Fire Them All

I saw a survey yesterday that said 59% of Americans believe we should not vote in any current congressman or senator.  Another survey, also yesterday, said only 17% of Americans believe that congress is going a good job.

I would have gone with the majority in both of these cases had anyone bothered to ask me.

This is not about health care.  As far as that issue goes, I am willing to try anything different, even if it turns out to be a bad idea.  We can always go back and fix it.  If we do nothing, then we aren't really even trying.

No, this is about the corruption and cowardice that characterizes our politicians. They take tons of money from lobbyists.  Why would a special interest, time and time again, give money to a congressman or senator if it didn't work?  They wouldn't!  They do this over and over again because it does work.  What does this really mean?  It means that if you have the money, your voice is louder.  Not one-person-one-vote.  It's really one-dollar-one-vote.

Ask your congressman or senator if they have ever taken money from a special interest group.  If the answer is yes, then they are corrupt.  Of course, they will tell you that the money was given with no strings attached and all of that but remember - If it didn't work, special interests wouldn't do it.

As for cowardice, they are often more like deer in your headlights than not.  They know action is needed and feel "I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't."  The result is inaction.



The GOP is stirring up the fear they need for the Democrats to feel the heat.  The GOP is in favor of doing nothing because it makes the other guys look bad.  This improves the GOP's chances next round of elections.  They want the power.  The Democrats have weak leadership.  Sure, Pelosi is a bully but that does not make her a strong leader.  So, we have Democrats that fear change because they may lose the seats that the GOP is after.

All of this can be solved if our elected officials understood that there would be consequences for poor performance.

I say, "Fire them all."  I know that not all of them deserve to be fired but a willingness to clean house will have a lasting effect beyond the next congress.  Fire the good with the bad.  Let them know we have had enough.  Let the new congress be clear on the fact that if they can't do their job, we will take it from them.

Firing them all will take a few years since not everyone is up for reelection at the same time.  That is actually a good thing.  Fire the full batch this time around and send the clear message to those that remain.  If there is no improvement in the next 2 years, fire another round.  In 6 years, they will all be gone and we will have elected representatives that serve us, not themselves.

High Speed Internet

My wife and I talk every day, face to face.  She spends most of her time in Hungary and I in California.

We are able to do this using Skype with allows us to not only do video conferencing, but to do it for free.

The quality isn't perfect but it's getting there.  I already use Skype to make most of my business calls.  I pay a flat $11 per month to make all of the calls, my computer to any land line, world wide that I want.  My computer to cell phones still cost about $.20 per minute.  That is when I revert back to the now archaic cell phone I carry on my hip.  I use headphone with a speaker when I call from my computer.  No blue tooth for me.  The quality that blue tooth offers is too poor.

Now, the FCC is proposing nationwide VERY High Speed Internet.  This means video conference calls with no lag.  To me this means I can cut my annual travel by a huge margin, maybe altogether.  I think online video calls have lagged simply because the speed is not good enough.  Once the speed is there, the equipment will follow.  Every company will have a HD camera in a conference room capable of showing all attendees for the person on the other side.  Everyone will have two screens placed where the room can see them.  One screen will be for the audience (or presenter, depending on your perspective) and the other will be for content such as a PowerPoint presentation.  In this way, I will be able to see my audience and they me as well as both of us seeing the presentation.

In the near future, I can take golf lessons online as an instructor somewhere else in the world watches my swing.  I can see a doctor for simple things like "My arm hurts when I do this."  Biometrics will be taken from home kit that samples urine, BP and such and then relays the data instantly to the doctor doing the consultation.

After school tutoring can take place, as it should right now, by a teacher's earlier presentation being recorded and available for review.  Or, a teacher can answer live online questions posed to her.

The VERY High Speed Internet is more than just being able to stream the latest movies.  It will be a game changer.