Writ of Mandamus - Do it!

Latin for "we order," a writ (more modernly called a "writ of mandate") which orders a public agency or governmental body to perform an act required by law when it has neglected or refused to do so. Last night I was considering, what can we as common citizens do to force our government to perform its legal duties?  The border laws make it illegal for people to cross our borders, but when it happens, we do little to deal with the problem.  These are likely illegal Democratic voters, and it becomes apparent that nothing will be done even thought the law is clear.  The Constitution says we have the right to privacy, but we are now involved in the largest effort imaginable to check what we are saying, and who we are saying it to.  This goes under the guise of homeland security, but given that the IRS has already proved that it can't be trusted to do its job within legal boundaries, is it safe to assume that the likes of Valerie Jarrett will find a way to invade our discourse for political advantage.  How many people are audited by the IRS after confronting anything done by this administration.  If you have the name Tea Party in your dealings with this White House, you can be sure you will be scrutinized and dealt with by the heavy hand of our government.  Everyone gets excited when the comparisons are made to pre WWII Germany, but isn't this subtly what is happening here?  -- Enough

My ideal politician in Congress

So you were selected by citizens in the primary to represent your political party.  The citizens of your community in the general election elected you.  But what are we expecting of you when you go to Washington?  You are now part of a large organization of people who have come to represent their communities.

You have to know we as a nation are unhappy with the body you are now part of.  We have high hopes as you establish your office in our nation's capital that you will be our voice to express our disgust for what has been going on with this august organization.

I would like you to be a strong voice as you become part of committees.  I don't expect you to lean back in your seat and listen to the "spin" that is Washington.  We expect to hear that you were heard in objeccting to the foolishness that is so often on the agenda.  I expect you to answer questions in a very direct way, without spin, talking points, or equivocation.  I expect you to be visible and vocal with the media and at town halls.  I want you to talk about the greatness of our country and the principles that have brought us to this point in history.  I want you to quote from the bible and the constitution often and with pride.  You are a leader and we will judge you on your moral character and the behavior that exemplifies the best in our society.  Be proud of our nation and its heritage!

We expect much from you, and we believed that you were ready for this significant role in Congress.  -- Enough

Lying and spinning!

At what point do we say "you are lying"?  People often equivocate with statements like "perhaps you don't understand", or we simply are confronted with "talking points".  The word "lying" often needs to be said, especially for those who have scripted comments to so many questions.  By the way, how many people, especially in politics, refuse to answer a question directly, but go "spinning" a response that is far away from the thrust of the question.  Often the interviewer gives up and accepts the tangent that the respondent has put forth.

I am very happy when I find a pundit, or media person who refuses to accept the blather.  I hope the interviewer will try to understand that we, the viewer or reader, wants a to know the answer in bold terms.  We have been living with these inadequate diversions (i.e. lies) of truth and frankness all too often. -- Enough

The child

I have never told this story to anyone other than my wife. I was about sixteen, and had always been fascinated with mechanical things.  I had the opportunity to work at what we used to call a gas station, and enjoyed the opportunity to make some money.  I worked for several guys who, to say the least, had loose morals.  There always seemed to be women from the neighborhood who were willing to indulge their desires.  There were many sexual episodes that occurred while I worked there that I choose not to write about.  To say the least, I was very naive about sexual matters.

My job was to occasionally open the station in the morning.  My chores included putting window cleaning supplies on the gas pump islands and take readings off the pumps.  One day I was performing the task and looked down at a small object that at first looked like a dead animal that had no hair.  Although I had only a limited knowledge of the events of pregnancy, I could clearly see it was what is clinically described as a fetus.  The child was about two to three inches in length, clearly curled up, and definitely dead.  To this day I remember with shock reeling back at the site.  I had no idea what to do.  In retrospect, as a Catholic boy, I probably should have done something, perhaps a burial of sorts, or tell my folks about this.  I am left with some regrets as I remember in detail the event.  I chose to do nothing!  It has left a lasting impression on me!

I am a person who believes life is precious, and I wonder who this child could have been.  Having come form two people who probably had very loose morals, would this have been another person with dubious character?  Would this child in a home like mine developed into a person of great talent?  Is this an example of why Planned Parenthood is needed so these abortions performed in a closed gas stations lot would never occur again?  Is this a good case of why contraceptives should be readily available to all to avoid the million plus abortions performed every year?

As a man, I think I should have one half a vote as opposed to a woman’s full vote as we deal with the abortion issue.  Abortion is supposed to be available, but done infrequently according to many of our “catholic” politician such as Nancy Pelosi and so many in Congress.

I know this, I am haunted by the memory of the child’s huddled appearance laying on the side of the concrete of a gasoline island on a cool morning.   -- Enough

Democrats - Detroit

It is interesting how the cities controlled by Democrats seem to have the worst of the worst in terms of crime, corruption, financial trouble, murders, etc.  Detroit, the once model of a great city in the U.S. is now in shambles.  I don't know that a Republican mayor would have done better, but many of us on this side of the isle think Detroit should have given an opposition person the chance.

Democrat - Maxine Waters

I know many in Congress would like to make our nation into another liberal communist empire, but Maxine seems to let it slip out.  Are we to believe this is an honest mistake, or is this a Freudian slip?  I wish I could be more open minded about this, but....   -- Enough

Democrat - Representative Hank Johnson

I think we have an example of why Congress is held in such disrespect.  I apologize for the disrespectful way this is presented, but the point is valid.  This is one of the people deciding our future and the laws we will live by.  -- Enough

Journalism

Naively, I thought newspaper and media people were reporting facts.  Sadly, I have learned that these people have agendas, and most have a liberal twist that becomes apparent as you either read between the lines, or sometime on the lines of their text.  I ran twice for the Minnesota legislature and Mary Lou, my deceased wife of forty years, was grateful that I lost.  During the campaign I saw many articles about me written by a local columnist, and often wondered what meeting she, the reporter, had attended.  The mission of so many is to use their skills in writing to try to affect changes rather than to deal with the facts.  I wish I had the time and opportunity to audit classes in a journalism school.  I know that the journalism schools are teaching how to affect change and reporting is to be slanted to aid in affecting that change.  -- Enough

Honor

I was impressed when my son, a military officer, had my wife and I over to a party with many of his peers.  The young people were, by appearance, demeanor, and the words they spoke great representatives of what we would want in our young people.  I felt great knowing these young people were going to be serving our country and maintaining the tradition of honor-able service to our greatest of all, country.  By contrast, I am disgusted with so many who run for public office with career and self interest motives rather than service to our country.  At this point in history, we need people of honor in government service, and I do mean service, rather than self aggrandizement.  Our founding fathers put their lives and fortunes on the line to give us our nation, and I can only hope more people like I saw on that night with our young military people would find their way to our political scene.  -- Enough

Facts don't mean squat!

I was watching Jay Leno when the President appeared on the show and it created some thoughts about our Presidency.  Here is a President who has failed to revive the economy, spent more time on vacations than any of his predecessors, has been evasive when confronted with questions about even the simplest failures of his administration, and speaks in platitudes.  Campaigning seems to be his only success along with a bill that has 2 out of 3 citizens in the U.S. outraged.  He crisscrosses the country using his "bully pulpit"for fund raising and generating huge bills as he flies continually meeting with only those who naively view him as something of a mesiah.

I now know we have a form of  monarchy developing comparable to the queen in England. Each of these monarchs show up, they say nice things, take credit for successes, give motivational speeches, but do nothing to affect a changes.  The Presidency has been the position of leadership with men who were held accountable for our economy, our nation's safety, and accepted that the "buck stopped" at the President's desk.  We now hear from his administration that he "leads from behind", and we now understand what this means.  Our economy he says is recovering, but it is the most anemic recovery in history, with unemployment at historic levels, and a black population, if they really look at their status, must realize that their poverty has increased by over one million people, and their black children's job outlook has never been worse.

Jay Leno, the Hollywood wealthy, and a legion of "low information voters" continue to look the other way as we watch significant concerns neglected.   -- Enough

A dying man's thoughts!

April 3, 2013

Senator Patty Murray
Senator Maria Cantwell
Washington, DC , 20510

Dear Senator:

I have tried to live by the rules my entire life. My father was a Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army, who died of combat related stresses shortly after his retirement. It was he who instilled in me those virtues he felt important - honesty, duty, patriotism and obeying the laws of God and of our various governments. I have served my country, paid my taxes, worked hard, volunteered and donated my fair share of money, time and artifacts.

Today, as I approach my 79th birthday, I am heart-broken when I look at my country and my government. I shall only point out a very few things abysmally wrong which you can multiply by a thousand fold. I have calculated that all the money I have paid in income taxes my entire life cannot even keep the Senate barbershop open for one year! Only Heaven and a few tight-lipped actuarial types know what the Senate dining room costs the taxpayers. So please, enjoy your haircuts and meals on us.

Last year, the president spent an estimated 1.4 $billion on himself and his family. The vice president spends $millions on hotels. They have had 8 vacations so far this year! And our House of Representatives and Senate have become America's answer to the Saudi royal family. You have become the "perfumed princes and princesses" of our country.

In the middle of the night, you voted in the Affordable Health Care Act, a.k.a. "Obama Care," a bill which no more than a handful of senators or representatives read more than several paragraphs, crammed it down our throats, and then promptly exempted yourselves from it substituting your own taxpayer-subsidized golden health care insurance.

You live exceedingly well, eat and drink as well as the "one percenters," consistently vote yourselves perks and pay raises while making 3.5 times the average U.S. individual income, and give up nothing while you (as well as the president and veep) ask us to sacrifice due to sequestration (for which, of course, you plan to blame the Republicans, anyway).

You understand very well the only two rules you need to know - (1) How to get elected, and (2) How to get re-elected. And you do this with the aid of an eagerly willing and partisan press, speeches permeated with a certain economy of truth, and by buying the votes of the greedy, the ill-informed and under-educated citizens (and non-citizens, too, many of whom do vote ) who are looking for a handout rather than a job. Your so-called "safety net" has become a hammock for the lazy. And, what is it now, about 49 or 50 million on food stamps - pretty much all Democrat voters - and the program is absolutely rife with fraud with absolutely no congressional oversight?

I would offer that you are not entirely to blame. What changed you is the seductive environment of power in which you have immersed yourselves. It is the nature of both houses of Congress which requires you to subordinate your virtue in order to get anything done until you have achieved a leadership role. To paraphrase President Reagan, it appears that the second oldest profession (politics), bears a remarkably strong resemblance to the oldest.

As the hirsute first Baron John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton (1834 -1902), English historian and moralist, so aptly and accurately stated,"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." I'm only guessing that this applies to the female sex as well. Tell me, is there a more corrupt entity in this country than Congress?

While we middle class people continue to struggle, our government becomes less and less transparent, more and more bureaucratic, and ever so much more dictatorial, using Czars and Secretaries to tell us (just to mention a very few) what kind of light bulbs we must purchase, how much soda or hamburgers we can eat, what cars we can drive, gasoline to use, and what health care we must buy. Countless thousands of pages of regulations strangle our businesses costing the consumer more and more every day.

As I face my final year, or so, with cancer, my president and my government tell me "You'll just have to take a pill," while you, Senator, your colleagues, the president, and other exulted government officials and their families will get the best possible health care on our tax dollars until you are called home by your Creator while also enjoying a retirement beyond my wildest dreams, which of course, you voted for yourselves and we pay for.

The chances of you reading this letter are practically zero as your staff will not pass it on, but with a little luck, a form letter response might be generated by them with an auto signature applied, hoping we will believe that you, our senator or representative, has heard us and actually cares. This letter will, however, go on line where many others will have the chance to read one person's opinion, rightly or wrongly, about this government, its administration and its senators and representatives.

I only hope that occasionally you might quietly thank the taxpayer for all the generous entitlements which you have voted yourselves, for which, by law, we must pay, unless, of course, it just goes on the $17 trillion national debt for which your children and ours, and your grandchildren and ours, ad infinitum, must eventually try to pick up the tab.

My final thoughts are that it must take a person who has either lost his or her soul, or conscience, or both, to seek re-election and continue to destroy this country I deeply love and put it so far in debt that we will never pay it off while your lot improves by the minute, because of your power. For you, Senator, will never stand up to the rascals in your House who constantly deceive the American people. And that, my dear Senator, is how power has corrupted you and the entire Congress. The only answer to clean up this cesspool is term limits. This, of course, will kill the goose that lays your golden eggs. And woe be to him (or her) who would dare to bring it up.

Sincerely,

Bill Schoonover
3096 Angela Lane
Oak Harbor, WA 98277

Business School

I am a business school graduate, and proudly was and am part of American capitalism. I am unapologetic for my involvement in many great endeavors that made our country the model of the world. My father and grandfather's generation brought our wives and mothers out of the servitude of the kitchen and laundry to a life of fulfillment and opportunity. We produced the things to make sure that our kids lived in freedom and didn't have to raise their arm to salute the likes of Hitler. I wake up every day and can choose the size of soft drink I put in my body and the opportunities that I will explore. I fear that my government that was founded on basic human freedoms is being eroded by those who want to decide to monitor what I do, who I talk to, and decide in their wisdom how I will live my life. These same people are in the process of ruining this greatest of all nations, the United States! In fact, there are those who cheat, lie and deceive! This is our weakness as humans! We seem to be destined by those who become powerful in our government to have our lives manipulated naively with the desire to achieve their utopia. May I never see, nor future generations, be confronted with rule by these people!

If I disagree, I am a racist!

I can remember as a young man having various negative stereotypes of black people, native Americans, Jews, and Asians being put forth as truth.  Thankfully, at least for this man, these foolish misconceptions have been dispelled.  I believe there still are those who harbor some of these racist feelings!

The new way to disagree with me is to call me a racist, and so many who are white, like me, wither away. Facts are facts!  If I say poverty is increasing significantly under the current President, I am racist.  If I say black unemployment is at a historic high, I am a racist.  If I try to point out that our debt as a nation is rising at an alarming rate, you got it, I am a racist.  I have come to the conclusion that every white person is viewed as guilty of serious crimes from our forefathers, and therefore we are to be discredited.

The political environment is impossible to change when the magic words push any common sense off the table.   Our media certainly roles over at the thought of being called a racist, as are so many in the political arena. -- Enough

Finnegan - An Open Letter

This is a reaction to what I suppose is a former friend.

For over fifty years I lived in Minnesota and raised my family in the State.  I loved the beauty of Minnesota, and enjoyed many of the people who we called neighbors, friends and fellow alumni.  However,  I still remember the $600 given away to anyone who walked into the Minnesota welfare offices.  I drove the 94 highway to Chicago and remember the many cars from Indiana heading for our welfare offices.  I remember, after losing my wife, inviting another lady into my life and the first time she voted in Minnesota she was shocked at how little it took to exercise one of our most important acts as a citizens, the vote.  It was embarrassing how easy this could be abused.  I remember when Minnesota became the fourth highest taxed State in the US.  The list of foolish, and often laughable things done by the government in Minnesota.  I find it further laughable that we/you elect people like Jessy Ventura, and now Franken.  ANYONE would be better than these buffoons.

Where DID my family get our news when we were raising our family in Minnesota.  Channel 5 and the Star and Tribune.  Anyone who thought either of these “news” outlets presented an objective view of what was happening politically in Minnesota or nationally is “nuts”.  When I “found” Fox News, at least there was/is an attempt at objectivity, which certainly can’t be said of the New York Times, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, and most importantly the subsidized PBS.

Finnegan,it is apparent that many of us who you imply are not very “bright bulbs” have found something on FOX we can’t find with other media outlets.  If you feel FOX is biased, or if you feel we aren’t very smart, be aware that we who watch FOX and/or are active in the “tea party” have reached a critical mass where we are no longer going to accept “bridges that go nowhere”, government paid frisbee golf courses, government that “deems” bills past rather than take a vote, Representatives who believe Guam will turn over with large numbers of military on the island, tax making done by people who don’t pay their taxes, etc.  Being blunt, we are “pissed off” and aren’t going to accept government that has no idea what a budget is, or a Congress that can’t even run their own bank or restaurant and chooses to create health care law that we “have to wait until it is passed to know what is in it”.   FOX isn’t perfect, but sheer stupidity of what is going on in this country isn’t going to continue.  You will more than likely make negative judgements about me and a lot of people like me who actively participate in tea parties, listen to Rush Limbaugh, and find Glenn Beck’s attempts to restore honor as hokey.  We will be heard from from now on!

Liberalism

A belief system of some in our society who, when in positions of power, affect idealistic changes with little consideration of costs, and then blame others or unrelated events for the negative consequences.  -- George Mayleben

Please feel free to give me your one sentence definition.

Raising Taxes

Sounds easy to do, and the politicians promise the financial problems will be solved.  We are in Needles California, and right across the Colorado River from a place called Bullhead City Arizona.  If you have heard that taxes are crazy here in California, and the costs are high,  that is correct.  Needles is "drying up" and Bullhead thrives, and the only difference is the taxes.  Fuel for our motorhomes has been $5.199 per gallon, and regular gas $4.999 in Needles.  Right across the border, fuel is $3.879, and the gas about $3.579.  It is sad to see this town, and realistically the economy of California in trouble.  The roads around here are rougher than any roads we have encountered as we cross the U.S.  The Ford dealer moved to the Arizona side of the river.  Many of the towns here are going bankrupt, and the effects of heavy taxation has even caused the ultra liberal Bill Maher to threatening to move out of California.  The rich have the resources to move, and the poor just get poorer as the sources of revenue diminish!  This State is nuts!  -- Enough

Can you imagine!

Can you imagine going to a church and hearing the following.  This is at the intercession of the Mass.   We pray for  "Our President and some Congress men and women are trying to make Catholics and other Christians participate in abortion, contraception, and euthanasia through paying into mandatory insurance plans.  Many did not know that voting for these candidates would bring about this terror and killing of the innocent.  We do not want to be forced to participate in this killing through our tax dollars.  We pray for a change of heart of these politicians!  For this... We pray to the Lord."  It seems so many priests have abandoned the words that should be said feeling that filling the pews by avoiding these issues is more important than saying what has to be said in these days of political correctness.

This was heard from the pulpit of St. Ann's Catholic Church in Needles California.  California!  Can this be possible in one of the most liberal States in the union?

St. Ann's Catholic Church is worth changing your travel plans for. We have the great luxury of going to many churches and participating in many masses as we travel.  Some of the churches are beautiful old structures, some have fantastic choirs, but some have awesome priests.  Needles has a great luxury.  They have a small very friendly congregation, a nice building, but they have Father Amaro Saumell.  This is how the mass should be said.  If you are Catholic, you will feel more Catholic.  If you aren't Catholic, you will feel you have had a great Christian experience.  -- George Mayleben

Sequester

Icebergs

When I was in grade school the Sister Borromeo taught me that icebergs were deceiving.  On top they are small, but it is below the surface where the real size is.  The Titanic proved the point that you don't get too close, lest you be surprised!

In politics we hear that a bill was past, as an example, and the top portion of the bill, the title, sounds very favorable.  So was the case of the "Stimulus" bill.  How could anything be wrong with stimulating a bad economy.  "Shovel ready jobs" were continuously talked about.  Then along comes the bill dubbed Affordable Health Care Act.  Looks good on the surface, but now we realize we have been coned.  Taxes that only a politician could like, spending on hiring thousands of government employees, health care taxes that will be passed on to us, and generally crap.

Am I cynical when Nancy Pelosi says "we'll have to pass the bill it to find out what is in it"?  -- Enough

And they say they care?

Unemployment hovers at 7+%, and behind that statistic are almost double that number who really are out of work, underemployed, given up looking, or are now seeking medical assistance using false representations of ill health.  Poverty is at epidemic levels, and young blacks are unemployed at nearly twice the national average.  Incomes have diminished by $3,000 per middle class family, health care continues to rise, but now at roughly twice the percent before Obamacare.  Tell me "they care"!

How profound

Medical Care for Seniors. "Let nature take its course."

This is a paraphrase from a person who will remain nameless, but obviously my junior.  The implication is we should not strain our government's financial resource to provide anything beyond simple pain medication as we age.  I would remind you of a few facts.  First, you are lucky that abortion wasn't so prevalent when you were blest on the woman you call mom.  We had many choices that we didn't exercise in your early years, that of adoption or putting you in the hands of what might be sarcastically called a "caring government".  We changed your diapers and used cloth diapers to save money for your future education, and hopefully for a retirement for us that seemed far off.  When you ran a temperature of 102, we called the doctor, put you on expensive drugs that sometimes cut into what might have been a meager budget.  We chose to have old cars, rather than the new models, because we had kids to care for at home.  We worked two jobs at times to buy a house in a neighborhood that had a good school for you.  We bought you what we could afford, but at times "blew the budget" to buy you expensive Christmas gifts.  That bicycle wasn't something that the government bought.  We fought our way through your teen years, and the crazy comments you sarcastically made about your mother and me, and loved you despite the midnight rides in the car trying to figure out why you violated our curfew.  We did our best!

Our retirement is made up of a meager pension, some savings, social security that our government has chosen to raid, Medicare that often puts us in front of a nurse rather than a doctor, and inflation that is causing great concern as we reach our weakest years.

Now you and your generation are saying, not very skillfully, that we should let a government we don't trust decide what health care we get, and how it will be delivered.  As we reach our waning years you now say, "let nature take its course"!!!  It is taking it's course, and the idea that a government bureaucrat will decide what health measures are taken for me and your mom is disgusting!   -- Enough

Minnesota

For over fifty years I lived in Minnesota and raised my family in the State.  I loved the beauty of Minnesota, and enjoyed the people who we called neighbors and friends  There is much positive that should be said about this State.

However, I remember the $600 given away to anyone who walked into the Minnesota welfare offices.  I drove the 94 highway to Chicago and remember the many cars from Indiana heading for our welfare offices to receive the freely given $600. 

I remember, after losing my wife, inviting another lady into my life and the first time she voted in Minnesota.  She was shocked at how little it took to exercise one of our most important acts as a citizens, the vote.  It was embarrassing how easy this could, and is abused.  

I remember when Minnesota became the fourth highest taxed State in the US.  The list of foolish, and often laughable things done by the government in Minnesota is voluminous.  I find it further laughable that Minnesota would elect people like Jessy Ventura, and now Mr. Al Franken.

Where DID my family get our news when we were raising our family in Minnesota.  Channel 5 and the Star and Tribune.  Anyone who thought either of these “news” outlets presented an objective view of what was happening politically in Minnesota or nationally cannot be serious.  When I “found” Fox News, at least there is an attempt at objectivity, which certainly can’t be said of the New York Times, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, and most importantly the publicly subsidized PBS.

It is apparent that many of us who now live elsewhere might be portrayed as not very “bright bulbs” to have found something on FOX we can’t find with other media outlets.  If you feel FOX is biased, or if you feel we aren’t very smart, be aware that we who watch FOX and/or are active in the “tea party” have reached a critical mass where we are no longer going to accept “bridges that go nowhere”, government paid frisbee golf courses, government that “deems” bills past rather than take a vote, Representatives who believe the island of Guam will turn over if there are large numbers of military on the island, tax making done by people who don’t pay their taxes, etc.  Being blunt, we are “pissed off” and aren’t going to accept government that has no idea what a budget is, or a Congress that can’t even run their own bank or restaurant and chooses to create health care law that we “have to wait until it is passed to know what is in it”.   FOX isn’t perfect, but sheer stupidity of what is going on in this country isn’t going to continue.  You will more than likely make negative judgements about me and a lot of people like me who actively participate in tea parties, listen to Rush Limbaugh, and find Glenn Beck’s attempts to restore honor as hokey.  

We will be heard from from now on!

Freedom Writers

I just got through watching a movie called "Freedom Writers".  It was about a very successful high school teacher in Los Angeles who had great success with some very difficult students who were mostly gang members, and these kids probably should have been dismissed as impossible to teach.  The story is true, perhaps embelished by Hollywood, but indicative, I believe that we need to find a way to get through the blur of beaureacracy to succeed in today's compromised education environment.  The woman is Erin Gruwell, and she now has taken on a campaign to help disadvantaged kids.  To me, it brings home the need to find and reward teachers who excel in that which we all claim to be the most important task in our nation, that of educating our kids regardless of their background or environment.  -- Enough

If I were black

I wonder how I would feel about the President if I was black after four years.  Unemployment among my teen agers has gone up by over 3,000,000.  Employment among those with my color skin has risen to 18+% if counting those who have given up looking for a job or chosen to take a medical problem and go on Social Security benefits.  If I am in poverty, I probably depend heavily on food stamps and now have a free cell phone from the government.  My wages if I am middle class, have dropped by about $3,000 during the last four years.  The cost of gasoline to get to my job has almost doubled from roughly $1.89 per gallon to $3.58 at this "low point" January 2013.  If I choose to align myself with the Republican Party, I am an "Uncle Tom" and am ostracized by my black Democrat neighbors and organizations like the NAACP.  If I am a teenager in high school, and if I do well academically, I am criticized by my peers.  My heroes are basketball and football players and I view my only options to success are through these fields, or other, perhaps nefarious fields of endeavor.  I have been taught that working at McDonalds isn't a starting point in a career, but a "dead end".  We who are not black ask these questions and are viewed as racists, and how dare we make these statements!  -- Enough   Statistics based on CBO and Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Cliff hanging is over!

Witnessing the Republicans and the Democrats bicker over the U.S. debt is like watching two drunks argue over a bar bill on the Titanic.

However you look at what happened, it is disillusioning!  On the Democratic side you will have irritations about having less money going into the Federal coffer.  If you are Republican, you can't believe that we once again caved!  It is embarrassing!  Doesn't anybody recognize that the deficit is unsustainable?  Doesn't anybody in our government realize that the price of Velveeta and all our groceries are rising at an alarming pace?  Don't they realize that so many of our neighbors and friends are out of work?  Don't they accept that we who pay for the extravagances of government have to stop?     This is "nuts" folks!   -- Enough