Tag Archives: government

17

Mar. ’24

My Social Security

Over sixty years ago I started paying into Social Security. Being young and dumb, I knew nothing about social security or even there was such a thing. All I knew was one thing or another was taken out of my check each payday. I’ve been working since my teens, making very little money, and did whatever the government said I had to do. I didn’t know about all the laws the government had nor did I care, with the exception of one law, the draft, and they would be coming for me when I turned eighteen.

               I dodged the draft by joining the air force when I graduated high school and quit my job. I remember I was shocked to work 24/7 and, after everything was taken from my pay, got sixty dollars every two weeks (on day fifteen and thirty of the month). I made more as a civilian and only worked eight to ten hours a day five or six days a week. I figured it was only for four years and I wasn’t in the army. I actually stayed in the air force twenty years.

               Here I am receiving my social security and I read the who, what, and why about it. It’s a beautiful thing to know I will receive my money to help me in my old age which is also helping me pay my mortgage. Now I heard and have read that Trump want to take my earned money. The money I worked for, looked forward to, and now depend on is to be taken away if and when he becomes president again.

               A couple of people laughingly said he is only joking. I say, if a person has a gun to your head and says he will pull the trigger, believe him. I did not steal this monthly money. I did not beg for this money. I worked for over fifty years for this money. It is not a ‘give me’, it is an entitlement that the government owes me and promised I will get it until I die.

               Why does Trump want to mess with social security I do not know. When I am homeless, I guess I will pitch a puptent in the White House (it’s the people’s house). Getting a retirement check and social security is just enough to pay the bills I have to pay and have a little left for a little fun.

               I still don’t see why people are for Trump with all the entitlements under attack. There are many other things that he has said he will do that I think will change the way most of us live and it is not for the better for me and my entitlements. I say, leave my way of living alone and let me receive my entitlements. In other words, to keep my social security by keeping Trump out of the White House. It’s crazy that people still want him with all the federal and civil charges against him.

               Remember, he has padded the SCOTUS, civil and federal courts, and other agencies with people that are loyal to him and those that are not loyal to him will be fired, like the RNC. Almost a dictatorship. But that is for another blog.









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01

Oct. ’23

Our Congressmen

Here we go again. Government shutdown! Among the many things I dislike about politicians, this, if not in first place, is close to first place. While everyone is suffering because they will not be paid and bills will be due, the politicians will be paid and will be on vacation. If I am not being paid, being laid off, etc., why should they be paid for doing nothing and keep their job? It is their job to fund the government, but they want to use the shutdown as a bargaining chip to get what they want.

               It was known, long in advance, that money must be voted on to keep the government running therefore there is no reason to wait until the last minute to do it. The Senate is awaiting the House of Representatives to get together and pass spending bills so that they may vote on it to give to the President to sign (although the Republicans fault the President for doing nothing, it is them that must get the paperwork to him). This takes time and, listening to some Congressmen, they either don’t care and want to leave Washington for a break, or they think there is plenty of time to get it done (some Republicans are heard on tape saying they want a shutdown). (***this is being written five days before the shutdown deadline***)

               Then there are those (like the Congressman that is preventing military promotions) that have said to the media that they want certain things before they will okay a spending bill. It seems that when the Speaker of the House nods to the side that is holding out, suddenly, they want more, they up the ante. As the saying goes, ‘you can please some of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time’.

               As I said in a previous blog, most people do not keep up with the news. For those that do not know, this is only a partial list of hardships caused by a government shutdown. The great majority of the federal government will not be paid, and most offices will close. Government contracts will not be paid, which will mean contractors, working for the government, will not be paid. But the Congressmen will be paid. You voted for them and still plan to continue to vote for them.

               When people that work for the government are not paid, rent is not paid, stores lose customers, there is not any money to spend anywhere. Everyone suffers because of the shortage of money. Recently the government’s financial rating dropped from AAA to AA+ and will probably drop lower which will mean interest rates will go higher around the world. You think things are high now, just wait and start to dig deeper into your pocket.

               Couple all of this with the auto industry strike and there is a bad situation. There is no work for anyone except for the Congressmen and they are taking a break. They have worked hard at doing other things except for funding the government. Hunter Biden, Hilery Clinton, President Biden’s finances, and the upcoming trials for the former President (to name a few) took priority. Trying to expose the January 6th findings took priority. Defending crooked Congressmen took priority (Democrats immediately asked their crooks to resign). Talking to the media and media shows took priority. Spreading disinformation took priority.

               This is not what they were elected to do. They were elected to represent their constituents in getting what they want done. Instead, they are looking out for their own interests, not their constituent’s nor the USA populace. We the people suffer so that they live on without worry.

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23

Jul. ’23

I Am Not Stupid

I may be dumb, but I am not stupid. What do I mean? It’s an old saying meaning a person can tell you anything that pleases them, but you are not dumb enough to believe. You have a mind of your own and don’t need them to tell you what is or isn’t. What am I talking about?

               Senator Tommy Tuberville, Republican from Alabama, is a one-man-band holding up the promotions and nominations of hundreds, plus, of military people. Many, if not most, Congressmen will go to extremes to secure whatever bill or talking point that they are interested in. What Tuberville is doing is preventing crucial promotions to force the Pentagon to change a military rule/law. Promotions that are critical to the wellbeing of the military and its performance.

               Tuberville does not want the military to cover the travel and time off when military members must go out of state for an abortion. With his boycott, he is on the brink of disturbing the stability of the Joint-Chiefs-of-Staff because they serve for a certain length of time. Others must be promoted to the proper rank to take the position. Then there are the lower tiers of the military that have commanders that must be promoted to take the position. Withholding these promotions can harm the fighting capability of the military.

               I do not understand someone that is willingly harming our fighting forces at a time when we really must present a super strong military to the world. I understand why he is doing this, but I do not understand why he is continuing, knowing the damage being done. I do not understand the Republicans that will not lift a finger to help the Democrats to stop this. I also do not understand how so much power is given to one person that the entire Congressional body have their hands tied.

               I am not against him because he is a Republican, I am against him because the military is being harmed. This is an unnecessary tactic that can be handled in a different way. Now that Tuberville’s tactic is successful, what is coming next? Who else will use this as a tactic to get what he/she wants? Why do ‘we the people’ put up with this or do they even care? Do the ‘blackmailers’ think we are all stupid. I may be dumb, but I am not stupid.

               I see the handwriting on the wall. If one Congressman can do this to get what he wants, others will try it until it does not work anymore. That will put the screws on a lot of things that must be done to keep the government functioning. They must really believe that ‘we the people’ are dumb as well as stupid.

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28

May. ’23

I Should Have Been A Congressman

I have had a full-time job (including the military) since I was fifteen years old. There were times I worked seven days a week, working two jobs and once I had three. Hours working was from twelve to sixteen hours with a smile on my face. Why? I was making a dissent living and after paying the bills I had a little left over to have something in my pocket. Except for the military, there weren’t enough hours in the day for much partying, but I wasn’t angry about that.

               While in the military there was once a time when the military had just started direct pay to the bank for us and that was at the time when Congress didn’t pass the budget or something like that. I was stationed in Europe and really didn’t know what was going on. When I was in the military, I didn’t keep up with what the politicians were doing. Well, those that did not have direct pay did not get a paycheck. I was lucky because I opted to have direct pay because I regularly went TDY (temporary duty) elsewhere and I didn’t have to be on base to get paid.

               I said all of that to say this. As I write this millions of people are set to not get paid because Congress is not increasing the debt limit. They can’t get their act together and lookout for the little guy. This affects the entire world, economies will tumble, especially ours. The people in Congress have left town for the Memorial weekend. I had very few holidays off before I retired, I should have been a congressman.

               Thinking about being a congressman, they not only left town before okaying the debt bill, but they will get paid when the rest of us do not. This means social security checks, retired pay checks, government debt, etc. will not get paid but congressmen will. A little while ago they asked for a pay raise. I should have been a congressman.

               I also look at how congressmen act. They act as if they are above everyone else and can say and do whatever they want. Even the few that are caught in the act of doing wrong know that it will take a very long time to actually be formally charged, then another very long time to go to court. If convicted there will be appeal upon appeal before any possibility of jail. During all these years the congressman will be out on bail, most likely on their own recognize and will still be in office. Normal people would have been tried, convicted, and done the time in jail before the congressman goes to trial. I should have been a congressman.

               To be a congressman would make me feel dirty and I would hate to see people I know are doing wrong. I know it sounds bad to say I don’t want to be a congressman because it is a dirty job, but I have morals and most of them do not. But the bottom line is, I have worked all my life and I want and need my money. The congressmen need to do the job they are overly paid to do. 

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14

May. ’23

Oaths

Oath: A solemn promise, often, invoking a divine witness, regarding one’s future action or behavior.

               Everyone takes an oath, whether they realize it or not. I will name a few, not all, because I know I will miss a lot of them. Oaths are given when someone is taking a government job (federal, state, or local). This includes enforcement of the law, military, doctors, nurses. Lawyers, etc. When you rent an apartment, you will sign a contract or when you buy a car (promise to pay or that what you put on the form is truthful). There are many organizations and clubs that require it. I think you understand what I mean. Oath covers a lot of territory.

               Rep. George Santos has admitted he is a liar and took the oath of office. Now he is charged with several things including lying to Congress. A breach of the oath. He stated he will not resign but the people that voted for him and elected him knew most of what he is accused of before the election. Even the Speaker of the House stands by him and said he wants to see if he is found guilty or not. There have been many other people that have been accused of something and were made to resign. The Republicans can not afford to lose one vote and I think that is why they are standing by him until this is bought to a head.

               Another (this will ruffle feathers) is ex-President Donald Trump. Becoming President, he took the oath of office and shattered it into a million pieces. Before and after becoming President, he signed many contracts and rarely was he true to them. When he was charged with rape, he was given a chance to meet his accuser in court and did not appear. Yet, he told his followers he was not given the chance. I believe he did not appear because he would have had to take an oath. I do not understand why that matters to him because he broke his oath numerous times in the past.

               I will mention one last person and that is the guy that was in intelligence service for the military and posted on the internet what he wanted. Of course, he had to take an oath and he shattered that oath for whatever lame brained excuse he gave. He not only hurt our government but other governments around the world.

               To list all the government officials that took the oath and broke it is impossible to list. That list is too long to even think about, especially those from the last administration. Today, oaths mean nothing. Back in the day, a simple handshake was all that was needed. There was also a time when a person gave their word and that was all that was needed.

               I have taken many oaths and kept all of them. I could not afford to be caught breaking an oath because I am a little guy and before I could recite my name, I would be so deep into the catacombs of prison that daylight wouldn’t reach me. I guess keeping true to the oaths taken is for the little people like me.

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02

Oct. ’22

Book Sense and Common Sense

When I was in the military, we had a saying about many officers and it was, ‘lots of book sense and no common sense’. This also applies to some NCOs as well. Not all of them were like that but there were plenty to go around. These people stayed in some sort of school, always into their books but when it came to thinking outside of the box, what is not found in a book, they were lost or would do or say something crazy.

               There are a lot of people in Congress, state and local government that run in the same pact. They can say what you need to hear or want to hear but never enacted what they have said. They are good at telling you what need to be done or tell you what to do but have never done it themselves nor realize what the outcome will be. Every situation is different with all sorts of variables which mean there must be some sort of fine tuning to complete the task.

               There are many people that cannot think beyond the box and have been put into a position due to who they know or who they owe, etc. but they do not have the knowledge, expertise, or anything that qualify them for the position. I have seen a lot of them when I was in the military. There is one in Congress (there may be others that made it in because of this situation) that was elected because her opponent had to drop out for personal reasons, and she ran unopposed. If the opponent had not dropped out, she would have never won the election. Now the state and the country are stuck with this unqualified person.

               Then you have those that get into politics to gain wealth. All they want to do is make money anyway they can. They will say and do anything. They will take money to say and do certain things as long as they can climb up the ladder a little further. In the meanwhile, we the people suffer for the wrongs that are being perpetrated by these people. They do not care if the law that they want enacted helps the constituents or not as long as they get theirs. If they can garner a fan base, all the better because that will ensure they can stay in place and make more money.

               There is a Congresswoman that constantly break the rules and is fined for them. Now she is complaining she don’t have money because her pay is going toward paying off the fines imposed on her. Common sense tells anyone not to break the rules that carry a fine in which you will not get paid on payday.

               Thinking about book sense and common sense; there is a leader of a violent group from the right that is a Yale Law graduate but is now considered a jailbird because of his and his group’s actions. He has plenty of book sense, but I don’t think he ever had enough common sense to stay out of jail and to keep those radical views out of his head.

               I’ve always said that knowing the book is good but common sense is better. First, the book may not tell you everything. And second, is the book telling the truth? A mix of book and common sense go hand in hand to make a better person and a lot of Congresspeople need to make that change. There is a lot of stupid out there, even in those that elect these stupid people and keep them in office.

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22

May. ’22

What About Abortion

There is one schism in the abortion issue. Is it the right of men to dictate to women on what to do with their body? Then it can be asked, is it the right of a woman to demand that another woman do or not do something to their body? Does a woman have the freedom to say what they wish to be done to their body or must they concede to what another wish? These are the questions to be asked. These are the demands a law be passed to secure those wishes be legal with a penalty for it not being done. I have been through this and, at the time, asked myself those questions. Back in the eighties, when my unmarried daughter got pregnant (she was seventeen at the time), we sat down and discussed the situation. We talked about the pros and cons but, in my mind, the final decision was hers. She decided to have the child and that was that. Her body, her decision.

               Now we are on the cusp of the overturning of Roe v Wade. Older White men want to decide what a woman legally is to do with her body whether she agree or do not agree. There are women that are fearlessly saying they want a law to stop abortions. All of these people are saying it is killing a child, a human. They are saying it does not matter if it is rape, incest, medical or whatever, it should not be done. They want the doctors and aides jailed and fined. They want a person that aided the person by telling them of a way to have the procedure done and the person that provided the transportation to have the procedure done be jailed and/or fined. There is even a bounty in several states for the information about the culprits.

               There is not a law telling men not to procreate. Some men, after they impregnate a woman, get lost and is never seen again. Some continue to procreate time and time again although they can not afford to do so. Some men say a man must impregnate a woman to say he is a man. Is this what the assembly of men and women that make the laws or the men and women that adjudicate the laws are saying?

               We knew this was coming when the Republican party stacked the judicial system with mostly unqualified (at least suspect) MEN and hinted at what would be happening with Roe v Wade. It should not be a surprise. Now, all we can do is wait for the results from the fruit of the labor from the extreme right. I wonder what would be said and done if there is a law sterilizing men.  It takes two to tango, but the woman is the one that must bear the pain and care for the child. Will the government finally step-up and provide the help that is needed for the care of the child? The right has voted down the needed help time and time again. This is only the beginning because I believe we will be fighting for and against this for many years.   

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10

Apr. ’22

War Crimes

Although the United States have tried to do the right thing when in battle, occasionally there is a hic-up, a rogue combatant that does the wrong thing. However, when these things come to light the United States government comes down on them with a heavy hand along with our justice system. War crimes are not tolerated, no matter who commits them. Not so in some other countries and Russia have joined that list.

               Our adversary has done many things that we consider wrong but not bad enough to stop talking to them nor co-operating with them on many projects. To the Russians we are made to be taken advantage of and they have done it to us for many years. When caught the Russians will try anything and everything to bribe their way out of the situation, i.e., they do not like what is being said about them in Ukraine, so they threaten to use nukes, they want oil products paid in rubles, they tell lies, etc.

               The Russian military is not as good as I thought they were. In fact, they have shown me the opposite although I have suspected them not being so good for many years. Every now and then I would hear about planes crashing for no reason or ships sinking and submarines going down and never coming back up. However, I never thought about the military being so untrained as they are. I even thought their commanders were more capable than they are. We can not forget about their logistics and equipment which leave a lot to be desired. They even had a few of their newest and best fighter aircraft shot down by the Ukrainian army.

               Getting back to the war crimes, Russia has denied them and have said there is no proof that it even happened. Well, because of poor equipment we know the truth. Russians use unencrypted communications plus open channel communications to talk to each other. One thing overheard was how to get information from captured Ukrainian forces and civilians and then shoot them in the head. They even talked about raping women and children, then razing the entire city, killing everyone that they can. This is proof that can not be denied. They even say the pictures of mass graves, the dead civilians lying all around for days, even in the middle of the road, is fake (where have I heard that word before) and have banned the media in Russia.

               I learned many good things when I was a kid and one of them was to never fight someone in their own back yard, you will never win. The United States found that out in Viet Nam, Afghanistan, and a few other places. Russia has, or should I say suppose to have, every piece of modern war equipment the world has to offer. The Ukrainians did not have much until the world started helping them with equipment plus teaching them how to use it. The Russians, who started a fight in the Ukrainian’s back yard is moving backward. Now the Russians want to holler about war crimes being committed on them. They are the invaders and should have never invaded but Putin wanted to make Russia larger and thought Ukraine was a pushover. He is responsible for everything that have happened, war crimes and all.

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09

Jan. ’22

Our Government

Does our government do everything it is supposed to do? No. Both sides are fighting each other. When one side say ‘yes’, the other side say ‘no’, and vice versa. Does our government provide everything it is supposed to provide? No. Again, when one side try to provide what it can and propose a bill to do it, the other side is against it simply (as I see it) because they did not propose it and will not receive the credit for it. Even when their constituents benefit from the proposed bill, they are against it.

               Around the world, other governments are going through the same thing. Politics gets in the way of progress for any society, and everybody lose. Here in the USA, things are getting worst and, as far as I can see, I do not see a light at the end of this long tunnel. Maybe it is still dark outside, and I can not tell it is the end of the tunnel. Or, maybe, there are more obstacles to jump over, and those obstacles are blocking the light at the end of the tunnel.

               The midterm elections are upon us, and it is assumed that Republicans will retake the government. It seems that the in-power party lose during the midterm election because the populace is angry that the in-power party have not moved fast enough to give them what they voted for. They do not care that the in-power party have been hamstrung from approving the bills they proposed to give the people what they want. They do not listen to the rhetoric, the untruths, from the other side. All that is known is they are not getting what they want, and they want to make them pay. They do not care that there are many things that they have gotten, all they see is they do not have their pet want.

               Politics is messed-up and is rife with politicians saying untruths, giving the runaround, and many other things that will make their side look good and the other side look bad. They will not tell you that the other side did something good nor will they vote a positive for a bill from the other side no matter that it is good for their constituents and/or it will help the world. They also have a ‘what is in it for me’ type of thinking. Most politicians are in politics because it will make them rich or richer.

               Yes, politics is messed up, but it is the only democratic thing we have for now. Personally, I do not want a dictatorship nor anything close to it. But, who or what do we have or put into place to watch the present government, keep them truthful and (here is the big one) dole out fair punishment for wrong doings? Everyone, including the populace, are for themselves and ‘be damned’ anyone else. There is not a thing in this world that is perfect but at least we can try and at least look out for our fellow man as we lookout for ourselves. By doing that, maybe we can have a better government.

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14

Nov. ’21

I Remember

It is ludicrous that people are still hating, riling, and believing stupid rumors about wearing masks and getting COVID vaccine. This have been going on far too long for anyone to still have an argument against it. After millions upon millions of people have taken the vaccine and only a handful of people developed an adverse effect from it there should not be a wait and see attitude.

               I am an old man now and I still remember seeing pictures and news clips of people in iron lungs to help them breath. I also remember going to school, on a Saturday, to eat the sugar cube to eradicate people having to be in an iron lung. It worked. Only people in my age group and older can remember the iron lung. There was not much fighting about the vaccine and the iron lung is a thing of the past.

               I remember getting measles and chickenpox (among other ailments) were normal diseases and sooner or later you knew you would catch it, just like everyone else. Then vaccines were developed for that and now it is seldom that anyone catch the diseases. Now everyone can walk around with the knowledge that there is not anyone around them with it.

               I remember when I was a child, I heard about the Tuskegee experiment. I did not understand exactly what that was but later in life I fully understood. The implications of the experiment still affect Blacks today because the story of the experiment is passed along, I would imagine, forever. There were other experiments on people especially those ordered by Hitler in Nazi Germany.

               I remember seeing the Television news, reading the daily news, and seeing the internet about what those that do not take the vaccine or wear masks say. Like, along with the vaccine shot the government have a tiny tracking capsule mixed in the serum. There are many conspiracy theories going around and far too many people are believing them with little or no proof. Here is one; a six-year-old child have a heavy menstrual cycle after getting the vaccine shot. The truth is the person is forty-one years old, not six years old.

               I remember when my daughter registered for a school season, I had to show proof of many different immunizations that she had to have before she was allowed to register and go to school. This was not only for her protection but also for the protection of her classmates and, in turn, the classmate’s family. The same thing applies for this vaccine.

               It is said that it has not been out long enough to prove it works. My response to that is to ask the multimillions of people around the world if it works. Then the naysayers say they made the vaccine too fast to be any good. I say, why wait for half the world to die before there is a vaccine? If a family does not want the children of that family to take the vaccine, homeschool them. That way the family does not have to take the children to a school that they disapprove. There is also no fuss and no fight.

               I remember a lot of things that can be added here but these are only some of the highlights and a little of what is on my mind. I have my three shots and I wear my mask when I am out among the public. I truly wish others thought the same way. When they catch the COVID I will remember them when they are gone.

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