Film, thanks for the post and I recognized it. I think a lot of people confuse me for a Republican but I am not a Republican, I am a Conservative. I grew up a Democrat but the party left me because I was always a Conservative and there was no place in the Democrat Party for a Conservative as they has shifted way to the left. I saw all their social engineering and my tax dollars wasted. I always felt that social problems are best handled in the local communities and not by the bureaucrats in D.C, too many Administrative costs and not enough results.
If I had my way I would kick out about 80% of the Congress and basically start over. Career politicians have to go as they are more interested in keeping their job than they are in doing their job. It is all about bringing home the bacon instead of being fiscally responsible. There is absolutely no reason for a 3.8 trillion dollar budget as our govt. is way out of control. GW Bush spent way too much money but Obama has put that spending on steroids. He has been an incredible disappointment for many but not for me. I hired a lot of people in my career and was pretty good at reading resumes. He didn't have the resume for the job and his radical associations have carried over into this Administration. He doesn't have a clue how to lead nor does he have the experience how to manage anything. We are paying the price for his radical background and inexperience as a manager.
It really is hard not not to like Obama personally but one has to be objective in looking at his policies and his actions. He is good at telling people what they want to hear but results matter more than rhetoric. It is the policies that are being implemented that bother me and it is those policies that have led to every prediction he as made to be wrong and his supporters cannot see that.
Film, I spent 35 years in the business world. I am objective but compassionate. I believe in helping those truly in need and do so willingly through my church and local charities. I hate sending money for social spending to the bureaucrats in D.C. who waste it and then blame everyone else for their failures.
Things have to change and it has to start with changing the Congress. I can only hope that the Republicans do a better job this time than they did the last time but Pelosi, Reid, and Obama have to go.
Anyway, how about Jacksonville State? Incredible upset. Some good games today on a weekend normally reserved for the top 25 beating up on their opponents. I love college football and look forward to a great season. I grew up in the Midwest but now live in TX. Favorite team in Texas is the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Cool. And I understand why you're upset at the current people in power. I'm upset as well, because we were promised something different from what we had before. And we really got nothing but more of the same, just in a more eloquent package.
I just refuse to blame only them. With regards to Obama, I honestly kinda pity him. Because I believe that he sincerely thought he could change things, only to arrive in Washington and find a system (corrupted by both parties) that is implacable.
One thing, you gotta give the guy: the teachers' unions seem to hate him more than they hated Bush because he is supporting the value-added payment system. Tennessee was a recipient of a Race to the Top grant and the plan they're using with it is this: they are going to give successful teachers bonuses and then those teachers will hold professional improvement seminars to share their tactics with teachers judged as failing in weekend and after-hours workshops.
This, to me, is a good role for the Federal Government. It's not dictating policy; it's inspiring innovation. As Justice Brandeis said, the states are laboratories for democracy. Rather than dictating policy (as No Child did), it's trying to find the best ideas states propose and rewarding them. And given the spending craze (by both parties), this is at least a good idea and relatively inexpensive at $4 billion.
My parents were both entrepreneurs (my dad owned a construction company; my mother a catering company - the most successful one in Hendrick Cty, Indiana at the time), so I do understand the concerns of small business. My partner also owned his own company for twelve years. Oddly, in all cases, it wasn't taxes that drove them out of business eventually. It was health care costs. Not for their employees (my dad's company provided benefits; my mom's was a very small company; my partner's was only himself + a receptionist who was a veteran with her own good benefits), but for themselves and their families. So, maybe it's just that we come from similar backgrounds with different results.
But what I want for our system of government is to elect individuals - even those who disagree - who will sit down with one another and craft ideas together to improve our nation and our economy. I was most disappointed in the current administration because that didn't happen. But I don't really blame Obama for that. I blame Congressional Democrats and Republicans for it.
Good ideas aren't solely owned by one side of the aisle. For instance: welfare reform. It was passed by a Republican Congress and signed by a Democratic President. As a result, my now late cousin (so liberal, he makes me look like you) Eric Parker started a not-for-profit called the
Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership. In the years since he started it, they've educated 1,900+ former welfare recipients, giving them contemporary skills that got them jobs that are much more secure than, say, fast food jobs. Those families now collect living wages and support themselves. This wasn't JUST from a conservative that it happened. It came from both sides of the aisle, and something wonderful happened. And yes, some of the funding for the program comes from both Federal and State government grants.
The sad part is, during the campaign, he had meetings with people high up in Obama's team to be hired as a consultant. Then, married for the first time at 45, he and his new wife went on honeymoon at the Barrier Islands in North Carolina and as he was unloading the luggage from the trunk of the car, he dropped dead suddenly from a massive heart attack. I think we lost a potentially brilliant leader who took conservative philosophy (teach a man to fish) to pursue his liberal goals (living wages). So, I give Obama a bit of a break even though I'm not his biggest fan, partially because when my cousin passed away, we all received a personal letter of condolence from him (his staff, yes, but still...)
When I post numbers opposing yours, they're really not in his defense. They're just pointing out that recoveries are always slow and always tough. My criticism of him is that he presented an overly-optimistic portrait of what the stimulus would do. I think he let the Congressional Democrats misuse it (much as Bush let his Republican Congress misuse funds quite frequently) and didn't lead as much as he should have. But, I criticize the Congressional Republicans because they're holding up the one bill that I think is the best bill that has been proposed so far (the small business loan and hiring bill). That's why I can't totally get behind handing it over to them.
Anyway, likely my last post for the night: There were some surprisingly good games today. I went to Indiana University, so I always have a love for the underdog, since my team is an underdog at least 8 or 9 games a year, so that was fun. I like Texas Tech, but I can never like Texas (unless they're playing Miami (FL))!
Anyway, take care and it's nice to find some common ground - even if we'll likely never vote for the same person. Understanding those we disagree with and treating them fairly is the only way we can make our nation stronger. I think you and I took a big step in that direction today. I wish you well.