Who are we now anyway?

Growing up in the 1950s and 60s, I have notice a declining trend.  And this is no laughing matter.  We as Americans have gone from a culture of simplicity, honesty, and integrity down to the opposite end.  We are now experiencing hyperbole, dishonesty, and adultery.  Adulterating our previous world position up on the pedestal of righteousness and wholesomeness.  We have traded our soul to the devil for personal gain.

And no greater representation of this fact lives in our United States congress.  Especially member of congress and other high states positions.  And I am talking about those gadflies who are running for the Presidency.  The presidency, which at one time was a world position beyond any other.  The president of the United States was like supreme commander of the world.  Now, it has been shrunk to just another position to fill by a host of yammering, blathering, president wanna be’s.  You know them.  Rick Perry, Mit Romney, Michele Bachmann, and the list is endless.  All compromising themselves in order to gain the presidency.  Lying, exaggerating, misleading, and besmirching anyone or thing that crosses their paths.  Stopping at nothing to get the attention of TV, Cable news, and anyone with a black berry, phone-camera, pad, and pencil.

Of course, politics has always been contentious.  But nothing like this.  And, if my memory serves me right, it all started with George H W Bush.  Bush 41 allowed the smear campaign against Michael Dukakis.  It was dirty.  Low down. And purposeful.  Nasty dirty politics.  So it went on from there.  Becoming dirtier and nastier.

Now, there are no truths one can depend on.  Now political rhetoric fills the air like suffering smog.  Clouds of poisonous gas.  Certainly something many decent folk would run from.

It’s awful.  It’s regrettable.  And, it’s today’s politics.  God save us from ourselves.  And forgive us for we know not what we do.  God save America.

New ideas for congress. One term.

Here is something all congressmen and women should consider while out on summer break.  Congressmen and women should be only elected to one term either in the senate or the house.  If you are elected as a U S representative, you have two years to finish your business.  If you were elected as senator, you too have only one six-year term to get done what you gotta get done.  Get in.  Get out.  That’s it.  Your time is up.

The best reason for this reasonable proposal is to save time.  Time in getting the job done.  As in, not having to fuss and wrangle with re-election.  No time is wasted going to luncheons, black tie affairs, gatherings at BBQ cookouts, and whatever else wastes time trying to raise funds for reelection.

So you spend all your usable time in congress proposing and passing laws.  Debating, arguing, bloviating, making deals, compromising, stalling, prodding, and before you know it, you’re out the door.  Someone else takes your place and the process starts all over again.  Just like that.  In.  Out.  And Washington goes on.  It never stops.  You had your turn.

A side benefit is there is no lobbyist to piddle with.  No rich guys to satisfy.  No one making deals that is hard to refuse.  Only because you have nothing to offer him or her.  Your time is limited and no time to cavort with the special interest panhandlers.

Pretty good huh?  Let’s do it!  One termmers.  It just might work.  God bless America.

Letter to our local newspaper

Letter to the Editor: Edge of the cliff. Larry Vandiver, Tulsa. As a good friend of mine said, "I feel helpless, and I feel hopeless. After watching the deficit/debt debacle in Washington, D.C., I think I feel even more helpless and hopeless than before. Will we as a country ever be able to have a functioning government? Why don't these people who ask us to re-elect them tell us what they want to do to help our country as well as how and why, rather than simply slamming the opposition? Let's not see only evil in the other people, but look for ways to work with them. I am suspicious of the tea party because it seems to be a one-issue party. I think our country and its finances are too complicated to be controlled by one issue. We need to look at all ways in which we can make this a better country, whether it involves spending cuts, tax increases, or changes in our Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid systems. The irony of letting our country get to the edge of the cliff on defaulting is that now that our credit rating has been lowered we could, and very likely will, be paying more in interest payments. If that happens I wonder if those increases in interest payments that will go into financial institution coffers will be more than any recently proposed tax increases that could have helped solve our deficit problems. Letters to the editor are encouraged.

It seems that I am repeating myself. Am I?

See what I told you.  The harangue is becoming louder and louder.  Jobs jobs and jobs.  The very same thing they hollered about in 2010.  It’s the number one talking point on the congressional candidate’s talking point list.

However, even though the Republicans took control of the House in 2010 and with a large margin, they didn’t even bother to present a “Jobs” bill.  Nothing.  Not one through out the past two years.

Their time was spent trying to undo the Obama administration.  Taking away funding for many federal and contract jobs.  And should I say it?  Yes, a job killer.  The very same predicament the House leadership blamed Obama for.  Is this the kettle calling the pot black?

Never the less, the House would rather give tax cut to corporations.  Corporations who seldom pay taxes and sometimes pay no taxes at all.  How many times do we need to repeat this fact?  Look it up under the Government Accountability Office.  It ‘s there.  Easy to read.

But anyway, once the shouting ends come next fall 2012 and more Republicans are voted in, the whole convoluted process will continue.  The demand for jobs will be quickly forgotten.  Business will continue as usual in congress.  Congress will continue its demand for more tax cuts for the rich and corporation.  Why?

The bigger problem is voters.  Their partisan leadership distracts them.  It’s best to vote party line than consider the real issues of jobs and how they are created.  How long must we continue down this dead end road?  Always ending up in the ditch.  Congress continuing to suckle the big nipple of lobbyist and corporations and we the voters left in the ditch with the tax bill and a huge deficit.  Think about it.  When will this ever change?  It doesn’t matter the party, find a candidate who is willing to stand up against big money interest and has a workable plan to put American’s back to work.  I’m telling you, Roosevelt had a good idea and it worked.  America!  Wake up!

The House of Congress is now a soup kitchen for the rich

The TEA party turned into a soup line. Thanks guys.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011, 7:32:48 PM | Chuck Ayers

So our credit rating has been deflated. Our borrowing power lessened. Our international reputation train wrecked. And, our own self-worth sent to rehab for lengthy psychotherapy. Why? How did this happen?

Standard and Pores reduced our borrowing status down from triple A to double A-plus. In real terms, I really don’t know what this means. Since that was done, lots of shouting and blame has whizzed through the air but not much else. The stock market has had its ups and downs but what else is new?

Never the less, here is my opinion. It certainly all started a few months ago with the question about the debt ceiling. Right? Some members of congress wanted not to raise the debt ceiling. Some refused to raise new taxes. Some insisted allowing the rich to remain on a permanent tax holiday. A small cadre of anti-tax, antigovernment partisans, including the lobbyist Grover Norquist passionately encouraged congress to drown government in a bathtub. Right?

So with this in mind almost any debt was not going to be paid regardless. So the government had to get out it’s international credit card and pay the debt with credit. Take out a loan to pay off what we already owed. Forcing the government to “borrow and spend” once again. Certainly doing what has been the normal practice of international borrowing for the past 30 or 40-years. However, not really the best solution for retiring debt. Right?

What Mr. and Mrs. America would have to do to pay down their debt would be:
1 Cut expenses and stop buying non-essentials and save cash.

2 Sell the house or car. To raise cash

3 Get a second job for additional cash.

But the bottom line is come up with an additional cash stream. More money pays down debt. Paying it down because of obligation to do so. Owning up the debt. Not borrowing more money. Borrowing just makes the debt drag out longer making it also more expensive.

In my opinion the easiest and quickest way to pay down this debt is to raise taxes. Raising taxes on the rich would be okay. I see no problem here. Also cutting huge expenses over at the Department of Defense would work as well. Possibly bringing home from Afghanistan all military personnel. A huge cost saver right there.

All in the entire whole debacle started when the speaker of the house John Boehner bowed down to the TEA partier’s feet. Playing to the TEA partier’s wishes. Totally disregarding the wishes of America. Consequently holding the whole budget process hostage. All for a bunch of wrong-headed congressmen suckling the great lobbyist nipple; Grover Norquist. Indicating where the reelection money comes from. Grover Norquist and the Koch Brothers. A trio of control freaks anti-tax money mongers. “Take from the poor and give to the rich.”

Bottom line, it was the TEA party that brought down government. A few bad men hijacking the American process just for their own monetary benefit. Controlling America’s money and keeping it all for themselves. Now! Remember, it was the TEA party that wrecked our American treasury. Also, don’t forget, we Americans are the government. So stay away from Grover Norquist and bathtubs.