Coffee or Tea, what do you prefer today? Today is the coming out party of the “Coffee Party”. You know the anti “Tea Party” party. I’m already tired of both of these parties. Neither one has a clue what’s really going on across this country. People are anxious but they aren’t looking for cutesy named parties like “Coffee or Tea”. People are tired of being taken for granted and worrying about their jobs and health care. Neither of the two major parties, Democratic and Republican, are meeting the needs of their constituents. Both are working hard to garnish money from lobbyists and those lobbyists are not our neighbors. This newly formed “Coffee” party has Obama’s fingers all over it from the association to Jim Webb to people that worked to elect Obama. I, for one, am tired of being manipulated by any political party. My best guess is these are the “Starbuck” lovers that are willing to pay $4.00 for a cup of coffee. They are definitely out of my league and are probably what the right refers to as “latte” lovers. Oh, well, these are just labels we bandy around. I refuse to put a label on my frustration and distrust of this new movement or the Tea Party one as well. The Republican Party was quick to get on board the funding of the Tea Party movement so that makes that party completely distrustful to me. I can probably say the same for this new Coffee Party. From my point of view I want to hear more politicians sounding like Rep. Patrick Kennedy from Rhode Island:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/ID/220793&start=18530&end=18784
He isn’t running any more so maybe he decided he was free to say what he’s really thinking. I don’t know but this is the fire for the people that I want to see in my representatives.
Here is a post by “Wonk the Vote” much worth reading about coffee, tea and FDR. http://letthemlisten.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/coffee-summits-not-coffee-parties/
I really enjoyed reading about FDR and his discussion of a second bill of rights.
I want a party that represents the “workers” of America. These are the people that keep this country moving from factory jobs, police, teachers, transportation, and healthcare to the guy that picks up your garbage. These are the people we all know that are our neighbors. They aren’t a CEO and they don’t work on Wall Street. They aren’t a Washington politician and while they may own a “mom and pop” store. They don’t own “Wal-Mart” and they certainly aren’t a movie star! We are the forgotten in this country. While we make up the largest share of voters we are woefully under represented in our government. While the wealthy including the politicians, CEO’s, Wall Street and Hollywood try to manipulate us at every turn by showing us what a war should be on screen, or by telling us to buy those ridiculous light bulbs that don’t last six months let alone five years, to always telling us we are the “greatest” and hoping we still believe that lie or to manipulating us to grasp our little “nest egg.” We are the greatest to them if we keep buying the same old garbage they keep selling. It’s time all of us woke up and figured out that these people are only looking at their own best interests. The politician wants to get reelected so he will tell us anything. The movie star wants to make more money so they call us to action on everything from the environment to our values of patriotism. They do this because they are part of the corporate owned media. Wall Street just wants our money and they will play games with the market to get it. Once you’re in that market they will shake a few out ever so often and it could be your retirement that’s lost!
We, the true Americans, need to wise up and see these people that garner so much respect in the media for what they truly are. We have the Internet. We don’t need to be told by some Joe Scarborough on MSNBC or Wolf Blitzer on CNN or any other media pundit what’s going on in this country. We can see by getting online and also by talking to our neighbors. Here in Sturgis we know our property values have gone down. We know there are vacant homes in town. We can see that funding in our state is getting pretty down right scary. We know that everything from the police to schools to state services have been cut and yet we still see plenty of money for war and politics. We see politicians whooping it up at the Whitehouse with parties and dignitaries and don’t forget about those constant calls from the two parties for money for their next campaigns. We see money going to two wars and a potential third and no one says, “Whoa, wait a minute! What about the American people?” I hear this phrase in my head. I heard it as a teacher from GW Bush and now I’m playing it over in my mind. That is over and over, “Expect more and pay less!” This is in reference to teachers and I am a teacher but it really is in reference to all American workers. We can all expect to do more and get paid less if we continue to buy what the politicians and the wealth in this country are selling. Hollywood, politicians, CEO’s will all live large while the rest of us tighten our belts, pray we don’t lose our jobs or health insurance and scrape by.
Now do I want coffee or tea? Not exactly! I want real representation and I’m not going to get it over a cup of coffee or tea. The best I can do as an American worker is to keep putting my voice out there. I’ll keep calling my congress people and hope they change and I’ll keep saying what I think!