WHERE DO YOU FIT

OK, WE ARE NOW AROUND 7 MONTHS IN THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.  I have watched and observed what is going on in Washington and around the country. I have came to a few conclusions.  I will mention some of them at this time.  I feel there are three different groups of people out there. I am sure there are more, but I am going to focus on just three.

1st.  There are those who wanted Hillary at all costs, and they are now doing all they can to bring Trump down.  It doesn't matter what Trump does, it will be wrong to them.

2nd.  There are those who wanted Trump to be elected at all costs. And it doesn't matter what he does or says, they will support him regardless and are spewing just as much hate and discontent as the ones that are listed in number 1.

3rd.  There are those who voted for Trump because they were tired of the Clintons and their shenanigans and chose Trump of Hillary for that reason. They didn't really like Trump, but they liked Hillary even less.  I find myself in the third group.  I not vote for Trump in the Primary election and in the remote chance that he makes it for 4 years and runs again, I probably won't vote for him in the Primary again.  But time will tell on that one.

4th. And last for this post.  Now Trump is the President.  I wish that congress would work with him on the issues.  I wish he would work with congress in the issues. I wish he would stop with the tweets and the placing of blame and the pointing of fingers and the retaliation against those that attack him and just get on with the business of running the country. And I wish the media would be a little more accurate with their reporting.

AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

INSURANCE

DO YOU HAVE SOME?  My wife and I grew up in a small town and so we knew each other all our lives.  Went to the same school, church and parties.  Our collective parents had no insurance.  Other than car insurance.  When we had a medical situation, they just paid the bill. Whether it was for medical Dr.s Eye Dr's or Dentist's, our parents just paid what was billed. When my wife and I were married, we were in the same situation.  Even though we were working, we had only car insurance.  When we went to the Dr. we paid the charge for the visit. After we had been married a few years I went to work for the Mining company and we had medical insurance through the company.  After I had been there for a while, the union came in and a contract was negotiated and medical insurance, which I already had, was included in the contract.  I always had insurance through the company,  When I retired after 40 years, I was of so I had Medicare.  Mandated by law. I had to sign up for Medicare. No choice.  Then Barack Obama was elected President and he and the congress decided that every one should have health care. So the ADA or Obama Care was crafted.  It was done behind closed doors and Nancy Pelosi said "We are going to have to pass it to find out what is in it". And they did. And we did.  Premiums went up and now, several years later, there are people who don't have insurance because they can't afford the premiums. Many States, Like Arizona, have pulled out of the market altogether.  Are there some good things in the ACA. Yes there is.  Like Insurance company's can't refuse someone because of pre existing conditions.  There are others.  Now, Donald Trump and Congress are trying to craft a new health care act and come up with something better. And cheaper.  There have been so many conflicting reports on the news about this new health care act, that we have no clue what is in it.  Are they going to have to pass it to see what is in it?  I would like to see a law that said insurance company's couldn't turn someone away. Make insurance actually affordable.  And let the medical professionals charge a fee that could be paid by the general public of they choose not to have insurance at all.  Insurance has turned into a racket, and it is we the people that are paying. One way or another.  It would be better for the government to get out of the way altogether, with the possible exception of an oversight bureau. Or some semblance of such.  And that is the VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK 

WHO, EXACTLY, DO THEY APPLY TO

WHAT EXACTLY, AM I REFERING TO?  WELL, I'LL TELL YOU.   I am referring to traffic laws.  We just got back yesterday afternoon from a 3 day trip to Albuquerque.  The reason for going there is not important to this post.  Or any other post for that matter.  But we cringe every time we have to go to Albuquerque.  We have come so close to being t boned as some little twerp entered the freeway and paid no attention to the oncoming traffic at all.  This trip we saw some people speeding up and down the city streets, running stop signs and red lights, and nearly causing an accident.  More than once.  And we cringed and just hoped it worked out, and somehow it did.  
Leaving Hatch we followed a Grant County Sheriff vehicle out of town.  As I accelerated up to the posted speed, the vehicle was far ahead. By the time I got to a place where visibility was miles in front of me, the sheriff vehicle was nowhere to be seen.  Don't know what he was doing, but whatever it was, he was doing it in a hurry and without emergency lights or siren.  As we crossed the Uvas valley, doing the speed limit, by the way, and following a truck, ( the 18 wheeler kind ) and meeting sufficient oncoming traffic that passing said truck was not feasible, the car behind me pulled into a turning lane on the right. I assume they were turning. Nope, they passed me on the right in a turn lane and then got behind the truck, only to pass it at the top of the rise.  I hope they made it to where they were going.  
We have speed limits here in Grant County.  Speed limits that are broken constantly. What makes it bad is that the police officers, City, County and State all break the speed limit as well.  One just has to wonder how they can do this, and then hand out a speeding ticket to any one.  But they do.  Now, I'm not complaining about a ticket, cause I don't speed, but I just wonder about the mentality it takes to speed down the road and then give a ticket to someone who is only doing the same thing.  
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

HELP; WE ARE BEING HELD PRISIONER

HA! DID THAT TITLE GRAB YOUR ATTENTION?  Just a little play on words. Kinda.  I have a medical situation that has been in existence for a number of years.  I will not go into details as that is not the purpose of this post.  However,  due to a deteriorating situation, the Dr's. have decided I need a medicine. The medicine is available, the Dr's. have prescribed it.  The problem is, the insurance.  It is up to them to decide if I can have the medicine or not.  So, now, after a waiting game of over a year, I am now in the loop but still waiting.
Recently my wife hurt her knee.  Again I won't go into all the things that took place, but after a Dr. ordered an x ray and other Dr's , yes that is plural Dr's. saw her, it was determined that she needed to have an MRI.  Was it scheduled right then?  Of course not. She had to wait for insurance approval.
I have a pregnant granddaughter.  Her insurance requires that she have the baby in a hospital that has poor reviews and many people saying that it is not a good place to be. When she ask to go to a different hospital, she was told no, her insurance required her to go to this one.
I blame most of this on the ACA. While it was touted as the be all for insurance, it has created a myriad of problems. Yes, it did solve several problems. What will the Trump administration come up with?  I don't know. Unfortunately Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi and John McCain and others will fight any change to the ACA.  If they would look at the things that work and keep them and change the things that don't, then maybe we the people would be more inclined to believe them when they say they will do something. Until then we are held prisoner by the insurance companies and the tics that collect pay from them.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

I'VE TRIED

I'VE TRIED TO STAY AWAY FROM THE TICS. I REALLY DID WANT TO GET ON TO OTHER THINGS.
And if the news would just report that something happened and then go on to other things that happened, I would be fine, whether I agree or not.  But this thing with Comey is just going on and on and on till I want to puke.  Not that it happened, but that the talking heads won't let it go.  So, I will weigh in on my opinion, for what ever it may be worth.
The investigation into the election/Russian thing has been going on since last summer.  The investigation into Hillary's e mails has been going on since at least that long.  So far as I know from the talking heads, there has been no connection found between Trump and the Russians. Say what you want about Hillary, her e mails were a scandal.  Should she be prosecuted?  Probably, but that is water under the bridge. If she will just go away, we can get on to other things. If she insists on being front and center, then investigate her thoroughly.  
As for Trump and Comey, it was just a few short weeks back that the Democrats wanted him fired. They felt he wasn't doing enough to find collusion between Trump and Putin. Now that Trump has fired him, all of a sudden they are up in arms and coming up with all kinds of things about the reason for the firing.  Even McCain and other Republicans that wanted him fired and now up in arms against Trump because he fired Comey. Their main problem is that they are losing favor and clout in the Trump administration.
So, should Comey have been fired.  I have no clue. An opinion, perhaps, but no real clue. People like Comey serve at the whim of the President and are traditionally replaced when a new administration comes in any way. Did Trump collude with the Russians? I don't think so. Did Putin try to interfere with the election? Probably so.  Did he have any influence on the outcome? I don't think so, although he may have leaked some information that influenced some people. I feel that most people that voted for Trump was just tired of the Clintons and the Washington "Elite" and wanted something new. And they got it.  Time will tell if that was right, but the talking heads need to report the news and not just regurgitate the same of thing day after day after day.  They may be influencing someone, but they are just disgusting me.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

SAY AYE

THIS WILL PROBABLY BE A SHORT POST.  SO, SAY AYE IF YOU AGREE.
If you wear it, eat or drink it, drive it, live in it, use it for fun or work or entertainment, it was in all probability transported by a truck. With a truck driver.
There will be people who will say, but a lot of our consumer goods come in from over seas on sips and air planes and are shipped across the country on a train.  And I will say, I agree, that is true.
But, the ships don't dock at the markets and the airplanes don't land at the market and the train station is not at the market, and these goods are transported from those places on a truck.
Are you aware that truck drives are highly regulated? They can only drive 11 hours per day, plus some time for fuel and periodic breaks.  They have to have a physical every year to renew their health card. They have to keep a log book of their drive time and down time. This is done by then in a log book of electronically by e log.  If they are on e log, which many drivers are, if they drive more than 70 hours in a week, they have to take a mandatory 35 hour down time before they can drive again.  If they keep a paper log book they have to do the same, but it is not tracked electronically.
DOT can pull them over and check their trucks for safety items at random.  And their commercial drivers licenses cost many more dollars than what the rest of us have.  They have a schedule to keep and yet they are vilified by the public if they use an engine brake to slow down.  I saw one driver's post that said  My engine brake doesn't make as much noise as the sound of a truck crashing into your house cause I couldn't use the brake.
They are tested on a regular basis and if they are found with alcohol or drugs, they lose their license. Not just a fine, but they lose their way to make a living.  
Statistics show that 80% of accidents between trucks and cars are caused by the driver of the car.  Yet, TV lawyers will make it seem like the truck driver is always at fault. So, so you travel the highways and byways of the co0untry, pay attention to your driving and let the truckers carry on, delivering the goods that you use every day.  AYE
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

THE ROT OF EVIL

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP there was a peddler that would come through our town on a regular basis. He had a favorite quote which was    "Money is the root of all evil, and everyone is after the root".  This is a little misquote of the Bible, of course.  You will find this quote in the 1st Timothy 6: 9-10.  9."But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.  10. For the Love of money is the root of all evil; which while some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
So what does this have to do with any thing.  I have been thinking quite a bit about the politicians that seem to have a thing for the root, as the old peddler called it.  Recently the legislators in the State of New Mexico sent a "balanced" budget to the governor. A governor who had stated that she would not raise taxes to balance the budget. So she vetoed the budget, calling for the legislators to balance the budget without raising taxes. They raised taxes 350 million dollars.  There seemed to be no thought of where the people would come up with the money to pay these taxes.  When I can't afford something, I have to adjust my budget, go without or go into debt.  Since the State constitution don't allow for an unbalanced budget and debt, they chose to raise taxes.
I recently had a conversation with a local business owner.  He needed some clerk/book work done and advertised for help. One young land applied for the job and then when told the rate of pay ( which was a few dollars above minimum wage ) stated, I can't afford to go to work. I can make $30,000.00 a year on welfare and don't have to do any thing.  Yet, the legislators can't seem to see that they can cut this "root" and using this type of cuts come up with a balanced budget.
Our federal politicians often get elected to office and with a salary of less that $200,000.00 a year, soon end up multi millionaires.  They seem to be after the "Root" in a big way and will pass laws that favor them in any way they can.
I think it is time that we the people use a chopping ax and get rid of the Root that the tics seem to be after.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK