So, as a country, do we provide the tools that are needed in the pursuit of life, liberty and   happiness?  Do we provide the tools we require so that a healthy, productive, safe society can be formed and maintained?
It takes more than one individual working alone to do this.  It requires a community that cares.  It requires a community that accepts its responsibilities, even embraces these responsibilities, and experiences joy and fulfillment when the tools are being well used to build something that is lasting and good.  I think we do far better with providing the tools for our armies and navy.  We build the tools so we can engage in endless wars.  We build battleships, each at a cost so great that we could have built hundreds of schools or numerous hospitals instead.  While our armies are equipped and trained and billion even trillions are spent, our school system is collapsing, our health care system is a source of national shame and food / housing are becoming out of reach to so many.

What are we creating now in America?  What tools are we providing so the “job” of a productive life with meaning and with a caring community can be accomplished?  I just don’t know.  Or possibly I do and I am afraid of the answer.

May this be a sweet and good year to you all. A year of building. A year of strength. A year of hope. Shana Tova

- Ken

Hope is here at Jewish Family Service. We can’t cure the ills of the world or of this country or even this state or city. But we can and do help. A lot. Try us when you are in need. We are not fair weather friends; we are your caring family. Hang in there and know you are not alone.

Do they mean the over loaded bureaucracy, or the pork that various congress people in Washington manage to secure?  Do they want to shrink governmental loopholes for corporations?  Do they want to shrink the unfair taxation rules we have where private jets get a free ride?  Do they want to shrink the power of lobbyists and their capacity to buy votes?

Last week my brother told me a joke that he made up: “You know the economy is getting bad when Exxon Mobil has to lay off 50 congressmen.”  Not a bad joke, but a little too true.

I received an email from a friend saying that they heard of a couple in need who phoned JFS and were told that we had no more resources available for rent or utilities.  My friend felt that this was a terrible message to give out.  I think it’s a terrible truth to have to tell people.  We don’t have infinite capacity to take care of the ever growing poor in our community.  Sometimes we either run low or out of resources.

We usually recover and replenish some of our capacity.  We count on the generosity of individuals. People have been generous.  But needs grow faster than support.  I guess you can’t have everything.  Either government that spends its resources on the welfare of its citizens or endless, senseless wars with no tax increases to pay for them.  I guess we made our choice.

I just tacked a powerful quote by FDR above my desk.  It reads, “The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic state itself.  That, in its essence, is fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group.”  Is it only our government that could use some shrinking ?

I wonder when President Obama makes a speech and he says, “something has to be done in Washington,” does he fully realize where he lives?  Who exactly is he talking about?  Why not tell us?  Too easy to say look at the others and see how inept and selfish they are and exclude one’s self.

Everyone is to blame.  Everyone… that includes me and you and all the folks who live in a country whose mythology about itself far exceeds the reality.  Americans love our children.  Really? 40 million are below the poverty level ; there isn’t even a policy that guarantees paid parental leave .  Everyone should have enough to eat?  Really?  Tens of millions of our citizens are on food stamps which are now being threatened with cutbacks.  (Food stamps, from the get go, were never enough to adequately feed all who are hungry in this mythological country of ours.)  Millions are without medical care.  Millions falling into poverty while the super rich become the super duper richer.

Who are we really?  A caring nation led by caring people?  A nation owned by a few whose lives are unaffected by the growing poverty, a collapsing educational system, an unavailable and unaffordable medical system?  Let’s stop the pretense, let’s stop the crowd pleasing political speeches and deal with our reality. The myth will not save us.

I just saw the movie The Conspirator.   Excellent, see it.  It tells me that when we are threatened and afraid we are more than willing to suspend constitutional rights.  With the tenth anniversary of September 11^th occurring soon, let’s face our real country and attend to its profound shortcomings.

We must become the people and country we have pretended to be for far too long.

P.S.  The $10 million Kardashian wedding (the band alone reportedly cost over $200,000) is a lovely example of money well spent in a value system that is not myth nor make-believe, but actual reality.  In other words, obscene.

The Market falls more than 600 points in just one day.

The largest demonstrations in Israel in decades because of the disparity between the rich and everyone else — the people want affordable housing and food.

I wish our people would demonstrate for housing, food and jobs.

A theme is coming across loud and clear.  You cannot ignore the needs of your citizens forever.  You cannot count on Wall Street or Washington DC for fairness or even common decency.

Selfishness, a “me” vs. “we” mentality, will not lift all the boats sitting in the harbor –  only the largest of the yachts.  Ultimately that will not work.  The other boats must rise too.

JFS is here to help all in our community rise and meet the challenges they face.  We are going to get very, very busy and we already were.

Someone needs to pay for our foolishness, not those who decided to enter and wage these wars, not those responsible for the staggering economic disaster that has occurred (actually let’s reward them with greater riches), not the President who lowered the taxes with a sunset clause that everyone knew would never sunset. They are making it impossible to provide to the neediest in our society.

Actually let’s all focus on the debt ceiling while the country’s economy withers on the vine. Yes it’s the debt ceiling that is our greatest problem. Sure there are a few unemployed folks whose unemployment has run out on but everyone needs to tighten their belts (maybe not everyone). Cut Medicare payments to the doctors and hospitals who already receive insufficient reimbursements to cover costs. We’ll protect Social Security and Medicaid and Medicare, but maybe just a little witling away here and there.

I am the CEO of Jewish Family Service, a social service agency where the “others” go to for help. Just folks waiting in line for food, housing, counseling, some help paying a utility bill and doctor and pharmacy bills. I am sincerely grateful to those with means who help the thousands of clients in need who come here. I want people who work hard and succeed to become prosperous. But when the disparity between the haves and the have nots is so staggeringly huge, when one class has to bear the costs of stupidity, avarice and the selfishness of those who hold seats of power in the nation’s capitol. When those same people have handed themselves pay increases, health care for life, pensions for life while withholding the smallest ray of hope and glimmer of help something is terribly wrong. Does uch a thing as communal responsibility exist? And a ship that sinks takes down all who are aboard. Do we all know that? Really in our hearts and minds really understand that?

Another, not nearly as serious, challenge we have faced and made great progress on is in tourism in Washington State. Of course, Washington is so terrific and the other 49 states so terrible, that we are the only state to eliminate our statewide tourism office and provide no state money to promote traveling to Washington. This must be a great savings to our budget and so forward thinking. After all, tourists don’t bring money with them to spend; they just look around and then leave. Let Montana have them.

I was so pleased (yes, there are things that do please me) that New York City and State are reaping a bonanza from passing the same-sex marriage legislation. Hotels, catering halls, florists and wedding clothiers all report a sharp increase in sales as people from all over the U.S. go to N.Y. to get married. Of course, passing such legislation should not be done because of economic benefits; but because it is right, proper and moral to provide equal rights to all those who wish to marry (and as in N.Y. with a provision to protect religious entities who do not wish to participate in such unions.) I hope the Jewish community, as well as other faith and non-faith groups, push for such legislation here in Washington and do so now.

I am impressed by some members of the U.S. House of Representatives who are fighting the good fight against new efficient light bulb standards. A bill mandating more efficient bulbs was signed into law by George W. Bush in 2007. The new light bulbs will cut air pollution and save consumers money in the long run. The bill doesn’t eliminate incandescent bulbs, but they must be energy efficient. It is satisfying to know that our legislators in the “other Washington” are spending their time so wisely. Do you think they know that the country is on the verge of defaulting on its loan payments for the first time in 235 years?

Hang in everyone. We are in for a very bumpy ride. A very bumpy ride indeed.