Why aren't we addressing Wall St. and banking reforms before we take on the Environment or Health Care? If Wall St. isn't reformed and legislated why do we think anything we do on the other fronts will amount to anything but profits by those willing to game the system. Goldman Sachs is kind of the poster child for making the rich richer while absorbing no added regulation or accountability. Now we are looking at forcing 40 million more Americans to buy health insurance or pay fines, with no fix or restrictions on financial markets. Then we top that by inventing a new derivative commodity market based on the permission to pollute. This is the solution that will save America?...who exactly is selling that to the American Public? I remember deregulation in California of the utilities. We were supposed have better service and lower fees what we got was Enron and skyrocketing fees and cutoffs from service. Is that where this nation is headed? We watched our hydro plants closed and left to rust. Those were environmentally sane approaches to energy?
Obama was elected President. Gray Davis was re-elected Governor after Enron, but we now have Schwartzenhegger. It's up to us to redirect. I agree in a way Obama shouldn't be given any pass. He should have to explain every move. As should Arnold. He's been governor how long? Who's responsible for the mess California is in now?
I myself have a problem with tobacco being seen as the great modern evil. Tobacco helped shaped this nation economically, tobacco is legal substance. Tobacco users pay taxes, pay higher insurance premiums and die younger and support valuable social programs. My mother smoked and gave birth to four healthy children. My father was issued cigarettes while fighting WWII and the Korea conflict. Why not just make it illegal and get over it? It's more socially acceptable to snort today and it's not taxed.
