It has been a while since my last posting but the life of a retiree is action packed to say the least. I have had to endure the frustration of an exceedingly
large tax bill, I have fallen twice, once at my daughters when we were walking and once from a ladder when I was trying to install a solar shade for my container garden. In addition, my back started acting up again so I have reacquainted myself with the Chiropractor.Now, let's move on to the more important items affecting our lives.

The level of greed from corporations coupled with the level of corruption within our government continues to negatively impact the working citizen. The latest example is, of course, the oil spill in the Gulf. Information continues to leak out at a lesser rate than the oil but no less of an impact to our lives. It seems this latest disaster was caused by BP trying to cut corners in their maintenance responsibilities. In addition, it seems that Halli Burton was involved through their ship-shod work on the concrete portion of the well. You remember Halli Burton, the company with whom our previous Vice President was intimately involved. Even though the oil disaster has grabbed the major portion of the headlines, it did not go unnoticed that Johnson & Johnson has been cited for poor quality control of it's plants which has resulted in a recall of several of its over the counter drugs.

So, let's review, top banks, investment companies, insurance companies, oil companies, drug companies, auto manufacturers, coal mining companies and most likely others that I cannot remember at this moment, have let their greed override their responsibility for safety and ethics to the public and their employees. They have been able to do this in large, very large, part because of the lack of regulations put upon them by our Government. The reduction in oversight and regulations began when Ronald Regan was President. It is not that his idea was bad, it is just that it grew under his and all succeeding Presidents. The lobbyists for these industries began to enjoy unprecedented access and influence among our elected politicians. Now that the results of this deregulation has reached epic and negative proportions and Washington is trying to implement some regulations back on these industries, they are calling "foul" and crying that it will hurt business overall. This bunch of soulless, dishonorable, greedy, unethical, leeches doesn't want the government to have any oversight of their business but want their lobbyist to have unfettered access to the bunch of weak willed, unethical, greedy, vapid, dishonorable, leeches we have voted into office. Now I am really upset!!!