Why Politics is Killing Our Country

The dire commentary continues. A weakened president. A rival party proclaiming it has the answer. A country mired in a stagnant economy and no confidence in it getting better.

Meanwhile, both parties continue to roll out more of the same, dishing up their philosophical rhetoric on why they will best lead the country. They send their minions out on talk radio, blogs and in letters to the editor to parrot their flawed theories. There's one problem. It's them.

We lack the most critical thing needed to move forward. We lack partnership. We lack the ability to say, "OK, we're getting whipped pretty good, time to get serious and come up with a plan."

We're content to argue among ourselves of deep philosophies instead of come up with sound and practical plans, regardless of who get the credit. We're content to let the next party take a shot, with our futures at stake, when they don't even give us a plan. We do this while the rest of the globe is excitedly competing for the remnants and scraps of our past world dominance.

We need a national jobs plan. One that brings together policies that looks at all the factors that will help create jobs on a bipartisan level. Look at potential exporting partners to determine their weaknesses and needs. Develop demand abroad for our goods.

Yes, we are the masters at infrastructure and the jobs it creates, but we need a national plan that partners with the private sector. All factors that promote private-sector job creation must be fixed, from taxation and regulation to how the banks issue loans, to global marketing that we are truly open for business.

We need to retrofitting of our vocational schools and universities, as well as our elementary and secondary schools, so that we are building the workforce of the future. This is the blocking and tackling those other countries around the globe are talking about. Meanwhile, we fight over failed issues of the past, which leaves us stuck in the past.

Every voter needs to be an activist. Take back your government. Go to town hall meetings. Write your elected officials and ask them specifically what they plan to accomplish. Your vote has never been so critical.

The reason Washington is under no pressure to partner is because we the people can't do it and certainly don't demand it. It’s surely absurd to cut critical spending in a time of financial crisis. It's just as absurd to let entitlements run unchecked and unreformed no matter who they serve.

The rest of the world understands this moment in time. We are a weakened nation. We can't even address our most critical issues. Thanks to such gross mismanagement, we stand again on the cusp of yet another "most important election in our history."

I personally have a new strategy. I plan to no longer campaign for candidates this time around. I plan to campaign for issues and enlightenment. If we never come together – or if we don't make it soon – we are going to fall apart and the implications will be dire.