Throw the bums out

Over the last decade or so, I have been involved in politics in one
way or the other.  We grew up discussing politics around the dinner
table.  Policies, elections, candidates, etc. It has always been part
of my life.  That is probably why when we started to have access to
meet politicians at a very high level, I started to feel that we should
support them financially and throw some muscle behind them. And, so we did.

Most of the time, our efforts were through fund raising.  Locally
and nationally.  Perhaps stupid on our part but we really had these fund
raisers not so much because we wanted to be part of the process as
not once did we go to those access events we had
invitations to because you gave so much money.  We raised money because we wanted the world to be a better place.  

Yesterdays election outcomes sends the signal, at least to me, of
exactly how I have been feeling about Government in the past year.  I
have lost faith.  I am a fan of Obama.  I do believe he wants to make
the changes he talks about but it is like turning around a cruise
ship.  Between the lobbyists, the corruption, the politicians who only
vote in order to get money for the next election, to the layers and
layers of political bullshit, it has to be impossible to say "the buck
stops here and that's it".  Is it the checks and balances?  Perhaps. 

But at the end of the day,  I want new new new.  I am sick of the
wealthy egotistical candidates that think just because they were
successful in business they can be successful in politics.  Certainly
there are exceptions to the rule.  I do believe Bloomberg has done a great
job and in all honesty, regardless of the third term bullshit, nobody
with a brain was running against him.  Bill Thompson, who is a nice man
that I have met numerous amount of times, is a serious lightweight. 
I'm sick of the extremists, on either side.  I'm sick of the layers of
micro-management from a person in office who never gets shit done. 

The health care bill and the debacle of propping up Goldman Sachs
and the banks, who have no interest in loaning money these days
although they say they are, they are lying.  CEO's who are negotiating
for millions and millions of dollars with huge payouts if they are
fired before they even show the public traded companies  ( aka shareholders ) what they are made of.  When did
this happen? 

How we can not pass a health care bill to take care of the uninsured
and people who get screwed by their insurance companies when they get
sick…or the kids who have no control over their parents ability to
insure them.  How did we give money out to large companies from our
federal taxes and not get a huge pay off for it if they did great in
the long run.  Who the hell negotiated those contracts?  People who
were doing a wink wink behind all of our backs?

Am I ranting?  Honestly, as much money as I have raised over the
years, I am done.  I have lost complete faith in the Government on so
many levels.  Yesterdays election, where barely anyone showed up in NYC
to vote, didn't send out any anti-Democratic, pro-Republican message. 
It just sent out the message which will continue to repeat itself until
somebody makes a real change.  We want change, we want new and we will keep
voting in new people until one of them actually does something.  

Comments (Archived):

  1. maverickny

    Hear, Hear. Wow, well said, Joanne.This just popped up on my screen and I found myself nodding so much you might as well have summed up my own view of Government over the last 12-18 months.People turned out in droves yesterday to vote Corzine out on the other side of the Hudson. The blue colour guy in front of me in the line summed up all of our views last night, “I voted for change and it’s time people started listening to us.”We won’t get change until we’ve voted out all the idiotic, moronic, corrupt and incompetent politicians in the way. The Constitution says “We the People” it may take time, but there is a groundswell building up and people are getting more urgent for new models, new ideas and fresh approaches to problems.Obama can still succeed, but he needs to get Congress Democrats under control and steer the ship or they won’t have a slim majority for long and we all get stuck with partisan bickering again.

    1. Gotham Gal

      Thanks. Now that I have that off my chest I feel much better!joanne [email protected]

      1. maverickny

        A gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do!

  2. ellen

    I am all for health care for all if in fact one actually gets the care and not denials of care. There is big business in benefit management companies. The more that is denied the more their stock goes up. The prepayment health alternative that Blue Cross wants to pass here in Massachusetts gives doctors big bonuses not to treat the sick. Tthe insurance company says doctors do too much to keep the salaries up and then in the next breath they want to pay them so the less the doctors do for the patient the more money the doctors get to keep from the insurance company. A yearly lump sum given to doctors for each person is not the way to go.

  3. skysurfer172

    Brilliant rant. Please don’t take this the wrong way (famous last words, I know), but it is refreshing to hear from people like yourself and your husband, with the means to not have to necessarily worry about affording healthcare for your family, to be so passionate and vocal about it, and all the other political bs, knowing you have an audience that listens, and not being afraid to speak your mind. I realize this points to the root of what blogging is about, but you don’t have to speak your mind on politics, yet you do and I am sure you have gained much respect from your audience for it. Thank you.