January 17, 2004 – Potpourri of Politics

I am firmly convinced that the inmates are now running the asylum.  While the news media focuses on the insanity and oddity surrounding Michael Jackson and the grisliness and ghoulishness of the Scott Peterson case, it ignores the really important stuff – the circus otherwise known as politics.  There are too many things going on right now to focus on just one, so the following is my potpourri of current political observations:

Show me the Money:  I guess no one ever taught George Bush how to balance a checkbook.  That, or he really thinks that money grows on trees, that there is a King Midas, and wealth can spontaneously generate.  We should not be surprised:  George Bush could not manage a business while in the private sector without getting bailed out by his father’s friends time and time again.  George, here is a tip from Accounting 101:  you cannot continue to buy more stuff when the amount of money you bring in is decreasing.   Iraq, the Moon, Mars, Drugs for seniors, the Military, Homeland Security – all important programs, but, you cannot not slash the taxes on your rich friends and have all of these toys as well.  Lets all play pretend:  I will be the loan counselor at the US’s local bank, and you will be the borrower.  “George” I would say, “Loan Denied.”   Then, I would send you to a credit counselor and cut up all of your credit cards.  Repeat after me:  Remedial Math, Remedial Math, Remedial Math. 

Only Leave the Dumb One’s Behind:  George Bush’s education policy tell us to leave “No Child Behind.”   In practice, this means do not leave the kids who can do well on standardized tests behind.   This education policy is a joke, training kids on how to take tests: it discourages dialogue, innovation and individuality.  A closer look at the Texas “education miracle” leaves a bitter taste in one’s mouth – students who administrator think might fail the standardized test are in fact intentionally left behind so the cannot not take the test and risk a decrease in test scores.  A lot of otherwise smart people don’t do too well on standardized tests.  I, for one, pretty much suck at standardized test.  I have a sneaking suspicion that under Bush’s education program, a shy, overweight kid with a speech impediment like me might in fact have been left behind.  

Do As I Say Not As I Doo Doo:   Dick Cheney is one scary dude.  A right-wing, neo-conservative to the core, with no reservations about what he has done, what he will do, and how he will do it.  This is an ends justifying the means guy if I ever saw one.  Every time you look at something nasty, whether it be Iraq, the Energy Policy, or Halliburton’s sweetheart deal, he seems to be right in the middle of it.  He is so deep in it that he cannot even see how he is betraying the American people by his actions.  By the way:  WHERE ARE THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION?”  I always need to add that little tidbit, on behalf of the thousands of folks who are dead because of the false pretext used to invade Iraq.  Oh, yeah, Saddam was an evil dictator who tortured his own people.  Based upon what is going on here at home under the Patriot Act that does not seem to be a litmus test for anything.  Hey, when are we invading China, North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Saudi Arabia . . . we all know why you invaded Iraq, you finally had the means available to settle some old scores and reshape the world map in your image.    Man, just talking about Cheney makes me want to take a bath and wash my mouth out with soap at the same time

Recuse This:  Do you know that Dick Cheney and Supreme Court Justice Antonio Scalia (way conservative to the point of scary) went duck hunting together over the holidays?  No big deal, right?  Wrong.  There is a currently a case pending before the United State’s Supreme Court that involves the actions of the Vice-President, and specifically, his refusal to disclose information relating to his secret meetings with the oil and gas lobby prior to announcing his pro-fossil fuel, Alaskan-wildlife drilling energy program.   Under the rules of Judicial Ethics, a Judge must recuse himself from ruling on a case where there is an actual or perceived conflict of interest raised by his relationship to a party to the action.  Justice Scalia has refused to recuse himself, believing that this personal friendship with Dick Cheney will not influence his decision on the case.  If this was Clinton or Gore, there would be another independent counsel appointed and screams demanding that Scalia to recuse himself – what do we hear today . . . Silence. 

Guest Workers – We Don’t Need No Stinking Guest Workers:   OK, here’s the plan.  We will open up the borders, increase the wages paid to guest workers, and then, viola, they will all go home after their passes expire.  OK, anyone see the faulty logic – we are going to increase wages for those here legally, and then we think folks will stop coming here illegally?  You really think business is going to pay the increased costs to Guest Workers if they can still tap a pool of illegal immigrants to exploit?  Oh yeah, this is the same group that said we invaded Iraq because Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.  Either we choose to deal with the issue of illegal immigration or we should just give up and all move east of Nevada.   This is an asinine proposition that would only make the matters worse.  And you know what, I am sick of California, Texas, and Arizona having to pay the social costs associated with illegal immigration.  Everyone in this country gets a financial windfall when some employer pays some illegal immigrant less than a fair wage.  Whether it is lower costs for food, clothes, supplies, or an increased bottom line for a public company, the benefit of these efforts are shared by all of us (except for the exploited worker), and to a great extent, the burden is borne only by the residents of those states where the illegal immigrants live.  Immigration is a federal issue:  all taxpayers, should pay the cost of supporting these folks since all of us are receiving the benefit of the blood wages paid them. 

Tax Me, Tax Me:   To many folks, my income makes me “rich.”  I am single, I have a condo, and have no children – I make a pretty good salary, and therefore I need to pay to support others who are less fortunate.  I agree, to a point, but I am getting pretty sick of feeling like stuffed turkey waiting to be carved on Thanksgiving.  While I am “rich” I am still struggling to afford a house in a neighborhood I would like to live in.  And, I pay far more in taxes than the amount of benefits I receive from the state and federal government.  When folks start screaming about raising takes, they are looking squarely at me, and my other single, childless, friends who work hard and make decent money.  Guess what, we are the one’s getting screwed by the system to begin with, so leave us alone already.   We have no dependents, so as a matter of course, we pay more in taxes to begin with.  We have no children in the public schools, we pay for our own medical insurance, and we pay taxes – property taxes, income taxes, sales taxes, federal taxes . . . I know that we have a progressive tax system, and I am OK at paying more than the average bear, but there comes a point where I am tired of being told that I am selfish, overpaid, and under taxed just because I chose to live within my means and not have children.

Just Get Back To Work Already :  OK, any empathy I had for the striking grocery store workers is long gone, and all I can think know is that they have been suckered by a very bad decision made by union management.  The economic climate has changed, and people do not go to the grocery store like they used to, and the stores need to find ways to cut costs.  The union has failed to even the acknowledge the possibility that this is a valid argument or position, so, they went on strike.  Now, their members look like “greedy, striking, grocery workers” who are receiving very little sympathy and generating far more anger.  I used to go to the grocery store every Sunday.  Slowly, it became every other Sunday, and now, maybe once a month.  I do most of my shopping at Costco and Trader Joe’s.  I am not alone.  Harassing customers as they try to shop is only going to send more of them to Trader Joes, Costco, Target, Wal-Mart and other non-union shops, further eroding the customer base of those store’s that do hire union workers.  Could you be any more short sighted if you tried?  I wonder:  are if your union bosses are taking a kickback from Wal-Mart? 

Where Were You When We Needed You:   It is great that Paul O’Neill has come out with a book basically documenting what all of us in our hearts knew:  Iraq was going to be “liberated” one way or another by Bush, and that he is basically a proxy for the policies of his far right cronies.  I am told O’Neill is a moral man:  if true, then he should have resigned when confronted with the lies and machinations of the Bush Administration, and exposed this farce long ago.  O’Neill served this Administration for over two years – he is as culpable as any other member of his Cabinet for the abuses of this Administration.  In fact, he is even more culpable, he knew what was going on was wrong, but chose for a very long time to sit by and do nothing.   

Iowa, Iowa . . . Caucus Already For God’s Sake:  Finally, I am sick of  the presidential candidates preening and posing in Iowa as if they really care about what the voters say there or that it matter to anyone else.  After all, ethanol is a top issue on our domestic agenda, is it not?   Just hold the damn thing and get it over with already.  Is it just me or is Howard Dean looking more and more like an angry little oompa loompa every day?  Anyone see the picture of him on Newsweek with those bushy white eyebrows?  I was sure that Willie Wonka was going to jump out from under the podium and start singing “The Candyman.”

All is fair in love and ranting.  Until next time . . .