Will it be fine in 2009? If one looks to the happy go lucky golfing prez to be, one would think that every thing is gonna be hunky freakin dorey! I am not so sure of that, however I will respect the process and office of his presidency and hope that this nightmare will last only one term. You can rest assured that the drunken sailor mentality will permeate down to the very fiber of those liberal seats in the House and Senate. Makes me shudder and want to throw up my Christmas Cookies!
All is not doom and gloom contrary to what most political pundits and 527 media outlets report. It is times like these who make some of us appreciative of the blessings they do have. Of course, when everything is going groovy it is hard to take stock and count and inventory those many blessings. I have many blessings and I am so grateful to be able to work, produce and think! What do you have to be thankful for? I imagine it is more than you know!
2009 will represent an interesting year in some respects on the political scene. There will be several local races to participate in and make a difference. I don't know if you realize it but it is through the council, trustee and school board races where a lot of future leaders come through. John Boehner was a trustee. Greg Jolivette and Chuck Furmon were councilmen. Danny Crank and Nancy Nix were on council in their towns. Senator Cates, my good friend, was a township trustee. Mike Oler was on School Board. As so on and so forth, suffice it to say that it represents a great place to start. I have literally worked on many of them because I believe that the political process begins on that level where you can gain the experience and the confidence of the general voting public.
I am most interested in the Mayoral race in Fairfield as I know this one will be fraught with excitement and will be a slobber knocker of a race. The combatants will be a couple of heavy hitters and I know that the two who have announced have gone at it before. How many others will get in and give it a ride? Four years ago, "Landslide" D'Epifanio edged out Howard Dirksen by a whopping six votes. Expect the same type of race as both of these candidates are experienced campaign warriors who will give it their all on their way to the finish line. It's no secret that Rooster D'Epifanio will get my vote and help with no offense intended at all to Howard as Ron is my friend.
What could be more exciting than a school board race? Arnold "I love to get my name in the newspaper" Engel is up this year. Who will rise up to challenge for one the three potential seats on the board? Is the time for name calling and soap box riding to stop? Please! What would be wrong with developing a strategy of using the resources we have to the best of our ability and to do so with a heart of compromise with the understanding of the economic times we live in? I will be watching all of this very closely as I believe that the Fairfield School System is one of the best in the area, if not the country! Excellent teachers and a oustanding curriculum and community involvement make me proud as a parent of two still in the Fairfield School system.
Finally, this mess with Emergency Management. As I posted this morning in the Journal-News:
I would think the commissioners will study this proposal very carefully. It will be a tough sell. Out there, in the real world, where I live, this would be viewed as a attempt to 'shake down' the system for personal gain. What to do, what to do? Obviously, with the shaken confidence of the Commissioners and the perceived lack of preparation by the public, it is time for new direction which will instill the leadership and understand the political problems that come along with the position. Who can name all the executive directors of the major county agencies? Whoever ends up with this I hope has a clue about how to do the job! I have no personal agenda against the current director, I can tell you first hand as an insurance agent how woefully inadequate the situation was handled. It exposed a weakness and demonstrated a lack of assistance that is just not acceptable.
2009 will be challenging, especially for those who are going to lose their jobs, homes and have to start all over. Take stock, appreciate and look on the horizon and make sure that you are prepared for whatever this coming year throws at you. Have a Happy New Year!
