The Perfect World

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It was a joy to see President Obama doing his appearance on David Letterman last night.  “You don’t always get what you want….but you try sometimes…..” the song goes.  President Obama seemed to be waxing poetic and nostalgic, answering questions about what happens after the election of 2016.  President Obama talked a bit about Baltimore, The Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement and the sad departure of Letterman from Late Night television.  He seemed hopeful that maybe enough has happened in our society that systemic change can be a possibility when it comes to enforcement of laws in minority neighborhoods. We are not so sure.  He also seemed hopeful that people will understand that because 95% of global trade comes from out of this country, that we need the TPP to get on a level basis.  We are not so sure.  The President says he looks forward to enjoying more time with the family after he leaves the Whitehouse.  We are not to sure of that either.

One thing is for sure:  If anyone is like us and are stuck watching old episodes of Dragnet – we know what Community Policing “used to be”!  The rhetorical question is simply this:  “Do you know a police officer personally?”  If you do know them, party with them, invite them over to the house for Barbeque and beer – which city are they employed in?  The chances are that if you know a police officer or county sheriff that is out on the street protecting society – they probably live “elsewhere”.  For example;  How many Newport Beach Sworn Officers – around 220 live in the City of Newport Beach?  Seven is the answer and they are Administrative types.  Where do they live?  They live in Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Irvine, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Los Angeles County – with most living in Riverside and San Bernardino County.  When officers are not your neighbors and you don’t them or their family members, don’t have kids that go to school together, don’t belong to the same service clubs, churches or community organizations – there is a natural disconnect.  To make it simple what does a beach kid surfer have in common with motorcycle rider in San Berdo?

The reasons why Police and Fire Safety people do not live in their own cities is simply economic.  If a rookie cop earns $40,000 a year how could he possibly get married, buy a house and raise two kids in Newport Beach on that salary?  In fact, our whole region has suffered from this problem for many years.  Police and Fire Unions keep the elected people they want in office, but can never make enough to afford living in the various communities that need their socialability and influence, by living in the communities they serve.  Perhaps, we need State Laws that require at least 40% of all Public Safety people employed by any city – to live in that city that they serve?    The arguments against this included the “so called” safety of the officers and their families.  The argument says:  “If gang members don’t know where we live – our families will be safer!”  “If some nut case wants to shoot me – he won’t be able to find me!”  Good arguments?  This the discussion we need to confront in every city in the United States.  Simply, how effective would a Community Watch Program be with an off duty cop or one of their family members partcipating?

The Second issue of the Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement comes down to simply this:  “Where will Big Pharma and Big Agra and Big Chemical dump their GMO Wheat, Soy and Corn?”  In order for these products to be forced down the throats of the Chinese and the Japanese – we have send over our Middle Class well paying jobs.  Plain and simple, The Europeans refuse our GMO products our of hand and with no compunctions.  Everyone is catching on.  People are tired of eating 10 year old Girl Scout Cookies – with heavy doses of chemical and preservatives that make everything into Hostess Twinkees!  There are no expiration dates on these products, the bread does not turn green anymore – the crackers never get stale or fall apart – the bake goods will last for 10 years, until the cardboard box falls apart due to moisture.  People want Organic!  People do not want Diet Pepsi to remove the Aspartame and replace it with the dreaded yellow Splenda artificial sweeter – that everyone knows causes Cancer.  Aspartame causes Stroke and Dementia and Splenda causes Pancreatic Cancer.  How bad is it?  So bad that McDonalds says; “We have taken the pesticides out of our products!”  The hamburger buns are still phony but don’t contain pesticides?  Great!  Rumors?  They may be, but many that have been following the studies and health problems associated may not be unjustly convinced – that they are only rumors!  The TPP exposes our awful realities to the world, that our food supply is suspect, if not unsafe to the health of human beings.

The United States has the formost advanced research in Nano Technology.  China, India, Korea and Japan want that!   The United States could produce a totally Environmental non-petroleum solar-turbine vehicle in five years.  These vehicles could be used throughout the world and never need another gallon of gas – ever.  China, India, Korea and Japan want those too!  The truth of the matter is that Solar Powered Desalination Plants could be put up all over our planet.  The Manufacture, Design and Production would never require another drop of Coal or any Petroleum Products.  China, India, Korean and Japan want these too!  They want those jobs – the jobs that pay the big money and a livable wage for their citizens.  The United States has the ability to create DNA Research that will eradicate all cancer, heart disease and repair all heredity based illness and disease.  China, India, Korea and Japan want those jobs too!  These pay-offs to Big Agra are well worth having to take U.S. GMO Soy, Wheat and Corn Products these countries believe.  These pay-offs are well worth taking Big Chemical’s products which will pollute their ground, ruin their water supply and make them forever dependent on Monsanto.  These pay-offs to participants in the TPP are wrong.  This is being designed as a Hobson’s Choice “You are screwed if you do or screwed if you don’t.” We do not believe that.  We need to stop TPP and take a long look into what type of future we want for our children.  We need to stop TPP and look deep into what jobs we want for the people of the United States.  We may even need to see what robotic police and fire safety officers might look like in a few years.  We cannot let these high paying jobs go to China, India, Korea and Japan – in exchange for us sending them our worthless GMO crops!  What other concessions will they make?  We want the complete list.  We want to see what banks are going to move to these markets.  We want to see where U.S. Corporations are going to stash more untaxable profits and income before we ever buy off on TPP.  Let China start their own banking system and they can learn more about boom and bust up close and personal.

Finally, what will President Obama do after he leaves office?  We hope a lot.  We hope he does more than hang out with Bill and Melinda Gates and talk up how many cases of Ebola were diagnosed and cured in Africa.  We hope he does more than hang out with Warren Buffet at the Aspen Institute…..waxing poetic about what happened to the world economic system and why our kids are still obese, even though we have beaten back 50% of GMO development.  As Conservative Republicans, we voted for you Mr. President – both times.  We knew that the other choices – were not choices at all.  We knew we wanted a new fresh deck and a new dealer.  Honestly, we can say that you have done an amazing job in the face of people pushing seaweed against the tide.  The world has changed, people have changed and our lives are more complicated because we know more about our planet.   This has happened because you have done a good job choosing the right people in spite of the cast of characters and aspertions against everything you have attemped to do.  Thank you so much for making these efforts in spite of all the adversity.  Let your legacy sir be exactly that:  “He led in the face of adversity!”  Nice job on Letterman, Mr. President!