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I am a psychotherapist, animal welfare advocate, school counselor, former teacher and in general, "If there's a problem, let's fix it" residual of the Sixties. I am a supporter of public education and the much now maligned "common good", but find the quality of our school administrators and politicians to be the most perfect examples of the Peter Principle (Principal? Pun?) We need change and we need it fast. Citizens are so consumed in hanging on to their jobs, ensuring some type of future for their children, paying their mortgage and assisting elders and thei returning nesters, that those who control the power and the cash, are left to do as they please. The opportunity to read and comment are luxuries to tired moms, dads, and grandparents. Why is this "different" than before? Because the cash difference between the top 5% and the rest of U.S. humanity has become staggering. My neighbors cannot think of enough ways to spend their bonus cash - another home? Condos for the relatives and kids in college that can be rented out later to the lower 95? Hmmm ..... a few more Porsches for the collection? Bigger planes? (Gotta hate those long security check ins.) Those are my gated town neighbors. Everyone else is scrambling to keep body and soul together. Yes, we have accepted that for fifteen years now. Secretly, everyone hopes for that winning lottery ticket. Americans do not begrudge others doing well. They have those dreams for themselves and their children. That is precisely why this heinous practice of rewarding upper management for raping a company on behalf of share holders has not been scrutinized. Too late for correction? Probably. I have no no idea. Who among us can tell the truth sayers from the prevaricators? Bank of America "needs" to raise interest rates, financially cripple those unfortunate to carry balances on their cards and yet they cry for more tax payer funding and leniency in "lending" policies? Seriously? All the adults are working at whatever is left of their job(s) while the rest are figuring out how to get back to the days of conspicuos consumption as quietly as possible. We don't really want change.We want to go back to the days when we told ourselves our homes could genuinely escalate in value 15-20%every year. We don't want change. We want our comfort levels back. As long as we continue to believe that we need to pay taxpayer money to managers who bankrupted their corporations becase THEY ARE THE ONLY TALENT AVAILABLE TO US, we will continue to serve as cash conduits for the upper fives. Jobs need to be compensated with fair pay and benefits that allow for the much touted "American lifestyle." We have lost perspective while chasing the American dream. Let's call it what it is and hold our elected representatives - from the school boards to the senators - to higher standards. There are ways to do this. However, we must somehow muster the time and energy to do so.
