Monday, May 09, 2005

A Political Rant from an Apolitical American Woman

Paula Roberts - May 2005 - Commentary

I can most often be described as apolitical, but I do have a set of core values that I believe in strongly, and I also have strong opinions on issues affecting the lives of the human community and our home, earth. The polarity of views put forth by political parties and the disgusting trail of promises unaccomplished, ethics unpracticed, wars unsubstantiated, healthcare unavailable and children unfed is just more mental garbage than I can bear most days. I am most certainly not a Republican; however, being registered as a Democrat is not always a badge of honor. There is no safe harbor in this arena.

All of this said I am also a Christian, patriot, believe in the underlying values of American living and do not take lightly the responsibility of being born in such a privileged and blessed country. Because of this, I am unable to escape the realities of how politics influence every niche of our existence. Nothing is sacred or untouched by congress, including the original rights guaranteed American Citizens by the Constitution. If you take a walk in your garden and look at the flowers, you can bet that there is a federal regulation somewhere on the books that regulates the flower seed, the water and the fertilizer. The point is, politics are never out of sight and no matter what our feelings may be about the practice of politics, we better make damn sure that they are never far out of mind either. Your future and your present circumstances are dependent on the policies and practices of your government.

Not a Republican, it follows that I am not enamored by Bush and Bushites either. Look at the record. Weapons of mass destruction? Where? Yet we are fully engaged militarily in a war that kills American Citizens and Iraqi nationals every single day. What is the real story about what happened to change our focus from Afghanistan and the global war on terror to sending thousands of troops into Iraq? I have no doubt that the American Troops are doing their best to assure a democratic system is continued in Iraq now that Sadam Hussein is captured and out of power. Is the price worth the result? Will Iraq embrace democracy when Americans withdraw or run out of money to support this war? When so much is being spent on Iraq, what about the American governments responsibility to Americans? What about the American responsibility to global politics and environmental issues? Focusing back to the core issue of our government, what about the governments fiscal responsibility to the citizens of the United States of America? I think that one of the unfortunate purposes engagement in a foreign war serves for politicians is to take the focus off of their domestic policies. God bless and keep our American Forces and their families while the politicians work this out.

My ongoing argument with the Republicans has always been their flagrant disregard for the human aspect of politics. Admittedly, Democrats can go overboard with funding of some pretty questionable small programs, but when Republicans get into office, you can bet there will be a wholesale beheading of federal programs for the disadvantaged. Their high-minded blather about family values seems to only apply to families above the poverty level. What viable set of political values turns a blind eye to the social ills of its own country while promoting laws to allow excessive profits for the wealthy and spending billions of dollars on wars with substantially unfounded motives and questionable outcomes for the global community? Is it possible that some of this money could be spent more appropriately to feed and clothe victims of this war and participate in global solutions to relieve their suffering? I'd like to know.


Since they are already on the table, let's look at some of the domestic issues for a moment. Healthcare is a long disputed and unresolved domestic issue. There is nothing democratic or fair about the healthcare system as it stands today. Our country should be shamed by the statistics of families without healthcare, seniors who are suffering or dying for lack of or inadequate care and all American citizens who are the victims of poor nutrition and the lack of facilities, medical practitioners and resources for adequate preventative care.

How about the Social Security contribution distribution issue? That is a political hot potato. Say you are a young mother and you have 2 children. You are divorced and living in a trailer park, you rent your parents basement or maybe you live in a rent by the week motel. You have 2 jobs and work 16 hours a day, none of which is overtime because it's two employers. You spend very little time with your children because theres not much time left after work. You make minimum wage. That is $4.85 an hour x 16 = $77.60 a day, which is $388.00 a week. You work 51 weeks out of the year and your greatest potential for income, if you are not sick and if your children are never sick and have no need for you to stay home from work with them, is $19, 788.00 for the year. You are very lucky and you find a neighbor/babysitter that will take $100 a week to take care of your children while you are at work. That leaves you $288 a week. You have a great deal on rent and you are only paying $150.00 a week. Your cash flow is down to $138.00. You are a very careful shopper and always cook at home, so you can feed your family for about $75.00 a week. Now you have $63.00 a week for utilities, phone, clothing, entertainment, healthcare (remember that at this level of employment, few employers provide health insurance). Wait a minute; you did not get all of that $388! About 12% was taken out for taxes and social security;l ets see 388 x .12 = $46.56. Gee, that leaves you with $16.44 a week for all of the necessities of life after rent and food. I guess we will have to forego the entertainment, healthcare, insurance and planning for the future, duh? And oops, the baby needs Pampers.

I will tell you what this young mother thinks about: she worries about how her children will get an education if they are not basketball wizards or a physics dynamo. She is terrified that someone will get sick or have an accident and the hospital will ask her for an insurance card. She wishes she could pay for insurance on her broken down car that her parents gave her so that she could drive legally. She's worried about coats and shoes when winter comes. She also wonders about the care her children are getting and how their values are being formed. Her angst is in the present.

In your wildest dreams, do you think that this young mother, while she is applying for ADA and taking the bus to pick up government rationed cheese, will think to herself; I am so relieved that I now have the privilege to invest ½ of my 6.2% payroll contribution (3.1% of $19,788.00=$613.43) in the stock market? Do you think that she believes that Social Security will save her in her retirement and that she will finally be able to take up golf and attend political dinners at $125 to thousands of dollars per plate? The premise is ridiculous, and the promise is an unethical tactic of epic proportion. Even with dollar cost averaging, $50 a month over 30 years will not ensure this womans retirement income, or the retirement income of most other Americans.

We hold out hope that this woman will see a brighter future. That she will be promoted and educated. That she will remain healthy and have the ability to provide adequately for her children and their future. However, we have the moral responsibility to see that things get better for her and the hundreds of thousands of people in our country who are in situations as desperate as or worse than hers. She is employed. What about the 6%+ of our employable adults who have no work? They do not even have the privilege of being taxed for social security. What about the percentage of our elderly population who have no savings, inadequate health care and nutrition, whose retirement consists of waiting in various government lines for the scant help we provide to the indigent in our country. What is the level of our moral responsibility to provide adequate care and proper respect for this aging population of the generations who cared for us in our youth?

If congress is going to fix social security, all of the options should be considered.

  • Maybe we should go to a sliding scale for social security deductions.
  • Maybe we should spend less on war and make a significant contribution to the welfare of future generations by committing to a government purchase of stocks using dollar cost averaging over the next 100 years and pay the profits back into the social security system with no loopholes for government spending of excess profits. The gains could be redistributed proportionally to social security recipients. This would boost our stock market, contribute to stabilizing our economy and leave the current contributions in the social security fund where they belong.
  • Maybe our government should pay back the loans they have taken from social security funds over the years to fund other programs, with interest.
  • Maybe the government should reconsider the impact a collapsed social security system would have on the economy.
  • Maybe lawmakers should be required to take a five year retreat where they are forced to live on minimum wage and provide for a family of 3 or more as a requirement for their job.

The math may not be perfect, but it's close enough to this woman's reality. With cutbacks that are currently being put into place, she doesn't have great prospects for collecting social security at the level that seniors do today, and even they are having a very hard time when Social Security is their only fall back income for retirement. She also will need a great deal of help deciding where to put her money into the stock market. Will the Republicans provide her with this help? Not likely.

Who do the politicians and investors think the shoppers are who keep Wal-Mart stock alive?

That is it for today.


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Sunday, May 08, 2005


Mother and my sister- 1955 Posted by Hello

What Mothers Think About on Mother's Day

What Mothers Think about on Mother’s Day
Paula Roberts May 2005

For me, the first order of thought is my own mother. Our parents have a profound influence from the moment we are born through the end of our own life, but the bonding of mother and child is one of such magnitude and beauty that it is never forgotten by any child. I have found this to be almost always true regardless of the life issues in families. I believe that even children who lose their mother very early in life are affected by the bond of genetics to their birth mother.

The child in each of us reaches for the good and minimizes other issues that may have been a part of our upbringing. There is an inherent need in us to aspire to those good qualities and hold them up as the image of our mother, who is after all, the vessel by which we arrived on this earth.

What I remember most about my mother on Mother’s Day is her vulnerability, her laughter, her determination and hard work through adversity and her ability to make a home that was uniquely ours wherever we lived. I think of her small frame and her big heart, her hands worn by work and the way she was constantly planning for our next trip “where the sun is shining”. I also think of her consideration for her own mother, whether sitting at the kitchen table and writing her long letters or driving hundreds of miles to see her. I dedicate this day to my mother because I would not exist except through her.

All mothers think deeply about their children on this day as well. For me it’s a process of remembering the many events that touched me deeply about each of my children. For example the time that Joseph saved his paper route money for a date with me and took me out to a dinner theatre for mother’s day and the look in his eyes when he talks about his wife and family now. The deep connection I’ve enjoyed with my oldest daughter Kimberly throughout her life. The strength Kimberly shares with me when I have none of my own. Deborah’s personality, wit and matter of fact way of dealing with life coupled with her gift of steadfastness to her children when she was raising them alone. Then there is Carla’s single minded loyalty and obvious love for family and friends. The strong good looks and quick smiles that they share and the absolute shining beauty I see in each of them reflecting back to our connection as family sustains me for all time. I am proud to be their parent.

My grandchildren by Deborah - Amber, Dwight and Corey and my step-grandchildren Regan, Maddy and Griffin are also making my soul soar today. They are the image of the best qualities in their parents and have a measure of beauty, intelligence and inner strength that will serve their future well. I can’t wait to see the unique possibilities that will unfold in their lives.

My sister Marilyn and her husband Jack, who didn’t have children until 10 years after they were married are on my mind. Their love, loyalty, generosity and gentle guidance have produced two fine young adults in my nephew Preston and my niece, Ashley. They were there every single day, heart on their sleeve, for the edification of these precious lives.

My mothers advice to me was to always be grateful for what I have. I am so very grateful. I am grateful to God for giving me this wonderful and surprising family. I am grateful for their steadfast love and support. I am grateful for Joseph’s wife Leslie and Kimberly’s husband Robert and their extended family who have been so kind to us. I am grateful for my husband, who married me late in life and took my family into his heart. I am grateful to be here to experience life and to have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes, build on our strengths and take sustenance from the love that surrounds me.

None of this talk of mothers and family is about perfection. Families are not an art of perfection, but a living process made of both failures and successes. It would be disingenuous to hold myself or my family up as a model for family living. This is about respect and understanding for the humanity in each of us and about having the patience to see our potential through to its best end. In one word, it’s really about love.

Happy Mother’s Day.



Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Central Texas Vacation Pictures

The pictures below were taken at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, south of Austin. For more information on the pictures and other destinations and delights of our recent travels, read Vacation Notes by clicking on the subject in the menu. Enjoy the pictures!

Cool Ferns and Water Peppered with Red Salvia Posted by Hello

A Lone Star beauty. Posted by Hello

Not only is this beautiful, but the fragrance was so lovely I had to come back a second time to verify my senses.  Posted by Hello

Indian Paintbrush along a pathway at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Posted by Hello

A water garden, in it's prime. Posted by Hello

More Wildflowers, grinning into the sun: Tom Naughton, Agnes Naughton and my husband, Bill Roberts. Posted by Hello

Wildflowers/Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Posted by Hello

April Vacation Notes

The Roberts have been on vacation again (a perpetual state for us) and based our travels out of a resort in Lake Conroe, north of Houston. We went to some bird sanctuaries along the coast, where migrations are currently in progress and saw some wonderful birds. Egrets, Vereos, Cardinals, Blank & White Warblers, Bluebirds, Turkey Vultures, Hawks, Great Herons and Whistling Ducks to name a few. We also watched an alligator lurking about in the marsh. Our cousins spotted a Painted Bunting at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center south of Austin. Other places we visited were the Sam Houston National Forest outside of Conroe, TX, the Brazos National Park Southwest of Houston, and an overnight stay at the beach in Galveston.

We had great weather with the exception of one rainy day. The rainy day was spent at the Brazos National Park and turned out to be a real treat. Because of the rain, Armadillos were out near the pathways hunting for grubs and worms and we got to watch them for some time going about their business. They are very entertaining animals with a prehistoric look, a long snout for digging, tiny feet and legs poking out of their shell to carry them about and very alert eyes and ears. These did not seem to be bothered by our presence as they are used to people in the park. Thank God we took umbrellas as we would have missed this great fun. Deer were everywhere, but they are ever present in Central and East Texas (including my garden), so it seemed normal to be among them.

Despite all this talk of animals, the focus of our trip was the wildflowers in Texas. My husbands cousin Tom and his wife Agnes were with us. Tom is the primary birder, and Agnes is a Master Gardener. We took county roads on most of our trip and experienced the end of the Bluebonnet season. What I found out is that the bluebonnets are only the tip of the iceburg. We were delighted to see Buttercups, Indian Paintbrush, Evening Primrose, Black-Eyed Susans, several varieties of Salvia and many other colorful species that Agnes could name for us. The magnificence of this experience is really indescribable, The flowers occur as whole fields or covered embankments along the road full of multiple varieties, so it is a real show. I did all of the driving and we had to keep stopping so I could get a closer look.

Last but not least we were able to hear some of the local musicians along the way, and partake of the culinary delicacies for which Texas is known. This included wonderful BBQ, plates of Gulf Shrimp, talipia and catfish, fried, en brochette, skewered & broiled and in ceviche , not to mention a good dose of wonderful Tex-Mex dishes such as Fajitas, Enchiladas, Tacos and Chilis Rellanos. Add in the infamous best hamburgers (a 10 according to Tom) at our corner store in Sun City for the royal topper and great steaks on the grill at home. We've had our beef allotment for the year and will be focusing on Spinich and fish for a good while. It took a lot of Coronas and Dos XXs to bring out the best flavor in these, not to mention a Margarita or two. (Oops)

We concluded our trip at The Oasis, a restaurant comprised of several terraced decks overlooking Lake Travis that is famous for its sunset views of the Hill Country beyond the Lake. Thrown into the mix was Tennis for Tom and Agnes, time at the fitness center, lots of walking for all of us, some swimming for me, countless games of Scrabble, Pictionary and Anticipation and a few chapters of our most recent read every night before bed.

We are refreshed and well, a little sunburned and sore muscled, behind on the yard work and everyday duties but SO HAPPY to have had the opportunity to commune with God, family and nature for these few days. There is a lot of life after retirement. Be refreshed in that thought.
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Beaitiful Floral Color in Tennessee

Beaitiful Floral Color in Tennessee