A GOP Congress

This is classic.  In today's News & Observer (GOP Cautions That Senate Control Will Have Limits), here are the things that are to be expected from a GOP-controlled Congress;
1.  Republican division within the party thwarting progress
2.  Presidential vetos
3.  Blockage of Obama nominees
4.  Democratic filibusters of bills
5.  Painting Obama and Democrats as "obstructionists"
6.  A focus on investigations of IRS, environmental regulations and Benghazi, Libya

Nothing about working towards solutions, building a better country, improving the economy for everyone, protecting our planet.  In other words, at least 2 more years of partisanship, roadblocks, ineffectiveness, obstructionism and a total disregard for the issues which effect everyday Americans by both parties of our government.  And, a good 18 months of focus on reelections with negative campaigning and big-money sponsored lies, fabrications and spin.  Doesn't it make you so proud?

Gerrymandering (again)

Back to my rant about the politically-motivated redistricting, Maryland and North Carolina are essentially tied for the honor of most-gerrymandered state. With average gerrymander scores of about 88 out of a possible 100, Maryland and North Carolina are home to some of the ugliest districts in the nation among states with at least three Congressional districts. In fact, North Carolina is home to three out of the top 10 most-gerrymandered districts in the country. Maryland is proof that gerrymandering isn't just a Republican pastime, as the state's Democrats redrew those boundaries in 2012. The standout in that state is the 3rd Congressional district, which is the nation's second-most gerrymandered and home to Democratic congressman John Sarbanes.

Aren't we so proud....

(Shoutout to my friend Mike King in Baltimore for this info.)

Talk about election fraud!

A conservative Super Pac sent out mailings to NC citizens with intentional erroneous information about how to register to vote.  Unbelievable.  Lunatic fringe groups are actually trying to keep people from voting.  If that is not treason, I do not know what is.  And they say they are for American values!!

Gerrymandering

States all across the country allow their legislature to redraw district maps so as to provide the majority party with election advantages.  Both parties do it when they have the majority.  The question is, why are they allowed to?  It creates a rigged election.  It makes many voter's votes worthless.  It essentially disenfranchises US citizens from the voting process.  What could be more un-American?

Voting districts should be drawn along county lines, and left that way.  It is the only fair way to ensure that all of a state's citizens can have their vote count.

Here is a map of the NC confessional districts.  I defy you to tell me how they make any sense beyond ensuring a rigged election?

Congress on vacation?

According to MSNBC, from mid July to mid November, member of Congress will have actually worked a total of 8 days.  Yes, there's not much of importance going on, so you guys should just take 'er easy.  I am sure getting re-elected is your priority, so you can return to Washington and do nothing until the next election.

No accounting for history.

Yesterday, members of Congress grilled Sec. of State John Kerry about the administration's approach to the ISIS problem.  At times, they were quite intense and even angry in their questioning.  However, at no time did any of them offer their own views on what should be done regarding an incredibly complicated and dynamic issue.  Religious and ethnic tensions are a part of the fabric of the middle east, have been for centuries, and will continue to be for centuries to come.  It would be helpful if our best political, international strategic and military minds would come together and share ideas to build a more systemic approach to the bigger problem, vs. simply laying blame and suggesting that current strategies and approaches have not and may not work.  However, that approach makes too much sense, and does not win political points in an election year.

It is simply Obama's fault.

Today, NC Senator Richard Burr, a staunch Republican conservative, blamed Pres. Obama for the ISIS uprising in Iraq/Syria.  Now, I am not a Democrat (I'm a firm Independent), nor am I an Obama apologist.  He has done plenty wrong.  However, how is it his fault that this group of radical Islamist terrorists, bent on destruction in an area where religious and ethnic fighting has been going on for thousands of years, succeeded in establishing a stronghold?

Everyone wanted our troops out of Iraq.  Let the Iraqis handle their own country, we said.  Obama brought the troops home as requested.  So, without our troops there, how is it his fault that the Iraq army could not contain and defeat the ISIS?

Burr is perpetuating the problem of extreme partisanship which has ruined our government.  Our politicians (on both sides!) are good at blaming, but never seem to say what they would have done differently.  Mr. Burr is no different.  It's just Obama's fault, but Mr. Burr has no better ideas of his own.  It takes no guts at all to blame someone else.  It takes courage to offer your own ideas and suggest a better way to solve a problem.  Obviously, Mr. Burr has no guts.

An open letter to Congress

An Open Letter to Congress

After watching stories of 9/11 heroes this past week, my mind went back to you, our elected officials in Congress.  I found myself feeling physically ill.

Collectively, you are an embarrassment to those who elected you, an embarrassment to our nation, an embarrassment to our constitution, and an embarrassment to your institution.  While our democracy represents the very best model of government in the world, you represent the very worst of it.  Your childish, spoiled, self-serving approach to governing is not only completely ineffective, it is a complete waste of our tax dollars, which pay your salaries.

Neither Republicans nor Democrats have all the right answers.  Neither Republicans nor Democrats are always wrong.  Yet collectively, because of your total focus on getting re-elected and making your own party look good, you as an institution are responsible for the fact that none of our major problems are being solved.

I am not a politician.  I am not a professional in finance or political science.  I am just an average citizen.  However, I would happily debate any of you publically regarding your behavior and approach to the issues, as your collective approach to governing this nation is indefensible.  If I were granted supreme power for a day, of all the things I could do, I would easily choose to have every single one of you fired, and start over with a whole new group.

I challenge each of you to do what you were elected to do.  That being serve this country, all of its citizens, by finding ways to solve our problems.  Real people are hurting.  Real people are suffering.  Real people’s lives are at risk.  Consider ideas regardless of where they come from.  Respect your colleagues, work together, compromise, and focus on finding solutions to the issues that are degrading our very way of life.

Stop acting like children, be adults, be civil, treat others as you would like to be treated.  Most of all, make serving the country your number one priority, above party, above re-election.  The heroes of 9/11 are looking down on you.  Based on your behavior over the past few years, can you truly raise your head and look them in the eyes?

July 10, 2014

  I love being an American, but right now, I am not in love with my country.  I am embarrassed by it.  Specifically, our political system, which has evolved from "of the people, by the people and for the people" to "of the money, by the money and for the money".  Our system of democracy is broken.  The control and decision-making is under the guidance of a greedy, power-hungry, egotistical and self-serving few.  Our two parties foster an environment of deceit, mistrust, divisiveness and partisanship at a time when our country and its citizenry cry out for solutions to huge and growing problems.

Thanks to a Supreme Court which has become a political machine of its own, the individual has little or no real influence on elections.  It is all about the money, who has it, and who is willing to part with it to get certain people elected.  Corporations are people we are told, which is about the stupidest thing I have heard in my life time.  Electoral districts are rigged to ensure those in office stay in office.  The first priority of elected officials is not to serve their constituency, but to get re-elected.  And the first priority of the Democratic and Republican Parties is not to solve problems, but to make the other party look as bad as possible.  Those in power are almost exclusively white, older than 50, men, and rich.  Not exactly a cross-section of America.  Our "leadership", from the White House to Congress to the State House, act like spoiled children who can't play well with others.  They embarrass themselves, our Democratic system, and our nation.

I truly believe the majority of Americans feel as I do, but all we hear from is what I call the "lunatic fringe", those at the extreme ends of the right and left.  They get the airplay because they are radical, they are well-funded, and they are newsworthy to our entertainment-oriented media.  But they do not represent mainstream America's views or concerns.  I firmly believe that the majority of Americans do no care where great ideas or solutions come from or who gets credit for them.  They simply want problems solved.  They are more than tired of the non-stop blame-game that goes on in Washington and in their own state capitals.  They are sick of hearing people attack their opponents in election campaigns.  They no longer believe in campaign promises.  Most of all, they want elected officials to listen to all options, be open to answers regardless of the source, be imaginative when looking for solutions, work towards compromise, and to act like responsible, respectful, and mature adults who are capable of working amicably and cooperatively with others.

This blog is dedicated to pointing out the ridiculous, embarrassing, self-serving examples in our everyday politics.  Each day, I will write about something that represents the brokenness of our political system, in hopes of generating some non-partisan movement to demand an end to this madness before our country becomes hopelessly lost.  I am neither Democrat nor Republican, but a fierce independent, with a healthy mistrust and dislike for both parties equally.  Neither the right or the left are always correct.  Neither has a monopoly on good ideas and neither is to blame for all that goes wrong in our country.

Let's start a movement made up of rational, open-minded citizens, to force our Democratic system back to where it was intended.  That being "of the people. by the people and for the people".  All of our problems can be solved if we work together, share ideas, and focus collectively on the common goal, that being solving real problems that affect all Americans, white or of color, rich or poor, young or old, men or women, Democrat, Republican or Independent.  As was once said, "a rising tide should float all boats".