Tuesday, October 13, 2009

True Leadership

Today we are witness to something that is rare - True Leadership.
 
Maine Senator Olympia Snowe became the sole GOP supporter as the Senate Finance Committee voted health care reform out of committee today.
 
It will now move to debate by both houses, and each of our elected representatives will have to take a stand by vote - one we can judge them by. There will be no hemming and hawing, no details to stand behind - they will have to vote one way or the other. And they will have to be responsible for how they vote. Do they vote for reform that, overwhelmingly in polls from both sides, the public says they want? Or do they vote for the interests of lobbyists and individuals others than their general constituents?
 
Much credit must go to Max Baucus, a democrat from Montana, who crafted this measure to garner some support from both sides. In the last few weeks he has been criticized by his own party, but in the way a true leader does, he moved forward with what he knew was right.
 
And Senator Snowe did the same. Her comment at the time of the vote sums it up, "...when history calls, history calls."
 
Is everyone happy with this bill? No. In fact, I'm not sure anyone is happy with it. But we have to start somewhere. And today we start with real leaders who have chosen to make a stand for what they believe is right, to insist that we move forward in some fashion, to take a stand for the future instead of being mired in the past.

Legislation is often about the future - people who aren't yet born, and systems that don't yet exist. We have to be willing to move ahead or we are, by definition, moving backwards.

 
Thank heavens that today True Leaders have stepped forward to lead the way.

Posted via email from Patsy's posterous

Letting It Settle In

I'm letting it settle in that I won't be able to have my usual kind of Christmas this year. And I'm realizing that instead I will be open to a different kind of holiday season.

I'm also thinking that I just have to find a way to get more rest. I don't know how other people have time to relax and watch TV and do nothing. I worked and then went straight to a board meeting for an organization. Then Greg and I had dinner and I came home, took a quick shower, and started working on some freelance writing that needed to be in an inbox by eight am. Now it's midnight and I'm just laying down. I did one load of laundry and ran the dishwasher but pretty much I worked on things that needed to be done. Am I just slower or less efficient than others? People often tell me I work too hard but I can't seem to get everything done at this rate. What secrets do others know that have escaped me? How do others get it all done?

Posted via email from Patsy's posterous