politics

So, I'm riding in the car with one of my coworkers on the way to work, and we began to talk about politics. I said that I don't think people are letting Obama prove himself becasue they expect fast action to fix an economy (and country) that in my opinion has been plahued since at least the sixties. He asked me: "Well, what has Obama done so far?" I told him that I like the fact that Obama has tried to fix the healthcare in the States. His reply was, "My mom is in the healthcare industry and she said that his plan is cray because it will make people like us (teachers, etc) have to pay double what we are currently paying in order for the plan to work." It go tme thinking. You know I'm all for Obama (besides the fact that he was tons better than McCain, I think he can actually change America if not a lot then at least a little), but I began to ask myself what has Obama done?

I went to google and typed in, "What has President Obama accomplished so far?" Hmmm....it was not very complimentary. One site said that he, "accomplished two things: Jack and Squat", others said that he's done nothing but, "impose deadlines that are not being met. Congress is not scared of President Obama and his ultimatums and deadlines." I began to ask myself, "did unemployment go down?" I looked it up: too complicated for me to understand. Where is a nice and simple graph when you need one? They had one, but it stopped in 2008 and clearly Obama wasn't president then. So, I asked myself, "what exactly is his healthcare reform bill?" I looked that up, but it was a bunch of jargon that I could not understand. Don't get me wrong, I'm a very intelligent person, but I spend most of my days teaching kids, so it's not like I exactly have a chance to take a refresher course in: "What in the world does this legal mumbo jumbo mean".

I realized that I am like plenty other Americans; I don't understand crap about what's going on in our economy! I don't know what these bills mean, and I am just relying on the people I've elected to know what's best for me and everyone else in America. But isn't that wrong? I mean I'm not saying that I want to go out and tackle every single problem in America. I am saying, that I should at least be informed in language and terms I can understand about the issues that face our country. You know if I come across a text in a language that I don't know (like Spanish), I can always copy the text, go to freetranslation.com and paste the text in a box click a button and viola! that text is turned into plain English. Why isn't there a site I can go to where I can type in this legal, political mumbo jumbo and click English and it's translated into plain terms that everyone can understand? Part of Americans' problems stem that we don't understand the issues until they've been voted on and either put into place or shot down.

What about the people like me who don't have cable television and don't receive local news channels (although tomorrow I will have cable, yay me!)? Or who don't have the radio and rarely ever see the newspaper. I have to rely on the internet at work to connect to AOL to find out what's going on. Then the issue of which websites will report the facts and not their opinions. I feel lost in this new political arena. I'm 26, young and interested in politics and what's going on in our world, but I don't enderstand half the crap that's being said. Think about all the other people out there like me: interested in what's going on, but without the means to find out and understand what is actually going on. Or people who don't even have a computer (I at least have that at work 5 days a week). It's mind boggling, how many people can become informed and powerful if they just knew what was happeneing!

I know for me these are things I think need to be addressed in this country: healthcare (obviosuly) that doesn't overtax lower and middle classes (will explain about upper class in a minute); education (effective education and can teachers get a raise, we work HARD!!!); our economy (why are we giving bailouts to companies and not to the people? Doesn't it stand to reason if the people get the money, most of that money will in turn be given to these companies who need the bail out? We all need transportation, homes, and a good bank); all these wars (ummmm....America has enough issues without jumping in to help other countries who only want our help, not NEED our help. I'm all for helping others, but only those who NEED our help, not want our help. There is a difference between needs and wants; if you don't know, ask your mom or better yet ask mine, she'll be happy to explain!); unemployment (clearly, there needs to be a change, and unemployment should be surveyed. Is it that you can't find a job or is it that you're picky about what job you take? Could you have a job at McDonald's even though you have a doctorate? I mean get a job where you can until something in your field opens up!); student loans (ummm...companies like Sallie Mae are raping students in college and fresh out of college; interest rates are ridiculous; and the harassing phone calls are a bit too much. They also have no patience or understanding, but that's a rant for another day.); banks/credit card companies (these companies are just making money off of ridiculous interest rates, and pther dumb fees.); and credit (can we redo the whole credit score system?). These are just a few that I am interested in seeing a change in.

About upper class people, they make a good bit of money and they are entitled to that money, but if you're making 10 million a year, and thae government wants a million, please don't complain about your taxes. You can afford to give that and live on the other 9 million. Try living on about $50,000 a year and the government takes about $5,000 of your money. Oh and you have a family of four. $45,000 sounds like a lot in numbers, but wait until you factor in BASIC bills, uh uh $45,000 ain't gonna cut it! So don't whine when you still have millions or even hundreds of thousands to live on. Come to me when you start living pay check to pay check and can barely put food on your table and gas in your car; then maybe we can talk. Although in truth if you're having problems managing that much money, give it to me and I'll manage it for you!

Well, I was a little long winded, but I really had some things that I felt needed to be said. Oh! And if you know of anything that President Obama has done for our country (besides show that a Black man can be elected President) please please please let me know (along with providing the sources where I can confirm what he's done!).

Alicia