Political Blogging Part Deux

I started this blog during the Presidential campaign of 2008.  It is fun reading some of my old posts.  I was so excited about the possibility of change, but it seems like things are worse now than back then...especially in the following areas:

• The Econonomy
• State Immigration laws profiling "Hispanics" - really Mexican immigrants
• Gridlock in Washington

Unemployment has stayed in the 9-10% range over the past few years.  I was unemployed in 2010 and it was a sobering experience.  Luckily I was only out of work a few months, but I know of many folks out for years now.  I read of people frowning on the unemployed as drains on society and costing the country billions in social programs.  Until you are unemployed, you have no idea what a God send those programs are to people that need the assistance.

Arizona passed SB1070 the first of many anti-immigrant bills in the US.  Georgia and Alabama are among others.  Do people seriously think that poor Mexican immigrants that pick fruit, landscape, do other unskilled labor other Americans won't do are the real cause of what ails this country?  How about going after the high end of the labor force that are really taking the "high-paying" jobs?  Why should they get a free pass.  It is ironic to see that Alabama farmers won't be able to pick their crops this fall due to their new immigration laws.  An Alabama politician interviewed on TV said that other Alabama citizens will step up with some wage changes and take those jobs...I call BS on that.  I once heard Paul Rodriguez say, "we need to fix this and allow a guest worker program or we will be paying $10 for a tomato."

Washington has been in a gridlock since President Bush left office.  I live Texas, the state where President Lyndon Johnson is from.  He was able to pass the most significant social change laws in our country's history by negotiating with the other party.  Now we are allowing 535 "Representatives" to run this country into the ground.  First the Democrats didn't have enough "cojones" to run the show prior to the 2010 elections and now the Republicans sole purpose is to drive the country further into the ground so that President Obama will lose in 2012.  I want representation that is worried about my job, not retaining their job.

I am happy to see the Occupy Wall Street movement.  It shows people of all walks of American life are tired of the status quo.  I look forward to sharing my views as we move toward the 2012 elections and beyond.  I have a voice and plan to use it!