Since I’m an actual tax payer, meaning real money leaves my bank account and goes into the national treasury, and since the US Government is now a major shareholder in General Motors and whatever else, when should I expect my proxy? I’ve actually paid money, unlike those who pay no taxes, so shouldn’t I get something in return? A proxy would do nicely, thank you. As long as my money has been used in some sort of transaction that resulted in the transfer of shares, I think it’s only fair that I should get some representation at board meetings.

Any lawyers out there care to look for some precedence? Wouldn’t that be a fun class action suit? I don’t remember entering into any contract to buy shares of a mutual fund called the US Government, and I'm certainly ready to break my ties with current management.

My money is not yours, or anyone else’s. It’s mine. I earned every cent through the open and fair trade of my labor for monetary compensation. I’ve worked late into the evening and over weekends to attain what I have. I’ve created a life for my family, both immediate and extended, that will hopefully keep them safe and cared for long past my death.

I did this with my husband. We work together as a team and have slowly, over decades, built a nest egg for our retirement and for the care of our special needs child, only to witness its dwindling away due to Washington’s imprudence. Shame on all of you for punishing those who have taken care of themselves instead of holding foolish individuals and organizations accountable for their own actions. You are rewarding the grasshopper, not the ant. Aesop was a wise teacher. Heed his words.  

Like my nephew who mindlessly snarfed down his cookies, keep your hands to yourself and definitely keep them out of my wallet. If it isn’t yours, don’t take it! Do you get it yet? Threatening me with imprisonment for not complying with immoral and unjust tax laws is theft in my world. Stop steeling from me. Reduce all spending now, before we've saddled our children with a debt burden they will never be able to pay off.

Enough already, it’s time to get over this whole political party thing. Let’s face it, most of us vote for candidates who don’t really represent exactly what we think. Since I was 18 and completely optimistic, I have always felt that voting was picking the lesser of two evils.

Sad when you think of it, but I’ve always worked from the premise that it’s harder to legislate thought than it is to legislate behavior. That’s why voting for a Republican usually felt like the better choice. They were trying to get me to think a certain way - no gay marriage, abortion is evil, parents should raise their own children, while Democrats were trying to get me to pay for other people’s desires - bailout GM, public financing of healthcare, unearned tax credits. Since it’s easier to rob me with higher taxes than it is to get me to church, just ask my mother, the Republicans tended to get my vote. I like to keep what I’ve earned.

Well, George Bush 2 put my Republican myth to rest. Even though I voted for him, twice, I can’t say that I was behind him. Remember, the lesser of two evils. I respected his position. I supported our troops once they were there, but I never thought the invasion of Iraq was a good idea. Nevertheless, this Republican president and congress eroded my freedoms with the Patriot Act and robbed me with the extraordinary amount of discretionary spending initiated in order to buy votes and supposidly save the economy. It’s disgusting! No wonder the Republicans lost the house and senate. What were they thinking?

So what makes sense? Neither party seems to address the issues of hard working, productive citizens. Neither party cares about those who generate prosperity and take care of their own. What about us? Why doesn’t our vote count? Is it because we’re becoming the minority?

Just in case anyone is listening, here’s what I look for in a candidate:

1.      Leave me alone. Please, get out of my way, I’m busy. Don’t enact laws, facilitate regulations, or entrench bureaucracies that slow me down or take the wind out of my sails. Like I said, I’m busy. I have important business to tend.

2.      Get to the point. Stop speaking lawyer. You know, that language where lots of expressive words come out of your mouth but nothing is said. Start speaking regular mo. It might require a trip to Wal-Mart, or Target if the great unwashed are too unbearable. Buying a week’s worth of groceries might be in order, or maybe filling your own tank of gas. How about living the life of a typical mom of four for a week, filled with laundry, meals, driving, husbandly duties, and see how much lawyer you’re up to digesting. I suspect lawyer is spoken on purpose, so no one can understand what’s being said. That brings me to my next request.

3.      Learn to love the truth. It’s a beautiful thing. Like the sign on my cubicle once read, NO BULL----! What do you think we are, stupid? We just aren’t that interested in power. We’re too busy being productive. It’s okay to make and learn from your mistakes. In fact, to me, that’s a sign of great wisdom. Go for it! I know you can do it if you choose to.

4.      Stop trying to fix things. Like every good mom knows, you can’t fix everything. Stop trying, it just makes people weak and dependent. Wait, maybe that’s what you want since it means they’ll vote for whoever perpetuates the gravy train. Ah, that power thing again. Let it fail. Life’s greatest lessons come from surviving the worst it offers.

5.      Stop taking what’s rightfully mine. I work very hard. I do without in order to provide for those I care for. I live a prudent life, planning for a rainy day. I don’t expect others to go out of their way to help me, but I try to be of help when possible. It feels good. I am a good person who follows all the rules and I’m tired of paying for my success. When do I get to enjoy the fruits of my labors? Didn’t any of you read Henny Penny? I did all the work, at least let me decide how I redistribute my own wealth!

6.      It’s none of your business. That’s right, you don’t need to know where I shop, who I hang out with, what I do behind closed doors, what I do to my body, where I spend my money, who I pray to, who I marry, or who I vote for. Stop trying to get me to behave in a particular way. I am who I am. Again, as any good mom knows, people are who they are. Leave us alone!

7.      Let the process work. Our founding fathers set up a remarkable system of government. Stop fiddling with it and just let it work. For instance, the Constitution is not a living, breathing entity, it’s a piece of paper that spells out some rules. If a necessary rule isn't there, you need to add it with an amendment. It’s nifty how those founding fathers provided a release valve. If a law was passed that breaks one of the rules, the courts need to deem the law unconstitutional. If the Constitution doesn’t address an issue, then the legislature needs to do its job and pass a law.

These are just a few of my rants, but when my 15-year old daughter asks me what country we’re moving to, I need to vent. The oligarchy entwining Washington and Wall Street is corrupt and toxic. It’s time for us to pay attention and take action. Any suggestions?

Why Bother with Defining "Good Guys?"

Before I could figure out how to steer my kids to adulthood, I had to first define the result – a “good guy.” What makes someone a “good guy?” Are there really good guys and bad guys or does moral relativism prevail? Am I simply being a judgmental bigot by framing my existence in such terms or can I really tell the difference between right and wrong? Does a moral foundation really matter, let alone exist?

What Makes a “Good Guy” Good?

In coming up with what constituted a good guy, I thought about my favorite people and what I liked about them. This resulted in a list that hung on my refrigerator door for years. I kept refining the list so it would get to the simplest underlying precepts. It synthesized into tidbits like:

Lots of goodies in there. Who wouldn’t love a teacher with that perspective?

Does your teenager calling a classmate her frienemy appall you? Look to your own social life to see if a nemesis keeps popping up in conversation, let alone in your behavior. Again, they will do as you do. Do you drink? Smoke? Eat poorly? Flit from honey to honey? Lack follow-through? Lose your temper? Gossip? Whatever your vice, your children are taking notes.

 The Goal of Parenthood

While feeling the crush of responsibility as a new mother, I pondered what my goals were as a parent. There were the obvious feeding, clothing, and sheltering of my children, but once I met those needs what came next? I initially thought that keeping my children happy was the next most important responsibility. Wrong! I knew enough about myself to know that true happiness came from within, so taking on that task on would be futile.

Then I thought the most important thing I could do for my children was to give them every imaginable experience. That led to mountains of unused educational toys, dance and music lessons, nature school, soccer, summer camps, play dates, dress-ups, and story times at the library – you get the picture. Each of you has your own list. I found this led to a stressed family with over-booked kids who didn’t know how to entertain themselves. Certainly, that couldn’t be a goal of parenting.

Like the good student and professional that I was before children, I was on a quest to be the best mom ever. After lots of soul searching, self-help book reading, and discussions with fellow moms, I still needed to figure out the ultimate goal of parenting. If it wasn't making my kids happy, giving them what they wanted, or providing them with every imaginable experience, then what was my prime directive?

It took my second daughter to alter my frame of reference. After identifying some medical and learning issues, I urgently had to zero in on what was the goal of parenting this particular kid. There was nothing like a child with challenges to change my focus, and then it finally hit me. It was so simple. My goal as a parent was to produce adults who could function and succeed in the world. The rest would just naturally fall into place, because without being functional, how would they ever be happy? They need to know how to take care of themselves and their families, have friends, and live responsibly in the world around them – in a nutshell, to be one of the good guys.