I’VE BEEN WONDERING...

Explain to us again the theory, Mr. Issa, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Boerner, Mr. McConnell, Mrs. Palin, and Mr. Limbaugh and your confederates in Federal Government... Why it is you prefer to keep millions of our fellow Americans from ready access to adequate health care and why it is that you prefer poverty for millions of our citizens rather than to require the wealthiest Americans to pay more than they are now paying to balance our national and state budgets? Some of our wealthiest citizens are already demonstrating that giving away great amounts of personal fortunate still leaves them with much more money they can spend on themselves in their lifetime. You’re upset with organizations like National Public Radio and Planned Parenthood. O.K., O.K., I know why you’re upset with National Public Radio. But Planned Parenthood? Let us hear what it is you think Planned Parenthood does which makes that organization anathema to your party. What creed, what gospel guides you? Tell us the reasons... and please don’t start with that trickle down theory of economics that obviously isn’t working.

I stopped recently in the middle of a bike ride along the river path to ask if I could help an elderly woman who was sitting under a bridge wailing. When I asked what was wrong, she said she had lost her way to Seattle where she hoped to find her little girl. She asked if I knew her little girl. What should I have done? Is this a police matter, or is there a health department that might respond to my call? What do you propose as solution for the proliferation of mentally ill people living on our streets, in our parks, in the canyons spaces, and along the river bottom?

And I have urgent concern for the poorest children in San Diego, the ones who may grow up to be the hoodlums and gang members that you will recognize to be a costly burden on society. I’ve decided not to be actively concerned about children from affluent families because our present income and inheritance tax laws favor the wealthiest citizens. They can adequately take care of themselves and their children. I reserve my active concern for families with little or no discretionary income to meed special educational needs of their children. I can assume the parents of an autistic child born into affluence will get appropriate assistance. Families living in poverty often can’t meet basic needs for food and shelter.

I suppose we have folks in Sacramento and in Washington who go to bed at night feeling we have met our collective responsibility for disabled citizens when we provide spaces for them to park... if they can manage to work their way up the economic ladder to a level that makes it possible for them to afford automobiles?

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