A long time

Today is the first time I’ve taken time to write here in a week or so. Well, that’s what it seems like lately. The words have not been there. I’ve read lots of words and many of them have spoken to my heart, but I haven’t had the time to put them here. President Obama’s stimulus package has been in the news a lot lately. Lots of dissent that it contains too much pork. Many Republicans decry it as too much entitlement spending. The new chair of the Republican party even went so far as to claim that government money never creates jobs.  I guess Michael Steele is either obtuse or maybe he forgot about the U.S. Military. As a former member of the U.S. Navy I can attest that many jobs were created with tax-payer dollars. I suppose that idea is lost on the congressional folks, many of whom never served our country in uniform. Then too, one has to wonder where they think their paychecks come from.

The world has been turned upside down by the financial crisis. Banks and bankers are okay with socialism now that it means they can continue their luxurious lifestyle. Politicians decry socialism as long as it’s on Main Street and not Wall Street. No end to government spending on K Street or at Grumman, Northrop, Lockheed, General Dynamics or other defense contractors. There’s never too much money spent there. The only place we spend too much money is on Main Street. Helping taxpayers is bad, helping defense contractors and desperate financiers is okay.

I hope the stimulus bill passes as long as it stimulates Main Street. I hope it goes to help working families who are the backbone of this economy. I hope we get a lot of socialism on Main Street. Government financed health care is okay for Senators, Representatives, Presidents, Generals and corporals. It ought to be okay for shopkeepers, construction workers and poor people too. We need liberty and justice for all. It’s in our Pledge of Allegiance.  Justice for all means all.