do, he blow me off until it actually happened. In 2008, my 84 year old Mom (a long time Democrat), Scherry and I went to Orlando (a two hour drive one way) to an Obama rally. We saw and heard U. S. Senators Bill Nelson, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama speak. We were all so excited as none of us have ever been to a political rally. Now, I stand beside my co-workers, my fellow UNION MEMBERS (GASP! Did he say the "U" word?) and members of the battered and almost non-existent middle class and fight for what we have worked for all of our lives. We have been paying into Social Security and the Medicare Fund and pension plans since they began. I'll be damned if I'm going to let some rich punks take it away and continue to line their own pockets. It should be noted that some current and many former Republicans wonder what has became of their party. The greed and lose of respect for the Constitution, America and for the Republican Party began with a member of the Oil Cartel, President George "W" Bush (the same cartel that had another member by the name of Osama Bin Laden). The viciousness and greed spread like wildfire. That's why I call Governor Mitt Romney, "good ol' line his pockets Mitt". Look what he did with Bain Capital! If he wins this election, he and his wealthy pals are going to get even richer, like they did when he was Governor, at the expense of the rest of us.
Tampa Bay is coming back!
Many people complain about President Obama. I can't speak about any other part of the country, but Tampa Bay is showing many signs of recovery. I live in Pasco County (north of Tampa) and work in Pinellas County (west of Tampa). I see so much progress being made. Most of the McDonald's Restaurants have been torn down and totally new McDonald's buildings have taken their place (a very attractive design, I might add). Wal-Mart has remodeled most of their stores included making Super Wal-Mart stores out of regular Wal-Mart stores. They have also added three new stores in St. Petersburg (one on the 3300 block of U.S. 19 South, a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market on U.S. 19 and 68th Ave. North and Super Wal-Mart on U.S. 19 and 1st Ave. North in the revitalized Grand Central Shopping District of Central Avenue heading toward Downtown St. Pete. What use to be a blighted area now has many new small businesses lining Central Ave. Wal-Mart is also building a store on U.S. 19 in Tarpon Springs where a K-Mart store use to be. Wal-Mart is also building a Sam's Club store on U.S. 19 and 17th Ave. North in St. Pete. The Dollar Tree chain has added many new stores, among them one in South St. Pete, one in Clearwater Mall, and one in Port Richey, Florida. Within the past few years, I noticed that HH Gregg appliance & Electronics stores that I use to shop at when I lived in Indiana have come to the area. Hobby Lobby built a new store in Port Richey. A new chain of gas station/convenience stores called WaWa are being built, too. God Bless Harold Seltzer for opening two steakhouses where the old Sam Seltzer's Steakhouses use to be. (They have the best New York Strips and every once in a great while T-Bone steaks that just melt in your mouth.) These are just a few examples.
While I tend to moan and groan about all of the road construction being done these days, I had to think back that before President Obama was elected, there was great concern about where to get the money to repair or replace the Eisenhower Interstate System and other highways in the U.S. Many people complained about the Stimulus Package and how expensive it is, but after 50 years the all of these roads and many other projects needed to be replaced or built and President Obama is going to, as Larry the Cable Guy says, "git 'er done"!
While I tend to moan and groan about all of the road construction being done these days, I had to think back that before President Obama was elected, there was great concern about where to get the money to repair or replace the Eisenhower Interstate System and other highways in the U.S. Many people complained about the Stimulus Package and how expensive it is, but after 50 years the all of these roads and many other projects needed to be replaced or built and President Obama is going to, as Larry the Cable Guy says, "git 'er done"!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
It sickened me to hear that the crowd at the 9/11 Memorial Cheered Former President Bush, He OK'd the 9/11 attacks
Think about it! What would have happened in America if the terrorist attack didn't occur on 9/11? Let's review the facts from that time...Election challenges were eminent. The U.S. Supreme Court (most of whom where appointed by and loyal to Republican Presidents) decides G. W. Bush is the President. He didn't win the election in 2000. If something didn't happen and soon, Bush would have been removed from office by the courts. Bush wanted to stay in office and had to do something dramatic to change the attention away from the election. It had to be something BIG. Bush and Osama Bin Laden are in the "Oil Cartel" and know each other, possibily friends. Bush okayed the attacks on America so that American's would forget about the election.
Another possible theory: For reasons unknown to us, George W. Bush clearly wanted to get rid of Saddam Hussein. Maybe Osama Bin Laden and other members of the Oil Cartel did too. How could this be accomplished? How could he/they topple Hussein's reign? Nothing short of a war could make that happen. How do you start a war?
Regardless of why the 9/11 atacks happened, Bush had to get Bin Laden's family out of the United States. Shortly after the attacks, when NO PLANES WERE SUPPOSE TO BE FLYING IN U.S. AIRSPACE, the Bush Administration allowed a jet to fly around the country to gather Bin Laden's family and "some 140 high ranking Saudi officials." and safely get them out of the United States. This is something you would do for a friend, to help him protect people he cared about! (see news article below)
Why do you think Osama Bin Laden wasn't captured during the Bush Administration? Bush didn't want him captured, much less killed. Some people say that President Obama had nothing to do with capturing Bin Laden. The intelligent reports were presented to him and he, the President, signed the order for the mission to capture Bin Laden to take place.
If the terrorist attacks had not taken place on September 11, 2001, Bush wouldn't have lasted more than 4 years in office. He certainly wouldn't have WON HIS FIRST ELECTION in 2004. He would spent his 4 years in office, if he lasted that long, fighting to stay in office.
Here is the article about the Bin Laden family evacuation:
"Bin Laden Family 'Evacuated' From US
9:11am UK, Wednesday September 03, 2003
Members of Osama bin Laden's family were allowed to fly out of the US shortly after the September 11 terror attacks, a senior official has said.
'Bush government sanctioned bin Laden family repatriation'
Even though American airspace had been shut down, the Bush administration alloweda jet to fly around the US picking up family members from 10 cities, including Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston and Houston.
Some 140 high ranking Saudi officials were also on the plane.
The revelations come from former White House counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke.
He said the Bush administration sanctioned the repatriation of the family in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.
'Repatriation approved'
"Somebody brought to us for approval the decision to let an airplane filled with Saudis, including members of the bin Laden family, leave the country," he told Vanity Fair magazine.
Mr Clarke said he checked with FBI officials, who gave the go ahead. "So I said, 'Fine, let it happen'."
He first asked the bureau to check that no one "inappropriate" was leaving.
"I have no idea if they did a good job. I'm not in any position to second guess the FBI," he said.
But Dale Watson, the FBI's former head of counter-terrorism, said the Saudis "were not subject to serious interviews or interrogations".
Permission to fly
Federal authorities gave permission for the plane to fly.
Tom Kinton, director of aviation at Boston's Logan airport, said: "We were in the midst of the worst terrorist act in history and here we were seeing an evacuation of the bin Ladens! ... I wanted to go the highest levels in Washington."
Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the US who is said to have organised the exodus, met President George Bush on September 13, 2001, two days after the terror attacks.
It is not known if they discussed the repatriation plan.
'No secret flights'
The White House has declined to comment on the claims, but sources told Vanity Fair the Bush administration was confident no secret flights took place.
Mr Clarke, who headed the Counter-terrorism Security Group of the National Security Council, said he did not recall who requested approval for the flights, but believes it was either the FBI or the State Department.
Special Agent John Iannarelli, the FBI's spokesman on counter-terrorism activities, said: "I can say unequivocally that the FBI had no role in facilitating these flights one way or another."
The wealthy bin Laden family broke ties with bin Laden years before the September 11 strikes. "
Even if Bin Laden's family broke ties with him, Osama Bin Laden still wanted his family to be safe and former President George W. Bush made it happen by getting the Bin Laden's out of the United States. Why would anyone do that, especially after the attacks, unless they had something to hide.
Check out this article about a class action lawsuit against Former President George W. Bush and members of his administration. A Government Insider is taking legal action to prove that Frmr President Bush ordered the September 11th attacks.
It is: http://www.rense.com/general57/aale.htm
Another possible theory: For reasons unknown to us, George W. Bush clearly wanted to get rid of Saddam Hussein. Maybe Osama Bin Laden and other members of the Oil Cartel did too. How could this be accomplished? How could he/they topple Hussein's reign? Nothing short of a war could make that happen. How do you start a war?
Regardless of why the 9/11 atacks happened, Bush had to get Bin Laden's family out of the United States. Shortly after the attacks, when NO PLANES WERE SUPPOSE TO BE FLYING IN U.S. AIRSPACE, the Bush Administration allowed a jet to fly around the country to gather Bin Laden's family and "some 140 high ranking Saudi officials." and safely get them out of the United States. This is something you would do for a friend, to help him protect people he cared about! (see news article below)
Why do you think Osama Bin Laden wasn't captured during the Bush Administration? Bush didn't want him captured, much less killed. Some people say that President Obama had nothing to do with capturing Bin Laden. The intelligent reports were presented to him and he, the President, signed the order for the mission to capture Bin Laden to take place.
If the terrorist attacks had not taken place on September 11, 2001, Bush wouldn't have lasted more than 4 years in office. He certainly wouldn't have WON HIS FIRST ELECTION in 2004. He would spent his 4 years in office, if he lasted that long, fighting to stay in office.
Here is the article about the Bin Laden family evacuation:
"Bin Laden Family 'Evacuated' From US
9:11am UK, Wednesday September 03, 2003
Members of Osama bin Laden's family were allowed to fly out of the US shortly after the September 11 terror attacks, a senior official has said.
'Bush government sanctioned bin Laden family repatriation'
Even though American airspace had been shut down, the Bush administration alloweda jet to fly around the US picking up family members from 10 cities, including Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston and Houston.
Some 140 high ranking Saudi officials were also on the plane.
The revelations come from former White House counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke.
He said the Bush administration sanctioned the repatriation of the family in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.
'Repatriation approved'
"Somebody brought to us for approval the decision to let an airplane filled with Saudis, including members of the bin Laden family, leave the country," he told Vanity Fair magazine.
Mr Clarke said he checked with FBI officials, who gave the go ahead. "So I said, 'Fine, let it happen'."
He first asked the bureau to check that no one "inappropriate" was leaving.
"I have no idea if they did a good job. I'm not in any position to second guess the FBI," he said.
But Dale Watson, the FBI's former head of counter-terrorism, said the Saudis "were not subject to serious interviews or interrogations".
Permission to fly
Federal authorities gave permission for the plane to fly.
Tom Kinton, director of aviation at Boston's Logan airport, said: "We were in the midst of the worst terrorist act in history and here we were seeing an evacuation of the bin Ladens! ... I wanted to go the highest levels in Washington."
Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the US who is said to have organised the exodus, met President George Bush on September 13, 2001, two days after the terror attacks.
It is not known if they discussed the repatriation plan.
'No secret flights'
The White House has declined to comment on the claims, but sources told Vanity Fair the Bush administration was confident no secret flights took place.
Mr Clarke, who headed the Counter-terrorism Security Group of the National Security Council, said he did not recall who requested approval for the flights, but believes it was either the FBI or the State Department.
Special Agent John Iannarelli, the FBI's spokesman on counter-terrorism activities, said: "I can say unequivocally that the FBI had no role in facilitating these flights one way or another."
The wealthy bin Laden family broke ties with bin Laden years before the September 11 strikes. "
Even if Bin Laden's family broke ties with him, Osama Bin Laden still wanted his family to be safe and former President George W. Bush made it happen by getting the Bin Laden's out of the United States. Why would anyone do that, especially after the attacks, unless they had something to hide.
Check out this article about a class action lawsuit against Former President George W. Bush and members of his administration. A Government Insider is taking legal action to prove that Frmr President Bush ordered the September 11th attacks.
It is: http://www.rense.com/general57/aale.htm
Saturday, August 13, 2011
It is time to get involved!
If everyone thought that nothing could make a difference then nothing would. However, we have seen that proven wrong when so many American's contacted their Congresspeople about raising the debt ceiling! Some members of the American public got sick and tired of it and spoke out. There was a lot of coverage about this in the National News Programs about how many American's spoke out and what method that they chose to speak out with.
With the invention of the internet, the world is changing. People who live under harsh, brutal and oppressive conditions somhow managed to got on the internet and saw how other people in the world lived and finally decided to fight back! They want their freedom.
Even if it is just a matter of signing or starting a petition (easy to do on the CARE 2 website), writing a blog or some e-mails, or posting ideas on the social network sites(Facebook, My Space, My Lot, to name a few) or send an e-mail to their leaders (easy to do on Congress.org). All of these actions can help to make a difference!
Once, a small group of people decided that they didn't want to be ruled by King George of England anymore and got together and fought and won the American Revolution! Today, we don't need to get out a gun, just get a pen and paper or turn on our computers and get involved! TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. We just have to get off the sidelines and into the game!
With the invention of the internet, the world is changing. People who live under harsh, brutal and oppressive conditions somhow managed to got on the internet and saw how other people in the world lived and finally decided to fight back! They want their freedom.
Even if it is just a matter of signing or starting a petition (easy to do on the CARE 2 website), writing a blog or some e-mails, or posting ideas on the social network sites(Facebook, My Space, My Lot, to name a few) or send an e-mail to their leaders (easy to do on Congress.org). All of these actions can help to make a difference!
Once, a small group of people decided that they didn't want to be ruled by King George of England anymore and got together and fought and won the American Revolution! Today, we don't need to get out a gun, just get a pen and paper or turn on our computers and get involved! TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. We just have to get off the sidelines and into the game!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Let's start trying to balance the budget! Instant yearly savings of over $9 Million!
There seems to be a lot of discussion about how to reduce Government spending. Of course, everyone has a different idea. I have one idea that is a small step fiscally, but would be a bigger step from a Public Relations stand point. Let's start at the top. According to articles in Wikipedia, I have discovered the earnings of our leaders in the United States Government.
It is well known that many workers in the United States have been asked to take cuts in their earnings during tough times. Somehow, the President, Vice President and members of the United States Congress have been spared from taking salary reductions for the good of our country.
The President of The United States earns $ 400,000 annual salary*
The Vice President 230,700 annual salary**
The Speaker of the House 212,100 annual salary***
President Pro Tempore 183,500 annual salary***
Majority Leader of the Senate 183,500 annual salary***
Majority Leader in the House 183,500 annual salary***
Minority Leader in the Senate 183,500 annual salary***
Minority Leader in the House 183,500 annual salary***
97 Remaining Senators @ $169,300 16,422,100 annual salary***
433 Remaining House Reps @ $169,300 73,306,900 annual salary***
Total Salaries: $91,489,300.
"Congressional Leaders" get 183,500.*** But since I don't know how many people are considered to be "Congressional Leaders", I used the salary of Non-Office holding members of Congress of $169,300.
Let's ask our leaders to take a ten percent pay cut, make a sacarifice for the "team". That would be an annual savings of $9,148,930. While that is "small change" compared to the billions and billions of dollars that the U. S. Governement spends every year, it would definately help! When you consider that the medium American Income for Men is $45,113 and for Women it is $35,102, I really don't think that it is too much to ask.
I have heard that while President, John F. Kennedy took a salary of only $1 per year because of his family's wealth. Many of our member of Congress are very wealthly and could afford to volunteer to take a larger reduction. If the heads of the United States Government are expecting us to "tighten our belts", shouldn't they be willing to do the same thing?
References:
* Wikipedia article, "President of the United States".
** Wikipedia article, "Vice-President of the United States".
*** Wikipedia article, "United States Congress".
It is well known that many workers in the United States have been asked to take cuts in their earnings during tough times. Somehow, the President, Vice President and members of the United States Congress have been spared from taking salary reductions for the good of our country.
The President of The United States earns $ 400,000 annual salary*
The Vice President 230,700 annual salary**
The Speaker of the House 212,100 annual salary***
President Pro Tempore 183,500 annual salary***
Majority Leader of the Senate 183,500 annual salary***
Majority Leader in the House 183,500 annual salary***
Minority Leader in the Senate 183,500 annual salary***
Minority Leader in the House 183,500 annual salary***
97 Remaining Senators @ $169,300 16,422,100 annual salary***
433 Remaining House Reps @ $169,300 73,306,900 annual salary***
Total Salaries: $91,489,300.
"Congressional Leaders" get 183,500.*** But since I don't know how many people are considered to be "Congressional Leaders", I used the salary of Non-Office holding members of Congress of $169,300.
Let's ask our leaders to take a ten percent pay cut, make a sacarifice for the "team". That would be an annual savings of $9,148,930. While that is "small change" compared to the billions and billions of dollars that the U. S. Governement spends every year, it would definately help! When you consider that the medium American Income for Men is $45,113 and for Women it is $35,102, I really don't think that it is too much to ask.
I have heard that while President, John F. Kennedy took a salary of only $1 per year because of his family's wealth. Many of our member of Congress are very wealthly and could afford to volunteer to take a larger reduction. If the heads of the United States Government are expecting us to "tighten our belts", shouldn't they be willing to do the same thing?
References:
* Wikipedia article, "President of the United States".
** Wikipedia article, "Vice-President of the United States".
*** Wikipedia article, "United States Congress".
Sunday, August 7, 2011
"Cut spending/balance the budget" Republican's go on spending spree
I was watching the CBS program, "Up to the Minute" late one night when I saw an interesting piece. It seems that some members of Congress ran on the "cut spending and balance the budget" platform have already gotten the "spending bug" and already have started to add excessive spending to the budget. This, again, shows how our Politicians say one thing to get elected then do a complete reversal once in office. They, however, don't want these things to become public so that they can scream they "are spending cut/balance the budget" Republicans.
The following is from the www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011 /07/26/evening news/main
By Sharyl Attkisson
(CBS News)
Bringing home the bacon is one of Washington's oldest traditions.
Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress spend considerable time trying to get federal funds for pet projects in their home districts.
So how's that affected some of the newer members who came to Washington vowing to cut federal spending at every turn? CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports that in some cases, apparently, not at all.
Everyone agrees the old Stillwater Bridge linking Minnesota and Wisconsin is on its last legs and must go. But the fancy, $700 million replacement in the works costs double the cheaper alternative.
Why is Congress a millionaires club?
Do corporate interests rule Washington?
CBSNews.com special report: The United States of Influence
A bill co-sponsored by Republican freshman Sean Duffy paved the way for the expensive bridge to be built, even though he ran on this platform: "Our national debt has grown sky high thanks to the liberals in D.C. I'll work in Congress to cut spending and balance the budget."
Duffy's office told us his bill doesn't fund the bridge, it simply allows it to move forward and has some Democratic support too.
Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense sees it as a perfect example of excess Congress can't seem to resist, even during a time of fiscal crisis.
"There's an alternative that's hundreds of millions of dollars less, maybe not the signature bridge, maybe not the tourist attraction, but actually could get the job done for far less money," Ellis says.
Freshman Republican Steven Palazzo of Mississippi also ran as a fiscal conservative. Then he added more than $150 million to the defense budget, bound for a shipyard in his own district.
He didn't want to talk to CBS News but has said he's "glad to be able to help ensure the long-term viability of our shipbuilding industry."
Republican Duncan Hunter, now in his second term, added $5 million to the 2012 defense budget destined for Trex Enterprises, where employees are major donors to his campaign. Hunter also asked for $3 million in tax dollars for Trex in 2010.
A spokesman for Hunter told us part of his role in Congress is drawing business to companies in his district.
If Congress really expects to do more with less, it's not evident in their add-ons to the 2012 defense budget. There are fewer of them than in years past, but they add up to just as much as before: about $1.3 billion.
© 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved."
The following is from the www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011 /07/26/evening news/main
"GOP fiscal hawks embrace pricey pet projects
By Sharyl Attkisson
(CBS News)
Bringing home the bacon is one of Washington's oldest traditions.
Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress spend considerable time trying to get federal funds for pet projects in their home districts.
So how's that affected some of the newer members who came to Washington vowing to cut federal spending at every turn? CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports that in some cases, apparently, not at all.
Everyone agrees the old Stillwater Bridge linking Minnesota and Wisconsin is on its last legs and must go. But the fancy, $700 million replacement in the works costs double the cheaper alternative.
Why is Congress a millionaires club?
Do corporate interests rule Washington?
CBSNews.com special report: The United States of Influence
A bill co-sponsored by Republican freshman Sean Duffy paved the way for the expensive bridge to be built, even though he ran on this platform: "Our national debt has grown sky high thanks to the liberals in D.C. I'll work in Congress to cut spending and balance the budget."
Duffy's office told us his bill doesn't fund the bridge, it simply allows it to move forward and has some Democratic support too.
Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense sees it as a perfect example of excess Congress can't seem to resist, even during a time of fiscal crisis.
"There's an alternative that's hundreds of millions of dollars less, maybe not the signature bridge, maybe not the tourist attraction, but actually could get the job done for far less money," Ellis says.
Freshman Republican Steven Palazzo of Mississippi also ran as a fiscal conservative. Then he added more than $150 million to the defense budget, bound for a shipyard in his own district.
He didn't want to talk to CBS News but has said he's "glad to be able to help ensure the long-term viability of our shipbuilding industry."
Republican Duncan Hunter, now in his second term, added $5 million to the 2012 defense budget destined for Trex Enterprises, where employees are major donors to his campaign. Hunter also asked for $3 million in tax dollars for Trex in 2010.
A spokesman for Hunter told us part of his role in Congress is drawing business to companies in his district.
If Congress really expects to do more with less, it's not evident in their add-ons to the 2012 defense budget. There are fewer of them than in years past, but they add up to just as much as before: about $1.3 billion.
© 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved."
Monday, July 25, 2011
American's are getting SICK & TIRED of the B.S. going on in Washington!
Let me start of by saying that I am sick and tired of politicians saying that they should run the American Government like a business. This is exactly what House Speaker John Boehner said in his speech tonight. He says that he ran a small business in Ohio and then compared that to the United States Government. I don't know what kind of business you ran Mr. Speaker, but if you ran that business like you are trying to run the government, it is no wonder you now have a different job!
The United States Government IS NOT a business and it can't be treated as such! The job of the Government is to protect and provide services for its citizens. There is no Board of Directors and no shareholders. For Speaker Boehner, the Governor of my state, Rick Scott or anyone to think the government is a business is A FOOL!
A business needs to make a profit to succeed. Your salary and multimillion dollar campaign contributions show that YOU ARE MAKING A PROFIT, Mr. Speaker. What profit is the American Taxpayer making? In your comparison of the U. S. Government to a business, shouldn't ALL AMERICAN TAXPAYERS BE MAKING AN EQUAL PROFIT? As American Citizens, we would be the share holders. Where are our shareholder checks?
Let me provide a little background of myself. When I was younger, I was a Republican. I supported President Gerald Ford when he ran for President. Although I wasn't happy that he pardoned President Richard Nixon, I agreed with his reasoning. Now, upon reflection, many leaders of both major political parties agree that it was the right thing to do. At some point, I became disappointed and dissatisfied with the Republican Party as they began to care only about the Wealthiest of American's and began to shred through the U. S. Consitution to do whatever they wanted to do. I became an Independent. I was impressed with Senator Barack Obama when he addressed the Democratic Convention in 2004. (I only had tuned in to see Ron Reagan, Jr. speak.) I was telling people back then, that Barack Obama was going to be our next President. I supported him and still believe that he is trying to lead the country in the right direction.
Despite your best effort to ignore it, Mr. Speaker, the economy is starting to improve. To me, when I see more small businesses starting to open up, I believe that those people along with others agree that things are starting to look up. A new Super Wal-Mart opened up in St. Petersburg, Florida last week. A new furniture chain store opened it's doors in Clearwater, Florida. These large chain stores and small independent stores are bringing hundreds of new jobs to this area. Slowly, things are starting to get better. The Stimulus Package has helped to allow much needed road and bridge repair and expansion to finally get started. This construction has provided jobs for thousands of workers.
However, like most American's, I am getting sick and tired of the endless bickering in Congress with nothing getting accomplished. So I have thought of a few things that we should do to help correct the problem.
Let's start at the top. The Presidency should be limited to one six year term. Most people will agree that any President spends their first term trying to get re-elected to their second term. Let's end this now. Give the Office holder one six year term so that they can focus on what is best for the nation and how they, personally tried to get it done.
Next, let's have some major campaign reform. We, the people of the World, have the advantages of a 24 hour news cycle for both television and the Internet. Eliminate the need to spend hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars running for a political office. Let each candidate create their own website, post their position papers on it and make themselves available to answer questions from the American People and post them online. Let the Candidates debate openly on the Internet and on the television. Allow The League of Women Voters, who have sponsored the Presidential Debates in the past, to come up with a debate format that is free of demands of any individual, political party or special interest. Let individual American Citizens decide who gets elected for office, not special interest groups. The Internet websites of the candidates should be set up by funding by the Government and have NO ADVERTISERS OR SPONSORS. The Candidate's Website and The League of Women Voters Public Debates should be the only resources that the candidates should be given. By doing this, every American, whether rich or poor, could have a real shot at getting elected to a public office.
Make the running of the Government more transparent! Make every office holder publically responsible to show their exact government salaries and the salaries of each staff member and their office budgets (which should be distributed equally among all members of each branch of Congress) be posted on their internet site. There should be a law in place forbidding any government official to receive ANY TYPE of gift while running for and while in office. Let Congressional Representatives and Senators go back to serving the American Public and NOT special interests. As a result, people who run for office will hopefully do so with the intent to serve the People and not with the intent to get rich(er).
Get to work setting up a tax system that is fair for all of our individual and business citizens. It isn't right for large corporations to pay little or no taxes, cut jobs and close or move their operations out of the country while the Corporate C.E.O.'s get six and seven figure yearly bonuses!
While these ideas may seem to simplistic at first, there is no reason why this can not be accomplished. Image how much money all branches of government will save by not having to provide funding for the current lavish campaigns. Put those saving toward the deficit. I think all of us would be suprised at just how much money we are talking about.
The United States Government IS NOT a business and it can't be treated as such! The job of the Government is to protect and provide services for its citizens. There is no Board of Directors and no shareholders. For Speaker Boehner, the Governor of my state, Rick Scott or anyone to think the government is a business is A FOOL!
A business needs to make a profit to succeed. Your salary and multimillion dollar campaign contributions show that YOU ARE MAKING A PROFIT, Mr. Speaker. What profit is the American Taxpayer making? In your comparison of the U. S. Government to a business, shouldn't ALL AMERICAN TAXPAYERS BE MAKING AN EQUAL PROFIT? As American Citizens, we would be the share holders. Where are our shareholder checks?
Let me provide a little background of myself. When I was younger, I was a Republican. I supported President Gerald Ford when he ran for President. Although I wasn't happy that he pardoned President Richard Nixon, I agreed with his reasoning. Now, upon reflection, many leaders of both major political parties agree that it was the right thing to do. At some point, I became disappointed and dissatisfied with the Republican Party as they began to care only about the Wealthiest of American's and began to shred through the U. S. Consitution to do whatever they wanted to do. I became an Independent. I was impressed with Senator Barack Obama when he addressed the Democratic Convention in 2004. (I only had tuned in to see Ron Reagan, Jr. speak.) I was telling people back then, that Barack Obama was going to be our next President. I supported him and still believe that he is trying to lead the country in the right direction.
Despite your best effort to ignore it, Mr. Speaker, the economy is starting to improve. To me, when I see more small businesses starting to open up, I believe that those people along with others agree that things are starting to look up. A new Super Wal-Mart opened up in St. Petersburg, Florida last week. A new furniture chain store opened it's doors in Clearwater, Florida. These large chain stores and small independent stores are bringing hundreds of new jobs to this area. Slowly, things are starting to get better. The Stimulus Package has helped to allow much needed road and bridge repair and expansion to finally get started. This construction has provided jobs for thousands of workers.
However, like most American's, I am getting sick and tired of the endless bickering in Congress with nothing getting accomplished. So I have thought of a few things that we should do to help correct the problem.
Let's start at the top. The Presidency should be limited to one six year term. Most people will agree that any President spends their first term trying to get re-elected to their second term. Let's end this now. Give the Office holder one six year term so that they can focus on what is best for the nation and how they, personally tried to get it done.
Next, let's have some major campaign reform. We, the people of the World, have the advantages of a 24 hour news cycle for both television and the Internet. Eliminate the need to spend hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars running for a political office. Let each candidate create their own website, post their position papers on it and make themselves available to answer questions from the American People and post them online. Let the Candidates debate openly on the Internet and on the television. Allow The League of Women Voters, who have sponsored the Presidential Debates in the past, to come up with a debate format that is free of demands of any individual, political party or special interest. Let individual American Citizens decide who gets elected for office, not special interest groups. The Internet websites of the candidates should be set up by funding by the Government and have NO ADVERTISERS OR SPONSORS. The Candidate's Website and The League of Women Voters Public Debates should be the only resources that the candidates should be given. By doing this, every American, whether rich or poor, could have a real shot at getting elected to a public office.
Make the running of the Government more transparent! Make every office holder publically responsible to show their exact government salaries and the salaries of each staff member and their office budgets (which should be distributed equally among all members of each branch of Congress) be posted on their internet site. There should be a law in place forbidding any government official to receive ANY TYPE of gift while running for and while in office. Let Congressional Representatives and Senators go back to serving the American Public and NOT special interests. As a result, people who run for office will hopefully do so with the intent to serve the People and not with the intent to get rich(er).
Get to work setting up a tax system that is fair for all of our individual and business citizens. It isn't right for large corporations to pay little or no taxes, cut jobs and close or move their operations out of the country while the Corporate C.E.O.'s get six and seven figure yearly bonuses!
While these ideas may seem to simplistic at first, there is no reason why this can not be accomplished. Image how much money all branches of government will save by not having to provide funding for the current lavish campaigns. Put those saving toward the deficit. I think all of us would be suprised at just how much money we are talking about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)