Sunday, February 15, 2009

Visit

Jeff got an email tonight from the Democratic Party explaining how to get tickets to attend Obama's visit to Arizona (in Mesa at Dobson High School). I am thinking about trying to get a ticket despite the fact I have class that night and I missed class last week's class to a rockin' migraine. Here is what I would say (you know...if I got a ticket and I got to say something):

Mr. President,

I am one of those people who makes just enough money to be above the cut in the middle class, yet I still live paycheck to paycheck. I took a 30-year fixed loan, therefore I can pay my mortgage, yet my neighbors have foreclosed leaving me unable to sell my home or have any equity. I proudly voted for you, yet I watch as you create a stimulus package that provides little if anything for me. (Excuse the 'Legends of the Fall' allusion here) I followed all the rules, but have nothing to show--I actually have LESS, because as a teacher I am getting ready to take a serious pay cut and I am concerned about my husband's job. While I think it is silly for the GOP to talk about yet another tax cut--since how do the lower and middle class (AKA the unemployed) benefit from that?--I think it is equally silly for you to ignore a significant portion of tax-paying, struggling Americans who followed the rules. I believe there has to be accountability and companies/homeowners/etc must suffer their stupidity.

Stop ignoring me. It pissed me off during the elections (you and McCain both) and it aggravates me now!

Oh...and please start forgiving teachers, nurses, and other public officials of school debt. I mean c'mon, there is a great provision for the stimulus package.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Immigration

I don't think I would call myself a hardcore liberal (despite what some of you think) because I have issues with abortion past the first trimester, I don't believe in completely curbing gun rights, and I tend to be "fiscally conservative". One of the things that I have been pretty "on the fence" about is immigration, which is odd since I am in a border state and it is ALWAYS the hot topic and everyone has picked a side. My thoughts on the issues have changed recently, let me explain...

As a teacher it is illegal and unethical for me to ask students if they are legal citizens. My job is to educate. Period. I actually don't really think about my students' status. When talking about illegal immigration people often point out that I should be the most upset because II take up space, resources, etc. The reality is education gets more money based on numbers, legal or not.

Work aside, I used to be only mildly annoyed by IIs, but not enough to believe they should be rounded up and shown the door. I understood the argument that they were breaking the law, but was sympathetic to the lengths these people would go to support their families. I would get angry at our stupid Sheriff for rounding up anyone with a Mexican surname and asking for their papers and I was annoyed that I would have to go through three different employees to find someone who spoke English. I realize how essential IIs are to our economy, and that is OUR fault because we ALLOWED it to be that way. Realistically the only reason there has been little done regarding immigration is that there is little or no middle ground.

Well, it only takes a bit of a recession for my perspective to shift a bit. We can barely help ourselves, but we are still doing enough to help out IIs. Our health care system is falling apart and I am paying ridiculous fees for my kid when the waiting rooms are packed with colds, allergies, and minor ailments. I can't even think about selling my home because our II neighbors could not afford their mortgage and bailed to go back to Mexico.

I feel like a hypocrite. I feel like a racist. I feel apologetic.

MMMM, thoughts?

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Stimulus

I am very entertained by the back and forth between parties regarding the stimulus plan Obama is trying to get passed. The GOP is raving about the money that is being spent stating that spending the money that adds to our outrageous deficit is unconscionable. But did we not rack up quite a bill in the last presidency? The GOP blaming Obama for spending is like criticizing someone for how they clean up a mess you made. Hmm, I need to find a better explanation, because I in no way believe the GOP was solely at fault for the mess we are in, though it was their president who oversaw the disaster.

I think the GOP has lost all credibility as we have watched the original bailout money go out and we all know how that ended up. Well, at least with some of it, since there wasn't a lot of accountability and there are millions (if not billions) of dollars that has gone missing.

The next time we just hand money out to greedy crooks, it should go more like this: "You give me your bills and I will write the checks for them. And because I am such a nice person, I will even pay for postage."