Debt, Taxes and Basic Civics

The rhetoric is killing me. There are so many misleading statements out there over the current and most recent debt ceiling change I simply cannot avoid blabbing about it. The intentionally misleading information out there is what is driving a wedge between all of us and it has to stop. I do not think there are many Americans who relish being at odds with their neighbors, me included, but as long as we allow ourselves to be bamboozled the wedge will remain and our country will falter.  

                I heard a Republican congressmen say the other night something to the effect of “the senate has proposed nothing!” Well no kidding, the original “Bill” came from the House therefore the Senate was reacting which is the procedure of the governmental bodies. The house proposed the debt ceiling debate so the Senate has to react. It certainly isn’t that they have not participated as some would have you believe. For a simple but informative illustration on how government legislation works use the link. http://www.genome.gov/12513982

                Our tax system has many parts and many problems; among them the tax structure is outdated in some ways and needs serious revamping. The system is open for all kinds of modern fraud because of the hundreds of loopholes that have sneaked into it over time and they are killing us. On the flip side, it is designed to be a floating revenue source, ever changing and often unstable. Taxes go up and down with the tide of government spending. In war it is called upon to make up the differences, it is used as a tool of stability in turbulent times such as these, and taxes go down typically in quieter times or are invested in our growth. Conversely, the debt ceiling fluctuates with the changing tax revenues. This is hardly the first time the debt ceiling has been raised since its’ inception during WWI, in fact it has been raised something like 179 times by both Democrats and Republicans. Reagan holds the record at 17 times in one Presidency and mirroring the effects of that were his tax hikes during that same 8 years where he raised taxes some 7 times to quell a turbulent time. He also saw massive interest rates under his watch which this administration has miraculously escaped. Obama has been walking a tight rope successfully avoiding inflation, but it can come at any time if we falter on our growth. I have heard a few folks talking about inflation at this time because of the gas prices and inflation is not in play there, the rise at the pump is simply the whim of the oil industry and supply and demand.

                There is nothing new about government spending, it has been going on for years and if you want to know the truth it is leaner now and in the last several years than it has ever been save for war. Nothing that this President has done is in anyway unusual save for the fact that he and Bush did not raise taxes for the two wars; for first time in history we have gone off to war unfunded. “Obamacare” did use some money and it was really bad timing for sure, but had it been allowed to unfold as designed two years ago we would not be talking about “entitlements” now because Medicare and medical costs would already be on the road to repair. The administration has by and large reacted to an economic situation and for a variety of reasons they have had only limited success. Contrary to what some would tell you, the incredible debt that we face has been building since the minute we landed in Afghanistan and it grew by leaps and bounds when we went on to Iraq. The two “stimulus” packages added to it of course, but without them we would be in really bad shape according to most of the economists; you cannot grow an economy without investment. Of course the success of the injection of the stimulus’s is hard to prove to the American people, and the Republican party and the Tea party are certainly not going to admit that it had to happen because they stand to gain from the fallout of failure.

By and large the overall debt is a result of two unfunded wars and shrinking revenue in tax cuts at a time when the amount going out is incredible. They have cost us directly over a trillion dollars and that does not include the miscellaneous costs surrounding them or the thousands of lives. Those lives by the way were given over 60% of the time while protecting fuel convoys; they were not lost in static battle.

The debt will be hard to get under control no matter what until we get out of the wars and get back to discussing jobs instead of this ridiculous debate of whether to pay our bills or not. There is only one other country in the world with a debt ceiling and that is Denmark I believe, and the debt ceiling there is set so incredibly high not even two wars would touch it. Borrowing takes place worldwide and for better or worse it keeps the economy running around the globe much like it does when we borrow bank money for our cars. Like it or not, we are involved to stay in a world economy although borrowing so heavily is not exactly advisable.

In listening to Dan Akerson the head of GM this morning I learned that they have paid back to Canada and the U.S.  a good share of the money used to bail them out and are carrying an 8 million dollar company balance. They are strong and ready to get on with it. He said that the U.S. Government had never interfered with their management team and he is thankful for the financial support saying that without it we would have suffered another million lost jobs. They feel that the only thing (until this ridiculous debt ceiling debate that is) holding this country back is a little confidence which has been severely undermined by all the false statements and rhetoric floated for the sake of winning favor and re-election even though it is tearing this country down.  There are many companies holding trillions waiting for the right climate to invest and with those investments will come recovery and a strong America.

It seems ironic to me, but Obama is perhaps too middle of the road for leadership here and now. By being a moderate he cannot get a grip on leading because no one is wholeheartedly behind him for he is neither far left nor right. All I know is that Dan Akerson is right in my thinking, and not getting behind our President is killing this country. It would behoove all of us to pay a little more attention to what we are being told and understand a little better the steps of government so that we are not so quickly fooled when politicians and the media point their fingers. It would behoove us to get behind the guy and his efforts to get this country back on its’ feet.  Divided we fall.

Money Talks, and Kicks and Sqeals

So I am catching up on the news the other mornin’ and happen on an article about Rudy Giuliani and his “coziness” with Rupert Murdock and how “Fox Network” suddenly appeared on New York cable TV when there were folks ahead of them on the waiting list at Time Warner. It also discusses court intervention and how even that did not detour Fox or Rudy in their quest for cable exposure in New York and subsequently Rudy’s unprecedented successive appearances on Fox programs during his run for the Whitehouse.   Anyway you can read it for yourself if you want by following the link http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/07/21/rupert-murdoch-scandal-rudy-giuliani-s-ties-to-news-corp.html?om_rid=DnqIHH&om_mid=_BOKXWyB8cdETF7 

My attention was drawn not so much to the article, for Murdock has a long history of manipulation, but to the comments afterward and one lady saying “The President's associations are far more questionable than Rudy's friendship with Murdock.” That is all she said, no mention of what those “associations” were of course and she did not answer queries from others regarding her allegations. I have one question for her assuming that what she is saying is even correct…why is it American’s these days are flocking to the doctrine that a wrong is fine if it is in line with other wrongs? Or for some, it is OK to “sin” because one is forgiven of their sins if they are a “believer”. I find it far more rewarding not sinning in the first place, and I do not understand what we are condoning these days when it comes to being more right. That should read “correct” I guess, but I left it as “right” because the play on words indeed sums up some of the thinking…the more “right” you are, the better American you are.

My Dad was a good Republican back when the differences of party were represented by ideas on how to get to the same end, and that being the betterment of the country. Back then the two parties were both respectful of each other even though they were far apart at times, but they worked and bartered together and got things done; that was pre-lobby mind you. For myself I have never picked a Party to call my own, but in the last few years I have discovered that I do not like “my way or the highway” style of discussion, nor blatant head turning ignorance among the politicians when it comes to the manufacture of lies to win at all costs such as the “Muslim terrorist” myth swirling on the internet about Obama’s Presidential intentions. There were normally sane politicians turning their heads to many of the lies like that one and all for the sake of winning, never mind that it was slowing economical recovery and causing people to discredit our highest office. Unfortunately, things like that have a way of coming back around, and they will.

Call me old fashioned, but before the incredible hold by lobbyists on our politicians and the media, and before the blessing of the Supreme Court condoning mega-political contributions from the lobbyists that big business employs, we had a much more balanced approach to government,  fur flying or not. Media was also not as manipulative, or as influential because folks had to read and understand the words, and most understood that you cannot take stock in everything you read.  Politicians had to speak to all Americans not just their constituents or their corporate lobbyist. I have not run across one Tea Party politician yet who will let me comment on their online contact form along with some Republicans and it baffles me what it is they are doing there if it is not to represent all Americans. Similarly, our House Speaker has his website set up the same way and I find that offensive. However, since he is Speaker you can contact him via the House website to tell him your ideas for America. My thinking is that we are all Americans and all are hurting economically and we should be heard.

The reality is we are not loud enough financially. Billions upon billions are spent every year by corporations, insurance companies and mega banks luring politicians to support them. In reality it is no different than the Mob and good old fashioned arm twisting, or worse.

My Sister was just saying that she felt like legislators were little kids when it comes to ironing out the debt ceiling change and feels like the TEA party leaders are a bunch of uneducated jerks who are driving this debate into the ground by ignoring the threat. I have to agree that even toying with the possibility of default at this point is nothing short of foolish no matter what your sworn ideology is. The other two parties know full well the consequences because they have been here before, but are playing the scary game of who is going to look the best come election time. If we default we not only have the potential to derail the country as a whole, and for a very long time, but the older Americans who are the largest voting body and biggest spenders  are subject to losing everything they have saved for AND their investments in Social Security and Medicare. The middle class, working class could lose untold amounts of money stashed in their 401k as well as possibly their jobs. Do we really want to do that for the sake of a few tax breaks that lead to nowhere?

I am not naïve, and understand that the U.S. government indeed has a huge cleanup to do when it comes to money drain, but at this moment job creation and revenue are what we need to cure the ills, not clamping down and certainly not decreasing what revenue we have. Getting out of the two wars we got stuck with would go a long ways to helping things out. Getting rid of a ton of subsidies like Ethanol, foreign aid, farm subsidies, oil and gas incentives and cutting our massive defense budget would go nearly as far, but those entities all have huge lobbies and they pay to play like the middle class cannot. Interestingly enough, in my area of the country the rich are still building…erecting arts centers, 7000 square foot homes and polishing their gold in the basement vault, so I have to ask…where is that trickle down?

It takes money to make money, always has, always will. I have nothing against people who “have made it” in this world, but a faction of our government favors the ones who in part got where they are by the sweat of the middle class. Legislators are allowing money to talk through them and policy is being set according to who coughs up the most. I for one believe that the average American has coughed up way more than their share and we are the ones who will lose when the spittle of debate lands on us and the shiny bars are liquidated. Will we be able to talk?

Fool Me Once…and Again and Again

         July 16, 2011 was the actual deadline for raising the debt limit for this country and an infamous day in history where we allowed lawmakers to drive this country off a cliff by not voting to pay our bills. The economic impact of not raising the debt ceiling scares me beyond anything in my life, and the fallout has already started with S&P dropping 69% this morning and the exchange down 100. This is not about government spending; this is about government paying their bills…the ones that we have incurred, not the ones we are creating or might create. It is not something that has just come up either; the debt ceiling has been raised many times over the years. In fact Ronald Reagan the conservative God of favor lately, pushed to raise it 17 times in his quest for getting out of the worst financial problems since the great depression with his 10.5% unemployment and near American default. He knew back then what anyone who has been paying attention knows now…we are not growing an economy by cutting investment and jobs.

            “Think Progress.org” ran this quote recently: “Congress consistently brings the government to the edge of default before facing its responsibility. This brinksmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest rates would skyrocket, instability would occur in financial markets, and the Federal deficit would soar.” Sound familiar? Ronald Reagan, 1987

            Imagine all the folks near or in retirement not be able to spend; that is exactly what will happen if they keep insisting on cutting Social Security and Medicare, and as I’ve said before those are NOT entitlements, they have been bought and paid for out of wages. That group of people is now the largest group of spenders in this country aside from the top 1% who still have oodles to spend thanks to legislation curbing taxes for them. There is no question that we have to revamp elder care especially Medicare and Medicaid, but that revamping needs to concentrate on streamlining it and closing the loopholes that allow the rampant fraud associated with it.  That is what costs us money. We also need to address preventive medicine not just in the elderly but across the board. Not addressing health care problems when we had the chance was nothing short of stupid and it will turn to catastrophic soon especially as our financial situation worsens. In fact it has indeed contributed immensely to the problems we are having now.

            We have been fooled beyond belief in this country when bettering our health care system, cutting debt associated with it and attempting to control banking that got us into this mess is propagandized as bad. The reality is, it is bad for the insurance companies quarterly profits and investment bankers bonuses. This President is giving the Republicans the moon when it comes to a debt ceiling deal according to many older former Republicans, but the current congress is not taking it even though the prospect of not will no doubt put this country and the world into a real and serious tailspin worse than nearly every American has ever seen. It is beyond me why we have to barter for this financial maneuver in the first place? It is to pay our bills like, you know, the two wars that congress agreed to get us into a few years back and the huge tax cuts that left this economy unsustainable. Funny, one of the few who voted against going into those wars was Obama.

            Politicians on both sides of the fence change their stories all the time, but following the stories this last 4 + years have been hard to take, especially now. Cutting college funding is one of the “new” or “half-breed” Republican’s ideas for curbing spending, but giving the top 1% tax breaks is not? The rich have not paid their fair share in years thanks to tax loopholes so large you could drive a bus through them, yet we are giving them more than ever now. What is really stunning, on top of that is the middle class who indeed funds this country, is supporting legislation to give them and corporations huge tax breaks and at the same time are taking up the slack and bearing the burden! Middle class lives are hold as well yet we are buying into this nonsense that “Trickle down” is coming. Well, where is it? That is what I want to ask the pro-tax loophole folks in congress…where is that trickle down? Weren’t we supposed to see that by now? After all it has been 10 years since the Bush tax cuts began and the economy has flittered away since. Rather than ask Obama where the jobs are, how about asking the folks who supported those “trickle down” tax breaks where the jobs are?

It is bad enough that we are being misled by our politicians for their political gain but being misled by the in their pocket “news” sources is inexcusable. Putting future candidates on the media payroll like Bachman and Gingrich allows them to campaign for months before they launch their bids and it ought to be a huge breach of campaign rules in my thinking. Buying politicians is inexcusable in the first place whether it is news media or corporations, but the Supreme Court allows it and recently opened the door for unlimited money flow from corporations to candidates in a 1 vote Republican win. By the way, those corporations are also headed up by that top 1% who have all the tax cuts already…does anyone understand how much we are being taken for the fools? The middle class is being cut out of everything and if you look at tax cuts meant for the wealthy and pricey education only available to the wealthy you get the idea that it might just be by design.

Not supporting education is probably the most powerful maneuver there is when it comes to controlling any government. Without education, particularly in a democracy and particularly in economics and civics, politicians and rich corporations can easily pull the wool over our eyes and control this country the way they see fit. I certainly don’t mean to sound way out there, but when I hear politicians such as  New Hampshire’s new Republican state House Speaker, William O’Brien stating that college students should not be allowed to vote because “they just vote their feelings” a big red flag goes up. Of course they vote their feelings, doesn’t everyone? The idea that we should cut education funding as a means of balancing state and federal budgets is ridiculous. That is like a household cutting the food budget instead of the entertainment allotment. We must as some are screaming stop the unnecessary spending, but we cannot sustain ourselves if we take the food away. Without getting back to the education the post great depression survivors supported, we will indeed be unexceptional as a country.

I am a centrist in just about anything and pro-American in everything, but when I am being told that this or that is bad and never hearing a different solution I have to conclude that I am being bamboozled. I hear today that amid all this very important debt ceiling deal, the House of Representatives are incredibly still talking about the damn light bulb law! I guess that goes along with their harangue about the health care bill being bad for us. I can see where privatization has gotten us with insurance that only 40% of Americans can afford and mostly only if it is attached to their jobs, but then again, I have my eyes open.

It is beyond me how easily we are fooled into believing that what is good for us is bad. Education, small business and industry made this country exceptional and it would again if we just invested in it. The middle class made this country great not the upper 1% of the income scale. Not the news conglomerates or the giant communications companies. Not Wal-Mart or the oil companies and the plastic industry that they spawned…hard individual work on Main Street made this country great.  We are being fooled again into believing that investment in America is bad for us and if we don’t stop waiting for this congress to save us we will not be in need of it.

What Are We Thinking?

            A friend of mine on the Front Range “clips” online articles on water issues when he comes across them and emails them to me. He recently sent two articles on the oil and gas companies’ use of hydraulic fracturing parts of the Earth’s crust to get at the trapped natural gas far below the surface that would otherwise not be accessible. One of the articles was pro and written by a conservative Democrat from Oklahoma who heads up the American Gas Association, the other was an opinion from Sam Schabacker of Food & Water Watch a consumer advocacy organization and it was con.

            As an educated left leaning centrist I have to wonder about the motives of the President of the American Gas Association when he is telling me that all is safe in oil, gas and “fracking”. On the other hand when it comes to someone worrying about what we eat or what we bath in I happen to believe that is as important to us as it was our ancestors, so I have to agree that intentionally polluting underground areas might not be in our best interest. The pro guy makes the “in vogue” case that the gas industry supplies and creates thousands of jobs for Colorado therefore we should support it no matter what. The job issue in this country is now held up for just about every cause even though often jobs are indeed never created.

            Along those lines and from “across the pond” I listened to an interview of Tony Blair with Wolf Blitzer and when asked if the going’s on of News Corp in Britain was a tad bit out of line and should be dealt with, he responded that it is par for news organizations over there and he wondered, with almost pity at American distaste for such antics. Tony Blair looked like a fat cat under a canary cage and went on about how this was business as usual never once mentioning that cell phone and computer hacking of anyone is illegal. The bottom line is both of these situations benefit someone therefore we should just ignore the consequences and except the defense of the practices as gospel. I cannot.

            I wonder regularly what it is about us that allows politicians and large corporations to pull the wool over our eyes so regularly that we accept being blind as a part of life. If some tidbit is repeated enough we take it as the whole truth and nothing but the truth and never bother to look up the facts. In the case of to “frack” or not to “frack” it makes only common sense that diesel fuel forced through small fissures underground will indeed find its way into the underground aquifers and it is only a matter of time before it shows up in our drinking water. Not to mention it takes millions of gallons of our precious water to hydraulically fracture in the first place. Yet, through both “public education” and political muscling, the oil and gas folks have managed to keep hydraulic fracturing off EPA regulations for safe water.  And they have managed to convince people so thoroughly that they are they are on the up and up the practice is being defended around the dinner table, especially if they are “creating jobs”. We are so naïve.

            It all boils down to money just like this ridiculous debate going on about our economy. If Obama has a double dip recession he loses in 2012 and that is the only thing motivating the new strain of politicians in D.C.  period. They could care less if we are teetering on financial disaster as long as he loses and that has been the goal from the beginning. Why does congress not embrace all ideas to get the economy moving? They keep pointing the finger at Obama for not doing this or that with the economy and the debt, yet they are the ones who are hired by us to make decisions, fix problems and create policy. The role of the President is to steer; the legislators’ role is to represent their districts and they are obviously not doing it for the districts are still not adding jobs. The conversation always turns to spending yet very few of these politicians have demanded that we get out of Iraq and Afghanistan which to date has cost us 1.2 trillion dollars and it is all borrowed money. That is our debt problem in the first place, not Obamacare, nor the bailouts which by the way have been nearly paid back and with interest. We have a spending problem alright, congress spending for their employers…oil and gas companies, tobacco companies, banks, you get the idea.

            I have to agree with my friend Mike…I have paid into Social Security and Medicare nearly my whole life so what makes it wrong that I receive benefits from it? We are crazy to buy into this especially since Social Security supports itself and can be viable for another 25 years without any additional funding. Yes, there are abuses to both systems that can be addressed and we can stop some needless bleeding, but benefit cuts handed to the people who built those funds in the first place, give me a break. Cutting taxes again and again for the rich is blatant support not for the folks that need it, but for the folks that control our government. For every dollar in tax breaks given I would bet my shrinking last dollar that four dollars come back to politicians that support the machine. We, the disappearing middle class cannot afford that kind of political game playing so they no longer work for us, and we buy into the lies that the rich create jobs. The only thing that is “trickling down” to us is the debt from borrowing money to give these people tax breaks. What are we thinking folks?

            There is no talk in any of this about getting small businesses back to Main Street and those my friends are what make this country go ‘round. Small businesses would benefit hugely by cutting the subsidies for big oil and giving it to solar entrepreneurs, but small businesses are not funding politicians, the biggest business of all. The loudest politicians for the most part are the ones who have been at it the longest and it is because they have been given the most money to keep doing what they do; benefit the lobbyists. One exception is Rand Paul the “rookie”, but he knows full well who scratches Kentucky’s bank, I mean back. Kentucky receives more federal dollars than just about any state out there and he will do nothing to topple that record, Tea Party affiliation or not.

            We can do a lot of federal cutting like subsidies to the rich in the form of tax cuts and ethanol which is causing our food prices to go through the roof. We can clean up government waste in general by tying record keeping together so duplicate spending is controlled and we can cut the Mother of all spending by nipping at the war machine budget. Most people do not know that the general defense budget has grown 67% since 2001 and is almost larger than the rest of the world combined…that is being paid for out of our taxes. When they increase defense spending, or any budget for that matter it is a tax increase. I do not care what you argue, this country is a machine and it is fed by taxes one way or the other. No matter what your party supposedly stands for they are taxing you.  

            This country is living truly on the edge when we talk of cutting the deficit instead of putting money into jobs. Jobs will cut the deficit by giving people the money to spend. You cannot pay household debts down without income, and you will not have income without a job…it is that simple. We almost bounced back from the Bush and Obama reinvestments but they were a little too late in the case of Bush and a little too small on Obama’s part. They did stop the job loss successfully, and added a few but we need to kick start things again or we will be in the same boat. The rest of the world invests heavily in their job creators and their students and we must do the same or dwindle away.  

            A strong nation starts with economics not war planes. We cannot run the engines of war without the money to do it anyway and that money is disappearing into investment banking, oil and gas production, big overseas business and now radical ideology. If we do not invest in the people of this country it will be belly up, it is that simple. If this country defaults many have no idea what will happen…let’s start with no 401 K’s…they will be empty. Jobs on every level will disappear making everything much worse than it already is. No stock market stability here or in the world and interest rates will go sky high deepening the problems. These politicians that are taking these silly pledges have no idea what they are doing and Boehner and a few other Republicans know it, yet they are playing along with the game because they are afraid they will lose our votes. Well, mine has not been there since we were lied to about Iraq so I will not cost them.   

Black and White-NOT

Lately I was pleased to hear two really common sense guys who managed to have concrete ideas or experience to go with their criticisms. Or better yet, they can explain what they think the problem s are and how to fix them without bashing the other party. It was refreshing to listen to Chris Christie in an interview on CNN with Piers Morgan; he told us who he was, what he stood for and only mentioned the word “liberal” a few times and not derogatorily at that.  He seems to realize it takes both stallions and mares to make a horse. Conversely, it takes two or more ways of thinking to make a democracy. I liked the guy personally because he said what he thought about things without hesitation and without the patriot games that have become so familiar to us. He got through the whole interview without making things up as he went.

On the contrary, watching the first Republican “debate” I noticed some of those folks were still campaigning for the same thing they have always campaigned for; division. They seem to not be for America succeeding; rather they are for Obama’s failure and apparently the failure of the Democratic Party which happens to be the other half of the horse. This is not a one-sided affair by any means, but it has been, the last several years, taken to heights we should all be ashamed of. It is nonsense when folks are not speaking to all Americans when they ask for a vote; rather they are pandering to only one party and offering nothing in particular for solutions for the country. My Daddy taught me that when folks continue to bad mouth everyone else without offering a solution, they are likely covering for their own inadequacies.

All concentration on the problems facing this country has been cast aside to embrace “my way or the highway” both in congress and in main stream America and it is ridiculous.  There is no black and white when it comes to fixing this mess the BANKS got us into although there are some on both sides who would like to make you think so. Sure, sure, the banks were not regulated like they were before Reagan loosened control on them, but nothing we say to go with our hindsight is fixing the problem and we need to drop it. At the same time folks need to stop listening to those who keep preaching spending reform before job creation…that will NOT fix the problem of a recessed economy from what I can ascertain.  Any casual observer can see that the Bush tax cuts did nothing to create jobs or stop them from falling of the street both before he was out of office and after.

Much of the mess we are in has nothing to do with the budget; rather it has to do with two unfunded wars, the first in the history of this country without raising taxes. Without Americans keeping our GDP afloat or producing instead of being supported with unemployment, there will be no need for a balanced budget. By the way, do you realize it was only ten years ago that this country was sporting a budget surplus and nearly in the black across the entire economic board?

Getting people back to work has to be the number one priority for this country and we are not going to do it without investment in those people. If we let this country go in default all hell will break loose, according to the other really wise man I was fortunate enough to catch, Mr. Alan Simpson former Republican senator from Wyoming on “In the Arena” also on CNN.  He was saying that folks who are pooh-poohing this debt ceiling deal have no idea what will happen if we let it go, like the federal bond market perhaps liquidating which would be devastating. The investments the bonds bring to this country are tremendous and if the holders decide to cash them in it could be really bad. Not only will we have to pay them, we would not have their investment. He was also saying that Bernanke is in no way lying about the seriousness of this and congress needs to get together on ideas and stop the partisan crap.

I have said before, the “Tea Party” had the right idea in the beginning and a few of their branches still do, and many of them do not agree with where parts of the party have drifted. The folks throwing the tea into Boston Harbor were all shapes and sizes and certainly all single minded but they came together to oppose the English government not each other. Michelle Bachman said during the first Republican debate  that the current Tea Party is made up of people from every walk and then went on to mention several times that “liberals” are to blame for thus and so. My question is: which is it… All for one, or one for all, or neither?  I happen to be a “one” and part of the “All” but they are not attempting to get my vote it seems nor are they telling me what it is they intend to do to “fix” things. I am tired of hearing how bad the other side is and what a great business hand Reagan was, let’s fix the problems now!

Speaking of Reagan…I liked him fine. He over all did an OK job but he was no God as he is being portrayed today by some who are lamenting the fact they can’t find anyone worthy to step up to the plate in his place. He had charisma alright, but he sat on 10% unemployment for about two years; higher than what we have right now. He also raised mostly middle class taxes 11 times to stave off a full blown depression in easier times than now. By far the biggest thing he had going for him was a congress who could work together to solve problems and that helped to save his bacon. Back then legislators were not all about annihilating the other party. If that had been the case back 200 years ago, we would not be a country today.

There are those who know full well that Obama fails if they sit this one out. I ask: What about us? What about this country if they cut education as a stab at looking fiscally responsible? The manufacturing jobs are gone folks…they are not coming back because cheap labor is key to multi-billion dollar success stories. We need education to be as affordable as it can possibly be because the jobs we hope to create to keep up require that. Big companies here at this time have learned how to get by with less employees and some are even hiring temporary white collar workers because they do not have to provide them with a single bennie.  Point is, we will have to re-educate the folks who are sitting on the sidelines and we just aren't doing that without an investment and a serious one. We have to invest in industry that will carry us through in a changing world. We might actually see people buying up government bonds if we were to announce to the world that we were on a collective course to pull ourselves up by the boot straps.

The rich are still rich, we must enlist them to make investment into great new ideas; the mamby pamby chicken shit blame game has to stop. What of challenging America invention to come up with bio-plastics to replace oil based materials; investing in solar and wind in a very real sense, not the half hearted display we see now? Efficient batteries to store electricity from solar and wind generation, home solar charging stations for electric cars, landfill power generation; I could go on and on.  I guess I sound like “a liberal” but the ideas are out there and they are being sat on because no one is investing. No one is investing because existing industry like oil and gas are the squeaky wheels and they are getting, pardon my pun, the oil. Legislators on the opposing side are gambling that Obama will fail before the country goes under so they are sitting idly on a powder keg in doing so.

 I have a friend who was pointing out how electric cars just would not do for many applications like pulling our horse trailers or cross-country trips. I was compelled to argue that modern trains are pulled by electric motors. Yes, they are diesel charged, but refined solar might just change that if great minds are supported. Ski lifts are pulled 100% by electric motors and mountain top solar would be easy enough to do to supply power in the future for that industry. Gas stations already exist and can become electric power hookups almost overnight since transmission lines are already in place to them. My point is it just isn’t that difficult.

It is high time we write legislators and prod them to give up at least some of their special interest money and time to fix this country. We have to start with investment and the money is out there without further draining our country, we just have to tap it and we aren’t going to do that without sound support from congress. We indeed have a President who is more than willing to help with innovation, but he cannot do it alone nor will he get legislative help until we demand it. The legislators, at least in part are paid by big oil to keep oil production going and until we break that cycle by squawking louder regarding innovation we will be in food and gas lines and I mean soon. We cannot lock ourselves away from the rest of the world either, which is another of the Tea Party pushes; we have to play in the giant sandbox now and it can be hugely productive if we just pick up the shovel. Burying our heads in the sand is not an option.

The only thing that has kept us going so far were the investments that George W and Obama made and they did not go far enough so we are seeing the effects of it dwindle. I am all for getting the spending under control but at this time that is toe scuffing and folks shoes are wearing thin.