i managed to go off and forget my computer so haven't been blogging recently. this one, however, i sent to my lovely wife (and sometimes, shipping clerk) rhonda, to post for me...
i am spending my time between arlington and fort worth down here in houston, seeing all my old buddies from years gone by and watching the election results on tuesday. i will get to that in a minute but first let me say that the hyena's comedy club in arlington, texas rocked this past week-end. i would like to thank the thousand plus folks who came out to see me and had such a good time. any of you who were there, your comments would be appreciated; i thought it was one of the very best week-ends, as far as shows go, that i have ever had and i have had a lot.... tomorrow, i open in fort worth at hyena's downtown so come on out to see me because i am planning on rocking the house again!
now that the democrats have retaken congress, maybe we can get us out of the quaqmire that is iraq. one of the things the democrats must avoid is the partisanship crap that the republicans laid on us for the last 6 years (a vote for the democrats is a vote for the terrorists!). our country faces many problems and none will be solved by name calling and obstructionism.
some of the things i would like to see happen in the new congress:
a firm exit strategy for iraq.
a firm exit strategy for afghanistan.
roll back the tax cuts for the big oil companies. they are making record profits and bush gave them billions in tax breaks. come on now. does that make any sense?
raise the national minimum wage to at least $7.75 per hour. no one, and i mean, NO ONE can possibly make ends meet at 5.15 per hour. congress keeps raising its pay (and they have health insurance!) it is time to help the people at the very bottom of the economic ladder.
roll back the tax cuts for the richest 5% of the populace. we have the largest deficit in history folks, and we have to do something about it, like it or not. (the democrats do not have to worry about losing the vote of these people, they always vote republican anyway)
do something to help small business and small manufacturing protect themselves from unfair competition from third world countries. we have to help the american worker achieve a middle-class future or we will eventually end up as one of those countries that are divided between the very, very rich and the poor with no real middle class. (look at mexico, a country blessed with untold natural resources yet the average mexican is very poor. which is, of course, why so many want to come to the united states.)
revamp our entire security systems here at home to actually look for real terrorists and not just cosmetic approaches. secure our ports. secure our borders. use more common sense at airports.
open oversight committees to look into fraud and theft in the no bid contracts that have been awarded to some rather dubious companies in iraq and afghanistan. (halliburton comes to mind)
start working on a plan to get a national health care system for americans.
get a plan for stablizing social security. it is a time bomb waiting to explode. hard choices are called for.
tone down the rhetoric in washington. we must all work together. (or, as ben franklin said, we shall all hang seperately) both parties must put aside rancor and work together to solve the country's problems, of which there are many. we can live up to our promise to be the greatest country on the face of the earth.
ron
nov. 9th, 2006
houston, texas
