I am beginning to reflect on the past decade; one in which I donated tens of thousands of volunteer/civic hours for no pay. Has anything changed? I am older, my body aches more, my son is as tall as me and we struggle financially in a world riddled with cynicism. We have no retirement savings, no government pension and a child with a learning disability who wants a great life. College tuition is just around the corner and I feel like I just paid off Tufts and Springfield College for my degrees. I see the rich getting richer, politicians getting dumber and the political gridlock between Dems/Repubs. paralyzing a nation that was once a great place for innovation and work ethic.
I almost threw in the towel and turned my back on civic involvement last spring after being stalked by a nut case in my hometown for being female and an elected official. But no, I allowed my passion about the slots/casino issue to pull me back in. After 6 months of increased activity in that realm I wonder if any of it makes a difference.
Will citizen power and rational thinking prevail or will special interests, politicians without principles, and a disengaged public allow the further erosion of the economic and social fabric of our Commonwealth?
How long can I keep giving when I see the "leaders" with their own personal fortunes compromising the values that we need to protect? Governor Patrick who makes double the median family income in Massachusetts and is married to a high six figure corporate attorney recently stated that he will only run for one more term so that he can back "to making some money"....how am I supposed to work with that?
President Obama is in Hawaii stating at an unimaginable resort that we, "will not rest" regarding the latest attempted airplane disaster.
These are the guys that were better than the other guys. What is wrong with your messaging people? Doesn't anyone have common sense? You need some regular people sitting at your right hands not the elite insiders.
Term limits are needed to save our democracy.
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I gave a speech way back when in college about establishing term limits which went over very extremely well (and since I am definitely not a great speaker, I must credit the concept.) The Commonwealth had a ballot referendum on term limits that passed in the early 90's. What happened with that? It seems that term limits is something both progressives and conservatives get behind but never materializes. And yet, we laud people like the late Ted Kennedy who made a career out of politics.
But TruthtoPower, please don't think your efforts to stop predatory gambling in Massachusetts have been for naught. I've been in this battle since early 2007 and can honestly state that under your inspired leadership our movement has made incredible progress. I personally wouldn't have had the strength to keep going if it weren't for the new energy and effectiveness you've brought to the organization. You put the 'active' in "activist". A lot of people forget that part. Come to think of it, you put the 'class act' in "activist", too. Thank God for you. Happy New Year!
Sorry to see you discouraged.
I guess on the one hand you have steep odds, a system whose inertia is difficult if not impossible to change.
On the other hand you have the satisfaction of doing the right thing, the example you set for your kids, and the people you meet along the way due to shared values.
I hope you come to a mindset that brings you some satisfaction with what you're doing - because it looks pretty good from where I'm standing.
I must agree with the previous posters, that you have been an inspiration to myself and others.
Your leadership has united a varied group to a single cause for the common good!
The numbers of those seeking information and education about predatory gambling has skyrocketed and I find myself encountering several people each day who ask questions, with open minds. They are truly re-thinking their previous neutrality or tepid endorsement and pondering if they were mislead.
Rather than term limits, shouldn't we fault politicians whose ears and wallets are only open to lobbyists, turning a deaf ear to voters or even the common good?
If we accept that Democracy is not a spectator sport, how much of the blame shall we assess to an electorate that accepts soundbytes or the opinion of others to determine their votes, or worse, neglect to vote at all?
Or a media that remains silent to closed door meetings and closed door deals without protest?
We seem to have a lot of work that needs to be done in this next decade to restore our democracy.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks folks, I will keep my chin up and move forward with the best team in the whole wide world.
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