Tag: Dodd Frank

The Case FOR The People

I hear what they’re saying… free tuition for ALL, free healthcare for ALL, debit forgiveness… They want to give away the STORE! To please you… to please “THEM”… to please ME.

But how many times have they promised us THE MOON, then stuck US with the bill on a $400 HAMMER? Talked about being greeted as “liberators”, only to be kicked out by THEIR elected government.

Assuring us that there WAS WMD… but they must have DISPOSED of it.

All of them are clambering around to take a shot at the “Big Banks” and “Big Tech” and “reign in Wall St.” Just as they did after 2008? Statutes and regulations passed, then slowly degraded through DE-FUNDING, eroding protections, issuing fines that amount to “pocket change” when (and IF) laws are found to be broken… actions taken by elected officials BEHOLDEN to the SAME entities for THEIR re-election. It is a COLD HARD TRUTH-

MONEY DECIDES OUR ELECTIONS.

After the Speakership of Paul Ryan ended, for the FIRST TIME in 10 years The House held a hearing on GUN VIOLENCE. For 10 years, The House did NOT actively investigate solutions to PREVENT GUN DEATHS. The Dickey Amendment forbids the CDC to FUND RESEARCH into PREVENTING GUN DEATHS… while the NRA spent over $30 MILLION in the 2016 election, donating to re-elect politicians loyal to their FUNDS.

In 2009, our elected officials passed the TARP Act to “bail out” the banks. Most news outlets did not call out the fact that these institutions were INSURED… on top of the bailout, they were REIMBURSED for their losses.

… my mortgage is STILL underwater.

Donald Trump inflated the value on a $20 MILLION property to over $200 MILLION in an attempt to secure a loan to buy a FOOTBALL TEAM.

Meanwhile I couldn’t write off snow tires as a work expense for my wife, a PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE NURSE who was designated a critical team member, required to show up during ANY natural disaster… guess I need a better TAX MAN.

 

In 2003, when my wife and I purchased our home, we knew the school district wasn’t the best, but we hoped we could rehabilitate our house and turn it into a profit, then move somewhere with better schools before our kids reached that age. The housing market has not returned to where it once was, and the schools have not improved.

We decided the work on our house could wait, and we enrolled our boys in a private school. It’s NOT EASY… financially speaking. But not everyone HAS that option! Many families are STUCK with whatever their elected officials provide for education. Elected officials, who are influenced by the FUNDS of wealthy groups who have earned their wealth… in PRIVATE, FOR-PROFIT EDUCATION.

History books are compiled and decided, curriculum, accountability, and standards decided by appointees… appointed by elected officials, BEHOLDEN TO FUNDRAISING.

The DONOR over the VOTER.

The people on the ballot, when it comes time for us to vote, are there because they were the BEST FUNDRAISER. At the beginning, in the primaries, in the LOCAL race for State Rep or State Atty General. MONEY decided who COULD run, and ultimately who DID run.

Look now at the Democratic Primary Debates. The idea of FUNDRAISING deciding who should have the HONOR of addressing the PEOPLE… couldn’t they have just as easily employed a polling/survey method of SOME type?

“If you want your VOICE to COUNT, you better throw in a BUCK!”

INSERT ISSUE HERE ______. IF a politician can manipulate a particular issue in such a way that it motivates DONORS to DONATE to the PARTY, then that issue will NOT BE RESOLVED. It will continue to be “on the verge ” of being “taken away” or you will be “forced to submit” to it ANY DAY NOW…

“… so you’d better throw in a BUCK!”

 

The question is… are we ready to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?

The system WORKS, so well in fact, the FATAL FLAWS within it have become OBVIOUS to anyone of GOOD FAITH. We must make a CHOICE.

We can either fundamentally alter our system in an attempt to legislate a solution to every possible flaw that could arise, while continuing to correct mistakes AFTER they have presented themselves…

OR

We can CHANGE the way we CHOOSE the people we elect to represent us. Ensure the VOTERS have the ultimate say in EVERY STEP of the election process…

 

From PRIMARY ELECTION to GENERAL ELECTION.

WE FUND THE CANDIDATES.

Every Federal election.

EVERY time.

 

Give EVERY candidate EQUAL ACCESS to election funding and the press, and debates will focus on solutions to issues, not stoking fear and anger… pointing fingers instead of TAKING ACTION.

Any candidate who runs on a platform like that will be CLEARLY exposed by full public scrutiny… of their message, of their policies and positions… and without the filter of DARK MONEY. FUNDS donated by people who might prefer it if… SOME people didn’t know they were donating to such a cause. Groups and individuals who DONATE to campaigns on BOTH SIDES, expecting to buy influence with whomever wins the election… because the POLITICAL PARTIES need money, too.

 

Over the course of the last 16 MONTHS of this campaign, I’ve posted 100 entries here on my website and Tweeted over 15,000 Tweets, clarifying my position on every topic, from Kavanaugh to Parkland. From disenfranchisement in Georgia to disenfranchisement in Dodge City, Kansas. I’ve attempted to be OPEN and HONEST about my positions and have encouraged folks to press me for clarification if needed and will continue to do so. Even though it could be seen as a political cop-out, ducking and dodging policy positions so as not to be tied down to ONE position over the OTHER… I question the entire PREMISE OF THE DEBATE on EVERY ISSUE being tossed around right now. The desire of every candidate to pin down EVERY position on EVERY issue seems premature…

Don’t forget, the United States Senate is where good legislation goes to DIE.

The president ALONE does NOT make the Law. Where do these Senators expect to find the bi-partisan support necessary to FUND all of these campaign promises? BILLIONS on Trump’s wall… TRILLIONS on tuition forgiveness?

What about the SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS that have created the ASTRONOMICAL COST of secondary education? And the financial institutions left unchecked to take advantage of the unsuspecting and vulnerable?

A Band-Aid won’t fix the KNIFE IN OUR BACK… and back ’round we go again, back to the attack on the MAIN financial tool middle class Americans have relied on for the last 75+ years for our social advancement- INCREASING HOME EQUITY. Homeowners can only do SO MUCH to make that happen. A large part of it relies on the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT to do it’s part by making communities SAFER and keeping INFRASTRUCTURE up-to-date and IN GOOD REPAIR, among MANY others.

The NEXT President of The United States should NOT be the candidate who says, “I went out and listened to what ORDINARY AMERICANS have to say.” The next President of The United States should already know what’s on the mind of Ordinary Americans… because THAT’S WHO THEY ARE. Because MY SURVIVAL is tied directly to YOURS.

WE are the BALANCE upon which the entire system is judged…

What do we want our government to LOOK LIKE?

WHO should our government work FOR?

 

Is our system what we want it to BE? Remove the CORRUPTION and restore HONOR in governance… and we will discover how much MORE our system of governance can BE.

THE PEOPLE, and their UNIVERSAL ACCESS to the ballot, become the SECURITY SYSTEM protecting our Constitutional Democracy. Ensuring FAIR and EQUAL REPRESENTATION, based NOT on DOLLARS… but on EACH OTHER.

 

ONE CITIZEN= ONE VOTE

 

We MUST End The Electoral College.

 

 

JC

 

A Scout is Brave.

WHY are you so angry? Process it. Root it out. WHY are we triggered to anger when we’re told “others” are coming to take our jobs, our safety, our LIVES.

One answer: we are all crazy. Seriously, the way mental health is portrayed in most people’s lives, as a personal weakness if you have to go to a shrink. Some of us walk around in our daily lives wondering if we can find the inner strength to make it through one more day, and somehow seem to struggle through. And all the while, passing on the street, people coming and going without a passing glance, souls who have seen horrors we could not even imagine existed… and not quite as strong as ourselves. And but for the random chance of a passing stranger’s caring glance, or the stray alley cat with one ear missing rubbing against a leg. Maybe, not so bad…

Another answer- we’re being manipulated. Not just straight lying. That’s too easy to spot. You have to convince people to change their views, or they won’t be deeply held. Make an emotional connection with people’s inner soul, what makes ’em tick. Gotta hit ’em right where they live. Something they can relate to, from their past. An ever present ‘us vs. them’ feeling, keeping you on edge and maybe lose some sleep.

BREAKING NEWS: ‘They’ are just over the border, off the coast of the State, coming in boats like landing craft on D-Day. Are YOU safe?? Watch the “buy my crap” news team, tonite!

How many generations are we talking about here? How many different ‘others’ have their been in the last 17 years… 40 years… 60, 80 years… All being fed fears of ‘us against them’, to the benefit of only those who profit from fear and hate. The people who profit from constructing walls. Who profit when we fear a someone and need to protect our something. So we RUSH RIGHT OUT and BUY a thing that will stop a them. Because we are designed to. Intentionally.

The science of mental health is successful because we have learned what makes the mind work the way it does. After all, it is a science. We know how to treat diseases of the mind because we find their origins, and follow the evolution of a mind from childhood to adulthood. In order to treat the disease successfully, we must know what causes it… This means we must know, necesarily, how to destroy a mind as well as how to heal it.

Through the scientific method, with determination the size of the American Spirit, anything is possible.

So, stop and attempt to understand the origin of your rage. If these groups of people are so dangerous and such a threat that we must spend millions to stop them, but they will keep coming, and more walls need to be built… People say we have to secure the borders to stop terrorists. Stop terrorists? From WITHOUT? I have two words to say to that- Timothy McVeigh. The people from abroad who seek to do our country harm are nothing compared to the homegrown version we cultivate currently. America First.

The natural emotional responses of the human mind are studied by commercial industries to sell brands. To make you remember who has the best fries in America. So you will remember what car maker is “going places”. To drill into your head what meat Bigfoot likes to eat. You should enjoy this meat product because you relate to some thing or person that situation and outcome…

Once we understand the triggers, the emotional response that is desired, and the action implied, we will see who stands on the side of The People. We have to come together and see we’re all on the same side of the street. We are all standing waiting for a bus, wishing for a better life for ourselves and our family, not wanting to be standing here waiting for the bus! We are all striving to be heard and being yelled down by someone who knows better than ourselves.

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Alan Vargas at a March for Our Lives event. @TheAlanvargas

 

We are all just trying to make a buck and get closer to the goals we set in our lives.

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We are all human, born imperfect and striving for perfection, and everyone should remember that, and show compassion because we’ve all been there, or will be someday…

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This officer tased this suspect while he was submissive and attempting to comply.

What makes you mad? Why are you so mad that you could scream?

I promise the solution to this is SPEAKING OUT. Silence is what brought us here, and silence will bring us more of the same. Share ideas, share feelings, share the joy we find when we give a hand to others, and lend an ear to gain knowledge. No one grows as a person, through war. War breaks people down. War grinds strong people to dust slowly over decades. You wanna find answers on a spiritual level? Listen to the heartache of another human being and give emotional support. You might find answers to problems in your life by helping someone else with their’s.

…at least that’s how I see it.

Keep your head up!

JC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attn: JOB OPENING

“Are you a Lawyer? Have you ever wanted to work for a Presidential Candidate… Pro bono?!! If so, Mr. Jack Charbonneau wants to offer YOU a snowball’s chance at becoming the LEGAL REPRESENTATION of the next President of the United States!

…act NOW and the toaster* is yours!” 

(*toaster does not exist.)

I am of course referring to the FEC guidelines for political contributions, specifically the section regarding in kind contributions of services, where the last line reads- “Of course, when an individual personally volunteers legal or accounting services to a committee, the above restrictions do not apply.” https://transition.fec.gov/pages/brochures/citizens.shtml

Oh… I’m supposed to say “I’m Jack Charbonneau, and I approved this message.” Because this is my Official website for my political campaign-

Jack Charbonneau 2020: Political Revolution

Yup. I got a number from the IRS today. I got my FEC Candidate number the other day as well… sigh. They gave me a doozey of a number. P00007666. Out of all the randomness and chaos in the universe, THAT’S the number I get!? But it’s just a number. It’s like the thirteenth floor of a building, or the impulse to knock on wood or toss salt over your shoulder. Or looking at the digital clock everyday at 5:55 or 11:11.

I’ve always found numerical oddities like this interesting. This particular number is seen as quite powerful, to some. Growing up as a Southern Baptist in my teens, I have read the stories and heard the Word about who this number is for. Now, even though I am an Atheist, (or as my Aunt Marty would say, He’s walking his ‘path’) I still hold tight to the lessons gained from that book. That the light will always conquer darkness. And I stand on the side of the light. Anyway… I like the power of the seven that comes before it!

So this is my first Official Campaign posting. And I should say, to everyone, I only want to ask ONE question:

“Can you name ONE issue that you care deeply about, that could be solved if we eliminated the corruption of our current campaign finance system?”

I can name MORE than one!

If that answer is yes, then consider another question:

“Would you sign a petition to allow an INDEPENDENT candidate, funded only by INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS, on to the ballot for President in the 2020 election?”

I know… It is a HUGE ask. No… I get it. I was mad at Ralph Nader for TWO YEARS. No joke! And I had a friend who voted for Ross Perot… as a write-in in 2000. I understand what this means. But, if you consider the choices that were on the ballot in 2016, and consider the possible choices coming in 2020…

I cannot think of a single person who could change all of this for the better. No political figure could unite us. They are too polarizing. And their record is tainted by the corruption as well. No celebrity could do it. They are too entangled in their financial web to run. To many, public service could cost them millions in income. No corporate titan like Bill gates or Mark Zuckerberg… for obvious reasons.

…and that brings up another point.

We stand at the precipice of a pivotal moment in our country. We are about to see the conclusion to an investigation into an attack on our country by a foreign adversary. Many wealthy countries, organizations, individuals, good and bad actors from all corners of the globe, are watching and waiting. When decisions are made and legislation is passed, we must act in the light of Full Disclosure. The American People need to know as much as possible as to the true nature of the events of this attack. With OPENESS and OVERSIGHT being supreme, only Full Disclosure will ensure we make the best decisions, as a governing body AND as individuals. Everyone benefits with MORE KNOWLEDGE.

So who do YOU want making the calls with this classified information? It is a heavy time in our country. Non disclosure agreements, backroom handshakes, smiles and cigars, then a plea to the voters for support to fight a fictitious “enemy within”. Partisan politics played out with classified intel, partisan conclusions presenting selected facts, and all at the cost of the MEN AND WOMEN, dedicating decades of their lives to our system of Justice… like a criminal would do.

The criminal enterprise that has grown along side our partisan political structure has cast a shadow upon Our Government. The taint of political contributions from the highest bidder has led to laws that benefit the donors. The need for Congressional candidates to raise money for re-election takes time away from legislating. HOURS every day, calling wealthy donors ‘back home’, asking for their support. And all of that support comes with an implied price tag.

When We choose to UNITE behind a candidate Of the People, one who lives the issues and ills of our society daily… Someone who truly represents the ideals, not ideas, of our Nation. A candidate that understands the struggles a working class family faces, because I am part of a working class family. And I believe that those values, the ones I have been taught and the ones I have learned, are shared by the majority of the electorate. And until We see someone like myself, in The White House, we will remain divided.

If we can see past the division of our daily left/right battles and realize it doesn’t HAVE TO BE ONE OR THE OTHER. Why MUST it be ONE or THE OTHER? When we can have unity and consensus.

When we work together in good faith, We can put a MAN ON THE MOON!

Please consider OPEN and HONEST debate on my idea of creating a ONE CITIZEN=ONE VOTE tax payer funded Federal Election System. By achieving only this, we open the door to solving ALL issues that directly effect voters. The States have representation. The districts have representation. The President transcends regional politics and is a representative of ALL the People of Our country. The President should be decided DIRECTLY by the People.

We must End The Electoral College.

Keep your head UP!!

JC

 

Saturday

My Saturday usually starts by being kicked out of bed at 0900 when Jessie (my wife) comes home. Sometimes I get lucky and she lets me sleep longer, but being a night shift nurse, her sleep pattern can be easily disrupted. If you’ve worked night shift or lived with someone who has, then you understand. Some days it’s hard to come home after a 13 hour shift and try to sleep as the birds are singing and the sun is burning off the dew.

Matt and Garrett (my sons, 12 and 10 respectively) spend Friday night binging online games with their friends since they can’t play on school nights. So either they wake up super early or sleep in from being up late. Usually they rotate who plays first and trade off who sleeps in on Saturday and Sunday. My wife is a gamer girl, so when she wakes up in the afternoon, she will jump in and play Fallout 4 on xBox as they find something else to pass the time.

And they all deserve the respite. She spend 12 to 13 hours in an ICU setting dealing with children with cardiac issues. Some of the hardest stories you’d ever heard. Some of the hardest stories I wish I’d never heard. So, she likes to destroy DIGITAL ghouls and build settlements and dress the settlers in each community in various themes. One settlement is all formal wear, another is all lab coats, one is dedicated to making donuts.

And the boys, if they make it through a week of school focused and doing what they are supposed to, then they can spend as much time as they want (within reason) learning and executing the various gaming platforms. That’s what they want their profession to be, digital design, et al. Then they are doing both relaxing and educating. Plus, it’s not like it was “back in MY day…” (Oh no… Here we go…) when we played video games for hours on end we were seen as antisocial or reclusive. Now, players are interacting with people from all parts of the globe, team building, executing prepared strategies, and completing various objectives cooperatively!

As Matt points out, “why can’t we play during the week?” Good question…

Yet, me… I don’t get a weekend off. I am “on call” 24/7. I am “Johnny-On-The-Spot” when things need to be done. When someone gets sick, when something comes up, when we need toilet paper, “Come, Captain Greenback. To the Grocery-getter… AWAY!”

The dishes don’t clean themselves on the weekend. (sadly…) The floors still get dog fur all over them on Saturdays. And allergy attacks in the middle of the night still happen on Saturday. Though not as much as when they were younger, they still need  some assistance. We are lucky to have one parent at home. Not everyone can have that.

And we do it a great cost. No doubt. It is hard to make ends meet, let alone get above water with one person at home. It can lead to some heated arguments about money. It’s not easy, for a guy, to be a “housewife” in our society. It is becoming more acceptable. But the stereotypes persist. It can take a toll on a person mentally. It demands self sacrifice that not everyone knows. My needs have to be the needs of the family. Even if my needs are the most important focus of the day, I cannot plan on anything concrete, because I can be called to pick up a kid with a fever from school, asked to get snacks for an ICU full of nurses that someone forgot that it was today and needs it in 2 hours before she has to go to work.

And all of that can be upended by the weather. It is Springtime in Kansas. No one here doubts for a second that, at any time, the sky could decide your game is over. It ads a bit of urgency to your day when black clouds roll off the prairie. It forces a person to take note of what matters most. And to work toward protecting that as best as you can.

As my wife and I struggle to keep it together, financially, as we put so much time, money, and effort into making our house a “net zero” house, with self sufficiency and climate change preparedness our priority, doing the “right” thing over the “wanted” thing is hard. As I sit here writing, and hear a “baby boomer” roar down the street on Harley-Davidson, I wonder if I should have not spent money on the granite we put on the outside of our home, the R30 insulation in the walls and attic, and the wind turbines I still need to install.

All of my time, effort, and money is invested in a future outcome. Gambling, in a sence. With such high stakes, I hope I get it right. Granite’s not as fun to ride as is a Harley-Davidson! It will last a bit longer, though.

Keep your head UP!!