Just Checking on my Memory and Ranting

Friends, I was raised in a very small town in Missouri.  As a little girl I was asked by my grandfather on my mother's side if I would be a democrat for a quarter...sure I will!  Then in less than a day's time, my Republican grandfather on my Father's side would say," Susie Q, I'll give you a quarter to be a Republican."  And I always said yes and collected my quarters.  My mother and father never talked politics in our house but we watched the news and election results closely.  Mom and Dad always said that they cancelled out each other's vote.  I am 61 years old now.  I have seen many policitians come and go.  I have even watched hours of coverage of Nixon's impeachment, I will never forget the day that Kennedy was killed.  I was in the 6th grade and they announced over the school PA system that the President of the United States had been shot.  One of the boys in my class made a comment that he hoped he died because he was just a democrat anyway.  The teacher stood in front of the class and lectured Kenny.  I cried, not because the president was a Democrat but because The President was a human being...with a family.  

Since the current Presidential election campaigning began I started to think I was losing my mind and my memory listening to all the political arguments.  Did Obama cause all the problems that people have accused him of?  As I remember the months leading up to the last election the country was in a downward spin, totally out of control, headed into a recession.  So I have been going back into the headlines in 2006, 2007, 2008 from different news papers.  I have read about the Pork added to bills...soft and hard.

This is what I found...I am proud to announce I have not lost my memory.

Year of 2008

Economy Stumbles Further (Nov. 7): The Labor Department reports that some 240,000 jobs were lost in October, bringing the unemployment rate to 6.5%, the highest point since 1994.

Dozens Die When a School in Haiti Collapses (Nov. 7): About 90 people, mostly students, die and at least 150 are injured when a poorly constructed church-run school collapses in Pétionville, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.

Treasury Department Shifts Course on Bailout Package (Nov. 12): Rather than buying troubled mortgage assets from banks and financial institutions as envisioned in the financial bailout package passed in October, the Bush administration says it will instead use part of the $700 billion authorized by Congress to help banks lend to consumers.

World Leaders Discuss Financial Crisis (Nov. 15): Officials from the Group of 20, which includes wealthy countries and those with emerging economies, meet in Washington and agree to tighten supervision of banks and credit-rating companies and consider controls on executive pay. They do not formulate concrete solutions to the crisis, however.

Stock Market Tumbles Again (Nov. 19): The Dow Jones falls 5.1%, or 427.47 points, to 7,997.28. It is the first time since 2003 that it has fallen below 8,000. The decline coincides with a report from the Labor Department indicating that the Consumer Price Index fell by one percentage point in October, the steepest one-month drop since the index debuted in 1947.

Government Rescues Citigroup (Nov. 23): Under the plan, the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. will back up to $306 billion in potential losses incurred by Citigroup from high-risk loans and securities and will inject $20 billion in cash into the troubled company.

Government Announces Another Plan to Help Economy (Nov. 25): The Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department will finance $800 billion in lending programs. The Fed will spend $600 billion to buy debt guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and other government-sponsored mortgage underwriters. The remaining $200 billion, financed by both the Fed and the Treasury, will help consumers secure student loans, car loans, small-business loans, and loans for credit-card debt.

Read more: November 2008 Current Events — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2008/nov.html#nation#ixzz2B7vAJw8g

Is wealth better?

This is another economic avalanche question. The biggest element of wealth for most people is the value of their home, and , the average family saw its total net worth fall 40% between 2007 and 2010, according to the Federal Reserve.

A recovery in wealth is underway, but it still has a long way to go. The Dow Jones industrial average is up 66% since Obama took office -- and has nearly reclaimed its 2007 peak.

But housing prices are up more than 10% in the past year, according to the National Association of Realtors. Home prices fell more than 30% on average between 2006 and 2010, and are now more than 40% of the way back to normal, says Jed Kolko, chief economist of real estate website Trulia.

Now let's look at fuel prices....

June 15, 2008—Speculators continue to push the price of crude oil. Consumers begin to literally run out of gas attempting to stretch their dollar.Hybrid vehicles are becoming a hot commodity. Stories of gas stations running out of gas begins to circulate, creating greater hysteria among the public.

July 7, 2008—Crude oil prices settled-in at a new record of $147 per barrel. The U.S. average price for regular gasoline climbs to an all-time high of $4.11 per gallon. Road trip style vacations are put on hold for many summer travelers.

Also, I think we need to evaluate our Senators and Representatives.  What are they doing for us?
When this country was falling apart and I watched an interview of  Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 

Even with the country on the brink of default, the Senate's highest ranking Republican says his "single most important" goal is to make Barack Obama a one-term president.

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told National Journal's Major Garrett in October.

Fox News' Bret Baier asked McConnell Sunday if that was still his major objective.

"Well, that is true," McConnell replied. "That's my single most important political goal, along with every active Republican in the country."

"But that is in 2012," he added. "Our biggest goal for this year is get this country straightened out and we can't get this country straightened out if we don't do something about spending, about deficit, about debt and get the economy moving again. So our goal is to have a robust vibrant economy to benefit all Americans.

At the time, I am asking old Mitch why he did not work on all these things while Bush was in office?  In my eyes he is committing treason.  When this country was struggling and people had lost their retirement funds, their homes, their jobs...my words were not kind...this is not a matter of Republican or Democrat...this is my children and grandchildren's future.

I don't care what party you belong to,  face up to our problems, quit with the lies and rumors, find the true facts.  We are an educated people, take the time to look up what bills your leaders propose and vote on,  Go to the real sources.  I know many people listen to Rush L...and believe every word he puts out there.
The three time married man, drug taking mad man is not a reliable source and he scares his listeners and gets people  all strung out on his twisted views...turn him off and read the papers, look up the truth on the computer at reliable sources.  Think about this:  if you had a neighbor guy that had 3 wives and could not hold his marriage together either time, that got hauled off to a drug rehab center and that ranted and raved like a mad man...would you think him to be creditable?

If only the money spent on this election had been applied to the federal deficit.

If the Senators and Representatives, judges, President, Vice President, drew the same social security check as the common Joe and not the big pensions after leaving office...and don't forget, they get the same health care as the rest of us...do you have any idea how much this country could save and apply to the debt?

How about anyone or company that outsources their labor or supplies to another country would not be able to take one single tax break?  Your free ride is over.  It is time to rebuild the middle class, the people who could afford to buy new cars, build houses, and make a decent wages.

It is OK to help people when they are down but if they don't want to help themselves...shut off the aide.  I know there is jobs out there.  Nursing homes can't get enough CNAs.  If someone gets disability, make them have a physical and reevaluate every 6 months.
If you are unemployed, look for work.  Who wouldn't sit at home and wait for unemployment to run out before going out looking for work.  If your line of work has dried up, take another job in another field.  I think we need to get back to everyone getting dressed, sitting at the employment office, proving that they are really looking for work.  Taking pride that they are pulling their own weight.

 If you smoke cigerettes or cigars, sign a waver that says I make my choices and I have that right to smoke but I will not be able to draw one cent of medicaid or medicare for lung cancer, heart disease.   The free ride should be over.   People need to be accountable for their own actions.

I also think if you want to have sex and make a baby that is OK if you can afford to do so.  I don't think the citizens should pay to raise that child.  If teens get pregnant, then the parents of that teen should be responsible to help pay the bills and raise the grand baby.  I get very angry when a young mother or father  gets a new tatoo but won't feed and clothe their own child and since they don't have jobs to start out with, I assume that they have received some aide to help them feed and clothe their child.

Forget the No student left behind therory...let's make it...Every student can excel to his fullest.  Let's challenge our students and be competitive with other countries.  Stop dummying down our students, not everyone is a book smart student, many students excel at different things, let's help each child to excel at his God given talent.

It is time that we all work together for the good of this country. It is not the North vs the South, the white vs the black, brown, red or yellow or the Democrats vs Republicans...it is time to band together, vote in people that want to work together to get this country back on its feet.    It is time that the minority no longer dictates to the majority...if you don't like the prayer, the pledge, or God's name on our currency...find yourself somewhere else to live.

God bless you for letting me rant..and .I am a happy woman with a good memory.   Please go vote the way you believe would be the best for the country but let others enjoy the freedom to vote as they see is the best for this country and then win or lose...we need to all stand together and get this country back on her feet again.