Just Say No To Nay-Saying

And so it begins... "more of the same;" "same old politics;" "he wants a lobbyist in the job;" "they're all the same."

STOP ALREADY. President Obama has been on the job a little over a week. In that time he has sent an envoy to the Middle East to start negotiations with Israel and Palestine. He has sent a stimulus package to capital hill and visited Republican leadership personally to attempt to work with them. And he has shunned publicity for substance.

Less than a month on the job, and because nothing monumental has happened, it's the same old politics all over again? No, it's not. It IS far too many Republicans continuing to play the partisan game, refusing mediation, conciliation, and eschewing concessions. It is rather like a patient refusing to take the proffered medication, refusing diagnostic tests, refusing treatment, and then on her death bed pronouncing, "I told you doctors were ineffective quacks."

This nay-saying is even deeper, however. I continue to protest that Americans can and should make a difference even if government doesn't. We are discussing voting against our bank by transferring to a credit union. We are doing the research, to find a financial institution that is secure, where our money will be safe and earn us some money, with people who have not made million dollar mortgage loans to housekeepers and unemployed idiots. In other words, we plan to reward fiscal responsibility by entrusting them with our money.

We are about to sell our car and become primary users of public transportation. We live two blocks from a quality hospital, have a wonderful grocery story that does group deliveries, can take the Maxx train to the farmers' markets and to downtown Portland. The savings on our pocket book and to the environment loom large.

We donate, we work, we give. That is how we live. We do not consume voraciously (food may be an exception there), and wear sturdy quality clothing that lasts. We do not have more clothes than we will ever wear in this lifetime, and we support our local public library. It is amazing how much you save by checking out a book, rather than purchasing it. Does that mean fewer bookstore employees, fewer proof readers and publishers? Nah, I don't think so.

Conservation, fiscal conservatism, social concern and action, personal responsibility: these have all been sadly lacking on all levels of our society. It is the ultimate in hypocrisy if we all continue to live fiscally profligate lives while in the same breath condemning the government for conducting business as usual.

Change, as Mr. Obama reminded us over and over again during the election, starts from the bottom up.