Issues I Wish Politicians Campaigned On **UPDATE**

**UPDATE**

I am updating this post with some information from other sources. See each category for the current updates. I will try to continue adding updates (but no promises!).  The update headings will be in boldface red font.

Every election cycle, the politicians focus on the same things: the economy, taxes, abortion, and crime. Those are all worth talking about but I wish someone would start talking about other things that matter to the "regular" men and women.

Here is my list of things I'd like to see become big campaign issues:

Food:

• Why are we still allowing problematic ingredients into our food products? 
• Why is high fructose corn syrup in almost everything on store shelves?
• Why isn't it standard to more clearly label ingredients for what they are? Any salt or sugar under their many names should be noted as salt and sugar. As a matter of fact, every ingredient should be noted for what it really is - additive, preservative, dye, hormone (or hormone-related), etc. Labels should not be able to conceal the true nature or identity of ingredients.
• If obesity and food-related illnesses are as bad as alcohol and tobacco, why aren't there warning labels on food products? We shouldn't need a degree in chemistry (or whatever) to know that we are eating or drinking something that can cause cancer, stunt growth, or otherwise affect our health. 
• We need to raise our standards for school lunches to those of places like Japan and France - anywhere that is healthier than ours.

UPDATES (8/25/24)

• This is Newsweek's list of articles regarding food recalls.
• These are the (current as I write this)  active "Recalls & Public Safety Alerts" from FSIS (use the filters to look at past alerts).

Consumerism:

• Why don't we better support and promote items "Made in the USA"? Why don't we make it a standard that the country of origin of items is very clearly noted on products? More than half the stuff in stores (and on Amazon, Walmart, etc) are made in China. Even long-standing brands that consumers think are American-made are no longer made anywhere near the U.S. 
• In line with the above, why isn't the government encouraging the creation of items Made in the USA? There has to be a reason (not always greed) that manufacturing is being moved to cheaper countries. If we can spend  waste so much money on unnecessary things, can we start moving some of that money to things that really matter? Why aren't we supporting manufacturers of clothing, cars, food products, etc. to do their manufacturing right here in the U.S.? Wouldn't that create more jobs and stimulate local economies? Talk about "Making America Great Again", let's actually do that instead of fighting amongst each other about one political party or the other. 
• Why aren't we spending money on programs to educate families on spending, budgeting, and other basic financial issues?
• In line with the above, why don't we sponsor some community programs for people of all ages - but especially the young - to learn about financial issues? 

UPDATES (8/25/24)

• FTC laws regarding "Made in the USA"
• Some older information regarding Chinese imports (vs American exports to China).

Note this piece from that report: "U.S. goods and services trade with China totaled an estimated $758.4 billion in 2022. Exports were $195.5 billion; imports were $562.9 billion. The U.S. goods and services trade deficit with China was $367.4 billion in 2022."

Crime and Community:

• We spend so much money on policing and jailing while crime rates keep getting worse. Why aren't we allocating some money to programs to avoid the need for more police and jails? How about spending some money to find out why communities have a problem with gang or drug violence. Instead of criminals coming out of jail with poor employment prospects, we hire them to help solve problems with crime. (I remember hearing about criminals with computer skills being used to teach authorities how to avoid certain crimes.)
• Why aren't we giving more recognition and rewards to people who aren't committing crimes or who are working to prevent crimes in their communities? If we recognize and reward people for their positive impact, maybe more people would work toward that. Right now, criminals get all the attention. (The idea years ago of not glorifying serial killers by giving them nicknames and press attention could work here.) 
• I am almost positive that the government has its fingers in the entertainment industry. There are lots of movies and music made lauding negative things - extramarital or teen sex, drug use, and other reckless lifestyle choices. Why aren't we making entertainment that promotes faith, moral integrity, or other positive aspects?
• Citizens/residents of a community should be encouraged/incentivized to help keep that community clean and safe. 

Medical, taxes, and the usual:

I wasn't going to mention these things but... There is so much room for improvement. When I talk to my neighbors (I live in a "senior" building), we often talk about what it's like to be "senior" or elderly in America. Some of the things I hear:

• Why aren't glasses, hearing aids, and therapy included in medical plans? I have a Medicare Advantage plan that includes free local gym membership. That's nice but I'd rather have free eyeglasses. Vision and hearing are things that tend to diminish with age. 
• Why are benefits for the elderly and disabled so complicated? Some of my neighbors who are disabled (and receive benefits) would like to work from home or earn extra income some other way (selling handmade items or their skilled services) but are afraid of losing some or all of their benefits. 
• When is the government going to actually start taxing the rich more than they do the poor? We talk about it all the time but the rich have the money to find and pay for loopholes. The poor end up using tax services set up in booths at Walmart...

Americans First:

• Any elder assistance, citizens' aid, or other perks should go to American-born citizens first. I'm no expert but I think this is what other 1st-world countries do.
• Jobs should go first to American-born citizens. This should include job preparation or training.
• Businesses owned by American-born citizens should be shown preference for benefits, tax cuts, and other perks.
• Businesses owned by non-American-born people should be required to hire a certain percentage of American-born employees. 
• Businesses owned by non-American-born people should be required to keep the majority of income in the U.S. economy.
• In place of the above 3 items, the U.S. should implement a "match" system with other countries. Whatever they require of American-born citizens in their country, we require the same for any of their citizens living in our country. 
• If American-based corporations/businesses send money, jobs, or other things out of the U.S., they should be taxed at a higher rate.

The 99% vs the 1%:

• No corporate officer of businesses/companies should make more than a certain grouped percentage of employees. This would include the well-known "golden parachutes" and other perks that reward people unfairly.
• No individual household should pay more in taxes (by percentile) than major corporate officers and/or large business owners. 
• Large corporations/businesses should be required to contribute a certain amount to the communities they operate in. These contributions (outside of employment) could be in funding hospitals, safety services (police, fire & rescue), neighborhood cleanup, and any other beneficial services. Contributions could also be in the form of funding for local educators and educational facilities.
• The same as above should go for any corporations and/or large businesses using the resources of a community or having other impacts on a community.
• The 99% should not be unduly burdened by the pursuits and/or profits of the 1%. 

And my biggest gripe:

Lobbyists. These special advocates have too much freedom and power. Their influence is totally out of sync with that of the average citizen. It's because of them that we have many of the problems mentioned in this post. They have, in effect, a monopoly on power in Washinton that affects too many aspects of the daily life of regular people like myself. 

How do we change the way healthcare is run when politicians are afraid of the lobbying power (and money) or the healthcare industry? The same goes for making changes in the food (and food labeling) industry, banking, housing, and so on. For every aspect of the life of an average citizen, there is a lobbyist for an industry or organization that has more power. 

For everything I've talked about, there can be no improvement as long as there are lobbyists. Or - and this is the biggest - anyone with the money to influence a once well-meaning politician. Someone might start out all fired up to make changes but, once they take their seat at the table (of power), they come in reach of money. Big money. And money influences everything.

I know that I sound like a dreamer. I know that there are no easy answers to a lot of the things that bother the average citizen but we have to start somewhere. 

Whenever I see a documentary about how some other country deals with crime or education or working parents, I wonder why we couldn't do better right here at home in America.

If you have some time, just go and do a search on things like "wasteful government spending"; "American school lunches compared to other Westernized countries"; and "European food labeling vs American food labeling". A real eye-opener is when you start looking at "American ingredients not allowed in European countries."

Some readers might think I am promoting a form of communism. I'm not. I am suggesting we begin normalizing a form of empowerment for all citizens, regardless of finances, power, or social visibility. We should encourage capitalization and reward hard work. We should not penalize anyone whose hard work does not give them greater financial rewards.

Peace

--Free

Rich Men North of Richmond & the Rest of Us

 Kirby Anthony wrote a song highlighting the woes of the "everyman" and politicians tried to turn it into either their divisive fight song or a divisive touchstone. Anthony was, in fact, singing about how all of them - on the left or on the right - treat all of us. 

Anthony, a white man, wasn't singing against any of us who are downtrodden. He wasn't singing against anyone - except those in power and not using it to help anyone but themselves. He was singing for the unrepresented common people - black, white, or whatever.

The rich Democrats and Leftists are no less an enemy of us common folk as are the rich Republicans on the right.

I'm not sure if Kirby Anthony meant this or not but I will say it:

• If you are MAGA and are "common folk", you are not a friend of those "Rich Men North of Richmond" (let's call them RMNRs).
• If you are "BLM" and are common, you are not a friend of the RMNRS. 
• The labels - MAGA, BLM, etc.,- very helpfully divide us so that we are more easily controlled and manipulated - by the RMNRs.
• BLM leaders are getting rich, and MAGA leaders are getting rich. 
• We common people are still common. We aren't getting rich and we aren't being represented.

What I would like to see is common white, black, brown, red, and yellow people working together to protect themselves from the people of any party and race not helping us common folk. 

Just because we are not rich doesn't mean we don't deserve safe, clean, and healthy communities. We need to come together to protect each other and our neighborhoods and communities against those who create a lack of safety. None of us want the worst people in our communities holding the rest of us back.

Instead of battling each other - down here where the rich don't have to be - we should be working together. The RMNRs don't care because they don't live where we live. They visit to smile at us, rile us up, and get our votes. Then they go back to being Rich Men North of Richmond.

If the RMNR aren't going to have our best interests at heart; if they work harder to divide us and keep us down- why are we supporting them? Why are we helping them to stay rich and in power?

Let's start expecting our government and politicians to be here for us since we are, in fact, the people.

Peace 

--Free

Not P.C. Just Real

Well. I finally got my lazy ass to an eyeglass place and got my specs. Kind of scary riding with my friend once I could see just how bad she drives. I'd forgotten. This is a woman who has severe road rage issues. She also has an obsession about two other things: smoking and her hair. One time she tossed a cigarette out the car window and when it blew back in on her hair, she damn near killed herself swatting at the cherry. But she has pretty good taste so I let her pick out my frames.

So, I started out wanting to make this a post about observations on race and the recent U.S. election. I have several, and in thinking over them, I realized what a conflicted person I am:

• I hate Romney and am not thrilled with Obama. I'm registered Independent. Was going to write in  Grace Jones. Romney fucked up and praised Arizona's healthcare system. I should have asked my doctors about their opinions on the issue.
• I feel bad for Romney. (Still despise the man, but...) Seems like he was treated pretty shabbily after the loss. On one hand, I wonder how the hell his protection was just cut off so immediately; on the other hand, he can afford his own security. (One of my BFF's says that if he is smart, he had backup security from the git-go. Doesn't seem like the pros have been taking their jobs as seriously as they take their partying ways.)
• Can't understand how anyone votes for a specific party. Are we voting issues or people? Race or America? 
• Really pissed at the dumbasses doing stupid shit because Obama won. I get that some people don't like the man or his policies - or even his race. Do they get that some people felt the same way about other presidents and still managed not to be assholes about it? I was living in England when Reagan was president. Lord knows I had problems with that man, but you know what? Just like I don't talk about family out of the house, I didn't talk about my president. (I didn't defend him or anything, though. I respected the office if not the man. And guess what? I still felt my heart swell and my eyes fill with water when I heard the U.S. National Anthem played.)
• I've heard an interesting arguments about voting "race" in the election:

 A white man asked his black friend, “Are you voting for Barack Obama just because he’s black? The black man responded by saying, “Why not? In this country men are pulled over every day just because they’re black; passed over for promotions just because they’re black; considered to be criminals just because they’re black; and there are going to be thousands of you who won’t be voting for him just because he’s black! However, you do not seem to have a problem with that! This country was built on the sweat and whip of the black slaves’ back, and now a descendant of those same slaves has a chance to lead the same country, where we weren’t even considered to be HUMANS but rather property, where we weren’t allowed to be educated, drink from the same fountains, eat in the same restaurants, or even vote. So yes! I’m going to vote for him! But it’s not just because he’s black, but because he is hope, he is change, and he now allows me to understand when my grandson says that he wants to be president when he grows up, it is not a fairy tale but a short term goal. He now sees, understands and knows that he can achieve withstand and do anything, just because he’s black.".....

Why does it seem that we have evolved in so many ways yet stood frozen in time in other ways? I've read too many reports of ignorance from those against Obama - but none that discuss specific reasons against a black president. (Okay, I've seen one report discussing/not discussing it.) Here's some of the ignorance:

From Teens on Twitter... To college students... People who surprised me a little... Those who surprised me not at all... To, well, these morons (l love the first comment! My family is from the south.)

A kid thinking... An actor (the "message didn't mean anything"? Really, Sam? Damn)... And the randomness.

~sigh~ What a world this is.

 Okay. Enough seriousness. Now for the silliness! (And, yes, I realize some of you may be offended. Look, I've learned to laugh at a LOT of things.)

This is what I wanted in '08 til Bill pissed me off

Kind of arrogant, but so was Romney telling the Prez to sit down (during 1st debate)
Crow is so fucking hard to chew.

The best post-election tweet?

(And this, people, is a JOKE. Just a joke.)

A little boy was watching his mother in the kitchen making a chocolate cake from scratch. 

While the mother had her head turned, the little boy went to the table dipped both hands in the chocolate frosting and covered his face with it.

The mother turned around to see what the boy was doing. She screamed:  "Boy, what the hell are you doing?"

The son gleefully replied, "Look Mama! I'm black!!!" 

The mother became enraged and slapped the crap out of her son. She then said "Boy, go show your father what you’ve done!"

The boy then walked into the den where his father was reading and said "Look Daddy! I'm black!!" 

The father put his magazine down with a very puzzled look on his face (seeing the chocolate on the boy's face.) 

The father said "Come here, boy!" 

The boy came to him and the father smacked his son across his head. 

The father angrily said "Now go show your grandpa what you've done!!!" 

The boy then slowly walked to his grandpa who was on the porch.

He said: "Um... Grandpa, Look what I did.  I'm black now..."

The grandfather said gruffly, "COME HERE BOY!" 

The grandfather took the boy over his knee and proceeded to spank him. 

"That'll teach you! Now go back in the kitchen with your mama!!!"

The boy walks back in the kitchen and the mother said, "I hope you've learned your lesson, young man!" 

The boy says with a scowl on his face, "Hell yeah! I've been black for 5 minutes and I HATE you white folks already!"

Now, being serious again: think about the different ways that all hope for a better world really do belong to our children - if we teach them right. There should be an awareness that we all have to live here on this planet together. I want my nieces and nephews to not have a need to be tolerant because they will just naturally accept others as fellow human beings.

Peace (really)

--Free

Where I sit

So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. (Job 2:13)


I have been listening some to the contending politicians. Some are doing a lot of talk about people in need. What they are saying is not very thoughtful or insightful  By that I mean that they are not thinking deeply about what they say and they are speaking on things into which they have little personal insight. How do I know this? Because I have said some of the same things in the same way.

Little did I know - back when I was pontificating on it - that poverty and need is not a stereotype. There is no stereotype for those conditions. There are stereotypes for actions and consequences, but not for conditions and circumstances.

I am black and female, on food stamps and medicaid. Sounds like a what some would call a stereotypical situation until you think more about how I got here and have some insight into how it affects me.

I was previously of a different "stereotype." A woman in a solid family, working in skilled fields of employment -  as a corporate trainer for a customs broker, then as a real estate clerk, then as a specialist in a state unemployment office. Yes, the irony. I owned an average home (nothing fancy, but not shabby, and in a very decent neighborhood), drove an average car, had the average "working stiff" lifestyle. I never considered myself as being financially poor, but realized that I was not upper middle-class or above and was content with that. I have no criminal history - in fact, I had a Homeland Security/FBI clearance for my brokerage employment - and my neighbors felt safe living near me. I was liked and respected.

That was about six years ago.

Understand, please, that living does not always go as we plan. Things happen that you don't expect to. Economies stumble, families lose members, hasty decisions turn out badly, people lie to each other. One thing leads to another - another same sort of thing, another good or better thing, or another bad or worse thing.

In my case, I have been led to where I lost a house, finances crashed badly, emotional health suffered, then physical health followed.

Here I am. Black. Female. On food stamps. On medical aid.

I am not a statistic or a stereotype. I am a person trying to heal and get back to a better place in life.

Please don't talk about me as if I have a color-coded, bar-scanned tag plastered across my forehead. Don't try to popularize your opinions - to win votes or friends or an argument around the office - by labeling my situation. You might be right here where I am someday. If not you then maybe your son, daughter or other loved one.

In the meantime, don't wait to be where I am to gain compassion.

I am taking action to get better and to get out of this situation. That's really all anyone else needs to care about.

Peace
--Free

The Debate. My Take.

They're trying to say that Palin won?

No.

What she did was not openly drool, fall off the stage, or mispronounce George Bush's name.

I guess that's a pass for her.

What did was spew the same old crap. All I could think of was that saying about if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, blind them with bullsh*t.

She not only avoided questions, she even tried to make herself sound gutsy for doing so... The woman deserves some kind of position for sheer baseless confidence.

But I did say it: she's not as dumb as she looks. Maybe I should say that she knows how to make being dumb work to her advantage.

Peace
--Free

Call It Out, Chris! Call It Out, Campbell!

I'm so mad at the Clintons right now. They are showing their (ahem) true colors. So, thank you, Chris Rock, for calling them on that mess



Then, I see from Jill's spot over at Writes Like She Talks that Campbell was on the Palin game with a rant:

White Privilege and the 2008 Election

Heads up on a Buzzflash article I found on Digg:

Context is everything in politics and journalism, and author Tim Wise has the inside track on white (and male) privilege, a concept that most white voters don't comprehend but whose relationships and decisions are governed by this inescapable concept.

That was someone else's lead in to an article I caught earlier. Summarizes beautifully everything to do with the mess that is 2008 elections... Everything.

read more | digg story

And Sarah Came Marching Home Again...

Big thanks to Mudflats for keeping up on the town hall meeting in Anchorage (where Alaskans got to sound off about Guv Palin). I hear it wasn't pretty...

And Mudflat got us a scoop on how Alaska women feel about the guv. Still not pretty.

Talk radio here is all abuzz with how Palin dissed indigenous Alaskans (and don't forget about the disrespect shown for Juneteenth organizers). But no biggie. Apparently she can't do a whole lot right (pun intended) for anybody but her own ego.

Oh, boy, winter is a'coming...

Peace
--Free

P.S.: BTW, since Alaska is so in the news lately, I highly recommend the Mudflat site for all your political news an info from a real perspective.

The Republican Rock Star is Ba-aaack!

The bitch is back and people are already talking. I thought what this one guy who observed the welcoming rally had to say was ...

"It's dangerous up here to do any truth telling -- we all want to have a future and she's going to control the state for the next four years whether she's vice president or governor or senator or turning the wheels from home in Wasilla. I mean she's a powerful woman," Jay Ramras, a Republican state representative from Fairbanks, said in an interview earlier this week."

...interesting, huh?

Then he added:
"That's how I regard her is the American Idol of politics, I've never seen anything quite like it," Ramras said. "It's improbable. It's the most improbable thing that I have ever seen in my life and probably ever will. But God bless her."
I should probably mention that the man speaking happens to own a lodge that was just across the road from where the rally was held. Sounds like he's no fool about who you have to kiss up to.

I guess the rally was huge. Hmmm... I remember when it wasn't a good thing (according to the McCain camp) to have "rock star" rallies. Oh, wait. That's only when it wasn't HIS game. Again - whatever.

And in other news, it seems the attorney Palin has dealing with the Trooper-gate mess is now hollering investigator bias. Yeah. Okay. Whatever. You know that's how people talk when things aren't going the way they want them to. No matter. All Palin has to do is stall everything for another 50 or so days & it won't much matter. Once you're crowned American Idol, it doesn't matter when the dirt starts leaking.

Is It Just Me Or.....?

Didn't I hear McCain making noise about Barack Obama's "rock star" status (and implying a lack of experience)?

Wasn't the McCain camp always trying to say that the media was on Obama's side?

Didn't McCain boast that he would rather lose the election than be president? (In other words, he wouldn't do something he didn't believe in?)

Okay. Answer me this:

Isn't Palin looking a little bit rock star herself these days? And if she's so experienced, why is McCain keeping her in school away from interviews?

And isn't the media just loving it up with McCain/Palin since he picked her as VP?

And does McCain really only do what he believes in - or in what he believes works???

Seems like to me that McCain looked at the crowds paying attention to Obama and decided that if you can't beat someone, you steal their game.

Just some things that make ya go hmmmm...

And, while I'm on a rant - have you noticed Hillary seems awful quiet since Palin came on the scene? Wonder if she's of the mind that she'd rather see a woman ANYwhere in the White House before Obama??? I'll hold out on that judgment until I see if Hillary is going to step up for her party's candidate.

Peace
--Free

Double Standards/Double Talk

Wow. They just make this too easy...

Go over and watch a fascinating spot on Daily Show/You Tube

Facts vs Lies

I was just wondering if anyone had noticed the "discrepancies" in the speech. Well, someone did.

I also love that someone compared Obama's record to Palin's (since the Republican's like to do comparing of their own). And it's all summed up nicely over at Pam's House Blend...

I'm just saying.

(By the way, go HERE for some cool stuff!)

Wonderful Speech By Palin

Not.

Look, after all the country-hick, idiot portrayals of Palin, expectations were so low for her that as long as she didn't drool or forget her own name, she was okay. But was the speech great? No. I didn't hear anything to build up the citizens of this country. All I heard was the same Republican lines meant to tear down the Obama campaign.

Where was the hope for ALL citizens? Where was the offer to be willing to work across party lines?

So, YAWWWWWN.

I'm waiting for Palin to have to think a little faster on her feet - like poor Tucker Bounds did when asked to give some specifics about her experience in foreign policy....