Where is Our Country Going?

Okay, this is goiong to be a rant, plain and simple. I couldn't think of anything to write, so I've decided to just blurt out some of my political thoughts. You may agree with some, you may disagree. That's fine, in fact I would be happy to argue with anyone about them (surprise there, eh?). So, off we go...

-- Gas prices have dropped here in Indiana to a respectable $3.69 a gallon. So, my question is: when the hell did $3.69 become respectable? $3.69 a gallon is ridiculous. The United States is arguably the most innovative and intellectually rich countries in the world yet we can't figure out how to take a vehicle froom point A to point B without burning fossil fuels. How sad is that? The fact is that we have technology but lack the infrastructure to put clean vehicles on the road. The brilliance of the Eisenhower administration was its vision and pursuance of the adoption of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. Let's imagine how many new American jobs could be created by developing brand new products used to fuel/power electric vehicles. Additionally the United States could put itself back on the automotive map, surpassing Honda and Toyota by becoming the world leader in electric vehicle production. How cool would that be?

--We are still at war in Iraq and planned to be until 2015 until the Iraqi government compromised and said we could stay until 2011. They didn't want us there past 2010 but we felt we needed to be to "protect American interests". American interests = oil fields. Don't listen to the rhetoric about the savagery of Iraq's previous regime when US allies like Saudia Arabia are also horrible perpetrators of human rights violations. If the US was serious about human rights then they would do something about slapping restrictions and tariffs on China who has been identifed as one of the world's worst violators.

--College education (education in general) and medical costs are two of the most out of control costs in our country. It seems to me that if there was anything worthwhile in our country for the government to invest our tax dollars in it would be those two thing. Yet we give tax breaks companies that result in billions of dollars going directly into the pockets of CEOs in the form of bonuses. Even floundering companies like Countrywide reported huge bonuses for their CEOs because tax loopholes have made it possible to make that money untouchable. It sickening to hear a company is looking for government intervention only to learn that the CEO pocketed $40+ million dollars in bonuses.

--In Fort Wayne yesterday two kids were pulled from a school bus and cuffed by city police officers. It seems that the two boys got into a fight and when the bus driver tried to break it up, they attacked her. The police promptly showed up and while talking with the boys, were attacked themselves. That led to the officers putting them in cuffs. What makes me angry is that people in Fort Wayne were in an uproar because the police did this. How crazy can people get?

--The governor of Indiana is looking into leasing out the state lottery to help pay for education. The state lottery has supposed to be there to help with education but for some reason it isn't working. The money is being spent on things other than schools (investigations have shown that there have been issues with people at the state government level using the money to pay for trips, personal expenses and other things). Why don't we just crack down and make it work as it was intended?

--What is so difficult about illegal immigration? Hispanics are coming into our country from Mexico in droves. Why? Because conditions here are better than they are in Mexico. So, why don't we try this: Don't give jobs to illegals, if you are discovered employing illegals, you pay a very significant fine, your business license is taken away, or you and those who do the hiring are put in jail. Do not give social security cards or drivers licenses to illegals. If you give medical care to illegals require hospitals/doctors to report them to immigration immediately. Make it a requirement to show citizenship to enroll children of illegals in school. Basically make it so difficult for illegals to get anything accomplished in this country that they have to go through the correct channels to achieve citizenship. I have nothing against people trying to find a better life for themselves, but I do have a problem with them doing so at the expense of our taxpayers.

Okay, I got a bunch of stuff off my chest, and I feel better. If you want to let me have, I would be happy to hear what you've got to say.