A Couple Of Ideas That Could Unite Us!

Well Tracy,

Sorry that you do not approve but if you read my suggestions they were:

1)  Do not answer polls...they breed incompetence and lies from all candidates

2)  Term limits...imagine...our representatives would have to represent us and not their own interests.

Now, I do not believe that I have ever endorsed any candidate.  As a matter of fact, they are all HYPOCRITES!  It does not have to be that way.

As far as healing the world, it will not happen with zealots on both sides and ignoring politicians expecting them to do the right things for us.  Unfortunately, what we do day in and day out does matter but if we ignore those who are trying to change our world, it will all be in vain.  My blog entry was a suggestion of a way to find common ground so that we can move things forward.

I make a difference at work every day...every single day.  Changing the world is blocked by politics.  Doing something bigger than yourself is admirable but changes nothing.

Nice sentiment Tracy but a bit naive.  Once again, I look for reasons to get along with others....and middle ground....I will give...but there has to be take involved as well.

I wish it were as easy as just minding your own business and trusting that others will not restrict your freedom.

At the end of the day it is about family, children and setting them up for success.  Charity and love start at home; acting and moving happen in the circumstance that you are in.  Sometimes you have the opportunity to impact the world but most of us don't.  That leaves political expression the most common and pretty much the only venue.

Blogging gives us a chance to share thoughts and experiences and that can bring about change.  You are pretty good about that so I understand your sentiment.

Always good to have your comments on my blog space.  I looked for anything I could add to your last blog but you had it all covered.

Hi Bill,

I just wrote this big huge thing that took me a long time to write, and I don't know what I did, but I lost it during the process when entering it,,,,,,I suppose what i want to say, is this...I have no political agendas in my heart nor my soul. You may think me naive, yet my intentions come from a place of absolute ego. I just want us all, as a whole to find a way to heal the world we live in before it is too late. You say that politics blocks us, but does it? WE ARE THE PEOPLE; If we speak and fight for what is right, than whom may I ask, can stop us? Revolutions were waged in the past and won...why should we sit back as a collective group (who is much larger than any group before us) and be denied? You may say that declaring a political party is the way to the truth, but is it? Should we ever put our faith and trust in another human being? What have you done as an individual to make a change in the world. I ask myself this everyday....I live with the consequences of not being proactive, and in reality I am just a a small fish in a very large fish bowl. I love everyone, no matter race, creed or color. I want for everyone to change the world with a love and light that we were put here for...You, Bill, are so very special............That I know you is wonderful...for the world to know you too and your thoughts would be miraculous!!!!!!!!

Tracy M

Nice thoughts.

I sent you an email to ask a favor related to a future post on the blog...please read it and let me know if you can help.

 B

Oh, P.S. the comment about my last blog, and me having it all covered? I'm not sure what that meant...You are always welcome in my blog space...I never mean to be arrogant? Or leave no ground to be uncovered. I am actually sad that no one added to my last blog..Some friends said it was too disgusting!...I think I may give up writing....I am struggling with what is and what isn't. I hate the feeling of putting ones self out there and having it be misconceived. My heart isn't into it!

Tracy M

Tracy,

I generally write my reply to a blog in Word, then copy and paste it onto the reply space of the blog. That way, if the stupid "captcha validation" messes up, I haven't lost my entry.

Tracy,

No Ill Intent....I meant that you covered all of the items that I am aware of.  Being skilled in the cooking arena and a self trained chef (when I owned businesses), I could not think of anything to add.

The hunting one was not 'disgusting', it was reality.  Don't give up writing...keep working on it.  Just be inspired when you write it.  I received your e-mail reply but it was blank.  I am unsure if you agreed to review that item?

Unfortunately I would like to respond to your blog but I am not sure that I have anything to add as your recipes and you are pretty thorough.  Your writiing is excellent, my reply was just to let you know that I read that one...and I read every one.

B

Once again, I agree to disagree.

Michael,

Here is an honest story for you and I hope that you will read this with an open mind. 

I can remember certain families in town when I was a child who were dirt poor.  I can remember taking hand me downs to them and boxes of groceries to their homes.  Everyone knew who they were and their famillies had been poor for generations.  Some of them lived in two room shacks and there were three and four children in most families.  It was truly sad.

Many of the children dropped out of high school or never attended. I can remember one friend who attended a different high school and because his sneakers and clothers were hand me downs, the kids made fun of him and he dropped out of high school. 

The stark difference between the average middle class family and some of these families was striking.  There were at least 15 families in town like this and one family lived in tents.  That was the 1960's (mid 1960's).  Many were my friends and I never treated them poorly, I would share with them what few things I had.

Now, fast forward 40 years.  There are maybe 2 or 3 families in town who are poor but they have enough food, their condition of their homes is way better than those who were poor in the 1960's.  None live in 2 room shacks or tents.  They have running water, cars, etc.

Today as I look around at the originally dirt poor families that have continued to live; they live in nice middle class homes, have two vehicles, good jobs and are no longer dirt poor.  Many who dropped out of high school returned later and have built excellent lives for themselves and their children.  You see kids with the same last names in school and they are middle class.  It is truly heartening to see this.

My family....we were very middle class with my dad working out of state to make a better living and only coming home on weekends.  My mom did not work until we were in high school and I can recall having peanut butter sandwiches for many years as my lunch in grade school.  To have tuna salad was a treat and we never had commercially baked goods like Ring Dings, etc.  We also were only allowed to have milk in school for lunch...no chocolate milk or fruit punch, etc.  My parents were very frugal and we had very few extras.

My point here is that politicians are speaking of the "haves' and "have nots" and we hear how we have to 'level the playing field'.  Politicians scream about "economic justice" and programs to redistribute the wealth.  After living in this town for most of my life, living elsewhere and then returning; my experience and observation of what happened to the truly poor families, I just don't get the hyteria of class inequality.

These families did not improve their status and standard of living because of government programs or social engineering.  They certainly can not credit schools that they dropped out of as being the cause.  So what is the reason?

I would say that it has to be self determination, self reliance, hard work and looking at the other guy saying:  "I can do that; I can be like him".  I have spoken with a few of my ex-classmates who were very poor and today they have good jobs and are very happy.  I have asked them about their success and they recall when they were poor.  Most have said that the economy and system of capitalism have been the deciding factors in improving their social standing and breaking the cycle of poverty.

Did my college education help me get to where I am today.  I don't think so as I have never applied one class that I took in college to my career.  Did my social standing in the 1960's help?  Perhaps, but without ambition and self determination, I would not be as moderately successful as I am today.

Does the 'truly poor' exist today in society?  Absolutely.  We can not however, create class envy and divide people in order to somehow destroy self reliance and self determination.  My experiences growing up in this town molded my view on these principles.

When a person works hard to attain a better quality of life, they appreciate it.  When it is given to a person; it is like filling a hollow shell that can never be satisfied, builds dependency and a feeling of entitlement. 

Let's be clear though...we need to help people and take care of them,  The 'have nots", if they can not fend for themselves need charity and compassion.  The quote from Bush that you mention alot is the "haves" and "have mores" does not mean what you interpret it to mean.  I have researched this and in context he was saying that he did not support a society of "have nots" and "haves" but wanted to advance both groups respectively to "haves" and "have mores". 

In other words, advance everyones quality of life.  Poor choice of an analogy; probably because it is interpreted as creating a class division by some who disagree with everything that Bush says BUT the spirit was the right one...improve life for everyone.

While writing this I was watching FSTV and a string of people were commenting on capitalism.  All of them were critical and spoke of the evils.  Without capitalism there would be no forum for them to speak.  I might say that all of their responses were talking points that we have all heard before.  That is the issue.

Philosophy and perception is not always reality.  I travel alot, I see poverty in the South some...but it is not as full blown as the news media and fringe groups makes it out to be.  The criteria for poor today provides a much higher standard of living than in the past.  Should anyone be poor?  No, but the old saying about teaching a man to fish still applies today.

As far as the rest of your talking points; they are rediculous to respond to.  Facism is Hitlerian and we do not have that here.  Hillary is the largest recipient of pharmaceutical lobbies and her husband continued the lobby influence after Bush1, etc.  I could argue with you all day long and it would not accomplish anything.

I will tell you this though.  I trust my personal experience and personal observations for further than I trust the media and organized (501)(c)(3) groups on either side of the debate.  The issue today is that media on all sides is agenda driven.  If you play into that then America will fail.

Thanks and I agree to disagree.

B

Barbara,

It is a complex system because inexperienced people wrote things like the tax code and inexperienced people set it up to serve only the legal minded.

Recently, Congress voted to work a 4 day work week.  If six years is not long enough to get things done then why did they do this.

To have the ability to be elected term after term like Strom Thurmond, Ted Kennedy, John McCain, etc. means that we get the same people pushing pet agendas and pandering to special interest groups until they get their policies through by persistence.  That is what causes constant division and strife between citizens.

If 200 of us in town vote and the legislator that I like gets things done the way I want and he won by 2 votes, am I not subjecting the other 198 to my will.  If the population mix never changes, am I not dictating my beliefs on a huge number of people that may find my beliefs distasteful, saying too bad!  Yes it has worked that way on both sides in the past.  My legislator becomes entrenched in POWER and nothing ever gets done the way that the 198 people would like.  There is the divide in our society, illustrated in the reality of the situation.

"The more experience, the more he or she can get accomplished"...yes, the way they have built the system and the way it works today...that is true.  Why does it have to be that way?  With term limits it would change.

To believe that you have to be a 'professional' politician to lead or make decisions is ludicrous.  The founding fathers never meant it to be that way.  Politicans (attorneys mainly) have slowly built their kingdom that way. 

To support the status quo means that you have fallen hook line and sinker for politicians double speak.

Experience is the best teacher, I would never argue with that.  It depends though on what you are teaching.  Experience also gives you the ability to stop doing the right things for the right reasons, cover your tracks and become self serving.  That is a flaw in the human condition and all of the 'experience' in the world can not change that!

B

It is a complex system because inexperienced people wrote things like the tax code and inexperienced people set it up to serve only the legal minded.

I really think it was written by very experienced people who found every possible way to benefit themselves. I am an accountant - I am fully in favor of a flat tax - all income, all sources. I save absolutely nothing by paying no interest on my $7 a year interest earnings, $0 in investment earnings, etc. I am pretty sure George Bush pays a lower percentage of his entire income for income taxes and social security than I do.

Recently, Congress voted to work a 4 day work week. If six years is not long enough to get things done then why did they do this.

If they don’t have to be there for votes means they can spend 3 days a week at home, in their real life, spending time with their constituents, all the better. I know I could get more actual work done (research, etc.) without being in Washington. I believe the 4 days a week refers to required days - voting days. No one says they can’t work on weekends, and I have enough faith in elected officials to believe that most put in more than 40 hours a week. This may be a good chance to do real work rather than photo ops and socialization.

To have the ability to be elected term after term like Strom Thurmond, Ted Kennedy, John McCain, etc. means that we get the same people pushing pet agendas and pandering to special interest groups until they get their policies through by persistence. That is what causes constant division and strife between citizens.

Unless it is part of the “special interest group” you are in. If the majority of voters keep electing these people, they must be doing something they like. The key is to get more people voting for the right reasons - because the elected officials are accomplishing what they voters want done. Voter education - looking at facts, not listening to slogans. How many people are really affected by the death tax?

Experience also gives you the ability to stop doing the right things for the right reasons, cover your tracks and become self serving.

That is when an educated voting group will stop electing them.

The key to democracy is choice. To not be allowed to re-elect a senator that you believe is doing a great job because he is too experienced is just wrong.

Barbara,

I totally agree...the flat tax is the right way to go.  At least we agree on one thing.

I also agree that the least that they can do to change anything and be "lawmakers", the better off we will all be!  However, six years if plenty to exert influence.  They should not be pigs with the power we give them.  Many in Congress have never done anything else in their life...that is a travesty and not what the founders expected or wanted.

The death tax....Let's address that one.  I won't have to worry about it but let's look at the logic.  Let's say that someone works two jobs and saves a bunch of money through their life and dies at 50.  They amassed wealth and property to be able to hand it on to their children.  The have already been taxed once, if investing it taxed twice and now the government wants another cut.  When does it all stop.  So what if you worked hard and planned and then want to make your childrens life a little easier?  That is America.  Once again, I do not have to worry about this issue and my children will not have to either.

"If the voters keep on electing these people they must be doing something right" OR there is no alternative because uneducated and uninformed voters fall for the rhetoric.  Yes, special interest groups banding together can have too much power.  Once again, POLLS skew public opinion and mindless voters play into polls and politicians tailor their message to meet those polls.

Term limits is the only way for us to stop disingenuous politicians telling us what we want to hear rather than their true agenda.

If New Hampshire was 90% Republican and only Judd Gregg could ever get elected, you might change your tune.  This is not a partisan debate here, it is a call to add sanity and real choice to the debate.  Giving more people an opportunity without being tied to loads of money in order to get elected...is just plain democratic.

Ask yourself why anyone spends millions, as in the case of the 2006 elections in this state to get elected to a job that pays $125,000.  The only answer is ego and power.  Why is Romney spending what he is or Hillary what she is?   POWER, CONTROL, EGO.

Look at the money George Soros spends with MoveOn.org and Media Matters.  What is he looking for POWER and CONTROL and INFLUENCE.  Take the money out of politics and you take away those who are driven by POWER.  Term limits would do that.

I’m not sure what you’re disagreeing with me about, Bill. I don’t recall saying anything about social engineering (another fascist talking point). When I was teaching school in the 1960s, I had students who came from very poor environments…dirt floors, no indoor plumbing, etc. As a young man who came from a middle class home, I was shocked that people still lived this way.

Fortunately, many no longer do. Like you, I grew up with a sense of myself that I could be responsible for myself. I have done what I have on my own, like you. There have been successes and failures and growth. I’m not sure what it would be like to grow up in a household where you didn’t know where the next meal would be coming from or when, or whether you’d have shoes for school, or whether your dad would come home that night. Bush’s statement that the “haves” and the “have mores” were his base, means exactly what he said it meant. I don’t believe Bush knows or cares at all about those people who live on a different social scale than he does. Remember New Orleans? He is not one who possess the quality known as “empathy.” He got his kicks as a child from blowing up frogs. That’s sick.

That you trust your experience doesn’t mean your experience or the interpretation of that experience carries any weight. It is nothing more that your opinion. I gave you the definition of fascism….go back and review it. It has nothing to do with Hitler, but all to do with the current group of thugs in the White House and their friends in high levels of corrupt corporations. How is any CEO worth 400% more than the average employee of any business? He’s not. It is just plain greed.

I’m beginning to wonder if you possess that quality that Bush so lacks.

Michael.

Terri,

When you meet someone or let's say that you are in the position to hire someone.  Do you allow them to poll you and ask your opinion and what will convince you to hire them before you interview them?

If that happened, they would tell you just what you wanted to hear.  It is far more telling when you are put on the spot and they have to express their true beliefs.  Why should politicians be let off of the hook and know in advance the expectations so they can tailor their message to be elected.

For instance if a politician said that they were going to raise taxes for a certain reason, it might not be the reason you want them raised for and therefore you would not vote for them.  If they knew, for instance that you wanted them raised for something they can mislead you by claiming that is the reason, when in reality it is not.

The system in this country is broken.  Polls are not always accurate and it is the way in which the question is written that determines the response.  My 'lies' as you put it are dissent against the mindless polls that render the system impotent.

As far as trusting representatives to vote the will of the people.  84% of the population wants an immigration policy that does not support amnesty.  Look at the bill that the House and Senate tried to railroad through last year.  You can find the same thing with many other hot button issues.

At the end of the day, representatives do not have to strictly represent the wishes of the constituents.  What happens is that they play it in a sneaky way and put their personal beliefs into some issues, without giving you reason to vote them out because they voted for your wishes for the most part. 

Mudslinging and tailoring messages are the real problem.  Imagine a world where candidates were placed in a booth and had to state exactly what they believed.  Voters could then make informed versus emotional decisions on candidates.  By the way, this is not a partisan issue...it is prevalent with all candidates.  It causes the sharp divide between voters that exists today.