State of the Union

Statements are Bush’s words or paraphrase. Bullets are my commentary.

We should make tax cuts permanent.
Who is paying for the tax cuts? We are approving sending tax rebates, but we have to borrow money to fund the rebates.

I will veto any bill that raises taxes.
All of President Bush’s defense spending has increased taxes.

I will cut bloated programs and balance the budget by 2012.
The budget WAS balanced was President Bush took office. It hasn’t been balanced since then.

Some people say they are willing to pay higher taxes. I am happy to report that the IRS accepts checks and money orders.
Boy, the president is sure a comedian tonight.

Congress should openly debate any earmarks instead of allowing hidden spending.
Okay, this is actually fair.

Bush wants Congress to reform health care.
Fat chance. He wants a Democratic Congress to make new policy that goes against what the leading Democratic candidates for president support.

We must trust students to learn when given the chance. No Child Left Behind – no one can deny its results. Scores are on the rise. African American and Hispanic students posted all-time highs. Now we must increase accountability, increase flexibility for states and districts. NCLB is succeeding and we owe it to children and teachers to strengthen this good law.
States are running away from it. Teachers and teacher associations do not support it. What is he talking about?

White House summit to strengthen non-public school options. $300 million program of grants to help “liberate poor children trapped in failing public schools.”
I thought Bush was going to veto any new taxes? Maybe he’s going to lower federal funding to public education to pay for private education.

Increase tariffs on foreign goods.
This was a miserable failure in the past. Check out President Taft and the Hawley-Smoot Tariff.

It’s always funny to watch when half of Congress stands to applaud and the other half remains seated. The whole State of the Union is an antiquated, overdone fiasco. I actually started yelling at the television.

Government should help American workers learn new skills and find new jobs.
Are we going to ask people to do this for free or is this going to require increased funding (ie. Taxes)?

Reduce dependence on oil. Fund new technologies to generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions.
This is still fossil fuel NOT alternative energy.

Help developing nations make greater use of clean energy sources.
China is already better at using renewable energy sources than the US in terms of automobiles.

Slow, stop and reverse the flow of greenhouse gasses.
Did Bush just say global warming is for real?

No economy should get a free ride with helping the environment, energy, climate change, etc.
The US didn’t sign the Kyoto Protocol. We are the problem as far as the world is concerned and Bush is acting like we are the solution and leader in finding new, creative ways to solve these problems.

We need to double federal support for research in physical sciences.
Oh yeah, this doesn’t cost money either. Bush won’t approve new taxes, but he wants Congress to fund his pet projects. Then he’ll veto it because there is no money available. This is crap.

Pass legislation that bans unethical medical practices. Buying, selling or cloning of human life. He also patted himself on the back for stem cell vs. skin cell use.
Moral/ethical mumbo jumbo.

Faith-based volunteer organizations need federal support.
I’m not sure what he’s talking about here.

Reaffirm pledge to help rebuild in Gulf Coast. Host North American Conference in New Orleans.
Good sound bite; doesn’t mean much. We do have a war in Iraq don’t we? It’s been 30 minutes and he hasn’t mentioned it yet.

Immigration. Secure the borders. Increase work-site enforcement, fences, end catch-and-release. Double border patrol agents. Must create a lawful way for foreign workers to come here and support our economy. Illegal immigration must be dealt with by upholding our laws and our highest ideals.
Does this mean he doesn’t want to kick out illegal immigrants? Uh-oh…he’d better call the leading Republican nominees for president.

9:34 and President Bush still hasn’t mentioned Iraq. Oh there it was in passing at 9:35. THIS IS THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE FOR AMERICANS. AT LEAST IT SHOULD BE.

We will stay on the offense and we will deliver justice to our enemies.
Bush doesn’t sound nearly as confident as in past years. What happened to we will prevail and we are winning?

“We are spreading the hope of freedom.”
I think this is a “nice” way of saying the United States is invading the world.

Afghanistan is a success story of American nation-building. Adding 3,200 Marines to forces in Afghanistan.
If we’re doing so well there, why do we need more troops in a country that we’ve been in since 2001? I thought the country was freely voting and working and living – that’s what the president said 30 seconds earlier.

Surge of American forces in Iraq. New mission by working with Iraqi forces to deny enemy sanctuary. Those who were worried about America preparing to abandon them so forces flowing into their country, their neighborhoods. Our military and civilians have the gratitude of our whole nation.
Extremely broad and general statements about what is defining our success followed by something that everyone has to clap for. Of course, all Americans support those serving in the military, but that does not have to mean a support for the war or Bush’s policy.

Anbar Awakening.
I just read about this. There is a lot of concern b/c the US is training regular Iraqis to use their own weapons. There is significant tension between Sunni and Shiite groups in Iraq b/c we are training the group that never had power under Saddam Hussein and there is belief that when the US leaves, the majority power will retaliate against the minority.

I’m glad the presidential candidates made it for the State of the Union. It’s annoying that active members of Congress take off for months and months and don’t vote because of campaigning.

Al-Qaeda is on the run in Iraq and this enemy will be defeated.
Al-Qaeda wasn’t even in Iraq at all when the war in Iraq started. We are now getting an enemy on the run that didn’t exist when we invaded the country. This is fake victory. Maybe we should have thought this out a bit better in the beginning.

Implementing a policy of return on success. Surge forces are beginning to come home. Bush then speaks to servicemen and women directly. We make you a pledge. You will have all you need to protect our nation.
Another empty applause-getter. Where was this promise BEFORE sending the troops so they could have body armor and armored personnel carriers?

Fully fund our troops.
More borrowing. He won’t approve taxes, but he wants to keep upping spending. I agree that we can’t underfund troops already deployed, but he’s sending two very different messages.

In the coming months, 20,000+ troops coming home. Further drawdown will be based on conditions in Iraq and recommendations of our commanders. Danger of withdrawing too quickly. We must not allow this to happen.
Thinly veiled jab at Democratic Congress, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Sunni, Shia and Kurds are coming together.
This isn’t true. Kurds want an independent state; no one, including the US, has any interest in doing this. Government is still dominated by 1 ethnic group – albeit the opposite of the group of Hussein.
Repeated rhetoric of a “free’ Iraq from 2002/2003. It’s like he is trying to re-justify why the war in Iraq is happening. Most of the assertions have already been proven false.

Extremism in the Holy Land. We have new cause for hope. Palestinians have elected a president who will confront terror. Israel also wants a peaceful Palestinian state. Bush will help achieve a peace agreement that defines a Palestinian state by the end of this year with a democratic Israel and democratic Palestine.
Bush is making a last-ditch effort to preserve something positive in the Middle East. It’s been conflict since 1946 in this area and Bush, of all people, will fix it? Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton got close; I don’t know that Bush can be the one.

Iran. Threat to peace in the Holy Land. Still developing nuclear technology. Message to the people of Iran – we respect your traditions and history and we look forward to the day you have your freedom. Message to leaders – come clean about nuclear intentions, stop oppression, cease support for terror. America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies and we will defend our precious interests in the Persian Gulf.
This is a threat plain and simple. This can’t go well.

Protect our homeland. No attacks on our soil since 9/11.
This is a success, no question and maybe a bit surprising given the way things seemed on 9/11.
Bush made a somewhat confusing statement about legislation that is going to expire on Friday. I think it relates to wiretapping without warrants, but he doesn’t come out and say it. I wonder why.

America opposes genocide in Sudan. We support freedom in Cuba, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Burma.
Wow, way to go out on a limb. Why not do something about it instead of more rhetoric?

Millenium Challenge Account. Fully fund this initiative.
More funding w/o offering new revenue or cuts to find cash for it.

Purchase crops directly from farmers in the developing world.
Isn’t this outsourcing? This is exactly what Bush said we wouldn’t do for industrial production. We should buy corn from India instead of the American west? What is he talking about?

Approve $30 billion of funding to fight HIV/AIDS globally.
First of all, NBC cut to a black woman and child for the AIDS comments.
Second, $30 billion more with no taxes allowed.

Meet the needs of veterans from a new war and a new generation. We have a responsibility to provide for military spouses and families. Transfer unused education benefits to spouses or children, access to child care, etc.
He’s finally trying to help the people who have been suffering since going to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. I support this concept, I just wonder why it’s taken until 2008.

He’s talking about “We the people.”
Good. End your speech by talking about great Americans who accomplished lasting legacies. Not a bad tactic although he fumbled over the Articles of Confederation.

The New Hampshire Debates

Here are some of my observations after watching nearly 4 hours of debate coverage last night.

Republican Debate:

• Most of the Republicans completely discount Ron Paul with derision and laughter whenever he talks and by ignoring anything he says that has legitimate value.
• Mitt Romney talks in circles and refused to answer questions directly. I found myself yelling at the TV whenever he spoke.
• Rudy Giuliani also ignores questions and takes them in his own direction whenever he can.
• Mitt Romney advocates kicking out all 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the United States but could not offer any viable way to achieve such a mandate. The other candidates, namely McCain and Giuliani, seem to support kicking out any illegal immigrant found guilty of committing a crime but support fines and eventual citizenship for other illegal immigrants already here.
• Ron Paul, who used to be registered as a Libertarian, is primarily focused on the economic basis for everything. He supports getting rid of welfare altogether and leaving Iraq so the money can be redistributed elsewhere. He is far and away the main Republican candidate among 18-29 year olds on Facebook polling, perhaps because of these positions.
• Romney doesn't shut up.
• Fred Thompson specifically called out the National Education Association (of which I am a member) as a liberal interest group that needs to go away.
• McCain sent quite a few barbs at Romney, maybe too many to come across as the right choice.
• Romney and Giuliani want to increase the size of the military dramatically. They do not mention where they'll get new recruits from. They also want to decrease the size of the civilian forces supporting the military.

Democratic Debate:

• Bill Richardson sounded like a fool when talking about Pakistan.
• Barack Obama and John Edwards teamed up against Hillary Clinton. I smell the beginning of posturing for a President/Vice President ticket.
• Richardson turned out to be the funniest, most entertaining of the candidates. He also talked a few times about the importance of education, the need to pay teachers more, and the need to get rid of No Child Left Behind.
• Obama writes with his left hand.
• Edwards came across as the most passionate, but he did eventually get repetitive about how his family has had to work sooooo hard for sooooo long and therefore he is a champion of the working class. This may be true, but like every other candidate, he is in the upper class.
• Clinton comes across negative even when she's right and on target due to her tone of voice and facial expressions.
• Richardson talked about the need for public sacrifice to overcome difficult economic and diplomatic times. This is a big risk, but he is right and most candidates ignore the issue of telling us how we'll have to pay for whatever is going to happen down the road. He mentioned forgiving 2 years of college loans for anyone who agrees to 1 year of public service.
• Richardson talked about making his cabinet up of Democratcs, Republicans and Independents.
• Edwards licks his lips weirdly.
• Obama mentioned the work sacrifice when talking about the energy crisis.
• Clinton was the only one willing to say the big R word (recession).

2007: Year in Review

My second annual year in review:

January

• Completed the Diner Dash with Ali. We visited a diner in each of New Jersey's 21 counties.
• Made a presentation to a Bucks County, PA People to People delegation traveling to Japan.
• Began month 5 of my suspension.

February

• Accepted the position of Assistant Band Director and Drill Designer at Hopewell Valley Central High School for the fall of 2007.
• Was reinstated at Ridge High School to begin on March 1 after six months off.

March

• Returned to Ridge High School.
• Toured the Lamington Slave Cemetery in Bedminster after reading an article about it in The Star-Ledger.
• Ran (unsuccessfully) for Vice President of the Bernards Township Education Association.
• Made a presentation to Ridge's Japan Club about my experiences.
• Applied for a program to travel to Korea, similar to the Japan program (I did not get it.)

April

• Accepted to the Living Without Freedom conference in Philadelphia sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
• Visited Gettsysburg with Ali.
• Accepted position as Bernards Township Education Association's Health and Safety chairperson.
• Began internships with social studies supervisor and Ridge assistant principal to finish up my Master's degree.
• First Hopewell Valley Marching Band rehearsal ever.
• Adopted Tomato (Tommy).

May

• Attended the Living Without Freedom conference in Philadelphia.
• My male kitten Tomato turned out to be pregnant. He/she returned to the shelter for foster care through the pregnancy/birth (and stayed there afterwards).

June

• Found out I'd be going to Japan in 2008 with People to People.
• Was told I could not return to any extracurricular positions at Ridge. Began looking for a new job.
• Flew to Florida for a Japan reunion weekend with Roger, Karen and Rachel.
• Completed the year (and it turned out, my career) at Ridge.

July

• Completed my Master's degree in Educational Administration from the University of Scranton.
• Finished my first (and only) season as Visual Caption Head at Spirit of Newark/New Jersey.
• Served as a teacher/counselor for two weeks at Camp Bridge at Ridge High School.
• Traveled to Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and England with People to People.
• Accepted a position teaching social studies at Montgomery High School.

August

• Completed the trip to Europe.
• Taught the Hopewell Valley Central band camp and Montgomery band camp and spent 1 day at Park Ridge's camp to see the drill on the field.
• Attended Opie & Anthony's Traveling Virus show at PNC Bank Arts Center.

September

• Began my tenure at Montgomery High School.
• Back to being busy with teaching, judging and marching band.
• 1 year since Ali and I met for coffee that first time.
• Took Ali and my Mom to a Yankees game.
• Judged Westminister (MD), Whitehall (PA) and Voorhees (NJ).

October

• Judged Maryland State Championships.
• Successfully completed the first season of the Hopewell Valley Marching Band.

November

• Attended Ali's senior recital.
• Went to see the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City with Ali, Allie and Matt.
• Began a basketball pep band at Montgomery just like I did at Ridge.
• Accepted into and attended the Nathanael Greene Liberty Fellowship.
• Saw Ali perform her favorite piece of music at NJPAC.

December

• Saw Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Philly with Ali.
• Agreed to write Kearny High School's drill in 2008 (along with Park Ridge and Hopewell Valley).
• P2P social event at a museum in New Brunswick with about half of the 2008 group that is going to Japan.
• Saw friend/old roommate Dave perform in a reunion show with his band.
• Began Holiday Hike '07 with Ali.

Holiday Hike - Day 11

The final day!

We got up a little after 8am for the light continental, hotel breakfast and then a short drive to the Monticello visitor center. We took our time going through the in-depth exhibit describing Thomas Jefferson's life, especially in relation to Monticello, and then decided to get on the road.

We stopped to return our last audio book to Cracker Barrel and had lunch in the parking lot, some leftover pizza from the previous night's hotel dinner. Other than bathroom/gas stops, we drove straight and smooth from Charlottesville all the way back to Princeton where I dropped Ali off and we ended the Holiday Hike.

We never got the final few states, but we'll still put Holiday Hike '07 down in the records as a success in line with Diner Dash '06.

Any suggestions for '08?

Civil War Cruise...Yankee Yuletide...Midwest Madness...European Excitement...South American Sojourn. We are open for ideas.