Some random thoughts

Sometimes having time off isn't such a great thing. You have time to read the news and reflect on the current condition of life in general.

Being up here in Yellowstone has reminded me that there really is some beauty left in this world, and our obligation to protect such beauty.

While I agree agencies such as the E.P.A. have run amok, the alternative of little or no regulation scares me witless. I have seen the result of corporate greed run amok, where the only thing that counted was the bottom line. Anybody remember acid rain, and the devastation that resulted? That it took a whole new batch of laws and regulations that resulted because stopping the cause of acid rain would affect the bottom line? Private companies aren't the only ones that have put some type of bottom line ahead of the health and well being of the citizens of our country. Just look to the down winders. In the rush to have the biggest and nastiest bombs, the environment and peoples health took a back seat.

Companies use the excuse of too many regulations here when they ship jobs overseas. Have you seen the end result in the countries they relocated to? They complain of too many costs here. What that means is they don't have to have workers comp. insurance, unemployment insurance and having to contribute to our old age pension because for the most part, the low wage they want to pay leaves nothing left to save for old age.

I know this smacks of socialism, but how many of you really trust the large companies to do the right thing when it would affect the bottom line? Defined benefit pensions are a thing of the past. 401K's are the in thing. Anybody have money in a 401K? Remember what happened to the value of it when the market took it's latest severe downturn? Your old age security took a dump. Health care after your retirement was paid for by the lower wage you accepted in return for the promise of health care. Now the big companies are complaining about the cost of these promises and some are resorting to the bankruptcy courts to weasel out of their obligations because they failed to properly fund their obligations. To do so would have affected the bottom line.

Our own federal government is guilty of this same mind set. We the people clamor for this program or that benefit, but we don't want to pay for it. Unfunded tax cuts are enacted to secure political donations and get votes.

I lay the blame at the feet of both parties, as well as those people who continue to vote the party instead of the person, and not thinking of the long term results of their actions. They are only concerned with the here and now and have no concept of the consequences of their actions. They trust the politicians and big companies to do the right thing. Well, now it is becoming very clear that those that were trusted wouldn't know the right thing if it came up to them and slapped their face.

Reality is setting in, and now we will find out if there is any integrity left. Do any of you sincerely believe that balancing the budget by cutting social security and medicare is an act of integrity? Cutting all foreign and military aid and eliminating all aid of any kind to illegal's will hardly make a dent in the overall budget. The time has come to pay the piper. Hopes and empty promises will not do the trick.