Focus

As a country, there are many issues that many people feel very passionately about. Sometimes, enough people feel strongly enough to take action and sometimes that is enough to start to make a change in the right direction.

With so many different causes, it is difficult to focus, which is why it is so difficult to get things done. What one person considers the most important thing, another would consider somewhere in the top ten, but not in the top five. Others might not consider it at all.

I also feel very strongly about many issues. Sometimes my opinion is very different than most, sometimes it is closely aligned with the majority. Sometimes, my personal priority for a particular issue is consistent with the majority. Sometimes, it is very different. All of these things are normal considering everyone has their own thoughts, ideas, passions, and history.

 Every once in awhile, there is an issue that affects many others. I believe that issue is corporate money in politics. This issue affects everything from consumer protections to the environment to employee rights to foreign military aid to combating criminal violence and many, many more issues. Because this one thing affects so many others, fighting the individual battles for individual issues is extremely difficult and appears to be a Sisyphean task.

 If, as a nation, as the citizenry, we focus on this one task, in a very short time, we can get the constitutional amendment to get corporate money out of politics altogether. Then, we can focus on the next thing without having to fight against the politicians that we elect.

Jobs bill going in wrong direction

Some of you may have heard that there is a jobs bill that some politicians are trying to pass. I actually believe that a better way to create jobs is to put more pressure on banks or the Small Business Administration to make credit available to small businesses. Passing a jobs bill will cost tax payers money. The banks have money, thanks to the tax payers. Granted, most have paid it back, but we bailed them out when they screwed up, and now they are flush with cash.

I have heard experts talking about how banks are not giving loans out, virtually at all, to small businesses. I can understand being conservative, but many of these small businesses have borrowed and paid them back in the past. Sure, increase the criteria for borrowing, but don't make it unattainable. If banks would loan money, small businesses would have access to the money they need to expand, and hire people.