Curing

Corruption

A recent letter mentioned corruption in New Jersey and made the unproven claim that consolidation will eliminate corruption but failed to explain how this would happen.

Do big cities like Chicago or New York city lack corruption? Or do they have higher taxes than smaller cities? Look before you leap!

Ronald A. Sobieraj

The Fog of War

I see the year 2020 started with a sneak attack and killing Iran Military Commander Qassem Soleimani. What a way to start the New Year! By the way, a newspaper called Trends Journal back in June of 2017 warned us that the Middle East will be heating up. Now is this the start of World War III. You guess! We still don’t understand the real reason for this attack. Wars are planned by those elites that control our society and the economy. Former 34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned JFK about the “Military Industrial Complex”. I see it as the “Fog of War”. NO ONE wants a nuclear war and it was said “When you have a convivial war, it destroys a population – a nuclear war will destroy a nation”. So, let’s hope for peace on earth for 2020.

Orlando “Wildman” Perez

Dog and Pony Show

A few months before President Trump announced his candidacy, I was thinking about the upcoming Presidential election.

I remember talking to people about the previous elections. How it was more about voting for the lesser of two evils than for the candidate that was going to best represent “we the people” and do the best for our country.

Every election we hear the same things over and over and over again. Lower taxes, more jobs, immigration reform, yadda, yadda, yadda. What happened? What always happens. Taxes went up, jobs went overseas, and no immigration reform. As far as immigration reform; the Republicans want the cheap labor and the Democrats want the votes. You have to ask yourself, why would either want reform?

It is the same old story. Go out and shake a few hands, kiss a few babies, and you are in. To heck with the people, just vote for me then go home and veg out. We will even legalize pot to help you do that. Hell, you can stay home and vote by mail, (and soon online if some have their way), because, God forbid, it might rain or something.

That is why I say all of this political “hoo-ha” is nothing but a “dog and pony show” put on for “we the people”.

Two parties are in control of this country and they want to keep it that way.

All the posturing with the “Russian Investigation” that both sides knew would lead to nothing. The impeachment thing. Another farce. People on both sides are supposed to be college educated upper crust type people. Much more enlightened than we the “unwashed masses”. These people and their “dog and pony show” remind me of professional wrestlers in a professional wrestling match.

Two wrestlers get into the ring and allegedly try to kill each other, in a predetermined time with a predetermined winner, because they hate each other. Two hours after the “show”, these two are sharing dinner and some drinks talking about their next match in some other city.

As I said before, it is a two-party system and the Democrats and Republicans want to keep it that way. That’s why the “dog and pony show”. They want to keep our focus on them and nowhere else.

Trump opened the door wider for the independent candidate. As it stands now people on both sides are transfixed on the political posturing that is going on today between the Democrats and the Republicans. Moreover, the Dems And Reps want to keep it that way. These people do not want “we the people” to start looking toward independent candidates that have “we the people” at heart.

In 1992, Ross Perot garnered 19% of the popular vote as an independent candidate. This was unheard of since Teddy Roosevelt ran as an independent in 1912 and won 27%. Neither candidate won the presidency, but it showed the other two parties that it was possible to lose. As it stands now, independents are nothing more than “spoilers” that draw votes away from one of the other candidates. However, it will not be that way for long. Trump proved that. He went Republican because he knew he could not win as an independent candidate. He had to go Republican to win the presidency. The Republican Party knew that if they did not back him they would lose the presidency.

Now do I think that the US will ever be more than a two-party country? Not in my lifetime, but the door is open for the independent thinker, and that’s a start.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone come up with a good idea and then heard someone else say; “Oh, that’s so Republican”. On the other hand, I’d hear someone come up with a good idea and then heard someone say; “Now you sound like a Democrat”. A good idea is a good idea, let’s at least discuss it, no matter where it originated.

It is time to think for ourselves and stop the party line concept. It is time to take a hard look at our incumbent politicians and see what they have actually done for us. Do they actually belong in office, some for over twenty years, or is it time for fresh blood?

In regards to that, I remember telling one person that it was time to get rid of all incumbent politicians. The reply I received was; But they have the experience. My reply; “but they are idiots”. His reply; “yes, but they are experienced idiots”. Great, now I know why we are in the mess we are in.

As long as “we the people” keep falling for the same political tricks and voting the same people in, nothing will change. If you think it is not “your guy or gal” that’s the problem, ask yourself if you are still paying high taxes. If you are, then quite possibly, they are, at the very least, part of the problem.

Joe Bayona

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