Monthly Archive for June, 2010

Dear President Obama…

Published on June 22, 2010 in Fresh Brew. Closed Tags: , , , , , , .

Dear President Obama,

Well, I found out yesterday that I only have eight (8) weeks left of my unemployment benefits (Due to the declining economy, I lost my full-time job back in March of 2009.).   I’ve been working part-time at minimum wage for quite some time, but when my unemployment runs out, I’m not sure what I’ll do (and what my family will do).  I can’t seem to find anything full-time here in the area, and my recent trip down to Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina hasn’t produced anything of substance — yet.

I’ve been working hard to network and I even traveled South a few weeks ago to find sustainable work, but the work just isn’t there or employers will only consider “local” candidates.   And even though I’m working part-time, it just won’t be enough when the unemployment runs out.   Like many other young families, we have a mortgage, car payment, and mouths to feed.   I’ve also visited local temp agencies but have been told I’m way “over-qualified” for any positions they may have available, and employers won’t hire someone like me (with professional experience) because they don’t want to waste time training me in fear I’ll eventually leave for a better opportunity, anyway.   VERY disheartening!

I wish I could understand your push for an unwanted universal health care system you’ve set forth, and I wish I can understand your new, sudden focus on immigration (Kudos to Arizona for doing what the government has failed to do — enforce the law!), but I can’t.   YES, health care and immigration are issues which need addressed and MUCH can be improved in these areas (along with the procedures used to extract our natural resources, of course), but right now, MY FOCUS and the focus of the American family is our livelihood.   While politics as usual continues in Washington (on a national level), we’re in dire straights here (in small-town America).   Dire!

Perhaps you don’t KNOW what to do in regards to jobs and the economy… Okay, I get that, but then it’s YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to get the help we so desperately need.   Please, do SOMETHING!   Extending benefits is NOT a long-term solution for my family or the tax payers who have to pay for it.   Perhaps you need to surround yourself with better experienced staff to help you with these important matters?  There’s no shame in saying “Okay, this isn’t working.  We need to try something new.”   There IS shame in allowing more and more Americans to lose their jobs (while the already unemployed slip further and deeper in the unemployment and depression abyss) with your administration seemingly DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT.  Regardless of what you say you’re doing, President Obama, the people don’t believe you’re genuinely concerned.  We want to see ACTION and RESULTS!

Mr. President, in eight (8) weeks, my family’s life will change drastically.   I will likely be forced to take up a second part-time job in either retail or fast food to help pay the bills, and even then, we’ll still be barely making it.   There’s a good chance we might lose our home, as well.   WE NEED YOU to step up to the plate on this NOW.   AMERICA NEEDS YOU to step up to the plate.   Adding a few hundred stimulus jobs (i.e. contracted road construction jobs) IS NOT a successful job planning strategy at work!   These jobs will disappear when the contracts are complete.   We need full-time, professional paying jobs for the long-term.

MAY GOD HELP US ALL.

A desperate mother of two in small-town western Pennsylvania,
Dawn Rager

Coffee or tea?

Published on June 16, 2010 in Fresh Brew. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , .

While working on my website and updating my website header with a twist on the words “Conservative Coffee,” I decided I’d better Google the terms/words and make sure I wasn’t infringing on someone else’s idea, etc.   To my surprise, I came across this article by Kevin Drum about the term “Coffee Conservative.”   I was unaware this term even existed, so I was intrigued and read on…

According to the author, who quoted the Raleigh News & Observer, the term “Coffee Conservative” refers to someone as follows:

“To join the Coffee Party in Raleigh, you can’t be a screamer, a name-caller, a loud-mouthed zealot or somebody whose idea of politics translates to jabbing a sign in the air, red in the face.   All you need are some manners, a good listening ear and a caffeine jones.”

After reading the article and carefully considering the definition of a “Coffee Conservative,” I came to realize (according to this definition) it seems Coffee Conservatives are somehow deemed more poised and perhaps more eloquent than our sometimes hot-headed tea partiers.   But before we cast judgment on ALL tea partiers, I would like to remind you that our media outlets have been relentlessly portraying tea partiers as violent misfits who want to “bully” others and cause chaos.   On the contrary, most tea partiers are civilized, intelligent individuals (like you and me) who are just plain sick and tired of the politics as usual in Washington.   I can relate… Can you?

After reading about Coffee Conservatives, I’m not sure I would say I solely align with them.   I do agree that calm and toned down communications are always best — but in the case of today’s politics, our elected officials may be hearing us (and I say that with extreme apprehension), but they aren’t really listening to us.   What else can you do?!   I can sympathize with the tea partiers on many issues and I feel their frustration and anger (especially as we continue down this path of high spending, high unemployment, high taxes, and more government control within our private lives).   So what’s wrong with getting fired up?   What’s wrong with gathering together with signs?   It’s refreshing to see citizens getting involved and speaking up.   Most gatherings are completely harmless (unless you’re especially sensitive to loud voices and elementary school-like antics of occasional name calling — in which case I would say pack up your sorry butt and go home to Mom and Dad!).   The liberal left (Obama supporters) have been showing up to some of the tea party demonstrations and they have initiated unwarranted violence towards tea partier demonstrators (as recently shared on YouTube) but again, this information is rarely reported on the nightly news.

For too long, the citizens of this great country have been idle and apathetic to most of what has been going on in Washington, and now, we’re fighting hard to regain that control.   Protests and demonstrations are completely fine (and necessary) so long as they remain non-violent.   So, I say if you’re mad, it’s okay — and you should let it show.   We need to stay on the heels of our elected officials and make sure they’re owning up to campaign and party promises.   For those who continually put down the tea partiers and their demonstrations, I ask “What are you so afraid of?”   Regardless of party affiliations, WE ALL have some cleaning up to do.   Out with the old and in with the new!

I like my Conservative Coffee… but I’m also very fond of TEA.