2 rr's missing 3rd R

Our United States current Democratic Party administration of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden learned with the rest of our citizenry last week who their primary opposition’s vice presidential candidate would be.

Given that this man has been a very visible U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, actively involved in offering very controversial budget proposals in the past year or more, I am constantly amazed when I keep hearing news reports that many in the general population have never heard of him.  I find this more than just troubling, since I am always interested in knowing what government leaders are doing, or not doing, on my behalf.

When I think of  what this nation, people in every little town and on every farm have endured during the days of Wall Street and the banking world’s upheaval – the challenges we continue to face – how could people not be aware of or concerned about individuals such as him who are potentially instrumental in formulating plans they claim are needed to extricate us from this maze?

During the approximately 11 weeks remaining until our November election, we have the opportunity to thoroughly acquaint ourselves and others with as much as we can learn about these candidates, their beliefs, past actions, and plans that will significantly affect our lives and that of our children, grandchildren, future generations.  

A most succinct fact presentation of pertinent issues with information about these  candidates has been provided at Ronni Bennett’s “Time Goes By” yesterday and the previous day (8/14 and 13.)  

Whatever ones views about how to resolve our nation’s budget crisis, or if one has no view yet, I strongly urge you to read and give serious consideration to the facts she presents about Social Security solvency, Medicare’s and Medicaid’s healthcare dismantling.  The radical surgery proposed for these programs may not only be unnecessary but if done, and this was a true medical procedure, could be considered malpractice.  

Following is a slightly edited comment I was motivated to leave at TGB on those subjects.   

There can be little doubt about the goals of Republican Party Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, now that he’s selected Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate I concluded independently before reading here (TGB.)   [Romney has since been trying to distance himself from Ryan’s positions to keep from losing support.] 

Clearly the 2 rr’s (Romney and Ryan) every effort is directed toward channeling citizen monies to those wonderful financiers on Wall St. who did so much to bring us the Great Recession. The financiers and bankers are doing fine, but the same cannot be said for too many Americans.

I think it's incredibly naive to think this nation would have recovered much better under an administration run by the 2 rr's, or would now with what they propose.

I agree with an approach of gradually reducing this nation's debt and not at the wholesale expense of reducing/eliminating support for those whose life experiences have necessitated their needing assistance as the 2 rr's budget would impose.
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I believe there is value in offering individuals a hand up to get back on their feet when circumstances have created such a need. After reading one comment, [possibly from a troll] I do have to wonder why anyone would assume their children and grandchildren would sit around and not work just because assistance was available to others in need?

I, too, recall family members stories that old folks feared going to the poor house before the creation of Social Security as a safety net.   They knew of those who despite  lives of hard work, had unexpected health, accident, or business upsets that destroyed their financial base leaving them destitute.

I know of individuals who suffered such life setbacks.  They would likely have ended in a poor house had it not been for the safety net of social security and/or disability with Medicaid insurance coverage.  Incredibly to me was that they continued to support  the political party and candidates who were the very ones persistently trying  to undermine those safety net programs.  Those  beneficiaries were intelligent reasonable people in other ways, though locked into their ideology, but were blind to life's realities -- their own reality, right in front of them. 

Were they living today they would probably vote for the 2 rr's who I think of as capable of readin' and 'riting but lacking a 3rd R in 'rithmetics higher functions -- those that combine mathematical complexities with practical reasoning through rational thought. 

I see nothing that the 2 rr's propose that hastens the creation of jobs and begins to return to prosperity a decimated middle class in this nation.

I believe the 2 rr’s will try to privatize portions of Social Security  -- this would be a disaster as we should have learned from the recent financial markets collapse.  

I do see the 2 rr’s power play $$$ grab to consolidate control of our government into the hands of the uppermost  % of the wealthiest citizens and corporations – however unintentionally, or intentionally.

We must ask ourselves if this is the American Dream we want to leave our children, grandchildren and future generations?

Taxpayers Loan Financiers -- Update

As I watch what Congress is doing or not doing regarding this rescue plan some of what I wrote before the first vote was ever taken raises even more questions in my mind such as some of the add ons tacked on to this plan. We seem to have a bunch of Neros in Congress fiddling while Rome burns.

Most importantly, a critical vote is scheduled later today, and I, for one, continue to believe this rescue plan needs to be passed in the House. I'm appalled it wasn't passed on the first vote. We should get the names of all those who voted against passage and make a concerted effort to see this is their last term in office.

Fri., 10/03/08 12:13 A.M.

700 Billion Dollar Bailout Loan -- Rescue Plan

(Just added note: with this post Blogger has repeatedly not allowed me to publish which they describe as some sort of HTML code problem. Since I don't even type in any such code nor do I have any links on this post, I don't know what the problem is. If this post publishes it will be a minor miracle as I've been up all night with this, a feat I do not intend to repeat in the future just to publish to my blog.)

A mind-boggling series of political and financial events affecting our country as well as the world have transpired in these United States in the weeks since my last post. Regrettably, ongoing computer Internet connectivity problems I've noted earlier have hampered the ease and frequency of my blogging activity during this time period and continue to do so.

Also, on a personal level an active working younger colleague and friend startlingly learned within this same month-or-less time period she had a serious medical problem. Symptoms she had periodically experienced since the first of the year had repeatedly been undiagnosed. Finally, when the diagnosis was made, but only after frustratingly (to put it mildly,) extenuating circumstances, she was presented with few life choices. At best she could begin treatments maybe extending her life for an unknown short duration, or forego that medical intervention. Ultimately she chose hospice palliative care, but then hastened her own demise by voluntarily restricting food and liquid intake. All of us who cared about her could not quite believe the suddenness of her medical condition, or accept the reality that she left this world eight days later after making that decision and returning home.

During this time I've been able to stay fairly abreast of Presidential campaign activities using the whole media approach by availing myself of print, broadcast and Internet sources as I was able. My stated opinion beginning with my writing here about the Primary election campaign has been that I believe the candidates should restrict their discussion, speeches and debates to their stance on issues such as the economy, social security, health care, foreign affairs and the Iraq/Afghanistan war, though this is not a conclusive or hierarchal list.

I have been aware during this time of some political party introductions of what I consider to be extraneous matters. I believe they should be excluded as major campaign topics. Such topics are often the subject of negative campaign advertisements, and info news exploitation. These include distracting moral issues that should not be election political fodder to be used for fomenting division among voters, nor should they be government dictated legislative mandates.

I strongly believe introduction of emotionally loaded moral issues serve to be distracting. I think such actions are intentionally done to not only seduce a specific voter block group but to foment division within the country – the divide and conquer strategy. Such moral issues are not appropriately the subject of legislation or government dictates and yet some keep trying to make them so. In addition to these issues serving as a tactic to distract voters as was deliberately done in the previous two elections, they prove to be destructive to a forthright, honest, open election process and our democracy. I deliberately do not name these destructive issues here less the mere act of doing so promotes them more and distracts from the point of these thoughts.

Before these weeks we began to experience a deep rumble within the depths of our countries banking system. We became fearful realizing all was not well when a major Federal Reserve takeover of a bank occurred. Some other banks began seeking stronger financial partners. Many banks are still considered potential candidates to become insolvent, thus requiring assistance. We have yet to experience the full impact of this banking and thrift situation. Housing prices decline and decreasing loan availability to purchase a house continues to indicate a weakening market, also.

Simmering much like a volcano's molten lava deep within the much larger U.S. and financial world has been a declaration severe financial difficulties exist that threaten to destabilize International economies everywhere. Suddenly this volcano has exploded with the searing heat of overwhelming debt signaling the virtual collapse of major Wall Street financial firms. Their steaming rocks rain down on frightened investors large and small crushing stock values, financial houses, threatening tidal wave effects within our own nation and around the world.

Our government financial authorities have quickly come to our rescue devising a plan to avert the potential financial disaster but with one caveat. The plan must be adopted immediately, or financially we will all be sucked into a black moneyless hole. This admonition familiarly panders fear as a means to gain our immediate acquiescence to accepting this plan.

Our distress and anxiety levels over this matter are still very high as the days have passed. Still we know the plan has come from an administration known for deliberately, repeatedly lying, while nakedly stealing power and control for the executive branch, upsetting the governing balance our constitution intended to exist between the three branches – Executive, Legislative, Judicial. Why do I mistrust this latest threatening fear tactic?

As I write this, meetings have been in place with efforts to reach an agreement on exactly how this bailout loan for the financial sector will be written. That financial world has long been resistant to the thought they needed regulation and believe they should not be under any sort of meaningful enforceable government control. This same view has long been highly touted by the current administration and Republican Party. The current candidate of that political party seems now to realize financial regulation and enforcement might be needed.

But now their desperate presidential candidate has acted in such an impulsive way as to try and capitalize and politicize this serious financial issue by injecting himself into the process, no doubt to somehow try to somehow take credit for any final plan. Will his President be complicit in trying to facilitate this impression to aid in his election?

I am much more impressed with the thoughtful measured approach of the Democratic Party candidate. I also believe these two candidates should concentrate on debating each other on this and other issues in the remaining five campaign weeks. They'll each have their opportunity to vote on the final agreed upon plan when it comes before the Senate.

Days have passed since that first foreboding warning we must accept the plan first presented within that same day or the next. I don't presume to be a financial expert. Like so many I must depend on minds wiser than mine on this complex financial matter and yet there do seem to be common sense elements about the situation. I hope they keep my best interests in mind and do not squander my tax dollars on the undeserving. I can't avoid thinking that the financial entities wanting my tax money can likely make their admonitions become self-fulfilling prophecies. Would they be so vindictive and greedy for the almighty dollar, they would be willing to sell out our nation, despite what might be in the best interests of our country?

I am pleased some Congresspersons recognize they must stand firm and demand a few basic guarantees the loan plan adopted is not a bailout of these financial entities and individuals who have contributed so much to creating this financial fiasco:

• I don't think it's too much to ask that if I as a taxpayer provide my share of the 700 billion dollars bailout that I should expect to receive financial benefits paid in dollars against this loan as reimbursement for the use of my tax dollars. I think an interest rate similar to what these financiers have charged Main Street American customers such as myself all these years on loans, stock purchases, credit cards, bank fees, etc., would be appropriate.

• I want strict requirements and supervision over the equitable distribution of these loan funds both now and if additional future loan funds are extended.

• I want to see these companies roll back mortgage interest rates and take other specific measures designed to help Main Street Americans avoid foreclosure. The millionaires and billionaires with equally expensive homes do not qualify for this assistance. They likely have plenty of other funds at their disposal, not to mention all the tax rate benefits they've received in recent years the rest of us have not.

• I want to see executives of all the companies who borrow my tax dollars have cap limitations on the monies they receive in salary. Certainly bonuses are not warranted.

• One man alone should not be given the decision-making power of declaring who does and doesn't receive any of this money or even how much. I want language in the loan agreement preventing this blatant stealing of power however well intended.

• I want regulations required and enforced with more than just a statement "oversight" is being provided. I want limitations put in place on how these financial institutions function now and in future years. An overseeing committee convened after the fact of actions taken is not adequate insurance any of these companies will conduct business in an ethical or morally honest manner in the future, given their past history.
  

These items alone are the minimum provisions to which those who want to use my tax monies should have to agree before receiving even one of my hard-earned dollars, or a single one of my pennies either, for that matter.

Convention Countdown

(My blogging continues to be hampered by computer technical issues as noted in previous post and comments.)

Up date 8/23/08 -- News sources announce:

Democratic Vice Presidential Choice is

Sen. Joe Biden

The countdown to officially select U. S. presidential candidates continues. The two major political party 2008 national conventions begin:

Democratic – Monday, August 25^th in Denver, Colorado

Republican --Monday, September 1^st in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

All the other political parties have selected their candidates. There are a total of fourteen including some Independents and at least one write-in office-seeker you may read about at Wikipedia. ( Information is generally reliable at this site, but be aware of how the site is developed.)

We all know the primary parties presidential candidates identities and have known for many weeks. Yet, until the official nomination processes are completed the process is not official. The candidates have yet to announce their selection of a vice presidential running mate though Barack Obama has tantalizingly revealed his selection has been made. He will reveal this information at any time and provides a link on his website that will provide viewers the opportunity to be recipients of his announcement:

Barack Obama's Vice President Selection at "First To Know"

When John McCain announces his Vice Presidential choice and the political conventions conclude, we will begin to experience very intense campaigning until voting in our national election on Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

The latest poll results I've read indicate the two major candidates are basically statistically tied. Obviously, this is a pretty critical election, so all those voters who haven't yet chosen the candidate for whom they'll vote will be doing so over these remaining months before election day the first Tuesday in November.

I think we need to attend to candidates stances on the critical issues, demand they specifically discuss them, especially if.....

• we want domestic change from the status quo.

• we desire to re-establish democracy with individual rights and privacy that our constitution written by the founders of our country intended for us.
  

• we hope to regain respectability in the world.

We need to reject any candidate employing the divisive strategies of our most recent previous elections under the guise of playing on emotional issues, personal belief systems that do not belong in the political and legislative arena. Candidates who do so and voters supporting them betray the purpose and function of government in the interest of political gain at the expense of the very system of governance we profess to desire.

Unique 2008 USA Presidential Election

Future Election Primaries

I'm glad to see the USA Democratic Political Party has resolved who they expect to nominate as their Presidential candidate, Barack Obama. The National Republican Party had settled on John McCain as their expected candidate some time ago. Both political parties will officially designate their candidates this summer.

The original competing prospective Democratic candidates uniquely reflected gender and race differences. The expected final two national political party candidates have differing racial backgrounds, but that's just one factor making this year's Presidential election special in our country's history. I recognize, respect and honor that racial factor difference, but I don't intend to dwell on it any more than I would imagine the candidates see the need to do so. I hope they'll be allowed to focus their campaign efforts elsewhere in these months ahead.

I'm anticipating an election campaign that has the candidates debating the important issues that affect our daily lives and those of our country internationally, especially since all are so inter-related in todays' global economy.

Also, I hope the candidates, pundits, media-types and political junkies make every effort to keep the rhetoric focused on the pertinent issues through civil discourse.

We learned this year how election primaries can thwart our candidate selection process. I continue to condemn any primary election arrangements in future campaigns that prevent the electorate in any State from having the opportunity to vote for all the candidates. Rules that deprive individuals of their votes may be legal, but we saw in Florida and Michigan how convoluted government and/or political party manuevering adversely affected the rights of voters to participate in a meaningful primary election. We observed the muddled efforts to correct the problem after the fact. I believe in the rule of law -- ethical and moral application of just laws. Just because something is legal does not mean it's right and such limiting rules need to be changed, amended, eliminated, or whatever to protect all legal voters.

Voters in every State should protest loudly and clearly LONG BEFORE primary elections, should there be reason to believe they may be deprived of a legitimate meaningful primary election -- especially if circumstances develop as they did in Michigan and Florida this year with the Democratic Party candidates. If political parties and candidates are serious candidates, then each voter's ballot should provide the choice of selecting those candidates.

Candidates with their political parties are equally responsible to be certain they get their name on all States primary ballots for the sake of the voters and accurate primary election results.

Before our next primary elections I would welcome hearing others perceptions of the pros and cons of the various ways in which State primary elections are conducted.

My local California area uses the confidential election InkaVote ballot. I understand some other States use a much more open interactive caucus forum with which I have no first hand experience.

Is one of these systems preferable or superior to the other, and why?

Are there any other State primary election systems than these two types?

Just a reminder, we have about 21 more weeks until our November 2008 Presidential election date.

Lest anyone doubt it, this is a watershed year for change with much at stake for the everyday citizens of our nation and our democracy. We already know much about the Presidential candidates positions, but let's be certain we clearly understand their issue differences.

We want to make it strongly clear to all those chosen to represent our interests:

We demand accountability and expect our rights to be protected.