Happy New? Year!!…
A new year always brings
with it the hope for a fresh start. Many
of us choose this as the time to commit to making changes that, we hope, will improve
our lives in some meaningful way. We
look inward to try and make improvements, but we also look at the "bigger
picture" and hope for progress in our society as well.
What is often so
frustrating to people is that after a short time, things often return to the
previous state and we find ourselves reliving the same problems, conflicts or
shortcomings over again. We ask
ourselves, why does this happen? Yet we
fail to realize that we are the same people in the same situations and our
thoughts and actions often follow familiar paths. "Old habits die hard", "The
more things change the more they remain the same", and other similar
sayings frequently ring true.
The difficulty in making
change lies not so much in our reality, but in how we approach making
changes. Most of us, from the very
powerful down through the ranks, have little control over the conditions that
we live and work in. President Obama ran
a campaign with the slogan of "Change" yet encountered entrenched
resistance to his agenda. Humans, by
nature, often resist changes to what we find familiar and comfortable, even
when we know the changes would be good for us.
Insanity has been defined
as the concept of repeating the same actions and expecting different
results. We find ourselves guilty of
this on so many occasions, and yet are surprised when our efforts aren't
successful. This is true on a personal
level as well as on a larger scale in groups or as a whole society. If we truly want to see positive changes in
our society this year we need to start looking at what is working and what
needs to be altered, discarded or otherwise changed. Then we must look for ways to make our
efforts more effective and implement our ideas.
Fiscal Cliff…
Millions of Americans
breathed a sigh of relief as Congress voted to pass a bill that appeared to
avert financial disaster for the nation.
Yet, a closer look at the last minute work that the Congress did shows
us that this deal in many ways is more of the same.
At the end of the day, the
debate to avoid the "Fiscal Cliff" was an example of just how far
removed our legislative and budgeting processes are from the lives of most of
us. It seems like most of our legislators
live in a separate universe from those they represent. For them, the tax increases and other aspects
of the "Cliff" seemed almost secondary to the political points to be
won or lost in the debate. While they
paid lip-service to the impact that their actions would have on a majority of Americans,
the way the deal unfolded and much of the rhetoric around it showed where their
true concerns were.
This bill is also an
example of just how confusing and convoluted our political system has
become. What we are told a bill
says/does, and what it actually says/does are often very different. Unless someone is willing, and able, to wade
through the huge number of pages that any single bill consists of, we rely on
the media and our politicians to tell us what it means. Even if one reads a bill in its entirety, the
language and context is often baffling to most of us. This means that a majority of citizens are
truly ignorant about what their legislators have done.
The media gives us a
"thumbnail sketch" of what a bill contains. However, most bills deal with a significant
number of topics and often have other issues inserted into them. We know that most issues are interconnected
and are difficult or impossible to separate cleanly from each other. Virtually every part of our lives connects
directly, or indirectly, to other parts and our legislation mirrors this
reality.
However, the reality is
that many bills contain "hidden" features that are added to make it
more palatable to legislators. This is
how we see simple ideas that could be dealt with in a straightforward manner
become complex and often distorted. It
is also how lobbyists are able to get their client's interests served.
This bill also provided
another example of "Brinksmanship", where our elected officials wait
until the last minute to broker a deal.
This maximizes their exposure and increases the amount of uncertainty
that exists in our society. It is a
symptom of just how disengaged the public is in the "goings on" in
politics. The American people don't
focus their attention on an issue until there is a crisis or deadline, then it
becomes front-page news. Congress had a
very long time to deal with the issue of the "Fiscal Cliff" and yet
needed "overtime" to come up with a compromise.
I equate our legislative
process with referees or officials in a sporting event. Their job is to make things run smoothly for
the players and make sure the rules are fair for all players. If a referee is doing their job, they are
rarely noticed and rarely the source of controversy. The same should be true for our elected
officials. They are not the most
important people in our political process, the people they represent are. By drawing out negotiations to the last
minute and using political or economic crises to increase their prestige, our
politicians are neglecting the duties for which they were elected.
Unless we, the people,
hold our representatives accountable this type of gamesmanship will continue
and the process will repeat itself (later this spring in the case of many of
these issues). We need to be engaged in
the process immediately and put pressure on our representatives to act quickly
and in the interests of the people.
Politics,
An Ugly Busine$$…
Need more evidence that
our politicians are in business for someone other than the people they
represent? We are seeing a significant
number of issues where the majority opinions of the citizens are being ignored
in order for the needs of a few to be advanced.
Whether it's the NRA and their minority opinions about gun control and
other weapons issues, or one of many other similar issues, we are seeing our
legislative process co-opted by money and a small number of powerful
individuals and groups.
While
it is easy to place blame on the politicians, or on the system they work in, we
as citizens must shoulder our responsibilities for the actions that our elected
officials carry out while they represent us.
If we the people don't raise our voices in opposition to the tactics
and
actions of those we elect, who will?
Unions
in 2013…
With all that is happening
in the world today, we need labor unions now more than ever. While some would make the case that these
organizations are obsolete, the reality is that they provide a counter-balance
to the powerful forces that are acting in our political, social and economic
realms.
2013 is a crucial year for
organized labor. With all of the
challenges that unions face it is important that those of us who value unions
and who see the benefits of organized labor work diligently to preserve and
protect the rights that have been won for workers in this nation. Unions must work to reorganize themselves and
prepare to operate in an increasingly hostile environment. Each of us must do our part to insure that
2013 is the year where the labor movement is re-energized and not the year where
it is dismantled.
Education
Reform- 2013…
In the same way that
organized labor is under attack, public education is facing major
challenges. These assaults come from a
variety of sources and are increasingly difficult to defend against.
Wisconsin Republicans expected to push private-school vouchers,
charter-school expansion in 2013 ses
Just like worker's rights,
public education needs our stalwart support or else it will be privatized and
dismantled leaving many without educational opportunities. Each of us can make a difference if we stand
up for what we value.
Buy
Local…
As always, I encourage
everyone to find local establishments that support labor and keep money in the
local economy. When you frequent a
business, let them know why you have chosen them and that you support their
efforts to promote fair business practices.
It is challenging to find these products and businesses. The connections between companies is often
difficult to unravel and sometimes local businesses don't necessarily promote
progressive ideals. What is important is
that an effort is made to try and spend money in ways that promote the things
that we value and to communicate with business owners about what your reasoning
is behind your purchases. If
businesspeople know what their patrons are thinking then they will recognize
that it is in there best interest to offer products and services that meet the
needs of their community.
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