SOTU Wrap Up

Howdy, folks!  I struggled to decide this year upon the format for my State of the Union response - line by line responses, like last year, or topical thoughts, as I've done with prior political speeches?

I've decided that topical is better than line by line - better use of my writing time; better use of your reading time.  Hope you agree!  Remember - comments are welcome, dissent is appreciated, but everything must be CIVIL!

The Use of Victims

In my opinion, it is appropriate to recognize victims of recent tragedies and send best wishes to them (if they are still living) or their families (if they are not).  I do not, however, find it appropriate to use it as a wait to paint a divided body as unified or as a rallying cry.  Obama seemed to prolong his Tucson-related comments, while Rep. Ryan mentioned it and moved on.

Taxcuts, Paychecks, Healthcare and Jobs

Obama trying to tell me that my paycheck is larger because of "his" tax cuts is like Greece saying it's a fiscally responsible country. (Apologies to Greek friends.)  It's just funny.  First, extending the BUSH tax cuts was a Republican prerogative.  Second, my paycheck isn't larger.

Why?

Oh, yeah.  My healthcare premiums went UP.  So did my deductible, co-pays, and out-of-pocket maximum.  I don't blame my company for this.  I blame the government's so-called "reform." 

Oh, and bringing up tort reform at this late date, Mr. President?  When that and auditing government entitlements for FRAUD (more lower) would have been better done before last year's "reform?"  Oy.

Highlighting 250,000 jobs is almost funny.  Pointing to the success of a handful of "successful" small companies is sad.  We should have MANY examples to point to.  The absence of many and highlighting of few is indicative of the failure of the "bailout" of our country.

And calling our workers the most productive?  Not when we enable laziness and limit innovation through over-governmentalizing EVERYTHING.

Funniest phrase of the evening: "We're not just handing out money."

Yes, you are.  Through many different avenues and at length.  Unchecked.

But you can't handle cutbacks with grace, can you Mr. President?  At my company, employees gave back HUGE portions of their incomes after 9/11 and accepted little or no increases in pay for the following decade, in order to keep the company afloat.  Excuse me if my sympathy is not with government employees unwilling to make the same sacrifice.

Innovation

How can the same man who has so limited NASA draw an allusion to "the Apollo of our time?"  How can a man who is our Commander in Chief be ignorant that the innovations he mentioned (internet, etc.) had their basis in the military, not small business?  Sure, small business grew into Silicon Valley.  But its roots were vastly different.

And how can a man flout the desirability of green energy, advanced by small business, and forget the roots of the oil industry, all the while making hardworking men and women in that industry into the devil?  Even as he knows their support of cleaner energy.  And complaining about government support going to them while ignoring the MASSIVE tax dollars coming back to the government as a result, both from the oil companies themselves as well as on the gas tax.

Undocumented Workers

It was hard for me to type that phrase.  I don't believe it.  At all.  Let's call a spade a spade: these are ILLEGAL aliens.  I don't care why they're here.  Almost all of us have touching tales of why our ancestors came to America: my mom's family was looking for new opportunity, 400 years ago; my dad's family was escaping religious persecution in the Middle East.  But either way, they came in the appropriate manner, not specifically flaunting the laws of our nation.

And that's what it is.  It's not opportunity seeking when the chance to become legal is ignored.  It's a complete disregard and disrespect for our laws.

Yes, let's not take it out on the kids of illegal aliens.  But let's not give illegal aliens a FREE PASS or an EXCUSE just because they have kids.

Infrastructure

Obama spent a few minutes on rail.  Studies have shown in this country that even areas with many opportunities for rail and other shared ride programs, they are underutilized.  Our culture is simply different than Europe and Asia.  More money spent on rail isn't better spending.  And first of all, we'd need to recapture MANY MANY DOLLARS from other fraud-fraught government programs to even afford this.

Airlines

(Please remember that even though I work for an airline, any thoughts posted here are MINE and MINE ALONE.  I represent no one else's ideas.  Period.)

The joke on the patdowns was weak.  Um, it's YOUR government that came up with that idea, Mr. President.

And the aircraft-sans-engine analogy was, uh, muddled.  An aircraft can't fly without an engine.  Decisions to take off weight are made before takeoff.  You didn't make sense.  Maybe this is simply a great example of your entire speech, though.  Cute words; no substance.

Redistribution of Wealth

I believe that a rose by any other name...is still a rose.

By challenging high income Americans to pay more in taxes (you do know, Mr. President, that they already pay a majority, right?) in order to "promote America's success", you're just encouraging the socialist idealogy of redistribution of wealth, right?

The Government/The Country/The Rhetoric

So you're against earmarks, now?  How many were necessary to get your healthcare law passed?

"A government that lives within its means?"  Oh, please.

"This is a place where you can make it if you try."  But how many people don't try and live off the government instead?  A lot.  Seen it.  A lot.  And it continues throughout generations.

Representative Ryan's Response

It felt like President Obama's speech was slick, and Representative Ryan's was sincere.  Anyone else get that vibe?

I LOVED Rep. Ryan's point that the amount of confidence people have in the government is inversely proportionate with the size of the government.  Truer words could not be spoken.

Of all of his remarks, I liked those centered on self-initative best.

Self-Initiative

"Which allows able-bodied people into lives of complacency and dependency."  Isn't this what I scream all of the time about the problem with our welfare state and the lack of self-initative in many citizens?

"Hold all of us accountable."  Certain quarters wouldn't like that; easier to have someone to blame.

What say you, readers?