My name is John Waite and I am running for Spokane City Council District 3, Position 2. I bring a practical, economically responsible outlook to government, with an eye towards "quality of life". Balance and common sense are needed to address our problems. We need balanced sustainable budgets, quality roads, education and health care - and real leadership to achieve these goals.
I am currently a self employed business owner in Spokane, and have been for the last 16 years. I'm a 38 year resident in the 3rd district, I'm the Acting Chair on the Spokane Cable advisory Board, a former Teacher and coach and currently have a radio show on KYRS, community radio Friday's 9am on 89.9/92.3 fm. I have dual degrees in Humanities and Education (Econ/History) from EWU. I ran for City Council in Spokane in 2007 and State legislature in 2008, and was endorsed by the Spokesman Review both times.
I have three main goals this year -
1) We must create a balanced and sustainable city budget - Spokane, as well as the state and the rest of the nation, has created an unbalanced budget that is not sustainable. Spending constistantly outpaces tax revenue. I will work to get all the stakeholders (taxpayers, workers, administration, business, unions, etc) in our community together for a cooperative effort to fix our budgets with everyone pitching in to build a healthy, sustainable Spokane.
2) Cities and counties should be the core of Government. - I will fight for Spokane, and make sure that our local community is protected from Federal and State efforts to misspend us into ruin. Spokane and local communities must be able to make decisions based on our local economy, not the west side economies. And Spokane must be protected from unfunded mandates that are bankrupting local communities. Finally, we need to work on fighting to get our fair share of taxes back from the state and federal government. We can no longer afford to throw 75% of our tax base to big government with no return.
3) Finally, everything in city and state government must be transparent and accountable - I want to work to get us back to a healthy community of honesty, transparency and accountability. We cannot afford to (nor need to) have secrets from the taxpayer at the local or state level. And we have to trust that government workers will be treated the same as the local citizens. We have to face these issues together, and can only fix the problems of government by working together.
If you like what I'm going to do, you can help. Sadly, modern campaigns run on money. Donations are really important to compete, and spreading the word to others is incredibly important. If you can forward the e-mail updates, we could get the extra 500 votes needed to get past the primary. Yard signs are a great way to spread the word as well. I already have some print ads running and yard signs up. If you want to make a donation to the campaign you can use paypal with the button, or send/bring a donation to -
VOTEJOHNWAITE HEADQUARTERS
19 W MAIN
SPOKANE, WA 99201
All donations and spending will be fully accountable and transparent.
THE FOUNDERS AND THEIR WARNINGS ABOUT FACTIONALISM
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday July 3rd at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
LOCAL ELECTIONS UPDATE, NOT COVERED ON SHOW - I had a better time this week. I went to Hoopfest and talked to people all of saturday. It was a hot, but I had a great time. I also had a meeting with the 3rd and 6th district Democrats, and it went really well. I think they see that I have the Progressive credentials needed to help fix the problems of Spokane. And tomorrow (July 2nd) I am going to be on the "Does that answer your question" radio show at 4:30 on kyrs (92.3fm). We will be discussing city issues. Finally I will be going to the Warren Magnusson Democrat meeting on Monday at 11:30am to meet more local Democrats and spread the word of my campaign.
Thanks again for all your support.
THE FOURTH OF JULY - Saturday is the fourth of July. I am confused and ambivalent about what I think about this holiday anymore. Much of my frustration is based on the pandering, and acceptence of blind patriotism, and the damage it has done to America. So this is my call for honest, inclusive, transparent and accountable patriotism, where we really work for the best of our country, and not just personal gain and greed. Check out the "progressive patriotism" site.
THE LESSONS OF HISTORY - I keep meaning to bring up the Lessons of History. I am a firm believer in learning, and avoiding the mistakes of history. I am deeply worried about the problems that face America. We may not know how hard it can be, but there are lessons to be learned. We only have to look at the empires of Rome and Spain to see that things can get worse if your not smart, efficient and fair to the people. We would not be the greatest empire to fail if we don't change course.
FREE SCHOOL MEAL DEMAND GROWS - Here is an excellent article in the Spokesman Review on the increasing needs for free meals for kids. In these difficult times, it's imperative that we ctrive to make sure that kids are fed well, and prepared to learn to be healthy adults. City, County, state and federal budgets should be built around keeping kids healthy. It is a shame that base greed keeps us from fulfilling this goal.
STATE EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FUNDS RUNNING OUT - Here is an article about the failing employment insurance funds running out. It is very important that we not add to unemployment if possible. It is a very real possibility that we could actually run out of unemployment funds. I hope that governments, local or otherwise realize we must avoid further layoffs.
GOOD OBAMA/BAD OBAMA - Here is this weeks scorecard,
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday June 26th at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
LOCAL ELECTIONS UPDATE, NOT COVERED ON SHOW - Here is a little update to my week. I have a facebook group for the campaign, which is a great way to spread the word. Though I need to raise some more money, I won't beat Nancy with money alone. I need everyone to use e-mail and social networks and spread the word. I went to Jon Snyder's campaign Kick off last night and was excited by how many people want to support Jon, Amber and me as a progressive, thoughtful addition to local government. Please join www.facebook.com and add all three campaign groups and spread the word. I also went to a meeting with local 270 tuesday. It was tough, but I think they see that I want to get to the core of fixing the budget with everyone at the table. Hoepfully I can get this message out to everyone.
Thanks again for all your support.
ISN'T IRAN NEWS ON WEEKDAYS AS WELL AS WEEKENDS? - I wonder why the news is so hot on Iran on weekends, but not weekdays. I think they just use it to fill slow weekends, which reduces what the story really is. Lucky for us there are other sources of news like this New York Times continuing blog with updates regularly. And here is a story of hope where Iranian Mullahs joined the crowds in a protest. This is surprising and gives one hope for that religious moderates might support the people.
CITY COUNCIL GRUDGINGLY BUT UNANIMOUS PURCHASE OF Y - Monday the Spokane city council unanimously agreed to pay $5.3 million for the old YMCA building to stop a developer from using the land as condo's. I just think this is the wrong use of resources for a 40,000 square foot chunk of land. This might be the highest amount paid for park land ever in Spokane. I understand the desire to save the riverfront, and the desire to help the YMCA, but can this not be done some other way. And is this the right amount of money for a building that they want to tear down. Maybe they can use it for city hall 2, or the Police evidence holding area.
OBVIOUS STATE OF BUDGETS, TAXES AND GOVERNMENT - Here is an excellent article about the state of budgets in government in California. We have taxpayers who don't want more taxes, or cuts in service. We have government that wants to spend more money when it has less. We have government employees that cannot see how their wages campare to non-government workers. It's getting to the point of being a joke. Obviously we have not learned the lessons of history, ie - the downfall of Rome, Spain and other great empires. But I still have hope that we can change course.
GOOD OBAMA/BAD OBAMA - Here is this weeks scorecard,
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday June 19th at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
LOCAL ELECTIONS UPDATE, WHICH CANNOT BE COVERED ON SHOW - I wanted to give everyone an update on how things are going. I have got the 2nd batch of signs and put a bunch up. If you live in the 3rd district and want one, drop me a note. And keep an eye out for my signs on the street. If you see one that has been knocked down, feel free to fix it, or contact me and I'll take care of it. Otherwise I have been filling out the various elections boards questionaires and feel pretty good about the response so far. Unfortunately, I am fighting an uphill battle on the money front, so if any of you can help out, please donate either through the paypal button in my elections info, or do cash/check to the campaign address. And as important is to tell all your friends personally or via e-mail to check out my web site and help a fiscal conservative/social liberal independent.
Thanks all.
Inland Empire Rail Transit Association - I went to a meeting of the IERTA rail group Tuesday night and learned some of their great plans. They are working on ideas for rail, light rail, and a great plan to open rail service to Moscow through the Palouse. It was a great presentation, and for a rail lover like me, it gave great hope for greater public trasportation, and freedom from gasoline and cars. Check out their web site at - http://www.inlandrail.org/
ANNOYING, UNFAIR, AND JUST PLAIN WRONG STORY OF THE WEEK - I don't delve into sports related stories much here, though I am a big sports guy. Here is the sad tale of Donte Stallworth, a Cleveland Browns football player. He is also the guy that got a 30 DAYS SENTENCE FOR DRUNKEN MANSLAUGHTER. This is yet another example of how justice and the laws of America are warped and skewed to the rich, protected and connected. Do you think you and I would get this kind of sentence? It makes me think of the Jay Olsen trial and it's unfair results.
GOOD OBAMA/BAD OBAMA - Here is this weeks scorecard,
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday June 12th at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
FDA FINALLY SET TO REGULATE BIG TOBACCO - After all these years, we finally have the FDA getting the legal rights to regulate big tobacco. This is DECADES late in coming. One has to wonder how many lives were traded for the all mighty dollar in Big Tobacco's fight against regulation. This is yet another example of how government sometimes needs to regulate in a educated manor to keep people from killing each other.
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday June 5th at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
LOCAL ELECTIONS, BUT NOT ON THE SHOW THIS WEEK - I signed up to run for Spokane City Council in the third district. I have three basic points -
1) We must create a balanced and sustainable city budget
2) Cities and counties should be the core of Government
3) Finally, everything in city and state government must be transparent and accountable
You can check out my full information at www.votejohnwaite.com. If you like what you see, spread the word and help me out. Together we can fix the problems of Government.
PAUL KRUGMAN ON RONALD REAGAN - "Reagan did it" - Thank you Paul Krugman! Finally someone has come to their senses and made the case against Reaganomics and fiscal irresponsible Republicans. Federal debt as a percentage of GDP fell from ww2 to 1980, only to raise with Reagan. After Clinton lowered it, Bush 2 again raised it to rediculios levels. It's time to show the truth of history. Too bad that Obama is trapped in cleaning up the mess of 30 years of de-regulation and supply side economics. I doubt he will be able to get back to any level of fiscal responsibility.
CHINA CRACKDOWN ON INTERNET SITES - The way that the world treats China is just mind numbing. Time after time, from Tiananmen Square massacre 20 years ago this week, to the recent crackdown on free speech and internet sites, China shows a blantent disregard for any Human Rights. So someone please explain why China is the good Communist, and Cuba is the Bad Communist? Could it be all about making money??
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday May 29th at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
EPIPHANY ALERT! PARTY POLITICS IS LAZY POLITICS - I was pondering the state of politics and government and came to the realization that Party Politics is just a exercise in lazy effort in the act of voting. Our two party sytem, with the help of the main stream media, allows us to effectively vote against what we don't like without any effort or time. A true multi-party system would require we actually read all the different statements of each party and subtly decide on the one that fits our needs at the moment, not just pick the least favorite.
GOVERNMENT CUTS MAKE NO SENSE AND THREATEN COMMUNITIES - Here is an article about how severe the cuts to police are in a particular community. Again I will say, what is the gain to the public to cuts jobs before you address wage imbalances and instead cut wages on higher paid workers. Shouldn't we all pitch in to fix our broken government?
GOOD OBAMA/BAD OBAMA - Here is this weeks scorecard,
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday May 22nd at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
ELECTIONS SEASON STARTS JUNE 1ST, AND I'M RUNNING! - It's that magic time of year again where you and I can try to bring change to a completely broken government. Elections start in a couple of months, but the process starts June 1st-5th. Here is a link to the county elections page that will give you all the details of running. The cost of running for the city council position is a $300 filing fee. I really hope that anyone with a desire to see change, tries to run for office. Things will not get better without effort and a broad range of choices. I will be running and soon looking for support, donations and help to spread the word. I've got major endorsements in the last two elections, and think this could be the one to succeed. But I will need LOTS of help.
CALIFORNIA CONTINUING BUDGET PROBLEMS - As I have been discussion for the last year, the California Budget problems are a leading indicator of how things will go in the rest of the country. And the elected officials of California have so far avoided the hard choices in fixing the problems. We need to take a look at the situation in Washington state and ask if everyone is doing the most they can do to fix our budget problems. Ifor one am not happy with service cuts as opposed to wage cuts. How does a government of less service do us any good, especially when we have such large unemployment numbers?
GOOD OBAMA/BAD OBAMA - Here is this weeks scorecard,
THE FED DID IT!!! Ron Paul & Peter Schiff Were Right!!!
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday May 15th at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
DICK "THE TORTURER" CHENEY - Dick Cheney is back, and he's coming out swinging! I'm actually all for Cheney digging uo all this old garbage. He can try to make this (torture, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc...) look like a Democrat problem, but we all know these are owned by Cheney, Bush and the Republicans. The new Republicans lead by Cheney and Limbaugh must do something to clean up the garbage of these type of losers.
EU CALLS FOR SHORTER WORK WEEK - Here is an idea I really like - The EU is suggesting that they should have shorter work weeks to reduce layoffs. This fits into my view that we really have too many people and not enough jobs for the modern world. With the gains in efficiency and productivity, society does not need everyone to work 40+ hours a week. BUT the problem is that big business has sucked all the economic gians out of our system and not gave back to society the gains we have all worked for.
Democracy Now: Russ Feingold on Obamas Escalation of the War in Afghanistan
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday May 8TH at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
WHY IS WALL STREET BOOMING WHEN THINGS ARE TOUGH? - Or are things not tough? The stock market has gone up 30% in the last couple of months and Wall Street is taking off, lead by the financial sector. But we do know that things are really tough and the banks need more money. Why is it that we still cannot get real answers about the TARP and the bailouts? And why does it seem like we are not getting anything close to the truth? You realise that the reason they don't tell you, and that they don't let banks pay back their loans is that then we would know who is failing. Obviously there is no room for transparency or accountability in the supposed free market financial world.
SIN TAXES, REGRESSIVE TAXES, PROGRESSIVE TAXES? - Here is an interesting this article article about the increasing Liquor tax in Washington state. I'm actually inclined to like sin taxes. This is a personal preference seeing that I am not affected much by them. But really, what kind of taxes do you want or like. I don't like regressive taxes like sales and property. But I don't trust income taxes with loopholes and fraud. So what are your preferences in taxing. Should the rich pay more? Should everyone pay the same percentages?
HEALTH CARE - SINGLE PAYER VS CURRECT US SYSTEM - I'm very interested in the "single payer" health care system vs the current system is the USA. I found this great article that trys to clarify some of the confusion . Regardless, we have to change something in America, where we pay the most for the least effective health care system.
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday May 1st at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
REPUBLICANS = PARTY OF NO - It wasn't long ago that the Republicans were calling the Democrats the "party of no ideas". Things have changed much in the last year. Suddenly, the Republicans have become the "party of no". How does this happen so fast? I actually don't mind the republicans being fiscally conservative. But the hypocrasy of this move they make is too much to bear. You don't get to switch ideology everytime the wind blows. Now the Republicans have to decide if they have ideas, or just fight Obama on every front.
HEALTH SECRETARY VOTE FINALLY OK'D BY REPUBLICANS - To add to the Republican mess, they only this week ok'd the vote for Kathleen Sebelius as Health Secretary. It too the fear of the next Pandemic to get the Republicans off their butts and do the right thing. I wonder just how far would they go to mess up Obama and America's future for their political gain. Maybe I'm too hard the the supposed conservatives, but they only seem to be doing what is best for their dwindling party.
ARLAN SPECTOR SWITCHES PARTYS - Finally, Arlen Spector switch partys this week. This will allow the Democrats to have un-filibusterable majority in the senate. This is a big move sure to make live harder on the Republicans, who call Spector a traitor. But is he a traitor to them, and a patriot to America? And how can the Republicans not see how di-associated they are from the mainstream America. Perhaps if they actually believed in fiscal responsiblity, small government, and minimal intrusion into your lives, the voters would listen to their message. But they are in truth the opposite of these ideals. They love to spend just like the democrats. They expanded government just like the Democrats, and they stick their noses into everything. Republicans, find some ideals, or start a new party where they believe in something.
AVISTA'S LATEST PROFITS UP 25%, WHAT DEPRESSION? - Here is the latest profits from Avista. I know I beat this horse too much, but how can the state ok price increases for Avista when they continue to make record profits quarter to quarter. Times are tough, but not if your a Avista shareholder. Are your represenatives looking out for you?
GOOD OBAMA/BAD OBAMA - Here is this weeks scorecard,
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday April 24th at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON! - I've been gone for the last two weeks and have not opened my newspapers or watched the news. It was kind of relieving, but eventually I have to get back to the real world. So you tell me, has anything interesting happened in the last two weeks?
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL IS FUN AND EASY - I went on another one of my adventures last week and wanted to talk about the ease in travel that you and I can have. It is so easy to go anywhere anymore with the use of the internet. On this trip I wanted to expand my horizons and go somewhere exotic. So I tried to pick somewhere politically newsworthy as well as interesting. First I went to Israel so I could see Jerusalem. I also tried to go to The Gaza strip, but that didn't work out. Then I went to Cairo Egypt to see the pyramids and see the history of an area that is 5000 years old. Finally I had a day in Paris. I usually use priceline.com to see what kind of prices you can get. It works well in America and Europe, but not as well in the Middle East. I then tried expedia.com and found great comparative prices with maps and all. The nice thing about online travel sites is other people give ratings and reviews of each place. Combining online sites with Googlemaps, you can find a hotel exactly where you want. I usually try to find places to stay that are within walking distance of train or metro stations. And the best cities to visit are the ones that have rail connections to their Airports. This allows you to avoid dealing with taxi's and buses. On line sites also allow you to e-mail and talk to prospective hotels about their services. Once you settle on a desination, use google maps and you can find your exact hotel and neighborhood. I always try to get a map of my city and neighborhood and explore a bit. I love to walk and ever neighborhood has tons of unique areas. I usually get on Wikipedia.org and look up each city. Wikipedia.org will have great links to all the information about each place, sites, airports and more. Finally, make sure you learn a few travel phrases. Nothing helps dealing with natives than learning a few phrases like "Do you speak english", Hello, Good by, please, thank you, etc... I have found that locals will try hard to help you if you make a first effort. You can get these travel phrases on google with a little effort and research.
All in all travel is as easy and cheap as it has ever been. And seeing how the rest of the world lives can really be a life changing experience. And for a history nut like me, every place has great and unique stories that will broaden your life.
ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM - First I landed in Tev Aviv, Israel with the intention of seeing Jerusalem. Tel Aviv was great all on its own. It had a easy to use metro system, and bikes that you could rent and ride all over the city. Tel Aviv seems European and modern.
I took the bus to Jerusalem (because the train was closed because of Passover) to see what I thought might be the center of the universe, and I was right. Jerusalem is one of the most holy places to Christianity, Islam and the Jewish faith. It is also the center to the most contested city in History. Highlights that you should check out are the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
EGYPT AND CAIRO - The second part of my trip was to Cairo Egypt, home of the Pyramids of Giza. Cairo is an amazing mix of old and new. Egypt is considered an "industrialized third world" state. And Cairo is a city of almost 15 million people. The first thing you notice about Cairo is the traffic is Insane. I was warned that crossing the street is much like playing the "frogger" video game from the 80's. There seem to be no rules or lines or traffic signals. It's pretty much a free for all. But I have to admit, in four days, I only saw one accident.
Of course the highlight of Cairo was the pyramids, but make sure you see the Egyptian Museum and the Citadel as well. The pyramids are one of the most impressive structures in the hstory of mankind. And the fact that they were built 5000 years ago makes them almost magical. Cairo and Egypt are one of the harder palces I have visited, but well worth it. I do think that maybe a tour experience would be a better way to visit Egypt.
FRANCE AND PARIS - Finally, I had a layover at CDG airport in France. This called for a day trip to Paris is becoming one of my most favorite cities in the world. I can see why it's the most visited tourist city in the world. I wanted to see the most I could in the 8 hours I had. It's easy as pie to take the RER train from CDG aiport to Paris for about $20 round trip. I got a hotel room and set out to see some new sites. The highlights on this perfect day were the Bastille, Notre Dame, Montmartre and of course the Eiffel Tower. This was my second trip to Paris, and there is some much to see and do that I cannot wait to go back.
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday April 10th at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
FIX #1 - FIXING PROBLEMS REQUIRES BEING DEMANDING - This week I want to talk about concrete solutions that you and I can do to fix the problems that government faces. Ultimately these are our problems and not something that can be avoided or passed down the line. First and foremost, it is time to be more demanding of our politicians, government and the two major political partys. When I say demanding, I think it's time to be tough, hard, and a bit mean to elected officials and government representatives. Anyone that has studied history can find many examples of empires that have faded because of sloth, greed, lazyness, and probably some of the other 7 deadly sins. But we can do a few important bits to force change in the right direction. Start with being demanding of government. They work for us, not vice versa.
FIX #2 - DEMAND TRANSPARENCY - One of the biggest problems of Government is that they seem to think that they have the right to hide the truth of spending and governing from us. We have to be more demanding for honesty and transparency in government actions. They have no right to hide the details from us, and we do have the right to demand information. Here are two examples of how these things get screwed up.
1) Bank stress tests hid from us by the Fed. The bailouts have been the ultimate example of the lack of transparency. We don't know who got the money, we don't know exactly how they spent the money, and we don't know if it helped. Now we don't get to know what banks are solvent or not. This lack of transparency leads to bad capitalism.
2) SECRET SPOKANE POLICE BUDGET MEETINGS - Last week we had the Leaders of Spokane and the Police for meeting about the budget cuts. They decided to have these meeting in private without the public or the media. The reasons they gave is that public meeting inhibit the free expression of ideas. I guess they are saying they cannot be honest about their work in front of the public.
FIX #3 - DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY - Another problem with govenment is the lack of accountability for improper work or actions. We cannot fix anything of everytime someone who works in government gets a free pass. In private business you remove people who don't do good work, or break rules. In government, you seem to get the benefit of the doubt on every issue. At the local level we have multiple stories about Police and Fire receiving preferential treatment including -
FIX #4 DEMAND ELECTIONS REFORM - Another of the major issues of government locally and nationally is the complete control of the political process by the Republicans and Democrats. This mindless battle has reduced our country to a sad state of bi-partisan bickering. One way to help take charge of the process is to support organizations like WASHINGTON CLEAN ELECTIONS, PUBLIC FINANCED ELECTIONS. They do an excellent job of promoting public finaced elections. We have to do our best to take money out of the political process. It's also important to deprive the two major parties of funds until they fix their internal problems. Until you hit them in the pocket book, they won't respect our country. Also, everyone should look into actually running for office in some way. We need regualr people back in charge, and we need to remove the "professional" politicians.
FIX #5 DEMAND WAGE EQUALITY - The problems of government, local or otherwise will never be solved till we create a fair and balanced wage and benefit structure in America. I am not sure what the proper amounts are, but those amounts should be related to the local economy and not the state or federal wage structure. Here are a couple of highlights to the problems -
I don't bear any government worker ill will, but there is no reason government job pay should outpace the private sector for the last 20 plus years. And the truth of it is that wage, benefit and health care costs are bankrupting out country. The only thing keeping citys and states floating at all are federal bailouts, from a bankrupt federal government.
FIX #6 DEMAND LOCAL TAXING AND SPENDING - Finally, this is one of my favorite solutions. We need to force government to think, tax and spend locally. Just as spending your consumer dollars helps a local economy, we need to get the government to tax and spend locally. If most taxing and spending were done at the local (city or county) level, we would much greater transparency and accountability on what is being spent and what is going on. In the current system, we have little visibility and no control over what is being done at the state and federal level. Even when the voters demand change, far away politicians say one thing and do another. If money were spent at the local level, politicians would see and hear the voters on a daily basis. You could start with roads and education and work you way up the ladder. State and federal government are only good for connectivity and defence issues.
GOOD OBAMA/BAD OBAMA - Here is this weeks scorecard,
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday April 3rd at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
HOW GREED AND ENTITLEMENT HOLD US BACK - Does anyone ever say "I make too much"? Is it human nature to always think your underpayed? Even a multi-millionaire can justify his income and wealth, and never have enough. It's always "this other guy makes more" or "that sports guy makes millions". I don't see anything getting fixed till you remove the idea that we are"entitled" or owed tons of money. I don't begrudge anyone working hard and barely making it, but our whole economy was built on false credit, and no one is worth what they use to make. TAKING A PAY CUT COULD SAVE YOUR JOB, AND OUR ECONOMY.
AMERICANS STUCK BETWEEN UNIONS AND MANAGEMENT - I am finally sick of seeing average Americans stuck between greedy management and Greedy unions. Where does a normal person go? Much like the silly two party system of American politics, we need change to the worker/management organization in America. And why do we need Unions for Government workers. Government gets to make the rules. We should be able to decide how Government workers are paid without Unions. Government is suppose to be the intermediary between workers and owners. So how do you fix the problems when NO ONE wants to give the extra they make?
MEGAVOTE AND CONGRESS.ORG E-MAILS - I got the latest updates from Megavote and congress.org. It's great that they provide information as too what congress is actually doing and voting on. If anyone wants to get them and check them out, send me an e-mail and I'll forward them to you. Send me a note at gorbob@gmail.com and I'll get those to you.
WASHINGTON STATE BUDGET WINNERS AND LOSERS - We got a look at the Washington state budget, and it's a mess. Education and human services took giant hits. I'm not sure how else they could fix the problems. I don't support increased taxes unless they are truely progressive. I didn't see or hear the Unions coming to the table and taking lower salaries and benefits to save jobs. THey did lower RAISES for the future. BUt I think that's not solving current problems. I think that there needs to be MAJOR reworking of pay and benefits to solve our budget issues, at the state, federal, county and city level.
PETER SCHIFF DISCUSSING THE INFLATIONARY DEPRESSION
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday March 27th at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
Glass-Steagall Act, and its repeal - The Glass-Steagall act was one of the safeguards after the great depression, and it was repealed in 1999. This deregulation of the financial markets was one of the main reasons that our economy is so messed up. Happily, Obama is trying to get more regulation of our financial industries.
Join the www.makegovwork.org radio show Friday March 20th at 9am. You will be able to hear it at 89.9 or 92.3 FM, or STREAMED on the internet at http://www.live365.com/stations/kyrs?site=pro. This show is meant to be a forum for you and the local community, so feel free to participate and tell us what you think.
You can e-mail me at gorbob@gmail.com about the show or with comments, and I will get to anything I have time for.
Or you can call the show at 747-3807 and speak your mind. Please call.
This Friday we will cover -
OTTO ZEHM, JAY OLSEN, AND JUSTICE IN SPOKANE - I was doubly dumb founded by the double news that The Otto Zehm case lawsuit had been filed friday, and Policeman (and drunk shooter) Jay Olsen had been found not guilty by reason of "self defense" in his case against Shonto Pete. Oddly, the jury was not allowed to know that Pete had been cleared of auto theft. And the jury was denied the information that the first person Olsen called was his lawyer, not the police. But we do get to know the important information like Olsen is gay (what has that got to do with anything), and there was a missing police tape where Pete says he stole the truck. Of course the police have "lost" that tape. Sadly, this is leading people in Spokane to have little faith in the local police. I've heard responsible citizens suggest they are not sure they are safe if pulled over by the police anymore. When you have the older, retired community lacking confidence, you have to worry. I have to wonder if the Police union and people who support bad cops blindly understand the damage they do to our city.
AIG BONUSES ON YOUR DOLLAR - The national heat is on AIG, Treasury secretary Tim Geitner and President Obama to do something about these disgusting bonuses for people that ALMOST BANKRUPT AMERICA!! They say their hands are tied and they have to legally pay these bonuses. BUT we should say to them "you pay bonuses, we force you into bankruptcy reorganization". If we don't let bad businesses fail, we will NEVER solve the problems of America.
GOOD FOR WALL STREET IS NOT GOOD FOR MAIN STREET - It's very odd how Wall Street reacts to bad news for main street with happiness. And they cry like babies when something happens that makes life easier for consumers and workers. The latest is the jump in stock prices when the fed creates $1 trillion and wall street jumps. But remember that that $1 trillion is money that you as the taxpayer are on the hook for.
STATE WORKERS PROTEST TO PROTECT THEIR JOBS AND WAGES - State workers rallied to protest job cuts saying that their should be more tax increases. Anyone who want to raise our regressive property and sales tax is crazy, and doesn't know the affects on the poor and working poor. If they want to fight for a progressive income tax, fight away. But I won't support ridiculous state wages in the face of a nation crisis. Maybe state workers should join the rest of us and take pay cuts (over job losses).
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS IN RIVERFRONT PARK - We had a discussion about surveillance cameras in Riverfront park, and in Spokane. I have mixed feelings about this. I've been to the big cities in the world, and the only feeling the cameras spark in me is one of safety. I just wonder if government, and especially Spokane government) has the wisdom to use the cameras for safety, and not to abuse law abiding citizens.
GOOD OBAMA/BAD OBAMA - Here is this weeks scorecard,
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