Monday, September 1, 2008

We Can Change That

Last week a house in Rockwall burned down. The firemen watched helplessly, since they could not use the fire hydrant that was directly in front of the house. It seems there is a law that fire hydrants do not have to be turned on or to have enough water pressure for fighting a fire. Does that sound like what happened to New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit? FEMA watched while people died. Washington and the White House waited while people died. We need to change that.

When Washington did react, they hired no bid contractors who hired subcontractors that who were allowed to hire workers who would work for less than minimum wage. Three years later, the levees are no better than before, capable of maybe resisting a category 3 hurricane, and whole districts still stand totally devastated. Over 300,000 people are still not home. We need to change that.

Does that sound similar to what has happened to our highway system over the past several years? Just ask those people in Minnesota about the bridge on I 35. Built in 1967, it was by no means the oldest bridge in daily use. August 1, 2007, the bridge collapsed. Thirteen people died and over 100 were injured. We need to change that.

The Federal Government’s own studies suggest that the majority of interstate bridges and railway trestles are sub standard.We need to change that. Texas, with the full support of the Bush White House, has answered this problem with a simple solution. Do not worry about road and bridge maintenance. Build toll roads. When I open my water bill every month, I see the words “access fees.” They can’t even call a tax a tax. And I hate to tell them, if everyone has to pay it, it IS a tax. We need to change that.

Today we can hardly drive down too many residential streets without noticing a “For Sale” sign outside some houses. Many of them have foreclosure signs on the door or window as well.Perhaps the former owners did not read the fine print about escalating predatory rates. Perhaps the former owners lost their jobs to an overseas company. Maybe the former owners had to pay catastrophically higher medical bills than their health insurance -- if they had any -- would pay. Washington and the White House wait and watch while Americans are thrown out onto the streets. We need to change that.

Coast to coast, people are hurting. That is not some fantasy, it is a statement of fact. Washington’s answer? They wait, or they funnel more money overseas to Halliburton, which now based in Dubai. Or they funnel over ten billion dollars a month to a military operation called Iraq. Do they even try to fix the problems at home? Do they end tax incentives for outsourcing American jobs overseas? No. We need to change that.

For example, as the number of asthma and autism victims rise, and we know that air pollution is at least partially responsible, Washington fights to allow companies to increase their levels of contaminates into the air by gutting the Environmental Agency. Rather than allowing old forests to grow and help to clean the air somewhat, Washington initiates new policies for transferring “management” to private logging concerns. We need to change that.

Rather than demanding Detroit re-design their vehicles to be more fuel efficient, as in Europe and Japan, Washington watches as US factories are closed down because the cars are not competitive with fuel efficient cars from overseas. Meanwhile, gasoline prices spiral upwards.We need to change that. Rather than developing non-polluting reusable energy like solar, wind, and bio-mass, Washington fights to license more coal burning factories. We need to change that.

Then Washington borrows money from China to buy foreign oil at hyper-inflated rates. Rather than focusing upon the educational needs of the various regions of the country, Washington tries to standardize tests and punish those schools that do not keep improving according to only those tests, not caring what the children are learning. Rather than helping students trying to enter colleges and universities, Washington cuts funding to both the schools and to the student loan programs. We need to change that.

Has your Congressman forgotten what they promised to uphold and defend when they took office? We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. We need people who will defend our country by making it whole once again. We need people who will insure the tranquility of the People by helping and not hurting the general welfare of the People. No, I say. No more, no way. We need to change that.

We need to change the people who call themselves our leaders for people who know really what is happening with real people. We need to change that. There are people out there who believe if maybe they play along with these Washington insiders then maybe they can get a few crumbs. A tax rebate of a few hundred dollars will not buy my vote, nor should it buy your vote either. They can't buy my vote.

When they call Democrats a tax and spend party, I would like you to remember their track record. Tax even higher and waste it overseas or give it to their friends as no bid contracts. Next November try to remember that anger that is righteous is anger that is sacred. Vote for the sake of yourselves, your children, and their children. Help me with your time, your money and your vote to help return our country back to us. Let’s return this country back to all of the People, not just the few.

Please vote for Tom Love for US Congress 24 in November.

The right change at the right time.

No comments: