'What's The Matter With Kansas?'

The question this year is What’s matter with the United States?

The author of the book “What’s The Matter With Kansas?” had a basis premise that the people of Kansas continued to vote against issues that were in their best interest economically and socially for incumbent politicians. They wanted change, but they continued to elect the same politicians to deliver that change.

Right now, the United States congress has the lowest approval rating in history. Would you like to venture a guess on how many of those members of Congress will be re-elected this year? Why? Because of their performance? Puuleease?

I just read another man’s comments in the Valley Press and he is absolutely right about where this country is and what we will face as a nation. My only disagreement is with his conclusion that only the Republicans are responsible for the mess. I do agree that they can take most of the credit.

What is most disturbing to me is that the president and Congress have been unable or unwilling to anticipate or see these disasters coming. I am certainly not the most knowledgeable person around, but even I knew that you don’t allow credit to people who cannot demonstrate ability to repay. Yet Congress ignored the saturation of credit cards and home loans by banks and mortgage companies to people without credit qualifications.

Congress has refused to act on trade deficit producing agreements.

Congress has refused to act to stop increasing the national debt while we continue to borrow money to give away.

Congress has refused to act to halt the tax forgiveness program they passed, to simply forgive tax debts over $10,000 is an insult to every person who pays their taxes.

Congress has refused to act to prevent or respond to the home market crash that has crushed homeowners.

Congress has refused to ensure that adequate funds are invested in the national infrastructure to prevent collapsing bridges, failing levees, disintegrating roadways, national fire protection programs, airport traffic control, passport approvals and, here we are in an election year.

Will we see voters playing the party loyalty card, incumbent support and resorting to the “I have the experience ploy”? I know how to play the game.” Stop and think for just a moment, do you want a Congress that has failed to address the issues that have placed this nation in the position we are now experiencing?

We have Republican and Democrat candidates who continue to expound on their 30 years of political experience.

Senator Hillary Clinton wants to answer the 3 a.m. phone call. Think back! President Bill Clinton chose not to at least try to take out Bin Laden and his key advisers because there were women and children in the camp.

Senator Clinton was involved in that decision making process. Would we have had the Trade Center disaster or be in Iraq with the American and Iraq deaths, if the right decision had been made at that time?

Senator John McCain sits on the Armed Services Committee and had the military experience. McCain was directly involved in creating a military that was not prepared to fight “a conventional war.” He supported the reduction in ground force levels that did not allow us to put adequate troop levels in Iraq or provide realistic rotational schedules.

These two candidates with a total of 60 years of experience have not demonstrated that their experience has given them the vision, willingness or commitment to the American people that justifies their election to the presidency. Where did they demonstrate the leadership to respond to the problems we now face?

Wouldn’t it have been nice to have one of them speak up and say it is time to invest in America first. To say that on my first day as president I will issue an Executive Order that requires every federal agency to use only products manufactured in America.

But even if one of them is elected president, can they get Congress to act? Will Congress defy the party leadership and lobbyist to work across party lines to address the issues that must be addressed now?

This nation is faced with a transition from industrial to service industries. Congress has failed act to prevent that from occurring or to address the affect on our standard of living. We are in a recession and faced with inflation that affect every American who doesn’t have a golden parachute. If you really want to know how bad inflation is going to get just forget “The Economists” and check diesel prices.

The talking head economists tell us that the falling dollar is good for America because more nations will buy our products. Unfortunately, they don’t talk about the buying power of Americans.

At least when the “Robber Barons” faced the disaster of 1929 they had the decency to jump out of their windows. Now, they run companies into bankruptcy and the jump out of the company with their golden parachutes and millions of dollars. They just leave the employees to jump out windows. But Congress is holding hearings about it.

I born during the Great Depression and lived to see the industrial and educational surge after world war II that raised the American standard of living to the envy of the world. I truly believe that my generation will be the last generation to be ensured of retirement and medical guarantees for the foreseeable future. I don’t know where my children or grandchildren will find those guarantees. They will be staring with huge debts for education, homes and cars that we never faced.

This election will determine how deeply they will be affected. Perhaps they recognize the danger and that is why they are getting involved.

I hope that every voter will reflect on why they will cast their vote for the individual they choose. Forget party loyalty, forget candidate incumbency, forget social issues and help get this country back on track.

We need politicians with vision enough to act before disasters occur, rather that holding hearing after they happen.

Gerald Hart

Thompson Falls