Leslie's Omnibus

My Cuppa Tea

Nice to know I'm a zero, even though I own no credit cards, have the smallest carbon footprint of anyone I know (my utility bill clocks in at less than $30.00 a month and I travel by public transportation), I have money in the bank, investments, a good job, willingly pay for health, dental and vision insurance, happily and willingly make donations to charities of my own choice, and am still pissed off with our current government, from the president on down because of the fiscal mess they're making in Washington.

Madam Speaker talks of fear of political violence, but the only political violence I've seen so far is black activists threatening voters (still unprosecuted -- WHY?) and a SEIU worker beating a black man who doesn't agree with the current administration. Tea party demonstrations have been vocal -- but peaceful, and while there is clearly some organization, it is nothing on the large scale that the left has shown in paying for and busing in Democrat-friendly seat fillers for Obama town hall meetings, shoving out local opponents in the process.

The folks attending tea party demonstrations aren't just Republicans -- they're also Independents, libertarians, Libertarians (yes, there's a difference) and disillusioned Democrats -- just ask my buddy Barrie, who makes me look like a piker when it comes to demonstrating outrage (and she voted for Obama; I didn't).

Are those of us working class voters who are not being listened to by our elected officials angry? You bet... and with good reason.

That doesn't make me nuts for wanting our government to live within a budget, just like I do. Or for wanting someone more fiscally conservative than I am in place to make measured choices, taking a long view of just how it will impact the citizens of this country instead of turning every problem into a panic-induced and ineffective knee-jerk tossing of massive piles of money, with no oversight or accountability.

What I find extraordinary is that average Americans are finally turning off their televisions, getting up off their couches, and demanding that their voices be heard. Maybe their language is extreme, but the extreme indifference that our elected representatives are showing us demands a heightened demonstration of passion to get the attention of the people we put in power... and to counteract the alternative vitriol and disdain that is shown us. Our current elected officials should remember we can and will take them out of power the next time elections roll around if they fail to heed our concerns.

Mark my words, this will go down as a remarkable time in the history of this country because educated, moderate people finally found their voices.

It's not unreasonable to ask our governing bodies to fix what's already broken before they create more government bodies more interested in sustaining themselves than in serving the public.

As for ordinary Americans who are hurting right now, both the right and the left over-reached themselves on credit cards, mortgages and lines of credit. All of us need to learn how to bail our own damned boats out, and to live with the consequences of our own actions and quit blaming anyone but ourselves for getting in that position in the first place. Help each other out? Sure, but on a micro level, not a macro level. That's how this country was built, and that's how this country will prosper.

The best lesson my parents ever taught me was if I made a mess, I needed to clean it up.

The tea party folks? Seems to me they've learned that lesson, as well.

Leslie

7 comments:

Mamacita (The REAL one) said...

Excellent post, Leslie! You are spot-on right. Thanks for sharing.

Margaret said...

It's a shame that the tea parties weren't clamoring for fiscal responsibility when Bush was in office, running up our debt, while cutting taxes and involving us in expensive wars that were no where close to within our budget.So,why weren't those voices heard then when the problems were being (if not caused) exacerbated? We haven't had a fiscal conservative in the White House for decades, never mind political party designations.

Omnibabe said...

Margaret, I'm not defending the so-called Republicans who helped create this mess, either. But let's be honest -- this stretches back into the Clinton era, when banks were encouraged to offer loans to people who clearly could never pay them back.

That being said, nobody held a gun to anyone's head and forced them to take out mortgages that were beyond their reach, or credit card after credit card that they couldn't afford, either.

Enough finger-pointing. I'm all for fiscal responsibility at EVERY level, starting at the personal one.

Anonymous said...

Great post Les! But I didn't vote for Obama - when he and McCain flew back to Washington to vote for the bailout, after letters and calls to both, I knew something was wrong, both sides were equal and thought that they knew better than we the people. By then, I realized I'm a Libertarian - fiscally conservative, but not really caring what you do in your own personal life. Plus, the democratic party has been hijacked by communist, or whatever. It's the old Dem's like me who should be pissed!

Miss you,
Barrie (someone who wants to start a blog, but is just too darn busy!)

JihadGene said...

It ain't Beyonce but it'll do! I'm dancing!

Nancy said...

Well said, my dear!


lol word verification seems appropriate: cation

Kevin said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljFKK7XvsCs