Gerard and Frerichs Wasting Time?

A user comment in the Champaign News Gazette on-line article on a local vigil for Whitney Houston prompted me to write this article, “And the fact that Mayor Don Gerard and Senator Mike Frerichs are actually attending/speaking make it even more worthy of the question, "really?" I couldn’t agree more.

Other comments are why are we not having these types of memorials when men and women die in defense of our nation? Good question, but this leads more into why this is such a problem and part of the decay of our American society.

The problem is that this kind of attention to celebrity and entertainment has dumbed down the electorate and has proven to be an effective tool for those who wish for a power grab without anyone noticing. Is anyone a bit concerned that there are “News Alerts” for the plane carrying Whitney Houston’s body touching down in New Jersey? Is this really worth breaking into a news program addressing real issues for? In general our media have gotten too sensational and everything is an emergency except when it comes to real issues of our leaders violating the constitution. Folks, if Whitney Houston is what we are concerned with, we are truly in trouble as a nation.

The main problem with this is that this kind of attention to celebrity masks the real problems that both Don Gerard and Mike Frerichs needs to attend to. Sure, what they do in their free time is up to them, but I get the impression that they are attending this in an “official” capacity. Wouldn’t we be better served by Mayor Gerard working on preserving our freedoms and fixing our roads? I am sorry but the 4 cent gas tax to bring in 1.5 million when you are over 60 million in the rears? A drop in the bucket and really doesn’t effectively address the problem. Just wait till gas hits $5 a gallon this summer; folks will be ready to run him out of town.

Since Senator Frerichs took office in 2007, the budget situation has gone from bad to worse. We have a 67% tax increase in which he voted for and still it has hardly affected the deficit.

Both Gerard and Frerichs did not create the problems they face, but so far they have not made them better, and after we vote them out of office, we still will have problems. I just question their priorities in such tough times.