Thirty Days Ago ….

It has been about thirty days since I last wrote and so much has happened. George Dubyah and his sleazy sidekick, Little Dick are out and Barack Obama and Big Joe are most definitely in. It has been an incredibly educational and informative experience watching the Presidential appointments take place. I had no idea so many Washington players were so confused by the federal tax code. It really is true that two of life’s certainties are death and taxes.

Now we have the continuing saga of the Stimulus Package. Watching the behavior of the House and Senate Democrats and Republicans can be both amusing and confusing. Traditionally, the Democrats were the party of Main Street; but their concern over saving Big Banks and propping up Wall Street and ignoring the plight of the jobless and those facing foreclosure is astonishing. The Republicans, on the other hand, have always been more concerned about the economic health of their brothers in Big Business and Wall Street and less concerned about the difficulties of the middle class on Main street. However; it is the Republicans who seem more concerned about the middle class and are vehemently opposed to the Democratic appropriations (the pork) designed to ingratiate themselves with their special interest groups.

Presently various leadership roles are being filled and some of the choices are very puzzling. Timothy Geithner, the new Secretary of the Treasury, has made decisions both personal and professional that demand further scrutiny and questioning. Furthermore, it is probably a good thing that Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services considering his recent role as a lobbyist and special policy advisor for a health care focused Washington law firm.

While President Obama is setting up his new team one can only hope that he takes a very close look at the federal agencies that were set up protect and safeguard the public. FEMA, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, SEC and the FDA, to name a few, all have miserable track records and basically can not be counted on to serve and protect.

Closer to home we have the unbelievable, unnecessary, irresponsible and continuing budget stalemate in Sacramento, California. Hard working state employees are being furloughed two days a month without pay while the Sacramento dead beats continue to suck up their latte’s and play on their lap tops and bicker over the growing $42 billion dollar state deficit. In the words of Thomas Paine: “Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way!”