Talk is Cheap

    The old saying that “talk is cheap, except when Congress does it” is really holding true these days. It is fast talk, too; the majority party and the president want to push various pieces of very important legislation through as fast as they can while their popularity is high.
    We all realize we need to do something about the health care issue. It’s a big issue in rural areas and really affects those of us in agriculture. Passing something just to do something, however, is just not the thing to do. This president’s service to date resembles Franklin D. Roosevelt’s terms during the Depression, especially his standing as a popular president. He, much like President Obama, was popular during tough times and when everyone was looking to Washington, D.C. to solve their problems. Some say Roosevelt may have actually prolonged the Depression, but because of his overwhelming popularity most people followed him anyway. It would be hard not to support him if you were without a job and lacking the means to support your family. A person would be looking for most any way to get back on their feet.
    Well, here we are again. During these tough times there are many people looking to the government to bail them out. The president and the majority party in Congress are, unfortunately, doing just that, and doing so at a huge cost. We have too many people wanting to eat at the government table, but nobody wants to do the dishes.
    At this point in time, we have to maintain faith in our government. It still is the best around and always will be. There are a lot of good people in Congress and thank God they are there now. Our Wyoming Congressional Delegation is right at the top in terms of doing what is right and watching out for aggressive funding. The problem is that they are now in the minority. Someone once said, “now and then an innocent person is sent to the Congress.” We need more innocent people back there. Some politicians in Congress say they are beefing up the economy; trouble is a lot of them don’t know beef from pork.
    Our government does work at times. Take, for example, the recent events surrounding wind energy development here in Wyoming. A couple of ranchers were against a large transmission line through their lands. They got together and formed a group and it now looks like the transmission line may be constructed along another route. Ranchers from Southeastern Wyoming formed a group to promote wind power, especially on their lands. They want to become a voice for ranchers in favor of renewable energy. Only in America can this happen so quickly and with ease. The pro renewable energy ranchers have really become a voice to be heard. They’re over 300 strong and represent six counties in Southeastern Wyoming. They are not pushy about their feelings, just honest hardworking ranchers and their families who want to keep their ranches sustainable. They call their group REAL, Renewable Energy Alliance of Landowners. As Harry Truman once said “it’s not the hand that signs the laws that holds the destiny of America. It’s the hand that casts the ballot.”
Dennis