Can I Have the Truth Please?

I was just reading Jack Lessenberry’s column in the Metro Times, Detroit’s weekly alternative. He discussed the high cost of a higher education and how it will affect the future of this state.

I wholeheartedly agree with his finger pointing. The universities are not to blame for the new cost for an education but our state representatives are; the ones who raised one hand with the other one on a Bible, and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth as they serve in their respective political positions. As Lessenberry stated, “Your elected representatives are lying to you.” For a state representative to hint that our universities are spoiled, is a bold-faced lie. Did that representative forget how he got his degree? Did he forget how his education was paid for?

I personally don’t believe he has. What I believe is he and other representatives based their decisions on who makes the donations to their campaign funds. As a matter of fact, I have always known this to be true. Just in case you forgot, let me explain the real deal.

If you ran for a political office, you would need lots and lots of money to sell yourself to the district you would represent. When I say lots of money, I am talking millions. The only ones that have that kind of money to give away are the super rich. The super rich are normally those who have an agenda of their own in mind, to keep taxes on them as low as possible. In other words, let somebody else pay the government's bills.

Now let’s say I was one of the super rich and donated up to $10,000 dollars to your campaign. Now once I did that, I would want you to keep in mind that I want to be able to first write the money off my taxes in some way, then, in return I would want some kind of hidden favoritism with a heads up on any upcoming new laws and how they will affect me. Let’s not leave out tips on any way my business can make money off of the government. Getting the picture here?

If all this is constantly going on, do you really think that state representatives or those in any branch of the government, no matter how much they want to, can look out for your best interest? I doubt it. This is why you, the lowly citizen with on a modest income and big bills to pay doesn’t have a prayer in being influential. Yet, as a group of people with big mouths and a lot of guts, you could agree as I do with Lessenberry saying, “. . . each of them should be impeached and charged with criminal negligence.”

Now to let you know, I am back in school getting my masters. The raise in tuition cost means I too will be paying through my nose if I live long enough. Am I mad? You dam right I am. The only advantage I have over some of those trying to go to college is, I do already have a bachelor. And I paid for it out of my own pocket. It’s a shame I now have to pay with my blood to go a little higher in the field of education. You should be screaming your lungs out and do as Lessenberry suggest, impeached and charge your representatives because they are talking to you with their fingers crossed behind their backs.