Thursday, April 16, 2009, 10:47 pm

Mad Hatters and March Hares... at the tea party

Curiouser and curiouser is why I went, but what I found was such nonsense.

Ok, let me explain... I think that people are angry about the direction government has taken over the last several months is good. The root of our problem is not partisan, and is actually quite simple... but unfortunately the solution is going to be very complex.

I cannot reiterate how sad it makes me that this administration and the last continue to make radical decisions based on fear. Oh my God! The sky is falling! It’s up to us to prop it up!

We have people in power who do not understand history, and who do not understand business, and they will make the problem much worse than is has to be. Yet, they do not understand.

The root of the problem is found in these two things: irresponsible spending and a lack of accountability. It really is that simple.

I understand the concept of credit, but I also understand the concept of limiting that credit... and taking it away from those who cannot use it wisely. As a consumer, I have fixed limits. I can choose to use up the limits, but when the limit is gone, I owe what I’ve used, plus sizable interest. When the government uses it all up, we all owe what they’ve used, plus sizable interest. When my limit is gone and I call the bank saying I need more and I’m good for it, the bank laughs. When the government calls up the bank of China, China says sure... for someday, they will own our asses. Ok, maybe it will never come to that. One can hope!

We need smarter investors in charge of everything. Too many investors are over-extended on credit, whereas wise ones look at the money they have and figure out what to do with it and how to make it work for them. Some even lend to people who have less than desireable credit, because they can recoup any loss through collateral.

What is our collateral?

It scares me to think that our government thinks it can spend its way out of this crisis with money we don’t have. Even the devil’s advocate in me says, well maybe it can, but at what cost to us citizens? Do you really think taking away our ability to earn, and our ability to have our money work for us instead of us for it? Is bailing out these companies the answer? I’ll admit that if GM and Chrysler fail, there will be many, many lost jobs... but our country as a whole will pull through this stronger than ever, eventually. And better, because big businesses that were corrupt will have failed, and that will help to purge the glut of corruption from the system.

I have friends on the extreme right, who are going to these tea party rallies and getting fired up. I know, I’ve gone... and while the simple root of the problem is acknowledged, like anything else that occurs with government, people are attaching other problems to it. Everyone wants the magic pill that will fix everything.

Well, I have news for you. Fixing the small root of the problem by stopping overspending and holding our government and big business accountable for the profits AND LOSSES, will fix everything. Just not instantly.

I have friends on the extreme left, who are pissed off about the current protests. They are pissed because the Bush administration labeled protests against them as unpatriotic, yet the same GOP is considered patriotic for protesting Obama’s policies. This shouldn’t even be an issue... the problem isn’t partisan.

The friends on the left think that people shouldn’t be able to earn the sky. They think that fixing health care and raising taxes is the answer. Hell, regarding the local sales tax, I’ve heard someone tell me that this tax the best because we won’t be paying it. The out-of-town shoppers will, when they come here to buy their big ticket items.

Excuse me? I think the locals buying groceries (in this backwards ass state that insists on levying sales tax on pre-prepared food), diapers, medications, and eating out will more than offset the out-of-town people who venture in to buy an occasional flat-screen television and blu-ray player.

We don’t NEED to raise taxes. We NEED to learn to live within our means. It worked for our forefathers, it can work for us. I, as a citizen, have to live within my means... why shouldn’t our federal government, our state government, our county and city governments?

And me? I’m pissed off because the cause of fighting against gross overspending and fighting for accountability from those who manage this country’s funds is valid. Very much so. However, from what I’ve seen, the Republicans are going to screw it up... because that’s what politicians do... by tying partisan agenda items to it, and giving the Democrats a valid reason to be pissed off and fight against everything and further a more socialized agenda (which won’t work for reason’s I’m not going to go into at this time). That’s why I’m pissed.

Yes, we need change. We need to vote all of these jackasses out, dissolve the parties and vote people who truly care about the state of this great nation and not merely the interests of their party lines.

Please, somebody wake me up!

1