Our generation was always accused of watching too much TV.
And it appears that our elected officials think we still do and find the
need to be on all of the time.
It seems that every time you turn on the TV the president is on.
And not just on the news channels.
Letterman, GMA...the list goes on and on.
I wouldn't be surprised if he turns up on Dancing with the Stars or has
a guest spot on Desperate Housewives.
And he is not the only one.
It seems that our Governors, Senators, Congressmen right on down the
line spend as much time in the studios as they do in their offices.
No wonder nothing gets done.
If they feel this need maybe we should require them all to appear on
"Are You Smarter Then a 5th Grader" we might just find out why the
country is in the shape it is.
As both sides try to force their versions of the so called Health Care
Plan down our throats little else is getting any attention.
Whatever happened to reducing the troop size in Iraq?
Whatever happened to all the promises made to our injured veterans after
the Walter Reed scandal?
What about the freeze on bailout bonuses?
Or all of the other promises made during last year's campaign.
And closer to home almost every campaign ad paints the opponent as
either a criminal or a liar.
We have a president who worked with a governor in one of the
historically corrupt states in America telling our governor not to run.
We have appointed a Lt. Governor who used to run the MTA.
The former head of the same MTA that has mismanaged their finances for
years at the expense of NY taxpayers is next in line to be governor.
We have a state senate that is laughing stock of the entire country with
most of its current or former leaders on trial or at least accused of
crimes.
And we have people dying every day as a result of not being able to get
proper treatment for illnesses resulting from 9/11.
These are the same people that came to help after 9/11 or went back to
work when they were assured by the government that the air quality was
safe even though the EPA knew it was not.
And most of those in power only seem to remember them one day every
year.
And it's just not right.
But we allow it to go on.
We laugh with the president on Letterman.
We see nothing wrong with the endless parade of elected officials
involved in scandals or illegal activities.
To borrow a phrase from Pink Floyd when it comes to politics we have all
become "Comfortably Numb"
And those in power continue to take advantage.
If our country is to survive we need to break out of this apathetic
malaise.
We need to take back our government by making sure that those in office
remember they work for us.
In the words of Aristotle 2300 years ago... If liberty and equality, as
is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be
best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the
utmost.
We can begin on November 3.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
WITH APOLOGIES TO THE ROLLING STONES
YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
Legitimate representation at all levels of government.
Representatives that actually care about your wants and needs
Fiscal responsibility in our government
YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
A judicial system that is based on the law and not political patronage.
Elected officials that don’t change the rules to suit their needs.
Tax dollars going towards needed improvements and not pork.
YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
A Social Security System that will be around when you retire.
A government run by the will of the people and not lobbyists
Accountability and not endless bailouts
BUT IF YOU TRY SOMETIME
Get out and vote
Not for your party’s candidate
But for the best candidate.
YOU JUST MIGHT FIND
Elected Officials tend to listen when they fear they may be replaced.
Your vote actually makes a difference if you actually cast it
Change is possible and not just a catch phrase
YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED
Your Government back
A government of the people, by the people, for the people
A government for all and not a select few.
Legitimate representation at all levels of government.
Representatives that actually care about your wants and needs
Fiscal responsibility in our government
YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
A judicial system that is based on the law and not political patronage.
Elected officials that don’t change the rules to suit their needs.
Tax dollars going towards needed improvements and not pork.
YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
A Social Security System that will be around when you retire.
A government run by the will of the people and not lobbyists
Accountability and not endless bailouts
BUT IF YOU TRY SOMETIME
Get out and vote
Not for your party’s candidate
But for the best candidate.
YOU JUST MIGHT FIND
Elected Officials tend to listen when they fear they may be replaced.
Your vote actually makes a difference if you actually cast it
Change is possible and not just a catch phrase
YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED
Your Government back
A government of the people, by the people, for the people
A government for all and not a select few.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
EIGHT YEARS LATER
9/11/2009 is only a week away and unfortunately for many it will be just another day.
We have already had a movie poking fun at the attacks and more recently we had a game maker who thought it was a good idea to remake space invaders and use the World Trade Center as the target of the attacks.
Needless to say we have come a long way from the “Never Forget” attitude that followed the attacks.
We have elected officials from other states telling us we need to get past the event and move on.
And of course we will always have those who feel too much has already been done to support the victims of the attacks.
The $64,000 question is why?
Maybe it’s the economy.
Maybe it’s the fact that thousands of additional sons and daughters have died in a seemingly never ending war.
Or maybe it’s the fact that after eight years and billions of dollars spent all we still have is a huge hole in the ground at the site.
Whatever the reason, the fact is that there are those who wake up every day hoping that the whole thing was only a bad dream.
For those that have forgotten close your eyes for a few moments.
The complete darkness that you experience is what many family members have experienced every day since 2001.
Experienced because:
Eight years later and the victims’ list grows every day as people die because they put their faith in Christie Whitman, when as a representative of our government, she assured them that the quality of the air was fine at Ground Zero.
Eight years later and the city continues to pay millions to lawyers instead of covering the medical bills for those in need.
Eight years later and the judicial system continues to deny any legitimate claim against deficient governmental performance or any action against foreign countries that have proven ties to funding the attacks.
Eight years later and thousands of remains are still not identified.
Eight years later hundreds of millions have been spent to dismantle a building that still stands after taking two additional lives but no money can be found to remove human remains from a landfill.
All of this after eight years.
So while complete closure will never come, addressing these issues will surely go a long way towards easing the pain.
Lest we Forget
Dennis
We have already had a movie poking fun at the attacks and more recently we had a game maker who thought it was a good idea to remake space invaders and use the World Trade Center as the target of the attacks.
Needless to say we have come a long way from the “Never Forget” attitude that followed the attacks.
We have elected officials from other states telling us we need to get past the event and move on.
And of course we will always have those who feel too much has already been done to support the victims of the attacks.
The $64,000 question is why?
Maybe it’s the economy.
Maybe it’s the fact that thousands of additional sons and daughters have died in a seemingly never ending war.
Or maybe it’s the fact that after eight years and billions of dollars spent all we still have is a huge hole in the ground at the site.
Whatever the reason, the fact is that there are those who wake up every day hoping that the whole thing was only a bad dream.
For those that have forgotten close your eyes for a few moments.
The complete darkness that you experience is what many family members have experienced every day since 2001.
Experienced because:
Eight years later and the victims’ list grows every day as people die because they put their faith in Christie Whitman, when as a representative of our government, she assured them that the quality of the air was fine at Ground Zero.
Eight years later and the city continues to pay millions to lawyers instead of covering the medical bills for those in need.
Eight years later and the judicial system continues to deny any legitimate claim against deficient governmental performance or any action against foreign countries that have proven ties to funding the attacks.
Eight years later and thousands of remains are still not identified.
Eight years later hundreds of millions have been spent to dismantle a building that still stands after taking two additional lives but no money can be found to remove human remains from a landfill.
All of this after eight years.
So while complete closure will never come, addressing these issues will surely go a long way towards easing the pain.
Lest we Forget
Dennis
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
