ROAD TO RECOVERY

Here's another slightly edited commentary I wrote recently at BlogHer in an effort to reach readers outside my regular reader's frame of reference.  Perhaps, some of you may be doing the same there or other places.  I would be interested in knowing about your experience in doing so.  

Well, we  have the beginnings of some effort to provide health care to all Americans in this nation.  Let's hope we can constructively build on that rather than having Congress waste time and energy trying to dismantle the program. 

Since this is a Presidential election year, is it too much to expect our Congresspersons to concentrate on creating meaningful legislation instead of all these phony political posturings I'm seeing them take?  If many of them received job performance reviews they'd be quickly judged to be engaging in "busy work" that offers no value to the recovery of this nation from one of the worse financial situations our country has endured.

But then, many of them are millionaires in their own right or will be, so have an increasing disconnect with the majority of Americans like you and me.  Some do still identify with us and are capable of fully appreciating  our work situation, health care needs and living choices.  Others don't have the faintest notion of what ordinary survival living entails, including one Presidential candidate who never experienced such a life in his privileged childhood, much less as an adult.  Unfortunately, by his own repeated words and actions, he seems unable to empathize or even imagine what a regular American's life is really like, since he had been busy investing the monies of already wealthy individuals to make them even richer.  No matter if a few companies and workers jobs were lost in the process -- just the price of doing business to earn investors more money. 

The country's problems can be attributed to those in both major political parties, our government and even some of our ordinary citizens seeking to fulfill the American Dream.  Yes, and us, too, because we didn't carefully monitor and make certain those we entrusted were functioning in their positions as they should.  As the popular Pogo comic strip of years ago said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

Contrary to what we would all like to believe, or is being promised by various candidates, there is no quick fix.   There is much that can be done to aid in the recovery but not if ideologs fail to refocus their attention from self-interest.  We each need to closely scrutinize what activities and actions engage each of our Representatives and Senators.   We need to directly contact them to express our expectations to these individuals who are our employees and hold them accountable in this Nov. election and those elections to come.

We need to pay attention to sources that reveal where our Congressperson derives his/her financial campaign support -- "Follow the money!"   How do those $$$ correlate with his/her legislative positions?   Take SuperPac ads content as a grain of salt, if you're unable to avoid seeing or hearing them,  since they are suspiciously secretive about revealing their contributors.  You can be confident they have an agenda for what is in their funding sources best interests -- but not likely in the best interests of the average American.  

If you limit the intake of your news sources to a select few whose views mostly coincide with your own, or who promote emotional rants and rhetoric  as a way to distract from the facts, do yourself the service of listening to calmer more rational reports so you can discern what is really happening.  There are neutral non-partisan  fact-check sites you can easily access on the Internet to verify truth from fiction.  There's a lot of fiction being spread.  We must do our homework -- men and women have died protecting our right to have these  freedoms we enjoy. 

Some of you live in critical States said to be the ones to determine how this 2012 election will conclude.  I don't happen to live in one of those States, but it's vitally important to me that you take your responsibilities seriously, know the facts for what and whom you vote since your actions, or lack thereof, will affect me and my family.  I know my Congresspersons and their stance on issues, how to contact them to provide support and/or express my wishes (not that they're always followed,) but the point is the action is vital for this Republic to survive.

I do not want to live in a plutocracy (a nation run by the extremely wealthy,) or a theocracy (a nation dictated to by any religious group,) or any such combination thereof, much less a faux republic/democracy.

Let's move forward toward the gradual rejuvenation of this nation in a manner dedicated to re-building our middle class.....

...creating jobs that are not limited to just the service industry as being good enough,

... insisting our government take action to rebuild our nation's infrastructure,

... re-assessing the allocation of government funds that do not penalize the least among us,

...expecting all, including the most wealthy among us.  to pay their fair percentage of taxes,

...determine government budget cuts in many unnecessary subsidized areas,

... institute budget cuts the military/Pentagon has even specified as being appropriate,

... reassess the allocation of all foreign aid within the context of today's world government alignments, 

....revolutionize drug purchasing practices with pharmaceutical companies for Medicare/Medicaid/insurers, 

...demand accountability for the financial industries giants and corporations through the regulation with which they do not self-police and our officials have been negligent in enforcing.

Let's do more than just yell out the window... "we're .mad as hell and not going to take it any more!"

What are you doing or what all do you think we need to do?  

ELECTION 2012 - OWS INFLUENCE

New Years Rose Parade with Occupy Wall Street's participation has prompted recent commentary here. OWS continues to be active in my community and elsewhere though media coverage of their activities has diminished in news prominence. Before my upcoming blog content focuses on other topics I want to mention OWS's future plans and potential significance for the 2012 elections pending continuing needed public support.

Occupy Wall Street continues to thrive with planned actions in 2012 you may track through the months ahead with the link provided here by clicking on the organization's name.

Today I stopped by my local OWS city hall site described in the immediately preceding two posts. A young man who participated in the Pasadena Rose Parade described the enthusiasm experienced by "Occupy" marchers and parade stand viewers. Their action received only token news coverage. He noted that ongoing "Occupy" activities will continue including a major national event planned for May 1st.

The Young Turks Network features a video in which they report:

"Hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters created a 'human float' at the Tournament of Roses parade and unfurled giant banners of the constitution an a giant octopus made of recycled grocery bags. Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks discuss."

TYT Network


Here's a very short video of the "Occupy" marchers "Octopus" seen from Rose Parade stands. A full cohesive photo of the octopus tentacles and gigantic copies of the Constitution aren't clearly defined.



This Presidential election year is a prime time to bring pressures to bear on candidates to address the nation's issues which OWS can do. All too often candidates speak in generalities, avoid the pertinent topics, distract the focus to religious and social issues, or become enmeshed in launching and defending themselves from negative campaign attacks.

Unduly complicating the election process has been Supreme Court decisions recognizing corporations as individuals (there's an effort to correct this obvious injustice.) This constitutional interpretation invites undo influences contrary to a real actual persons best interests -- like yours and mine. Criminal amounts of $$$ are now allowed to be spent on behalf of candidates. We the people will be drowning in those advertising $$$. Just a thought, but wouldn't it be more helpful to the financial recovery of this nation if some of those $$$ went into the U.S. Treasury as taxes???
Yes, I know, it's all about power, control and money.

The outcome of recent Iowa Republican caucuses confirmed a fact proven in California's most recent campaign for Governor -- the candidate spending the most money does not automatically win an election. I suggest those excessive campaign $$$ serve primarily to create static, muddy the waters for disseminating the facts and alienate many toward politics and government.

Occupy Wall Street offers an opportunity to bring to bear pressures for desired legislative and government action benefiting that 99% championed. OWS needs citizen support to reach full potential for influencing the focus this 2012 election takes.