Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 3 days out of the week where I see firsthand what the political process is all about. Since September 8th, I've been fortunate enough to work on a congressman's staff here in Washington, D.C. I see the congressman everyday and although we haven't yet had a heart to heart, I've seen enough to give me impressions about the office, but I'm choosing to talk about all that sometime in January. For now, I'll talk about what I see on a daily basis outside of just the office I work.
Sincerity
Call me naive or fickle, but I can truthfully say that I believe these people I see everyday are very involved and hope to change the world we live in; contrary to what many people might believe as living for the status quo. The people I speak with don't come off to me as wanting to keep the world the same. Some people may look at our U.S. Capitol with scorn because they believe the people in power aren't trying to get anything done and quite frankly, I've seen otherwise. Yes, some people may not agree with these ideas, but there are a diverse set of ideas nonetheless and to say that no one on Capitol Hill cares is a misconception. Again, I haven't met everyone on congress but I've met and spoken with enough people to get the impression that people typically care for the condition of society and the country. The fact that everyone has their own set of concerns for the community is an indication to me of that. There are a few things I have reservations about but again, I'll talk about that come January.
Expertise
The people here on Capitol Hill are, needless to say, very intelligent and it's something I'm glad I'm able to be a part of. Unlike casual conversations between people, there is a wide amount of competence shown in people here and if you just like to hear the sound of your voice, Washington D.C. is not the city for you. You will be called out and made a fool out of. I enjoy being challenged through debate here and even if I'm wrong about something, I value the conversation's ability to better shape my own ideas. If you're the person who shows more intellect in the debate, let it reinforce you. If you're the one on the wrong end of the spectrum time after time, maybe it's time to revamp the way in which you view politics. The fact alone that I can change someone's whole perspective about something means more to me than just the title that comes along with working for a congressional office
Networking
Everyday I go to work, I am surrounded by people who will one day contribute significantly to the political process; either as lobbyists, legislative directors, representatives, senators or chief of staff's. In one way or another, the group of people I speak with frequently are either already in a prestigious spot or are well on their way to becoming that. There's a quote that goes by "It's not what you know, it's who you know." I give great respect to that and because of it, I make sure I never burn bridges with anyone and take it upon myself to really make an impression on everyone that lasts and serves as a positive way of allowing them to open up. In the world of politics, it's all about who you know and how they can help you with whatever you're trying to pursue; sometimes this can serve to the advantage of corruption and greed. More often than not though, it's a matter of resources and knowledge. In politics, You don't have to be a cronie to maintain a form of friendship with people in power; it's a matter of what you do with that ability that makes all the difference.
I wish I could put this all in one summary but I've been here about a month and I can't compile all I've learned in one sitting so I hope you're looking forward to coming back and reading more about what it is I do and what things I've seen, learned, despised, loved, ridiculed and complimented here on Capitol Hill. Here are a few things I've eventually get around to talking about:
- Racism on Capitol Hill
- Impact of money (Greed and Corruption)
- How lobbyists can affect political process
- 'Average Joes' involved in politics
- Capitol Receptions
- Background of ppl I see everyday
- Conversations I've had with big name people
- Constituencies and their opinions
- Congressional hearings + what you see (or don't see)
- Impressions on the Hill
- Institutions surrounding congress
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Start of Something Truly Remarkable
August 30th, 2009; the start of something truly remarkable. I came to here to Washington D.C. with my girlfriend, two parents , youngest sister, niece and nephew. We drove in my mother’s Nissan Quest and even with that size, I’m sure my family thought it was pretty crammed in the back. Regardless, we were here and after about 6 and a half hours, we finally got into the city of politics. I remember the look on my mother’s face as we drove into the city and saw the poverty. Coming from civil-war era Nicaragua, I was surprised to see the reaction on her face and I knew in her head that the poverty really made an impression on her; negative as it may have been. “David, this is worse than Nicaragua” she said to me. I just laughed and shrugged it off believing in my head that she was just exaggerating and not yet able to come to terms with the fact that this city was where I’d spend the next 4 months of my life. After seeing the poverty stretch on and on, it hit me like I ran into a brick wall; all these agents of “advocacy” and “representatives” in this city of Washington D.C., and no one here to stand for the men in the cardboard boxes or the families in the rundown buildings. This city radiates opportunity and power and yet no one seems to mind the lack of opportunity or power among the communities we saw on our way up. And I thought MY poverty was bad growing up; these people truly were the ‘have-nots’ in this country. They had NOTHING but clothes on their backs and their families by their side.
I figured that we leave Thursday night so that we get to D.C. Friday morning and have plenty of time to sleep and tour the city come Friday night. My parents weren’t major fans of the city on Friday so they opted to just stay in the hotel and watch after the girls and my nephew in the hotel pool. It was a beautiful hotel, I must say; far more illustrious than what we’re used to. The area the hotel was in wasn’t bad; it was in downtown D.C. and one or two blocks from Chinatown so there was plenty to do and see. My girlfriend Jeanelle and I got dressed to go site see. Little did I know that this night would bring me motivation I’d never experienced and inspiration I’d never known. There was something glorious about everything I saw that night; the lights, the buildings, the Potomac, the statues, the memorials, the nightlife; everything gave off an aura that I had only vaguely imagined in the past. I was like a child in a toystore; I wanted to see everything. Everything was much more beautiful than in the textbooks. Photos didn’t do them justice.
Come Saturday morning, we were up and out. My parents had realized that this part of the city wasn’t all that bad; it was actually beautiful and exemplified a side of American culture that they had never known in Danbury, Connecticut. My nephew, Isaiah was a grumpy little one that day, he didn’t want to do ANY walking and had we brought a stroller, no doubt in my mind he would’ve been in it all day. We saw the Lincoln memorial which really made an impression on my mother and I. Those words written in stone had me thinking all day and reinforced the idea of liberty. I couldn’t make out an impression from my father; he tends to keep his thoughts to himself and as great of an impression he might have attained from the Lincoln memorial; he kept it all in his head and just decided to soak it in and keep it in. My sister Sheyla, even at 13, was too young to understand the significance of political figures like Abraham Lincoln and the significance of historical events like the civil war or slavery. Even today, I’m not sure what went through her head. She has an imagination all her own. My niece Natalya on the other hand, enjoyed it and marveled at just how big the Lincoln Memorial was.
From there, we went to the Vietnam Memorial. Of all memorials I had seen on this day, none came close to how much of an impact the Vietnam Memorial made on me. I got there and as we were walking up, it hadn’t looked very large in size but as we got closer, we saw how big this was becoming and what really blew my whole family away was how we worked our way from the outside in and realized how big the wall was and how small the names were. The small sized names bothered me; not because they were small but because even at its size, it needed a large space to get all the names of the men and women who died. These weren’t just names or casualties of war; these were real people with real lives and real families that they left behind; never to live or see again. An old teacher of mine that I kept in touch with had a roommate who passed away during the Vietnam war. He told me once that ever since he passed, he felt guilty over his death. I wasn’t sure if he had his closure but I wanted to do something for him since I was in the area and visiting the memorial myself. Jeanelle told me that the park rangers give out Vietnam Memorial letter-headed papers and graphite for visitors to sketch over the names of the fallen men. I found the man’s name on the wall. Thomas Carothers. I never knew the man; I’ve never even seen a picture of him or a story about him. I just know this man, Thomas Carothers, existed and people like Mr. Scalzo truly missed him and remember him to this day. I sketched the name and gave it to Jeanelle to give to Mr. Scalzo for me.
After the Vietnam Memorial, we all walked around the city for a little while just seeing what we came across. We eventually got to the Air and Space museum. Now my child-like fascination with the city on Friday night was nothing compared to my father’s fascination and admiration for what he saw there. This wasn’t a family event for him; he wasted no time and ran off without us to see all the planes, spaceships and machinery the museum had to offer. He didn’t want to take any pictures of us but he was quick to ask us to take a picture of him with the Apollo module or a spy plane behind him. What a nerd. When I told him I found out there were flight simulators in the museum, he ran like we didn’t have 2 hours before the museum closed. I decided I’d fly and he’d control the turrets. That day, I realized I have no business even thinking I could become a pilot. I flew horrible. It was fun until my dad kept going back and forth about how he would have done better. I stood my ground and told him I’d pay for us to do it again and we’d switch places. So we did and needless to say, he did worse than me. Of course he wouldn’t admit it though, we’re talking about my father here.
The night came to an end and before I knew it, Sunday morning was here and it was time that I finally moved into my apartment. It went by fast. Too fast. I didn’t get a chance to put my thoughts together and come to the realization that this was going to be home for 4 months. Regardless, as soon as everything was put into the apartment, that was that; we said our goodbyes, good lucks, see ya soon’s, and love you’s. That moment, although I had not known it at the time, was the moment I had waited for my whole life. I’d been waiting for this my whole life. My dreams had become my reality. The American Dream is alive; maybe not alive and well, but alive nonetheless and I am living testament to that. I’ve worked so hard to get here to have this opportunity. My parents have worked endlessly to grant me opportunity and I’ve worked tirelessly to make something of myself and get my foot in the door. Now that I had done just that, I thought to myself, “Now What?” August 30th, 2009; The start of something truly remarkable.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Can we sustain?
We are in a time of political, social and economic turmoil. That much is clear. What is more evident is the need and demand for a resolution to the problems which we are dealt. Forget the political affiliation one poses; an effective idea is neither blue nor red. If we want to fix our issues in this country, we must first LISTEN. Someone once told me that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Sometimes you must speak in support of the very policies being proposed; sometimes you must speak out against the lies being fed to the people. Before you decide to speak though, it is imperative that one listens. Don't just hear what your opposition has to say; Listen to what they have to say.
We come to a point in the maze called politics where we decide which path leads to a dead end and which leads us to the way out. With that being said, we need a way out of our deficit and debt. The problem with this predicament is the one solution comes with it's own complex set of details. Here's an idea folks; why don't we offset the tax cuts with spending cuts? If we're going to stimulate the economy, why don't we spend hundreds of billions of dollars in helping the American families with their debts and mortgages as opposed to writing off the "toxic assets" of the banks? This way, these very families wouldn't have the anxiety of wondering if they can afford a home or say, healthcare. Healthcare as we all know, is the major theme in this great city of Washington D.C. If it's not the intentions of the government to overhaul healthcare and nationalize the industry, let's talk about making health care cheaper. Here's some simple math:
Public Option + Tort Reform + Right to purchase health insurance across state lines =
CHEAPER HEALTHCARE
There it is Folks. I just solved the American mystery of effective healthcare reform.
Some of you might say "Oh no, what about the unfair advantage government is going to have in a public option" or "Gee golly, that means I can't sue my doctor for 100 million dollars if there's tort reform". Guess what? Too Bad.
Some of these companies can make it through depressions and recessions; they'll be fine. These trial lawyers won't be out of a job either; they'll survive. These opposing barriers to Universally accessible healthcare in the United States is the reason for the millions of families medical and financial hardships.
A few paragraphs up I mentioned the deficit and the national debt. First; let's stop making money out of thin air through the Federal Reserve. We CANNOT spend our way to profit; I don't care WHAT the Keynesian theory says. Second; let's stop borrowing money from foreign countries for the time being; it's as if we're spending away our national sovereignty and American way of living.
In conclusion, our country should be very careful of becoming the very thing we've passionately condemned; a feckless nation.
- David Javier Solis
We come to a point in the maze called politics where we decide which path leads to a dead end and which leads us to the way out. With that being said, we need a way out of our deficit and debt. The problem with this predicament is the one solution comes with it's own complex set of details. Here's an idea folks; why don't we offset the tax cuts with spending cuts? If we're going to stimulate the economy, why don't we spend hundreds of billions of dollars in helping the American families with their debts and mortgages as opposed to writing off the "toxic assets" of the banks? This way, these very families wouldn't have the anxiety of wondering if they can afford a home or say, healthcare. Healthcare as we all know, is the major theme in this great city of Washington D.C. If it's not the intentions of the government to overhaul healthcare and nationalize the industry, let's talk about making health care cheaper. Here's some simple math:
Public Option + Tort Reform + Right to purchase health insurance across state lines =
CHEAPER HEALTHCARE
There it is Folks. I just solved the American mystery of effective healthcare reform.
Some of you might say "Oh no, what about the unfair advantage government is going to have in a public option" or "Gee golly, that means I can't sue my doctor for 100 million dollars if there's tort reform". Guess what? Too Bad.
Some of these companies can make it through depressions and recessions; they'll be fine. These trial lawyers won't be out of a job either; they'll survive. These opposing barriers to Universally accessible healthcare in the United States is the reason for the millions of families medical and financial hardships.
A few paragraphs up I mentioned the deficit and the national debt. First; let's stop making money out of thin air through the Federal Reserve. We CANNOT spend our way to profit; I don't care WHAT the Keynesian theory says. Second; let's stop borrowing money from foreign countries for the time being; it's as if we're spending away our national sovereignty and American way of living.
In conclusion, our country should be very careful of becoming the very thing we've passionately condemned; a feckless nation.
- David Javier Solis
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Woes of my Republican Party
What has my Republican Party of Lincoln become and where do we go from here?
Since the birth of this independent country in 1776, our political system has primarily been a two party system which puts both factions at odds with each other in all forms of debates; some social, some political, and some for just the sake of bickering. In a little more than two centuries, our nation has made strides that even our forefathers may have not foreseen. We've made history with various forms of movements that gave the people more power in their hands. We've developed a country that understands national sovereignty in the hands of the people works best; the problem with this though is that we've had far too difficult of a time distinguishing who is part of the American people.
The Democratic party does an effective job in bringing in young voters, college-educated voters, minority voters, catholic voters, union voters and other categories. For my Republican party unfortunately, these voters are typically Democrat-leaning and the numbers will only rise in the future as the minority population goes up, college-education enrollment goes up and various other group populations skyrocket. It's no secret that the recent election in 2008 exposed the not just the weaknesses of my party, but its flaws and mistakes it's accumulated over the past few decades. We abandoned the fundamentals that brought us to the national spotlight in the 18th century. Unfortunately, our party of Reagan and Lincoln is no longer with us and we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Politics is an ugly sport; and like all ugly sports, one must prevail and one must falter. My party has done too much of the latter for the past few years and there is reasoning behind it. I'd like to address just a few of the many reasons why this is so and present what I feel may serve as solutions, difficult as they may be, to my party's predicament.
'Rich White Man's Party'
This belief is the one major barrier to keeping minority groups from voting for several Republican officials. Unfortunately, sincere and selfless Republican officials don't even get acknowledged due to the generalizations made by Republicans past who have not quite embraced the movements of minorities in the past (i.e. Civil Rights and Immigrant protests). While this does not mean all republicans opposed these movements; too many did and failed to acknowledge the future predicaments. The fact of the matter is that most African Americans and Hispanics identify themselves as a group to be more traditional and associate many of their beliefs towards family values and more conservative-minded; something that would typically be an asset and advantage for my Republican party but is canceled out by the grim history of the party towards these two groups. While it is true a Republican president won the civil war and was much of the reason for the emancipation of the slaves, the dire history of the Republican party in the south during the civil rights does away with that. While it is also true that Ronald Reagan signed an amnesty program in the 80's which legalized several undocumented immigrants, the racist remarks and demonizing of the Hispanic community (whether intentional or not, it happened) in the past few years completely erases some of that Hispanic support in states like Florida. My party has come off as too offensive, insensitive and xenophobic in the past few decades and that must change in order to make progress in the future of a nation whose identity is changing. This issue can't be shelved or tabled to be dealt with in the future; that time is now and I urge any Republican who happens to be reading this to acknowledge the mistakes and misconceptions made and created over the past few years. We need to act because the democrats know the situation of the everchanging country and they've jumped on that quite effectively as shown in the statistics of the past election
'Party of Bush'
It's as simple as understanding that Bush was no great president by any means and although there are some things he deserves credit for, it's important to just move on from the Bush era and get back to the drawing board. We need another Reagan revolution where people come to the polls excited to keep a Republican in power. The party of Newt Gingrich, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan were far different in comparison to the Party of Bush. Let's move on and get to work on portraying the message of accountability and modernity to America. We need innovation and while it may be true that some of the Republican values should stay intact, some need to be done away with and some need to be revamped. Again, we've seen that the past few years and in terms of survival, we must represent the needs and interests of the changing constituency in America.
'Too many oximorons'
Why can't a Republican be both a Republican and progressive? These two things do not need to mean two different things. To be progressive means to obviously make progress in society and the communities; is it so difficult for our Republican representatives to exemplify that and confidently say they do just that?
'Fiscal Conservatism'
The best Republican political victories happened when we ran on a fiscally conservative platform and held that as the message of our entering power over the Democrats. The country appreciates responsibility in our economy and the expenditures of tax money so we must keep true to our platform unlike the years of Bush.
'Focus more on State Rights'
Americans all around the country are infuriated with the increasing size of federal governments; even in blue states is this seen. We must put back more power in the hands of the states and run with that because this is what many concerned Americans are looking for. Federal bureaucracy is growing FAST and as seen in recent poll numbers, this isn't quite a blessing for the majority of Americans.
Since the birth of this independent country in 1776, our political system has primarily been a two party system which puts both factions at odds with each other in all forms of debates; some social, some political, and some for just the sake of bickering. In a little more than two centuries, our nation has made strides that even our forefathers may have not foreseen. We've made history with various forms of movements that gave the people more power in their hands. We've developed a country that understands national sovereignty in the hands of the people works best; the problem with this though is that we've had far too difficult of a time distinguishing who is part of the American people.
The Democratic party does an effective job in bringing in young voters, college-educated voters, minority voters, catholic voters, union voters and other categories. For my Republican party unfortunately, these voters are typically Democrat-leaning and the numbers will only rise in the future as the minority population goes up, college-education enrollment goes up and various other group populations skyrocket. It's no secret that the recent election in 2008 exposed the not just the weaknesses of my party, but its flaws and mistakes it's accumulated over the past few decades. We abandoned the fundamentals that brought us to the national spotlight in the 18th century. Unfortunately, our party of Reagan and Lincoln is no longer with us and we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Politics is an ugly sport; and like all ugly sports, one must prevail and one must falter. My party has done too much of the latter for the past few years and there is reasoning behind it. I'd like to address just a few of the many reasons why this is so and present what I feel may serve as solutions, difficult as they may be, to my party's predicament.
'Rich White Man's Party'
This belief is the one major barrier to keeping minority groups from voting for several Republican officials. Unfortunately, sincere and selfless Republican officials don't even get acknowledged due to the generalizations made by Republicans past who have not quite embraced the movements of minorities in the past (i.e. Civil Rights and Immigrant protests). While this does not mean all republicans opposed these movements; too many did and failed to acknowledge the future predicaments. The fact of the matter is that most African Americans and Hispanics identify themselves as a group to be more traditional and associate many of their beliefs towards family values and more conservative-minded; something that would typically be an asset and advantage for my Republican party but is canceled out by the grim history of the party towards these two groups. While it is true a Republican president won the civil war and was much of the reason for the emancipation of the slaves, the dire history of the Republican party in the south during the civil rights does away with that. While it is also true that Ronald Reagan signed an amnesty program in the 80's which legalized several undocumented immigrants, the racist remarks and demonizing of the Hispanic community (whether intentional or not, it happened) in the past few years completely erases some of that Hispanic support in states like Florida. My party has come off as too offensive, insensitive and xenophobic in the past few decades and that must change in order to make progress in the future of a nation whose identity is changing. This issue can't be shelved or tabled to be dealt with in the future; that time is now and I urge any Republican who happens to be reading this to acknowledge the mistakes and misconceptions made and created over the past few years. We need to act because the democrats know the situation of the everchanging country and they've jumped on that quite effectively as shown in the statistics of the past election
'Party of Bush'
It's as simple as understanding that Bush was no great president by any means and although there are some things he deserves credit for, it's important to just move on from the Bush era and get back to the drawing board. We need another Reagan revolution where people come to the polls excited to keep a Republican in power. The party of Newt Gingrich, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan were far different in comparison to the Party of Bush. Let's move on and get to work on portraying the message of accountability and modernity to America. We need innovation and while it may be true that some of the Republican values should stay intact, some need to be done away with and some need to be revamped. Again, we've seen that the past few years and in terms of survival, we must represent the needs and interests of the changing constituency in America.
'Too many oximorons'
Why can't a Republican be both a Republican and progressive? These two things do not need to mean two different things. To be progressive means to obviously make progress in society and the communities; is it so difficult for our Republican representatives to exemplify that and confidently say they do just that?
'Fiscal Conservatism'
The best Republican political victories happened when we ran on a fiscally conservative platform and held that as the message of our entering power over the Democrats. The country appreciates responsibility in our economy and the expenditures of tax money so we must keep true to our platform unlike the years of Bush.
'Focus more on State Rights'
Americans all around the country are infuriated with the increasing size of federal governments; even in blue states is this seen. We must put back more power in the hands of the states and run with that because this is what many concerned Americans are looking for. Federal bureaucracy is growing FAST and as seen in recent poll numbers, this isn't quite a blessing for the majority of Americans.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
First Day of DC
This weekend, I had arrived in Washington D.C., and just as I expected, it's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. This being the first time I've ever been here, going down Pennsylvania Ave had me like a little kid in a toystore; I wanted to see everything. I settled into an apartment not far at all from Capitol Hill so getting to work isn't going to be a problem. Now I'm just in the middle of doing the class readings and writing out all the thank you letters. With nothing much more to talk about, I figure I'll just leave it at that; I have a lot ahead of me.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The thing(s) Obama is doing RIGHT
I know I give this administration a lot of criticism, I think it's only right that after all of it, I give credit where credit is due.
Addressing the need for Health Care Reform
Since 1994, we haven't seen a president so determined to reform health care in this country and make it more accessible for Americans. While I frequently criticize the Democratic party's plans to overhaul health care and put it in the hands of government bureaucrats who determine what is best for individual citizens, I applaud Obama's intentions on reforming health care. Taking over the health care industry is the worst possible scenario to fix the problem with insurance coverage among Americans and while Obama is unfortunately siding on the less-reasonable and credible option, (a "public option), he does in fact, mean well and it shows in his speeches and determination to pass some form of legislation. While it may be too early to decide if Obama has some hidden liberal agenda, his concern for the uninsured sounds genuine.
So yeah. That's basically it. Sorry for anyone who expected any more; its no secret I'm no fan of this administration's methodologies. Let me know what you like about this administration.
Addressing the need for Health Care Reform
Since 1994, we haven't seen a president so determined to reform health care in this country and make it more accessible for Americans. While I frequently criticize the Democratic party's plans to overhaul health care and put it in the hands of government bureaucrats who determine what is best for individual citizens, I applaud Obama's intentions on reforming health care. Taking over the health care industry is the worst possible scenario to fix the problem with insurance coverage among Americans and while Obama is unfortunately siding on the less-reasonable and credible option, (a "public option), he does in fact, mean well and it shows in his speeches and determination to pass some form of legislation. While it may be too early to decide if Obama has some hidden liberal agenda, his concern for the uninsured sounds genuine.
So yeah. That's basically it. Sorry for anyone who expected any more; its no secret I'm no fan of this administration's methodologies. Let me know what you like about this administration.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Where to go
Since I'm leaving next weekend, I'm not sure where I should make sure I visit while I'm in D.C. A lot of you have been there; unfortunately, I've never been there so I know NOTHING about where to go. So tell me; What places do you recommend (clubs, restaurants, landmarks, monuments, schools, etc)?
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Days Til' D.C.
In about 13 days from today, I'll be in D.C. starting the experience of a lifetime; an experience I had only dreamt about before reaching college. I'll be interning on Capitol Hill and taking classes there. It'll be unlike anything I've ever taken part in and I get to work in politics hands-on. I get to enter the U.S. capitol at one of the most interesting times in American history and see the very processes our legislators must work through in order to make some form of progress (hopefully). I'm going to D.C. optimistic about the political knowledge I'll attain over the next 4 months. I'm thrilled about the prospects of networking with all sorts of different people; people who will make all the difference for me and my future with public policy. I have no false illusions about what to expect; I will in fact, come back to Danbury, Connecticut (and UConn) a different person with a set of different beliefs. Some of my beliefs I go to D.C. with will only be reinforced; others will change. No matter what though, I promise myself, my friends, my family and anyone reading this; I won't forget where it is I come from and who helped me get to anywhere I go in life. I promise.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
What Happened to Hip Hop?
I'm an 80's baby. 1989; but nevertheless; an 80's baby. So growing up in the 90's, I was fortunate enough to grow up listening to quality good hip hop. There was Nas, Jay-Z, Tupac, Biggie, The Lox, Fabolous, Mobb Deep, Big Pun, D-Block, DMX, Eminem, Fat Joe, Common and MANY MANY MORE. Some of these rappers went away and just left, some abandoned their whole style in exchange for a more commercial style. Very few rappers today though, rhyme and write about truth. Few of them write about things that aren't superficial like money, cars, 'hoes' or jewelry. There's little to no originality on the radio anymore and my belief is that the corporate heads want everything to sound the same. This way, it saves them the difficulty in looking for the next great rapper and allows them to take someone with little skill and use them at their disposal. This might mean auto-tuning their voice or giving them corny lyrics to rap out. Either way, the very genre that once embraced MC's for being original now looks down whoever has something different to bring to the table.
The Hip Hop Audience is partly to blame as well. Had it not been for us or our friends downloading say for example, ringtones from soulja boy; the big executives might not have had the leeway in forcing garbage rap down our throats. I've spoken with various DJ's who work with the radio; DJ Big Man of Hartford's Hot 93.7 being one of them a few months ago; and he had mentioned that the reason for the influx of bad hip hop was due to the corporate heads dictating what is played on the radio and taking away that role and duty from the DJ's themselves. I understand the job of an executive is to put out what is profitable, but distributing new hip hop music is what the job of being a DJ is all about. The roles of a DJ and an executive should be co-dependent and in cooperation with each other. Unfortunately, it's become so difficult to be a DJ in today's mainstream radio; the executives choke off their individualities and pull the rug from right under them in regard to determining what is played over the airwaves.
Some of you who read this might say to yourself "the souths on top; get over it" and I would like to say it's not a north-south thing for it. It's a matter of what's coming out on the radio and making sure what gets airplay is what is most satisfying and not a matter of what is easiest to produce. Hip Hop has begun to sound all the same; so much so that I question whether this new form of auto-tuning, snapping, choppin n' screwing or anything else all takes on a whole new genre. Hip Hop is meant to inspire, to uplift, to entertain, to dance to, to listen to, and most importantly, In my eyes; it's meant to preserve. If Hip Hop stays on the road it's on today, it'll get lost along the way and lose its meaning. It's pretty sad when you realize that great and phenomenal rappers are more and more seldomly made. Look at the dozens of legendary rappers who came out of the 80's, then 90's.. Yet With the first decade of the 2000's drawing near an end, we may only be able to name a handful of great rappers who emerged in this decade.
It's Hip Hop, People. Save It
Save the Music.
- David Javier Solis
The Hip Hop Audience is partly to blame as well. Had it not been for us or our friends downloading say for example, ringtones from soulja boy; the big executives might not have had the leeway in forcing garbage rap down our throats. I've spoken with various DJ's who work with the radio; DJ Big Man of Hartford's Hot 93.7 being one of them a few months ago; and he had mentioned that the reason for the influx of bad hip hop was due to the corporate heads dictating what is played on the radio and taking away that role and duty from the DJ's themselves. I understand the job of an executive is to put out what is profitable, but distributing new hip hop music is what the job of being a DJ is all about. The roles of a DJ and an executive should be co-dependent and in cooperation with each other. Unfortunately, it's become so difficult to be a DJ in today's mainstream radio; the executives choke off their individualities and pull the rug from right under them in regard to determining what is played over the airwaves.
Some of you who read this might say to yourself "the souths on top; get over it" and I would like to say it's not a north-south thing for it. It's a matter of what's coming out on the radio and making sure what gets airplay is what is most satisfying and not a matter of what is easiest to produce. Hip Hop has begun to sound all the same; so much so that I question whether this new form of auto-tuning, snapping, choppin n' screwing or anything else all takes on a whole new genre. Hip Hop is meant to inspire, to uplift, to entertain, to dance to, to listen to, and most importantly, In my eyes; it's meant to preserve. If Hip Hop stays on the road it's on today, it'll get lost along the way and lose its meaning. It's pretty sad when you realize that great and phenomenal rappers are more and more seldomly made. Look at the dozens of legendary rappers who came out of the 80's, then 90's.. Yet With the first decade of the 2000's drawing near an end, we may only be able to name a handful of great rappers who emerged in this decade.
It's Hip Hop, People. Save It
Save the Music.
- David Javier Solis
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
An interesting video on the federal reserve
While I'm not sure I agree with everything in this documentary, I can say that it brings up various intriguing facts and points. Have a peep and let me know what your impressions are.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Different new ideas for our generation
Is it just me, or has our government been repeating the same ideas around with different terminology?? In my honest opinion, people become indifferent and unconcerned with politics because it is so often the same ideas being said and same results (or lack of results) taking place. People never want to partake in something with little to no effective and substantial results. So before I go on with what I feel are just a very few fresh ideas that could serve as effective programs or legislation, I'd like to state that they are in fact, just IDEAS. I haven't done much research to know the specific details on things like costs and political maneuvering. Remember Folks, Mere Ideas; but it is ideas themselves that make innovation and renewal possible.
Universal Secondary Education/Vocation Fund
- We're no longer the only superpower nation with a strong and healthy economy.. We need to invest not just in the sustainability of our economy, but in the future and careers of our citizens right here at home. I don't believe in any more involuntary taxes for small businesses, corporations or the private American taxpayer. However, why not make a program where the taxpayer chooses by their own free will to allocate a small portion of their income towards college funds for their children? In addition to the money that's being saved, why not let the govt set up a program that gives an accrual of interest to encourage the parents to set up the college funds in the first place?
Further incentives for teachers and skilled workers to work in U.S.
- We just don't have enough teachers, engineers, nurses, mathematicians and other skilled workers. The reason for this is because gradually over time, it's become more and more difficult to sustain a family and comfortable lifestyle in the United States; on top of my advocating for more tax breaks, why don't we give further incentives for students in our universities who agree to stay in the United States to practice their careers?
Constitutional Amendment to keep balanced budget
- A trillion dollars, Obama? Really? Time to keep our presidents and congresses in check.
Increasing Dropout age to 18
- You can't buy over the counter drugs or get a tattoo unless you're 18; but you can drop out of high school at 16?? Think about that, folks.
Funding Adult Stem Cell Research
- Apparently this field has promises for the future in biotechnology so in order to avoid controversy from both sides, let's go with what's far less intrusive; adult stem cell research where adults donate their stem cells without the controversial usage of conception.
Legalize Marijuana
- Decriminalize it. Legalize it. Regulate it. Tax it.
Get rid of the IRS
- We did fine without it in the past; we'll be fine without it now. Hundreds of billions of dollars of waste.
Let Congress take responsibility of coin minting
- Take that privilege from the Federal Reserve and give congress back it's responsibility to mint our currency themselves and not to a conglomerate private central bank.
Universal Secondary Education/Vocation Fund
- We're no longer the only superpower nation with a strong and healthy economy.. We need to invest not just in the sustainability of our economy, but in the future and careers of our citizens right here at home. I don't believe in any more involuntary taxes for small businesses, corporations or the private American taxpayer. However, why not make a program where the taxpayer chooses by their own free will to allocate a small portion of their income towards college funds for their children? In addition to the money that's being saved, why not let the govt set up a program that gives an accrual of interest to encourage the parents to set up the college funds in the first place?
Further incentives for teachers and skilled workers to work in U.S.
- We just don't have enough teachers, engineers, nurses, mathematicians and other skilled workers. The reason for this is because gradually over time, it's become more and more difficult to sustain a family and comfortable lifestyle in the United States; on top of my advocating for more tax breaks, why don't we give further incentives for students in our universities who agree to stay in the United States to practice their careers?
Constitutional Amendment to keep balanced budget
- A trillion dollars, Obama? Really? Time to keep our presidents and congresses in check.
Increasing Dropout age to 18
- You can't buy over the counter drugs or get a tattoo unless you're 18; but you can drop out of high school at 16?? Think about that, folks.
Funding Adult Stem Cell Research
- Apparently this field has promises for the future in biotechnology so in order to avoid controversy from both sides, let's go with what's far less intrusive; adult stem cell research where adults donate their stem cells without the controversial usage of conception.
Legalize Marijuana
- Decriminalize it. Legalize it. Regulate it. Tax it.
Get rid of the IRS
- We did fine without it in the past; we'll be fine without it now. Hundreds of billions of dollars of waste.
Let Congress take responsibility of coin minting
- Take that privilege from the Federal Reserve and give congress back it's responsibility to mint our currency themselves and not to a conglomerate private central bank.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Rose in the Concrete
Dwelling on my years past since my childhood, I've come to a point in the road we call life where I look back and reminisce. I look at what's become of me and I acknowledge the blessings I've never known were there. What makes this so interesting for me though, is that I'm one among many who share a similar story to mine; coincidentally, you may be one of them. My parents came from an impoverished nation amidst war and poverty. They came here for better lives not just for themselves but more importantly for their children. This is in fact, what they've given my four sisters and I. I was fortunate enough to be born in a country of opportunity and education. This does not mean though, that I did not get to see poverty on a day to day basis growing up. I did not live the most comfortable lifestyle yet I cannot hate the very poverty I felt I was in; for it made me humble and modest. Too many people my age have become obsessed with tangible possessions instead of what can belong to one's soul. We live to live comfortably; not to live in excess. I myself, sometimes forget what my parents did for me; they came here for my life to be better. This is why I appreciate my education; because it alone will take me places I've never thought possible. Education is something not many of my friends have the opportunity of possessing and everyday I wish they at least had the choice of having it. A quality education has become too difficult to attain for so many people and I cannot forget that those very people are some of my friends I've grown up with. I know the perils that come with living in poverty all too well and live to seize the day each morning I awake. I live for a happy life among all things and hope you do the same as well. In one month, I'll be in Washington D.C. taking part in what is to become the most significant step in my career since my first day of college. After that, I hope to go to the U.K. next summer to study abroad. These two events are but a few I hope to partake in before I attempt to become what I've always dreamed of becoming; a U.S. Senator for those who are curious. My life has taken me down many roads of which I knew nothing of; through paths I've never known. I've had my ups and I've had my downs; as I'm sure you have as well, but if I can say one thing, it's This: that you never forget where you come from. Remember that it is your roots that are the reason you stand.
- David Javier Solis
- David Javier Solis
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Quotes on Revolution
A few quotes that I thought deserved attention:
Every generation needs a new revolution.
Thomas Jefferson
It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.
Henry Ford
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy
The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.
Che Guevara
In a revolution, as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the end.
Alexis de Tocqueville
The seed of revolution is repression.
Woodrow Wilson
The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation.
Woodrow Wilson
No real social change has ever been brought about without a revolution... revolution is but thought carried into action.
Emma Goldman
The revolution has always been in the hands of the young. The young always inherit the revolution.
Huey Newton
The only way to support a revolution is to make your own.
Abbie Hoffman
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.
JOHN BRADSHAW
Every generation needs a new revolution.
Thomas Jefferson
It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.
Henry Ford
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy
The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.
Che Guevara
In a revolution, as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the end.
Alexis de Tocqueville
The seed of revolution is repression.
Woodrow Wilson
The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation.
Woodrow Wilson
No real social change has ever been brought about without a revolution... revolution is but thought carried into action.
Emma Goldman
The revolution has always been in the hands of the young. The young always inherit the revolution.
Huey Newton
The only way to support a revolution is to make your own.
Abbie Hoffman
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.
JOHN BRADSHAW
When does revolution become necessary?
What are we to make of revolutionary statements from prominent leaders in world history? Are we to disregard what was said decades or even hundreds of years ago? I, among millions of others of people, believe history is meant to teach each generation what arises when certain events go unnoticed and the people become more and more indifferent to the issues of their time. It seems as though the world never quite learns the lessons of generations past and in a cycle of decay, we fall victim to systemic methods of quelling and silencing dissent. Every society is unique and when government officials feel invincible in the political arena, this alone is cause for concern. What many people may not take into is the fact that silence alone can sometimes be the root of struggle and conflict.
Organizations all around the country exist purely on the premise of being a safeguard for the constitution. The overlying problem with this though is that each of these organizations develop individual interpretations of the constitution and like congress, good ideas die in the midst of political disputes. When our government politicians are less concerned with their constituents' needs and more concerned with political fundraising for re-election, the role of being a legislator in a democratic republic becomes construed and forgotten. Just to clarify, I feel that all too often, legislators (incumbents especially) forget what they were elected to do and instead, only worry about what it takes to win an election. Winning elections and maintaining the interests of the constituency aren't always synonymous in American politics. Elections alone are no remedy for preventing a usurpation of our rights from the government. We need grassroots activism where people don't sit idly hoping for actual change and instead stand for what they believe in. We always say we believe in the first amendment; but how often exactly do we use it? We always say we want a balanced budget and responsible government spending but how often do we show up at the building doorsteps demanding it? We always call for more education funds but how often we do storm the districts office demanding it? Imagine a world where the government held bake sales to fundraise for war and schools were given money without question.
Our priorities have fallen out of wack and we've forgotten the very liberties we say our nation embodies. Visualize a society where the ruling class were genuinely fearful of repercussions for corruption and foul play. Visualize a nation where All who complained about the system had done something as simple as voting. Visualize a system where parties debated accordingly by issues and what needed to be done for the American people; even more, the people of the world. I refuse to believe we have become sheep; Sheep cannot take action. Yet it is apparent that as government becomes bigger in scale, so does the submissiveness among the very people it is designed to serve. We must always keep our governments at bay and on edge in fear of removal of power; it keeps them busy at work for us and us only.
Organizations all around the country exist purely on the premise of being a safeguard for the constitution. The overlying problem with this though is that each of these organizations develop individual interpretations of the constitution and like congress, good ideas die in the midst of political disputes. When our government politicians are less concerned with their constituents' needs and more concerned with political fundraising for re-election, the role of being a legislator in a democratic republic becomes construed and forgotten. Just to clarify, I feel that all too often, legislators (incumbents especially) forget what they were elected to do and instead, only worry about what it takes to win an election. Winning elections and maintaining the interests of the constituency aren't always synonymous in American politics. Elections alone are no remedy for preventing a usurpation of our rights from the government. We need grassroots activism where people don't sit idly hoping for actual change and instead stand for what they believe in. We always say we believe in the first amendment; but how often exactly do we use it? We always say we want a balanced budget and responsible government spending but how often do we show up at the building doorsteps demanding it? We always call for more education funds but how often we do storm the districts office demanding it? Imagine a world where the government held bake sales to fundraise for war and schools were given money without question.
Our priorities have fallen out of wack and we've forgotten the very liberties we say our nation embodies. Visualize a society where the ruling class were genuinely fearful of repercussions for corruption and foul play. Visualize a nation where All who complained about the system had done something as simple as voting. Visualize a system where parties debated accordingly by issues and what needed to be done for the American people; even more, the people of the world. I refuse to believe we have become sheep; Sheep cannot take action. Yet it is apparent that as government becomes bigger in scale, so does the submissiveness among the very people it is designed to serve. We must always keep our governments at bay and on edge in fear of removal of power; it keeps them busy at work for us and us only.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
What went wrong?
Whatever happened to the days when people used to question anything in the same sentence of 'government programs'? This past election, it was said time and time again; "The people don't care about the size of the government; so long as it works." Of course, we'd all hope that any government we elect would be able to honor, protect and serve its citizens to its fullest extent. This does not mean however, that we should expect government to do for us what we can do for ourselves. Do we need health care reform? Absolutely. Do we need help from our lawmakers that help homeowners all around the country keep their homes? Without a doubt. There's little disagreement when these questions are posed but the proposals differ and unfortunately, the ideas are run to the ground. There's little to no bipartisanship on many of the major issues in the political arena.
Health care; or in my eyes, sick care, is one of them. Both parties agree not enough Americans possess this, yet when the time comes to around to propose new methods of making it more accessible to Americans, it goes from being a noble cause and turns into political bickering. We see it today. Democrats propose federally mandated health care plans that require every American family purchase a health care plan. The problem with this is that telling the sick to purchase a mandated health care plan makes as much sense as telling those in poverty to purchase food. All too often, being sick and being in poverty come hand in hand which only makes federally mandated health care plans that much more complicated and difficult. Coming into the election, I sided with Obama's idea that all children should be required by law to possess health care insurance. Unfortunately, his advisers sidetracked him into another mandate that will do much more harm than good once implemented. If we want to reform health care, let's take the issue to the health care providers themselves and force them to lower prices or risk litigation for price gauging (something that should have been done to the oil companies). We can lower the costs of health care and we can provide tax credits for American families to purchase them. However, the last thing this country needs to be doing is creating another entitlement government program. Look at medicare and social security.. We all know how well the government bureaucracy runs THESE programs..
In terms of homeowners and the prevaling threat of foreclosure among so many millions of them, the government must take action now not by bank bailouts, but by homeowner bailouts. I'm not suggesting the government pay off the debts of millions of Americans (although it'd make much more sense than paying off the debts of private banks), but I am saying that there should be government protection besides bankruptcy for these homeowners. There should be criminal probes being undertaken by the federal government on the banks who used predatory tactics to entice homeowners they knew could not afford the loans. Although I do believe many Americans had faults of their own for taking out an unaffordable home loan, the everyday threat of bankruptcy and foreclosure is far too excessive. I believe that hundreds of billions of dollars should have been better used in a homeowners bailout program that did policies such as a temporary moratorium on national home foreclosures (a proposal Hillary Clinton championed) or more effective government programs that deferred mortgage payments for substantial time periods while families got back on solid ground. There's no reason for the astronomical foreclosure rates going on around the country.
- David Solis
Health care; or in my eyes, sick care, is one of them. Both parties agree not enough Americans possess this, yet when the time comes to around to propose new methods of making it more accessible to Americans, it goes from being a noble cause and turns into political bickering. We see it today. Democrats propose federally mandated health care plans that require every American family purchase a health care plan. The problem with this is that telling the sick to purchase a mandated health care plan makes as much sense as telling those in poverty to purchase food. All too often, being sick and being in poverty come hand in hand which only makes federally mandated health care plans that much more complicated and difficult. Coming into the election, I sided with Obama's idea that all children should be required by law to possess health care insurance. Unfortunately, his advisers sidetracked him into another mandate that will do much more harm than good once implemented. If we want to reform health care, let's take the issue to the health care providers themselves and force them to lower prices or risk litigation for price gauging (something that should have been done to the oil companies). We can lower the costs of health care and we can provide tax credits for American families to purchase them. However, the last thing this country needs to be doing is creating another entitlement government program. Look at medicare and social security.. We all know how well the government bureaucracy runs THESE programs..
In terms of homeowners and the prevaling threat of foreclosure among so many millions of them, the government must take action now not by bank bailouts, but by homeowner bailouts. I'm not suggesting the government pay off the debts of millions of Americans (although it'd make much more sense than paying off the debts of private banks), but I am saying that there should be government protection besides bankruptcy for these homeowners. There should be criminal probes being undertaken by the federal government on the banks who used predatory tactics to entice homeowners they knew could not afford the loans. Although I do believe many Americans had faults of their own for taking out an unaffordable home loan, the everyday threat of bankruptcy and foreclosure is far too excessive. I believe that hundreds of billions of dollars should have been better used in a homeowners bailout program that did policies such as a temporary moratorium on national home foreclosures (a proposal Hillary Clinton championed) or more effective government programs that deferred mortgage payments for substantial time periods while families got back on solid ground. There's no reason for the astronomical foreclosure rates going on around the country.
- David Solis
Thursday, July 9, 2009
On Education
In the midst of war, government reforms and other vast programs being undertaken by the federal government; we've yet to focus on the one most important asset of our nation: the Youth. Repeatedly it's been asked; why does our government always have money for war but when it comes time for more funds for education, it becomes a matter of debate and bureaucracy? It doesn't take long for money to reach the weapons industry but for some reason, schools have to go through an unnecessary hassle of begging and pleading with the state for more funds. We can't just point a finger at our legislators and ask them what they're doing about education in Washington D.C. without asking ourselves the question of how they got there in the first place. Us. We refuse to take responsibility as united citizens to work together in order to further educate our youth. These very young children and young adults of today are tomorrow's leaders and while schools hold bake sales to acquire funds to maintain their schools, other industries are eating out of taxpayers hands. We need to re-evaluate our priorities as a nation, a society and as a people. While I do not suggest that the government overhaul the education system and nationalize all universities, why not make college education more accessible to those who strive for it but can't quite afford it? Federal and state loans aren't enough; we know not all of our country's citizens are willing to attend 4 year universities but we must make other vocations and job training programs possible for our country's youth. By no means am I an expert on education so if I give anyone the impression that I think I know even enough about the education system, I apologize for making such a distorted impression. This much I know though; our education system has failed us. Our ancestors, forefathers and parents all demonstrated throughout history the importance of an education; Let us come together and acknowledge the importance of education reform so that one day, the Youth can say without fear, reluctance or hesitation, "I can make it".
- David Solis
- David Solis
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Is this Change?
Here we are, nearly 6 months into President Obama's presidency and while I told myself I would give our new president a few months to show what he can do, I am truthfully dissatisfied and upset with the policies he's chosen to undertake as a president who won on the premise of 'change'. I ask this: what change have we seen to our country since January 20th, 2009? In regard to the budget, it's become a matter of disregard to the administration. There are no plans to balance the budget and little to no indications that this is even a goal of Obama's cabinet. The administration and their economic 'experts' promised unemployment would not reach 10%; promise broken. They promised more regard towards prisoners of war and due process rights; promise broken. They promised a revival in the economy; promise broken. While Obama's predecessor is responsible for much of the condition of the country, we cannot allow ourselves to avoid pointing a finger at Obama's administration and keeping them unaccountable for their campaign promises. This is Obama's presidency and instead of having an administration which works for the American people, we've seen the ultra-wealthy and influential lobby groups take over. During his campaign, Obama demonizd these very people; now it seems they're in bed with them. Working in cahoots, can we confide in a president who takes our tax money towards companies "too big to fail"? Aren't we all too big to fail? Nevertheless, we have seen change in 6 months. We've seen the economy worsen; even AFTER the bailouts, the "stimulus package" and numerous other policies this adminstration promised would revive and give the economy a jolt. Instead of saving jobs, we've seen our country post historic unemployment numbers. Many of these many workers confided in Obama's promise that their jobs are in better hands under his administration and its policies. Now the administration openly admits there will be new, expensive taxes placed upon businesses; not including the new "health care reform" that the administration is coming up with. Makes me wonder.. When the economy is in bad shape, why spend money we don't have? Why bailout the banks who helped create this crisis in the first place? Why tread on the downtrodden?
THOUGHTS PLEASE, FOLKS.
- David Solis
THOUGHTS PLEASE, FOLKS.
- David Solis
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