Obama's First Year

It should be noted right up front that I voted for Barack Obama. I did not believe as did so many that he would become a great President. In fact I did not even think he had a good chance of succeeding. I have a very good friend named Andy who at the time of his election was leading the Obama choir. Both Andy and I are Democrats but then again so are Olympia Snowe and Dick Cheney. The point being that there are degrees of everything.

As Obama was elected with my support I still cautioned Andy that his chances of success were limited. The argument held no water with Andy. " We have both houses of Congress, he cannot help but get his programs thru, we are going to reverse years of Bush errors." It was no point talking to him and to any of the Keith Olberman believers. I am no sage but I am old enough to remember Jimmy Carter who was the last Democrat to win in a way easier than many thought he would, have so little experience, and have a majority that would work with him. I told my friends that Obama's biggest danger would be the Democrats who would not be that willing to give away their power to make him successful. At the time I was not even considering what an SOB his independent friend Joe Lieberman would be.

Obama's first year has been called a failure. Others say it has been successful in ways we cannot fully comprehend as we have to think of the what ifs. What could have happened IF the stimulus had not saved the jobs it did.

for me it is simple. What part of his agenda has he put through. If you cannot do it in the first year what real chance do you have. Obama is a good man . He seems to be a caring father. He has been to me the most disappointing President in my lifetime. I do not know if his lack of success has been due to an overconfidence that things would fall into line, a lack of passion that makes it hard for him to get others to believe in him or just a stunning arrogance. He has been by any measure I can think of a failure of colossal proportion.

Obama campaigned and won on health care and then gave his cause to Congress to fiddle and diddle with sucking any of the positives America could see, not investing himself in the plan until it was in emergency mode. Now a majority of Americans who believed in health care overhaul have been convinced by the Republicans that it will not be a good thing. Worse yet Obama seemed to have no compass in the matter. He gave up on the public option, let Joe Lieberman abuse him, and evidently bought some ocean front property from Ben Nelson in Nebraska. And now it is all for naught because somehow he took his eye off the ball long enough to let the Democrats give away Ted Kennedy's seat.

He has embraced Wall Street to a nauseating degree with Tim Geithner, Lawrence Summers and the Fed Chair Ben B. No changes have been made on Wall Street. He has not made them change their ways, he will not have the gumption to make the banks split ala T R in his trustbuster phase. TBTF should never happen again but it will on Obama;s watch. The modest credit card reform bill he put thru allowed a six month window to allow credit card companies to add any fees and rates they want up to the start date of the plan.

When running for President he promised that principal would be reduced on underwater house loans to help people. He has not even approached this. In failing to do this banks have not been willing to work with these customers and after all why should they as they are TBTF.

Obama's stimulus plan was too small to get the job done and has been slow in dispering.

Republicans smell blood . They should. Clinton shut down the government to let the public see what Gingrich was doing and won the battle. Not Obama. He now seems to be moving to the center on every issue including health care in an effort to be bipartisan. The Republicans are moving off the cliff on the right however. Charlie Crist is losing in the polls in Florida because he had a picture taken with Obama that is being used against him in his opponents campaign literature. Pre Obama Crist was on a short list of Presidential candidates, now he is losing in the primary for a Senate seat. No Republican will work with Obama., not unless Obama caves completely which he is dangerously close to doing.

The Democrats are in such bad shape. Only 59 Senators and they cannot get anything passed. Let them filibuster is what Obama should say. Force the votes and let them explain. Confrontation is not his style however. Now, in the last few days, the final insult is Obama's plan for a spending freeze.

I am for a balanced budget but this is just foolish. It fools no one, Republicans still will not work with him and as before Obama has the left feeling betrayed. I do not even consider myself left wing and I feel betrayed. Education is part of that freeze, cuts need to be made but not across the board.

I think his failure is not being too far too the left it is being too far to the center. Someone needs to remind him he won, he won with a majority in both houses. Yes he said government would be transparent but he did not do that either. I did not see the health care negotiations on C Span. However he has now has Republicans sensing weakness, his own Senators making him look weak and he has outraged the people om the left who believed in him.

It may turn around. As to being reelected his best chance of that is the truth that the Republicans are headed for thier own Civil War. Obama energizes them however, so do not consider it a given. He could even see a challenge from his own party from the left. They would not win but certainly could drain energy from him and his if those who support a challenger from the left still feel forgotten they may sit the next election out.

The worse thing a politician can do to his future is to have people tune out and not care. I am close to not caring about Obama. Biden would be a better President.

Obama's grade for Year 1 is a D.

Gay Marriage in Maine- Revisited

Recently I have read a few articles regarding an upcoming challenge to California's Proposition 8 which barred gay marriage in the state of California. It is thought that this case, whichever way it is decided, will be appealed eventually to the Supreme Court. The co-counsels on the case make for an interesting story as well. David Boies and Ted Olsen who were on opposing sides in the Bush v Gore case that propelled Bush the junior to the White House will be working together to attempt to overturn the law.

Olsen being a card carrying conservative makes for an interesting viewpoint. His explanations are defined much by what he perceives as the simple logic of the issue. When I read them they are valid points but too legalese for me to explain. It is such an emotional issue. People feel so strongly on both sides that they have no ability to consider the other side. For those who take their cues from the Bible they feel that Jesus's direction that a man shall not lay with a man is all the evidence that they need. It is a strong argument. However any interpretation of the Bible takes some information and ignores others. The Bible spends many, many more pages advising man what he should and should not eat. I believe that a strict interpretation of the Bible does not allow for the consumption of pork products and might even allow bigamy. This is not to make light of this issue. Clearly the Bible was written in a time frame in which the information is true and relevant.

The Bible also advises to Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin. Adultery is a sin. Many people, including many of those who vote against gay marriage have committed adultery. The fact is one can argue forever and in cases that are emotion based fact based argument will not work. To have the state sanction gay marriage is wrong some would say as it is not traditional or biblical. However divorce is state sanctioned and we do not follow the precepts for acceptable divorce from the Bible. Perhaps we should, but we do not.

Slavery, Bi-racial marriage, segregation of schools, these were all issues that had to be dealt with and tradition did not favor their being ended. One of our principal precepts is that the rights of the minorities should never be held to whim of the majority.

So where do I stand on this issue. In November I did not know. I, pardon the pun, went both ways. I did not vote. In the moment of election so much emotion is brought out. Teaching it in school is a worry for even for some inclined to be in favor of giving this right.

However for me it comes down to three things.

i have had coworkers who were gay. I have liked some of them and disliked some of them. I can say the same about my coworkers of the straight variety as well. But from my experience they were the same as me, they had good days and bad days. Of course some were the stereotypical homosexual, but is that any different or any worse than the stereotypical young man who comes to work reeking of aftershave, shirt unbuttoned and on the prowl for every pretty girl in the office.This behavior is not acceptable in either case.

Two co workers in particular changed my mind. A gentleman co worker who it is not a stretch to say is one of the finest men I have known. Considerate and kind to a fault, very talented in his profession, and simply put a person you have confidence in in every way. If this man wants to have a committed relationship to better his life why should he not.

Another was a young woman who worked in our department. She was " out" and in a committed relationship. She had nieces she adored and cared for on a regular basis. She was a bit boisterous and perhaps not my favorite person but this was because of her personality not her sexuality. I am not the judge of anyone else. I know this however, when the governor signed the bill allowing gay marriage she was joyous about the thought. Not to make a political statement, not to fly in the face of straight America but because she wanted to have her committed relationship made whole like we all do when we choose to get married.I cannot find fault with that.


Lastly I look at my own children. We all want the best for our children. So often you hear about children whose parents when they " come out " disown them, kick them out of the house, or some other harsh measure. I cannot imagine doing so. You love your children. I would not want my child to be gay or lesbian. I say this because I believe that life is hard enough, I would not want them to do anything that makes life harder. This does bring up the point, does anyone choose to be gay. We all knew people when we were in grade school that were different. No 6 year old chooses that path. I believe being gay is something you are born with, I do not know anyone who does not. Do you?

So as the election neared last fall my oldest son says to me " Well what if I was gay?" So I spoke the truth. I told him that first I would ask if he was sure. I do not want any hard paths for my children and that would be one. But if he felt he was I would tell him I love him and ultimately I would want for him the same thing I would want for any of my children. To find a person they loved, have a committed relationship, and live a happy and healthy life. How can I wish this and not support him having all the tools, including marriage, to do so.

I am not an expert. I do not believe any of my children are gay. But should that occur I will remember what I said that night. I meant it then and I like to think I will believe it then.

The Big Scare

As I write this I am sick. Over the last few months I have experienced symptoms of muscle weakness that have progressed and spread. Thus far we have seen primary care physicians, osteopaths, physical therapists and recently neurologists. I have had blood tests and recently the special pleasure of an EMG. If you do not know what this is you are lucky, if you do I accept your sympathies.

So where are we at this point. We do not know. We now are being referred to a specialist in Boston. My neurologist advises she " thinks" that what we are dealing with is rare and certainly may require some life modifications but does not believe we are in the fatal area. She advises once diagnosed she would be pleased to administer and manage my care at the local level. I feel like a patient that the interns might fight over on Grey's Anatomy. When they mention one in a million rare you do not know if you should feel lucky or unlucky.

Most days I choose to feel lucky. I have a great life. I have a wonderful wife, three children who are healthy and vibrant with life and family and friends that have offered wonderful support. I do not know what the outcome is but I do know that the days of our lives are not promised. I want to live a long life, but like most of us temper that by saying if I can have a measure of happiness in that life and not be a burden to those I love and who love me. I told a good friend of mine, walking and moving ones arms are things we do not appreciate until we struggle to do so but it is not all that life is.

I want to see my children grow and see my grandchildren get spoiled under my wife's watch. I feel as confident as one can about their future under the worry of an undiagnosed illness.

I am lucky. One of the great sins we hear about is greed. I am scared like any man would be in this situation. I hope God will forgive me for my greed to live this wonderful life I have for many many more years.

I love Maine summers, fall is beautiful in Maine. Winter is long and cold and seems like it will never end. I will consider this as my winter of discontent and worry. But spring, summer and fall will come. By then I should have an idea of my future and how I will be affected by this . But I will be thankful. And I will greet those seasons with joy. We all should

Growing a Good Adolescent

My son went to his first Prom last weekend. When your son is 14 and six foot two he is a study in contrasts. He might look grown but in many ways he is as much a child as ever. When they are 14 it can be even more difficult as they think they know everything even when they do not, do not want to ask for help, and are mortified at the thought of exposing their feelings for public view.

My son is a good boy. He is athletic, intelligent, well mannered ( outside the house ) and possessing of a charisma that must be real even if we as his family do not see it. He is also, however, self centered. I try to remember when I was his age and must admit that I do not think his condition is terminal. I think it is almost normal. I know that I was mortified at sharing with my parents and wanted to fit in to a fault. The prism that we look at life through as an adult, " be a leader not a follower" is easier said than done when you are 14 and insecure about the thought of being different.

My middle son, in junior high, is as worried about fitting it if not more so. What makes them so. My oldest son does eschew modern music and does not like scary movies that his friends like and does not pretend to fit in these small ways. So I guess there is hope that freedom to be himself will continue to grow. I think that his success in extra curricular activities lets him have a little more wiggle room in his ability to be independent though he still has a long way to go. My middle son has had some struggles in extra curricular activities and I think that has hurt his ability to be more independent. However the next two years might well make a big difference.

To me however in terms of preparing for life I think my middle son is further along the path. The adversity he faces occasionally mixed with his desire to do grown up things such as work, make money, and other things are a far cry from my oldest son. My oldest son reminds me more of me, having so much fun in school that he has no great feelings of a rush to grow up. Why would he want to, he lives in a hotel that has good laundry service, pizza roll fairies that come and increasing levels of success in academics, athletics, and girls.

The danger in this success is that by having less adversity the desire to move to the next step may be limited. I need to help him over the next few years to be prepared for the real world. We as parents always worry we are doing too much or too little. We worry over finding the balance between what makes them happy and what will help them be better people. It is not often that they intersect.

We all know people who tell you that high school was the best time of their lives. It is our job as parents to make sure it is a good experience but also one that prepares them for future happiness AND success.

It is a balance we struggle with each day but just as they need confidence so do we. Watch your children when you are not around or I should say when they do not know you are around. If you like what you see you most likely are doing well.

Health Care in America

It appears that President Obama is about to succeed in getting his Health Care overhaul through Congress. The bill which will come on a party line vote will, in the next few years, provide insurance to 98 percent of Americans through a system of pokes and prods to the existing system. With this plan Obama has made no one happy. Liberals feel it did not come close enough to the dreamed of Government run health care system and Republicans feel that the system of subsidies with cost the taxpayers too much money and could end up reducing benefits.

I am not an expert on the solution to the health care crisis. I consider myself a moderate in most things political and can find fault with both sides of the political aisle on most occasions. On this issue a few things that I have learned stand out for me.

In Canada the wait for non emergency medical procedures is longer that it is in America. However the line for that service is a fair one, there is no jumping the line based on status and wealth. In America, while there are exceptions to the rule, one generally gets the best health care they can pay for.

In the United States Medicare is a very criticized institution. The reimbursement rates for physicians is too low say the doctors and the hospitals that receive those payments. However the percent of dollars spent that goes to administrative costs is roughly three percent. With standard insurance the percent of dollars spent on administrative cost is over 30 percent. One can spend much time criticizing the bloat ofl a federally run program but insurance companies are in no way streamlined in their processes.

Lastly in the United States every for profit insurance company in the land is against changes to the existing system and certainly against any government run plan that would be based on a not for profit service model.

I know that information on this issue could be written down and kill all the trees in the world and we could still debate. These three factors are enough for me. Insurance companies are based on a profit motive not a patient motive. They are against reforms that would reduce profit and improve care. If one believes that insurance companies are looking out for them they are living in a dream world. This is not to say, of course, that individual people involved in the process on the insurance end do not have good motives. However the system is rigged against them.

Were all other factors eliminated the one that would change my mind is this. If the insurance companies are against something I am in favor of it. I feel the same way about Walmart and Exxon. I believe that over time some companies and institutions have earned a reflex negative reaction. For example I recently learned that Exxon spent 10 million dollars on green programs a few years ago and then spent 100 million dollars promoting that expenditure. They do not deserve our respect, they do not deserve our trust. Insurance companies are in this group.

Some other thoughts on the subject include the fact that I do not believe health care is a right that everyone automatically has. These statements are high handed. I am not in favor of national health care because it is a right, but because for a country that claims to be what the United States claims to be it is the right thing to do.

European nations and Canada have government run health care systems. Polls taken of their citizens repeatedly show that large majorities are in favor of their systems and complaints that exist are of the tweaking nature not a request to overhaul the whole system. Critics of such a plan state that people in those countries pay higher taxes. It is true, as a percentage of income they do pay higher taxes. We, in America. do as well we just do not see it as easily. Our higher taxes are is hidden in reduced wages due to employer funded healthcare, premiums, co-pays, and the constant stress of what will be covered and what will not. Add to that the inefficiencies in a system where emergency rooms become primary care physicians for a segment of our society and preventative care is a non entity and the overall health of the system could be vastly improved.

This is the greatest country on Earth and change comes slowly. This is a problem that we can fix. The program that Obama has put through Congress is not the answer. The insurance companies cry crocodile tears about how it will hurt them but know that in actuality they will be gaining young people in their plans that will provide them increased profit margins while the new regulations do not control costs effectively.

This plan is not a good one. I do not know if it will succeed. I feel Obama failed in his promise and that the failure is his alone because of his lack of forcefulness and desire to be everyone's friend. Politicians such as Joe Lieberman single handedly put the kabosh to the best features of the potential plan. While we can hope that Connecticut voters repay Mr. Lieberman in kind Obama now with the mid term elections looming as a problem for Democrats has 10 months to accomplish something on all of his other issues. John Kennedy once said " do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good." This plan is far from perfect---but hopefully it gets us on the road to the better.

In America we should do better than good

Driving the Activity Bus

All three of our children keep busy with activities. Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Ballet, Gymnastics, Chorus, Band etc they have all been sure to keep themselves and us busy. We enjoy their events and enjoy watching them do well. It can be a chore getting them all where they need to be at various times. Today is a pretty typical day for us, practice for one ends at 4 at one school, practice for another from 4 to 5 at another school and practice for the oldest at the high school from 5 to 7. Somehow in those comings and goings we try to have a meal, find out what is going on with their lives and keep some sense of sanity.

It would be easier if they did not do so much. Certainly when I was growing up this level of involvement was not common. My parents worked and schedules were not as flexible as they are now. I know that my wife and I are lucky that we have some level of flexibility with our jobs and that this has made this process of driving the school bus as I call it a bit easier. Many parents do not have this ability. We try to attend all of our kids games and events, sometimes when schedules conflict we have to use the divide and conquer approach, but we try to have at least one of us at every event.

Why do we do this? I have friends who tell us that we are living through our kids. We make their victories our own and their losses are own as well. I will not lie, I want my children to do well. We are a sports house, but we go to concerts, plays, open houses and we are excited about good grades as much as sports. A couple of years ago my oldest son was made to sit out a game by me because of a problem he was having in a class doing a project. He was very angry but I felt it important that he know that academics came before sports. He learned the lesson.

So the question remains do we support their sports for altruistic reasons. I suppose not completely. For parents it becomes a social occasion, we see the same group of parents at all the games. My middle son used to get frustrated with his Mom as he felt she was too busy talking and was not watching closely enough. In contrast my oldest son says he always hears me when I talk to him on the field but he has been known to give me a hand signal to be quiet. So like every situation, every kid is different in what they expect and need for support.

It has become an accepted fact that from the time they are born that our kids lives are too structured. Baby play date groups, Mommy and Me swimming classes, it seems are kids are thrown together in structured events before they can talk. Tee ball, Little League and on and on. When I was a kid it was go play with the kids up the street but of course there are many reasons why we cannot send the kids up the street anymore.

In between basketball season and baseball season is the longest activity free lull in the year. A stretch of two months with no practice and no games. Traditionally for my oldest son this is the hardest time of the year, he is bored, his schoolwork suffers, he is a poster child for what not to do for time management. He is a walking example that having more to do teaches better time management.

People without children rarely understand and some with children think we are crazy. All I know is that in 10 years we will be staying in on cold nights not going to a B league junior high basketball game. And we will wish we were.

Dancing in Bangor

The Bangor Daily today has an article about Bangor High School stopping all school dances in the last few months due to the problem of teenagers grinding on the dance floor. Now I could say alot of things in this space that would make me seem old and out of step with the times. I will attempt to limit this to just a few comments.

Online newspapers allow comments and below those articles viewers comment on the stories. Norris Nickerson, the long time principle of Bangor High, appears pictured in the article looking, well a bit like Mr. Wilson in Dennis the Menace, grumpy and elderly. The contrast between Mr. Nickerson and the issue at hand makes for even more humor in the situation for those who want to find humor in it.

Do I think this story represents a major problem? When one considers all the problems in the world perhaps not. To me the issue is not the overt sexual behavior of students. When I drop my son off at high school I see overt sexuality just watching the packs of kids walking into school. Girls did not dress that way when I went to school. The issue is more respect for the surroundings. For the same reason that when I see teenagers shouting F bombs in public places with no regard to who is around them, little children included, this behavior is unacceptable. We cannot shelter our children from the world. Most parents do not even try. MTV videos are abysmal examples, Top 40 radio talks about threesomes, sex acts and somehow thinks the dropping the second half of the word mother" " makes children not know what is being implied. Family viewing time on television is non existent as we struggle to find any shows we can sit and watch as a family.

Why is this so?.Because it makes money. If it was not profitable to do this we would not see this. I have no answers and every family needs to make a choice about what they will allow in their home. However you feel about sexual behavior in teenagers any adolescent is going to have to learn that treating others with respect is essential to success in life.

No parent is perfect, but let us not kid ourselves. The problems with the coarsening of our culture starts at home. We all choose what we accept as parents and what we allow in our homes as influences on our children. Mr. Nickerson is right about this not being acceptable in our schools. Those who joke about him and the situation may not judge it as serious. It is serious. We all need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves what we teach our kids at home about what is acceptable.

Thinking About Trees

Looking out the window this afternoon I looked at the tree we planted last Father's Day. It was a wonderful gift, a great idea by my wife and kids. I have fretted over it a bit too much, watering it in the hot spells and now it is roped up as we wanted the harsh winds not to hurt it this fall. I am sure until I see new leaves on it this spring I will worry about its health.

When I think about many of my favorite places I think of trees. I think about the two towering trees at the house where I grew up that seemed to stretch to the sky. I drove by a few years ago, though my size may have contributed to the memory of their largeness they are indeed large trees.

At the K through 3 school my children have attended off to the edge of the playground is this beautiful old tree. In a way it surprises me it still stands. People worried about broken arms and skinned knees or yes, concussions, might well have worried over its proximity to adventurous young children. I am very happy that it has survived. I asked my daughter about that tree, being our youngest and most expressive child about such things I got what I expected. She told me how much she and " everyone " loved that tree. She told of when they were leaving third grade and moving across the street to another school that she and her little friends had gone and said good bye to that tree.

We all love trees. When you drive around in the spring and see the crabapple trees starting to flower it makes you know winter is really over. I look forward to seeing this tree we have planted grow. Trees are a marker for our lives. We measure ourselves and our own aging by them. Countless of us have taken pictures in front of trees yearly and watched our own selves grow older faster than the trees. Last Father's Day we took a picture with all of us in the thin, immature leaves of this tree and my oldest son and I, being the tallest , had our faces obscured by the leaves. My guess is that this Father's Day while my face may still be hidden my son's face will be easily seen. Trees make us recognize what we do not see day to day.

Last summer we purchased a backyard swing. It is one of those that can convert into a hammock and I enjoyed going out back and relaxing. I soon realized that laying there in our little corner of the world, looking at the trees and flowers and lawn that it was as I told my daughter " my favorite room of the house." Looking at these naked trees out back on a January day it is hard to believe that soon they will be green and bursting with life. I cannot wait. I love the windy days, sitting out back watching the trees bend but not break, feeling the air and for me feeling about as close to God as I think possible on this Earth. The quiet of the day, early morning or as the evening approaches watching the birds go from tree to tree and the chirps and calls. Even a hot July afternoon watching a squirrel gathering items under the trees and counting the seconds until the dog spots and sends him on his way at a frantic pace.

We see trees everyday. We hear about the rainforest and know logically how important they are. I think we forget how much a part of our emotional lives they are. For me personally they are like the pews of a church. I love trees.

Preventing Movie Mayhem

We went to the movies this weekend. Both my wife and I had read The Blind Side so we decided on Saturday afternoon to go see the movie. We do not go the movies much but on the rare occasions that we do we often have a chuckle at what I will call the head usher/ticket checker in the lobby. This man takes his job seriously. He speaks in a loud, authoritative voice that makes sure you know when your movie is starting, where to line up, and where to have your ticket for presentation.

It is easy to chuckle at this. But think about it. If you were doing his job would you do it so well. Would you be able to handle the large crowds of unruly people. If you do not think it can be unruly you should have seen the large crowd filling the entire lobby waiting for Avatar to begin when we exited our movie. It is a job that needs to be done and done well.

Perhaps we are all too cynical, too ready to criticize others for doing what we know we would not or could not do. Clearly running a movie theatre correctly is not going to save mankind. But when you pay $30 for two seats, a popcorn and a drink, anyone and anything that makes your experience at the theatre more enjoyable and more efficient has real value. This gentleman does what all of us should do no matter what the job is we are doing. He does it well. What more can you say than that.

I hope I remember how I feel now the next time I forget my ticket stub when I go to get popcorn and he will not let me back in.

Winter in Maine

I am not a fan of winter. Like most people I want a White Christmas. I think that the first snow is pretty and after a wet sticky snow the trees do look very picturesque. Living on a street that the snowplow goes down when every other street in town has been plowed twice is not so bad, after all we knew it was a quiet street when we moved here, and the snow on the street constantly from December to when it melts by natural causes does keep the limited traffic moving slowly.

What I do get tired of is ice everywhere I go, Having to walk like a duck for weeks on end gets old very fast. My children walk, run, and slide on the ice, it makes me jealous of being young. Never graceful, ask my junior high basketball coach, I now find myself finding ways to fall down that would make me laugh were I not so embarrassed.

Mostly though I hate the cold. 14 degrees outside at noon on a Sunday. I really think there is no need of this. My house, exhibiting again that more insulation is called for, makes the living room into an ice box and the furnace seems to be working in coordination with our trusty heating oil company to make sure that I have no discretionary income left.

The only thing worse that the cold in Maine right now would be if you were one of those lucky souls who decided to vacation in Florida last week to get a warm weather break to your winter. How would you have liked to have planned a trip to Orlando last week only to see temperatures in the Land of Mickey in the thirties during the day. The Weather Channel advising of sleet falling on Main Street USA. Unbelievable. Cold here is bad and I for one am tired of it. If I planned a vacation and the cold followed me to Florida my kids would make a fortune with the swear jar.

So I guess I should thank the oil company for eliminating that discretionary income and the potential stress of a trip South.

Job Losses in Maine

It should also be stated that I do not think that those in education should have job security when thousands in the state of Maine have lost their jobs in the same economic downturn that threatens education funding. The unemployment in Maine in the last 18 months has affected too many people, upended lives and families and continues to do so today.

There are those that will say educators should not have anymore tenure than the average worker and that the teaches unions are too powerful. I must count myself among the group that has often spoken those words. What I have discovered however is that while of course some subpar teachers are protected by the union structure the accountability standards proposed would not be a fair way to measure the success of each and every teacher. Already my own children spent an inordinate amount of time this fall taking standardized tests. Test scores are a way to measure success. However, what students are placed with what teachers can ultimately be as much a measure of the success of a teacher if test scores are all we look at.

I feel for anybody who is out of work, our own family has been affected by this recession as well. I think the best thing we can do is hope for a spirit of moderation from our leaders and for both sides to work together for the greater good. Of course in the Middle East they" hope" for that Israel-PLO thing to work out too.

School Consolidation and School Buses

I wonder if the school consolidations are working like those in Augusta thought they would. I went to a high school basketball game a few weeks ago and noticed that the bus the team traveled now had a host of town names on them that when I went to school were rivals. So I guess the answer to my question is it must be working.

I know some teachers in some school districts locally who teach everyday knowing that the next round of budget cuts may mean their jobs are eliminated. I guess we should not pay attention the fact that " Education is the way to make sure that future generations continue to grow and prosper in this great country" or so say the oracles from Washington. Yet whenever a budget cut is needed education takes the hit.

Penobscot County now has a shiny new courthouse in Bangor. It is a wonderful facility with all the modern features that were needed to keep people safe in the sometimes volatile environment of a court setting. Consolidation of departments has taken place here as well. I am told it is going so well that the work has tripled while the combined staff is still just one plus one. Do you remember when we were told of the coming paperless office. Technology always improves but rarely does it make things as easy or efficient as promised.

Sooner or later as furlough days and budget cuts bring about the obvious delays in services and inefficiencies and in the case of schools " lower test scores" we will make some changes and realize that the people hired do make a difference. People cannot always be replaced by efficiencies.

But in the case of the school districts at least whoever is changing the names on the buses has a job that is secure.

Manna Ministries

Speaking of volunteers. What an impressive job these folks do. I was at the Bangor Mall a couple of times this past Christmas season and Bill Rae was out there at his booth meeting and greeting. He has become the face of Manna to the average person and he has built a wonderful program that just keeps getting bigger and bigger. While we can all hope that the day will come it does not keep needing to get bigger and bigger until that day comes they are doing God's work.

When I was at the mall one of those days my wife had wore me out and I was sitting on a bench behind the Manna station while she continued to shop. As I sat there i heard a Mom and her young son approach the booth and talk to Mr. Rae. A young boy approached and offered a bear that he had just had made at Build a Bear. He was about 4 or 5 and was very excited to give this toy to somebody who did not have as much. As I saw this happening I was glad i had sat down and was able to see it.

If we keep our eyes open their are good things happening around us. Everyday.

Saco Meals on Wheels

A nice story at the end of the newscast on WLBZ last night about a gentleman who has worked for Meals on Wheels for 20 years in the Saco area. He, as all these wonderful people do when you ask them, says he gets more from his work than he gives. We all wonder what we can do to make things better around us but most of us don't do we just wonder. This gentleman just does. What a great example

The Race is on

I saw the other day that 14 people have announced their candidacy for the gubernatorial election next year. None of the candidates are even close to household names. Steven Rowe is a name some folks might know as the AG on the Democratic side as is Libby Mitchell who has at one time or another run for I think every office in the state. Les Otten will be running from the Republican side. I am not sire who will emerge but I am sure that soon after being elected they will wonder just how they are supposed to fix this mess. Of course they will campaign with ideas and solutions but aren't they all just warmed over from before.

We live in the highest taxed state in the union yet cannot raise enough revenue because no jobs come to Maine for a multitude of reasons.

If Governor Baldacci could run again do you suppose he would? This certainly could not have been what he hoped for or expected. Now with local school districts suffering and teachers and administrators being let go in the middle of the school year he has put forth a budget for next year that looks even bleaker.

I have never been one to think that throwing money at education makes it automatically better but cutting teachers seems to me to be the wrong message to be sending no matter what the current economic crisis is.

I surely do not have any solutions but I do wish Angus King would run again