Decade of Disasters and Challenges

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.