Imagine the infinity pool, something that looks wonderful, look across it and imagine the infinite end of the pool going on and on over the edge. Then get to the edge and realize that you are going over the edge and instead of ongoing water to float in, you find yourself dropping into a horrible abyss with no way to get back.
Well it looks like the Presidential race is in full swing now. This is the picture we will have if we keep hoping that with either Democrats or Republicans will be able to produce the wonderful floating picture of the infinity pool.
Both sides will eventually start pandering to the middle to try and swing the election their way, promising all sorts of manure to win votes, only to produce nothing productive come next January.
I wish there was a way to wake up moderates to conservatives to realize in the middle class that neither Republicans, Democrats, Occupy Wall Street or the Tea Party has any of their best interests. No one group is truly representing who needs to be represented which is the vast majority of this country. And what really irks me about the new silent majority is their inability to see they have no voice anymore. We don't need protests like the Occupy movement, or extreme rightism of the tea party, the over indulgence of promises by democrats and republicans, we need the majority of this country to sit down and honestly look at themselves and realize we are still a great country, but need to rethink who we choose to lead us. It is constitutional to find new parties, new identities, new policies and to stand up and fight against the rights being taken away from us, against the charade that money can buy free speech, tea party activists supported by a small group of elitists, protests movements with no punch, nor a cohesive direction.
Free Speech is also action, action to produce policy that truly benefits, not just the majority, but the whole prospects of a nation. There will always be winners and losers, but we need leaders who understand that both make up the country.
Take for example the homeless situation that is growing in San Francisco. They are being overwhelmed by the problem. And in reality some of the homeless will never try to change, but nowadays that is not all. A successful policy will find a way to reengage the ones that want to be engaged and find the most Christian, but realistic policy (affordable) to deal with the ones that are either so far disenfranchised from society or are mentally ill and cannot engage with society at all. We cannot save everyone, but we can create policies that let people who care continue to have a chance to pick themselves back up. Not by giving welfare away, but by bringing people back with dignity, jobs, pathway to finding a roof over their head again. This takes enterprise, new business in areas that cater to the homeless. Some imagination. It can be done without forfeiting local governments' budgets. It does take people that realize there are solutions out there, not doing the same ole thing over and over again. Poverty is winning because we haven't changed the battle plan and we haven't improved the economy.
Remember the phrase all politics is local. We may need to start local before we can change nationally, but something needs to be done soon. The political advertising machine for President and Congress is getting ready to kick into full gear. How does the audience rewrite the scripts before the final act is played out?
Some solutions to the homeless problem. One create tax opportunities to businesses that build new locations and employ the homeless that do care. The governments role is to mainly help determine who does care, and connect with the businesses. We could also use some new types of businesses including light industrial or manufacturing of simple products. Yes we won't be paying high wages, but begin with affordable wage range and encourage the new workers to shop the fellow businesses that support the rebuilding effort with their wages. For example shop at the grocery stores that retrain and employ, economists always talk about once new money enters an environment it circulates so the impact is greater than the initial influx. One reason many economies benefit from tourism. For this example, recirculate among themselves their wages and hopefully this will move into the larger local economy making even more businesses survive.
Once upon a time, these ideas were being developed by business incubators, cities economic development councils, (again all politics are local) so we need to bring this back to our communities. I have a previous post about Martin Luther King day event that has a bit more of this idea near the end.
Now for something sort of different
And yes it would be a good idea to bring back rail travel. Especially with fuel costs going to continue to be high. And I am not a robin hood, we don't need to rob from the rich, we just need them to reinvest to benefit the country so if the airlines want to build the railroads so they don't lose market share, so be it. But Trips like Dallas to Austin or Boston to DC, New York etc, must really be encouraged because there is much that can be gained by rebuilding short train trips and leaving long trips to the airlines. Two wins happen here, less fuel used, new manufacturing developed. And if you build solar or electric trains, well even more gain.
Energy policy in the future just has to be diversified, we cannot live on fossil fuels alone. Develop the diversification and we develop our economy.
Okay now going off on too many tangents, so shutting down, but some food for thought so we don't fall into the abyss.
And quite frankly I haven't given up on the Mavericks yet, but tonight's game is a must.
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