I don’t know why spending nearly half that amount to beautify the east end of Galesburg is more important than keeping four firefighters and two police officers on duty.  There are supposedly funds available that can be drawn from different accounts to meet the budgetary demands and still keep our community as safe as possible (according to Jeffery Maher).   Galesburg’s leaders want to draw more residents to our burg, but how are understaffed fire and police departments a draw for our city?  The Register-Mail recently ran an article stating that Galesburg’s lack of enough retail clothing stores “is consistently noted in studies conducted by the city”, according to Economic Development Director, Cesar Suarez.  The article stated that “the city approved a $28,320 loan to the Sandburg Mall to help with brokerage fees” to open a new clothing franchise.  How is another apparel shop more important than six critical first responder security jobs?  We’ll help build another pub to justify several more jobs here.  Galesburg seems to have a fair amount of crime (and murders) for a city its size.  I think more care should be taken to preserve the services crucial to our community.

President Obama needs to come out and address some of what is entailed under the Patriot Act  (law enacted under President W. Bush in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks), which is still in effect.  And where was all the outrage then? Except from Michael Moore.  “Our government is not going to spell out, neither should they, what all our spying is involved in.”  Let’s not be so naïve!  Government leaders are using surveillance activities on each other to the best of their technological abilities, and always have; and they all know it!  “Much of the planning for the 9/11 attacks took place in Hamburg, under German officials’ noses.”   National Security Agency Director, General  Keith Alexander, vigorously defended to the House (Select) Intelligence Committee 10/29 that the NSA’s  intelligence gathering activities, “have saved many lives, not only here but in Europe and around the world”.  “Earlier in the week, the Wall Street Journal reported that European spy agencies collected phone records in war zones and areas outside their borders that were then shared with the NSA as part of wider efforts to protect allied soldiers and civilians.” ******* “There are considerable diplomatic sensitivities of outing partner services, which the NSA relies on for a considerable amount of intelligence.   A public exposure of European complicity may spark domestic outrage in Europe and threaten cooperation with the United States in the future.”  NSA directors reiterated:  “NSA is not spying on Americans — without a court warrant”.   (Phone numbers are being tracked, especially to over-seas phone numbers).   Edward Snowden leaking intelligence to other countries “puts at risk America’s national security interests”.  And his father is bombastic enough to call his son “a  hero”?  He is NOT a hero!   He is a traitor!   Terrorists still abound, (despite many drone attacks)!  Espionage is essential to our nation’s protection.  We’re not apologizing!

No, I do not!   However,  I do expect the Republicans to keep up their steady stream of misinformation and criticisms of “Obamacare” and the president, who is bringing in other “talent” with established reputations for fixing website problems.  Every massive rollout has problems, and healthcare.gov is experiencing millions of people trying to sign up daily; much more activity than most websites that sell products.  Anyone remember the problems under President W. Bush with the Medicare Part D rollout?  They didn’t kill the policy because of a terrible launch of the website.  Mitch McConnell said of “Obamacare”, “A visit to the website is kind of like a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles in your state — we’re going to do everything we can in the future to try to repeal it”.  Does that mean we should shut down motor vehicle offices because obtaining services can be inconvenient or complicated?  People have patience!!  The problems will get fixed, even if it means extending the enrollment period!  Don’t keep trying to set up different user-names and password accounts.  My friends had problems getting online, but they called 1-800-318-2596 and spoke with a pleasant, patient person who helped them complete a paper application by phone, and they will receive a response through the mail.

Support?  I don’t know about that, but I know what I’d like to see in a new expensive library: one open more days and hours, with friendlier and more helpful staff.  The community room gets plenty of use, so more seating for lectures and events would be good; and more computers!  I’d like to see a research museum room dedicated to books and historical materials concerning the Galesburg area.  The library has photos of old homes that were connected to the “underground railroad”; those enlarged pictures could comprise a photo-wall.  Another photo-wall could display the earliest pictures or sketches of the folks who first settled Log City, and who built Knox College; and another could tell the story of the beginnings of the actual railroad and “boxcar people” who came here from Mexico.  Display cases exhibiting writings from early settlers would be exciting.  And of course, a Carl Sandburg room commemorating the Statesman/Poet/Writer, complete with all his works and the books written about him.  He was the guest of the White House with every President from FDR to Johnson, so copies of those photos would be so charmingly appropriate!  And a large children’s section with more computers would be great!