There are three good reasons I like Barack Obama;

1. He's a genuine guy, who I would trust my kids (if I had any) with.
2. He gives off this aura of confidence and respect.
3. He didn't really openly attack anyone (with words, of course)
   

    If this little article can't change your mind about Mr. Obama, then maybe the next four years will. Heres to a beautiful four years under the Obama Administration! Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray!

As the polls would have us believe, the Democrat Barack Obama seems to have the majority in his hands. But all these polls do not guarantee him the November 4 victory just yet -- it could simply be the amalgamation of a scoop-obsessed media, of pollsters who haven't sampled enough, and of some poll respondents who just want to be politically correct.

On the other side of the fence, Republican John McCain seems all too poised at the losing end. These past few weeks, attention has gravitated front and center -- not to him, but to his vice presidential pick, Sarah Palin. If this was the campaign strategy they hatched two months ago, then it must have backfired with mixed results. Sure, they have our attention, but in the wrong corners -- Palin's wardrobe controversy? The viral web parodies that paint her as charming but ill-equipped? The exclusive news interviews that leave one more baffled about her than before? Palin could have been the fuel to McCain's nearly-doused fire, but aside from the celebrity she has brought, along came the damage that he desperately needs to control.

During the past two years of an exhaustive and extensive race to the presidency, these two men have been subjected to the most intense scrutiny that is albeit needed in order to elect the leader of the free world. Politics has always been a popularity contest, more so in this age of instant's and 24-hour news. Every sound bite and every gesture has been magnified for pundits and the masses to blog and talk about.McCain, the maverick senator from Arizona, has been a steady, dependable hand at the Republican arena since the 2000 election.

He then seemed to be the more liberal, more likeable candidate than George W. Bush was. He had the gallant experience in important policy issues, having held public office for more than 20 years, including championing a campaign finance reform act; an impressive stint at the Vietnam War; and he projected himself to be an outsider of the Grand Old Party establishment and showed to be open to bipartisanship -- which somehow led to the dissolution of his run in the 2000 GOP primaries. This year though, McCain is finally in the limelight, having overpowered pre-primary favorites such as Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. He could've pushed his agenda further and steamrolled his way to a favorable win, but what happened?

George W. Bush.

The Iraq war.

The financial crisis.

Sarah Palin.

McCain's own undoing.

Barack Obama.

It was a fatal combination of these that contributes to McCain's potential electorate demise.

W's Infamous Legacy

George W. Bush, who meekly endorsed McCain through video at the Republican National Convention, has silently relegated to the back seat in this campaign; the standard-bearer McCain salvaging in vain whatever was left of the GOP's credibility amidst its leader's failed presidency, amplified by the severe lashing it endured at the 2006 Congressional Elections. McCain has obviously distanced himself from W., seeking out voters who still believe in the conservative credo. This strategy may work well for others, but it comes across as an undiplomatic approach when viewed in a global sense -- that even if John McCain is your ally, you will be left to fend for yourself when he doesn't need you -- now, what does that present for international relations?

The war in Iraq has been a most unkind legacy the Bush presidency will bequeath to its predecessor. Borne out of greed, warmongering, sheer brashness -- and using the September 11, 2001 attacks as leverage to justify their cause, it has veered the attention of national security away to what should have been a winsome vanquishing to the real insurgents in Afghanistan. (How Al-Qaida came to be, is another matter.) Iraq, post-Saddam Hussein, is still and even more dangerous than before. The damage has been irreparable, thousands of lives have been lost, and there is still no end in sight.

McCain has only echoed Bush's foolhardy declaration that "We are winning the war" and will continue to keep the troops there, when in truth Americans have only been thrust into a quagmire that has risked them financially -- stretched taxpayers' hard-earned dollars in funding a war chest readily disposable and siphoned by Bush's defense-contractor compadres, but with no concrete results -- and internationally. Does this solidify the neoconservatives' cultivated image of the US as a Big Bully and The Only Rightful Superpower, notwithstanding Guantanamo Bay, the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, the subversive intent of the Patriot Act, the rampant disregard of moral and ethical standards?

More than that, the 44th president will be saddled with fixing an all-but-fallen economy. The US economy is at its most fragile stage today. The bourses have fallen sharply one week after the other, teetering into a depression to rival that of the post-1930's market crash, leaving ordinary citizens anxious whether this setback can be lifted at all. Every nation has felt its crippling effects, and governments have been struggling to soften the blows that the US crisis has consequentially deferred. This whole mess could have been avoided if the government wasn't too lax on big business -- like the levees that could've been strengthened before Hurricane Katrina blew New Orleans into a deluge.

Eight years of George W. Bush does not bide well for the United States. Its image within itself and across the world has only deteriorated since because of its pierced invincibility, complacency and resistance to yield to the nation's best and true interests.

A Campaign of Division

Since the official campaign for the presidency began, McCain has widely veered from his original positions on issues such as reproductive rights, the environment and immigration, to cater to narrow right-wing ideologues. He has only been too willing to risk his reputation to scour out votes, using antagonizing tactics and almost delusional self-aggrandizements. We know that elections are an avenue for all sorts of appealing platitudes and promises that may never happen at all, but can it bring out the worst in a man?

Returning to McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- this has been a provocative move. McCain surely have thought that since Obama has already chosen a man in the form of veteran Sen. Joseph Biden a week ago, he could take this opportunity to woo the disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters and pick a female to reignite the playing field. Before Palin, his campaign was almost going belly up. Since that proclamation, curiosity over the woman of the hour was but natural -- but upon closer inspection, the succeeding revelations suggest that Palin is a mismatch.

Reports that the VP selection process was recklessly dealt; the allegations and accusations that hound Palin's leadership record; her overwhelmingly conservative stance on her own gender's issues, science, religion and education; her short-sighted background on the issues that beset the country as witnessed through her uneasy responses in the nightly news interviews. Celebrity doesn't cut it, substance does. Watching her speak at campaign rallies, Palin exudes an appalling variety of close-minded thinking and adviser-coached applause prompts. A Vice President should be able to equal him/her capability to that of a President, in case the need arises for a succession -- but upon what we have seen, Palin doesn't seem to measure up. If she is unqualified, then it certainly reflects on the judgment of McCain.

Together with McCain, they have campaigned on a ticket of spite and estrangement, stirring up crowds with quasi-Bush "Either you're with us or against us" rhetoric. They have divided the nation into "the pro-America" / "real America" states, and the "others" with "that man". To call a state that votes for you as "pro-America", what would make of a state that doesn't? It conjures up insinuations that if you don't vote McCain-Palin, you're branded as unpatriotic and not putting your "Country First", which has been their campaign tag -- as if nobody thinks of their country's sake. They have taken the citizens as intellectually void -- using blatant discrimination, character assassination, antagonism, and shades of racism to fuel their last desperate stretch.

A Change Will Come

Barack Obama, the first-term senator from Illinois, is the one of the best that the Democratic Party has produced in a long time. His meteoric rise to the top can only be attributed to the fact that he is the living embodiment of the American Dream.

The 2004 Democratic National Convention introduced him to mainstream America and the whole world, and it brought much excitement about this new guy who's taken everyone's attention because of his identity, eloquence, intelligence, charisma and his stirring message of a unified America.

That obviously wasn't the last we've seen of Obama... the guy's got mission and ambition. Who would've known that in a span of four years that he would able to utilize his senate orientation to gear up on the biggest political stage, trumping the once shoo-in, Sen. Hillary Clinton and other more experienced colleagues?

The answer is hope. He was a fresh voice in the decrepit, dreary Washington landscape. Riding on a platform of change, he inspired sentiments of idealism and a renewed hope in the government not just among his supporters but also to the youth, the working-class people, the professionals, his fellow politicians, ordinary citizens within and outside of the country. His message is simple, powerful, and enduring.

Others may argue that Obama's all talk and no action, that he is too inexperienced to lead. Through the course of this campaign, he has showed incredible maturity in making his point without distorting it. He is willing to learn. He knows his subjects clearly and is wont to express his plans, which shone through in the three presidential debates. He acknowledges his limitations and ably compensates for them -- one major case would be the selection of Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden, an expert on the area of foreign affairs. That itself is an example of how he makes important decisions -- well-thought out and for the long run, in contrast to McCain's Palin.

His stand on issues generally reflects what the United States needs in order to reform the government and the economy, and restore a common purpose -- the greater good of its citizens. He evinces an ability to repair frayed diplomatic relations and effect a more benevolent global opinion. And most especially, as what he has been doing, redeem optimism from apathy. Sometimes, all you really need is a dream, a vision, to get things going. No amount of credentials or experience can prepare a president, or predict what his term will be like. But Obama has the qualities, the confidence and the tenacity to become President. His victory can spell a real difference.

  Politicians in my mind feed us nothing but lies. They tell us what they think we want to hear and then after they get elected they change their minds for one reason or another. The Country as we know it is not going to exist after this election. I feel that no matter which candidate wins we are all going to loose.

  McCain is too old to be a president in my opinion and ready for the old folks home. He believes in keeping the war in Iraq going for as long as he sees fit.The cost to this Country does not seem to matter to him. His values I don't agree with much either and then we have his candidate for the Vice Presidency.

  Wow...Sarah Palin. I do not think she is qualified to run the grocery store on the corner never mind being a Vice President. Her clothing costs alone will higher the deficit much higher than it already is. Todd and the kids will be zooming around the oval office having a good time, and don't forget the boyfriend. Joe six pack and soccer moms around the globe will be in their glory. Now we have Nailing Palin, the movie is set to open Nov. 5th. Ha ha ha, but you can watch clips of it online now. How many candidates from the past do you know that has gotten so much exposure from a porn movie? In my opinion she is nothing but a well dressed twit.

  Where on earth did these people come from? Did they find them in a corner in the back streets of Washington, or her on a soccer field some where in Anchorage? I think we are all in trouble with this one.

  Obama, well I have heard good and bad things about him also. Out of the two I do believe he will do a better job if he wins. I do believe he has better values and cares more about the country rather than how much it cost to get his hair cut. He seems to have a normal family life unlike our Alaskan Princes. 

  Either way we look at this years election, we are all in trouble. I vote for Clinton !

If anyone had paid attention to Russell Crowe who stated that if you want to stimulate the economy give every American a MILLION dollars, he did the math and it would have cost the same as the 700 billion bailout.  It sounded ridiculous and no one gave it a second thought but think about it.  What would have happened?  Some people would buy a new house or been able to keep the house they already have by paying off the loan.  This would have helped the housing market and gave the banks their money.  Some people would have started that business they been wanting to try but never had the money, this would have helped create jobs, some people like me would have bought a car, since I don't have one and have to walk to work everyday, this would have helped the big 3 and everyone would have spent a little extra on things like going out to eat or buying new clothes, I would be able to send my two children to college and many people would have stuck some in a savings account.  As you can see the economy would have been stimulated and people would be in their glory and for once we would have loved our government.  I will work hard my whole life and never see a million dollars and I have no faith in our leaders.  My voice was not heard, I did not want the bailout.  

The government chose instead to give the money to people who have already shown that they don not know how to handle it.  They say that they want to help banks to be able to give out loans again but what they fail to see is that no one is going to be able to qualify for these loans, since they have lost their home, or it decreased in value so much that they no longer have any equity in their home.  Unfair credit card companies which are usually owned by banks have helped to destroy credit for millions of Americans with their sneaky tactics and greedy practices.  They have done nothing to help Americans and have consistently  changed policies to ensure Americans stay in debt.   

So basically the bailout only helps the rich, it does nothing for me and I am wondering if I can afford to heat my house this winter, even I can even keep it.  I am wondering how many more of my friends are going to lose their home before our leaders realize they need to take action to help the people that need it the most.

If the government is going to bailout the banks and insurance companies then they should do something to help the American people.  Give us a bailout check,  help us to keep our homes!  Give us peace of mind!  Help us to respect our government!

But now in 1787 with more than ten years of experience it was needful to have a more permanent document. Men met and the dialog was not always cordial. They wanted to do it right and there were good men there with diverse ideas and some good men who refused to go because they were concerned about the outcome. This was in effect another revolution, one of words on paper. The very meeting elicited the comment from Patrick Henry that he "smelt a rat in Philadelphia, tending toward the monarchy" and he refused to attend. Rhode Island refused to send a delegation.

They finished the constitution that established the government but did not elicit enough support to be ratified. The principal reason for this failure was the inattention to individual rights. All had seen the abuses of power in Europe, repression of speech and press. Violation of the rights to bear arms, to assemble, to practice ones faith, to not be forced into self incrimination, protection from unreasonable search were rampant. They wanted these protections and they wanted them to be ingrained into the fabric of the nation's fundamental law. Hence the first ten amendments are appropriately called, "The Bill of Rights". .

But allow me to digress and show you how this may have played out behind the closed doors of the convention. On that day Norman Pelosi, the fifty sixth delegate stood and addressed Adams, Franklin and the others.

"This idea of freedom of speech and the press is way over rated. What will happen to us if people are just allowed to go out and set up a soap box on the corner of the street and criticize the government? We could be found in a place of loosing power. We need to regulate this."

"But Norman, this freedom is foundational. Without the right of free self expression there can be no freedom."

"Look Ben, this right of free self expression is way over rated. The people need to learn that we are the ones who know what is best for them and we will tell them what they should think. Without this the government may fall."

"Norman, this is what the crown and other tyrants did with us when we were colonies. How are we better than them if we do this?"

"Tom, this isn't the point. We are in power. What right do they have to tell us we should do things their way?"

"Norman, were you not here with us when we framed the preamble, "that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Don"t you see that?"

"John. Be realistic. That is good rhetoric for the masses. We have to protect themselves from their own stupidity. What if they got up and advocated you were not fit to hold your seat in government?"

"Actually some of my constituents did that last month. I was there for the meeting. After I listened to their speeches, I left somewhat humbled that I had supported a bill without reading and considering it more carefully. Before I left I asked for permission to speak and they granted it."

"You asked for permission to speak? Do these people think they have a right to criticize you publicly?"

"I felt I should ask. It was his meeting. They came to hear him, not me."

"Don't they know we are the leaders?"

"I serve. I told the leader to run against me in the next election."

"You what?"

"I told him that he should run against me in the next election. If he wins I will gladly turn my seat to him and support him in any way I can. If they do not have confidence in me, I can no longer serve them. I should step down. And I asked that till the election if they thought I was supporting something bad for them, send a rider down to tell me."

”Do you want to be unemployed?"

"Norman. I am not a professional politician. I am a landowner. I would be happy to turn my seat over to another who will properly use it so I can go home and just take care of my long neglected business. The man I told that is a good man. He would be great in government."

"John, have you lost your senses? Enough of this! We need to gain control. I want to propose some additions to Amendment 1. I have had my slaves prepare copies for each of you."

Exceptions to freedom of speech. A person can express ideas in a public place or attach handbills to public areas but if there are dissenters, his place of exposition being public property or in the public way he must relinquish that spot and allow each of them equal and comparable time to present their rebuttal. This time must not be such time as there will be less exposure for the rebuttals. If he has used any podium or platform to make himself better heard or seen it too must be relinquished to those who wish to express dissent. They must be afforded equal time and equal access and it is his responsibility to see that this right is not abridged. He must also announce clearly at the beginning and end of his speech that others have this right. These limitations do not apply to elected officials, government employees, or those who work with and for them as long as they do such in the discharge of their duties. Those expressing dissent against government policies will be subject to investigation to determine if they have committed some other infraction or treason so as to protect the government from them.

After the changes were distributed Norman looked around the room. "Can we have a vote on these changes?"

Ben looked over his glasses at Norman. "This is a joke, please tell me you jest."

"Actually it is necessary for me to be re-elected. There are those in my district that are actually asking for my recall. They are out nightly on street corners stirring up the people."

"And how will that be so bad? You could go home and run your farm."

"I have no desire to farm. I am doing well here. In fact I sold the farm several months ago and bought a home in Richmond. They claim that I did that to be away from the people I represent. Actually they are bores who want to talk of nothing but running farms, shops, businesses and hotels. They think that is more important than running government."

John looked over in amazement, his shock had temporarily taken his voice. "If we make this a part of the constitution we will be no better than the Crowns of Europe. I ask for a speedy vote. I make a motion that this addition be disallowed. Tom, what do you think?"

"I second that request."

The chair looked out, "It has been moved and seconded. As this is significant may I see a show of hands? Aye's. No's."

"The aye's have it. The motion made by the delegate from Virginia is defeated."

With that Norman Pelosi got up and stormed out. It would take tyrannical leadership nearly two hundred years to implement the "Fairness Doctrine" on the airways in the 1960's and then have it withdrawn as it had a chilling effect on freedom. At this time another N. Pelosi wants to reinitiate it to bring about a state that cannot be criticized.

Now you know why when you read the Constitution of the United States there are 55 signers, not 56 and Norman Pelosi is not among the names.

The White House?

Congress?

Big Business?

This writing will reveal for the first time that the United States of America owes an apology and a lot of thanks to the unsung heroes that do all the work and get little credit or thanks for what they do. They work in agencies, on Capitol Hill, and all over the greater Washington area. Every morning they swarm in like bees to a hive and then back again to their individual homes.

I especially want to tell you about the invisible cruise ship. This is where some of the civilian and military heroes of America reside when off duty. They look like ordinary people but they are far from ordinary to me.

This particular section of the story is about a wonderful woman who manages to control what goes on and who gets in to the biggest office building in the Washington area. She leaves the cruise ship early in the morning and comes back around 7 PM each weekday night. Her job takes a great deal of energy; I can see it in her eyes. She looks drained of energy and as if the last thing anyone has ever thought to do was to thank her. She has a rather large staff but I can tell that they look to her for direction and leadership. I have spent most of my life in Washington. I have seen many people come and go. Some seem to barely take their job seriously but the people of the cruise ship know that America depends on them. I know they could get jobs that paid more and were probably loaded with more perks. They seem to be driven by a common belief in the special spirit that is America.

I was here during the attack on New York and the Pentagon. After the country was sure it was over, all of these people had to go back to their job. Some had lost close friends and family. Still they went back. They had the spirit that makes America special. The lady who is the center of this story even gets calls on the weekend when she is supposed to have time off. She never complains. Someone is always at work where she works. So she gets a call because her team knows better than to allow any exceptions without her approval. She shows the wisdom of a sage in the way she does her job. On the surface she appears a bit tough for a lady but she has to be to get respect. She feels personally responsible for her team and the others who are affected by the performance of her team.

When she retires, they will not name a building after her nor build a statue in her image but I know the truth. Of all the folks who have had statues, she deserves one too. She never misses a beat as she choreographs the dance of her team, the valiant folks who make sure the administration is coordinated and that no unauthorized characters get in on the act.

If this woman reminds you of someone in your life, why not take the time to say thanks once in awhile. Tell her you appreciate what a tough job she has and that you are glad she is there.

Remember we are all part of the human family.

We are diverse but we are America.

This year, I was fortunate to join the masses, protest against abortion, and skip school. This was my third year going, and it has been very satisfying to join so many faithful Catholics and non-Catholics alike to stand up for those Americans who are unborn.

I went with St. Helen's Life Teen group, which joined a caravan of a few local parishes' youth groups. We left early Monday morning, arriving in DC in the late afternoon, and celebrated mass in The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Later that night, we went to Palotti's High School in Maryland for a “Lock-In.” The school sponsored a sleepover for teens traveling long distances and provided a comfortable gym floor for us to lay our heads to sleep.

The next day, Tuesday, we awoke and headed for the capital. With the wonderful sleep granted upon us, we all sported the classic Marty Fuhry in-class pose, not waking until we arrived at the Verizon Center. This was an awakening moment, both physically and spiritually for the crew as we walked into a crowd of 20,000 teens singing praise and worship music. Sean Cahill, Marty Fuhry, and I quickly saw the need for ushers in this zoo of Catholics and went down to the floor level to sign up and get free T-shirts.

The Rally for Life Youth Mass at the Verizon Center was phenomenal. The intercession of the hundreds of clergy, including deacons, priests, bishops, and cardinals took at least fifteen minutes. The mass was also graced with the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio to the US bearing a message from the pope.

After the mass, the marchers met on the National Mall, gathering to listen for instructions. At this time, important activists and politicians made speeches, notably Ron Paul and President Bush. (Speaking from Camp David) Finally, we started our three hour march towards the Supreme Court Building, proudly displaying our pro-life banners and chanting.

When all was finished, the activists started their long migration home, knowing that they may not have passed any laws, but knowing that our nation's capital was influenced by their outstanding presence.

The best way to go about getting the benefits you need is to hire a lawyer who doesn't get paid unless you do. These kinds of lawyers know all the ins and outs of the Social Security System, and how to word forms, as well as what to say in order for you to get the benefits you desperately need. The Veteran's Administration is no better- it takes a year from the time the veteran files for him or her to get the benefits they need and are owed by this country when they need them, in return for their service and sacrifice. To give credit where credit is due, the VA at least will pay a Veteran a decent amount, as compared to Social Security, who pays very, very little.

In both cases, recipients make so little that they are entitled to free medical care, either from VA Hospitals or Medicare/Medicaid , and are also entitled to receive Food Stamps in most areas of the country, depending on their income. The VA pays according to a set scale, depending on a percentage of disability. Social Security pays on a sliding scale, according to how much you earned while you worked. It is a pittance, which is not enough to feed a dog for a month- in most places, it won't even cover the rent. This makes a recipient eligible for Section 8, or Subsidized, housing. This type of housing is often run-down, crime-ridden, and unfit to live in, not to mention the fact that there usually is a year-long waiting list or more to get into Section 8 Housing. The housing every human being needs and deserves is unattainable to those who are disabled and whose only source of income is VA Disability Pension, or Social Security Disability.

Surviving on nothing is quite difficult, especially if you have children.You may have to stay with relatives or friends, which is a strain on all of you. No one wants to live in someone else's space, they want their own space.( Like, last year) No one, no matter how saintly they may be, wants to share their space with you for so long. It's a lose-lose situation. You need to leave, they need you to leave, but you can't leave because you have no place to go but the streets. Yes, you finally get the medical care you probably have needed for years, but you still are unable to work and be productive. So every month, you get slapped in the face with a Social Security Check that won't even cover the rent for a trailer home, you embarrass yourself by going to the grocery store and budgeting like mad to make your foodstamps last the month. You pray you can afford to buy the gas it takes to go from Doctor vist to doctor visit each month, plus pay all the co-pays on your medications that you need to llive and function each day. This doesn't include the 2/3 of your five hundred-dollar check you are paying to your relative for rent ( and happily so- your kids have a warm, dry place to sleep, and hot food) and the bills that never stop coming,. like gasoline, like simple items, like toiletries. If you live in a rural area, there is no bus or cab service, so you cannot afford to be without your vehicle.

You will lose all recollection of ever feeling proud of yourself, because you will spend a good deal of time swallowing that pride to pawn, or sell, or just plain beg for the money to last you the month, so your kids can at least go to school. You will be hard on them, and push them to strive for better things on their own. They will grow up a lot faster than all their friends. Being so poor leaves them no choice but to mature faster than other kids their age, and to have a sick or injured parent on top of that, leaves very little loophole for them to be children for very long. You will try hard to sheild them from as much as you can, but that can only go so far, because you no longer have credit, or credit cards to hide your financial straits. Waiting for any kind of disability will financially ruin you and your family, and it is a long, dark climb out of that hole and back into the light. You will have to do and make do, budget tightly, struggle like a pack of wild dogs. You will do without so your children can have what they need. You will become creative in your endeavors to survive from month to month.

If you are considering filing for any type of disability, look long and hard at yourself, and whether or not you can find something, anything to do for a living. It may mean selling your large home for a smaller one, taking a substantial pay cut, changing jobs or shifts. It may mean that you hold onto your present job until you no longer can drag yourself out of bed. Just know that living on the pittance that is to help civilian Americans, as well as American Veterans, who are no longer able to help themselves, is not a ticket to easy street. It is a long wait, it is complete financial ruin just waiting to happen. The pitiful amount of money you might eventually receive is more of a slap in the face than any sort of Security. It is not a safety net. It is not a ticket to Easy Street. It isnot a living. Sacrificing your pride in the first place to ask for the benefits you need and deserve is bad enough. Having to beg for those benefits is awful enough. To finally get them, because you have no other choice, only to find out that you can't live like a human being in this country is a crying shame.

The powers that be have made Social Security and VA Benefits into a slap in the face of those who have worked and sacrificed so much, and who so desperately need these benefits. The Political Machine in Washington does not care if the disabled poor have nothing- they are giving themselves forty thousand dollar a year raises, so that they may have more than they could ever possibly need, while we sit and try to figure out how to keep a roof over our heads for another month, or buy our children even the cheapest discount shoes, or how we will get the money to make sure we have enough heat that our children will not have to wear their coats in the house. This is not a call to create a Communist country- they are even worse off than we are. It is a wake up call for Washington to do better. Instead of giving lip-service to ending poverty in this country, and sending aid all over the world to care for another country's problems, Washington needs to look at its own huddled masses, yearning to breathe free. Instead of artificially driving up interest rates and and creating false booms in real estate, there needs to be a real solution to the housing shortage.

There needs to be more help for the disabled to become independent of the Government Beauracracy. There needs to be more opportunity for the poor and middle classes to be educated. The jobs that are being outsourced to countries like China, who have proven that they don't care if our children ingest lead from the toys made there, and India, where workers survive on just a few rupees a month, while they act insolent toward us when we call Dell or another Customer Service Hotline, need to be brought back to America, so that we may hold our heads up and work at these jobs, and be human beings again, instead of the groveling dogs they would turn us into if we recieve Disability pensions of any kind. The Politicians need to see how we are forced to live, and then take a look at their own excesses. America cannot remain strong if we continue to give away our jobs, and take away from the workers who are, as well as the workers who were, and might be again, given even half a chance. Washington needs to care more about the residents of its own country. Waiting months on end, only to be turned down, and appealing and begging for benefits is something that should not happen to a dog. Needing theese benefits, because we are not easily categorized, and all the jobs we could be doing have been sent overseas, is a slap in the face to not only the disabled, but to the American people as a whole. Washington needs to look at us, too, not just the voters who can afford to contribute to their campaign funds.

“When it's safe to do so, survey your property and determine the extent of damage you've suffered, if any. Before you file a claim, check your policy to see what's covered and the amount of your deductible. If you don't have substantial damage, you may want to make the repairs yourself. But if you have substantial damage, contact your agent or company as soon as possible.” (Origination of this statement is from the website of the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner.)

This statement was an opening one. However, the Commissioner had more advice for Washingtonians. It is as follows:

1. High wind damage is usually covered by a typical homeowners policy.
2. Damages from flooding are covered by a flood insurance policy.
3. If you are unsure of what is covered by your policy, contact your local insurance agent or insurance company.
4. The majority of auto damage from the storm will fall under the coverage of an automobile policy (as long as you have Comprehensive or Other than Collision Coverage). If you have a Liability only policy, you will not have any coverage for the storm.
5. Take photos or even a video of your damages from the storm.
6. Keep yourself from suffering any further damage by taking easy steps to repair or protect property.
7. If your insurance company fails to respond to you or you have any disputes, contact the Washington State Insurance Consumer Hotline at 1-800-562-6900.

For additional advice, Commissioner Kreidler says to look at an online publication from his office “Winter Weather and Insurance Coverage.”

The purpose of the words of Commissioner Kreidler is to help the residents of Washington State mitigate their damages. Mud slides. Flooded road ways and homes. Lack of electricity. All of these things continue to affect many Washingtonians especially those in areas like Chehalis, Olympia and Winlock. Things have been so crippling that Governor Chris Gregoire had to call in the Navy, Coast Guard and National Guard for help.

Thankfully, these government agencies came in and rescued several hundred people from flooded areas. However, now, what remains left is a big clean up. For this, Washington residents will have to roll up their sleeves, regroup and also take the words of Commissioner Kreidler to heart.

“The city is now poised for a full recovery,” said Mayor Nagin. “The dollars have begun to flow to the city so that we can continue to accelerate the rebuilding of critical infrastructure enhancing the quality of life for our citizens. 2008 will be the turning point in our recovery.”

The budget offers a blueprint for the city’s recovery and highlights reconstruction of city facilities, the creation of community assets, such as walking trails, improved streetscapes and major roadway improvements.

But Katrina survivors have heard many plans and promises from city officials that have not been executed.

After the 2006 Mayoral re-election, Mayor Nagin launched a “100 Day Initiative Plan” that was to focus on crime, sanitation, housing, municipal finances, universities and colleges, health care, and betterment of his administration’s relationships with federal and state officials and the city council. He appointed a committee to implement the recommendations of his Bring New Orleans Back (BNOB) Commission, which was supposed to have been a turning point as well.

The results? According to the BNOB website, the last time the commission convened was over a year ago and final documents posted to the site are research papers with unmet plans of action.

The mayor’s proposed sanitation strategy seemed to be non-existent with areas like the Lower Ninth Ward still in deplorable condition and debris covering many parts of the city. The bad conditions sparked a huge rally led by Susan L. Taylor of Essence magazine during the second commemoration of Hurricane Katrina in August.

Residents may ask why they should believe their mayor this year?

“New Orleans is embarking upon an unprecedented recovery effort and to accomplish this, we must change the way that city government operates,” said Mayor Nagin. “These changes will allow us to move more quickly and to get projects started and completed.”

According to the mayor’s office of communications, New Orleans was the first city to have its recovery plan, which focuses initially on 17 target recovery zones, approved by the Louisiana Recovery Authority, granting the city access to $117 million in rebuilding funds. The city is also slated to take advantage of a $300 million state revolving loan fund, a $260 million bond issue approved by voters before Hurricane Katrina, $514 million in GO Zone Bonds for local projects, $54 million from the Federal Highway Administration and $77 million in federal matches for roadway projects. In total, the city plans $363 million in roadway projects.

Many residents, however, have not forgotten that over two years ago Katrina flooded 80 percent of the city, leaving hundreds of thousands displaced and eventually dispersed to 44 states across the country. Thousands remain disappointed, stressed, and frustrated with the slowness of recovery efforts at the federal, state and local level. “I keep hearing about all of this money being approved and it sounds nice but why then is Nagin still allowing them to demolish the complexes that will leave poor New Orleanians homeless? Can’t they be saved?” asked Jerome Shaw, who evacuated to Texas after the flooding. “He and others do not care about the poor and they really don’t want us back.”

A federal judge ruled in favor of the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) Nov. 15, allowing demolition of the city’s four largest public housing developments. The obliteration will begin in early December with the Lafitte housing project. The other three developments slated for destruction are St. Bernard, C.J. Peete and B.W. Cooper.

Bill Quigley, an attorney representing many public housing residents, plans to appeal the ruling to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. According to the Times Picayune, Mr. Quigley said HANO’s plans for so-called improved public housing are deceptive. They will “permanently displace thousands of long-term New Orleanians from their community and erase nearly 70 years of New Orleans culture and history,” he said.

An editorial by the People’s Hurricane Relief Fund points out that “as of October 2007 only one-fourth of the public housing units have been reopened and reoccupied. The Bush government refuses to reopen the public housing units in New Orleans because it appears intent on destroying the public housing system, demolishing the existing structures, and turning over the properties to private real-estate developers to make profits.”

Mayor Nagin sees things quite differently. “Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the failure of the federal levees, we have worked diligently and developed creative strategies to accelerate our recovery. Because of the slow pace at which federal recovery dollars have reached the local level, we have had limited access to much-needed funding. In partnership with the city council, we have borrowed $45 million from departments throughout city government to begin critical infrastructure repairs,” said Mayor Nagin. He pointed to the reopening of the Criminal District Court, repairs to police headquarters, and work on the Mahalia Jackson Center for the Performing Arts as signs of progress.

“Why were a police headquarters and a criminal court a top priority before the rebuilding of people? How can we enjoy the performing arts when many of us don’t know where we’re going to live at?” asked Mr. Shaw. “Sports and partying is more important than the poor.”

On Nov. 13, Gov. Kathleen Blanco visited Washington D.C. for the ninth time since Katrina. She applauded the $3 billion in funding and legislation signed by President Bush to assist with Louisiana’s Road Home Program. In the past, the Road Home program has been called the “No Home” program by survivors burdened by its bureaucracy, paperwork and string of deadlines.

“I ask for patience from every citizen as these construction projects begin and create some inconveniences,” said Mr. Nagin. Many New Orleanians may be short on patience.