So I am watching The O’Reilly Factor and Bill is interviewing Sarah Palin, talking about Social Security and Medicare Reform. He asks her what specifically she proposes to modify the system and she launches into some spiel about everyone having to shoulder some of the burden which didn’t even partially answer Bill’s question. He tried to get her back on track and she continued to evade his questions until she finally had to offer something.
Sarah Palin isn’t likely to get an easier questioner than Bill O’Reilly and she couldn’t come up with better responses than “nothing speak”.
If Sarah Palin (or anyone else for that matter) expects to be taken seriously as a candidate, it will be necessary for her to come up with better answers than that lame drivel.
If Sarah Palin has any chance of being elected president, it will slip away quickly if she isn’t prepared to address issues like O’Reilly’s with answers that speak to the issues. Governor Palin is entitled to act like a politician, but our country needs a leader. The reason Americans should support her is because she has good ideas she can articulate to solve problems plaguing our country. So is she just a politician or a leader?
The double speak of politicians who are afraid to tell the truth because they are afraid of losing votes make them losers from the get go.
Governor Chris Christie isn’t running but he has ideas he is willing to share. All Governor Palin would have to do is echo Christie’s comments. Something like: “I think Governor Christie made some good suggestions the other day; raising the retirement age to 65 for early retirement and 67 for full retirement for folks who are younger than 57 today and to 67 and 70 for folks who are 47 or younger today. I could support a solution that included those changes, recognizing that means testing and payroll contributions might also be on the table.”
Leadership happens at the front of the formation. The person who ultimately is nominated to run against Obama must take on the problems in the public debate with decisive answers to the questions and clear plans to address the problems. If they are afraid to offer their solutions as a candidate there is little chance they have any. Period!
I question whether Sarah Palin can be elected. I appreciate her passion in addressing Conservative issues many of us support and she connects really well with common folks who have been out in the cold for a long while so I want her to be a part of the process, but I think her best contribution would be as a GOTV operative.
Chris Christie is popular with Republicans and Democrats because he addresses problems head-on with solutions that are painful but that make sense. He has consistently been honest with his constituents and the rest of us at times when he addressed national issues; unlike the too many to list here who are always testing the wind (or the water) before offering their thoughts. In the vernacular, he “Walks the Walk!”
If Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid are the entitlement programs with the greatest impact to the budget drain then that is where the spotlight needs to be.
Since we know that elected officials tend to want to be re-elected, they seldom take big chances that might endanger re-election.
My sense is that Americans are looking for leadership in dealing with the big gorillas and evading the issues just serves to identify those potential candidates who aren’t leaders.
No Loss for Words 
No Urban Center at Point Wells
by Steve DanaThe decision by Snohomish County to approve the development plan for the Point Wells project is another example of government out of touch. The hunger for construction related sales tax dollars must have blinded the county to the failings of this plan. Designating this area an Urban Center is absurd. There is only one two lane road providing access to the land.
It’s understandable why Shoreline is upset; access to this project is through their city streets and neighborhoods. It’s hard to imagine how Shoreline will not be adversely impacted by the traffic generated by this development. Even if this land was just developed into neighborhoods similar to what exists in Shoreline already there would be adverse impacts to Richmond Beach.
Increasing density and intensity of use beyond anything that already exists in our county anywhere will create significant adverse impacts Snohomish County will never have to deal with, but Shoreline will.
The land included in this project is part of Woodway’s Urban Growth Area. So doesn’t Woodway have a say in how Snohomish County implements a plan that’s inconsistent with their own? These cities are being trampled on by Snohomish County only because they have the power to do so, rather than the wisdom not to.
I know I didn’t win the County Council election in 2009 so I don’t get to inflict my will upon taxpayers in Snohomish County like Dave Somers is with this project. I suspect that I would have voted different than Councilmember Somers.
This project is another example of why county government should not be allowed to be in the urban development business. It violates the spirit and intent of the Growth Management Act if not the actual language of the act.
I still believe and I am certain that every city in the county would agree that urban development should be planned and executed by cities. The Growth Management Act was clear in its desire for Cities to be the Urban Service providers. Snohomish County continually substitutes its own poor judgment for the judgment of the communities that will be left to accommodate the development. Their disregard for the adverse impacts to neighboring communities is inexcusable.
The greed and arrogance of our Snohomish County government is palpable.
Posted in Snohomish County Political Commentary | Leave a Comment »