CHRISTMAS DAY 2009

ADVENT

By

Stephen Leake

Somewhere your star-struck choir singsAs the evening unpeels our histories.The world is here again! 

I feel the breathing of  yuletide fires,

The ribboned refrains of seasoned candlesAnd bars of voices beyond St. Stephen’s Wall. 

The robin appears in a globe of joy

His carol negotiating wreaths of cloudAnd tinsled cakes of snow. 

We wing into the holy day

While the blinking eye of the gifting moonReceives you at that vanishing point 

On memory’s path:

Outlived by loveAlone.  

CHRISTMAS EVE 2009

A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS

by Clement Clarke Moore  

 

 

‘Twas the night before Christmas’, when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that ST. NICHOLAS soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap, 

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the creast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

“Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONNER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”

“As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
Laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
“HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT.”

AN ESSENTIAL PROPOSAL

There is no doubt in my mind that insurance companies like utility companies are out of touch with the economic reality in this state. Case in point, State Insurance Commissioner, Thomas R. Sullivan, approved a 13 to 20 percent increase to insurance premiums to Anthem customers. Because of the incredible price gouging and the fact that the Rell Administration is in lock step with this increase,  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Healthcare Advocate Kevin P. Lembo proposed sweeping reform of the state approval process for individual health insurance policy rates.

The proposal would:

• Require public hearings for all insurer-proposed rate increase requests;
• Compel insurers to notify all policyholders of rate hike applications and dates of public hearings;
• Require the Insurance Department to approve, deny or modify every application. Under current law, rate increases may go into effect without department action;
• Mandate rates be “reasonable.” Current law only says they may not be “excessive”;
• Presume all information submitted at a rate proceeding is public with the burden of proof on the insurer to show why it should nodisclosed;
• Empower the Attorney General’s Office and the Healthcare Advocate to intervene as parties in all rate cases, and;
• Empower the Attorney General’s Office, the Healthcare Advocate and consumers to appeal rate decisions to Superior Court.

I fully support this and can not see why it even came to this. I do not know what would lead Commissioner Sullivan to believe that a 25% increase over two years was justified, but I am glad that Attorney General Blumenthal and Healthcare Advocate Kevin P. Lembo has stepped in to stop it.

WHAT’S IN A NAME

At first I did not know what to make of this “Cash for Clunkers” program. Now I do and the fact that it has been extended by the U.S. House and Senate is fantastic news. I am sorry but the name struck me as silly at first. I could think of were Republican attack ads calling the Democrats “Clunkers”.

Don’t get me wrong I am not a pessimist, jut a realist. We have seen the movie many times before where the Republicans take a name and policy, distort the facts then accuse the Democrats of doing mortal harm to the nation. But much to my pleasant surprise and to the total dismay of the Republicans, “Cash for Clunkers” helped pump money into the ailing auto industry and then some.

More consumers will have the chance to purchase more fuel efficient cars that increase by 50% fuel economy. The program also will produce $700 to $1000 in annual savings for consumers in reduced gas cost. Well I have learned a valuable lesson, what’s in a name, not much.

WHAT DID I TELL YOU

I did not expect the radicals to land so close to home but they did. As I predicted it is going to be a long hot recess. One of the Republican organizer of the “TEA” party movement by the name of Bob MacGuffie of Connecticut. He can now take credit for the antics at a recent town hall on health care held by 4^th District Congressman Jim Himes. Bob MacGuffie is the coach who wrote the book on how to screw up a town hall and here are some gems from it:

*Rock the boat early. “Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early. If he blames Bush for something or offers other excuses — call him on it, yell back and have someone else follow-up with a shout-out. Don’t carryon and make a scene – just short intermittent shout outs.”

*Do your homework. “Most pols are pros at deflecting off-the-cuff questions. The questions should contain facts and numbers (which are embarrassing and damning to the Rep. and his voting record.)” 

*Put the congressman or woman on the defensive. “If the Rep. tries a particularly odious diversion, someone from the group should yell out to answer the question. These tactics will clearly rattle the Rep.”

 I must say rocket science it is not, but boy does it give you bouts of frustration if you’re the target. You see MacGuffie is a skilled activist and for this I must tip my hat, but what he is organizing against is not the Obama Health plan or even Democrats, he is organizing against helping reform a corrupt system and assuring decent health care to the poor, the elderly and children. And for that I effort he should be ashamed.

LONG OVER DO

I am pleased at the launch of a federal program that pays college tuition for U.S. veterans who have served in the armed forces since the September 11 terrorist attacks of 2001. The initiative updates and revamps a program that began during the World War II. But what took so long? Why during 8 years of the Bush Administration did no one think our troops worthy of this? It is Ironic that the party that paints itself as loving America can show sufficient love for its warriors.

It does not matter now finally some one has done the honorable thing for our troops. And yes I do believe that if John McCain was elected he would have also. The new GI bill went into effect at the start of the month. It pays tuition, living expenses and other costs at U.S. public universities and colleges for those with a minimum of 90 days of active duty service.

The percentage of costs paid depends on the length of active duty. Funds can also be applied to tuition at private universities, which typically charge more than state-run institutions. Benefits can be accessed for 15 years, and may be transferred to veterans’ family members. Total cost of the bill has been estimated at $75 billion. Long over do and not enough for the sacrifices made, but it is better that what the Bush Administration gave and that was zero.

THE LONG HOT RECESS

I have bad feeling that this is not going to go well for my party. Lawmakers now return to their home districts where they will use the August recess to try to sustain or in some cases regain public support for proposals to create a government option to compete with private insurers, and expand health coverage to the 46 million to 50 million Americans currently without it.

The Republican scam machine has been working overtime to deny Americans affordable healthcare coverage  with one lie after another. The President is continuously under attack for his citizenship to his health care proposal.

Now let me pose a question, are the Republicans into solving problems or lying for political points with the radical wing of their party? I am just asking a legitimate question because attacks of the kind being used now to sink the Presidents health care proposal make no sense and can only be a sign of things to come this recess.

NOT EVEN AN OPTION

I find it astounding that in this day and age a sitting Governor (male or female) would prose eliminating the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. I have no idea who is advising Governor Rell but the struggle for women to be treated equally and fairly is still ongoing but she obviously did not get the memo.

The Permanent Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) was established by the State Legislature in 1973. Seventeen appointed volunteer Commissioners join a staff and volunteers to work to eliminate sex discrimination in Connecticut. And bluntly their fight is on going and there is work to be done the Governor must reconsider this proposal because it smacks of political expediency and not the clarity of thought that we as a state need and expect from our leaders.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Despite what the Republicans are saying, it is a fact that the $787 billion economic Recovery Act is helping to turn the nation’s economy around. For example, the Commerce Department says the U.S. economy shrank by one percent from April to June. That is less than economists had expected, and far better than the 6.4 percent contraction from January to March.

Secondly the Auto industry which under President Bush had one foot in the grave and the other on a Ice cube is rebounding thanks to the “Cash for Clunkers” program. The program has been so successful that. Friday, the House of Representatives voted to rush $2 billion into it because so many people took part it ran out of money.

People do not buy big ticket items like cars with out the confidence that the economy is turning around. Obviously the leadership of President Obama and the Democratic party is providing the confidence we need along with the change we needed.

WRONG TIME WRONG IDEA

With economy still in a recovery mode, you would think that Governor Rell would insist on cutting patronage jobs and political appointees that do nothing more that push paper. No that would make far too much sense, instead the Governor is proposing raising taxes.

As if the middle class and the poor have not already been beaten down enough, here comes yet another reason why Governor Rell is a great person, but is slowly losing my respect t for her governing skills. This is the wrong time and the wrong idea.

Start cutting patronage jobs out that are not essential to public safety and welfare. And no I am not advocating jobs on commissions that are volunteer with paltry staffs that deal with real issues like children and the elderly. Here is a novel idea cut your own salary but do not raise taxes. Not now and God willing not later either.