I'm Back ~ Happy New Year!

I had to take a break from blogging for a while as I just didn't have the time! This year I am making one New Year's Resolution and that is to blog more! There is going to be a lot to blog about this year and I want to share my insight to those who care to read it.

I really am an optimistic person and I would like to say my glass is always half full rather than half empty. This New Years day is exciting! In 20 days we will finally have a President I am proud to call President again! President elect Obama inspired so many people to get involved in politics and thank goodness for that because we need every one to be active and engaged and involved. Getting Obama elected was the first step, now we must support his agenda in order to turn this country around, we must work together.

As optimistic as I want to feel this New Years Day, I pick up my paper and the front line above the fold reads, "Phoenix unveils targets for cuts. Budget victims may include city staff, seniors and homeless." The article goes on to talk about the recession and tough decisions our City Council members MUST make. Phoenix is not alone in the budget cuts. I was in California for Christmas and they were debating what cuts they must make just to make payroll. As much as I want to feel optimistic, I also want to be realistic, and all signs indicate that things will get worst before they get better and we have not seen the tip of the iceberg. What we need now is leadership not pointing fingers.

My prediction at the state level is the Republican controlled legislature will blame the departing Governor. They will spin that the Governor created the mess we are in. I have a saying that I find comfort in, "it is what it is." The first step in solving a problem is to accepting that there is a problem. Pointing fingers does not produce results. Who will emerge as leaders this legislative session? We all need to accept the fact that our current system of partisan politics does not serve us well. We must work across party lines and work with each other not against each other. The leaders that emerge will not make everyone happy including myself. I am a democrat but I am a rational democrat.

My challenge for all this year is to look for solutions and embrace change. We survived 8 years of George W. Bush so we can survive the economic melt down but we need to brace ourselves for a wild ride. I am hopeful the debate on National Health Care will begin and it will not be single payer. It will involve private and public partnerships, I am hoping we can adopt a Medicare model with modifications and give aways to the pharmaceutical industry must stop but there still needs to be funding for research and development. As for what we can do about health care we have to start with us and living a healthy lifestyle, and popping pills is not health care, eating well and exercising is something we can do ourselves. I am hopeful that the Employee Free Choice Act will move forward but I am realistic that it will not pass the way it is currently written. We need to address the environment and we all need to make changes starting by looking at how we can all do more to drive less and recycle more.

One of my favorite quotes from Obama is, "ordinary people can do extraordinary things." Let's all aim for extraordinary in 2009! Yes we can!