Ernest Hemingway once said, “All things wicked start from innocence.”
How bad is our political situation in this world? We owe China over a trillion dollars, we have an unelectable President who is going to walk into a second term, without even trying. Then we have our Alaska delegation – a congressman who spent a million dollars to keep the F.B.I. away from him and his secrets, a U.S. Senator with no college degree, and our other U.S. Senator who is the leader in getting utility industry lobbyists to give her money. No wonder why the people of this country give a 12 percent approval rating for our elected officials.
It’s gone from a joke to kind of disgusting and it seems like they simply don’t care. They’re in charge, they have the office, and they’ll do whatever the hell they want. You know why? Because we don’t vote them out. I once asked U.S. Sen. Mark Begich’s spokesperson why he didn’t have a college degree, she answered, “College just wasn’t for him.” He’s the only U.S. Senator without a college degree, but he likes to speak at college ceremonies.
Then we have Don Young, U.S. Congressman, who is 78 years old and has gotten kind of weird lately. He’s always been an “over the top” type of guy who once wore a little hat with a propeller on it, while talking to the Secretary of Energy, to protest Obama’s energy plan amongst other strange acts. But now it seems like he’s just an angry old man. You know, like that ornery, elderly neighbor that would keep your Frisbee if it landed in his yard.
About six weeks ago there was a hearing with the House Natural Resources committee regarding opening up ANWR to oil drilling. A man by the name of Dr. Douglas Brinkley, a historian from Rice University, gave testimony regarding his reasons why we shouldn’t drill in ANWR. Of course, Don Young went ballistic on the professor who was invited there to speak. God forbid if you disagree with a 78 year-old, self-righteous man. Young called the professor “Dr. Rice.” When Brinkley responded, “It’s Dr. Brinkley. Rice is a university,” Congressman Young flipped out, and said, “I’ll call you anything I want when you sit in that chair!” That’s maturity for a man approaching his 80s. Young then went on to call Dr. Brinkley’s testimony “garbage.” There’s another sign of wisdom flying south for eternity. Brinkley also argued that he worked in the private sector and that his taxes paid for the congressman’s salary. Wow. Finally, someone stood up to those politicians who think they can run this country like an Oligarchy. Don Young was elected to represent us not to embarrass Alaskans by acting like someone who just came off their medication.
In the end, we need real change in our political system. It stinks like my socks that I just keep throwing in the corner of my bathroom. People need to go to the polls and vote out the ones who do nothing but praise themselves as being the best, while secretly, they’re in bed with every corporation and lobbyist willing to write a check.
We’re a rich country, but that doesn’t give us the right to ignore the real problems that plague us every day: the homeless, especially veterans, people that can’t afford food for their children, people that don’t have a roof over their heads during the worst winter in a very long time. We need leaders who come to the table with solutions, not followers who vote blindly, to protect corporate interests, when it comes to legislation.
Last week our congressional delegation said they were against shrinking military installations in Alaska. No surprise there. That would be like Ford saying they’re against the government closing down manufacturing plants in Michigan. Yet, our representatives don’t offer any real solutions to getting our economy in order. They just object.
Maybe we should shrink their staffs. After all, how many people does a person need to help them with their job? Apparently they need quite a few - Administrative Assistants, Legal Assistants, a State Director, a Special Assistant to Military Affairs, a Field Representative, a Chief of Staff, a Deputy Chief of Staff, a Constituent Service Representative, a System Administrator, a Rural Director, Legislative Aide, Interior Alaska Director, Press Secretary, Deputy Press Secretary, Technology Advisor and over 20 interns. And that’s just for Sen. Begich’s office.
How can you promote education when you don’t have a college degree, like Sen. Begich? How can you tell someone with a PHD from Rice University that what they say is “garbage” while you, Congressman Young, sit there with a Yuba University Associates degree and try to keep the FBI at arm’s length? How can you, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, honestly say that you worked to get to where you are when your dad gave you your job as a U.S. Senator without a single person voting for you besides him in your first term?
We have real problems in this world that require mature, thinking types of people. We need our representatives to focus on our in-state needs as well as the greater needs of the entire planet.
Let’s start by not stepping over a homeless person in order to get a photo with someone in the Iditarod. Let’s start by feeding people that are hungry. Let’s start by talking instead of shooting. Let’s not take campaign donations from organizations that polluted our environment and took 20 years to pay retribution. Let’s not look after corporate interests rather than our own people. Let’s not hook up all of our friends with a job on the taxpayer’s dollar. After all, isn’t that what our representative’s goal should be? Or maybe not.
I guess it all depends on what you’re looking for from the people you elect into office. Personally, I think we should have the Muppets running the country; they may be fake, but at least they’re likable.
