Frustrating

It is frustrating to me when someone writes are tells me something they know I disagree with, and do not give me an opportunity to respond.

I recently received an e-mail signed "Your Critic". It had an e-mail address attached, so I responded. Unfortunately the e-mail address was evidently invalid and my response did not go through. I am going to include the e-mail I received here, and then my response. I do try to remain civil in these discussions, though that seems to be hard to find these days. I you know who sent this e-mail, please let them know of my response.

His E-mail:
Subject Line: 4 Restorations are required before jobs will be created.

It does not take a "Rocket Scientist" to determine that there will be no significant hiring of workers until company managers see some stability in their ability to calculate the cost of products and services along with the elimination of constant and unnecessary interference by Government.
1. President Obama and Democrat leaders must stop the verbal bashing of private enterprise in order for employers and their stockholders to believe that adding personnel will result in profitability. Currently, business feels that they are being treated as the wicked enemy.
2. Adding more and more regulations (like health care, energy penalties, environmental restrictions, financial reporting, affirmative action reporting, etc.) must cease so that employers can determine the financial impact on their hiring and expansion plans in order to determine if those plans could result in profitable products and services.
3. Proposed increases and changes to taxes and tax exemptions must cease so that businesses can determine if adding workers could result in profitable products and services.
4. The Government must cease from taking over and controlling industries like the automotive, "big oil" and financial. Forcing financial institutions to make ridiculous home loans, rescuing "too big to fail", subsidizing unfeasible energy industries, bailing out irresponsible "homeowners", etc. merely exacerbate long-term instability.
Sincerely.... your critic,
Big Head

My response:

Big Head Critic,

Thanks for your e-mail and chance to respond to it. It also doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to realize that the policies you advocate, came very close to putting us in a second Great Depression.

It always amazes me how people who agree on so much and want so many of the same things, can look at what is happening and come to two very different conclusions.

The Democratic Leadership is not against private enterprise, and are not 'bashing' it. They simply want them to be responsible. It should not be the cost of the taxpayers to pay for the cleanup of the garbage created by private enterprise while they make millions. In fact, if you check the historical facts, you will find that private enterprise and the stock market has always done better under Democratic policies.

You have managed to confirm what I have been telling folks is my conclusion as to what the "TEA" in Tea Party stands for. I have decided it means, Take Everything Away. They do not want any regulations of industry, they do not want any laws to protect the environment, our safety, or our health, and they definitely do not want any programs that might help someone.

The 'bailout' of homeowners has been very restricted, and only to those who were behaving responsibly. The bailout of the big banks happened under GWB. The takover of the automotive industry was to save it, and the millions of jobs attached to it. Have you noticed that GM has already paid back the money used for them. Ford is reporting profits again, and Chrysler is almost solvent. Not a bad thing to do, seems to me.

I suppose you prefer subsidizing oil companies, who are already making record profits, as we did from 2000 to 2009. We should be in the front of clean and renewable energy sources, but we have been letting China get ahead of us.

You have the right to your opinion and criticism. And I have the right to disagree. Watch what happens and understand there are other ways of thinking, and no one is always right, rocket scientist or otherwise.

Sincerely,
Nelson Thomas

Georgia Governor

I am glad to know that we will once again change governors of Georgia this year. There have been few things that Gov. Perdue has done to help the state.

However, I have been very disappointed in his record concerning education. His administration has cut around 1.5 billion dollars from the education budget. Yet there was lots of money for "GO Fish Georgia". I am certainly not against fishing. However, most people I have known did not need a lot of encouragement to go fishing. Certainly not a million dollar website. Most just want time and opportunity. Of course, maybe I have a different view since I live in a rural area with a lot of places to go fishing. Thanks to the USFS lands all around us.

We do have the chance though to make a choice that could affect the next several years in our state. We need to make it count. Make sure we choose a governor that looks to the future, supports education, and will work to bring more jobs to the state. Roy Barnes has a history of doing that. Dubose Porter is a good looking candidate, as is David Poythress.

We have almost a year to work for our new Governor. Check the candidates, make your choice, and work hard to get them elected.

Goodbye Teddy

The youngest of the Kennedy brothers has now passed. His life was filled with ups and downs, though there is no doubt of his imprint on our country.

Certainly, today there are those who are pleased that they will not have to contend with Ted Kennedy. Though many republican candidates will miss the amount of money they were able to raise by using his name.

The consensus I have heard is that even his republican colleagues respected him for his hard work and ability to get deals completed. He has been acknowledged by many of them as the easiest democrat to work with. Though you would never know it from how they talked about him.

Even Pat Buchanan has been bragging on Ted Kennedy today and talking of how he considered him a good friend, even as they disagreed on most policies.

Most of my life I have followed politics. My first recollection of a presidential race is that of JFK and I remember staying up watching returns with my dad in 1960 (I would have been 7 years old) and how excited he was that JFK was elected. My mother still has a large framed picture of JFK (that I hope to get from her someday, though I am not sure how I will be able to use it). It was given to her by the state chair of the Georgia Democratic Party.

I am glad the Kennedy boys took a different turn from their dad, and am thankful for their contributions to our country. I will miss this generation of Kennedys. Of the next generation, we have already lost JFK Jr. I have great hopes for RFK Jr. He has already done some great work in the area of helping our environment. Caroline is also now becoming an eloquent spokesperson for the family. Of course, Maria Shriver has been active for years and is currently the first lady of California. I am sure this family will continue to be involved in the political landscape of our country.

Goodbye Teddy. With all your faults and with all your genius, you will be missed. Thank you for your service.

Finally 2009

I don't like to wish my life away, though I have to admit that I am anxious for Jan. 20th of this year and have been for a long, long time. That is my daughter's birthday which is always a reason to celebrate. This year gives us another great reason.


For over 3 years I have had a key ring that has a countdown clock on it with the words "Bush's Last Day" emblazoned on it. The battery is failing and the numbers are getting hard to see, but the actualy day is quickly closing in. It isn't getting here fast enough for me, though I am beginning to believe we will make it.


There are many in our country that are concerned and unhappy about this change. I can sympathize with them, though I cannot agree or understand their concerns. It is hard for me to understand their worry of change after the policies of the past 8 years. It appears that everyone does not share all my opinions and values. At times, even as we agree on values, we disagree on how to best achieve the shared goal.

Whatever your opinion on this is, I wish you the very best in the coming years. I have a lot of hope.

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson is most closely associated with the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. If that was all he had ever done, it would be a great service to this country. Of course, that was only the beginning of his contributions to the nation.

Jefferson has long been recognized as a brilliant mind and hard worker. The more you learn of him, the more amazing what he accomplished and created. All this done at a time without all the easy access to information as we have now.

Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States. There is much that can be said about him and for him. However, here I simply want to give a few quotes from him. I recommend you study some of his accomplishments when you can, along with those of all our founding fathers and those who followed. We have some great individuals in the short history of this country.

Let me start with the quote that is engraved inside the Jefferson Memorial:

"I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

Others to enjoy:

Determine never to be idle..It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.

Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of the body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.

I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.

It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation which give happiness.

The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it always to be kept alive.

The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object.

We confide in our strength, without boasting of it; we respect that of others, without fearing it.

We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.

If our house be on fire, without inquiring whether it was fired from within or without, we must try to extinguish it.

An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens.

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.


That is enough for now. Let's remember and move forward. Watch for the statesmen of today and listen for some words of wisdom.

Tax Plans

This is from the Conservatives for Obama/Biden. It is an easy to read synopsis of the plans offered. It is good to remember that the increases on the wealthy only bring them back to the rates paid before George W. Bush. And they did fairly well under the Clinton administration, as did the country.

Drill what is already leased

There has been a lot words used lately about drilling. The oil companies and GOP, at least the branch that is in bed with the oil companies, have been pushing and pushing for opening new leases. They want us to believe that it is necessary and will alleve our price concerns soon.


It is possible that part of the reason for high gas prices has been to encouraging and try to convince the public to support drilling in fragile areas. The pressure is on to open ANWR and other pristine areas. Most of those who are in the know will acknowledge that drilling in those areas will not significantly reduce our prices, or even keep up with our consumption needs.

There is something else that is not being in talked about enough. The oil companies currently have 68,000,000 acres of land already leased and ready for them to drill on. Almost half of that is in the Gulf of Mexico, or off shore. These lands have proven oil reserves waiting for the drilling to begin. So why all the fuss and moaning about drilling. It appears to be about the money again. Greed is an ugly thing.

I am an environmentalist. I am also a businessman, or at least have been most of my life. I do not believe it has to be an either or situation between the two. Everyone should want to protect our environment for the sake of our health, though many only want to if it doesn't cost them anything. I believe it is worth some time, some effort, and even some money to find a way to produce the goods we need and to keep our air, water, and communities clean.

Don't just take the word of the oil companies. And many of the studies you see supporting all this drilling and claiming its safety are funded by those oil companies who will profit most. Look around and find several opinions, then make up your mind. When you do, contact your representatives and voice you opinion.