Screaming At The Wall

Damn POLITICIANS and angry voices without content! How about this? If the politicians want to cut salaries, benefits and jobs. They begin with their own salaries and benefits. Though, this is but a token gesture of actual intent. As most of them get their monies from specific partners behind THE closed doors. Special private monies (The American Way). All of them are responsible for this mess on both sides! Choosing the battle of partisanship over resolution and productivity. Priorities! Education, research, technology are this country's bread and butter. Most civil servants sacrifice higher salaries specifically FOR THE BENEFITS they are promised! Many college students select a State College because of the lower tuition. Generally after calculating GRANTS that are promised them to determine the affordability of the program for which they have applied. Now, students already deeply immersed in a program are having to return their grant monies and don't have the option to RE-NEGOTIATE. Their tuitions are increased and state required classes are no longer available. Meaning, these students are stuck in the middle of costly programs THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO COMPLETE. Most of these students also HAVE TO WORK, go to school full-time and count on these grants and scholarships. Funding that had only been provided to them BECAUSE THEY EARNED IT with high grades! Hard work!

We are in this situation because of our government's policies and mismanagement. The first step towards change was to increase our taxes. To pay the government MORE (i.e. the people's bail out of the government). A bail out of the banks and other major corporations WITHOUT any enforced restrictions or thorough terms to such agreements. An upper middle class tax payer with excellent credit would have a thousand more requirements and stipulations. All of which would be enforced to the fucked up letter of the law. So, why not BAIL OUT THE STATES? Our government system already functions as a pyramid of departmental dependencies. This unoriginal idea seems to be the most logical.

We should put projects we cannot afford ON HOLD. Such as new train and metro projects. Development projects that may be important, must be weighed upon the value of sustaining existing jobs and vital programs. These moneys should be used to secure domestic programs and benefits by priority. Such as insuring accessibility to affordable, quality education.

Lets look at illogical government spending absent ideological and partisan allegiances! Areas and policies that are unnecessary and should be cut. In my opinion, U.S. global military presence and involvement should be the first area of dismantling. With a policy shift towards sharing global responsibility with other nations under God. We are a self-proclaimed world power. If we truly want to influence and contribute to other nations it must be done BY EXAMPLE. On a very practical note, we simply cannot afford this as a strategy or a luxury. Following the proposed exit plan, we should then begin substantial cuts in military spending and arms production.

Other areas that should be looked at are the countless prisons scattered and well hidden across this nation. The prisons are not over-crowded. They are managed in such a way as to increase the numbers of those incarcerated and actually foster criminal activity. The prison system is as the Republican's describe the welfare system. One of increasing dependence on Federal funding absent any productive results. Beyond this parallel, the lower governmental branches work with private companies to write policy and generate revenues. When in most cases, the prisons are in themselves supposed to be "not-for-profit". In addition, the cost and length of prison terms for International prisoners is not only outrageous but, it is abused by the lower branches. These housing policies, prisons and lock-up facilities should be substantially castrated.

Homeowners, imprisoned by their re-adjusted loans (by bailed out banks) and "high property taxes" would benefit significantly to "lower property taxes". Most likely resulting in fewer foreclosures and higher property values.

The Most Powerful of ALL economic STIMULUS!
Forgive all existing Student Loans! Imagine, the benefits of time and relative financial freedom! What new inventions, discoveries, cures, ideas would surface from this new found mobility?

I propose, that we ourselves pull each other out of this avarice pit we've tunneled ever so deeply . We don't have to LIKE each other! But, we are forever condemned (or interconnected, however you want to see it) to coexist. It is truly a more fulfilling existence to aid rather than to plunder...