Janet Napolitano: "the system worked" ... really?

In a recent CNN interview after the failed terrorist bomb attempt to bring down a Northwest jet, Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano stated:

“One thing I want to point out is that the system worked. Everybody played an important role here. The passengers and crew of the flight took appropriate action.”

Knowing what we now know, if Napolitano really believes that the system worked then she needs to be replaced immediately. The system failed and it failed big time. The only thing that saved that jet was the inability of the terrorist to bring about an explosion. His efforts resulted in a fire; but not the explosion he had hoped to achieve.

It seems that the entire process of air travel needs to be re-examined. Working the lines of travelers the TSA security personnel are diligently finding and confiscating sharp objects, checking our shoes and laptops and seizing over sized tubes of toothpaste, while the highly paid experts at CIA and Homeland Security cannot recognize a possible terrorist even when that individual is called to their attention by a relative. To the average American with no more than a high school education a Nigerian flying on a one way ticket paid for with cash and having no checked baggage would probably raise suspicion. Those having this info and even more did not see this individual as suspicious. Janet Napolitano should immediately resign (or be fired) and all those in every agency who dropped the ball in this case should be reassigned to less intellectually demanding positions.

The current practice of allowing passengers to carry on all their baggage and then jamming it in the overhead compartments must stop. TSA personnel are spending too much time screening this stuff and too little time on screening passengers and the smaller items they carry on board. Airlines created this baggage problem when they began charging for checked baggage and it must stop.

Like many Americans I am losing confidence in the ability of our protective agencies to do their job. The Secret Service could not identify and stop a couple from crashing a formal White House state dinner. At the risk of being politically incorrect and viewed as profiling the U.S Army could not protect its own soldiers from an Islamic extremist on the grounds of Ft. Hood Texas and now we have the debacle of Northwest flight.

Today former vice-president Dick Cheney accused the President of "trying to pretend we are not at war". I am no fan of the former VP; but his accusatory comment speaks for the millions of Americans who dutifully go through the TSA airport security lines shedding their shoes and coats, having bags checked over and scrutinized and on occasion being subjected to a pat down body search while a wanabe Islamic terrorist with numerous indicators of suspicious behavior is allowed to board a U.S bound jet with bomb making chemicals in his boxers.

President Obama may say that we are at war with terrorists; but the carelessness of the CIA and the absurd comment that "the system worked" by Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano along with the failings of other agencies seems to support Cheney's comment that the administration's efforts are not as serious as President Obama states and the American public expect.

The RACE to the TOP

After enduring years of frenzy and frustration over the Bush inspired educational reform plan, No Child Left Behind, President Obama, a more athletic President, has given us yet another reform plan called The RACE to the TOP. Now students, whether they were left behind or not, must don their educational running shoes and join the educational version of the Great Race. Of course, as any American with a pulse knows the playing field for this race is not level. One only has to look at the states were money is spent on education and see that students in these states are equipped not only to participate in the race; but to win. On the other hand, states where education has been and remains a financial burden rather than a priority, their students will be out-distanced. Sometimes this disparity even occurs among schools in the same school district because of factors like: parental support, foundations, ethnicity, attendance, student behavior and an array of other socio-economic factors. Is it any surprise that the barefoot runners will face a much more difficult challenge than the well trained and well equipped runners?

No doubt there are many students who know how to "play school" in that they attend school on a regular basis, do their class and homework, have supportive parents, are not behavior problems and understand their duties and responsibilities. On the other hand there are far too many students who, when they do come to school, come to school to play. They are chronically late and/or absent. They do not do their class work nor their homework. Their parents have no control over their behavior in or out of school. Many of these students actively try and usually succeed in disrupting the educational process. By their negative and disruptive behavior they make it difficult for even veteran teachers and almost impossible for new teachers to teach and for the other students to learn. School administrators, instead of removing these disruptive students from the classrooms, expect and demand that teachers accommodate these malcontents in addition to teaching those who really want to learn. Yes, everyone has the right to an education and the rights of the majority should not be compromised by the disruptive behavior of a few.

Finally, there continues to be an absolutely misguided effort to set up school curricula that caters exclusively to the college bound and intentionally ignores the fact that a significant number of our students are not going to college and may not even graduate from high school. There is a significant work force in this country made up of the trades. True, there numbers have declined over the years as a result of out-sourcing; but the fact remains that this country still needs a work force skilled in the trades or the industrial arts. Students who have an interest in these trades have seen their educational opportunities diminish. In a sense, they are being discriminated against in that curricula is now being offered in a one size fits all manner. Unfortunately that size fits only the college bound. Maybe, just maybe the disruptive behavior that is escalating in our schools would begin to subside if programs, classes and curricula were offered for all students, not just the college bound. Do plumbers, mechanics, bakers, carpenters and electricians really need a four year college program to succeed ? On your mark ... get set ... Run !!!

Obama The New War President

President Obama addressed the American people this evening from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Obviously this was the appropriate audience before whom to speak as many of the cadets will wind up in Iraq, Afghanistan or possibly Pakistan, where some believe Osama Bin Laden is hiding out. Thankfully there were few civilians around so the Secret Service did not have to fear gate crashers.

The President began with a Cliff Notes like summary of our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan since the attack of September 11th. He reminded us that not only did our own House of Representatives and Senate overwhelmingly approve and support military action but the even the UN gave its blessing. Of course he omitted the fact that our response was based on the misinformation and lies of the Bush administration.

President Obama worked hard to convince us that we had moral, ethical, economic, military and security reasons to not only continue our presence in Afghanistan; but to increase the number of ground forces by 30,000. It was an excellent speech almost in the style of a pep rally talk before a big game. He told the American people that NATO is with us in this expanding ground war. One would think that there is a multi-national ground force in Afghanistan; but this is far from the truth. This is a United States War with only token NATO and UN support. The continuation of this big game is going to be very costly for this country. The former Soviet Union had its years in Afghanistan and got its ass kicked.

It is unfortunate to see President Obama become another U.S. President mired in a hopeless foreign war when his attention should be focused on the multitude of problems facing this country within our own borders. Consider the following article by columnist Bob Woodward from December 28, 2006:

"Former president Gerald R. Ford said in an embargoed interview in July 2004 that the Iraq war was not justified. "I don't think I would have gone to war," he said a little more than a year after President Bush launched the invasion advocated and carried out by prominent veterans of Ford's own administration.

In a four-hour conversation at his house in Beaver Creek, Colo., Ford "very strongly" disagreed with the current president's justifications for invading Iraq and said he would have pushed alternatives, such as sanctions, much more vigorously. In the tape-recorded interview, Ford was critical not only of Bush but also of Vice President Cheney -- Ford's White House chief of staff -- and then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who served as Ford's chief of staff and then his Pentagon chief.

"Rumsfeld and Cheney and the president made a big mistake in justifying going into the war in Iraq. They put the emphasis on weapons of mass destruction," Ford said. "And now, I've never publicly said I thought they made a mistake, but I felt very strongly it was an error in how they should justify what they were going to do."
In a conversation that veered between the current realities of a war in the Middle East and the old complexities of the war in Vietnam whose bitter end he presided over as president, Ford took issue with the notion of the United States entering a conflict in service of the idea of spreading democracy.

"Well, I can understand the theory of wanting to free people," Ford said, referring to Bush's assertion that the United States has a "duty to free people." But the former president said he was skeptical "whether you can detach that from the obligation number one, of what's in our national interest." He added: "And I just don't think we should go hellfire damnation around the globe freeing people, unless it is directly related to our own national security."

Iraq & Afghanistan -- Vietnam II & III

In the preface of former Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara's, apologia on Vietnam, In Retrospect - The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam, one will read:

"We of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations who participated in the decisions on Vietnam acted according to what we thought were the principles and traditions of this nation. We made our decisions in light of those values. Yet we were wrong, terribly wrong. We owe it to future generations to explain why."

Tens of thousands of American service men and women died in Vietnam and billions of tax payer dollars were wasted and in 1995 Mr. McNamara writes that it was a terrible mistake. That mistake is part of our history. As this country continues to stumble haphazardly through Iraq and Afghanistan one can only wonder if our current elected and appointed leaders remember the debacle of the United States policy in Vietnam. Did our current political and military decision makers study world history and political science? Have they forgotten the cost to the USSR after its 10 years of war in Afghanistan? Consider the warning of philosopher George Santayana "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it". It appears as though we are repeating the mistakes of our past.

It is becoming more obvious every day that the lessons of Vietnam have been lost and forgotten. As a result of the Bush administration's lies and deviousness we now find ourselves militarily involved on two fronts: Afghanistan and Iraq. We seem to have no clear military object nor do we have a rational political objective. I seem to recall Obama's campaign pledge to get the US out of both Afghanistan and Iraq. How does the plan for sending tens of thousands more troops into Afghanistan bring about this promised withdrawal?

The President continues to meet with his war council trying to decide how many more U.S. troops he will send to Afghanistan. I tend to agree with the skeptics that the decision has already been made to send tens of thousands of additional ground forces. The delay in announcing this troop build-up is due to the fact that the right language has not been formulated by which to make the announcement and convince the American people that this unpopular war will continue ... indefinitely.

In the mean time we have seen Secretary of State Clinton standing with that fraud of a President Hamid Karzai promising all who will listen that he will try to do a better job. American soldiers now have to conduct themselves as if they were a civilian police force in dealing with suspected enemy detainees, complete with evidence gathering and paperwork. All the while the money keeps flowing out of the USA and into the black holes of Iraq and Afghanistan. To date these two wars have cost the American taxpayers almost $935,000,000,000 ... read that as 935 billion dollars and it will more than likely exceed one trillion dollars by year's end. To see the counter go to ---- http://www.costofwar.com/. Imagine what this amount of money could have done for the U.S. economy had it not been wasted in and on Iraq and Afghanistan?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

THOMAS MICHAEL SEABY
1949 - 2009

Thomas M. Seaby, husband to Judith (nee) Coleman Seaby, father of Kimberly Seaby Smith and Kristin Seaby, grandfather to Jakob and Dylan Smith and brother of Robert J. Seaby passed away on Tuesday, October 20th at the age of 60.

My brother, Tom, was born in Baltimore City on March 20, 1949. He attended St. Rita Parochial School and Dundalk Senior High School. After graduating from high school Tom began a career working for the state of Maryland. In August of this year he retired from his position as a Maryland Transportation Safety Inspector. Tom spent his entire life in the Dundalk community most recently residing on Washington Rd. In his spare time Tom was an active amateur radio operator and enjoyed the company of his fellow "ham" radio operators. He enjoyed trips to the Western Maryland countryside, collecting antique pocket watches and the company of the family's cats and dogs.

He will be missed by his family and many friends and remembered as a big man with an even bigger heart.

Family

Although the news has been full of stories and topics that ordinarily would have had me offering my opinions and comments, I have been busy with family health issues. My father was dealing with heart problems and my brother is battling cancer. On July the 30^th my father lost his battle; but my brother continues with chemo therapy and radiation. Dad’s passing was sudden. Around noon on the 30^th I spoke with him and he told me he was dealing with a clogged kitchen sink. He was in good spirits and we had a lively conversation. At the end of the call I told Dad I would call him over the weekend. His usual response was “Call anytime … I’m always here”.

My niece, Kim, made her scheduled visit to see my Dad later that day to help him set up his meds for the week and just check in on him. She found him upstairs. He had had a heart attack in the hours after my telephone call and before her arrival. She made the 911 call but Dad was already gone. It has been difficult for family because Dad’s passing was so sudden; but I suppose it was a blessing for him. These last months he had become increasingly worried about his ability to remain independent and continue to live in his own home. Because of Kim’s involvement Dad was able to stay in his home and keep his independence and dignity. He was loved and he will be missed.

Robert Anthony Seaby

1924 - 2009

Robert A. Seaby, husband to the late Patricia Ann (nee) Graham, father of Robert James and Thomas Michael, grandfather to Kimberley Smith, Kristin Seaby, Lauren Seaby, Brian Seaby and Matthew and Devin Davis and Great Grandfather to Jakob and Dylan Smith passed away on Thursday July 30th at the age of 85.

Mr. Seaby was born in Baltimore City on January 19, 1924. He attended Sacred Heart Parochial School and Baltimore Polytechnic High School graduating in 1942. Immediately after graduating from “Poly” Mr. Seaby began working for the Western Electric Company at Point Breeze. He entered the U.S. Army in March of 1943 at the age of 19. He was assigned to the 976^th Field Artillery Unit with the 5^th Army and saw action at Anzio and Monte Casino. Mr. Seaby was awarded two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart for the injuries he received while serving in Italy.

Upon his discharge from the Army in 1945 he married his high school sweet heart, Patricia Ann Graham. Mr. Seaby returned to work at Western Electric as a draftsman and he retired as a mechanical engineer in 1978. He and his wife Pat resided for most of their lives in Dundalk where he was an active member of St. Rita Parrish. His wife, Pat, passed away in December of 1993. They were one year shy of their 50^th wedding anniversary.

Throughout his life Mr. Seaby enjoyed tinkering around the house, yard and garden and for many years he and Pat were proud owners of Golden Retrievers. Prior to and after his retirement he was an active member of the Dundalk American Legion Post No. 38, serving as Adjutant for several years. During the early fall season both Rob & Pat enjoyed visiting Ocean City. Pop-Pop, as he was called by his grandchildren, enjoyed family gatherings, a cold glass of iced tea and a well made crab cake

CALIFORNIA'S BUDGET MESS

CALIFORNIA’S BUDGET MESS

California voters overwhelmingly rejected the Governor’s fix the budget or bail out propositions (1A through 1E) and now it is pay back time. The Gov. has proposed the closures of state parks and beaches. This scene is from an old script and must be in a secret book passed from one Governor to the next.

Remember Prop. 13? Of course we do … everyone remembers Old Prop 13. Big Bad 13 was a voter reaction to a greedy state legislature that was sitting on a multi billion dollar state surplus and still wanted more money from California tax payers and especially property owners. After Prop. 13 was passed we experienced cuts in many services that were designed to get even with the voters. Schools were hit hard, libraries hours were cut, other public services cut back and numerous fees were increased.

Now decades later, the teeth have been knocked out of Prop 13 due to the fact that properties are bought and sold fairly often in California. Some one buying a home in the California today will pay 1% of their purchase price in property taxes every year. A home costing $800,000 with carry a property tax of $8000 per year.

So why is California broke? Our economy ranks as one of the top ten of all countries in the world. California is ranked 4^th in the amount of taxes we pay. Vehicle Licensing Fees have been raised again and sales taxes are approaching 10%. Where is the money being spent? Maybe it is time for a critical audit of the state’s collection and spending procedures. Maybe it is time to close the special exemptions and loop holes.

For example read about Larry Ellison’s $3,000,000 tax break at http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9904708-7.html. Mr. Ellison is California’s wealthiest citizen and is listed as one of Forbes 400 wealthiest individuals. He successfully argued that his $200,000,000 Woodside estate suffers from "significant functional obsolescence" and was taxed too high. He got a $3,000,000 tax break. One can only wonder how many of California’s wealthiest residents suffer from similar hardships. Add to this picture the tax money our legislators waste on their sacred cow projects, personal perks and unnecessary commissions and the total is probably mind numbing.

I suggest our state legislators carefully study the budgets of the following states: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming as these states collect no personal income tax! Tennessee and New Hampshire tax only dividend and interest income. How do they do that? Where do these states get the money to operate? How do they do it?

We hope to relocate to Washington State very soon.