KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD

You’ve probably heard the saying: “kick the can down the road”. In fact it’s starting to appear in radio and TV ads. It’s becoming very popular. Well, I’ve come to the conclusion the can has reached the end of the road. How much longer can Federal, State and Local governments kick the can? Most government entities are in dire straits. They’ve borrowed to pay for programs they couldn’t afford. Where did they get the money from, pensions and social security? They called it loans. The pension and social security funds have been exhausted to the point little money is left to meet future commitments. Once the money was borrowed it was never replaced, except by worthless IOU’s... Government cannot make up the lost funds. We now worry that this burden will be left to the next generation, our kids and grand kids. Ron Paul appropriately said, “We are the next generation.” We’ve reached the end of the road. There is no money for government to meet its commitments. Government may be good at kicking the can down the road, but they certainly don’t know how to manage or fix problems.

Maybe governments have to stop spending. You spend only what you have and can afford... You create a budget and follow it. You create an environment where people get jobs. Stop supporting and sending jobs over seas. Why is GE closing US plants and spending billions to create jobs in China? We need to start supporting US companies. We need to make it profitable for companies to invest in America. Government has talked about energy independence for years. What have we received, procrastination. Government keeps supporting oil rich Arab countries. The President prefers to see Canada build a pipeline to supply China instead of the US. The President gives money to Brazil to support oil drilling so the Brazilians can sell oil to China. Is anyone paying attention? Who is the President working for?

We need jobs and it’s getting clear that government is working against us. Do you prefer receiving a government check each month or getting a job that pays you a salary.? You can’t keep a country running on welfare checks. Jobs will kick start the economy. With jobs there will be a demand for goods, services and housing. You can’t tell me the U.S. can’t compete with China or any other country. We have the ingenuity and with the right leadership and motivation we can meet any objective. We don’t need a government that wants us to feel sorry for ourselves.

All entities of government need to start learning about controlling money. They need to learn how to squeeze the dollar to get more bangs for the buck. You can’t have slush funds for coffee and rolls. They need to have specific missions and work to meet their objectives in an efficient and productive manner. If you can’t do the job, make room for someone who can. This is the way to get out of the hole.

What has happened to old fashioned accounting principles? In school I learned the importance of balancing accounts, checks and balances, auditing and ethical practices. Are these practices only for the private sector? We have regulations upon regulations for the private sector, what about the public sector? What has happened to reserves for banks, annual audits? If it’s good enough for the private sector, it should be good enough for governments. We used to back up our monetary system with gold, now we back it up with a printing press. Washington, Springfield, Chicago, and Cook County are all in debt. Where were the accountants to oversee this travesty? Where was the use of good accounting practices and standards? The overseers who authorized the use of funds they didn’t have should be in jail. If you finagle the books in the private sector you go to jail. There is no oversight, there is no accountability. Government books should be audited and certified each year, after each audit there should be a published report presented to the public. The time has come to control the mismanagement of public monies. The time has come for government to be answerable to the taxpayers of this country.

Washington, Springfield, Chicago, Orland Park and Cook County have looked and keep looking for more taxes and fees to pay bills. It hasn’t worked. What’s happened is that they borrow more to pay interest on debt. It keeps mounting. They have no idea on how to solve monetary problems. They keep talking and do nothing. So how do they solve the problem, they talk some more. Maybe they should hire some intelligent people with a few brains to help them. I know we can’t send all politicians to jail, but we can start replacing them with competent, honest people who know how to manage money and solve problems. We need to know how the candidates will balance budgets and solve debt problems. What are their answers to social security and pension shortfalls? We don’t need candidates answering questions about sugar cane subsidies or the TV shows they watch. We’ve had enough talk, its time for them to own up to their failures. They can’t kick the can down the road anymore, we won’t let them. Now’s the time to start kicking politicians down the road to oblivion.

ERIC HOLDER

Eric Holder as U.S. Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer for our government. He acts as the country’s representative in legal matters and acts as lead legal counsel for government. He advises the President on legal matters. To accomplish his task he has a staff of over 300 people.

Since his nomination in 2009, Attorney General Holder has been plagued by one controversy after another. The one that irritates me the most is when Attorney General Holder called the “U.S. a nation of cowards” on racial issues. I don’t believe we are a nation of cowards. I believe the AG is the one with the problem regarding race. In his position, he should be color blind to enforcing laws and work to better race relations. He is the man who wanted to try noted terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York. He wanted to close Guantanamo and move it to your backyard. He criticized Arizona’s Immigration Law (without reading it), dropped charges against the Black Panthers who intimidated voters at a polling place. He won’t defend the Defense of Marriage Act, provides little cooperation in the Fast and Furious case where weapons were sold to Mexican Cartels. He’s against the use of voter ID’s, he says it’s discriminatory. I say without ID’s the validity of each and every election is questionable. I say my rights are violated by not ensuring that each and every voter is registered and is who he or she alleges to be. How does he justify illegals and dead people voting? I thought the job of the AG is to help States with legal issues to enforce the law. He is abusing his power and position. Where is his justification to backup his off the wall decisions?

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is presently being considered by the Congress. It would give the AG major powers over the internet. Could you imagine what changes to the internet this man could make? For that reason alone SOPA should be defeated.

I believe we have a lot to be concerned when it comes to the AG’s performance. Is he for justice or injustice? The President says he has complete confidence in AG Holder. This means the President supports and backs the actions of the AG... In my opinion the performance of AG Holder is sufficient for removal from office. We know the President won’t ask for his resignation, fortunately there are some in Congress who are working to create a case to force his resignation. Why isn’t the entire Congress working towards that end? I believe it’s because the AG and the President would use the race card as the reason for his resignation. Where’s the courage? It’s not about race or color, it’s about performance. If you fail to do the job you should be relieved of your position.

In 1988 he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He served briefly as Acting AG under President Bush (41). Under President Clinton he worked for Janet Reno as Deputy AG. When President Obama nominated him for AG he was quickly approved. His ascension and recognition at the Justice Department was fast and noteworthy. From day one he was given plenty of opportunity and was moved up the ladder. Can someone please explain his success story? I believe he has worked against the States and the Congress in failing to enforce existing laws. In my opinion he believes the law should fit his ideology and beliefs. If the AG is unwilling to follow the Constitution and uphold the laws of the United States, than he should be removed by the President. It’s not going to happen. Is this the type of leadership we want to direct the legal matters of our country? If this is a good job, what is a bad job? This is just another reason why the election of 2012 is so important.

WHERE DO YOU SHOP NOW THAT THE ORLAND PLAZA IS NOW GONE?

Since Randy’s closed in July my family has had a tough time in finding a new supermarket/meat market. If you were a Randy’s customer you know what I mean. It was always a pleasure to go to Randy’s on a Wednesday to shop for groceries and meat. Wednesday was Seniors Day (5% discount) and Thursday double coupon day. The staff was always friendly and helpful. Dave the butcher was available to help in selecting or seeing that you got that special cut of meat you wanted. He was there to guide and help you with advice on how to prepare your meats. Rick the store manager/owner was always moving about checking stock, refilling shelves, helping the checkout and bagging orders. Since then, we have tried numerous stores and haven’t found one comparable to the service, prices and quality of Randy’s. I don’t know if we’ll ever find that satisfaction, but we keep looking.

I considered Randy’s to be the anchor for the Orland Plaza; it was the main stop that led you to the bakery next door. Remember paczki day? I love the rye bread and coffee cakes. It was the place to order cakes for special occasions. It was a one stop venture. The bakery may be re-locating but the convenience of one stop shopping has been lost.

While in the mall you could have your watch fixed, clothes cleaned, buy flowers, liquor, get new shoes, get a haircut and more and top it off with breakfast/lunch at the Café and/or lunch or dinner at Lang Lees. That was convenience. Where in the area can you now find a mall with such versatility? These were proud independent store owners who had taken the risk, energy and monies to build their businesses. They were the example of what America is about. There were no vacancies.

So as we now trudge along on Wednesdays, going from stop to stop, wasting gas and time, we think of what we had and is now gone. We think of the goodwill that these people bestowed upon us. It was something good with true meaning. Unfortunately, the Village thought differently. In my opinion they didn’t understand the good and the values that these businesses brought to Orland Park. They used their power and influence to bring change. Change in values and the destruction of something that was exceptional in today’s market place, pride in ownership. They wanted to take us in a new direction. They failed to consider the most important thing in life, people. This was to be their vision of a new and dynamic society. The family values of the old Orland Park were to change. There was to be a transition. The Village was taking us into the future. They were thinking in terms of a mobile, young, social, liberal, modern society. They were preparing us for a new Orland Park. I don’t know if that is your vision? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Change doesn’t always make something better; you have to measure what is being lost.

In short order the buildings will come down and the mall will only be a memory. We’ll miss the mall, the service and feeling of friendship and family. It’s a sad day as we watch a part of history fade away. The small store owner is becoming extinct as they are replaced by larger chains and franchises. It’s not the same. We’re losing our traditions, we’re losing our past. The only thing I can say is “We’ll Miss You Guys”. Thank You, Good Bye, Good Luck, God Bless.

CONGRESSIONAL TERM LIMITS?

One political issue that seems to get little or no traction, in Washington, is term limits. It seems to be a dirty word. Why should Congress change their culture when they control their pay and benefits? They decide when and how much their salary should be. Presently a Congressman/woman earns $174,000 a year. Higher ranking positions earn more. They receive substantial allowances for office space and staff, both in Washington and their home district. By serving only 5 years they are entitled to a pension at age 62. They are eligible at 50 if they serve 20 years, and at anytime if they serve 25 years. They exempted themselves from laws like insider trading. and Obama Care. The only control the taxpayer has is at the ballot box.

It’s interesting to note that from 1789-1855 members of Congress received only a daily pay of $6 while in session. It was about patriotism not pay. That has gradually changed over the years as the pay, benefits and perks have grown. I can understand that they want fair pay, but I also believe the tax payer is entitled to a day’s work for a days pay. As in the private sector there should be some return. What are we getting for our money? The taxpayer expects low unemployment, little or no debt, a sound fiscal policy, legal immigration, affordable health care, elimination of waste and fraud, honest representation, a secure country, a balanced budget, and enforcement of the laws of the land. Don’t they understand why their approval ratings are so low? Washington has failed on all counts. Based on their current performance they certainly don’t deserve the monies, benefits, perks and positions they hold.

In the private sector if you don’t do your job you lose it. In the public sector officials have to be voted out of office. That seems like a simple thing, but historically we keep re-electing the same people regardless of good performance or poor performance. Once in office it seems impossible to remove them. Robert Byrd, of West Virginia, served an unprecedented 57 years. At the end he couldn’t walk and was dying when he was practically carried to the chambers to vote. Presently his family receives his $193,000 pension. The voters are at fault for supporting and re-electing unproductive representatives.

Will term limits solve the problem? Probably not, it will only eliminate some hardworking, productive representatives. I would recommend revamping the compensation, benefits and perks presently received by elected officials. It should be modeled after the private sector. To be honest, many of our elected officials have no real qualifications to serve. Their major qualification was to talk the voters into voting for them. Most of them use the talking points given them by Party Leaders and spend little or no real time creating ideas or solving problems. They vote the party line. Isn’t it interesting to listen to Senators and Congressmen repeat the same words and talking points in interviews? Did we elect puppets? How serious are these people? They should be reading and doing their homework on the legislation they vote on. In the private sector they would be fired. So my recommendation is to tie all of their compensation, benefits and perks to a plan that is comparable to the private sector.

First, I would set the retirement age at 75. Their pensions would be social security with the same conditions as everyone else. If they want, they can pay for their own IRA’s. or retirement... Congress should no longer vote themselves pay raises. It should be determined by the Cost Of Living Index and given when Senior Citizens get their pay raises. Congress should participate in the same health care system as the private sector. All contracts made by congress should be null and void, they did not make them with the American people, and they were made between themselves for their own betterment... How many people running for office in 2012 will run on a platform to make these changes? If they talk the talk about change, than they should be willing to change their compensation, benefits and perks. They should not be allowed to serve as a lobbyists or consultant to government until 5 years has passed since leaving office....Serving in Congress is an honor not a career. They should not look upon it as a way to enrich themselves.

It’s time that we make elected officials accountable to the taxpayer. They are not royalty, they are public servants... If they don’t want to change their culture and start being productive, we need to vote them out. If the voter doesn’t change and take voting seriously than we will get what we deserve, crooked, corrupt politicians... Politicians talk change, but we must demand and tell them the changes we want. If they are above making the necessary changes, than its time to say good bye. YOU”RE FIRED!