Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Homeless Bound

Last Month Congress passed stricter laws governing how and who will be able to file bankruptcy. It all seems quite natural when you consider that the both the House and Senate on run by a Republican majority and their loyalties are to those that pay for their holidays. What congress seems unable and unwilling to address is the drastic jump in the cost of living and the less than adequate income levels of a larger percentage of the US population. A recent study done by the laborer’s union my husband belongs to showed that to match the lifestyle of those in the Union in the 70’s (own a home, spouse home with the kids, and savings in the bank) today’s workers would have to make double what they make now. The compromise for us is that I work full time out of the home. I’m definitely counted as one of the lucky, my mother in law lives with us and so she is able to watch our children, but this isn’t always going to be an option, and again the choice will have to be made about how to juggle the bills, keep a roof over our heads and struggle to come to terms with the fact that I see less of my children than daycare does.

As I said, I’m one of the lucky ones, for now. But so many American’s are just one small slip away from going under in the sea of debt. In today’s Seattle PI there is a piece today on how home ownership is slipping out of the hands of so many, as they struggle to keep even the most meager roof over there heads. In King County (Seattle) the average cost of a single family home in 2005 is $424,499.00 that has more than doubled in 10 years. The annual income needed to be able to afford a $245K home is $76, 360, which prices out of the market school teachers, police officers, nurses and of course retail sales workers. (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/horsey/viewbydate.asp?id=1208 )

In the Western Washington region 20% of the population is surviving on less than $38K a year for a family of four. While the definition for poverty has not changed since the 1960s when American’s were spending nearly 1/3 of their income on food; now the cost of healthcare, child care and transportation consume far more than the cost of food but politicians do not want to see the number of people below the poverty line double under their watch so the definition remains unchanged. Before you stop and are thankful you don’t live in Washington, this problem is not isolated to this region. Nationally in 2000 30% of the US population lived at or below double the federal poverty level.

What is going to be the answer? When are we going to stop allowing our government to send us to war in order for them to ignore what is happening right here at home. Mr. President, your citizens are starving, do something. Stop trying to line the fat pockets of your base through Social Security privatization and bankruptcy protection to the credit card companies. Mr. Bush, it is time you turned your attention home, this land of greatness is slipping, our children need more, our poor need more and our middle class need the help to insure they do not slip further. America is starving for success that we once saw within our grasp and under your reign as quickly evaporated.

(For the complete series of articles from the Seattle PI http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/workingpoor/ )

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Talk About Sticker Shock

Each month I purchase an airline ticket for my son to travel from Las Vegas to Seattle for a weekend visit. His father decided late last year out of the blue to pick up and move to the land of casinos and lounge acts and took my oldest son with him. It took a lot of reshuffling, both emotionally (still in the process) and financially to be able to make this a smooth transition and help my son to feel confident that he would be back every month for a visit. Now after only 4 visits under our belt we are staring dumb struck at the cost of the ticket to Seattle. For those that have not purchased a ticket in the last month or so, price one just for fun. I will say that the price has jumped on average $100-150 per ticket and this is with advance purchase.

I've had to stop and ask how in the world they think the value of the service matches the price. For example, Alaska Airlines has had very little sucess at getting a plane in or out even close to on time, each flight has been close to two hours off schedule. How do they fix this? They change the schedule to match the reality instead of the goal. Wouldn't want them to strive to be over acheivers or anything; especially in this day and age when mediocrity is rewarded (just look at our President).

So it comes down to one thing, the price of gas is cutting into their bottom line, so much so that airlines have tried to bump the price of the tickets to increase profits, well it isn't working people are choosing not to fly. Yesterday Alaska Airlines announced another profit saving solution, they fired 427 of their baggage handlers and ramp workers in Seattle and outsourced their jobs to a UK based company. (BTW, last I checked the British Pound is still as sound, and the US dollar cost more to print than it is worth). When I say announced I mean they announced to the news but forgot to tell the employees they were fired. Many newly unemployed Alaska Airlines employees found out over their morning cup of coffee while they got ready for work, others found out when they arrived at work and their access cards no longer would let them in.

Alaska airlines is also in negotiations with other union workers and after yesterday's announcement many are expecting the same outcome. Alaska pilots filed a lawsuit in US District court yesterday to vacate the arbitor's decision that cut their pay on average 26%. When I think about all that they are going through, I really wonder how I could think about putting my son on an airline with employees that are probably not very happy with the company they work for, it just seems inevetible that delays and service issues are going to be the force driving their profits down and leaving their customers late and unhappy.

These new improved labor practices coupled with the cost and lack of service that is available with Alaska Airlines has led me to my point. I am now searching for a new airline that will make this trip from Las Vegas to Seattle as painfree for myself and their employees. Bye Bye Alaska Air, you used to serve me well but this loyal customer just cashed in her last batch of miles and will be flying someone else's friendly skys.

Friday, May 13, 2005

Anti-Security Mom

Welcome to my first attempt at sharing my random musings. I’ve decided that the best place to say what I want is a place where only I have the password. :) I make no claims to have any answers or even the answer. I promise to always speak my mind, and unlike the President will apologize if I later find out my opinion on something was off base or wrong. I am not an expert, I have three kids, a full time job, a live in mother in law and a husband so time is always limited. I don’t promise that everything I say will be interesting or even that funny. I can’t claim to have lived a colorful life, but I still plan to share so that maybe just maybe something I’ve experienced will help someone else or someone will have sage advice for something I am struggling with. If you are sensitive, or expect this lady to be soft and nice then you are in the wrong place. Check your feelings at the door folks. I am opinionated, sometimes abrasive and generally not very worried about other’s feelings. So with that said, I’ll get to the name of the blog….Anti Security Mom.

So much has been made over the 'security moms' making such a difference for Bush in the last election. I've had to step back and ask myself if I too am a security mom, I care about my children’s safety; in fact it is of the utmost importance to me, but alas I do not believe I would ever claim the title of security mom.

To be a security mom it seems that one must check all critical thought at the door. To claim that one voted for Bush because they now feel safer and that their children are safer just seems asinine when you consider the situation in this country. Just the other day, we watched the Capital evacuated because of a small single engine plane flying into restricted airspace. Do you think the people on the ground felt safer, did all those moms at work think ‘wow I'm glad President Bush is watching our back?’ Speaking of Bush, do you think these security moms realized where exactly GWB was and what he was doing? I know that I felt so much more secure with him out riding his bicycle as it meant he was not able to launch another pre-emptive attack on an unsuspecting sovereign nation. BTW…do we know if the secret service ever re-installed the training wheels that came with that shiny bike of his?

So I am the Anti-Security Mom. I believe my children's safety falls squarely on the shoulders of removing the Republican's from the majority in DC. I will not have to worry about my children being drafted to fight a war based on the lies and rhetoric from a paper cutout President. I believe we will be safer when we have leadership that understands the need to sit back down at the table to talk about nuclear weapons. I also believe that we all will feel safer when we worry less that our right to free speech is protected and valued by the leadership of our country.

This current presidency has done little if anything to help us feel more secure. I believe as a mother it is irresponsible to my children to turn a blind eye to that fact and jump on the bandwagon. I refuse to check critical thought or my own family values and responsibility at the door and sign that loyalty oath to this regime. I am loyal to my country, my family and my friends. If that isn’t enough so be it, but for now that is all I have and all I am.

I hope this turns out to be therapeutic for me and entertaining for you, but it is my first try and I expect to learn as I go so patience is always appreciated.