Majority doesn’t always rule!

As we clearly saw, sometimes having a majority does not necessarily lead to success in trying to pass legislation. In an odd way, our democracy showed us signs that it is still alive and well, thanks to people sticking to their convictions or following their conscience. On the right, the Freedom Caucus or better known as the former Tea Party, stuck to their convictions of an ultra right wing agenda of as little or no government as possible when it comes to health care, really meaning, no universal health care! I would like to know how many of these constituents have given up their Social Security or Medicare benefits whether they need it or not. Then you have the Republicans who fit into a more moderate mode who have a conscience and are willing to say that although Obamacare needs help, they cannot repeal it without a new program that will not take away the healthcare benefits that are already in place. 

Whether it is for their own political careers or for their constituents, their choice to vote no was a sign that progress may move forward. They had the Majority but even within, they were split because our world today is much broader than the extreme right or perhaps even the extreme left. A more moderate view of life in America is the way to work things out to benefit the masses. Our two-party political system works best when we have compromise on both ends of the spectrum. Too far to the right means abandonment of rules as well as too far to the left means abuse of rules. 

An Independent Investigation…The Plan!

A great conspiracy theory could be that Devon Nunes, Republican Chairman of the Congressional Investigation, on his own or complicit with others intentionally did what he did just to divert attention and purposely make it seem that they really do need an Independent Investigation. Sounds crazy? Well, think of how much longer it would take picking the right people making it a fair and unbiased group. Their goal, Trump and his cohorts, is always delay to avoid the truth. I hope Adam Schiff, Democratic Chairman, will insist that Nunes recuses himself, giving them a fair path to get to the bottom of this. Pivoting at this point will just dilute the seriousness of the issue.

I, a citizen of the USA, want to know if we have a legitimate sitting President. Let truth be known!

image: salon.com

Universal Health Care for EVERYONE!

The Republicans lost their magic moment to repeal The Affordable Health Care Act, named Obamacare, because they really did not have a replacement that even worked for their own party. Truth be it, there will never be an equitable Health Care System unless those fighting for it shared the same system. What does this entail? We all know that our Congressmen and Senators along with their families enjoy a robust healthcare program that most people would “kill” to get. Why is this? Are they any different than all of us working people? This is where our efforts should be heading, a perfect moment to start writing to our Congressman, Republican or Democrat and use indelible ink and paper that cannot be shredded.

Leaving a Legacy…Fix or Repeal!

I would rather leave a legacy of being the leader who finally got the right to universal healthcare on the map for all Americans than a legacy of repealing it and replacing it with nothing more than a scam, destined to hurt most of the population. This ploy to repeal was the dream of Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, from the day The Affordable Health Care Act, Obama Care, was enacted. Just get rid of it! They had 8 years to work on a so called better system but that was not the goal at all, otherwise it would have been done.

The political arena is showing its worst possible moment in history. The AFS, as I named Alternative Fact Syndrome, is rampant among leaders in the Republican Party, starting at the top with President Donald J Trump. He sold a bill of goods to his constituents and they fell for it hook, line and sinker. Why? They were vulnerable and angry or just plain hated President Obama and would do anything to deface him, even by inadvertently hurting themselves.

Let it happen and the Legacy of the Republican Party will be one that will carry them through a failing Administration, especially when they have to face midterm elections in 2018. At best, it will be difficult enough to deal with all of the other lies, but healthcare is way up there and certainly speaks out to the masses.
In or out, I am personally proud that President Obama was able to get the attention of Universal Healthcare on the map so that these issues could be brought to the surface. Medicare is one of the most successful Government assisted programs, so why not bring something that works to meet all of the population. By tonight, we will know what we are in store for. It would be so much easier to fix that part which is not working than to just steamroller over it. Which Legacy would you want to go down in history? America First or Politics!

America’s future ….Education!

I am not one who usually believes in going back to the future, but sometimes it is good to just regroup. While reading an article I came across a passage that struck a chord within me and thought, we as Americans, should all read it. It will, I am sure, make you think about where we are making all of our mistakes. We have become a society that has put Public Education on the back burner because it is not “sexy” to talk about it and admit that we have forgotten the need to focus on the masses instead of the privileged few. We watch TV shows and immerse ourselves into worlds so far away from reality even though many are called reality shows. Shows like Billions, which I love watching, are really dedicated to less than 1% of the population. Can you imagine watching a show showing children getting up in the morning, maybe a very cold morning, and not having breakfast or a heavy overcoat and heading out a door by themselves because their parent has already left to go to work? Then, they arrive at a school that is ill equipped. How exciting is that? That show is more real today and yet nobody would want to watch it because it would leave you in despair with nothing to dream about.

We, as a nation, can fix this, not with idle words, but actions if we choose to go in the right direction. The article below will bring you back to where we have to revisit and re-evaluate our commitment to education for the greater good of America in the 21st Century. We may never be able to bring those jobs back because they are really obsolete, but new horizons through education can open the doors to our needs of today. This Education must be Public Education available to everyone. Free, for the most part, for anyone who qualifies or wants to participate on the world stage. Every day more technology is available with change just around the corner. Let’s be ready for those innovations by putting our monies where it will be reaping the rewards for our future. With Education first Jobs become reality!

{In 1837, a Massachusetts lawyer named Horace Mann became secretary of the first school board and began to imagine how his local schools could be a model for the nation. If only all American children could have access to a common school education, Mann and his fellow education reformers argued, schools could foster equal opportunity, moral clarity, and stability in a young republic coming of age in a rapidly changing, industrialized world. These educational leaders saw a need, proposed a big (albeit sometimes conflicting) vision for change, and set out upon a multi-decade crusade, traveling from city to city to convince as many people as possible of the promise of “common schools."  This crusade would eventually successfully entrench the idea of schooling for all in the imagination of the American public and bring about the public school system as we know it.}                                                Passage written by Dr. Miriam Heller Stone

Thank you, Horace Mann! The reason, I believe, our country is going through the trials and tribulations of today, is because we set ourselves up for it. The fact that our sitting President and his administration are now under investigation for possible association with adversaries during our most valued Presidential Election is not a surprise, at least not for me. All the clues were out there, long before yesterday morning. The news is correct. We have allowed the real problems in our society be used as a ploy for those to gain power in the disguise of a Democratic Election. There really are problems today that Democrats and Republicans have avoided much for the same reason we enjoy that TV Reality show. I was proud to watch our government at work yesterday and I am sure we will get to the truth sooner or later. But, an easy way to heal is to move forward with goals that will really work. Education should be the first on the agenda, and with all politics aside, an achievable goal. Private Schools and Charter Schools should be available for those who choose or can afford to attend, but Public Education is a must for everyone, from Elementary to Higher Education! Part of that education should include a more in-depth program teaching how our Democracy works because I think there are many who have forgotten.

Punishment for Donald Trump's lies…?

Now that we know President Trump’s allegations against President Obama are just plain old lies, how does one get punished for this? Of course, his surrogates have different renditions of his language and tweets, no matter how you define them, it’s false information, untrue, nonexistent, no validity, fitting right into his Alternative Facts Syndrome. I think it is time for Trump to answer to this in one simple manner that even an elementary school student can handle. I say this because of his actions, although dangerous in nature, are nothing more than the behavior of a spoiled child who cannot accept the truth. I suggest that President Donald J Trump takes the pen that he uses to sign all of his unsavory executive orders and save some ink to perform the following:

I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
I, Donald J Trump, will not lie anymore,
and so on….

a far cry from the punishment he really deserves

A letter to the Sun Sentinel

A letter to the Sun Sentinel Editor Published March 20, 2017

"What does a failing administration need to divert attention? The talk of military action — code words for war.

For Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to say that all negotiations have failed with relation to North Korea, and that military action is on the table is no different than former President Obama's red line drawn in relation to Syria. Republicans have criticized Obama for this and now they are doing the same thing, unless they are really ready to get boots on the ground before working harder on diplomacy and possible sanctions if they apply.

Doesn't Tillerson notice that all this muscle coming from North Korea came about because of the rhetoric used by Trump during his contentious presidential campaign. With all the failing agendas coming from the Trump administration, yet another diversion is in store for already nervous Americans.

 Linda Gefen, Boca Raton

Apology…is that enough?

I must be missing something! When someone blatantly lies in a direct statement which defaces an individual, it seems to me the perpetrator leaves themselves open for a liable lawsuit. In this case, our President, Trump, is doubling down on a lie he conjured up supporting a theory that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 Presidential Campaign. Over and over again, repeating this in news conferences, idle conversations, Twitter and a specific meeting with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. This, one of his many lies, is a lot more serious. Attacking the character of his predecessor and not accepting the statements of our intelligence community but the words of hacks from known alt right news media, says that he chooses to live in his alternative reality on all counts. Very dangerous, but true, based on the last 59 days of his presidency.
Nancy Pelosi was kind to ask Trump to apologize. I hope that the underlying feeling in his own Republican Party if you can call it that today, will rise above politics and call him out by expressing their views openly. They hated Trump for his values or non-values, before the election and now have the opportunity to stop him in his tracks by speaking out. If they don’t, I believe they will be on the wrong side of history leaving a legacy that will take years to repair.

I hope President Obama is planning to speak out, through his attorneys, with a liable suit that will cause President Trump to step down or a possibility of impeachment if his own party finally realizes the danger he presents to the future of USA. Could this really happen when Republicans are in charge?

Surely not, when right now I am watching Vice President Pence once again lie about Obama Care or the Affordable Health Care we are now living with. With all of its faults, which we can certainly fix, he is still spouting out the propaganda that only politicians can do without having their noses grow like the well known storybook character, Pinocchio.  Anything to take Obama’s name off, even trying to get a new health care act to replace it that will totally take health insurance down to a new low. Even though actuariescame out with facts, an unacceptable word for this administration, disputing the language of Pence and certainly Paul Ryan and other right wing followers, they choose to continue the lie without flinching. I am a believer that the truth prevails so I still have hope that the average person will win because they are going to be the most affected by this fiasco. Trump supporters will see their health insurance disappear within a few years. By the time they are disappointed by their presidential choice, it will be too late, especially for their children and grandchildren.

An apology is not enough! Many apologies for all sorts of lies, a book of apologies would be better, and not just for Trump, but for those who don’t speak out. The enablers are just as responsible, starting with Vice President Pence, Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, two people who are heartbeats away from becoming President.

Shame on all of them!

DNA…. OR BUST!!

It must be a Republican trait being that everyone you hear speaking is saying words that seem to be in another language. No one is saying what they really mean to say, at least, that is what we are told. President Trump accused President Obama of wiretapping the phones at Mara Lago during his “sacred” presidential campaign…but really did not say it! I heard it myself, right on TV, which is Presidents Trump’s most valid news source. So, how could I be wrong? But, as usual, his supporters, sidekicks, along with all the other culprits or usual suspects, like Paul Ryan, have to constantly redefine his words. Of course, this is not just for Trump, but Jeff Sessions, and most recently, like this morning, Iowa Congressman Steve King making a controversial remark that was once again redefined.

What are we supposed to believe? Do we believe words coming straight from the source or the person who redefines those words? This is happening all too often with our new Republican Party. Just say what you want because they will believe it or just change the words to make them more palatable. This "Tourette Syndrome" way of speaking seems to be contagious or just plain old DNA!

Web of Lies!

As a child, I was told that one lie leads to another and another until you finally get caught.

I was told that even if the truth hurts it clears the slate and opens the door to credibility.

 Once a person creates an atmosphere of lies and deceit it is hard for anyone to believe anything that they say.

Every day that goes by in the Trump Administration new lies are placed upon old lies hoping that we, the people, will not notice.

I think we, the people, are going to see an implosion within the Republican Party when all of the lies are exposed and become reality!

There probably is an investigation going on concerning Trump and his people to the Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump, himself, probably released his 2-page 2005 tax return to show that he really is a wealthy man because he needs that news, even if it is now possibly false.

As the lies keep building up the web becomes larger and more fragmented, eventually to break off and fall apart.

Soon, we the people, the majority, will be able to rest at night when all the truth is finally known.

President Trump will have to eventually show all the cards of the hand he is dealt! 

I Agree with President Trump!

After hearing President Donald Trump speaking at another one of his rallies, I realized that I totally agree with him. We do have to protect America from those who are trying to corrupt our Democracy. We have to rid our borders from people who are here to change our philosophy and step over our Constitution by shouting out propaganda and downright lies. False accusations have to be dealt with through the proper legal channels. The laws of our land should not be ignored by those in power. 

Actually Mr. President, I totally agree with you… so when are you going to step down?

Trumpism!..... A Cult?

One of the meanings of a cult, as listed in the Merriam -Webster Dictionary, is "a group of people with extreme dedication to a leader, an excessive and misplaced admiration for someone that is popular among a certain segment of society." They will accept anything that person says as truth even if it is clearly proven otherwise. Facts become the figment of his imagination and lies become his reality. Those who believe in him will follow him to the end of time!

Although this definition does not encompass a particular religious following, it does, however, sound familiar to me in today’s political arena. President Trump has exhibited behavior similar to cult leaders, drawing his followers in, like sheep, to an unwavering acceptance no matter what he says or does. “I can shoot a gun on 5th Avenue and people will still vote for me” is a statement most similar to what he said at one of his many religious style campaign rallies. Propaganda used to its utmost level, only to gain the approval of his audience.

What is it that allows people to follow someone who offers nothing about him other than his very own words of praise and self-approval as though he were a god? “I can do it all by myself” is a statement often used by President Trump. When does this person who seems to carry the approval of 40% of our population cross the line? It seems to me he does this every day, but his polls still show a sense of extreme adoration in his favor. I, as many others, are waiting patiently for the shoe to drop. Every day Trump falls deeper in a hole that even his followers eventually won’t jump into. A non-reader, not interested in valued information, along with an unscrupulous mind filled with extreme fantasy like behavior coming directly from Grimm Fairy Tales, cannot ultimately sustain himself.

“Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing” as well as “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts” are just two commonly used phrases throughout the years that we have to revisit. No tax returns along with outright lies, bullying with early morning tweets and most recently an accusation to a new level of insanity towards our past President is proving Trump will soon reach his true level of incompetence. The Peter Principle never fails for people like Trump. They create their own failure just by being themselves. I hope his followers stop following before they are caught in his web and go down with the ship. Unfortunately, his adversaries will have to suffer as well. It’s happened before, history does repeat itself, and in our forever changing world we live in, fast and furious, it can happen sooner than later.

Soaring Markets…..Obama or Trump?

Yes…Our Stock Market is reaching greater heights than ever before! Did anyone notice that nothing has happened yet? Nothing has changed since Trump was inaugurated. All this has taken place because our markets were stabilized after eight hard years of keeping things in check so that our economy had a chance, like a sick person, to heal properly and reach the comfort zone it has today. Wow, how forgetful we or 40% of us are. To think that the “magic” words coming from Trump concerning our so-called “slowest reboot of an economy ever” is causing this to happen, is utterly ridiculous! If companies were failing, talk alone would do nothing. They were sound at the time of the 2016 election and to Trump’s good fortune he had a sane Obama administration to follow. But, of course, Donald Trump takes the credit for anything except his own failures. Those he blames on anyone around him, preferably past President Barack Obama.

Wake up America! We are where we are because of the last eight years! We will have plenty of time to judge what is happening now in the days ahead. So far….NOTHING!

COMPARE OUR ECONOMY TO A DIET!!

I know this may sound silly, but everything in life has its set of rules. Things like, “What goes up…must come down!”  We know a term like “Slow and steady” is the way to success. I imagine through trial and error we have come to certain conclusions and they have stuck in our everyday thinking. We tell our children words like, “Time will tell.”

Eight years ago, our Economy, for a lack of a better term, was going into the toilet! This is a true fact! It seems that some people, at least 40% of our population, have forgotten that we, the USA, were on the brink of an economic crisis heading in a downward spiral. It has taken 8 years of hard work and perseverance following a regulatory code that helped to bring us back into the future. It’s hard to give up greed for a set of annoying rules. Well, we are now once again being faced with hard choices.  Do we allow ourselves that rush of immediate gratification like a shot in the arm of Heroin and become addicted to that same old, living on the edge, possibly hurting people on the sidelines, or do we fess up and realize that true success requires a work ethic guided by rules that work for everyone.

When you are dieting, if you don’t follow a set of rules, you will not reach success. It is true that someone who loses weight at a fast rate will gain it back more quickly. We know that taking a slow and steady path to weight loss, whatever program is chosen, will ensure success. Of course, this also requires a visit to a Doctor, someone with knowledge who can guide you in the right direction. The same goes for our Government. We need a leader who is well-versed in all of our economic strategies, based on trial and error from past experiences, or at least, willing to ask professionals for their opinions. I hate to say it….but we have neither!