spider's web

2008-10-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

Issues Affecting My Money And My Health

Senator Barack Obama has promised that he will not raise taxes for 95 percent of us and that some of us will see lower taxes, particularly seniors, like me, who make significantly less than$ 50 ,000 a year. Senator McCain says we should not believe Senator Obama. Why should we believe what Senator McCain says? He says that it is “socialism” to restore the tax structure to the way it was under President Clinton when those making more than $250 ,000 a year were paying higher taxes. Nobody thought it was socialism at that time. These are the only people who would see higher taxes under Senator Obama’s tax plan.
Senator McCain promises to balance the budget in his first term of office. To do that he will institute a :spending “freeze”. He will use a “hatchet” to cut expenditures. You can be sure that one of the first victims of the “hatchet” will be Medicare. Senator McCain has already voted to cut Medicare funding, in 1995, and again this year he voted to reduce the fees paid to physicians. How would this affect me and other seniors? Our Medicare premiums would rise, there would be more “out-of-pocket” payments at the beginning of each year, and later in the year when more and more procedures that our doctors felt necessary would no longer be covered. If the physician fees were lowered significantly we would find ourselves with less choice of available doctors.
Senator McCain says that we should improve education in this country. That is the popular thing to say. But you can be sure that money for early childhood education, and for needy school districts would also fall under his “hatchet” and budget “freeze” But big corporations that moved their plants and jobs oversees would not have to worry. They would not be affected. Their taxes would go down. That is a promise that Senator McCain would surely keep.
Remember, Senator McCain called Social Security a “disgrace”. He would allow privatization of a portion of the money that would go into Social Security. That would produce less available money to pay recipients. He could then say that Social Security was not working and strive for its elimination.
Before I vote I must think about what each candidate really stands for. I must decide what will happen to me personally and to my friends and family if that candidate is elected.

2008-09-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

Is Social Security a Disgrace?

According to John McCain “It’s an absolute disgrace and it’s got to be fixed”.
Social Security celebrated its 73rd birthday this August. On August 14, 1935. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. Among other things it was designed to “protect the average citizen against poverty-ridden old age”. And since that time it has been working to do just that. Some of our elderly rely solely on their social security checks to pay for food. housing, medicine, etc.. Others of us need it to supplement modest pensions from our previous employers.

If Social Security is a disgrace what does John McCain propose as an alternative? He agrees with George Bush that Social Security should be privatized. He favors individual retirement accounts with the money invested in the stock market. With little knowledge of the stock market, except an awareness of its inherent dangers and ups and downs, I could never choose wise investments that I could depend upon. There are many people like me, and even some of us that could be scammed into shady investments. Especially today we know how risky the stock market can be. Younger people can continue to work to recover some losses but what would elderly retires do if the Social Security money did not continue to come to pay their bills?

Despite John McCain’s views towards Social Security media reports say that he received $23, 157 in Social Security benefits in 2007 , an average of $ 1,929.75 a month I guess that he could easily manage a loss of that income considering his other extensive assets. But what about the rest of us who receive so much less from Social Security than he does? We cannot depend upon private accounts and the fluctuations of the stock market.

2008-09-09T18:02:00.001-07:00

Pit Bulls

This breed of dog is banned in several countries including France, Australia, and some Canadian Provinces. In the United States pit bulls are banned from Dade County Florida, and several other cities. It is commonly used in illegal dogfights and even when owned as family pets reports of vicious attacks on humans are common.

On the other hand many pet owners have and can raise pit bulls to be good, safe, family pets.
According to breeders of dogs pit bulls can be trained to be quality companions, loyal and affectionate. Because of their low threshold for pain they can stand abuse by the children of the family with no problem. But the natural aggressive tendencies and other characteristics of the breed need to be carefully trained by knowledgeable pet lovers and owners.

Just what are the characteristics of the breed? They are good natured, amusing, extremely loyal to their family, They are always eager to please their master. They are aggressive and good guard dogs, but can be irrational while being protective. They can be very willful and become the boss of the household if not carefully trained.

The question I must ask is would you like a “pit bull with lipstick “ who steadfastly holds to the following principles - no abortions for women even after incest or rape – creationism should be taught in science classes – the government can ban specific books in public libraries – to be close to the seat of power in our government, or even at the seat of power in our government?

2008-08-22T11:29:00.001-07:00

AGE MATTERS

I know that age discrimination is illegal, as it should be. But there is no law against my sharing my personal discoveries as an older senior citizen. I have found, without a doubt, that my abilities are not the same as they were 10 years ago and definitely not the same as they were 20 years ago.

The physical changes are obvious even though people may say that I remain rather active. I can only swim for a fraction of the time that I did 10 or 20 years ago. I continue to work out at the gym but at a much slower pace.

More importantly I feel that I am still mentally active, but that also is not the same as it was before. I cannot judge other people but I can note changes in myself. My senior friends and I pass emails along about the problems of old age and many of them are true even though we laugh at them. As I look back I realize that I would have been considered rather “sharp” and earned a couple of advanced degrees. I held two jobs at one time, took care of the home, and remembered in my head the myriad of chores that had to be done. Today I most often resort to making lists in order not to forget important tasks to be done. I am the webmaster for two internet sites. I designed and keep them up to date using a program that does the HTML for me. I am sure that if the internet was available 20 years ago I would have been a master of HTML myself and probably a competent programmer. I tried to learn the language of HTML now and gave up on the idea. Many of my older friends use the computer, primarily for email. But some refuse to learn even the basics of computer use. Such seniors forget that they are living in the twenty first century

Yes, I think that age matters when we are choosing our leaders. Experience is important, intelligence most assuredly more important, but we should look to choosing leaders who are at the time of their lives when they are most competent to make decisions clearly and quickly.

2008-04-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

I AM A WHITE GRANDMOTHER FOR OBAMA

I am a registered Democrat. I am also an elderly white woman who will vote for Obama in the North Carolina Primary. I had always supported the Clintons and should have been thrilled that a woman was finally running for president of the United States. But as I think about the state of our country today I am dismayed by what is happening in Washington. And the Clintons have been there too long. They have become too cozy with the lobbyists. I get the feeling that they seem to feel a need for continued power, and that it should be given to them. As far as the issues of the campaign are concerned the two candidates are not far apart. But Hillary continues her negative attacks on whatever Obama might say or do.

Barack Obama has superior intelligence. It enabled him, a poor young man, to be admitted to a prestigious university and to teach constitutional law. ( unlike our present president who was a poor student and a drunkard and probably only admitted due to the influence of his father). A candidate also has to have dedication to the ideas he espouses, and the charisma to put his ideas across. I feel that Barack Obama scores highly on these points. As far as the issue of experience – a president needs superior intelligence to pick good advisors, and to be able to sort through the solutions presented to him by his advisors. To me this is more important than being close to the Washington scene of corruption for many years.

Yes, it would be good to see a woman for president of the United States. And yes, it is quite a departure from tradition for us to have a black president. But it is the person who is important, and not the gender or race. I think that Barack Obama has the intelligence, youthful determination, and charisma to pull our country out of the terrible crisis it is in now.

2007-11-12T17:41:00.000-08:00

November 4,2007

I AM CONFUSED

When the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress passed the Medicare Part D drug plan they insisted that seniors and others could not import drugs from Canada or European Countries. They said that they could not guarantee the safety of these drugs. But, as I look at the drugs that I am getting through Medicare Part D I notice that many of them are coming from China. Others, contain components from China and are not so labeled. The agency that is supposed to oversee the purity of these imports confesses that they can test only a small fraction of those coming into the country.

Millions of toys come into our country from China and many of them contain lead that is harmful to our children. The agency that is supposed to test these imports has only one agent testing toys and a laboratory no more advanced than one that can be found in a High School Science Department. The Republican head of this department is resisting enlarging the department and is reluctant to accept more funding from Congress. A large portion of the food we eat now is being imported from China and Mexico. But almost none of this is tested for purity.

As for the Democratic majority in Congress, it is still encouraging the influx of illegal immigrants. The Democratic Party has stood for the middle class worker, and for establishing a living wage. The concept of supply and demand tells us that if illegal immigrant workers are willing to accept lower wages, wages, in general will go down. In fact, as our citizen workers have been laid off from good paying jobs they have had to accept jobs with much lower pay.. It is becoming harder for the workers in the middle class of our country to support their families with housing, health care and other vital necessities.

So, I am confused. Our leaders tell us one thing. But, by their actions they are doing something else. Who can we look to now?

2007-04-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

School Prayer

This is an answer to the various emails I receive expressing the idea that the violence we see today among our young people is due to the fact that we do not have prayer in our public schools. Prayer is important and I will include some paragraphs that I think express that fact well. But my question is Where? and When? and With Whom? and What prayer?

If some of our children lack high moral values whose fault is it? Don’t blame our public education system. The blame lies with the parents and the churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship. They have failed to instill the values in our children. Prayer must be taught and practiced in the home and in the houses of worship. Group prayer is most appropriate there at any time. (Silent, individual prayer is appropriate at any time, when needed, for a person, or child, in a stressful situation.)

When I see busloads of children brought to the ski centers by the Baptist Churches I applaud that move in the right direction. Healthy outdoor activity is an excellent way to direct the excess energy of teenagers and a most appropriate time to teach the high moral values that seem sometimes to be lacking in our culture. I have also seen busloads of children in Utah being brought to swimming pools by the Mormon Church, in summer. We do not need prayer in our public schools, but rather more outreach by the houses of worship. Perhaps it is our religious institutions that have failed us and not our public education system.

When I was teaching, in New York City, a very long time ago, children were released from classrooms to go to their respective religious intuitions on Wednesday afternoons for “religious instruction”. Even if you wanted prayer in the school classroom, what prayer when half of the students were Jewish, another large segment, Catholic, and a few Protestants in some of the classrooms? I am sure that now there are even more religious groups represented in New York City.

About Prayer

“Prayer invites God to let his presence suffuse our spirits, to let His will prevail in our lives. Prayer cannot bring water to parched fields, nor mend a broken bridge, nor rebuilt a ruined city; but prayer can water an arid soul, mend a broken heart, and rebuild a weakened will.”

“Pray as if everything depended on God; act as if everything depended on you.

Who rise from prayer better persons, their prayer is answered.”

The above quotations are from the “Gates of Prayer”A Reform Jewish prayer book

On this note I would also like to comment on the term “Christian Values” that is used in so many of the emails. Aren’t they really Hebraic- Christian Values, going back to the time when Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mr. Sinai?

2007-04-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

I regularly receive emails from friends expressing various opinions about the state of our country. Sometimes I am tempted to answer them.

I also, have been a student of history for many years. I feel now that our democracy, ruled by the “middle class” is in extreme danger. Statistics and numbers can be used in many ways. Our country’s deficit is now enormous and growing. We no longer produce in our country the materials we need to survive as a country. Our imports grow every day. Manufacturing and jobs have been outsourced. The middle class no longer is in charge. Multinational corporations and big business is in control through George Bush and the Republicans that are still in Congress. But why did our working middle class vote them in? The issues of the election that influenced their vote were, abortion rights, prayer in school, and most ridiculous of all, gay marriage. I respect the sincerity of these voters, but they were and are being USED to increase the profits and lifestyle of corporation executives and those who are heavily invested in the stock market which is doing very well, while wages are falling, healthcare benefits are disappearing, etc.

Yes, George Bush put new members on the Supreme Court. They voted to disallow late term abortions. I do not know if I am personally for or against an abortion at that time but the health and life of the mother was not included in that law. In my religion, it is stated that the health of the mother comes before that of the baby. We, in this country, have many different religions and we should all think about, and respect that. But, more important to me, is the fact that over 3,000 of our young people have been killed in a useless war and thousands wounded physically and mentally. On some days I almost want to cry when I her that more of our young people are being killed. I believe in the “Right To Life” and the life of these young people was destroyed. Why? Not for democracy in Iraq. They do not want it and it is impossible to achieve. Bush and his corporate friends wanted a share in the oil and are now getting rich by participating in the war.

According to the various emails I receive, helping our poor and our citizens is what is bankrupting America. No, it is this useless war, and the money that is going to the corporations that are supplying our troops, particularly Halliburton.

Do I always agree with the Democrats? No. The influx of illegal aliens is another factor that decreases wages and puts a drain on the resourses paid for by our citizens. In this respect, George Bush, and the corporations that hire them are as much to blame as the Democrats who are supporting them. If the influx into our country continues at this rate it can eventually lead to the destruction of the U.S., as we know it.

2006-10-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

The Numbers Are Most Important

Yes, I am a registered Democrat. But do I always vote only for Democratic candidates? No. It depends upon the candidate and the issues at the time. Do I agree with the Democratic Party on every issue at this time? No. But I do agree with the party and its candidates on most of the important issues now facing our country.

The Democrats need to get a majority in Congress in order to tackle the following problems:

They would be able to do something about the high cost of healthcare for all Americans and particularly for the elderly by seeing that we are charged the same prices as citizens of other countries. They need to close the “doughnut hole” in Medicare Part D.

They would be able to do something about the high cost of healthcare for all Middle Class Americans.

They could work to slow or stop the out-sourcing of jobs overseas.

They could raise the minimum wage.

They could stop giving tax breaks to the very rich with the result of increasing the national debt.

They would be able to provide better security and stop selling port facilities to foreign countries.

They would ensure that there will be no privatization of Social Security.

They would work to have a better policy in Iraq by putting curbs on the Administration in power

Note: CEOs now make 411 times the pay of the average worker, according to recent calculations by the Institute for Policy Studies. In 1980 they made 42 times as much.

These are a few of the changes that need to be made. In order to be able to determine what issues are to be addressed and what items come up for a vote in the Congress a Party needs to be in the majority. It is the numbers that count most. A candidate from another party can be an exceptional person but when entering the voting booth remember that each representative or senator is counted when the majority party is determined. Personally, I feel that in local town elections the stand on local issues is more important than party affiliation. It is in the Congress of the United States that the numbers are so very important.

2006-10-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

HAS FICTION BECOME REALITY?

I like to read action novels. A few years ago, after the cold war ended and before the terrorist threat by Muslim extremists became very real, writers were looking for new and exciting dangers on which to base their novels. In a few of these books international corporations were seeking control of our country, and possibly the world.

Today, in reality, these corporations do not engage in the murderous actions depicted in the novels, but use the more subtle techniques of lobbying, campaign contributions and lavish gifts to influence the makers of our laws.

Taxes on corporations and the rich have been reduced “in order to stimulate the economy “. The stock market has reached on all time high. But who has benefited? Instead of investing in our own country the corporations have used the money to build factories overseas. Wall Street investors are reaping profits while middle class workers have seen good jobs decline, wages reduced, along with diminishing health benefits. Middle class families are facing increasing debt and finding it increasing hard to finance a college education for their children to reach the “American Dream”

High gas prices were a burden on working Americans. Now, just before the election, the prices have gone down dramatically caused by the increased supply of oil and gas. Have the fuel corporations, happy with the current administration, manipulated the supplies in order to take this factor off the agenda of voters going to the polls? Will the prices go up again right after the election?

Wal-Mart is making it easy for its workers to register to vote. Is the corporation also encouraging them to vote for candidates favorable to big business? After all, Wal-Mart employees are not allowed to join labor unions.

But, most frightening of all, are the new electronic voting machines. They are manufactured by a large corporation, have software known only to that corporation, and most leave no paper trail so people can check on the accuracy of the results.

Is our country, and the Middle Class, already at the mercy of the large corporations? Is our democracy at risk?

2006-10-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

Let Us Not Forget

The Republican Party wants us to focus on Nation Security issues for the upcoming mid-term election. They keep saying that they have made our country more secure from terrorists. I think this is false. Our invasion of Iraq, which was unnecessary and made us enemies all over the world, has made us less secure. It has created more tensions in the Middle East, and hampered our efforts to eradicate Quaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

But now I want to focus on what the Republican Party wants us to forget. These are the issues that affect the daily life of all of us, as middle-class Americans. Members of the Republican Party are committed to privatizing Social Security if they maintain their majority in Congress. The Medicare Drug Bill has helped some poorer older Americans, but as fashioned by the Republican Congress, it has created windfall profits for its friends in the pharmaceutical and insurance industries. Many older Americans are now being faced by the infamous “doughnut hole” and they will have to pay the insurance companies their monthly fee at the same time that they pay full cost for their drugs. We need a Democratic controlled Congress to change this. Our country is being plunged deeper and deeper into debt. Our creditors, the Chinese Government, and rich Arab countries are buying up more and more of America. And yet, the Republican Congress keeps on lowering the taxes of the very rich with the lame excuse that it is helping the economy to grow. It is the large corporations that are doing well in this economy but the middle class has found that the good-paying jobs have been shipped overseas. More Americans are without health insurance as factories and businesses move overseas and jobs with pension plans and health insurance are vanishing. Even the minimum wage has not been raised.

I think that by electing Democrats to Congress we will be strengthening our security, and not weakening it. I do not agree with all them on all issues but I am sure that the middle class needs a change in leadership to address the problems created by the current administration.

2006-06-08T16:26:00.001-07:00

PRIORITIES!! PRIORITIES!! PRIORITIES!!

I believe that marriage is a religious commitment between a man and a woman. BUT I think it shameful that our Senate wastes time debating a ridiculous and unfair amendment to our Constitution when so many more pressing matters are facing our country. Millions of illegal aliens are entering our country, through borders that are as porous as a sieve. We must secure our borders now. Even members of the Democratic Party, whom I usually support, want to pass legislation that lures more illegals by promising them the possibility of eventual citizenship. Don’t they realize that the influx of illegal aliens depresses job wages for middle class Americans? Wages are going down and many Americans have been forced to take pay cuts. Don’t they realize that the money spent on health care for these immigrants leaves less for the growing number of our middle class workers who are without insurance? Less money is available for the education of our own citizens when we have the need to educate the children of illegal immigrants. Law enforcement is also under pressure.
Congress wants to debate the question of flag burning. I do not think anyone should burn the American Flag, the symbol of our country. But isn’t the question of health care, and the high cost of medications deserving of a higher priority? For years I enjoyed an excellent Drug Plan offered by my Union. But now the Union put all retirees, over 65 years of age into the disastrous Medicare Part D. The cost of one of my medications increased 500 per cent. And when I reach the infamous “doughnut hole” the cost will be significantly higher. Medicare Part D seems designed to afford even greater profits to the drug companies.
More jobs are being outsourced overseas. The national debt has reached an amount so high that I cannot comprehend it. Yet Congress is ready to reduce the taxes on the wealthy even more by eliminating or reducing the Estate Tax. Almost 2500 of our finest soldiers have been killed in a war in Iraq with no end in sight. With an election coming, many voting machines are supplied and tallied by a Venezuelan company-with no way to verify the results. What are our priorities? What is the Congress doing about them?

2006-04-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

DOES THIS SCARE YOU?

Just about everything we buy today appears to be made in another country? Just go to Wal-Mart and see if you can buy anything made in the United States, except perhaps food products. Even our military buys food and armor from a foreign country. Foreign companies have a share in running our oil refineries, power plants, factories, and even water treatment facilities. We now know that foreign companies are involved in running some of our ports. Many of us drive automobiles made overseas. Almost all of our clothing, TV’s and other electronic gadgets are made in other countries.
Fewer and fewer products are made in the U.S. Many of our factories have closed. The result of all of this is a huge trade deficit. We buy more than we can afford. Last year, alone, the deficit was $805 billion dollars. At the end of 2004 our government owed well over $2 trillion to foreign countries and foreign investors. I can’t even imagine what a trillion really is. Now, in 2006, our government owes so much more.
A family cannot continue indefinitely to spend more than it earns. Can a government? What will happen to our country if our government keeps on borrowing from foreign investors and governments? Since we no longer produce enough products to sell in exchange for what we buy, our creditors will buy up more and more of our country with the dollars they have accumulated. This scares me.
I have always considered the United States to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest country in the world. Will this continue to be true? In my younger days I was a student of history. I remember the Roman Empire as the greatest country in the then known world. But, after many years, it began to fall apart. No country is immune to such a fate. If China, Japan, and the rich Arab countries continue to buy pieces of the United States what will be the outcome? I am scared but I hope I am wrong to feel this way.

2006-03-22T17:54:00.000-08:00

1961—A TIME OF HOPE

I specifically remember the year 1961 because it was the year that my husband and I and our two sons, aged 7 and 11, experienced our first airplane ride. We flew to Western Europe and went camping there for two months. I had gone back to work and we had saved enough money for the trip if we carefully watched our expenses. I had purchased the book, “ Europe on $5 a Day” and we kept close to that target. This was possible because our U.S. Dollar was so valuable all over the world. 1961 was a time of hope and we were justly proud of our country. We were welcomed everywhere we went and every European was pleased to meet an American and seemed to love the United States.
At home more and more people were moving into the middle class. Everyone expected that his children could look forward to an even better life than he had. The suburbs were growing, wages were going up, home ownership was increasing, and people seemed to be able to afford doctor visits. Our factories were humming. Our country was a creditor nation.
Today it is so different. Our country is trillions of dollars in debt. Many of our factories have closed. It is almost impossible to buy anything made in the U.S.A. Foreign companies and countries are buying parts and parcels of our country because of the trade imbalance. Our administration even wants to sell off our national forests, our port facilities, and other national assets. People all over the world have expressed dislike for our country, and sometimes-even hatred. Wages have gone down and companies are continually requesting that their workers take pay cuts. Our government seems incapable of maintaining the borders of our country and it is being flooded with illegal aliens.
This afternoon I saw the film “ Good Night and Good Luck” in Boone. It told of the successful fight to preserve the right to defend oneself against unsupported allegations, and the importance of freedom of expression. And yet, in the past week one of our Senators was called a “traitor” for expressing disapproval of the President’s actions, which many thought were illegal.Will it ever be possible for our children and grandchildren to live again in a “ Time of Hope” in our country? I pray that this may happen.

2006-03-10T06:00:00.001-08:00

PEOPLE OF FAITH

A vital concept in both the Hebraic and Christian tradition is that it is most important to take care of the poor and the less fortunate among us. The administration in power in Washington now prides itself as being strongly concerned with biblical values. But, in truth, it has shown utter disregard for the needs of our middle class, our elderly, and our poor. It has passed a budget that rewards the rich with huge tax cuts and has slashed appropriations for Medicare, Medicaid, student aid, and other vital services. It is looking for even deeper cuts in next year’s budget. It has absolutely refused to negotiate with the drug companies to lower drug prices for Medicare recipients. It is making it difficult or impossible for Americans to purchase their medications from other countries where the prices are significantly lower. It has fostered trade policies and encouraged outsourcing, with the effect of the closing of our American factories and the loss of good paying jobs. Middle Class Americans are losing their health insurance and going deeper into debt. The poor cannot go to a doctor at all. Recently the North Carolina Republican Party sent a request to the churches in our state for a list of the contact information of the parishioners. The Party wants to prove to “people of faith” that their Party is the most true to the biblical tradition. This is basically wrong for three reasons.1- Churches are places to worship and should not be involved with political propaganda.2- ours is a secular nation and there is a division between church and state, 3- the policies of the Republican Party are not consistent with biblical teachings. The Republican Party will again emphasize that it is against gay marriage and abortion. It wants “people of faith” to feel that this is more important than health care, jobs, medical insurance, the ridiculously low minimum wage, and a variety of services to the poor that have been cut. I can only hope that “people of faith” can realize what is really most important. Perhaps, at this point, only God can save America. But, hopefully, the “people of faith” who attend our churches and other places of worship will help save America.

2006-01-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

DID YOU VOTE FOR THIS?

Twelve miners lost their lives in a mine explosion in West Virginia. That mine, the Sago mine, had more than 270 safety violations over the past two years. In the past year it was cited 9 times for failing to have proper ventilation, which is important in preventing fires and explosions in the mine. It was fined approximately $247 for each violation, not enough to have the mine owner fix the problems. Why weren’t the important regulations enforced? The Bush administration appointed biased people from the coal and oil industries to oversee the mines. They were more interested in cooperating with the mine owners than in enforcing the regulations that might have saved the miners lives. These former coal company officials were not particularly interested in enforcing safety laws. One miner said, on TV, that if the miners complained about the problems they were fired. They had no union.

We have millions of illegal aliens living among us, causing our state government to pay for their health care, education of their children, and provide protection from the crime that some of them commit against other illegal aliens and against our own citizens. They have taken our jobs and have been an important factor in the lowering of wages. The administration and supporters in Congress are reluctant to solve this problem because of the large campaign contributions of the employers.

The prices we pay for drugs are the highest of any country. The administration refuses to let us import drugs from Canada because of the debt it owes to the pharmaceutical industry. The much-touted Medicare drug program pours millions of dollars into the coffers of the drug makers but provides minimal financial help to seniors.

Well over 2,000 of our finest young men and women have been killed in Iraq. Multitudes have been injured and life will never be the same for them. Our country should never have started that war, and now it is almost impossible for us to leave.

There have been lavish tax cuts for the rich, huge deficits, and programs to help the poorer among us have been cut.
So many of you voted for this administration because you were against gun control, abortion, or gay marriage. But think about all the other consequences of your vote. Was it worth it?

2005-10-30T07:17:00.000-08:00

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND

I really do not understand how the administration in Washington can repeatedly claim that the nation’s economy is in fine shape. True, the unemployment figures are not particularly high but there seems to be no record of how many middle class Americans were forced to take lower paying jobs, with fewer or no health or retirement benefits. Others have been forced to take pay cuts in their union contracts. It is no secret that plants have closed all over the country (and particularly in North Carolina). Our airlines and auto industry are struggling. Jobs have been outsourced overseas. The trade imbalance is phenomenal. The national debt is rising dramatically. Almost everything we buy is manufactured in China. Our country continues to borrow money from China.
So, on what does the administration base its claim that we have a healthy economy? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. Could it be that the stock market is doing well? But the companies on the stock market are making profits due to outsourcing, and only the company executives and stockholders are feeling the good effects of this so-called healthy economy. Retail sales are also used as an indicator of a healthy economy. But too many of our middle class Americans are continuing to buy the imported Chinese and other Asian products and are going deeper and deeper into debt – credit card debt. I do not see our economy as a healthy one. The national and personal debt is rising. We are becoming less and less a producer nation and more of a debtor nation. To make matters worse our President is still pushing for tax cuts for the wealthy Americans who really do not need them. Basically they are living the dream of an economy that is very healthy FOR THEM. How does he intend to pay for these tax cuts? Our country will go deeper into debt, and cut programs that help the poorest among us. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND why any Middle Class Americans continue to support the policies of this administration.

2005-10-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

The Four Americas

During the last presidential campaign John Edwards spoke often about “Two Americas.“ Right now I see our country as divided in 4 distinct groups – “Four Americas” At the very bottom are the illegal aliens who are willing to work at wages well below the poverty level. Our representatives in Congress seem unwilling to stop the flow of illegals into our country most likely because the employers who donate to their campaigns are pleased to get low wage workers. Then we have our own citizens who receive the minimum wage or slightly above. They are the working poor who live pay day to pay day, cannot afford health insurance and find themselves in rising debt. Some even become homeless due to illness or national catastrophes. The minimum wage has not been increased in 7 years. At the very top are the really rich who have found their taxes reduced by this administration and congress. This group includes the owners and executives of corporations, politicians, some doctors, lawyers, and other very well paid professionals. Sandwiched in the middle are the rest of us – the Middle Class that is really the American ideal, the backbone of our society. But with rising health insurance costs, mounting gas prices, escalating housing costs, and job layoffs due to massive corporate cutbacks, the middle class is facing more and more problems. The American Dream is fading.

With the country so divided into four distinct segments we are now confronted with natural disasters – hurricanes that decimated a large area of the gulf coast region. The cost of rebuilding will be huge. The cost of the war in Iraq is phenomenal. President Bush asked Congress to “cut back” on programs – programs that help the working poor and the middle class. He asked all of us to accept our share of whatever hardship is necessary. But what about the richest members of the “ Four Americas”? He wants to cut their taxes even more. To do this he needs the support of Congress. We, the vast middle class voted for our representatives in Congress. They should address our needs, and help the poor among us– not enact legislation to make the richest group even richer. What hardship is proposed for the ultra rich? None whatsoever. We must tell our Representatives to support the middle class and the poor and stop catering to the ultra rich.

2005-09-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

To The Victor Belong The Spoils

It has been many, many years since I studied American History. But if I remember correctly the term “To The Victor Belong The Spoils” was coined during the Presidency of Andrew Jackson, who was elected in 1828. Even before that the elected leaders of the new country rewarded their political workers and followers with important government jobs. But it was Andrew Jackson who carried this out to an exaggerated degree. In later years the civil service system was established and most government employees had guaranteed jobs depending upon their qualifications. But the heads of the government departments continued to be appointed by the winning Presidential Candidate. Hopefully he would chose people who were highly qualified in addition to being his campaign supporters. Sometimes this was true.
As hurricane Katrina was forecast to impact the New Orleans area (three days prior to landfall) the experienced civil service employees of FEMA warned the appointed heads of that department: “New Orleans is of particular concern because much of that city lies below sea level - -If the hurricane winds blow from a certain direction there are dire predictions of what may happen in the city”. But this warning went unheeded. The problems that developed later stemmed from the fact that political appointees Mike Brown, head of FEMA, and Michael Cernoff, head of National Security, had been lawyers but had little emergency management experience. President Bush had appointed his loyal followers, and Congress had approved his choices. They were not wise choices, but this was not new in the history of our country.
In the time of Andrew Jackson the operation of government departments was not as complex as it is today. Hurricanes happened, but terrorist threats were not as imminent or potentially deadly. Can our leaders in Congress begin to realize this and establish more stringent qualifications for the heads of government agencies on which our safety and the very existence of the country may depend? I always say “ God Save America” but God needs some help from us.

2005-08-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Dollar Bill

It is true that the copper penny is no longer a useful coin due to inflation, but the dollar bill still holds an important place in our wallets. We can also find some significant facts about our country by examining the very common dollar bill. We all recognize the portrait of George Washington, our first president who established the precedent that we would not have a king and who remained in office for only two terms. He wanted to make sure that the new country would not be a Monarchy or a Dictatorship.
Turning the bill over we see the words “ In God We Trust” prominently printed above the number ONE. To the left we have the Great Seal, and underneath the pyramid is printed “Novus Ordo Seclorum”, which translated from the Latin, reads “New Secular Order”. (According to the Cambridge Dictionary the definition of “secular” is “not having any connection with religion”.) Are these contradictory ideas?
I guess this is open to interpretation. I like to think that these two phrases complement each other. Most of the people in our great country put their trust in a God that is central to their religion. We worship God in many different ways. But no one religion or set of religious beliefs should dominate the civil and governmental laws. We can clearly see the problems that arise in countries where religious laws become the laws of the land. It is proper for Religious Leaders to encourage their congregations to vote for representatives that have ethical values and will work for the betterment of the people. But I do not think they should tell their parishioners to vote for representatives who want to make the doctrines of their own particular religion part of the laws of our country.
In my religion we look upon prayer as essential to making one a better person. But this should be done in the home and in places of worship. That is where it is most meaningful for all of the family members, most importantly in families where there are children.

2005-08-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

GREED

It is interesting to compare our culture today, and particularly that of the administration in Washington, with that of the Navajo Indians. A Navajo philosopher explains that in their culture “Having what you need is good. Having more than you need, with needy people around you, is a sign you’re an evil person”. The Navajos also stress living in harmony with the land and preserving it as part of a religious commitment
On the other hand, I believe that the urge to acquire possessions and secure a better life for one’s family has resulted in all the inventions and innovations that make living in our free market democratic society just about the best place to live in the history of the world. But when does “greed” become excessive? Is lowering the taxes on the wealthiest people in our country so that they can buy another yacht or a new diamond brooch for their wife justified at the same time as the government t is skimping on the money available for education (“ No Child Left Behind”) and cutting funds for Medicaid recipients. Should corporations be encouraged, under CAFTA, to close their factories in our country and open them elsewhere so that they can pay their workers a fraction of what U.S. workers get? Should the minimum wage be kept so low that a working family cannot rise above the poverty level? Should, Social Security, our safety net for the elderly among us be jeopardized with a scheme for private accounts that will only benefit the Wall Street Brokers. At what point does being a little “greedy” with an urge to better ones lot in life (which can be beneficial) change to excessive greed that is harmful for all of us?
No, I would not like to live in a Navajo Hogan on the reservation, but I think we can learn a little from their outlook on life. We can also learn to respect the environment (clean air, clean water, pristine forests) and ask our leaders, in Washington, to begin to realize that it must be preserved. Our representatives are bombarded daily by lobbyists for the “greedy” and they must make the difficult choices and remember their constituents needs and the welfare of our great country.

2005-08-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

WHY?

Why am I creating a blog now? I am just an average "little old lady". I have not been particularly politically active during my lifetime. I always voted in national elections, and most often in the "off year" local elections. But that is just my civic responsibility for living in a great democracy, and it has been the limit of my involvement. I have usually ( but not all the time ) voted for democratic candidates. But why am I so upset now that I write letters to my local newspapers as often as they will print them? Why am I starting this blog and writing" letters to the editor" ? Maybe putting how I feel into words makes me feel a little better. I am not sure that it does.

I printed a sign that we put in the back windows of our car. It says: "GOD SAVE AMERICA". Of course I still believe in the usual sign" God Bless America" but I feel that the America that we know and love is fast disappearing.

Some of the quotes from letters I wrote to the editors of the newspapers can best explain why I feel this way.

The following letter was written before CAFTA was passed by Congress.

GOD SAVE AMERICA FROM MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS

God save America from multinational corporations, and from ourselves. Our country seems to be changing. The gap between the very wealthy and the rest of us is widening. No longer is the middle class, the mainstay of our country, growing. Instead more people are moving slowing into poverty as good paying jobs are being sent overseas. With almost unlimited funds at their disposal large corporations can pay for the TV ads that distort the true facts. They employ a multitude of lobbyists to influence representatives from both parties. They contribute funds to candidates running for office. And we accept the unwise laws passed in Congress.
In some ways I, a Democrat, am as guilty as my Republican neighbors. I supported President Clinton when he pushed for the North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The result of this legislation has been a dramatic loss of good jobs in our country. More and more of the goods we buy are made in Mexico or Canada. Our trade deficit is increasing. Now the corporations are pushing for a new bill called.CAFTA – Central American Trade Agreement. The corporations want to move more factories down to Central America where they can pay workers a fraction of what they pay our workers.
I supported President Bush when he told us that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and we were in eminent danger. But this was not true and it was discovered that there was, even at that time, evidence to the contrary. I do not know why he was so anxious to invade Iraq that he was making plans to do so as soon as he was elected. Was he interested in getting access to the oil reserves? Was he thinking ahead of possible windfall profits for Haliburton?Many of my neighbors are overjoyed at the appointment of conservative judges who are anti-abortion and against gay marriage. But do they realize that these very same judges are also against all laws protecting workers rights, and laws that would put restraints on businesses that pollute the environment? I don’t think that gay couples should marry in the traditional sense (marriage is a religious union) but to me the fact that the minimum wage has not been raised in years and does not constitute a living wage far outweighs the problem of a few married gay couples. It bothers me more that many Americans cannot afford health insurance and businesses in our country cannot afford to give this insurance to their workers and still compete against companies that have outsourced to China. Can we not compromise on social issues and save our country from corporate takeover?

The following letter was written and printed last February but remains pertinent today.

TWO AMERICAS
While waiting in the doctor’s office last week I picked up the magazine “Town and Country” to read. I was appalled by the multitude of pages advertising extravagant diamond jewelry, watches, and clothing with price tags of over $400 for a pair of shoes and $1000 for a simple sweater. While in a different doctor’s office I glanced through a magazine offering shares in private jets. Yes, the election is over, but the fact that there are “ Two Americas” is more apparent every day. And one of these Americas got hefty tax cuts.
How did we manage to elect an administration and a Congress that is now catering to the wishes of the very rich? Many of you, who are part of the large majority of Americans in our country, the working middle class, joined the corporations and the very rich in voting for the Republican party because it supported your values regarding abortion, gay marriage, gun control, etc. I disagree with you on many of these issues but we must surely agree on the basic economic issues facing Congress. Once elected, our Congressmen should be committed to serving the economic as well as social needs of the whole constituency.
The Medicare bill, for example, “rammed” quickly through Congress, was supposedly designed to help older Americans pay for the drugs they desperately need. Against the wishes of most Americans and several legislators of both parties the bill outlaws importation of drugs from Canada, which would allow substantial savings. The bill is “stingy, in the amount of help given to seniors but provides billions of dollars in giveaways to drug companies, the HMO’s and corporate interests. Our legislators could amend this bill if we demand it. There are currently bi-partisan proposals in Congress.
Our president is now determined to “save” Social Security. There is no immediate crisis. It will remain solvent until 2042 and by then less than drastic changes could insure its solvency. But why now? He feels that since he has the majority party of Congress behind him he can reward his Wall Street Banker friends with the windfall that privatization of Social Security would provide. Watch out for the ads on television touting private investments. Remember that large Wall Street investment firms are paying for them.
When running for office Senator Dole promised to work to keep jobs in North Carolina. Since outsourcing, it is almost impossible to buy anything made in North Carolina or indeed in the United States. We no longer seem to produce anything. Most of those who have jobs are working in a service industry. The corporations are making money, but working people are accepting lower wages with fewer benefits. What can we look forward to if this continues? – GOD SAVE AMERICA!! and the working middle class.

My most recent letter addressed the fact that CAFTA was passed by congress. Some of our represntatives remained true to their word and voted against it but others ignored the fact that it will bring disasterous effects to North Carolina.

VOWS
In the bible (old testament-4th book, 9th chapter) Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes and instructed them on the laws of vows and commitments. According to the Hebraic Law, established at that time, a promise or vow could not be annulled except under extreme circumstances. Because of this, King Solomon, in later years, warned the people that it is better not to vow (promise) at all than not to fulfill that promise or vow
It seems that some of our elected representative seem to forget selective biblical teachings. Senator Elizabeth Dole, when campaigning, promised to do everything in her power to protect North Carolina jobs. Yet she voted in favor of CAFTA, which surely will hasten the demise of the textile and clothing industry in our state. Some representatives, in Congress, from our state, also voted in favor of the bill, changing their vote at the last minute. But I must heap praise upon Congressman Patrick McKinley and Congresspersons Virginia Foxx, Howard Coble, and Walter Jones, (4 Republicans) who kept their promise and voted against the bill. It passed by a margin of 2 votes. If every representative from North Carolina had kept his word to protect jobs in our state the bill would have been defeated.
While running for office candidates are quick to make promises that they later do not fulfill after they are elected. Only by fulfilling one's words can trust and confidence be achieved between the public and its leaders.