We're getting into the season of the political TV ad. Talk about confusing and misleading. I'm not so sure that our Founding Fathers had these ads in mind when trying to find ways to guarantee the preservation of the Republic. There really should be a law that mandates more straightforward dialogue when debating the pros and cons of the proposed initiatives up for voting. How can the average joe even begin to understand the stakes involved when listening to truths that have already been half-baked and stretched? This blog post certainly can't even begin to formulate an answer, but I do find the problem annoying and possibly troublesome.
Hilary Clinton is beginning to outline a plan for universal health care coverage for Americans. Who knows if the plan is viable or even realistic, but I’m happy that someone is bringing this very important issue to the forefront of politics. With so much debate over the war, there has been scarcely little debate over other pressing issues here domestically. It’s a start I guess. By the way, I saw a rerun of a skit where Kanye West runs into Mike Meyers before performing at Saturday Night Live. Hilarious, I tell you. And besides that, Kanye West really is a great rapper. I think we’ll be talking about how good he really has been years from now.
As it becomes painfully evident that our efforts in Iraq are becoming more ineffective on the war on terror, here we are presented with a story on how fighting terrorism can happen in a very intelligent manner. That is, by using intelligence and adequate policing. Unfortunately, it appears that the departure from effective intelligence gathering, covert operations and policing have left our current administration no other means to fight terrorism other than the use of the blunt instrument of war. But again, read the article below and imagine what could happen if we reexamined how we apprehend and confront this terror issue as it fights to make its way to Americans either here or overseas. A renewed emphasis on strong intelligence, cooperative international policing and covert operations may make more sense in this not-so-common time.
What’s up with these conservatives who fight for one ideal and practice something completely different? This guy deserves to be out of a job. Here we have someone actively lobbying to restrict the rights of a group of people but then he goes and acts in a manner completely inconsistent with his supposed beliefs and political affiliations. Really, this is ridiculous. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve mistaken him for a homophobic conservative pastor (oh wait, that happened just a little while ago). Well, with the exception that the homophobic pastor is gay and does meth.
Hey lookie there, the Republicans are possibly doing something that I can appreciate. They’re taking a hard look at what is done to manage sexual offenders after their release from prison. That’s something that is long overdue. I’m certainly not an expert on the subject, but it does appear that there are gaping holes in the current system responsible for overseeing these criminals. Let’s hope that this isn’t purely a publicity stunt but a true intention for further action. It would be a sad thing to use a little girl’s death as a backdrop for more press. Let’s hope these guys are taking the high road on this one.
Does it really matter? Does dumping a couple of political advisors give McCain a shot at The White House? I doubt it. As a matter of fact, I think McCain is one of the least inspiring candidates out there. What is he going to bring that’s different than what he’s already done? And to make matters worse, I think he lost a lot of his value as soon as he began to side with the President on numerous issues and ceased being the conservative outside voice to his own party. There really isn’t much that he does that separates him from the other average conservative politicians. As it looks now, I’d say Mitt Romney gives the conservatives something to be interested in for the time being. Most of the other conservative guys just seem like the same usual fare (and that’s not a good thing).
After reading various news reports of Barak Obama'a monstrous fundraising efforts, it appears that the Democrats really have some moneymaking potential. Barak raised approximately 32 million dollars in the last quarter. The Democrats are working hard to stuff their war chests full of cash before the mudslinging begins. Unfortunately, this appears to be the way that politics works in the modern era. Nevermind a platform where the candidate can express their views and plans, it's all about the money for a good portion of the campaign. Somehow I don't think democracy was supposed to be about making the most money to then spend on defaming your opponents. How does this continue? And who's solving our current problems while these people are out stumping for dollars? The last time I checked, we still had unfinished business and serious issues that needed to be resolved.
I think it’s interesting that Michael Bloomberg is possibly looking into making a run at the presidency. He’s an intriguing person. As a big time businessman, he’s left an unmistakable mark on the financial services industry. For all intents and purposes, it appears that New York City is doing fine under his leadership as mayor. Oddly enough, I find it strange that another former NYC mayor is running for the same office. Maybe Mayor of NYC is becoming one of the premier political jobs (similar to Governor of California). But anyways, I’m intrigued by Bloomberg. I think he may be able to bring a more straightforward, common sense approach to the presidential race. I like the fact that he has backed up his words with successful action. He knows how to run a business and make it profitable. That’s a hugely underestimated skill lacking in many politicians today. Most politicians know how to blow money, speak rhetoric, and get very little done. Maybe Bloomberg can bring some of his valuable insight to the forefront when discussing issues affecting the country. What the country needs is someone who can get results. Regardless of party (or lack thereof), the time for real action and decisiveness is long overdue. Currently, we have poor planning, poor execution, and an ability to divide where consensus is needed. We need change in a bad way.
As the barrage of messages from political candidates continues, I begin to wonder about a question that is pointed to all of the candidates. Can any of these people really solve real problems experienced by real people? We’re only now beginning to hear about how to fix health care and that’s about it. I still don’t think I’ve heard anything (including the health care platforms) that makes me think that we’re going to get somewhere good with these people. I’m sorry, but I just don’t think cryptic or let’s take a simple approach and tax the rich answers will suffice this time around. Simplicity to gain popularity for popularity’s sake doesn’t truly solve any problems. And does anyone really believe that taxing the rich will work with all of the special interest groups and political pressure the wealthy can exert on candidates? I have to believe that’s a far cry answer from reality (sorry Barack). What we really need is someone who is willing to come forward with big answers that have realistic chances to succeed. I’m just not confident that has happened. Everyone is so busy raising money that no one really has an answer to the war, health care (with viable funding), Social Security deficits, efficient infrastructure, excellent education, environmental protections, and a truly green plan for the future. And by the way, the debates are turning out to be more political rhetoric spewing sessions as opposed to giving the public a well-thought out agenda for success and progress. When did politics become so lame and unoriginal?
As news comes out about how security at colleges is somewhat inadequate, it got me thinking about this problem. At the University of Washington, a student was recently killed by her stalker ex-boyfriend even after campus police knew about the stalker. And what happened at Virginia Tech is all too recent to even begin to forget about that sad event. But what can be done? For one, I can’t imagine that the large universities have nearly enough security personnel. During my time at UW, I can rarely recall security personnel or police being all too present except for sporting events or weekends when parties were underway. Unfortunately, I felt that the reason for the security or police presence was more for trying to bust up parties as opposed to preventing violent crime. Should there be a shift in thinking about what police and security should focus on? I think that may be a possibility. While underage drinking could pose a problem, violent stalkers and mentally ill students armed for World War III is a much more serious matter. And personally, I think those issues are worth reviewing. Can certain violent crimes be prevented? Is there a better policing method to enhance safety? I’m not so sure that relying on tried and true policing and security methods will gain any new efficiencies. So if that’s the case, how do we adjust to our changing times?
The attached article by Kyung Song from The Seattle Times discusses how rates for many people with individual health plans are going up. How much longer can this continue? Americans who have hesitated to vote for politicians with a real health plan agenda cannot afford to wait much longer. I think at this point many Americans are beginning to feel the squeeze from rising health care premiums and deductibles. Tinkering with the system cannot be the real answer. Sweeping changes and dramatic action steps are necessary. To think that annual cost increases can continue much longer is simply unrealistic. Action needs to be taken sooner rather than later. If numerous countries the world over can figure this out, surely America can come up with a viable, appropriate answer to our specific problem. What must happen is accountability. The public must absolutely require a specific plan of action from every public leader in government. Health care isn’t the sexy, exciting topic that gets the blood boiling or gets people moving. But it needs to become that or the problem will consume families that are already on the brink of poverty. Make this an issue that political candidates cannot ignore or remain non-committal towards solving. For once, politics needs to take a back seat to productivity, planning and action.
As Republicans begin to jump off the sinking ship of the Bush Administration, can those who jump begin to craft a platform that actually represents their constituency? And no, I’m not talking about the loud religious right who only think they represent the actual population. In case you missed it, I actually believe the “moral majority” really only represents the smaller, louder population within the Republican Party. Unfortunately, they’ve also been highly successful in subjugating the party to their own narrow needs. But that aside, will moderate Republicans be able to rise and help create a different vision for that party? I’m a little skeptical. Giuliani and Romney have had an awful lot of mud thrown their way for supporting or believing in ideas a little different from their party’s majority. Oddly, the party leadership is more uniform and less diverse than ever before. I think it will speak volumes to see how the conservatives treat their own party candidates who speak, pray, believe or act a little different than the run-of-the-mill Republican that we’ve grown used to seeing in the past few years.
Can I just say that I’m already a little tired of the upcoming presidential election? With all of the posturing, and very little real debate, I’m over it. It’s flash and sizzle and little to no substance thus far. Even the debates have no real substance. Leave it to a bunch of politicians to take the answers out of a debate. Maybe we have to require politicians to write and publish answers regarding their specific platform or stance on issues. Take Barack for instance, where’s the real answers or platform? I like the idea of Barack, I’m just not sure I’ve heard nearly enough to want to vote for the guy. To be honest, I don’t know that anyone in the race has really put forward a clear, concise plan for America. And I definitely couldn’t vote for someone governing only on ideology and not a plan; we’ve already seen what that can do and it’s not pretty.
Well, you know the world is ending when the President will veto a bill that puts any emphasis on a timetable to get his messy war cleaned up. How long will the present administration be in complete denial of the disaster that they’ve created? I get the fact that there were some really poor decisions made. I also get the idea that there were more poor decisions made regarding strategy and planning the war effort after we invaded and infiltrated Iraq. But c’mon, when will the Republicans get back to the reality that everyone else is living in now? We have one of the most disastrous wars in American history on our hands and there is no effort to reconvene and try to make things right. Instead, political banter and a complete refusal to go back to the drawing board is the continued method of operation by this current administration. Maybe we all don’t have to agree on everything about the war. But to act like this current war effort is all according to plan and to then act as if we are presently headed to a successful outcome is complete insanity or at the very least, foolish. To accept the existence of major obstacles or setbacks does not emphasize defeat among Republicans. What it does is show that the Republican Party can accept that things haven’t gone according to plan and that they are working towards a successful solution by re-evaluating the current situation or reality. Going back to the drawing board doesn’t signal defeat. Acting like nothing is wrong when the sky is falling shows something much, much worse.
What a strange week for the national economy. Housing is still in the doldrums but the stock market is hot with record highs. Here in the Pacific Northwest, housing is still running full steam ahead. The economy is chugging along but gas prices are spiking sharply higher. It alls seems pretty schizophrenic. When it all comes to a head remains to be seen. I don’t see much relief with gas prices since the rest of the developing world is creating stronger demand. Unless we find a way to become less oil dependent, U.S. consumers will continue to feel that ever increasing pinch. Thankfully, big corporations are beginning to see the green light as well. As the country works towards less unsustainable energy consumption, the average U.S. consumer should begin to see more economical benefit. Homes and commercial properties are beginning to be built with greener and more energy efficient materials. Cars are even becoming more efficient. Of course, it would be nice if government could give more incentive to speed up the process, but that’s just how things are currently. But when did you ever think it would be hip to be green? That in itself is a small miracle.
Ok, I don’t have a big problem with guns. I’ve fired a few myself and have had a good time doing so (no one was hurt in the process). I do believe that a weapon in itself is a tool. It’s the person that uses the tool for either good or evil or otherwise. Guns are amoral and have no preference for their particular use. But, the supply of guns and the control of this supply should have limitations. Because people can act in an evil or reckless manner, we can certainly have a problem with an evil or reckless person with a gun. And it’s becoming all too apparent that evil or reckless people can get guns way too easily. I don’t think we have the complete answer for gun control or its administration, but I do think it’s necessary to add a mental health component to the issue. Not that all people with mental illnesses are evil or reckless, that’s not the point. But someone with a mental illness can become dangerous when armed with a firearm. If someone has a history of mental illness, that person should be screened out and prohibited from purchasing a weapon. Of course, the exact definition of mental illness needs to be debated on when creating this standard. Not that the process is foolproof either, it’s not. But it’s one less avenue for someone with a mental illness to purchase a weapon to harm innocent victims. The argument can construed and made out to be harsh towards those with mental illnesses. That is certainly not the intent of the argument. The argument is rather for the protection of the public and the general well-being of the public. The intent is not to be discriminatory, but rather to be protective of innocent lives. The country shouldn’t have to wait for another tragedy or series of deaths to occur in order to make this new control happen. We need an extra blanket of security when someone decides that they need various firearms for their personal use. And a national mental health database that is checked before issuing a purchased weapon should be enacted as soon as possible.
Is Tacoma attracting new energetic professionals? As the city grows and undergoes massive change, I think this is a relevant question to ask. Is there more that can be done to promote business, art and entrepreneurship in our city? I think there are some things that can be done. Thankfully, as residents we can help promote these changes. As I’ve said before, I think we can do more to fight crime and make potentially dangerous people feel a little more unwanted. Changing our environment to become more open and welcoming to everyday people is a must. As the weather gets warmer, it becomes even more important to get outside and make yourself known. Crimes involving drugs and property among other things tend to dwindle when regular, everyday people get outside and reclaim their neighborhoods. I also think the residents can begin to meet and become more connected to other great people in their neighborhoods. Just meeting people on your block and neighborhood creates a greater feeling of community that can certainly come in handy if or when something does happen that needs attention. Also, people tend to pay greater attention to random strangers loitering when they know whether any of these people are welcome or invited. I also think more can be done to create a greater feeling or vibe of creativity and artistic expression. Remaining open and welcoming to artists and creative professionals can affect so much awesome change in a community. Being able to support and attend events that foster this kind of creativity only helps to bring more of the arts and entertainment to a city. I think the business, art and music scene is beginning to pick up in Tacoma but we can always do more to support efforts to showcase local talent and encourage others to become involved in the local movement. Also, there are more ways to promote these events and trends via blogs. Thankfully there are other great local blogs besides Hilltopia that promote the same causes but in their own unique, interesting ways. For a good start, check out www.feedtacoma.com and www.exit133.com. Those are definitely two of my favorites and they’re a must read for locals trying to keep up with our ever-changing scene.
What a great time to be in Washington. Other than the Sonics leaving and the Mariners sucking it up, things are good. There is the possibility that the governor will sign into law a bill that will force other counties to begin accepting their own felons back into their own communities as opposed to the usual standard of dumping them in Pierce County. If this bill passes, it will be a huge win for Tacoma and Pierce County. Why this hasn’t been done ages ago is beyond me. But “Fair Share” is a hot button now thanks to numerous local residents fighting for who knows how long for equal treatment in the corrections and legal process. I can’t stress how important it is that Tacoma no longer be the final destination for the entire state’s felons and violent offenders. Spreading the offenders out to the communities where they originally hail from has many other benefits. It places less stress on one community. It forces other communities to confront their own issues involving crime and justice. It also can help the recidivism rate if there is adequate supervision of the felons under an effective type of supervised release program. Overall, this could a huge win for Tacoma. Now on to other issues…
Well, it’s looking pretty grim for the Sonics. It doesn’t appear that there will be any sort of action towards building an arena in Renton. That’s too bad although this isn’t totally unexpected. Unfortunately, I don’t know that anyone really put much effort into creating an arrangement that all parties could agree on. Sonics’ ownership made the arena issue all about their needs only and local politicians did nothing while straddling the political fence. Hmmm, local politicians unable to get anything done or make a big decision? Somehow I think I’ve heard this before… It’s too bad Charles Schultz of Starbucks fame royally screwed the state and the residents by selling to an out of state group already looking at moving a team to their home state. Somehow I just don’t think there would be so little done if an ownership group from the Northwest had bought the Sonics. Who knows how things will ultimately turn out, but it’s currently a sad state of affairs for a team that’s meant so much to the Pacific Northwest.
What would it take for Tacoma to become a regional hub of tourism, commerce, business and civic work? With close proximity to the Sound, close distance to the other regional hubs, Seattle and Bellevue, and close proximity to the military bases and the capital, Tacoma is geographically in a very nice location. But somehow, this hasn’t translated into success in the past. What would it take for the city to change that trend and become a localized center where all of the previously mentioned areas can congregate for business? With Sounder Trains stopping in Tacoma, slowly mass transit is finding its way to the city. But more is apparently needed. What Tacoma also needs is a major overhaul in the way it does business on many levels. In the political world, new city council members can add new ideas and vision to the current leadership. I think this will be far more beneficial than sticking with the old ways of thought on government and its influence on growth. New businesses are continuing to set up shop in Tacoma. But what may be even more necessary is a renewed push towards inviting larger businesses to relocate here. Too many Tacoma residents leave the city to be productive workers elsewhere. Tacoma has to find a new way to keep Tacoma residents here and working. A thriving business climate will add new revenue to the city’s coffers and allow even more people to think about making Tacoma their home. Stable job growth is essential to our future. I’m not so sure that Tacoma has found a way to be truly innovative in this area. And what about entertainment? Have we found a way to set ourselves apart from neighboring cities vying for the discretionary spending dollar? Could a commercial and shopping district be viable here in Tacoma? Something urban, hip, diverse with an altogether different feel than what is being splattered across every other downtown in the state? Could that work as well? I think it could and I think people are looking for that. How many hip/upscale/pseudo village malls are necessary? Tacoma deserves something far grittier and unique. So many questions, who’s got the answer?
A guy living in Hilltop (Tacoma), Washington who's trying to create something bigger and better. And what else was I going to do to with my English degree?
