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Thursday, November 04, 2010
Beyond November 2.
No. I haven't abandoned my blog altogether. Someone actually emailed me yesterday to see if I was okay, saying it just wasn't like me to stay so quiet during the election! Yes, Miranda, and all of you who've wondered the same thing but didn't ask, Granny is very well, thank you. I've just returned from my Hawaiian honeymoon, celebrating CJ's wedding and the finishing up of all the post-wedding tasks. And you KNOW I've followed the campaigns and the election closely...but I just didn't put a priority on blogging about it this time around, other than to encourage you to vote, which evidently raised hackles in some quarters. Regardless--if you voted and voted intelligently I applaud you. Yes, it's a civic duty and it should be a given, but in our culture it's NOT and that's all there is to it. I'm here as a small voice to help re-educate a couple of generations, including my own, who grew up without a good understanding of the responsibility and importance of the vote.
Something to be watching for: will the newly reconfigured House BAN earmarks, or will they just promise to "police" them? Earmarks are almost always a way for a House member, up for re-election shortly (or a senator, building his street cred), to get goodies for his district that the homies want but don't want to shell out the money for. He or she would rather spread the cost of that new park around to the rest of the states instead of being the bad guy who made it necessary to raise taxes on those poor folks who will actually use the park. Precious few earmarks are for anything that the federal government has any business paying for. And if they are, well then they're important enough to craft an actual BILL for and get a vote on it. Hey, novel thought...
Whatever happens, this is bound to be the most interesting two years on the national scene in my lifetime. Will we be so fickle as to wipe away our gains the minute someone dares whisper the words, "Raise the retirement age," or "Means-test Social Security for those now under 40," or "Get rid of the federal Department of Education" ? Yep, folks, if we cut up the credit cards we'll have to admit that we can't afford the way we've been doing it since the 40's. It was all an illusion anyway--sooner or later you run out of other people's money, especially when you're not making that many people any more. But woe to the first courageous lawmaker who utters these words the first time. Take away the stuff that helps the other guys, but mine is different. Cut Head Start, just don't cut the government grants my kids get for college. Cut Medicaid, but don't touch my deduction for my medical expenses. And on and on, ad nauseam.
Okay, so there are some of my post-election ramblings. No starry-eyed euphoria here, only the echoes of a song: America, may God shed His grace on thee...
Labels: Political Observation
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