You are currently browsing all posts tagged with 'American people'.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 entries.

New Years and Politics

  • Posted on December 31, 2012 at 6:53 pm

The cartoon version of me living in a cartoon world called politics.

At the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one, I always tend to think about the past, present, and future.  This year is no different.  I am sitting here thinking how politicians always manage to pull the American people apart.  They wait until the last possible minute to pull some rabbit out of a proverbial hat that we are supposed to buy as some kind of miracle of sorts.  I don’t really buy the drama that is going on in Washington D.C. because they so easily passed two bills recently that didn’t get much notice.  The first was FISA and the second was a pay raise for themselves.

Warrantless wiretapping of American citizens is good for another five years.  Just think about that.  http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/12/fisa-passes-warrantless-wiretapping-will-live/60403/

Just when you are lead to believe that the Democrats and Republicans cannot agree on anything, you discover that they both believe in stepping on the constitution to catch the bad people, whoever they may be.  We can live safer knowing that they got General Patraeus out of office through the search of his email correspondence.  Now I frankly don’t care about Patraeus as he is of no real concern to me.  However, the fact that my email could be investigated or even my website, well, that is another matter.  I believe in free speech and I certainly believe in utilizing the World Wide Web for learning and sharing ideas.  I don’t believe the government should be able to search any of my documents because I may use some word that they have put on a terror list of commonly used words by terrorists.

About the pay raise, you can see it is not seemingly huge but when compared to most American worker’s pay it is humongous.  http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/President-OKs-Pay-Raise-for-Congress-185310012.html

Therefore, here at the end of the year there is drama going on in Washington D.C.  Both parties attend the same parties and social circles.  Many even marry each other.  Politicians also seem to live cozy with the press.  If you work in politics, it is only a matter of time before you are on the political shows or in some cases become the show.  The story that they don’t get along just doesn’t work with me because they get along when they want to.  I remember when Senator Teddy Kennedy died.  When Senator Orrin Hatch spoke about his relationship with Kennedy the veil of contention was lifted.  When Teddy asks Orrin, “How did I do?”  You must think about the theater that was created by both parties when dealing with legislative issues.  At that time, I realized that all of the fighting by the politicians is some kind of weird Kabuki Theater.  The drama is created for the American people.  We are expected to think they are fighting for us but the reality is they fight for themselves and the moneyed interests.  We have been expected to “share the pain” of their decisions but in reality the poor and middle class bears the burden of all that happens in politics.

This past year has been frustrating, especially for teachers like I.  Here in Michigan we have painfully watched as politicians systematically took away many of our hard earned benefits through legislative action.  We have to pay more into our insurance package.  Years ago, the insurance was one of the most sought after benefit for teachers.  Now, it is built in with plans that make teachers be more of a gambler than most teachers would like to be.  There is a built in cap, which means if you want a better package, it is no longer negotiable.  Our retirement package has been changed and we are expected to pay more for that change.  Our union dues can no longer be taken out of our paychecks.  Our union has to work harder to collect those dues.  Teacher evaluations in our state are now tied to our students’ test scores.  Within the next couple of years, it will be around 50% of our evaluations.  In addition, as an art teacher, my evaluation is tied to reading and math scores. It seems we are all reading teachers these days.  Recently, Governor Snyder signed into law “right to work” legislation.  He did this as a favor to all of us dissatisfied teachers of course.  Please note the “snark” in my voice.  Here in Sturgis we took a 0% pay raise to go along with all of the other things that happened this year.  We were happy because at least we have our jobs.  This is the kind of year it has been, a contentious one, leaving many people confused and worried about the future.

I have always been an optimist.  I look to the future thinking positive thoughts.  However, I have learned that it is difficult to be in charge of your own fate these days.  It doesn’t matter how good of a teacher you really are.  What matters is how the numbers look on a database.  Things that are not measured like creativity, relationships, emotions, devotion, time, and caring won’t show up on that database that determines my ability as a teacher.  I will live with that.  I look to this New Year still hoping that the politicians will wake up and see all the damage they create when they make decisions for the American people that really are insane and stupid.  I cannot help it as I am ever the optimist.  This next year has me thinking that Governor Snyder probably has a plan for me and it probably isn’t what I want.  At the federal level, they have a plan for all of us as well and it probably isn’t what we want.  I will hold out and keep on voting, trying to remove the blight I see that are the politicians that continually serve the rich and connected.  However, it is discouraging to see what happens to people when they become politicians!

Roseanne Barr and Bedtime for Bonzo

  • Posted on February 6, 2012 at 6:13 pm

Roseanne Barr, our next president.  I know it sounds ludicrous but in my mind no more so than Mitt, Newt, Ron or Rick.  What amazes me this year is my total lack of interest in the presidential race.  The Republican candidates have left me totally flat in terms of enthusiasm.  I’m not a Republican, so it’s difficult for me to get enthused in the first place, but I’m left thinking one idea.  Can’t you guys do better than this?  The last four candidates each have their own set of personal baggage that makes this “race” seem so over before it even begins.  For many months the “media sensations” have been telling us it’s Mitt Romney all the way.  Like a self-fulfilling prophecy they guide the voters to “their” choice, “Mitt”.

Personally, I think it’s because the money makers choose Barack or Mitt.  It makes no difference to them.  They will still get what they want.  The losers will once again be the American people.

I have some brothers that have been pro Mitt Romney for some time now.  It bewilders me what they see in him.  He is a rich guy that knows all the ins and outs of the tax code.  Maybe that’s why they admire him.  Some of them just want a “businessman” to be at the helm of our ship of a country.  We had that with GW.  My memory is that it took us to the brink of disaster by sending us on the road to bankruptcy.  Here in our state we have a businessman governor who is running the state with an iron hand or really a “fist”.  He strong arms to get what he wants and deals are made.  Maybe that’s just good business sense but the worker is the one that seems to pay.

This past Sunday I saw some Republican state senator or representative on a local show saying that he’s done all of this without raising taxes.  The statement was a total lie but the “news” man never called him on it.  If you are a retired teacher or government worker you are paying a new state tax, unless you have reached a certain age of course.  Teachers are also paying more into retirement, even though they won’t see that money when they retire.  It’s not considered a tax but it sure is one hell of a fee that is only levied on a certain group of people.  Another thing coming our way is a change in the gas tax.  I’m all for fixing the roads but I know that this type of tax will hit the poorest among us the hardest.  http://www.freep.com/article/20120206/NEWS15/202060380/Lawmakers-tread-carefully-with-plan-to-raise-Michigan-s-gas-tax

In the package of bills is also a plan to raise vehicle registration fees by 67%.  Again, this kind of “taxing” hurts the little guy much more than those people at the top.  http://www.michiganradio.org/post/michigan-drivers-could-soon-pay-more-gas-and-vehicle-registration-fees

I’m sure many people are totally unaware about these issues.  We all go to work, keep our heads buried in whatever we’re doing and just let things happen to us.  When it does, we complain but we keep voting in the same tired bastards.  We watch their stupid commercials and vote on some vague moral issue or some other “personal” quality that frankly means nothing when it comes to what they are going to do in office.  Here is Peter Hoekstra’s latest commercial which I find to be absolutely demeaning to the young lady in the commercial as well as to the American people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrbdXUWryXk

It’s like back in the day when Jerry Lewis pretends to be a Chinese chef.  Obviously, he was a comic and this was done before we became more politically sensitive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRCsSrnz90s

The Hoekstra ad is just plain stupid.  When I looked up bills that had been enacted that Hoekstra had voted on, there just weren’t many.  He basically hasn’t done all that much.  He certainly hasn’t sponsored or co-sponsored many bills that have gone anywhere!  So, if you want someone that doesn’t do much, I guess Pete’s your man!  You can see all the bills he voted on and which ones were enacted here.  http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billsearch.xpd?PostFormID=billsearch&session=112&q=peter+hoekstra&sponsor=&cosponsor=&status=ENACTED%3ASIGNED%2CENACTED%3AVETO_OVERRIDE&sort=

I’m sick of this type of politics.  The ad treats the American people like we are basically idiots.  Some countries think we are fairly idiotic for our choices in politics but the reality is there just isn’t that much to choose from!

So, Rosanne Barr running for president is about as farfetched of an idea as the guy that played in “Bedtime for Bonzo” running for president!  Maybe we are idiots!

Some of the American People……

  • Posted on August 8, 2011 at 3:23 pm

According to the President, the United States hails some of the most productive workers in the world.  I would say words matter Mr. President.  Today you said there were two things we could do.  I waited anxiously to hear about taxing the wealthy and creating a jobs bill.  Neither one was one of the two.  According to you the two things we can do is make cuts to Medicare and “reform” the tax code.  You still are repeating the same old sorry agenda that got us into this mess.  Shame on you!  You have chosen to follow the “Bush” agenda from dealing with the economy to continuing in endless made up wars!

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-dismisses-downgrade-sees-urgency-debt-talks/story?id=14255055

President Bush came from a structure of corruption and bankruptcy.  The businesses that he and his family have been involved in have many questionable features.  Whether it was the sale of his Harkin oil, his daddy’s deal back in 1989 to grant a national security waiver for the sale of two Hughes Aircraft company satellites to China, Neil’s Savings and Loan scandal, or Jeb’s defaulted loan from Broward Federal Savings and Loan any way you look at it, Bush came from a family of corruption.  http://www.campaignwatch.org/more1.htm

Yet, somehow he managed to get those corrupt hands on our government.  Bush became President and ushered in the Bush tax cuts and the notion of endless war.  He destroyed what little gain we had made under the Clinton years with these moves.  However, ultimately with these moves the rich were allowed to get richer and the regular people and the poor were appeased by their personal tax cut not realizing that their personal wealth would eventually shrink and their wages would stagnate.  The American people were fooled by the Carny of all carnies.  So, I ask you Mr. President why you would choose to continue this fraud on the American people.  What are you getting out of this?  Your speech didn’t inspire confidence in the American people.  I was ready to give you a break.  After all, the Tea Party has literally brought us to the brink of disaster with their game playing.  However, it appears that you are right there with them!  You stand there ever the “Pied Piper” expecting us to follow your melody and jump into the sea with you.  This is not leading.  The small mention of jobs was so miniscule that it’s obviously not something you spend a great deal of time worrying about.  That crack about “some” of the American people are the most productive in the world was really quite un-American in its left handed compliment.   In other words, some of the American people suck!  I guess the “suckiest” one of all, is you!  You fail to inspire people to do the right thing.

The priority in this country should be jobs.   The only way we are going to compete in the future is if we start working now on building up what we’ve lost in this country.  We don’t even have to go to the big cities any more to see where our infrastructure is failing.  We can drive over any road in America and know that something needs to be done.  We can visit any town or city in America and see abandoned buildings where there once was a bustling factory or store front!  We need to revive our country and make it have a first class infrastructure.  Take the money out of defense and put it into our infrastructure because this has become a national defense problem.   We have the best military in the world.  We spend more than all the other nations combined to get it.  However, what is it fighting for?  Is it fighting to keep our American values here at home?  If that is the case, then we are losing the war because our jobs have been outsourced and believe it or not people are valued by what they do.  Why else would we refer to people as being a “lazy bum” or a “brilliant surgeon”?  With so many people in our country out of work what do you think they feel like?  I believe most people want to be productive in our society.  So, when you say “some” of the most productive workers in the world, I have to wonder what you mean by that.  People need to be inspired Mr. President.  They need to know that everything possible is being done to get our country on the right track for the masses, not just for the wealthy.  The divide in this country is continuing to grow deeper and deeper.  You are in Washington D.C. surrounded by other people of wealth.  I suggest visiting the real world for a change.  You live in an artificial world that just doesn’t understand what it means to be out of work without any real new prospects for work.  You live in an Ivory Tower surrounded by corruption where deals are made every day that don’t take the middle class and the voiceless poor into consideration.  You live in a world where no bid contracts are given out in places like Iraq, probably in exchange for some political apple polishing for the next big political race.  You live in a world where talk is cheap about transparency but where the American people are always the last to really know when they have been royally screwed.  The problem in our government Mr. President isn’t just that you lack leadership.  The problem with our government is that you probably are right.  “Some” of the American people are the most productive in the world, unfortunately they are not, and I repeat, “Not!” the American politicians.