The United States is facing some tough times.  Unemployment is still at 9.5%. We have been stuck in Afghanistan for the last 9 years with no end in sight. The poverty level has risen. States are in struggling to balance budgets while still provide services to their citizens.  In the meantime, there are 37 states with a governors race, all 435 House of Representatives seats are up for grabs and 36 seats in the Senate will be up for grabs.  In New Mexico where the poverty level has risen, the Democratic nominee for governor, Diane Denish and the lieutenant governor nominee, Brian Colon, have decided to call Susanna Martinez out as a ‘Tejana’ (Texan). Martinez was born in El Paso, but has lived for over 25 years in New Mexico.  Why does this matter? It doesn’t.  In California, a former housekeeper for Meg Whitman has come and said that Whitman knew she was in the country illegally.  Whitman said she didn’t and fired her when she found out. Gloria Allred, a strong supporter of the Democratic party, is the former housekeeper’s lawyer. Sounds fishy to me, but does it matter? No.  In  New York, Andrew Cuomo and Carl Paladino apparently have been both unfaithful to their wives, but does it matter to the state of New York — No. These are just a few of the “issues” that are being slung in the 2010 elections. I am sure there are many more.  Voters on both sides and in  between are tired of the out of control government spending, the intrusion of government in their lives and the failure of the parties to look past partisanship and work together for the betterment of the country.   There are many candidates riding the wave of the anti-incumbent sentiment, but will they continue that wave if they are elected.  Our country needs leaders that will stand up for the citizens of the United States as the elected leaders and forget about politics and do their job.

It seems everywhere I turn the government wants to intrude on my every day life.  New Mexico Senator Tom Udall has introduced legislation to help limit the cell phone “bill shock” that occurs when cellular customers unwittingly exceed their monthly limits for voice minutes, text messages, or data usage.  This is a waste of time.  When a person gets a cell phone a contract is signed.  If a person can’t afford a cell phone then they shouldn’t have one.  It’s that simple.  Why should the cell phone companies have to warn their customers that they are almost out of minutes when they should already know this.  Then I read in the paper about San Francisco.  They have gone after plastics bags in stores and now they are going after McDonald’s specifically Happy Meals.  Everyone knows that kids want the toys that come with the meal.  They usually eat the meal, but the toy is the main attraction.  Now the city council in San Francisco wants to ban Happy Meal toys unless there is a vegetable or fruit choice.  Well, SF City Council, there is a fruit choice. It’s called Apple Dippers.  My kids love them.  They would rather have them than fries.  While there is 10 percent unemployment nationwide and even higher in some states and people are worried about possibly losing health care coverage because of the new Obamacare restrictions, a senator from New Mexico and the San Francisco City Council decide that cell phone “bill shock” and Happy Meals are more important.  We, the citizens of the United States, can make our own decisions for the good of  our lives and that of our families.  We don’t need dopey politicians trying to make them for us.