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The Bush - Obama - Trump Economy President Trump gets a lot of credit for a good economy. But if you take a hard look at the data, you can see that, while he deserves credit for not screwing things up too badly yet, it was President Obama who really turned things around. The chart out to the right tells the story of an economy that lost ten years of growth during the Bush years due to unrestrained greed and recklessness. Banks offered easy access to money before the mortgage crisis. Borrowers got into high-risk mortgages, and they qualified for mortgages with little or no documentation. Even people with bad credit could qualify as subprime borrowers. The 2008 financial crisis was the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression of 1929. It occurred despite Federal Reserve and Treasury Department efforts to prevent it. It led to the Great Recession. That's when housing prices fell 31.8 percent, more than the price plunge during the Depression. President Obama and Congress worked together for a time and passed a a series of reforms which helped to stabilize the economy. President Obama took a lot of heat from both the left and the right for decisions he made during the crisis, but in the end, when the next president took office, the economy was on a solid footing and on its way back up. What do you think? Please leave me a comment June 24 2019

Choose Decency In November 2016, voters put America on a new course. Voters who would tell you that they believe in personal responsibility for success or failure in life found it convenient to blame immigrants and people who don't look like them for all of their woes. Voters who would tell you that they were followers of the teachings of Jesus would appear to have missed his teachings on compassion and kindness Voters who would tell you that they believe in integrity cast their votes for a man who can't speak for more than five minutes without uttering a falsehood It's a sad time for anyone who believes in dignity, decency, and respect. Proud to stand with my daughter, my son, my family, my friends, and all who resist. choose foregiveness choose compassion choose kindness choose love Choose Decency and don't hate What do you think? Please leave me a comment Mar 16 2017

I'd Vote for a Good Conservative I could vote for a good conservative. Somebody like John Danforth or Bob Dole. Even someone like George H. W. Bush. These men had character and were willing to buck the politically expedient solution in favor of sound policies for the greater good. They understood that statesmanship was a part of good conservatism. But good conservatives today are increasingly hard to find... A good conservative supports small business. But the so-called 'conservatives' of today aren't interested in companies that aren't Fortune 500 corporations. They support policies that favor large corporations at the expense of small business. A good conservative supports a clean environment. Today's conservatives try to equate a clean environment to job loss, and the press lets them get away with it. This is patently false- tough environmental laws and green technologies create more jobs than are lost through old, inefficient, polluting systems. Conservation is Conservative A good conservative supports compromise. For a generation or so, conservatives have taken a 'no compromise' 'my way or the highway' approach to governance. But that's not how life is. Life is a series of compromises, making the best decision for the most benefit in the face of conflicting demands. Today's conservatives only seem to be able to think in black and white and not in shades of grey. They refuse to acknowledge the validity of viewpoints that don't 100% agree with their own. Today's conservatives must be stopped. Long time teachers are leaving the profession due to the slow destruction of publically funded education. Recent abortion laws would require parents give birth to and care for microcephalic babies caused by the Zika virus. By stripping away campaign finance laws and voters rights, conservatives seek to cement their power and stay in office as long as they can. The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith What do you think? Please leave me a comment Mar 21 2016

Help Stop This Scam! There is an industry that preys on the fears of uninformed people. The victims of this scam are often poor and elderly. A collusion of big business and big government has allowed this scam to go on for decades and it seems to be thriving even in these difficult economic times. It must be stopped and the only way to stop it is through public awareness. The National Rifle Association was founded in 1871 as an organization for sports shooting. For the first one hundred years of its existence, the NRA was among America's foremost pro-gun control organizations. The motto of the NRA was "Firearms Safety Education, Marksmanship Training, Shooting for Recreation". In 1977, after a hostile leadership coup within the NRA board, the focus shifted to what it is today, and the motto was changed to "The Right Of The People To Keep And Bear Arms Shall Not Be Infringed", conveniently leaving out the remainder of the second amendment that refers to a "well-regulated militia". The scam perpetrated by the NRA is to equate modest, common-sense reforms in the way that guns are regulated to the phrase "Obama's going to take your guns". After the Sandy Hook school shooting, two bills came before congress which would require universal background checks and ban some assault weapon and high-capacity magazines. Both enjoyed wide support by the public and both were defeated by the NRA lobby. The NRA now works for the gun and ammo industry. Every action they take serves to increase sales and cement their power. The constant drumbeat of false threats to personal security and individual freedoms preys on the fears of the uninformed. But more guns don't make you safer Public safety is increased by more restrictive background checks. Individuals must prove that they do not belong to any "prohibited group," such as the mentally ill, criminals, children or those at high risk of committing violent crime. With these provisions, most US active shooters would have been denied the purchase of a firearm. Responsible gun owners should have no fear that common-sense reforms will affect them or cramp their style. There are many more regulations dealing with owning and operating an automobile than there are with the vast majority of firearms. What part of "well-regulated" do they not understand? What do you think? Please leave me a comment Jan 31 2016

God is revealed... to each of us in the manner of our own choosing. Some choose a God with a capital "G" who is strong and authoritative, with clearly defined morals and a strong sense of what is right and wrong. Some choose a god whom they can ignore until they need some supernatural intervention in their lives and can call on him to right their wrongs. Some choose a god who sits in the background of their lives, whom they will first call upon in their final hours. And some choose none of the above. Most choose the god of their fathers or mothers. It is easier to not question established doctrine, especially since there is often a monolith of belief among members of the tribe. When they get older, they may have nothing to do with religion, but say they believe in god "just in case". Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all spring from the same roots, beginning with Abraham in the book of Genesis. Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism, or many other religions, they are monotheistic. The Christian God is a personal God, one who observes, judges, and acts in preparation for some future reward. I've always had a problem with a god who I can ask to grant me a winning lottery ticket, but who lets children die of starvation in refugee camps. For me, the idea of a god who would intervene in trivial personal matters while permitting suffering on a global scale made no sense. I considered myself an atheist until I read The Sacred Depths of Nature which introduced me to Religious Naturalism. For all of my life, I have had a fascination and a reverence for the wonder of science and our natural world. The further I went in my studies in the physical sciences, the more amazing the world seemed, how all of the natural laws worked to make life the unavoidable outcome. I believe in God, only I spell it "Nature" -Frank Lloyd Wright There is a necessary ambiguity with Religious Naturalism. There are no clear doctrines, no good book, no authority. Many people would consider me an atheist, which is fine. Does this mean that I think others are wrong in their beliefs? Not at all. I know many fine people who are very religious, who I believe will end up in their own heaven. There are multiple truths and multiple paths for us all. What do you think? Please leave me a comment Jan 17 2016

A Child, Not A Choice? The pro-choice movement doesn't lend itself to such concise emotional sloganing. The arguments for legalized abortion are more nuanced and subtle and cannot be summed up on a bumper sticker. Should a woman ever be able to terminate a pregnancy? Most people, but not everybody, agree that the answer is yes, under certain circumstances. What specific circumstances? A large majority of Americans agree that abortions should be legal in the case of pregnancies resulting from rape and incest, fetal deformity, or if the life of the pregnant woman is in danger. Depending on how you phrase the question, fewer Americans but still a majority support abortion-on-demand, agreeing that abortion should be "safe, legal, and rare". The mental health of the pregnant woman can be an extremely fragile thing. What part should this play in an abortion decision? The experience of one local physician has a tragic answer. There is a continuum of belief on abortion. Some feel that it should only be performed under extremely limited conditions, while others feel quite differently. Different people have different feelings about what is right for them. It is for that reason that the choice of an abortion should be left to the woman and not dictated by the government. When abortion was legalized in the United States in 1973, it did not mean that abortions began, it marked the end of women dying from abortions. Before then, abortions were available if you had the money and if you knew the right people. Abortions were not polite talk, but they are in everyone's family history if you dig deep enough. Regardless of personal beliefs, everyone wants to reduce the number of abortions. Despite the propaganda, no one is pro-abortion. Planned Parenthood has worked for a century to give women control over their reproductive lives. The right wing demonizes them at every turn, but in reality, they have prevented many more abortions than they have performed by giving all women access to birth control. Right now, women's health opponents are pushing to defund Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide, cutting off millions of patients from essential care like birth control, cancer screenings, and access to safe and legal abortion. You can donate to Planned Parenthood by clicking here. Get the facts on abortion here Abortion never an easy Choice sometimes the best Choice always the woman's Choice What do you think? Please leave me a comment Jan 9 2016

Why is politics such a mess in this country? There have always been disagreements, but both sides used to be able to come together and compromise on the big issues for the common good. But those days seem to be gone and there's a reason for that...

The Stakes are Higher Now than Ever Before

Distract and Divide There's a lot to be outraged about these days. You see it on the news every day. The education system is in a shambles. Criminals are running rampant. Obama this, Bush that. Illegal Aliens taking our jobs, Big Corporations ruining the environment, you hear it all the time. There are many people who profit from your outrage. They profit from getting people pissed off and saying "what's the use in voting?". They profit from the status quo and they like things just the way they are.

Achieving Real Change

What Do We All Agree On?

We don't have to look back in history to get a sense of what life was like before governments were formed. There are a number of areas in the world today which are free from any form of central government. In these countries, local warlords and other leaders are in control and daily life in these countries is a struggle to survive. With no government, might makes right.

Nov 1 2015