WAYT: Housecleaning

News from the front: I finally got a new job! I've been busy getting started there and putting the past behind me.

Nearly all of 2012, for me, was spent searching for this new job. I'm lucky my new place chose me, and I'm lucky to live here in Bloomington, Illinois, where there are still choices available and I can decide to look for a new job and eventually find success. I know in this country right now, not many people can say that.

Now I'm looking forward to 2013. I feel like it's going to be a banner year for the Arnolts household. My husband will complete his Master's degree. My son will turn 3 years old and WILL be potty trained. The world will keep on spinning, and hopefully, changing for the better. I've set some goals for myself. Hopefully I can relay my progress to my readers through this page. Please stay tuned!

2012 was mostly a calamity. Part of my radio silence for the last little while was prompted by Sandy Hook. I wanted to come on here and rant endlessly about the failure of every legislator in the US to take gun violence seriously. But I was plagued with grief for the tiny babies who were lost. All I could think was, what if one of those babies was their parents ONLY baby? The Sandy Hook tragedy was overwhelming, unnecessary, and unbearably hard to wrap my mind around. Still, every mention of it makes me weepy.

Luckily, the election turned out just as I knew it would. I say luckily for a whole host of reasons, but in this instance, I say it because I'm hopeful that President Obama, more than any other person, can achieve some meaningful change to gun laws that will protect my husband - a teacher - and my son - a baby and future public school student - and myself - a private citizen with everything to lose. I won't even bother to apply my sentiments to Illinois. This state is so backwards, I hold out no hope and see no point in wasting my breath.

In Washington DC, of course, it's business as usual. Which is to say, no one who has been elected to represent us can make tough decisions unless they receive assurances that the big money is still behind them - which isn't the "us" they were chosen to represent. If the fiscal cliff "negotiations" didn't give each person reason to pause and realize each legislator's true measure, I don't know what will. Without doubt, we will face the same last-minute scrambling when the next law with a deadline comes "creeping" up on us.

It makes me sad that this is the state of our union. But there are many other types and forms of unions that are equally important in my life where my voice can be heard. This is my hope for 2013.

WAYT: Show! Me! The! Money!

Seriously, Mitt Romney?  You need $160 million to run a campaign?  How long will that money really last you?  Probably a few days.  You got that cash in your campaign account and your people have already blown it on negative advertising, haven’t they? 

Mitt, do you know what you could do for the population-at-large with $160 million?  Do you know how many people you could help with $160 million?  Same to you, Barack!  Mr. President, we are friends and will remain friends, but I’m telling you and your opponent, you could make a lot more headlines and generate a lot more goodwill by using that money elsewhere. 

Everyone wants to talk about our floundering economy and our inability to create new jobs to get the economy back on track.  $160 million in Mitt’s campaign war chest indicates to me that someone, somewhere is making money and needs something better to do with that money.  So here’s my suggestion. 

Take that $160 million and break it up into increments of $10,000.  Put out an APB for submissions for $10,000 projects and you get to pick 16,000.  My proposal would entail paying off student loans, or not taking a loan out to pay for my husband’s next year of college.  Can you imagine the amazing requests that would pour in?  I’m sure there are a lot of people who want to pay bills just like me, but I bet there are millions of other people who want something simple, like gas money to get to that one job they can hold down if they can just afford to drive there, or buying backpacks loaded with school supplies and bus tickets for inner-city youth who need that motivation to stay in school… truly, the possibilities are endless.  (And Barack, why haven’t you thought of this?  You’re a former community organizer.)

So many people say that they hate politics, and fundraising is one thing that people often overlook.  Am I the only person offended by the fact that Mitt Romney has $160 million to spend on TV commercials that are going to drive me bonkers and/or infuriate me?  I can think of lots of other things I’d appreciate hearing about during the evening news tonight.  Besides, isn’t there already enough to dislike in the world?

What a different place the world would be, if people gave money like that for real causes… Don’t get me wrong, electing the best man to the most important job in the world is a real cause.  But does it take THIS much money?  And is this what we want The Leader of the Free World to do with that kind of money?  There are millions of charities that struggle to do a little.  We wouldn’t need charities if we could do a lot more in big, $160 million doses. 

I’m sure my idea is an illegal misallocation of funds but I have serious doubts about the entire concept of political fundraising.  What do you think?  Personally, I know that Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama already have our attention.  As a collective, We The People know who they are and what they’re about.  Do you need ads from Obama that slam Romney’s work experience?  Oh, the evils of venture capitalism!  Do you need ads from Romney that decry Obama’s desire for healthcare for all?  This isn’t news anymore. 

Give me something to believe in!  Show me that you truly do connect with Us by doing something real that validates our struggles, something that shows your compassionate side, other than a shout out in a stump speech in Iowa.  You’re more likely to win my heart, and not just my vote. 

WAYT: Talk that talk, leave Ann out of it

I hate this debate about Ann Romney.  Any time women become the focus of discussion like this, it turns into feminist BS that, to me, is so outrageous and insulting that I can’t stand it.  We’re not moving forward when we have to fight over stuff like this. 

Hilary Rosen, a Democratic pundit, wants the world to know that Ann Romney has never worked a day in her life.  What is she thinking, bringing up this petty nonsense?

Uh, who cares?  Anybody?  Thanks for letting us know, Hilary.  Now shut up and go away. 

Ann Romney doesn’t have to work to earn my respect.  She gets my respect for signing up to be a politician’s wife.  Can you imagine what it must be like, day after day, following around someone like Mitt Romney?  She always has to be pressed and dressed, smiling and friendly.  She may have fancy dinners and she may have a stylist and make-up artist and personal assistants, but she’s still a person who has to deal with media scrutiny like this and much worse.  That’s work, hard work, whether she’s earning a paycheck or not.   

I WISH I had never worked a day in my life.  I wish I had never worked at JC Penney for years and years.  I wish that my main concerns in life would have been experimenting with my hair after school or reading more books just for fun.  I really can’t imagine doing any of that, and I honestly prefer to hold a job.  But I truly doubt that Ann’s life was so simple.  No one’s could be.    

I’m sure that Hilary Rosen started this discussion about Ann because Hilary wants to make Ann a factor in our voting decision come election day.  Hilary wants us to think that Ann is just another piece in the puzzle that makes up Mitt Romney: so filthy rich, so grossly out of touch, so privileged that there’s no way he could govern the United States in this day and age.  Hilary, let me assure you that Ann could never affect me in that way.  Ann’s stay-at-home status isn’t going to keep me from voting for her husband.  (He’s not getting my vote regardless.  Though he is a worthy candidate, I’ll give the Republicans credit there.)  Anyway, I was saying, no potential first lady has ever had an effect on who I cast my vote for on election day, nor will she ever.  Let’s be serious. 

(Funny that if I were voting for a woman for president, I feel like I would be really interested in who her husband is… when the shoe’s on the other foot…)

What really annoys me is these pundits who characterize Ann Romney’s work - raising her children - as a luxury when opposed to working any other way.  I doubt that Ann Romney sat down and said, “I’m never going to get a job.”  I bet it didn’t go down like that.  Furthermore, I doubt that, at the end of another luxurious day at home, when all her FIVE munchkins were in bed, Ann thought to herself, “I feel great!  I’m not the least bit tired, my knees feel great after playing on the floor all day and my back isn’t shot from carrying the kids around, I’m totally not hungry after feeding the children three-quarters of everything I intended to eat today, and I bet everyone at the grocery store thought I was a great mom when all the children were hanging onto my shirt whining endlessly over nothing of consequence.”  For real. 

And what effect does her not working have on her opinion of the economy?  I work every day and I’m sure I have barely a grasp on the economy.  Maybe Ann has so much money that she didn’t have to plan a budget to pay her bills.  Maybe she has so much money that she doesn’t pay her bills because maybe someone does ALL of that for her.  That would be luxury. 

I bet that Ann is a very smart woman.  I bet that she counts her blessings on her fingers and her toes and her kids’ fingers and toes.  We should all be so lucky.  I don’t envy her and I don’t begrudge her.  I would like to congratulate her for living a life that shines so brightly that she’s now the focus of all this big talk.  Unimportant people, people like me, will never make a splash like this.  Good for you, Ann. 

WAYT: Pay the piper

I just read this article about student loan debt.  Unlike Rick Santorum, I don’t think it’s snobbish for President Obama to want everyone to have a college education.  I think the President is being pragmatic.  In the United States today, those who aren’t unemployed are likely underemployed.  If you’re not experienced, educated and well-connected, you probably aren’t doing very well right now.  And President Obama wants to see us, as a nation and as individuals, succeed.  I can’t blame him for that. 

Obama has a few ideas about how to improve the government’s involvement in student loans.  I can’t tell him how to fix it or even if he’s on the right track.  But I can tell you, my readers, about the real dangers of student loan debt.  I don’t know about the effects of this debt on our economy and whether it truly is a threat to our overall recovery, but I can tell you about the effects of this debt on my economy and my family’s recovery. 

Frank and I attended Illinois College, a four-year, liberal arts institution.  It cost more to go there than Heartland Community College or Illinois State University and maybe even more than Illinois Wesleyan.  It wasn’t just the tuition – it never is!  It was also the housing, the meal plan, the travel back and forth (if you want to see your family) and the books.  In the end, we walked away with over $45,000 in debt.  Ouch.  What were we thinking??  (But we are geniuses.  At least we walked away with that too!) 

We are given ten years to pay this debt back.  We had three choices for repayment.  One was to pay the equally divided amount, to spread the payments out over ten years.  The next form of repayment was based on income.  Since we were unemployed at the time, that wasn’t going to work.  The last option was to pay gradually.  The payments would start low and then increase over ten years, operating under the assumption that we would make more money over time to afford the higher payments. 

My first job out of college paid a pittance.  But I owed what I owed so I made the decision to pay the equal amount and we set Frank’s up to be paid back in the same fashion.  I felt that was the most responsible philosophy. 

My biggest issue with our debt is the fact that no one warned me.  No one said, “If you borrow that much money, you will have to pay this much every month.”  What were they thinking – my mom, my high school counselors, the FAFSA people?  I could have gotten the same education anywhere.  Don’t get me wrong, Illinois College did a lot for me and I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but if I had known this would be my reality, I would have chosen differently. 

Furthermore, no one warned me that we would pay ridiculous interest on these loans.  I pay less interest on my two cars and my house COMBINED than I do on these loans.  And I can’t refinance them.  Trust me, I’ve asked a lot of people.  We’re stuck with over six percent interest for the life of these loans. 

And now Frank is going back to school.  He’s a great teacher and I’m so proud of his drive and determination to make the most impact and do the most good that he possibly can.  But now that the government is changing the rules, he can only receive the loans that charge you interest every single day you own them.  That makes the cost even higher. 

My baby sister, who at 18 is no longer a baby (I know, alright!), is getting ready to graduate high school and start college.  She considered Heartland but decided on ISU.  I am terrified for her.  I don’t want to tell her not to pursue her dreams but I can’t live with myself if I don’t warn her of how this debt will change her life.  I speak from experience when I say that our student loan debt is holding us back.  If we could keep that money that we pay every month, we would be different people. 

It’s not responsible these days to say that kids shouldn’t go to college.  Kids need to, they have to!  I’m looking at you, Rick Santorum.  What are you thinking?  Every kid isn’t cut out for college, that’s true, but to say that we should all skip college is snobbish of you!  My cousin is living a great life having learned a trade and I would never begrudge him of the choice he made.  I’m proud of him for knowing himself enough to make the right choice.  But there are so many things that hold us back and this student loan problem is a big obstacle when it shouldn’t be.  It’s really sad that some kids out there will have to choose between an education or a life of poverty – or an education with a life of poverty. 

So rather than calling names, Rick, Barack and Mitt – and every other politician – put yourself in my shoes, my sister’s, my husband’s.  One day I’ll have to have this talk with my son and give him the reality check I never got.  Please don’t make me break his heart.  Please find a way to help us succeed at life. 

WAYT: Get ready for the primary!

I have been so incredibly busy at work lately.  I haven’t revealed the name of my employer on here because I don’t know how they would feel about it and because in this day and age, the work I do can be even more polarizing than my own personal opinions. 

One big project I’ve been working on is helping to sort out the new legislative districts.  The primary election is less than one month away!  What are you thinking about the upcoming primary? 

A lot has changed in Illinois because of these new maps.  Everyone who we’ve known since living in Downs has been mapped out of our area and new people have been mapped in.  This election is going to bring big changes to who represents us. 

The trouble (or is it good news?) is that I personally heard from both of the candidates vying for the State Senate seat in our new district.  My organization conducted an interview and I just happened to be asked by my boss to go with him to staff the meeting.  It was incredibly interesting.  Suffice to say that one candidate is a long-time legislator and one is completely new to state politics.  The differences were stark.  There is an air of experience that a person carries with him when he’s been at the game for a while, and with politicians, it’s palpable.  Sort of like fairy dust, shimmering in the air around him – you can see it. 

There are benefits and downsides to having legislators with experience.  On the one hand, experience gets you somewhere.  If your legislator has been around for a while, he knows people and has connections.  The good things that you want him to do have a shot of surviving the legislative process.  On the other hand, experience draws your legislator into the deep, dark alleyways of politics.  If your legislator has been around for a while, he knows people and has connections.  The things about politics that everyone hates – money and influence – start to impact your legislator and thereby, the legislative process. 

The word “election,” to me, is synonymous with the word “choice.”  This primary isn’t something to take lightly, because for years now already, Downs and every community surrounding it has been affected by Illinois’ on-going budget crisis.  The person we choose to represent us will inherit many tough battles.  Will the voters choose someone who can handle the pressure?  Will the voters choose someone who we can ask to fight for us – someone who can take the heat from his constituents?

The way I see it, elections must go beyond picking the best person for the job.  You have the make that person accountable to you, whether he/she got your vote or not.  I hope that whoever is chosen in the primary, voters will take their action one step further.  Vote, and then, regardless of the outcome, call, meet or email your officials! Tell them your opinion so that you can hear what they’ll do about it.  Start the dialogue now. 

It’s not about voting early and often, because we all know that phrase has sadly become a sick joke in Illinois.  It’s about speaking your mind early and often.  Your legislators need to know what you are thinking.  You can’t complain about the unfairness or the bad decisions if you’ve never tried to impact the process, and they can’t do the good work you want them to do if you don’t tell them your goals, dreams, ambitions, complaints, irritations and must-haves. 

Of course, it all begins at the ballot box.  Make sure that you have your voter registration in order for the primary election.  Do your job!  What are you thinking if you don’t?