Referendum Shmeferendum

I'm sitting at my office on the Albion Headlands gazing at the great blue Pacific ocean. The Albion river runs east as I look over my right shoulder. The sun is shining, after a weekend of nurturing rain. I am eating delicious Indian samosas and parmesan stuffed mushrooms from the Albion Store and a cup chai of tea, From the Mendocino Tea company with whom I share the office space. Blessed doesn't' really describe my position in life. It is truly a treasure and I am fully aware of my privilege to be here. I am a free woman in paradise.

I daily exercise and fight for my rights and for those less fortunate than I, because With privilege comes responsibility to make the world a better place. At least that's my moral imperative.

I was, as you know, optimistic about the elections, thinking that the progressives were laying in wait to jump out of the election day cake and yell "Surprise! We are here, we are sane, we are patient and we are voting". But alas, I was wrong. Really wrong. I wanted to wake up Wednesday and say "Good morning, Marijuana and hemp legalized in California" But no. I know it wasn't a perfect proposition, but I truly believed it was a step forward.I thought it was for the good of all and the idea that we would pay taxes, no one would go to jail for reasonable cultivation and transportation and the cops couldn't touch seed, nor stalk was exciting to me.

The only county the majority voted for prop 19 was San Francisco, Here in Mendocino county only 47% wow. San Francisco is more progressive than we are. What's happening just doesn't makes sense to me. And all the election hoopla! The unprecedented spending of $four billion dollars on mean and nasty campaign ads. Glad that's over. They called it a referendum on the Obama Presidency, but I can pretty much guarantee that much of America's electorate wouldn't be able to define referendum. Here, let me. referendum is "a vote" Yes indeed that surely was a referendum.

I wanted to see a positive change from this election. sensical, logical, progressive solutions. Nothing much changed in terms of going forward, but a whole hell of a lot happened in reverse.

Am I alone in this? Well I may not be alone, but I am certainly in the minority. Yes, and as far as minorities are concerned this was a devastating election. Minorities who are the majority didn't turn out in large numbers to vote. And the new bosses are not concerned with the general welfare of this nation. So sad, so sad, The Democrats lost because they had no respect for the people who brought President Obama to the White House. They and He remained a staunch ally of the Banks, Corporations and the people felt disposable. If President Obama had just listened to me, when I told him to bail out the homeowners and not the banks, we could have stabilized the entire economy. If he had been more vocal and active on withdrawing troops and making those accountable who went to war under false circumstances. I say there would have been a groundswell of support and reelection, but most people I know, felt abandoned and apparently have answered in kind.

Oh well, republicans are already gloating, mouths watering at the opportunity to dismantle the health care reform, terrorize immigrant workers, take away a women's right to choose, destroy Same sex, marriage. Yes, it's all on the chopping block. A giant step backwards. The country has turned a disturbing shade of red with the republican sweep of the election I have an eerie chill running down my spine. I hear the sinister laugh of Eric Cantor and Mitch McConnell in my ear. Mwa ha ha. It's the The culmination of, racism, colonialism, despotism, nepotism and capitalism, ism, ism, ism. It's a corporate capitalistic coup.

We hear that the major issue in this election is jobs and the economy and the failure of the Obama admin to do something about it. Like he could pull jobs out of a hat. Yet the republican agenda, like that of Rand Paul, elected in Kentucky, supports the tea party's major initiative to cut the federal workforce and it's wages by %10 and freeze hiring. That sounds counter productive to me as opposed to Obama's job stimulus bill and tax cuts for new small businesses, which I myself will take advantage of.

You know what would really stimulate the economy? Ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and making 2/3 of American Corps who don't pay taxes, like Exxon and Citibank, do so. Think of the net savings from both and then reinvesting in Alternative energy, conservation and education. Then we'd legalize marijuana and hemp and voila! A fat and happy economy for all! To me, that would be logical, sensical and responsible. Gosh, maybe by 2012 we'll get the progressive agenda together just in time for a happy ending.