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| Recently I have been thinking about our area of the nation, and the various factors that make it a desirable area. For one, we do not get tornadoes (or almost never), and seldom violent storms. We get our dose of heavy rainfall, and some weeks it pours for several days (and the river rises). But for the most part, this is a green paradise. I cannot think of a state I would rather live in. Oregon, on the west side of the Cascades is pretty, and good. (As I write this, the weather forecast is playing, and it is going to be a nice week with a few showers every day until the weekend)
I have a friend that has considered moving here, and weather wise, this is a safer state. But I would not know if better, having lived here and in Washington all of my life. I chose to move back to my present location from the Idaho border of the state, and I will take this side with its moisture.
Economically, our state has been one of the slowest to respond to the economic upturn. We are just now starting to see some emerging business opportunities. However, we are still closing schools in my area, due to declining attendance, and increasing costs. (I will find out tomorrow if my two schools I serve will both be closed at the end of this school year) So, opportunity to land a teaching job is haphazard. I think enough of us Baby Boomers will retire in the next two years to cut some of the costs of salary and benefits, that keep hiring limited. We will see. We need enough incentive, or we hang on to our jobs in this uncertain economy. How is it in other parts of the nation?
I hope that we will continue to see restoration of economic opportunity in the rest of this year, and into next. A lot will hinge on the elections in November. But even more will depend on worker attitude toward working together with management to make necessary cuts, but not give up lifestyle freeing wages and benefits. We can do it!
Those are my thoughts for today. Have a great week. Pb.
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| Again today, I got an appeal to support Public Broadcasting (in my area). I have not been able to watch them since the changeover to Digital, a couple years ago. Am I the only one? I wonder why I would pay for what I cannot enjoy.
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| After 3 primaries, today, it looks very much like Mitt Romney will be the nominee of the Republican Party. There are many good reasons for people to vote for him: likable, smart, more dedicated to the Constitution and following its requirements than is the present President, and electable!
But, I am not ready for the other 3 major contenders to drop out, nor do I think it would be wise for them to drop out. Why? I think Mitt needs to consider some of the issues that his opponents are raising: Constitution, integrity, restoration of national honor by remembering our heritage, getting government off the backs of the people.
We are facing a clear choice in November. We have a candidate who has led this nation's representatives to the folly of putting 1/6th of the GNP under control of the Federal Government. People! We do not need more government; we need less! For every advantage of putting controls into the hands of the Federal Government, there are a dozen drawbacks in the loss of freedom. Already, because of the Affordable Health Care Act for the 21st Century has driven insurance costs further into the stratosphere (and it is not even fully implemented!), and taken away the freedom for people to choose what to have/ what not to have in their Health Insurance coverage. President Obama lied 2 years ago when he made the agreement that people would not have to pay for abortion/family planning costs. He lied! and pro-life Representatives. who agreed to vote for it on the basis of that promise, were ousted from office in 2010. I expect more will be leaving this year.
The one good thing that could come out of the primary season is a clear choice between big government Democrats and small, efficient government Republicans. That is what I hope for.
Considering the recall effort in Wisconsin, we will see what the voters are thinking this year. Two years ago, the people of Wisconsin elected a man unafraid to do what ever was necessary to keep the state from bankruptcy. It will be interesting to see if they understand what Scott Walker has done in standing up to the unions, or if their memories are short. Even though I am a union member, we have to be realistic in taking cutbacks as much as we show eagerness for salary gains.
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| I am back to work, and it has been a rough two weeks so far. I won't go into it, but I am not working the exact way I was. Thursday was a snow closure day, and even though I checked early that morning, and saw nothing posted, I did not know until after 6 pm that evening  . (and that in spite of provision to get the word out to staff by a phone tree at BOTH schools) Then, no school or work on Friday due to reconstruction of an important highway through the city that would have disrupted our buses.
So, I am so grateful for today, Saturday. I can finally relax, get some things caught up, enjoy a little sunshine, do a little thinking.
I just read most of several blogs. I see some of the feminists are still out there griping, and unwilling to listen to the reasons on the other side. Obvious bias. Let it be.
I mean that last statement: "let it be." I'm learning to smile and go on. If people want to rant like that, and be unreasonable, Scripture tells me to ignore them, and not place my pearls in front of them. (If they want to read them here, then that is their own choice. Right?)
I became aware of several situations in family and church over the last 48 hours. I hear of a potential marriage breakup because the husband wants to pursue money. I see a niece in another live-in situation. I hear concerns over a brother's mental health. I see stubbornness disguised as concern from a few friends. I must let it be. Perhaps I will not restrain myself from expressing my love to the individual, and assurance that I will be here for them to cry to, and that I will be praying for them. But, the results of changing any ways is in their hands, not mine. I must let it be
Mary and I have come through several crisis in the past 4 months. Today, we are stronger, and more committed than ever before to work together, and love each other, and seek ways to reach out to people in need. I think that is as it should be. I am happy.
Thank God for Saturday. Thank God for an opportunity to refresh and appreciate the blessings we do have. Thank God for friends, who have been praying. Thank you, I love you.
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| While I have been seeing a lot more friendliness, and skill from President Barak Obama during the past 3 months (its Election Year. What would you expect?), I still believe any one of the 4 remaining GOP candidates is superior in their approach to governing, than the incumbent President.
The other day, Mr. Mitt Romney won big in Illinois. He also did well over the past two weeks in other contests. He now has 1/2 of the total number of delegates to win nomination. But, the race for the nomination is not done, and Mitt is not the only one running. Mitt has the desirable qualities of leadership, needed. He has experience in turning organizations away from bankruptcy, or near bankruptcy, so he would have the skills to turn around the trend under Mr. George W. Bush and Barak Obama of continuously increasing Federal budgets. And, he also is a likable individual.
Rick Santorum brings to the table a strong commitment to Social Conservancy. No President sets the entire moral tone for the nation, but Rick would be similar to President Reagan who was willing to do the right thing, even though there was pain from the cutbacks during Reagan's first 2 years of trimming the budget. Overall Mr. Reagan was successful in turning this nation back toward greatness. Rick Santorum would too. He is committed to financial restraint, and we need that. But he is also able to delegate, and listen, and make wise choices and lead. I just wish he would stop making misstatements.
Newt Gingrich understands how government works. He also has a great sense of our nation's history, and what it means to have Republican government (republican in the sense of the Roman Empire meaning). He would make a great President. But, considering the past experience of explosiveness, and moral compromise, it is difficult to say that he would have total trust from the Republican base necessary for the nomination (look at the primary results so far. He has won nothing outside of Georgia), or the general populace. But he and his wife have done a wonderful job informing all who would listen over the past 5 years, about the principals of the founding and early governance of the United States of America.
Rep. Ron Paul brings a lifetime of understanding of the understanding of the Constitution of the United States, and the limits it places on the Presidency. He is ready to lead, and has done a wonderful job of gaining the Youth Vote. He inspires, and I am finding him to be a likable fellow. Even he would be superior to President Obama in the Presidency.
So, I categorically reject the idea that Barak Obama has the reelection wrapped up. Only if the people of the USA continue to sleep, instead of paying attention to his very public violation of the Constitutional limits on the Presidency and failure to prove his right to be President, based on failure to actually produce his Birth Certificate. The closest Mr. Obama has come to producing the necessary Birth Certificate is release of a Document of Live Birth, from Honolulu, Hawaii that has clear signs of being edited. This is troubling, in light of the recorded testimony of his paternal grandmother in Kenya, and the mixed record of his childhood and youth in Indonesia, and the state of Washington. No one knows for sure that he was born when he says he was born, or that he was born in Honolulu, or that he actually is a US citizen. He must prove that.
I will let you guess who I am voting for in May, and then in the General Election in November. :)
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