By Mark Fleischer
Corsicana Daily Sun
— We certainly have had our share of financial difficulties in the last decade especially within the last couple of years. Once upon a time we were taught to be thrifty and live within our means. Congress was warned about the misguided, and reckless business practices of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, etc. some time ago. They stuck their head in the sand like an ostrich. They said that people had to stay in their homes. Folks were buying $300,000 homes on $30,000 salaries. The government forced those loans on banks and other lending institutions. It all came tumbling down like a house of cards resulting in a recession we now are trying to fight. President Bush was criticized for excessive spending. The Obama Administration came along and made Mr. Bush’s spending look like child’s play. How does taxing and regulating business to death help anything? If the American people need to tighten their belts, shouldn’t government do likewise? Instead of running off to the silly global-warming conference in Copenhagen, perhaps Mr. Obama should have stayed at home. Excuse me — I forget they call it climate-change now, because if anything the Earth is cooling. Please check out Climate-Gate Mr. President! Once upon a time there was no such thing as too big to fail. Business was allowed to thrive and dive on their own. Nowadays government sticks its meddling nose in through bailouts and endless red tape. Businesses should be allowed to fail or flourish on their own and allow our free market capitalist system to work as it should be. That is what allowed this country to become the economic envy of the world.
My stomach brings me to the next topic, namely gas. This country has vast amounts of oil sources we haven’t touched. What good does it do us if it stays in the ground? We should be drilling for this oil and let the enviro-wackos live in caves with no electricity and leave the rest of us alone. I’m tired of having to pay much more for gasoline than is necessary. The same goes for those wanting higher taxes to pay for all that ails us.
It was almost as if the sky had fallen and there was an ache in my stomach when I heard the tragic news about the space shuttle explosion over our fair county. The Columbia disaster occurred on Feb. 1, 2003, and hit close to home as it blew apart over the skies of Texas. My sister remembers being awakened in her apartment in Grand Prairie by a loud boom. I was delivering my papers at the time and must have had my radio up rather loud to keep me awake as I didn’t hear anything. I remember when the space shuttle blew up in 1986. It broke my heart then as I thought not again on that fateful day. Although, I did not hear or see the explosion first hand, I do remember them breaking in on the radio. I also recall driving by a few days after that watching the hard-working men and women walking through the fields in our area.
Imagine being the person to find one of those helmets on your own property. I remember going up to Rice High School where it was roped off: “Do not come inside the yellow taped area.” We were told that the FBI was coming to my neighborhood to look at what appeared to be a piece of tile. Days later I searched my yard but never found anything.
I am sure I have left out several historical highlights that you might want to include about the last decade. One thing is for sure, it took me seven weeks to talk about the last decade. Thanks for allowing me to have my fun. Take time to reflect on your own personal journey over the last 10 years. The people and events that have made an impact on your life might be different than what I wrote about. How has the last decade changed you? In any case here we are going into the third month of a new decade — will anyone ever agree on what to call the last decade!?
—————
Mark Fleischer is a Daily Sun columnist. Want to “Soundoff” on this column? E-mail: soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com.
