Monday, September 12, 2011

The President's Speech on Creating New Jobs



The President's speech earlier this week to Congress and the nation regarding the current state of the economy and how he proposes to bring jobs to Americans was, at least to me, the same old rhetoric, just wrapped in a different package. What stood out to me the most was the different reaction on the Vice-President's and the House Speaker's faces as the President spoke. It was almost comical how on one side, VP Biden was gleefully agreeing with practically everything  the President was saying, while House Speaker Bohner looked as if he wished he were somewhere  else....like a tanning bed. Body language is an art and science into itself, and subtle looks give away  one's true feelings about the person they are either talking or listening to.

Of course, when the President speaks to Congress, there are always those who will applaud at the tinest detail and there are those who wouldn't applaud if you made them. I like to think that my reprsentative is sitting there thinking of all his/her constituents that are back home depending upon them to do the right thing in order to make sure that our needs are being put above those who are making critical decisions on our behalf.

But, this being Washington, D.C., and not a fairy tale, reality reminds us that what it all comes down to is the failure for all parties to put aside their agendas in order to make sure that Americans who are struggling to make ends meet are being able to do what they need to do in order to ensure the survival of their family and of future generations. What makes this group so utterly dispeciable is the fact that neither party wants to meet the other halfway, but instead wants to stand in front of the media and play the blame game on the other party, with little or no regard towards the people who matter............the American citizen.

However, I understand that there are more issues to be discussed than can be solved in a timely manner, but what should take precedent is the American people. As voters, we entrust our leaders to go to Washington, D.C. in hopes that they have our best interest at heart. Sadly, what we've seen here lately is a lack of cooperation from Dems, Republicans, Independents, and even from the Tea Party. The lack of cooperation is a sure sign that changes will likely not be taking in place anytime soon in our nation's capital. To some this is a case of  'the more things change, the more they stay the same'.

What if we were to trade places with our counterparts in Washington? How would they deal with the stress of having to continually trying to make ends meet with very little? Would they be able to live within their means? I know that people are in debt, I am one of those people. I try to make my payments on time, but with very little money coming in, I have to constantly have to deal with collectors and make sure that a decent compromise can be met.

I'm just an average American citizen who loves her country and wants to see it back on top. I don't have a college degree (but I'm working on it), or a million dollar home (I wished!!), but what I do have is the power to make needed changes in my life so that I can make a better life for myself and my children. As American citizens, we all need to continually keep pressing our leaders to put aside differences not only within their own parties, but among the other parties as well. Look to your constituents for answers, as the best source for solving our problems.

As voters, we must continually stay in touch with our representatives in order to let them know that we want to be heard and represented fairly. Call, write, or email them, but do something!