Cynical and Jaded

Today, I am cynical and jaded. I might as well just make it official. I grew up in Iowa, I had wanted to raise a family here in Iowa but in the past week and a half, there's just been body blow after body blow to way I see things around here. When I was growing up- and maybe this is an incorrect impression on my part, but when I was growing up, Republicans seemed to be obsessed with fiscal responsibility and family values. They would practice the former and preach the latter. It was irritating, but it wasn't soul-crushing hypocrisy on their part.

This week though… turns out that Our Perpetual Governor is a double dipper, raking in 130K plus 50K in pension payments from his previous time as Governor. He doesn't think it's right, but he also doesn't seem to be in a hurry to do anything about it.

Republicans in the State House are busy thrusting a radical right wing social agenda down our throats- and no, I don't care if it's going to die in the Senate, it's still damn scary when this bill might outlaw any and all kinds of contraception and IVF, never mind abortion itself. So if the Missus and I need the help of science to start a family, as some people do, then I guess we can't have kids in this state if the Republicans get their way.

And then there's the Pollock. One of the most iconic, important pieces of art in American history and it's right here in Iowa. Not in Venice, not in New York City or Japan, but right here in Iowa. And what do they want to do with it? Sell it. Never mind that it's no real solution to the problems of funding in higher education. Never mind that, it's art. Silly, frilly, liberal art. And we can't be having that either.

I didn't vote for a radical right wing social agenda. If I must have conservatism, I want it to be sensible and concentrate on saving jobs, not pushing a radical social agenda straight into my bedroom. I wouldn't want that from the Left and I don't want it from the right and after this idiocy with the Pollock, the Radically Insane Abortion Bill that's crawling it ways through the House now and then the news of Our Perpetual Governor's double dipping, you know what I thought?

I can't wait to move back to Minnesota.

It's sad, but there it is. This isn't the state that I grew up in anymore, it seems and I want a state where younger workers and families are valued, not driven away- which is what the Republicans in Des Moines seem hell bent on doing.