Weird times to say the least, folks. I know the truckin’ business is suffering badly, as are most businesses. It has really sunk in how we Americans, as well as the rest of the world, have been focused on getting rich instead of getting ready.
What do I mean? Well, as this pandemic spreads across the world and our country, our breakdown in government readiness is now obvious to all. States are begging for help from the government, only to be ridiculed for it.
We as a nation have allowed, in my opinion, the health care business to be run by the insurance industry, not by the people who know medicine. Profit over protection, with the only semblance of a national health care system, Obamacare, being attacked and ripped apart daily by our current leaders. It would appear now, more than ever, we need a national health care plan.
We as a government have allowed and condoned massive insurance industry profits. In the truckin’ business we have seen triple rate hikes over the last few years, leading many, like myself, to decide enough is enough!
But it’s not just the insurance business. It’s also the legal system awarding ridiculous settlements. I always ask, how much is enough?
And when I say get ready, I’m thinkin’ about several situations that we as a country are not prepared for. One is our roads and bridges. Folks, they are in terrible condition and getting worse daily, with only token attention being given to them. Every election we hear the words health care for all and infrastructure. Candidate so-and-so is going to Washington and get ‘er done! Yeah right! As our current POTUS claimed, we are going to do so much winning that we’ll tire of it! Really?
As I sit at my desk scribblin’ this morning, I can’t help but be angry and upset. We as a country deserve better from our leaders. Just give Americans the facts and if you don’t know them, say so or let someone talk who does.
I do applaud the governors of this country making decisions based on facts and making hard choices to mitigate losses. It must be extraordinarily hard dealing with the federal government making bold claims, knowing they are basically blowing smoke!
And even though I will be grateful for any stimulus money I should receive, I’m not holding my breath waiting for it. As one who has had government loans in the past, it is a difficult deal. But there again, do we have a plan to help people get over the hump, so to speak? No would be the right answer. We do have unemployment, which is now swamped, and who runs that when the staff calls in sick?
Back in the ’30s, I believe, is when Social Security was first implemented, and there was a lot of opposition to it. But for some today it is all they have, and it could be so much better! That system is in place to put money directly in people’s pockets now. But that might be too easy!
I don’t claim to be really smart, but I’ll make a wager that this stimulus bill will be so incredibly difficult to implement that it’ll be a nightmare to deal with. Already the banks are having major challenges just trying to figure it out. And if you think a banker is doling out money without knowing how and when he’s getting it back, well, we all know that answer!
But speaking of banks, it wasn’t too long ago that we as a country bailed them out of a mess, of their own making no less. Were we lucky here in Maine that there weren’t a lot of failures? Yes, we were, but what happened was even more regulation came out that harmed the way legitimate banks worked, so the smaller ones started selling out. Case in point: our own DB&T just recently. I spoke with a board member who told me that it was the increasing federal regulations that made the deal sensible. Just another little guy going away!
I want to close with this, folks. I don’t know how, but somehow we will get through this, and my prayers are that we will be a better people for it. I pray that we learn our lessons well!
Larry Sidelinger
Damariscotta
