Tuesday, November 15, 2011

I Don't Usually Do the Political Thing But....



I work for a large financial company here in DC. We have seen our fair share of turbulent times (and recently requested a little more assistance from the government). I started working on a gov't sponsored program almost three years ago spearheaded by the current Administration. I've burned the midnight oil, sat through countless 6-hour long meetings, crunched numbers, brought new ideas to the table, and watched many many people come and go on both our side and the govie side.




This program is set to come to a close with the end of the current Administration. Its been labeled a failure for various reasons. Its been said it hasn't helped enough people. Even though our current administration pulled a number out of their hat regarding its potential reach when it was initially started. It should be noted though that its currently its helped over 1M Americans. Its been said its too difficult for the intended organizations to participate, too much red tape. Meanwhile the administration continues to write new lengthy guidance that pushes those same organizations further and further away. Its been said the organizations that do participate don't do so in a compliant manner. Yet no restrictions or consequences occur or are enforced if the organizations aren't compliant.




A lot has been said, mostly bad, but not many good stories and it leaves me wondering: Why would an Administration fail to highlight the positive pieces of such an expensive and fairly successful program? Why don't they advertise outreach events to help struggling Americans in their communities? Why don't they change the way they've been doing things, in this program, if they aren't working? Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same failed exercises over and over again.




We're coming up on the next election - even though its a year away and it disgusts me that focus has shifted from fixing this huge broken machine to selecting who the next well polished, tv-ready, male will be running our country. No one has a solid housing platform. Have you noticed? If you haven't yet, just look through their "stance" on housing....I'm waiting...find anything? Didn't think so. Not only do they not have a solid housing platform, they don't' really have any platforms. I can name one candidate, regardless of my political affiliation who actually has "plans" for anything related to our failing nation at this point: Ron Paul. The rest of them, they just read from cue cards. And our President isn't exempt from this either.




I'm surprised by this man who had the world, not just American, wrapped around his pinkie. He was naive, I get that. Maybe we all were. But I really believed he could make some things happen in this nation that no one had ever accomplished before. I was wrong, so was he, but I thought anything was possible in this great nation, b/c that's what I was taught.




I sit here each day and read the headlines and shake my head too often to count. Do me a favor readers, regardless of which party you affiliate yourself (To be honest, I don't even know how you could affiliate yourself with one side at this point. We, as a country, have moved beyond the confines of Red or Blue in my opinion.), really take a look at where we are going, what these politicians are saying, their past performance, and where they plan to take this great nation. I think if you do, you'll be shocked to learn they haven't said anything of worth, they haven't done anything spectacular in the past, and they really don't have a plan for our country. I think you'll find yourself scared for the future....and you should be.

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