Obamaville 2010 - Rage Rules as our President of Democrats of America rejects 2/3 of Constituents

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Reality is as reality seems and the rage and discontent in America has been fueled by the most partisan, polarizing and paralyzing new president in our modern history. Somewhere along the way after being sworn in as president Barack Obama and his Chicago gang made a series of assumptions that defy logic and reflect either a total misunderstanding of democracy or an arrogant exercise in power politics not see since, maybe Napoleon in France.

Socialism is a political system based on a perceived sense of entitlement. In modern times the very socialist leaning system so rigorously pursued by our president and his confidants is crumbling around the world in nation after nation, especially in Europe, that embraced the socialist notion of creating a society based on entitlement rather than hard work and productivity.

One by one the socialist experiments of the world have fallen into disarray just as our young, idealistic and inexperienced new president decided he knew what was best for America without consulting the American people he was elected to represent. In America an election victory, especially one by just 7 % as Obama achieved, is far from a mandate but an opportunity to lead.

In the sweet elixir of his victory he forgot the most important principles of politics in America, our president is not king and once elected our president serves all the people all the time, not just those he likes who blindly support him. Two years later, nothing has changed. Obama remains the President of the Democrats who still support him and everyone else be damned, including the Democrats who once supported him and he betrayed for political expediency.

Make no mistake, Obama's agenda has no regard for the little people who are the backbone and foundation of America. His elitist worldview is based on bringing to America what we have rejected for over 234 years. We have no intention of making all the mistakes of our older European friends who long ago jumped to socialism because they were seduced by leaders whose vision extended no further than their noses.

Europe is a really old place and they have seen thousands of years of monarchs, despots, dictators, crazy kings, revolutions, capitalism, socialism, nazism and communism all come and go in the name of God and the worker. Of course once they become popular the God part fades away.

Recent generations have seen the collapse of the empty promises of socialism and nation by nation is not paying for the socialist sins of their parents. The health care and education systems love by Obama are self-destructing in a sea of long term debt. The cradle to grave promise of social welfare and pensions is drowning in bankrupt nations, ever growing demands for entitlement, and the rejection of socialist and leftist government and their replacement with fiscally conservative governments.

From the UK to France, Spain to Greece, Ireland to Italy, they are all following the lead of the one nation that has most incorporated and imitated the American way, the nation of Germany. Led by Angela Merkel and her conservative government, Germany is the most powerful nation in Europe after being totally destroyed and gutted twice in the past century and after absorbing the ruins of East Germany into the German nation after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Of course that should not be surprising to those of us in America since over sixty million Americans are fully or partly of German ancestry, the largest ethnic block by far in America. These are the descendants of the German immigrants to America who built our unparalleled agricultural system in the 1800's and powered our industrial revolution in the 1900's.

Our young president seems to have forgotten the lessons of the past or never learned them as he continues to be president to only those who don't criticize or oppose him. Well two thirds of the people don't agree with him or the direction he is leading the country and his fall from grace and the fall from grace of his Democrat party is the only possible outcome when arrogance and elitism are imposed on the people of America.

To the people of America the socialist leaning agenda of Obama is a dinosaur that has failed and is self-destructing in Europe and around the world. Americans have no desire to be better at socialism than the rest of the world. Fact is we have no interest in being anything like the rest of the world. We have the most integrated, multi-cultural, and dynamic nation in the world. We have the most powerful economy, natural resources, agricultural production and military on earth.

Our economy ranks second to none with the second greatest economy on earth, China, five times smaller than ours. We are the most generous, charitable, forgiving free people on earth and we are the only nation where people are desperate to move here and are willing to risk arrest to get here.  We have a lot to be proud about and a lot more ambition, innovation, creativity and motivation than any people on earth.   

Please Mr. President, respect our heritage not your naive vision. You work for us, all of us.
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BARACK BUSHWHACKED BY BUSH LEAGUE BUSH MOVE

So we all heard about President Bush traveling to Israel for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the nation and then we heard about his speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, where he took a cheap shot at presidential candidate Barack Obama. "Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along," Bush said.

The president went on to smugly mention terrorists, Nazis, Hitler and Iran implying he was talking about Obama although that implication was later denied by the White House Press Office in a most sarcastic manner. White House Press Secretary Dana Perino stated: “"I understand when you're running for office you sometimes think the world revolves around you. That is not always true. And it is not true in this case." That seems like a rather calculated and nasty response from the spokesperson for the president.

So Obama wanted to meet with those we don’t agree with in order to try and resolve our differences. Bush says that is bad. Of course Ronald Reagan, John Kennedy and many other presidents have entered into direct negotiations with the enemy to resolve conflicts and even people in the Bush Administration have met with Iran, Korea, Syria and others the Administration once called enemies so what in the world was Bush thinking?

Since it has always been an unwritten rule of American politics that we do not attack other politicians on foreign soil these statements seem little more than the typical bullying tactics that have helped drive the popularity of the Bush Administration into the ground making it the most unpopular presidency ever recorded. I wonder why?

McCain, who more and more sounds like a stalking horse for Bush in a failed race was quick to come to the defense of the president elevating the issue to a headline story but I am yet to understand how trashing an opponent is helping to explain the policy differences between candidates for president.

The White House must feel concerned that McCain needs help three months before he even becomes the official candidate for the Republicans, a good sign that the lame duck president has serious doubts about the new GOP candidate.

Bush has chosen to not stay above politics and has jumped into the action always eager for a fight whether there are any weapons of mass destruction or not. McCain has chosen to parrot the president so we can only hope his shoulders are strong enough to carry the sins of the president in the campaign.

The Democrats demonstrated that differences or not between their candidates, the most unifying force in America to bring the Democrats together in the fall is the president himself and the presidents’ own tendency to bully the opposition may just be the best advantage Obama needs to be the next president.

STEPHANOPOULOS AGAIN PROVES LOYALTY TO CLINTONS IN FINAL DEMOCRATIC DEBATE

Last night the Democrats had their last presidential debate in Philadelphia as ABC News man-child and political correspondent George Stephanopoulos co-hosted the event with the ABC Evening News Anchor Charles Gibson.

Georgie, the spokesperson and chief defender for President Bill Clinton during the Whitewater and Monica Lewinski scandals continued to be the loyal Clinton supporter as he valiantly tried to tie Barach Obama to a host of unsavory characters from the ancient Weatherman days of 40 years ago to Reverend Big Mouth of modern times.

ABC, short for A Bunch of Crap, seems intent on taking the crown from CBS for offering the most slanted news coverage possible. With such trustworthy news people as Diane Sawyer available it seems strange that a former Clinton insider would be doing the questioning for the network but when Disney owns you even the news has a fantasy spin.

We were hoping Obama would walk over and slap little Georgie for his mean-spirited questions but alas he was too much the gentleman. Hillary, clinging to a razor-thin lead in the Pennsylvania polls for the primary next Tuesday was unusually smug as she kept saying such tactics should be kept out of politics while throwing one barb after another in the typical Bill Clinton fashion.

It looked like a tag team affair between Georgie and Hillary as they once again worked to distract the media and public like they did so well during the Whitewater and Lewinski scandals. Hillary says she is experienced in the demands on the chief executive but I am not sure her experiences are what the public is seeking.

If experience is all it is about then McCain and Clinton, the only two candidates eligible for membership in the AARP, have a lot of explaining to do for all those years in public service. It is not experience that counts but what you learned from the experience. There is a real difference between working up a head of steam and being caught in a fog. Let’s hope the Clinton Steam Team can get a chance to focus on issues.

February 2, 1998

Starr Subpoenas Stephanopulous
Source says Clinton did not flatly deny December meeting with Lewinsky


WASHINGTON (AllPolitics Feb. 1) -- Former White House aide George Stephanopoulos has been subpoenaed by Independent Counsel Ken Starr to appear before the grand jury in Washington, CNN learned Monday.

WHY BARACK OBAMA WILL BE THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE USA!

The Lincoln Connection

In his Second Inaugural Address March 4, 1865 President Abraham Lincoln said the following:

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Such words of Abraham Lincoln seem as valid today as they did 143 years ago so perhaps the hand of destiny may play a part in this election. Whoever wins will become president in time to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth on February 12, 1809. The fact Lincoln lived in Illinois throughout his career is another interesting parallel with Barack Obama.

What about experience to be president? Lincoln, one of our greatest presidents of all time who presided over the most difficult war and social change in our history was elected president after serving 8 years in the Illinois State Senate and 2 years as a Congressman. Barack Obama has served 8 years in the Illinois State Senate and 4 years in the U.S. Senate.

Lincoln freed the slaves in America with his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and his support of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1865 that was ratified after his death. He presided over the most devastating war in our history, the Civil War.

Barack could become the first Black elected president thus fulfilling the dream of Lincoln when he freed the slaves that all people are entitled to equal opportunity as guaranteed under the Declaration of Independence of the United States in 1776.

Hillary’s Experience – the Double Edged Sword

Hillary has used a variety of techniques to establish that of all the presidential candidates she has by far the most administrative and presidential experience. A rather bold claim since she has never held an administrative position but rather been an advisor to her husband and thus the cause for concern.

While certainly exposure to the presidency as a first lady would be interesting, it also is no guarantee that you had a hands on role in the execution of the office. With Bill as president I’m not sure the hands on reference is even appropriate as it does not seem to be related to only policy issues.

But if you are claiming such experience as presidential then you must be willing to also claim co-responsibility for those issues and actions. Now this leaves Hillary in the quandary for the Clinton administration did not leave a legacy of unparalleled successes when it came to issues such as Iraq, terrorism, NAFTA, GATT, free trade and other sensitive matters.

There is a saying that it is not the experience that counts but what you learned from the experience and a lot of questions remain to be answered when it comes to the experience of the Clinton Administration. Many people believe that the experience of the Clinton Administration is part of the establishment and institutional politics we want to change.

Besides, experience is not a precondition to success as many an experience person has failed when cast into a new role and many an inexperienced person has done quite well by growing rapidly into a new role. Examples of the latter might be the inexperienced presidents John Kennedy, another Illinois man Ronald Reagan, and Abraham Lincoln as mentioned earlier.

The Barriers of Prejudice

Prejudice and bigotry are certainly alive and well in America but the more generations we put between us and the Civil War the less likely such misguided human emotions can impact on an election. Often time is the greatest healer and a lot of time has passed since the days of slavery and civil rights battles.

Most prejudice today is taught not experienced where previous generations lived through the days when hatred was preached in churches, people were murdered and secret societies hijacked our law enforcement system for their own spiteful purposes. Many of those descendants of the early participants half heartedly bought into the brainwashing and when they did more often than not the first thing they did was refuse to register to vote. Thus they are not even going to participate in the election.

Over the years the ballot has replaced the bullet as the vehicle for change in America and those choosing not to participate are exercising their right as a U.S. citizen and losing any chance to be a meaningful participant in the process.

The Youth Movement

As a card carrying Baby Boomer it gives me a warm feeling to hear that our youth are once again getting involved in the political process and in doing so have rallied around the young Black candidate as their standard bearer. Shades of the sixties and déjà vu all over again as Yogi Berra would say.

We had Kennedy and Civil Rights to support, Viet Nam to oppose, and the Cold War to remind us how wrong things were. Now kids have Obama to support, Iraq to oppose and the establishment to remind them how wrong things are and we hope there newfound voice of empowerment can keep up their interest and participation.

Only today there is competition for the attention of youth from cells phones, IPods, text messaging, the Internet, video games and all the distractions of the MTV and computer age so there is no sure thing that youthful enthusiasm can stay focused.



Americans are Not Ready for a Black President

Americans may not be ready but Americans may not be involved enough to stop it as many of those voicing concern about this issue have long ago dropped out of the political process because of their disgust for the president, congress or other institutions. One look at the demographics shows that about 50% of eligible voters are not registered to vote, about 50% of those registered to vote actually do vote, and while they are divided about equally between Democrats, Republicans and Independents, their loyalty to a party has been consistently slipping away. People simply do not see much difference between political parties.

The truth is that Blacks may be more determined than ever to take advantage of this window of opportunity because this may be one of the last opportunities they have before the Hispanic vote becomes a dominate force in U.S. elections. In 2006 estimates Whites make up 73.9% of the population (221.3 million) while Blacks are 12.4% of population (37.1 million). Hispanics, who may be of mixed ethnic background, are 14.8% of the population (44.3 million). But one half of all children in America under age 5 are Hispanic. When the diverse Hispanic population can consolidate as a unified voting block they will become a powerful force.

A final note regarding the Black issue is that with a White mother Obama may not be feared as much by some in the White community nor viewed as a radical standard bearer for African Americans. Right or wrong as an issue there is so much mixed blood in the American population that acceptance is much more likely today than in previous generations. The more we learn of our ancestry the more obvious the melting pot nature of America becomes accepted.

IT'S OVER - OBAMA 44TH PRESIDENT OF USA

Startling evidence undercovered by The Coltons Point Times and confirmed through a network of proven psychics and intuitives far more accurate than political pollsters and weathermen has verified that Barack Obama will be elected the 44th President of the United States of America, making history as the first African American president of the nation.

Try as she might, Hillary and Bill just could not stop the Harvard graduate from bringing the string of 20 straight years of Yale control of the presidency to an abrupt and stunning end. In the end the political arm-twisting, special interest dollars, and wheeling and dealing could not stop Barack and neither could the Republican candidate, John McCain, who could not convince the public he was the new candidate for change.

I mean come on, McCain will be 72 this year, 25 years older than Obama. Between the US Navy and US House and Senate McCain will have served the US government 49 years, Obama just 4 years. In other words, McCain has worked for the US government longer than Obama has been alive.

Is there any doubt about who represents the new generation? Besides, isn't it about time the old timers, and there are many old timers in politics, step aside and give the new people a chance? Haven't the old boys done about enough (to) for us? So come next January this will be the new president with his kids.

Now what does turn the election in the end. Well the Democratic Underground seemed to have discovered that Obama is holding back on an endorsement certain to turn the tide of the election when released and eliminate all questions about whether the new kid in town (Obama) has the confidence of those that count.

It seems JC has agreed to come back early to endorse Obama and he is quick to assure the public this return has nothing to do with the End Times. Preacher Huckabee lobbied hard for the JC endorsement but JC happens to like the the sound of a harp more than a bass guitar. Some think Oprah might have arranged the endorsement what with her connections.


So now that we know the outcome of the election next November what does it mean? For one no more obnoxious political ads on TV for the next 8 months. Over $100 million in campaign costs will be saved because no more spending is necessary. It will bring an end to the mudslinging and dirty tricks threatening to make this campaign just like all the others before it. The news media will have to manufacture sensational news about something else besides the election. The rest of the world will breathe a sight of relief that gun slingers no longer control the White House.

As the 44th president Obama will have a lot of mysticism behind him as well. For example take the number 44, 4 + 4 = 8. Obama was born in 1961. 1 + 9 + 6 + 1 = 17, 1 + 7 = 8. He was from Illinois which has 8 letters. John Kennedy was 35th president, also equal to 8. The number 8 is a Fibonacci number.

The Jewish religious rite of brit milah is held on a baby boy's eighth day of life. Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday that starts on the 25th day of Kislev. Shemini Atzeret (Hebrew: "Eighth Day of Assembly") is a one-day Jewish holiday immediately following the seven-day holiday of Sukkot.

The Noble Eightfold Path in the Buddhist faith has eight steps. The Eight Immortals are Chinese deities. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believe that humans are responsible for their actions by the age of 8. The Dharmachakra, a Buddhist symbol, has eight spokes. The Buddha's principal teaching -- the Four Noble Truths -- ramifies as the Eightfold Noble Path. Buddha's birthday falls on the 8th day of the 4th month of the Chinese calendar.

In Christianity it is allegoric to: what is beyond time (because the number 7 refers to the days of the week which repeat themselves), and is the number of Beatitudes. In Islam it is the number of Angels carrying The Holy Throne of Allah in heavens. In Neopaganism there are eight Sabbats, festivals, seasons, or spokes in the Wheel of the Year. In Hinduism its the number of wealth and abundance. The Goddess Lakshmi has eightfold forms. There are eight nidhis - seats of wealth.

And now for a word from our special interest sponsor...

THE PEOPLE’S AGENDA FOR CHANGE

“WE THE PEOPLE!”
Part 2 – What are the targets for change?

1. Money Mongers of the Financial Institutions
2. Mortgage Lenders – Vampires of the Golden Dream
3. Credit Card Industry Standards, Fees and Collection Methods
4. Health Care Industry Cost, Insurance and Unnecessary Treatment
5. Pharmaceutical Industry Proliferation of Prescription Drugs
6. FDA (Food & Drug Administration) Drug Approval Process
7. Agriculture – Food Testing, Ingredients and Source
8. Campaign Reform – Empty Promises and Empty Wallets
9. Immigration Reform – The Slumbering Social Issue of the Day
10. Government Permits & Inspections – Protection or Payoffs

So there you have it, a concise list of the ten institutional bureaucracies that must be addressed by our candidates for president if those candidates truly want to be the flag bearers for change. Now a more detailed description of the targets follows but I want you to know what you are in for up front.

When you hear why they are on the list just ask yourself what my favorite candidate for president has had to say about these issues that wreak havoc on the public every day. For you see these thorny targets also represent some of the largest financial contributors to our candidates for change and the political parties of America.

So maybe when questioning the presidential candidates we should ask a series of qualifying questions. Do you want change? Do you take money from these special interest groups? Can you stand up to them and their financial power? How are you going to persuade the other members of congress to support you?

In politics promises are cheap, promises most often are forgotten after the election and careers can be cut short when promises threaten the golden goose that feeds off the unsuspecting public. What does that mean? It means we the people are the cash cow and the special interest groups are the beneficiary of decades of conflicts of interest, bribes and payoffs, greed and immorality and the hijacking of our political system.

Truth is it is hard to believe any candidate means what they say about change. They are all players to some degree or another of our political system or they would not be candidates. They are all dependent on millions and millions of dollars in contributions in order to play in the game. They all hire the same old staff members that have mastered the game of inside politics. And if they do mean what they say, well the odds of being able to deliver are about as good as us bringing peace to the Middle East.

Still, as an eternal optimist when it comes to public service I can only hope there are people out there who have not been compromised, who are sincere, who can withstand the temptations of the golden goose, and who will lead us in the direction of real change before it is too late. Now let us turn our attention to the targets for change in America and see if you don’t agree.

1. Money Mongers of the Financial Institutions

Who are these people and what threat do they represent? Well, the intricate web of interlocking ownership, access to media, control of pricing in stocks, currency, commodities and bonds, and insulation from scrutiny probably make this the single most powerful force on Earth, capable of controlling governments and destroying opposition without ever getting their own hands dirty. You see they are invisible to the general public.

While flying the banner of capitalism they are the masters of deceit as the last thing they want is open competition, public scrutiny, social justice or power to the people. Their’s is a world of opportunity, the opportunity to take what other people have regardless of the consequences in order to consolidate power, maximize control, accumulate wealth and squeeze every last bloody cent of profit from everyone else.

Does it sound extreme, only because it is extreme? Sound like a sinister plot to gain control of the world? They don’t need to gain what they have already got. Their mission is not to lose it. While we wave our flag of democracy and freedom and every generation or so Americans rise up and take on new challenges, they have been quietly working behind the scenes for centuries, yes centuries, to achieve their goals.

Enough pontificating. Financial institutions control the world simply put and they do not serve the world in the process, as serving is not a good return on investment. They set up mutual funds to consolidate investment power and get government to create more sources of funds and turn them over to the financiers to manage such as pension funds, 401K funds, IRAs and many others.

They create financial “experts” to tell us what is happening to our investment markets and how to invest what money we do control completely ignoring the conflicts of interest when the greatest beneficiaries of the advice are the market makers, the very financial institutions whose experts are giving supposedly objective market advice.

What does that mean? The media takes the advice of industry experts and tells us the price of oil is going up because of the potential for a hurricane in the gulf that may or may not disrupt supply lines and drilling operations. A suicide bombing in Iraq shows that the crude oil supply from that country is not stable so a shortage of future oil may result if a bombing of the oil pipelines is successful. Cold weather in American means there will be a shortage of heating oil no matter that there are sufficient inventories already in the country. So the price of oil goes up, and up and up.

Who benefits? The owners of the crude oil, the companies that pay them for the crude, the banks that finance the companies, the stockholders that own shares of the companies, the IRAs, 401Ks, pension funds and mutual funds that pump money into the companies, the companies selling and buying their stocks, or the companies setting market prices? Guess what, all of them could be part of the financial institutions benefiting from the market manipulations caused by the speculative reports on the industry by the media.

Where I come from that is a gross conflict of interest. Financial institutions can make money buying and selling stock with other people’s money, mutual funds, and retirement funds whether the stock goes up or down in value. They still get their commission. If they own stock in the companies, in the commodities market or in the banks financing the markets they also benefit.

So why does the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission let them do this? The FTC and SEC are supposed to be our government watchdogs protecting the public from unscrupulous financial manipulators.

For two years the same financial sector was behind the unethical, immoral and often-illegal manipulation of the sub-prime mortgage markets as well which nearly sent the USA into recession and certainly left millions of homeowners in foreclosure. Where were the federal regulators?

How these people got away with it was tragic yet amazing to watch, and the fact they were rewarded for their disastrous actions is astounding since the same institutions were able to write off billions of dollars in losses on their own taxes, thus benefiting from the fees, the commissions, the collections and the tax write offs leaving the consumer high, dry and broke.

So candidates, what are you going to do to stop this? What are your plans to reform and better regulate the financial institutions? How can you stop the media from glamorizing industry experts whose employers directly benefit from their words of wisdom? How can you break up the inter-locking ownership inherent in the world? How can you protect he retirement nest eggs of the public that are being sucked dry by the money managers?

2. Mortgage Lenders – Vampires of the Golden Dream

Even though mortgage lenders can be owned, controlled or manipulated by the financial sector and banking institutions they are often set up independently until they finish preying on an unsuspecting public, having got caught using questionable practices (sub-prime loans for example), using heavy handed tactics, misleading consumers and initiating mortgage foreclosures.

When this happens the lenders now approaching bankruptcy get bought out by the financial and banking sectors that are seeking to acquire real estate property at far below the loan value. So losses are written off, property is acquired far below the loan value, new mortgages are written to resell or refinance the property, a few million people lose their homes due to foreclosures, and the financial institutions now have a new division with secure assets and credit worthy clients.

Of course we then lose sight of the fact illegal mortgages and unethical selling practices caused the bail out cycle to take place. Or that mortgage lenders, sales people, lawyers and credit rating firms were all players in this billion-dollar scam. That closing fees, collection fees and late fees have made someone millions of dollars at the expense of the hapless homeowners.

Then there is the question of the post mortgage market. I mean how many people know who really holds their mortgage as it can be sold over and over to spread the risk, enable firms to dissolve to avoid liability, or a variety of other reasons. You can get a mortgage from a bank only to discover the mortgage was sold to a bankrupt lender.

Finally even the government backed mortgage programs like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, (what great names for federal backed mortgage players), not to mention the long list of programs such as VA, Indian, Rural, Low Income and other federal mortgage and housing programs must be ever more vigilant to root out corruption, contract fixing, slipshod construction and repair work, inefficient heating and utilities and other problems that beset our federal and state housing efforts.

So again we ask what are the presidential candidates saying about how they will change these institutional bureaucracies to serve the people? What is the new agenda to protect people and tax funds from these vampires? How will they be regulated, prosecuted and punished for any violations of the public trust?

3. Credit Card Industry Standards, Fees and Collection Methods

Now this is an area of regulatory meltdown and benign neglect involving federal and state agencies ranging from the FTC to Congress, from the SEC to Justice Department. There is a body of law at both the state and federal levels that regulates these practices but no one seems to pay attention.

The issuance of credit cards through the mail and Internet and the proliferation of offers from credit card companies are astounding. The never-ending changes in interest rates charged, the justification for such changes, the explanation of such practices and the downright deception in consumer information is appalling and predatory.

It is a wonder the nation is not drowning in credit card interest and collection activity with the elderly and youth being most likely to succumb to the offers that are too good to pass up. Fees change constantly for ATM charges, handling, processing, vendor, fraud, security, and any other excuse to stick it to the consumer.

Credit rating companies feed information to credit card companies and collection companies making the whole business of debt collection a financial windfall to lawyers, collection agencies, process servers and even the courts. Lies regarding the rights of the cardholder are overwhelming to most people, threatening to them and their credit, and fraught with heavy-handed tactics.

Simply stated there is no protection for people from getting the cards, understanding the changing fees, and especially getting caught in the late payment and collection process. Debts are written off yet collection efforts go full steam. When debts should be forgiven efforts are still made to scare the consumers into making payments. The credit collection industry is about as close as we come to the Gestapo in this country and the politicians are silent.

There is minimum at best consumer protection and maximum effort to throw the consumer to the dogs. State and federal laws can regulate the methods for offering cards, the message explaining the “wonderful” opportunity, the interest, and the fees, even the ways and means of collection.

If we allow a credit card company to write off the bad debt, then why is the collection industry pursuing the poor consumer with no money? Why are the bad debts written off years before the debt is forgiven to the consumer? If the credit card company realizes a tax deduction for bad debt, why are collectors threatening the consumer long after?

If credit card companies contract out for collection to private businesses, are those private businesses subject to government regulation meant for the credit card companies? If the USA is drowning in debt it is because the card companies and all those companies making money off the card companies are driven by greed.

There are many opportunities for the candidates to help the consumers in this area and it does not even require spending much money, just developing and enforcing meaningful legislation and regulations to truly control the sharks. So once again we ask where are the proposals for change from the candidates?

4. Health Care Industry Cost, Insurance and Unnecessary Treatment

Just look at the facts and there is no doubt this system is broken. In 2006 we spent $2.1 trillion on health care, over $7,026 for every person in the USA, and it took over 16% of our Gross Domestic Product. That is 4.3 times more money than we spent on defense. The cost of health care increases at more than double the inflation rate annually.

At 16% of GDP we have the highest health care costs of any developed nation with the next highest being Switzerland 10.9%, Germany 10.7%, Canada 9.7% and France 9.5%. Americans spent one third more on health care than any of these nations, and while 50 million Americans do not have health insurance all of the citizens in the other nations mentioned receive health care. At our current pace we will be spending $4 trillion on health care in just 7 years, by 2015.

With the war in Iraq one might expect the cost of health care for veterans to be substantial as treatment in the war zone is far improved from earlier wars and for every death of a soldier there are 9 wounded soldiers that return home. Yet the cost of veteran’s health care drops to $5,000 per person, $2,000 less per year than civilians.

What is causing these statistical aberrations? Are we much sicker than citizens of the other nations? Is there a greater medical risk to civilians in America than our soldiers in Iraq? Why are 50 million Americans uninsured when all of the citizens of other nations receive health care?

According to the latest statistics employer paid health insurance premiums in the USA were $11,500 for families and about $4,200 for individuals. That means annual health insurance premiums account for a substantial portion of health care costs. Something is very wrong with the system.

Doctors take payoffs from drug companies to promote treatments. Doctor’s own clinics that need to keep billing patients to make money. Hospitals need patients to pay the bills and keep the beds full. In the end, some estimates say 25% of all health care treatment is unnecessary and serves to generate money for clinics, doctors and hospitals and not cures for the patients.

Alternative medicines are blocked throughout the nation as they represent a major loss of revenue for traditional medicine. Most of the use of alternative and holistic treatment is not covered by insurance because it would mean a huge loss in revenue to traditional medicine. CAT scans, MRIs and many other very expensive tests are done without justification in order to generate billings.

Deaths from malpractice and the wrong drugs or drug overdoses can be as high as natural deaths in some medical facilities. Yet the medical money machine goes on and on at higher and higher costs with little effort to bring about meaningful reform.

So what is the average educational debt for new doctors coming into the market? According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the average educational debt of indebted graduates of the class of 2006 (including pre-med borrowing) is $130,571. The average debt of graduating medical students increased in 2006 by 8.5 percent over the previous year. 72 percent of graduates have debt of at least $100,000. 86.6 percent of graduating medical students carry outstanding loans. 40.2 percent of 2006 graduates have non-educational debt, averaging $16,689. Source: AAMC 2006 Graduation Questionnaires.

So how much do they make when they graduate? Cardiologists were the most sought-after specialists last year, fetching salaries ranging from $234,000 to $525,000 and averaging $320,000 a year, according to surveys. Close behind cardiologists are radiologists and orthopedic surgeons. Other prime areas where salaries are among the highest in medicine include ophthalmology, anesthesiology, and dermatology. Salaries for some of these specialties range from about $250,000 to more than $600,000, never mind the lucrative signing bonuses, income guarantees, and vacation packages that can be counted in months, not weeks.

But you don't need an M.D. after your name for the offers to come in. Pharmacists, physician assistants, physical and occupational therapists, audiologists, nurse practitioners, and other advanced-practice nurses are all in demand, with a master's degree as a certified registered nurse anesthetist generating salary offers ranging from about $100,000 to $160,000.

How are the candidates going to address the many changes needed in health care costs, stop the unnecessary treatments, and allow for the alternative methods to be embraced? Is there a better way to manage student loans and loan repayment? What insurance reforms are needed to make the USA competitive with other developed nations in terms of health care costs? How can we stop malpractice and false billing against insurance companies?

5. Pharmaceutical Industry Proliferation of Prescription Drugs

This can be short and sweet. In 2002 we spent $162 billion on prescription drugs and in 2006 we spent $217 billion on prescription drugs. One out of every five Americans takes 5 or more prescriptions per day. All Americans average 2.9 prescriptions per day. Our senior citizens, who are increasing very rapidly with the aging of the Baby Boomers, averaged $559 for prescriptions in 1992, $1,205 for prescriptions in 2000, and $1,912 in 2005 with spending expected to reach $2,805 in 2010.

Every day it seems the health authorities announce yet another prescription drug that does not work, or whose long-term effects are determined to be more dangerous than expected. Yet every day it seems there are new prescriptions for new diseases. We live longer but spend far more. Kids are over-prescribed with Ritalin and other drugs. They are addicted to drugs they don’t even take raiding medicine cabinets for the new drug culture.

What will the candidates do to stop this nonsense? How will they reign in the drug companies to stop making false advertising claims? Will they call for truth in advertising, documentation for claims, clinical trials when needed, and a stop to the practice of over-prescribing drugs across the board?

6. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Drug Approval Process

If drug prices in America have been rising almost five times as fast as inflation then the FDA must assume some of the responsibility as they are the regulatory agency charged with overseeing the over-the-counter and prescription drugs so abundant in our society.

The FDA new drug approval process with layers of clinical animal and human trials is the most costly, most lengthy and often most bizarre in terms of protocols and criteria for approval in the world. It is a process designed for the benefit of wealthy pharmaceutical companies, not for the small and independent research companies and laboratories.

Drug companies say it takes up to $500 million to bring a new drug through the FDA approval process. Small companies can do the same thing for about $10-25 million. Most small companies have to raise the money as they go through the process and will give up a major ownership position in their own company to afford the FDA process.

Major pharmaceutical firms have managed to negotiate with FDA for new drug approval even if the drug extends the life expectancy of the patient by just 30 days. Yet when these products are sold to the public no one seems to mention they might only be good for 30 days at a cost of thousands of dollars. Human clinical trials take place to see if there are any adverse reactions to the drugs. When you hear all the disclaimers in the ads for the approved drugs you wonder how they could ever get approval.

Things have gotten so ridiculous in the approval process that television ads for the drug Celebrex contain so many warnings of side effects and drug interactions that the ad actually states “the FDA says the benefits may outweigh the risks” when taking it. Are they crazy? It might be safe to take it?

Human trials approved by FDA require a protocol where half of the patients are given a placebo rather than the drug so results taking the drug can be measured against a control group not taking the drug. Not a bad practice unless the drug is experimental and the disease is going to kill the patient.

For example, stage 3 cancer patients have weeks or months to live. At stage 3 any normal and extremely expensive treatment like chemo, radiation or surgery has already failed. When they are offered a chance to participate in an experiment that might save their life and the option is certain death you might think they would jump at the chance, but that is not the case.

Why would they sign up when only half the people will even receive the treatment, with the other half getting meaningless placebos? If they are in the half that gets the candy and not the drug they die. If they get the drug there is a chance they might live. When you are facing death there should not be a 50-50 chance you won’t get the treatment.

Other problems with the industry include their price gouging, opposition to generic drugs selling for much less, opposition to foreign drugs also selling for much less, payments to doctors for prescribing their drugs, and unsubstantiated claims regarding over-the-counter drugs like cough syrup which has been proven to do no good.

Where do the candidates stand on the issues raised about the FDA and drug regulatory and approval process? How will they change the system to make it more responsive to patients, less costly for companies, and more beneficial for the public? How will false claims be dealt with and stopped?

7. Agriculture – Food Testing, Ingredients and Source

You go to the grocery store, check the fresh meat, see something that looks nice and red and fresh and buy it. Or maybe you buy the chicken to fry up for dinner. Then again you might buy pet food for your favorite dog or cat. Now did anyone tell you fresh meat like beef should not be red? Did they tell you color dyes and carbon monoxide are used to give the cuts of meat that color and they are injected in the butcher shop?

Did they tell you the chicken was raised in a hen house and pumped with hormones, steroids and God knows what else to fatten it up for the slaughter? Did they tell you about everything you just bought included rendered animal parts?

Did they mention rendering plants use raw product including thousands of dead dogs and cats; heads and hooves from cattle, sheep, pigs and horses; whole skunks; rats and raccoons? Did they mention the millions of maggots swarming over the carcasses? Did they tell you the carcasses would be ground up and cooked to create batches of yellow grease, meal and bone meal, and that the meat and bone meal would be used as a source of protein and other nutrients in poultry, swine and pet foods?

That the animal fat is used as an “energy source” and millions of tons will be trucked to poultry ranches, cattle feed-lots, dairy and hog farms, fish-feed plants and pet-food manufacturers where it is mixed with other ingredients to feed the billions of animals that meat-eating humans, in turn, will eat.

When you look at the ingredient label and it says the meat included protein it sounds good but is that protein from the rendered carcasses and what are the health consequences of eating a standard diet of rendered byproduct? The deadly Mad Cow disease was caused by feeding rendered products to cattle.

In food labeling what do the terms “natural” and “organic” really mean? Does that mean they were not genetically engineered? Are they free of the carbon monoxide used to make it appear fresh? Unless you grow all your food in your own garden and prepare all your meals from scratch, it's almost impossible to eat food without preservatives added.

The bottom line is we have a lot of explaining to do about food, what is in it, where it comes from, and what it will do to us over the years. So just where do the candidates stand on this critical consumer health and survival issue? What are their proposals to fix things?

8. Campaign Reform – Empty Promises and Empty Wallets

For the first time in our history the presidential campaign alone in 2008 is expected to cost over one billion dollars. Now that is a whole lot of money being spent to win a job that pays $400,000 a year and only lasts four years. One billion dollars spent to make $1,600,000. If that is the result of capitalism then we might have a problem.

Campaign reform has been talked about more and acted upon less than any other issue facing congress and the president. Political advertising costs are criminal. Some campaigns spend more money raising money than they do getting elected. Special interest groups give to candidates, give more to national political parties, more to state political parties and then spend money themselves to influence elections.

If $1 billion is spent in the race for the White House and there are 121 million votes cast like in 2004 then each vote will cost about $9 for president. When you add to that the cost for federal congressmen and senators, governors, state legislators and local races it is a pretty expensive freedom we exercise.

It can be changed if the president and congress have the guts. Paid ads can be stopped, special interest funding can be stopped, and a logical schedule for primaries can be held. Candidates can receive free media time since all the airways are government regulated. Voter registration can be increased.

There are about 226 million people eligible to vote in the USA and about 142 million are registered to vote. In 2004 about 121 million did vote for president. That means about 53% of the eligible voters participated in the last presidential election, a pretty weak total for the citadel of democracy in the world. That needs to be fixed. Require automatic voter registration with social security cards or drivers licenses if need be but get people back involved in the process. We can’t make people vote but we can make sure they have the opportunity to vote.

There is a lot the candidates can do to introduce meaningful campaign reform and the lack of proposals offered is troubling at best.

9. Immigration Reform – The Slumbering Social Issue of the Day

So far the candidates have done a masterful job of avoiding the issue of Immigration reform although before the campaign heated up they had a variety of ideas to offer. Now it seems the ideas have been taken off the table in hopes no one noticed they flip flopped on an issue.

There are a few areas of agreement. For one everyone agrees we need to strengthen border security on both the Canadian and Mexican borders. We also acknowledge that there are millions of Mexican workers illegally in the USA gainfully employed at jobs typically not wanted by Americans. What to do about them is a huge problem.

Since there is widespread opposition to any kind of amnesty program allowing them to remain without consequence perhaps a better alternative would be to allow those illegal immigrants and their families to remain with a permanent work visa if they are gainfully employed and have paid taxes in the United States.

They are here and they pay our income and sales taxes. They have cars and drivers licenses. They are making a substantial contribution to Social Security even though they cannot draw benefits. What amnesty are we giving them? If we throw them out don’t we owe them back their income, sales and social security payments? I say they have paid enough already for a permanent visa and they should be welcomed if they complete our citizenship requirements.

If the illegal immigrants that are gainfully employed and contributing to our tax and social security system are granted permanent work visas, overnight we will reduce the border security issues saving substantial money and improving relations between our two countries. This will free up resources to pursue the criminal elements from foreign countries that come illegally for far more sinister reasons.

Not only do millions of illegal immigrants pay taxes and provide services we would not otherwise have but they are also victims to hordes of unscrupulous people involved in car sales and repair, medical treatment, legal assistance, and many other areas because they have no way to protect themselves. They cannot go to law enforcement agencies for help, as they would be prosecuted. The simple act of granting well-earned permanent work visas would stop predators from taking advantage of their status.

So the candidates owe us their positions on the immigration reform issue and don’t just tell us they support the Great Wall of Mexico now being constructed. We all know how even the greatest and most feared of walls cannot stop people from seeking social justice and freedom, remember the Iron Curtain and Berlin Wall? Give us substance.

10. Government Permits and Inspections – Protection or Payoffs

Whenever corruption is uncovered at the state or local government level the odds are it is tied to the permits and inspection activities of the locality. Permits are required for new and renovation construction, whether it is housing, commercial, industrial or public. A complex combination of federal, state and local statutes dictate the construction standards to be followed.

Federal standards are set but states, counties or localities can add to the standards and the result can be a tremendous burden to the public. Inspections are required for the issuance of building permits and therein lays the gateway to potential corruption. Since inspections cover all aspects of construction from foundations to floors and walls, electrical to plumbing, there are many ways the process can be compromised.

Beyond that unique local codes can further complicate the process such as areas without public water or sewer lines, environmentally sensitive areas, watersheds, aquifers, wetlands, water front and on and on. In some cases the intent of building codes may be good but the result may be counterproductive. For example, we have water shortages but block the recycling of gray water. We require septic mound systems when we have no long term testing to show it even works.

Energy conservation and recycling efforts can be discouraged because of code problems and interpretations and the most cost effective and environmentally friendly materials may be prohibited by outdated building codes. Housing is a critical element of our nation’s economy and anything that restricts our ability to renovate, rebuild, or undertake new construction, to use new energy and environmental materials and techniques, or that offers opportunities for corruption is in need of reform.

The federal government is the only legislative authority that can override the archaic codes or practices of state and local government, that can encourage the use of new materials and techniques to help our energy, environmental and water needs, and can work with state attorney generals to assure the process is not corrupt.

Because this process can impact on anyone living in our nation it would behoove the candidates to address this issue and offer recommendations on how to protect our citizens, encourage the economic activity resulting from housing construction, and make certain the codes are enforced in a lawful and just manner.

Summary

There you have it, ten areas in need of reform to help the people of America, the People’s Agenda for Change. We The People, yes the same We The People first mentioned as the first words of our Constitution, expect leaders to lead and to better understand what type of leadership we can expect from the candidates and we need to know what they intend to do about these issues. Sound bites or silence do you no justice and are a disservice to us.

These issues affect every American and will dramatically effect our future generations. History can be made this election but it will have to be earned by a meaningful discussion of how candidates intend to serve. It is time to silence the swords and get on with the substance. We have waited patiently; now give us the reasons to support you.