Political and other observations

I thought South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was the star of last night’s State of the Union and the Republican response speech.  Haley said that President Barack Obama was an excellent orator but that his rhetoric didn’t match his action.   But she really drew my attention which she said there was enough blame to go around and criticized her own party for “following the siren call of angry voices.”   In my estimation she should be on the Republican ticket come November.

When President Barack Obama was elected, I was thankful and pleased with this country.   I fell for his call for unity and the cause of working together for the betterment of all.   His first action of passing the most all encompassing medical plan without a single vote from the other side of the aisle proved that he was better at talking than at action.   For the last six years we have lived with Obamacare and there’s no doubt that it’s here to stay.   To repeal it would upset the medical market and probably result in chaos.   He doesn’t have to worry about his legacy that’s already been set.   But I had hoped for more and didn’t get it.

A new ballot initiative to raise the state’s minimum wage to $13.50 over the next four years has support from both political parties, although some aren’t confessing to it.   The union-backed initiative is a compromise from the $15 minimum wage many had been supporting.   It was more than the $12 an hour that business wanted – – but I suspect that the business community worked with the unions in drafting the new $13.50 minimum wage initiative.  Business was scared to death that a $15 minimum wage initiative would be on the ballot this year.   If the $13.50 initiative makes the ballot, and if it is approved by the voters, the business community won’t be too upset.

It was time for Medic One Director Steve Romines to retire.   Steve had been sick for some time and had missed a lot of work.  He did work from home and he did come into the office, but his firm hand on the rein of the Medic One system was missing.  In his 24 years as director, Steve built the countywide system into one of the best in the nation.  He put it on a firm financial ground and showed what professionalism and personality can do to make a government agency respected and supported.