It seems as if everything that is done is done for a political reasons and not because they really care about those who are struggling just to get food and shelter or because they care about the environment or that the banks and big corporations are ruining our country. Why? Because they are owned by the big corporations and are beholden to them. Something is terribly wrong with this country.
In full disclosure, I am an ardent Democrat. While not a Democrat Bernie Sanders is my hero! Elizabeth Warren is my heroine! I care about what happens to my neighbors, the environment, the economy and many other things, It should not matter if my representative is a democrat or a republican they should listen to me and others who contact them. We are not stupid. We follow the issues and have valid opinions but little of that seems to matter once they get elected. Republicans stick to their issues and in my opinion do a great deal of harm to our society. Democrats on the other hand are weak willed and afraid to stand up for the values of their party. While many of these folks are really good people they are not responsive to their constituents.
A good case in point is Senator Susan Collins. If you call her office to ask her to vote for or against an issue and want to know where she stands on an issue this is the response you get from her office. "I am sorry the Senator has not made a public statement on the issue." if you ask when she might let her views be known so we would know whether or not to support her position or urge her to vote a different way you get the same answer. "I am sorry but the Senator has not made a public statement on the issue." By the time she has made a public statement the votes have been taken and our voice was totally discounted and not heard at all.
On the opposite side Representative Chellie Pingree's office is very open about her positions and they will actually have an intelligent conversation with you.
On the state level a state senator, who is no longer there, thank God, refused to even answer emails or return phone calls. Of all the times I have contacted him I received two responses and one was a question about an issue as he was not familiar with and it was coming up for a vote! I was able to give him the information he needed.
The same is true at the local level. Members of the Town Council have their preconceived ideas so firmly in their heads that they do not welcome any input that may differ from theirs.
So now in Windham we are updating the comprehensive plan and that needs to be done. There will be two meetings for the public to have input and there is an online survey and these are good things. But in the end a document will be written with nice language and adopted and then it will sit on some shelf gathering dust and elected and appointed officials will forget it exists just as they have done with the present one and go their own way and again the public's views will be forgotten.
So you can see that I am very disillusioned with government in general. Now I am getting on in age and will probably not be around to see the devastation of our environment and the worsening struggles of the poor and middle class because of the widening income inequality but I care about what my children and grandchildren and great grandchildren will have to face and unless we make serious changes to the political process I feel we are doomed. We are no longer the innovative society that we once were. We are falling further and further behind other countries in education, health care and many other issues. Racism has certainly reared its head and I would hate to be a young black man living in this country at this time. Our President, whether you agree or disagree with him, is treated with disrespect and hatred because he is black Terrible things have been said to him and about him. I really thought we were better than that.
Thank God, there are still some caring people who will try and feed the homeless, unless they get arrested for doing that, who will help folks winterize their home and provide fuel either in wood or oil, who will support food pantries, run soup kitchens and try and stop pipelines and save the environment. But we are too big and it takes the government to step in and help.
Well enough of this rant but everything I said is important and I care deeply about our country and our state and I am sorry that elected officials are so blind to the real problems we face. I am usually a very optimistic person but I have to say that I do not feel very optimistic at this point in time.
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