It's Just Our Way

This morning I awoke which is really a good thing.  I'm already over 17,000 for 17,000 days for waking up.  There are many who cannot say the same thing.  In fact, I've never gone a day without being awake.  It's just my way, Little Tree, it's just my way.  (If you've never seen the movie "The Education Of Little Tree" be sure to check it out.  It's a fascinating look at mixed families and what this country did to try to "fix" little Indians back in the '30's.)  But I digress ... I read the paper, as is my custom, (it's just my way Little Tree), and read an interesting article on people trying to sign up with Illinois' new healthcare exchange.  Apparently if you don't have longer than a few hours you're out of luck on actually getting signed up.  So my question for you, for me, is this - should I take a week off of work to get signed up on GetCoveredIllinois.gov?  Our good governor Pat Quinn says that any glitches are just "one of those things" and he was sure they would get the kinks out of signing up.  I'll be honest with you - if there is a way for the government to add layers of bureaucracy and create a website for it's constituents, it will create a tangled, intricate, mass of a mess.  Perhaps I'm jumping to conclusions.  Perhaps it's the easiest website ever devised.  Or user friendly.  Or oriented towards the average, untrained, non-web users out there.  So I'll take this time, right now, to visit and I'll be right back.  Sorry for any delays this may cause in finishing this post.  Well I'm back.  It was only for a few minutes but I did qualify for medicaid.  I did not fill out my email to start the enrollment for medicaid but I'm sure that will be filled with all kinds of fun and unique questions I'm not ready to answer yet.  So basically, after a few very personal questions on my income and turnoffs, I was directed to enroll in medicaid.  Now, before you jump down my throat and check for strep let me assure you, I will put this off for a couple of months.  I'm one of those procrastinators who will do anything, and wait out the apocalypse, before signing up for a government program.  Why? you ask?  Well, it's a faith-based decision.  I have literally no faith in out present government.  At the moment our state governor is promoting the new health care exchange, our federal guys are still trying to stop the progress.  And progress is a good thing, right?  We should run to the state and embrace her with our arms wide open because she has filled us with overflowing buckets of reassurance in her ability to maintain anything at a reasonable fiscal level.  Just look at the pension reserves that overflow abundantly to pay all those promises.  I am joking of course.  The sense of dread I am filled with is what overflows.  Many will be quick to point fingers.  Many will say "it's the democrats".  Or "it's the republicans".  Or it will be classified a racial bigotry towards the president.  Or we just don't want to succeed on the world stage anymore.  There is a list written down in a closet somewhere in the basement of the Washington Monument that discloses all the possible excuses but the one that doesn't appear is the closest to the truth.  The one most can acknowledge but cannot put into words.  We want it all and we don't care how it gets paid for.  "It's just our way Little Tree."  Every person has there own need or want and our politicians and leaders just can't pay for the presents anymore.  And there are only so many workers to tax.  There's only so much money.  It's beyond our grasp.  And politically it's advantageous to keep talking about the "dream" but we're in the nightmare.  So let me put it in perspective.  The ones the government should be worried about are the revenue generators - the people who work and produce goods and services that can place wealth in the coffers.  It's that simple.  Because realistically, at some point, the federal and state coffers will only be filled with promises that cannot be backed by anything but debt.  And debt is the only thing that can grow when you constantly borrow.  At some point we will be much like Captain Jack Sparrow, on the Black Pearl, raising an empty bottle to our drunken lips and asking that relevant question, "Why is the rum always gone?"  Then we'll drunkenly stumble and say, "Oh, that's why."  My name is Rueuhy and I approve this blog.