Political type of rant/post
I know, it has been a while since I’ve written here, or at least that you know of. Okay, it’s been a while, yes, even my private entries have been scarce. I’ve not felt like writing, nor have I felt like I’ve had the time. But, this morning, I will make it.
Work has been going okay for me. I survived my first ever re-org a few months ago. In the past I’ve been the contractor and either not effected or had my contract “adjusted”. This time, though, I felt like I had so much invested and I was glad to see the firm agreed. I was really scared as we moved down here, into a state that is hit hard by the economy. The housing bust has everyone down here worried, as does the unemployment rate and the general economy. Our house has devalued (like everyone else’s around here) and while not a money pit, it does have a lot of work that needs to be done to it. The previous (original) owner never paid more than he had to pay to get a job done, so we are finding his band aids all over. It is not fun, and we know when we want to do this project or that one, we will find something that will frustrate us. Don’t get me wrong, we are happy in our home; it is just some times I feel like we got royally screwed. I think what upsets me more is that those who did the screwing are getting rewarded for it. And, what upsets me even more is that the people who could not have afforded homes, those who have been or are going through foreclosure, they will be bailed out too. Their rates will be renegotiated, some of their debt forgiven, and more. They had no business trying to get into a house, especially one so outside their means, and I am sure some had no clue how any of this would affect their credit rating. We knew how it would affect ours and we were careful, we still are. They will get help and we again will get screwed. It makes me wonder what we are teaching our kids? Work hard and get screwed, or over-extend yourselves and get rewarded. Worse yet, screw others and get rewarded too.
I’ve been holding my tongue on the political posts and frankly, I am not sure either set of candidates can help. I will say I’ve already made up my mind who is going to get my vote and he will keep it unless he does something TOTALLY stupid. But, he is the less of two evils and I don’t think he has vision or the power to enact change.
The thing is, government itself it broke almost as bad as our economy. And, I blame YOU for it. No, I spoke correctly. I am not blaming the administration or the congress; I am blaming you. And, I take that blame as well. You see, I feel as though we need to stand up to the banks, to wall street, to the real estate markets, to big business such as the oil companies and auto manufactures, to the insurance companies, and more and say, “Enough is a enough”. But, we don’t, we sit back and say that someone else will do it. Or, we think they are too large to take on. Bullshit! They are large, but we larger. Our economy is sinking and the heads of these companies are sailing away on their yachts to their retreats and their off-shore homes. Meanwhile, the labor force is wondering how they will keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.
Change hurts, it is a very painful process. People resist it because it takes them outside of their comfort zone. Those who think they are in power are scared of it because they want to preserve what they have. The candidates have talked about change and their plans for it, but their plans offer little in the way of change. Change is exactly what we need to do, and it cannot be a slow change. Let’s address taxes, health care, and automotive.
Taxes, do we need taxes? I think most everyone agrees that we d It is what raises money for our government to use for maintaining infrastructure, military, etc. Is the current system fair? The rich would say yes as they have ways of hiding income, buying tax credits and deduction. The poor would say yes and they do not make enough to be taxed. Some even get tax refunds MORE than what they put in. To those stuck in the middle (which is the majority of us), I would think you would see the in-equity. The IRS needs to be reworked and a flat tax needs to levied. Be this in the form of a flat rate paid on April 15th or a national sales tax. I, personally, believe in the latter. This would mean that the more expensive (luxurious) an item, the more the tax. Those in this country illegally would also be taxed (which is only fair as they are now enjoying the benefits without paying for them). It would also mean that those who are in our country on business from other countries or on student visa could be more easily “tracked” and they would be exempt.
Healthcare, do we need insurance? Is it fair? Again, the answer is no. Insurance is a socialist idea, everyone pays into a system and the system pays out when needed. The problem is that not everyone pays into it equally, and not everyone claims equally either. Socialism would work perfectly, if it were not for the human nature of greed. Why is it that someone without insurance can be treated, but someone with insurance is denied? Why can insurance companies even deny you coverage, or look for any little thing to not cover? Insurance needs to go away PERIOD when it comes to medical/dental/etc. Don’t believe me? Ask a doctor (non-specialist) what the charge is for this procedure or that? Most cannot tell you because they do not know. It depends on your insurance coverage. The doctor’s office gets paid and they get a portion of that payment. The insurance company has regulated or negotiated what that cost is. It is not based on what you can afford, but what kind of insurance your company decides to use. And if you are one of those self-employed or in a small business, good luck affording anything. So, what is the alternative? Simple, socialized medicine. The insurance companies are no longer there to make a profit at the expense of human lives. Medical care is available to everyone and is paid for by everyone under the fair tax plan.
Automotive? American’s love their cars. We claim to need them, and I agree that we need transportation. However, the bed-partner’s of the automotive companies and the oil companies has to en. We have to separate the two. We need to build a public transportation system that is reliable and we need to use it. I admit, you can call me hypocritical here. I do own two cars (though one is a hybrid) and I do not take the public transit here. But, before you start casting stones, I did say I wanted a reliable system. We also need to push the auto-manufacturers to not just “research” alternative fuels, but to actually deliver them. Not because it is easy, but because it is hard and it is something we must do. It amazes me to hear about some of the projects done 100 years ago. They set out a goal and they accomplished it. They wanted a train line run through treacherous mountains and canyons; they built a 30 mile line in just none months in some of the harshest conditions. They needed to build a trestle bridge and they did and it lasted 90 years. Yet, when it burned down, they could not rebuilt the same way because some engineer said it was not structurally sound. The old one stood for 90 years and never collapsed (and might still be standing if it had not burned down). Ingenuity designed that bridge the first time; determination and desire built the line. We need to light that fire again and push to come up with an alternative field, be it solar/electric, fusion, fission, hydro or something else. Drilling for more oil off our coasts or anywhere is not the alternative and will not gain us anything. We will continue to be dependant on oil, foreign or domestic, and the oil barons will continue to have power over us.
End of rant
Peace,
Bear
Work has been going okay for me. I survived my first ever re-org a few months ago. In the past I’ve been the contractor and either not effected or had my contract “adjusted”. This time, though, I felt like I had so much invested and I was glad to see the firm agreed. I was really scared as we moved down here, into a state that is hit hard by the economy. The housing bust has everyone down here worried, as does the unemployment rate and the general economy. Our house has devalued (like everyone else’s around here) and while not a money pit, it does have a lot of work that needs to be done to it. The previous (original) owner never paid more than he had to pay to get a job done, so we are finding his band aids all over. It is not fun, and we know when we want to do this project or that one, we will find something that will frustrate us. Don’t get me wrong, we are happy in our home; it is just some times I feel like we got royally screwed. I think what upsets me more is that those who did the screwing are getting rewarded for it. And, what upsets me even more is that the people who could not have afforded homes, those who have been or are going through foreclosure, they will be bailed out too. Their rates will be renegotiated, some of their debt forgiven, and more. They had no business trying to get into a house, especially one so outside their means, and I am sure some had no clue how any of this would affect their credit rating. We knew how it would affect ours and we were careful, we still are. They will get help and we again will get screwed. It makes me wonder what we are teaching our kids? Work hard and get screwed, or over-extend yourselves and get rewarded. Worse yet, screw others and get rewarded too.
I’ve been holding my tongue on the political posts and frankly, I am not sure either set of candidates can help. I will say I’ve already made up my mind who is going to get my vote and he will keep it unless he does something TOTALLY stupid. But, he is the less of two evils and I don’t think he has vision or the power to enact change.
The thing is, government itself it broke almost as bad as our economy. And, I blame YOU for it. No, I spoke correctly. I am not blaming the administration or the congress; I am blaming you. And, I take that blame as well. You see, I feel as though we need to stand up to the banks, to wall street, to the real estate markets, to big business such as the oil companies and auto manufactures, to the insurance companies, and more and say, “Enough is a enough”. But, we don’t, we sit back and say that someone else will do it. Or, we think they are too large to take on. Bullshit! They are large, but we larger. Our economy is sinking and the heads of these companies are sailing away on their yachts to their retreats and their off-shore homes. Meanwhile, the labor force is wondering how they will keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.
Change hurts, it is a very painful process. People resist it because it takes them outside of their comfort zone. Those who think they are in power are scared of it because they want to preserve what they have. The candidates have talked about change and their plans for it, but their plans offer little in the way of change. Change is exactly what we need to do, and it cannot be a slow change. Let’s address taxes, health care, and automotive.
Taxes, do we need taxes? I think most everyone agrees that we d It is what raises money for our government to use for maintaining infrastructure, military, etc. Is the current system fair? The rich would say yes as they have ways of hiding income, buying tax credits and deduction. The poor would say yes and they do not make enough to be taxed. Some even get tax refunds MORE than what they put in. To those stuck in the middle (which is the majority of us), I would think you would see the in-equity. The IRS needs to be reworked and a flat tax needs to levied. Be this in the form of a flat rate paid on April 15th or a national sales tax. I, personally, believe in the latter. This would mean that the more expensive (luxurious) an item, the more the tax. Those in this country illegally would also be taxed (which is only fair as they are now enjoying the benefits without paying for them). It would also mean that those who are in our country on business from other countries or on student visa could be more easily “tracked” and they would be exempt.
Healthcare, do we need insurance? Is it fair? Again, the answer is no. Insurance is a socialist idea, everyone pays into a system and the system pays out when needed. The problem is that not everyone pays into it equally, and not everyone claims equally either. Socialism would work perfectly, if it were not for the human nature of greed. Why is it that someone without insurance can be treated, but someone with insurance is denied? Why can insurance companies even deny you coverage, or look for any little thing to not cover? Insurance needs to go away PERIOD when it comes to medical/dental/etc. Don’t believe me? Ask a doctor (non-specialist) what the charge is for this procedure or that? Most cannot tell you because they do not know. It depends on your insurance coverage. The doctor’s office gets paid and they get a portion of that payment. The insurance company has regulated or negotiated what that cost is. It is not based on what you can afford, but what kind of insurance your company decides to use. And if you are one of those self-employed or in a small business, good luck affording anything. So, what is the alternative? Simple, socialized medicine. The insurance companies are no longer there to make a profit at the expense of human lives. Medical care is available to everyone and is paid for by everyone under the fair tax plan.
Automotive? American’s love their cars. We claim to need them, and I agree that we need transportation. However, the bed-partner’s of the automotive companies and the oil companies has to en. We have to separate the two. We need to build a public transportation system that is reliable and we need to use it. I admit, you can call me hypocritical here. I do own two cars (though one is a hybrid) and I do not take the public transit here. But, before you start casting stones, I did say I wanted a reliable system. We also need to push the auto-manufacturers to not just “research” alternative fuels, but to actually deliver them. Not because it is easy, but because it is hard and it is something we must do. It amazes me to hear about some of the projects done 100 years ago. They set out a goal and they accomplished it. They wanted a train line run through treacherous mountains and canyons; they built a 30 mile line in just none months in some of the harshest conditions. They needed to build a trestle bridge and they did and it lasted 90 years. Yet, when it burned down, they could not rebuilt the same way because some engineer said it was not structurally sound. The old one stood for 90 years and never collapsed (and might still be standing if it had not burned down). Ingenuity designed that bridge the first time; determination and desire built the line. We need to light that fire again and push to come up with an alternative field, be it solar/electric, fusion, fission, hydro or something else. Drilling for more oil off our coasts or anywhere is not the alternative and will not gain us anything. We will continue to be dependant on oil, foreign or domestic, and the oil barons will continue to have power over us.
End of rant
Peace,
Bear