Tag Archives: Americans

Make the Nation Better Again

I’m definitely not the most patriotic person in this country. It’s not a matter of disliking it as much as it is disliking the lies the country is built upon and what it has become since Reagan.

The idealized “American Dream” is only truly attainable by folks born on third base. The rest of us have been brainwashed into thinking we can get there, but in reality, we can’t. The odds are stacked against us by the wealthy oligarchs who run things. Sure, some people may be able to save enough to retire after a few decades of work; however, many of them end up trying to find work just to make ends meet after retirement.

We are one of the few countries where healthcare and mental healthcare is not universally available.

We still have rampant poverty and racism and sexism along with xenophobia and homophobia.

Our education system has broken in so many ways that it’s actually scary. I say this as a teacher who sees this firsthand as students receive 50s on their grade reports in many districts, regardless of whether they do the work or even show up for class.

We idolize the wealthy at our own expense as we buy from corporate owned businesses and pass the locally owned businesses and artists complaining that they cost too much. In reality, if we supported these locally owned businesses and artists, then we’d actually have quality items purchased and lasting longer than the cheap stuff bought at the big box stores.

We accept planned obsolescence in our big ticket items rather than demanding quality items that last, unlike our forebears who demanded quality over cost.

We place each other into boxes rather than talking and finding common ground. This goes beyond political beliefs and permeates all levels of society from religion to politics to national borders and boundaries.

We allow the people we elect, regardless of party, to govern without our input into what they are doing and so many of us fall for their rhetorical gymnastics rather than question them. Part of this is how we allow media to manipulate the news. This is thanks, in part, to Reagan allowing the fairness doctrine in news to dissolve which gave rise to opinion based news and not the reporting of facts without commentary.

We have lost civility, respect, and compassion for our fellow human beings. Sure, it occasionally surfaces in times of natural disasters or if the cause is hyped enough by the aforementioned news commentators. But the everyday civility and manners that once were common are now becoming increasingly rare.

I could continue, but won’t.

If you have the ability to peacefully protest today, please do so and do so safely. It’s not against the country, but against what this country has become and is heading towards.

An open letter to the GOP elected about the budget and deficit

I have some excellent ideas that I am certain that neither you nor your fellow Republican/Tea Party cronies ever thought to enact that are certain to decrease the deficit, balance the budget and ensure prosperity once again in our great country. While it is my sincere hope that you will consider them, I seriously doubt it. However, in the sense of being fair and a citizen entitled to give my elected officials input, I present them now for your consideration.

First, require all corporations to pay their rightful share in taxes. Far too many have been granted tax abatements in the hope that they will create jobs. What the American public should know is that rather than create good paying jobs for Americans, many have taken these tax exemptions and have used them to further pad the wallets of corporate CEOs and other top level executives. The American public has been forced by your cronies to suffer a great deal due to the austerity measures your party has advocated. It is time the CEOs and top level executives also be forced to abide by these same austerity measures. If you and your fellow GOP representatives would find it possible to make them pay (it is possible, but not likely from you and the majority of the US House), I am certain it will help to lower the deficit a great deal.

Second, many of these corporations have moved jobs overseas putting many Americans out of work. I believe that these corporations should be penalized for doing this disservice to the American public. A heavy fine should be levied on these corporations until they move these jobs back to the US and employ American workers at a fair and decent living wage. That would not only help with the budget and with the deficit, but also with the vast numbers of Americans who are unemployed.

Third, the wealthy should be taxed a rate at least the same as they were under that bastion of GOP values, Ronald Reagan. The wealthy were taxed at a higher rate then than they are now. Our country was prosperous then, unlike now. If you cannot see the correlation of these two things, then you are in desperate need of a reality check. The country cannot continue to ride on the back of the working and middle classes. The wealthy must pay in proportion to their income and investments. Warren Buffett, one of the richest people in America, has even championed paying more in taxes. He is a successful businessman, listen to him rather than the Koch brothers all the time.

Fourth, and this one will hurt politicians the most, only get paid for when you actually work. Many of you are rarely present in Congress. If the American worker would not show up for work, they would not get paid. You should not either. Sounds fair and even balanced, more so than your favorite media outlet.

Fifth, another hurt for you and your fellow politicians, deduct from your pay any fees you receive for speaking engagements or even donate those fees back to the US Treasury for payment to our deficit. Many politicians, both parties mind you, receive speaking fees for going out and talking to civic groups or other organizations. Why should you be doing this on the taxpayer’s dime? You make a really good salary and benefits package as an elected official, surely you could do without some of it given you are receiving over that amount when you are paid to speak outside of your elected job.

If you and your fellow GOP/Tea Party cronies are truly patriotic Americans who are concerned about our country, then you should enact these changes rather than worry about people like the Koch brothers and Norquist not being happy with you or their not being able to buy a new yacht each year. The working and middle classes, which are quickly becoming the working poor and the poor, are fed up with your party’s agenda of trying to repeal universal health care through fear, intimidation, and lies while the corporations and wealthy continue to become more wealthy on our backs. Your party is using the ACA as a smoke screen for your true agenda which is to create only two classes of people in the US–the very wealthy and those who either die or work themselves for the benefit of the wealthy. Enough is enough. Start listening to the American public, ALL of the American public and not just your wealthy donors. Also, stop pandering for votes by bringing religion or morals into your rhetoric. Our US government was not founded to favor any one religion or religious belief or specific set of morals. Our founders, at least those on the Mayflower, were tired of a forced set of religious beliefs, that is why they were persecuted and had to come to this land.

I realize this was a bit long-winded. Some may even think I sound like a politician. Perhaps I should attempt to become one and affect change once I am elected. That thought is for another time and place. Thank you for listening.