Greetings Fellow Boomers. I will travelling extensively the next two weeks or so and will not be posting any new blogs in that time period.
Below is an editorial of what is happening right now. When I created My Generation, the key purpose was to celebrate our experiences, write them down for future generations, and record and feel good about our accomplishments. Based on what is happening in our current government and economy, the dialogue is way different from what our countrymen intended it to be, and so the intent of My Generation is in change. I know many of you think it's just those Republicans, or far right people. Let me assure you that I and many of us are based in logic and feel a new experience of something happening to our Republic, and it is not good. Please! Read, question and blog your thoughts and feelings. This is what a democracy is all about.
Based on statistics in our website, most of you are reading or listening or videoing about 2 minutes on the site. Please read the following, no matter how long it takes.
As always, wishing everybody wellness and prosperity.
Denny
Cincinnati
An Open Letter to The Citizens of the United States of America
It is with the deepest of concerns, and yet also with the highest of hopes, that I write this to my fellow Citizens of the United States of America . This is to those who love this country, believe in the aspirations of Her founders, and honor the sacrifices that have kept Her for the past 233 years. I am a simple man of no social/political importance, but my conscience will no longer allow me to remain silent. History will not record my passage, and my time in this place will be of little consequence, except to my family and the handful of people my life has touched. But I am significant - because I am a Citizen of this great country. And so are YOU!!! I offer the following observations, concerns, and comments. All I ask is that you keep an open mind for the next ten minutes, because what threatens us now is not the sole result of a single administration (current or historic), but is the accumulation of decades of "compromises" to the integrity of our Constitution and our social/political ethics.
How big? The Federal government employment in 2007 included 1,800,000 civilian workers, 600,000 postal workers, and 1,400,000 active military personnel. The total employment of all 50 State governments was 2,400,000 - just about equal to the Federal civilian/postal total. Together, your Federal and State taxes support about 5,000,000 non-military personnel.
Where is it going? It currently costs over four times more money to run the Federal government than the total combined budgets of all 50 States. Who do you think really has more of a vested interest in the affairs of the local population and how/where those tax dollars (read your tax dollars) are spent? Where do you think the majority of tax revenues should be focused and who should they be controlled by?
How balanced is the power? The Federal government collected about $970,000 tax dollars per employee (not counting postal workers that supposedly generate their own revenue). In contrast, the States collected about $275,000 tax dollars per State employee.
How over-whelming can it get? It took less than ten pages to define this country in our Constitution. By contrast, I can't even find a page-count on the current United States Code (Federal laws), which could fill a small library. The current Federal Tax Code is almost 17,000 pages (per the GPO). It seems the Congress can't submit a Bill unless its hundreds or thousands of pages. For years, businesses have used the acronym "S.M.A.R.T." to evaluate the merit of a program and its objectives. It has to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. It appears our Legislators have preferred "S.T.U.P.I.D." - Spendthrift, Tortuous, Unaccountable, Paradoxical, Improvident, and Deceptive. They have definitely forgotten K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid! But what do you expect when most politicians' professional background is in legal-ease! Remember these are the laws that govern all of us - where do you think your freedoms go as these pages expand?
Experience or complacency? In the Senate, 35 Senators have more than 15 years seniority (35/100=35%). In the House, 117 Representatives hold more than 15 years seniority (117/435=27%). At what point does "experience" turn into "complacency"? How many years does it take to forget who you represent - to begin to know the lobbyists better than your constituents? Can you spell "term limits"?
Mr. Spock - where are you? It seems we have lost logic, wisdom, and common-sense in our pursuit of intellectual expansion. Forget the political rhetoric and whether it's left or right, Republican or Democrat, Reagan/Bush or Clinton/Obama. Forget the eloquent speeches and the cheering crowds. Instead, look at the integrity of the individual, their position on the issues, and their performance against their promises. Look at the policies and proposals they have delivered and ask if they make sense - in the simplest of terms, i.e.; would you commit to that contract with a friend, could you manage your finances or your affairs like that, or would you impose those demands on your children? I present the following as some food for thought:
"They are too big to fail." or "It's for the good of the country/economy." Consider: Contracts for employment compensation, investment contracts, and vendor contracts have all been nullified at the whim of the Federal government - with no legal precedent and no "due process". Which of your legal contracts or commitments could be sacrificed next? Where is the accountability with the SEC who failed to see the problems, or the executives who helped create them - many of whom were rewarded with promotions to government positions? Billions of our dollars are being used to prop up failing organizations - when will "We the People" demand transparency and accountability?
"Health-care must be reformed because its costs are expanding and consuming too much of our Gross Domestic Product." Consider: In 2007, the Federal budget was about 22% greater than the total health-care expenses for the country. If you add the State budgets, the government spending is 52% greater than our health-care expenses. Which ones pose a greater threat to a healthy GDP?
"We need to lead the Green-Revolution by example." Consider: By their own projections, Cap & Trade does very little to actually address US carbon-emissions and their impact on over-all "global warming". What it does create is a new government revenue source (of course it's not a tax silly), plus the added benefit of a whole new market of financial transactions, whose fees will make some brokers (didn't we just bail them out with billions?) extremely wealthy. At the same time it will financially punish every American by increasing utility costs and the costs of any products that require energy to produce or transport them.
"We need to spend our way out of recession/bankruptcy." Consider: How long could you pay your rent/mortgage with your credit card and then only make your minimum monthly payment on the card? Are you really comfortable knowing that our "friends" in China and Saudi Arabia hold massive amounts of our debt? Surely our "friends" will never use that leverage to manipulate our economy or politics. By the way, our debt has been rising exponentially since 1983 - this free-for-all spending is nothing new to our Federal "Representatives".
"We need to revamp health-care and create universal coverage". Consider: Noble ideals indeed. But if the plan is so great, why does it exempt the legislators who created it? Forget the details - if it's not good enough for them, its not good enough for you either! Do some investigating and see how many other existing programs don't apply to them either.
This will probably be perceived as politically-incorrect, but I believe it is time to drop all the labels we so casually use to define and differentiate ourselves, and begin again to think for ourselves, as self-directed individuals with the rights and the courage to determine our own destiny - as duty-bound Citizens of this great country. Are you a Citizen or are you a "Conservative"? Are you a Citizen or are you a "Republican"? Are you a Citizen or are you an "Ethnic-American"? Are you a Citizen or are you a "Protestant"? Open your eyes!!! The government, the political parties, and the media have been playing us against each other, by encouraging and exploiting our desires to be part of a group or to support our personal causes. Regardless of how noble our objectives have been, our focus has been encouraged there to keep us diverted from the continual expansion of government power and progressive agendas, which our Founding Fathers warned us of, and wisely tailored our Constitution to protect us from. I propose to you that there are only three basic "parties" in this country; the Citizens who hold fast to the integrity of our Constitution, the Progressives who believe the Constitution has out-lived its usefulness and that the population is too ignorant to make it thru life without Government guidance, and the Inhabitants who remain blissfully unaware of either of the other parties and are content as long as the government/industry teat that they suckle remains undisturbed.
Our Founding Fathers used a very simple strategy to develop the framework for this Country - they looked back at history and simply observed what worked well and what failed. If historic successes were short-lived, they analyzed the source of the failure and took steps to mitigate the threat. Their efforts were rewarded with two centuries of government that inspired millions of people around the world. Now it's our turn. If we expect to continue their legacy, we need to determine to become Citizens again. Educate yourself about our history, and that of other governments that preceded us. Vote with the conviction of a Citizen who expects the Constitution to guide our leadership. Insist on candidates who are "Citizen-Statesmen", not professional politicians. Beware of Party rhetoric - look for real substance. Don't blindly trust the media - they may also have an agenda. Above all, think for yourselves, while you still have the freedom to do it - before we are all just part of the "New World Order"!!!
Sincerely,
Tom Marcincavage
Florence, KY
