Ryan, this is in no way a slam so drop the quills. But your post triggered a thought in my head that wouldn't go away.
American Conservatives, (and I am generalizing, but you'll get it in a minute) want low taxes. They want more personal income to invest in large, successful companies so 401K and stock plans go through the roof and allow Mr. American Conservative (Mac from here on out) retirement at forty-five to fifty. Mac and his friends elect people that represent Mac's ideas.
And this is what they get.
Companies like Harrah's, far more interested in culling the herd of fossils who legitimately stand at making twice the hourly rate of some newbie break-in. Cull the herd, get "Harrah's" people in there indoctrinated in the "Harrah's" way and maximize profits for the shareholders. Being the largest gaming company in the world, one property's fossil holdouts mean nothing.
Insurance companies making record profits during the worst two year hurricane season ever. (2004,2005) Allstate, State Farm, Nationwide, Farmers, look it up. Through the roof. IN fact, they were only beaten in total profits by...
Oil companies raping the American public. There is no other way to put it. Flat out rape. I defy someone to tell me how any company can point to $3 a gallon gas and say, "Hey, supply and demand!" When that same company is making 9 billion in profits in ONE QUARTER!
And in legislation, Mac also sees:
Expanded health care for children vetoed. We talked about this, Ryan, remember? How if it passed your kids would have been covered, how nice that would have been? How that would have helped you and your family? I'm not sure where the override vote stands, guess there still may be hope, but for now...
Infrastructure decay. I'm not just talking about Social Security. Let's look at something fundamental, like roads. Not five miles from my ancestral home the I-35W bridge collapses across the Mississippi river. State responsibility, Mac cries, not Federal. Fine, someone get the conservative, low tax governor and legislators in St. Paul on the phone. Mom K. Titus will provide names and numbers. I think you have a dem in power in Nevada, but how are the roads out there? How's the infrastructure?
What makes me smile, not in a bad way but in a good way, not condescending, but in kind of an "I knew it!" way is the moderate that I knew was in Ryan this whole time is finally coming out. I saw glimpses of it when Ryan's kids were benefiting from CHIPS. I heard the pain in its voice when we spoke of Bush vetoing the expanded health care bill, (almost drowned out by the anguish of the Mac in Ryan railing at the failings of a vacillating PotUS, but still there) and I see it now as Ryan prepares for union indoc, preparing to do battle with the company his personal ideologies helped create.
Like I said, no criticism at all. I understand completely your motivation for voting union, but to identify it with Mac ideals is not honest or correct. Embrace the inner moderate. It doesn't make you a bad person.
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This was a good post!
I, too, suspected Ryan might have developed a more moderate outlook as he grew older through the years of our friendship. I will allow James’ examples to stand, and forgo the temptation to voice my comments on Ryan’s “enthusiastic use” of a certain Clinton-ian relief law enacted in the mid-90’s…
James’ post reminds me of a debate we had once, years ago on Ryan’s back patio, about the preponderance of shockingly wealthy, if not outright RICH conservative pundits in America. O’Reilly, Hannity, Ingrahm, Limbaugh, Savage, Reagan… the list is LONG and ILLUSTRIOUS, and their combined returns must show staggering numbers in IRS revenues.
All these people, and many more, have worked hard and diligently to get where they are today… I would never deny it. I would, however, question the rational of so many of these “success stories” when they expound the merits of expecting EVERYONE to make the same efforts and earn the same rewards. You see, reality isn’t always mirrored in their expectations.
Had I been able to continue to make my almost sinfully easy $58k a year that I was grossing in ‘05, and couple that with a wildly and rapidly growing 401k plan, with no grossly overblown monthly expenses and rapidly growing equity in my more than comfortable home… I was well on my way to officially changing my voter registration card.
Then, in 12 short hours, I watched it all wash away with the water. The job, the vehicles, the home, the belongings, and the retirement. Gone.
Now, I do not BLAME anyone for that happening, and I readily admit that in the months and even years after, I have gained at least as much as I lost in appreciation for all the God and my fellow Man has given me in the way of charity and comfort. I will continue to work hard to earn a living and save for my retirement, and I will make it… no question.
But to argue that those 12 hours of wind, water and wiped out hopes set my life back at least 10 years is a waste of breath… believe me. I lost 10 years of savings, equity, acquired wealth, and security… but didn’t get a day younger, did I?
I have regained a valuable perspective I think… that circumstances sometimes dictate that we, as a nation and as a society, must sometimes face the simple and inarguable fact that we ARE, indeed, OUR BROTHER’S KEEPERS. Whether that means we should make the Federal government responsible or enable, through Federal guidelines and incentives , private organizations to provide that security and comfort, I don’t care. All I do know, and care passionately about, is that IT IS PROVIDED.
If I had to pay, as a working and tax-paying American citizen, and extra $300 a year to know that just a few less people will ever have to suffer what I suffered after Katrina… then please understand that I would GLADLY pay that bill, and I think the same answer will come from ANYONE that has recently had to look to someone else to feed and cloth and shelter their families after a nightmare disaster like a hurricane or a wildfire or an earthquake or a tsunami. If you don’t believe me, go ask them yourself. There are roughly 4 million of them in the US alone right now…
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