I also have a very smart Yorkie named Lionel after a character in “As Time Goes By” BBC show, and he is the smartest of the smart. Imagine after only six months, he had trained his owners to open the door with just one bark, feed him a treat when he stood in front of the pantry door, they moved their heads off their pillows at night when he was ready to get on the bed, got down on the floor to play throw the stuffed toy by standing on the ottoman in front of the father’s chair and staring him in the eyes. I could wax on but there are too many examples to list here. I say he is the “baby” we never had together. His other name besides Lionel is “Sir Humpsalot” but that’s a different story.
Much to do has been made of the recent "mobs" that have attended the town hall meetings where you folks attempted to explain why it was in our best interests to accept your passing and enacting into law a broad, sweeping reformation of our Nation's health care system.
So, why are we mad?
After all, the reasoning continues, We The People voted for change last November, and you are delivering on your promise of change.
But what was the change we wanted? You profess to know, but you have not taken the time to listen to us. You have not taken the time to pay attention to our legitimate concerns and issues.
That has forced us to resort to screaming; albiet it is understood that doesn't usually fare well in arguments, but our sincere hope is that you listen to us.
Ok, what was the change that we wanted?
Let's spell it out.
Up to October 2008, the economy had fallen into a malaise (I figure that word would evoke some fond memories of a President in office in the late 70s). The general trend was downward, but not at a horrific rate. Eventually, as 2009 got started, folks inevitably got into trouble with their mortgages--that often happens in times of economic slowdowns as folks lose their livelihoods.
The game changed in October 2009. AIG, the world's largest underwriting company, was on the verge of bankruptcy. Bear Sterns had just given up the ghost. Others of the Five Sisters of Wall Street were now, for all to see, in deep trouble. The stock market fell 777.87 points in one day--a record that still stands today. Many but the diehard in the GOP realized on that day the election was lost.
Why? There was, at that point, still three weeks to go.
One word - FEAR.
The confidence of the party in power to protect the lifestyle to which we had grown accustomed fell to shreds. So we looked to new leadership in the hopes of restoring that which we had.
Please, let that sink in. Restoring that which we had.
That's what were after. We wanted to change from chaos to stability.
Check the polling data. Over 40% of We The People want to fix the deficit and for Congress to stop spending like a drunken sailor on his first shore leave in six months. There is nothing that you are doing right now that is either helping us regain the financial stability that we want or lowering our fear level.
In fact, after our initial hope, we've had the audacity to arrive at the realization that things may actually be getting worse.
Let's review, shall we?
We The People believe that we are losing money. What's the best way of returning money to our pockets? Two pieces of business fix this. First - TAX CUTS. DO NOT take as much from us, that will leave us more in our pockets. If there is more for us, we will feel more secure, and more likely to begin parting with our hard earned dollars (which are more precious than they have been in a long time). This will enable others to have money and maybe employ a few souls - it might actually reduce the unemployment figures.
Another way you can help in the regard is MODERATE deficit spending. The dirty little secret not known to a lot of folks is that, as long as the Federal debt is not monetized (that means that you print money to cover the debt, which happens when the Federal Reserve becomes the buyer of last resort for the debt), the definition of the item is "the amount of goods and services provided by the American people to the American people for free." I'll digress for a small moment to explain--the Federal Government is the ONLY entity that enjoys the priviledge of "rerolling" its debt. When some specific amount comes due, it is simply reissued (in the form of new debt, but it's still the old debt). So as long as the deficit doesn't upset that balance, no problem.
It's a little tricky, because you don't want too much of a deficit - such as we have now - because monitization gets triggered. This is a bad thing, and merely adds to the fears of We The People related to our financial security. But if it is measured and targeted to things that might actually help (such as tax reduction--yes that can be deficit funded--construction, direct procurement, etc.) as opposed to transfer payments (what one might call "welfare"), things can get better.
But you're not doing that. Instead, the deficit is over four times what it was last year (and, no, the last President didn't make ANYONE come up with spending like that--the Stimulus was $787 billion on this watch, there was over $1 trillion in bank rescue money on this watch, and on this watch the Federal Reserve bought--monetized, ouch--over $12 trillion in debt). You're scaring the bejezus out of us, worse than what happened last October.
And we don't like it.
And then you advance health care reform. Why? Why?
Only about 20% of We The People think that's important. That's less than half of the amount of souls that want the economy to get better. But that's where you head - I suppose it is so you can tell us you're doing something. But it's not what we want.
There are fully 80% of We The People who want you to DO SOMETHING ELSE!
We do not want the Federal Government running health care.
We do not want the Federal Government telling us how to spend our money.
We do not want the Federal Government instituting car purchase programs that end up benefiting foreign auto manufacturs and actually end up hurting the two that went into bankruptcy.
We do not want the Federal Government taking more of our money.
We do not want the Federal Government metastisizing into all of the nooks and crannies of our lives.
We do not want the Government to speak to our children directly in our classrooms.
All we want is...
For our lives to be better and to be left alone.
But you won't even try to listen to us when we try to say that. You denegrate our position on this. You say were "confused" that were not "smart enough" or "sophisicated" enough to understand.
Once again - all we want is to be left alone and for things to be better. To have that opportunity to make of our own lives what we wish - NOT what you think we should have.
We wish to be free. We wish to have life, liberty, and be able to pursue happiness.
If that is too much to ask, understand the revolution is coming. It will sweep you away. We are, as you say, angry, and getting angrier.
And if you don't understand that, then it has to be asked:
Who is the ignorant one?