Where is the Leadership in the USA?

Consider the following threats to our survival:

• Our country is in a severe recession, people have lost their jobs, homes, or are in fear of both.
• Our $13.8 trillion deficit is a noose around ours and future generations' fiscal neck.
• We import over 70% of our oil/gas, thus causing runaway pricing and security issues.
• Our manufacturing jobs and many white collar jobs are outsourced to other countries.
• Our schools rank 16th in the world in academic competitions.
• We have a 25-30% drop out rate.
• Politicians are caught up in their own fundraising, whatever they need to do to get re-elected.

Let's hear your thoughts of what we need to do to make this country great for All again, not just the few!

WHO'S LOBBYING FOR US?

In the wake of lobbying scandals in Washington involving Jack Abramoff, it brings to the forefront the way in which business is done on the Hill.

"Do us this favor with our lobby constituency and we'll fly you to Bora Bora for a weekend vacation, or contribute thousands to your campaign."

What ever happened to a government "of the people, by the people?" Instead it seems like it is now a government for the guys with the bags of cash.

This another reason why campaign reform is necessary. How about giving anyone that runs for office, after obtaining a certain amount of signatures, the same amount of money for their campaign. This takes away the wealthiest getting all the air time, and the importance of raising oodles of cash.

Lastly, if lobbyists are so important, what about a lobby for the Average Joe, The Average Guy lobby, TAG. This lobby would work to help protect the rights of the middle class, the constituency that is getting eaten away slowly by vacating jobs and cost of living from greedy companies like the oil companies.

What do you think? Speak up, TELL THE TRUTHUSA.

CARS GET 250 MPG!

Backyard mechanics have been able to retrofit existing hybrid technologies to get up to 250 mpg, by using innovative battery technologies and "plugging in" to precharge the batteries. These people were able to develop these cars using modest personal budgets and commercially available parts.

From the Associated Press:

CORTE MADERA, Calif. (AP) -- Politicians and automakers say a car that can both reduce greenhouse gases and free America from its reliance on foreign oil is years or even decades away. Ron Gremban says such a car is parked in his garage.

It looks like a typical Toyota Prius hybrid, but in the trunk sits an 80-miles-per-gallon secret - a stack of 18 brick-sized batteries that boosts the car's high mileage with an extra electrical charge so it can burn even less fuel.

Gremban, an electrical engineer and committed environmentalist, spent several months and $3,000 tinkering with his car.

The real question is, why can't Detroit develop or EMBRACE this innovation? The cold reality is presented in the final paragraphs:

Instead, Frank said, automakers promise hydrogen-powered vehicles hailed by President Bush and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, even though hydrogen's backers acknowledge the cars won't be widely available for years and would require a vast infrastructure of new fueling stations.

"They'd rather work on something that won't be in their lifetime, and that's this hydrogen economy stuff," Frank said. "They pick this kind of target to get the public off their back, essentially."

IMHO, the real reason behind the obvious anti-hybrid slant is that Bush and his oil baron buddies know full well that oil will be a dying business in the very near future. Their next energy monopoly: hydrogen gas stations. It would be way too easy for the American consumer to plug their car into a standard household outlet, that has power provided by a regulated industry. Instead, complex hydrogen distribution systems built on the infrastructure of the major refineries will be slowly rolled out, most likely with tax incentives paid for by the consumer and double-dipped with higher oil prices today.

What do you think is going on? What can be done about it? Speak the TRUTH USA!

Tell The TRUTHUSA! 

Jackson Verdict , California Dreamin'!

Michael Jackson NOT GUILTY, that seems to be a common verdict in the California hi profile celebrity cases.

What is it with this DA office? It seems to me that before bringing theses cases to trial and wasting the taxpayers' money, the DA would make sure there was a case that they could win beyond a reasonable doubt.

Or, maybe the lawyers involved see it as a way to get in the spotlight, for their 15+ minutes of fame.

What are your thoughts, Speakout, Tell the TruthUSA!

Living in the "Age of Anonymity"

Is America today, the America you heard about growing up? Is the American Dream still possible? Or, are we living in the Age of Anonymity, where every city is starting to look the same?

Chain stores have robbed America of Mom and Pop stores that used to dot the country. To me, these Mom and Pop stores, from hardware stores, grocery stores to restaurants and retail stores, are what made the American Dream. People in these stores used to know you by name. Conversely, today, you are lucky if you can find a live body for customer service. You are relatively anonymous in the retail environment, relegated to a number.

Furthermore, the local stores that these chains have put out of business, forced the former owners to take hourly wage jobs. Stores that took generations to build, supporting multiple generations wiped out by a Big Box store, who will leave the town at the drop of a hat.

Is this progress? What do you think, Speak the TruthUSA!

Energy and Bush's Legacy

Why is the most powerful country on Earth still being held captive by foreign countries with regard to natural resources, specifically oil? It seems to me that we should be able to develop our own natural or synthetic substitute. The car has been around for almost 100 years!

We have sent a man to the Moon but we haven't weened ourselves from foreign oil. Something is wrong with this picture. Could it be that big business doesn't want this to happen?

Speaking of sending a man to the Moon. JFK's legacy was the prioritization of exploring space. A terrific legacy for Bush would be to free us from the shackles of foreign oil, and to challenge companies to come up with a viable alternative fuel source, whether it comes from crops or fuel cells.

Tell the Truth! What do you think and how can we accomplish this?