Another sad comment…

I read on the MSNBC website an article about how in the face of hurricane Katrina, the countries of the world offered help and support.  In the usual way that our government seems to deal with other countries, we have not collected, not used or outright refused the help.  Meanwhile, look at New Orleans.  Tell me we couldn’t use those resources.  If we were the stockholders in a company that performed like our government would we accept this kind of performance.  The real irony here is that this Republican led administration is supposed to represent the party of economic performance.  Would the Republicans who own and work for companies accept this kind of performance.   This is yet another example of partisan loyalty outweighing the needs of American’s.  If political parties in this country acted as they should, the Republican party should be taking care of this rather than the Democrats politicizing it. 

Things that make you go hmmm

The textbook I used to teach American Government from said that political parties had the job of checking the background, qualifications and quality of candidates so only the best made it to the general election.  Given the “quality” of recent major party Presidential nominees does this make you wonder if this is a task best left to a group of people playing pin the tail on the donkey (or elephant)?

Most disheartening…

I think what I find most disheartening is that we are always finding ways to react to problems rather than solve them.  If our children aren’t learning we should test them more.  If we are causing global warming lets find ways to adapt to it.  If health insurance isn’t covering everyone lets find a way to supplement it.  Prescription drugs are too expensive lets import them from Canada.  If politicians are attaching unneeded amendments with lots of money, lets not stop it lets make sure anyone can know about it.  Hey here is an idea, it may be expensive, hard, require sacrifice and even a little leadership, but how about we try to solve the problems for once. 

Doomed to Repeat it….

Anyone who remembers their Civics class may remember the names: Paine, Locke and Hobbs.  These were political philosophers who understood the meaning of society and how it needed to be set up in order to operate well.  At that time the world was full of monarchies and individual rights were not at all recognized.  I believe today the pendulum has swung to far.  So far, in fact, that people are so wrapped up in their individual rights that few are willing or even see their responsibility to others and the greater society.  I am sick of people who think that rules do not apply to them, people who want to be cared for because they unwilling to do their part.  I am mostly sick of people who have an obscure skill which, for some reason, is highly valued in our economy and instead of being grateful become self important buffoons.  One politician, it was John McCain I think, talked about being part of something greater than ourselves.  It is time for some of us to pull our heads out (so to speak) and see the bigger picture. 

Comparison Shopping

Don Imus said something stupid and insensitive.  While I find this appalling, though not rare, I pause to wonder what other people in the public eye have done and said and kept their jobs.  Well, where to begin, the Vice-President shot a guy in the face.  President Bush has a DWI, John McCain was one of the Keating 5, Hillary Clinton has Whitewater and Bill Clinton (insert your favorite White House intern joke here)?  Allen Iverson killed a guy, Ray Lewis obstructed justice and Mike Tyson (we won’t even make a list) lead a laundry list from the world of sports (Sports Center could give us a list of the week).   Mel Gibson (antisemitic), Robert Downey Jr. (I don’t have enough room here), and Nick Nolte (have you seen that booking photo) come from the world of movies.  How about music?  Michael Jackson (shut up nothing was proved except dangling a baby over a balcony), Ozzie Ozboure (bat under glass anyone, oh yeah and peeing on the Alamo) and Brittany Spears (how do you install a car seat?) give us some examples. 

With the state of the world, you would think the media would find something with substance and meaning to report on rather than some two bit talk radio jockey making a dumb-ass comment on the air. 

Oh yeah and another thing…

President Kennedy was truly a visionary when he set the aggressive goal of reaching the moon by the end of the decade.  The current state of our government is such that it is perfectly willing to set an “impossible” goal in the area of education (No Child Left Behind) where such complex factors as motivation, socioeconomic status, cultural attitudes, its contradiction of other Federal Legislation (see IDEA) and family issues complicate the pursuit of the goal (I only say impossible because statistically speaking it is impossible for an entire population to be proficient at anything-look it up, its called a bell curve.  I am not suggesting that all students can’t learn but we should treat them individually and expect them to reach their potential rather than an arbitrary standard dictated by the federal government but my feelings about taking individual needs into account and not truly leaving children behind is not the subject of this rant {for those nitpickers out there, this is an intentionally on-running  sentence and should not be used as an arguement that NCLB is necessary}).  Where then is the bold strategy on emissions standards?  Where is the bold strategy on reducing pollution?  Where is the bold strategy on eliminating nuclear proliferation?  Sticking with learning from Kennedy what other lessons of history should we not be doomed to repeat? (Bay of pigs?) how about the Berlin Airlift?  Certainly if we can supply a whole city half a world away through the air (just to avoid dominoes?  What does pizza have to do with this?), we can rebuild our own city destroyed by a natural disaster.  The things I have said here are not an indictment of one person or one party.  We need institutional change and right now there is no catalyst.  If we the people want more, we should demand it.  Face it, if a private company ran with the efficiency of our government?

Lets think like big boys and girls

The emissions made by cars and other fossil fuel burning machines arenot good for the environment.  I don’t think there is anyone who will argue this point.  The world supply of oil, I don’t care how big you think it is, is finite.  Oil is located in parts of the world that are unstable or don’t like us.  There are many, many reasons to look for alternative sources of energy.  We should all be taking an active role as should our government.  Wouldn’t it be short sighted for us to concentrate our efforts on finding new sources of oil.  Why do we not invest those resources in energy alternatives.  To be aggressive in these efforts a lowly teacher comes up with these ideas: tax deductions for buying hybrid cars, corporate tax deductions for car companies that sell hybrid cars, how about a contest with a cash reward to the company that develops the first mass producible hydrogen vehicle, how about as much investment in alternatives fuels research as we spend on one smart bomb.  Financial or political gain are the only reasons why we would ignore the elephant in the room. 

Presidential Race Worthy of Adult Common Sense

“If the Presidential Election were held today”, “In a poll of likely voters”, “With the election just eleventy seven months away it appears the Nomination will go to”….  If I hear anything akin to one of these one more time my head will explode.  The problem with politics in the United States is we focus on the wrong things.  If we want to elect a good President why don’t we actually focus on what the candidates plan to do.  Why don’t we spend the whole year making them sit in rooms with voters and tell them what they are going to do.  Instead the candidates focus entirely on raising money for most of the time, which will be spent on campaign rallies, commercials and travel that will all add up to telling us nothing.  (If I really wanted to know how someone voted on a bill that had thirteen different topics and could be distorted to make everyone’s vote look like a vote against abortion, for gay marriage, against building bridges in Alaska and for campaign finance reform depending on the audience, I would look it up)  The media is a  problem.  Since actually talking about issues is not sexy they have concocted this “horse race” which, by the way, is the stupidest concept ever.  Taking a snapshot of the American electorate every thirty seconds when most people haven’t made up their minds or made up the minds to be with the majority in the last poll is not a sound way to report the “news”.  Comedian Lewis Black often looks like he is going to have an aneurysm when he rants about things that make no sense or are stupid.  This makes no sense and is stupid.  In conclusion I blame: the media, political parties, consultants, and the American People.  I’m sorry, I just can’t talk about this anymore, I will have to continue my rant another time. 

Getting the job done?

It is amazing how the members of our armed forces continue to get the job done.  They are told their tour is being extended, they are subjected to factional violence, they are away from their loved ones, and yet somehow they get the job done.  Five hundred and thirty-six people in Washington need to stop using the war in Iraq as something to be politicized, stop walking with their bellies in the air (thank you Bill), and get the job done  (for those less versed in American democracy that would be 435 members of the House of Representatives, 100 Senators and 1 President).  Using a military funding bill in war time for political pork is disgraceful.  Going home without a military funding bill passed (timetable, no timetable or compromise) smells of a partisan attitude that should sicken any American.  Anyone who engages in that type of politics should be recalled by their constituents in disgrace.

A sad day

As a Minnesotan, today is a sad day for me.  I was just on yahoo and learned of the passing of Herb Carneal.  For those who don’t know him, he was the radio announcer for the Minnesota Twins.  Being a 30 something in Minnesota, I grew up listening to him on the radio broadcasting Twins games.  My greatest memory will always be the last call at the end of the 7th game of the ‘87 World Series.  I can still recall the whole moment, where I was standing in my kitchen at 11 years old.  Reardon pitching, McGee hitting, Gaietti to Hrbek for the last out.  Herb was the voice of the Minnesota Twins since the 60’s, way before my time.  I will miss his smooth delivery.  I will miss the way he described the action without intruding upon it.  There was nothing like a sunny, summer afternoon sitting outside and listening to the Twins on the radio.  There are some big shoes to fill in Twin’s territory.