A Step In The Right Direction!

Today, the Associated Press released an article about the end to earmarks in the bills of Congress.  For those of you who don’t know what that means, simply put, it stops legislators from sticking in little clauses to benefit their state or cause into bills that ultimately cost the American people millions and possibly billions of dollars every year.  It’s not that some of the projects aren’t worthwhile but they need to be dealt with in a different manner. 

Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, stepped up to the plate to take a stand for the American people and their wishes that were represented in the recent election.  I won’t go into the article I read but will post a link to it here so you can read it.  What I want to address is that even if the Democrats aren’t all getting the message that the American people aren’t happy with all of the out of control spending and disregard for their wishes in our country’s highest legislative branch, the Republicans are paying attention and stepping up to join forces to actively take steps to do what our citizens want. 

Even though it’s a long way from what needs to be done, at least it is a starting point.  However, the American people cannot get comfortable and apathetic and expect the House and Senate to pay attention to us if we don’t keep on their backs.  We have to continue to send messages to our representatives letting them know that the next election may be two years away but what they do in the next two years will determine their fate after that. 

Barbara Boxer narrowly won her Senate seat a couple of weeks ago and my feeling is that we now know she isn’t invincible to a good opposing candidate so we need to find good solid candidates to oppose her and Dianne Feinstein and boot them both out of the Senate next election.  I guess my biggest issue with both of these women is their lack of genuine response to their constituents when the constituent opposes their opinion.  I’ve written several emails to these women trying to be heard about various issues and always get a canned response a few weeks and sometimes months later.  The canned responses are always the same and have no real meat or value to them which tells me that neither the candidate or her staff really read what I wrote.  They just find out the topic of the email and respond with their standard statement about the issue regardless of what the person has said.

I’m sure there are lots of candidates who do this but when someone is elected to serve the people, you would think that they might be interested in what some of those people have to say.  Unfortunately, the only people that these two women listen to are their party leaders, celebrities and people who help pay to get them elected.

What a sad state of affairs it is when elected officials don’t care about the people they represent.  Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and the rest of our founding fathers must be so sad to see what has become of the country they so dearly loved and fought for both on the battlefield and through representing the people of their time.

I really want to encourage people to stay on top of what your legislators are doing.  Both your state and national legislators.  Pay attention to how they are voting and how it impacts your life and your values.  If how they vote is in opposition to your own views, then say something.  Contact them.  If they won’t listen, look for a candidate that has your best interests in mind and vote for them next election.

Also, pay close attention to the judicial races because judges often have more impact on your life than your Senator or Representative in the House.  Judges can define what they consider right and wrong and basically steal your freedoms right out from under you.  They have tried in many instances and it’s harder to overturn their decisions sometimes.

Don’t be apathetic to this country’s direction.  You will pay for that apathy eventually.