Running for president in 2008, Barack Obama campaigned on change. But in the 2012 presidential elections, voters could be looking for a different kind of change.The Obama administration has scored several landmark achievements, the 2009 stimulus package, the healthcare overhaul , and financial reform bills for example. But the nation’s high unemployment  and increasing federal debt  may still have voters worried about the future. If so, Obama could face a tough reelection bid. With his approval ratings sinking to the low 40s, beltway buzz is already building for  2012 Republican candidate, Mitt Romney.

     President Obama has repeatedly stressed the importance of reducing the federal budget deficit, while also urging government support for impoverished Americans, education, and infrastructure investment. During his State of the Union Address in 2011, President Obama called for a two year freeze on pay for federal workers and major cuts to federal discretionary spending, stating "This freeze will require painful cuts. Already, we've frozen the salaries of hardworking federal employees for the next two years. I've proposed cuts to things I care deeply about, like community action programs. The Secretary of Defense has also agreed to cut tens of billions of dollars in spending that he and his generals believe our military can do without." Likewise, Romney wants to address government waste and debt starting with major cuts in spending, by a reform of Medicaid, wage alignments, federal workforce reductions and undertaking a major restructuring of government programs and services. Mr. Romney supports capping federal spending at 20% of GDP and wishes to pursue a Balanced Budget Amendment. Although both presidential canidates agree that goverment spending needs to decrease, this is where the similarites end.

     Governor Romney is well versed on the issue of immigration in America. The Republican presidential nominee, made his statement at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) conference in Orlando that as President, he would give undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as minors the chance to stay in the country permanently --and an eventual path to U.S. citizenship-- but only if they serve in the U.S. military. His plan is to secure our borders, and invite people to come to the United States through legal channels. He believes we need to assist our employers to make sure they’re not hiring and employing illegal residents. Where as current president, Barrack Obama would like to focus on removing criminals and others who threaten community safety, not the law-abiding, hard-working young people who pose no threat and cannot be blamed for their unauthorized status.

There are two major worries as the program unfolds. One is whether Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that will run the program, can handle the administrative load. Alejandro Mayorkas, the directorof the Department of Homeland Security, says his agency is investing in staffing and training, helped along by the $465 fee charged to each applicant. The agency depends entirely on fees.

The other fear is that applicants will fall prey to fraud. Immigration law is fiendishly complicated, which unscrupulous consultants, known as “notarios,” take full advantage of. Applicants who are rejected have no right to appeal and will still risk deportation, especially those whose paperwork was falsified. The citizenship agency needs to do all it can to educate applicants and deter scams.

     With the economy now, taxes are a monumental deciding factor in many voters mind, and both candidates have addressed the subject as such. Mr. Romney supports a fundamental redesign of the existing U.S. tax system, which he wants to simplify by lowering rates in order to expand the tax base, therefore helping the economy. Stabilizing the tax structure is key, which allows entrepreneurs and investors to effectively plan for the future. This means maintaining current tax rates on personal income, interest, dividends and capital gains, eliminating the death tax and taxes for those tax payers with an AGI of less than $200k on interest, capital gains and dividends. Romney also wants to lower corporate tax rates to 25%. 

President Obama has cut taxes for middle-class families and small businesses. One of the first things he did in office was cut taxes for 95 percent of working families. He has also signed 18 tax cuts for small businesses and extended the payroll tax cut for all American workers and their families, putting an extra $1,000 in the typical middle-class family’s pocket. A third of the 400 highest income taxpayers paid an average rate of 15 percent in 2008.
That's why President Obama proposed the Buffett Rule,named after billionaire Warren Buffet, intended to ensure that those making more than $1 million pay a higher percentage of their income in federal income and payroll taxes than those who make less, "asking millionaires and billionaires to do their fair share." However, if you're one of the 98 percent of American families who make under $250,000 a year, your taxes won’t go up.

January 20th, 2013, the winner of the election will be sworn into office at noon, in Washington D.C.

 

    

 

I never thought I'd die alone
I laughed the loudest who'd have known?
I trace the cord back to the wall
No wonder it was never plugged in at all
I took my time, I hurried up
The choice was mine I didn't think enough
I'm too depressed to go on
You'll be sorry when I'm gone

I never conquered, rarely came
Sixteen just held such better days
Days when I still felt alive
We couldn't wait to get outside
The world was wide, too late to try
The tour was over, we'd survived
I couldn't wait till I got home
To pass the time in my room alone

I never thought I'd die alone
Another six months I'll be unknown
Give all my things to all my friends
You'll never step foot in my room again
You'll close it off, board it up
Remember the time that I spilled the cup
Of apple juice in the hall
Please tell mom this is not her fault

I never conquered, when you came
Sixteen just held such better days
Days when I still felt alive
We couldn't wait to get outside
The world was wide, too late to try
The tour was over, we'd survived
I couldn't wait till I got home
To pass the time in my room alone

I never conquered, when you came
Tomorrow holds such better days
Days when I can still feel alive
When I can't wait to get outside
The world is wide, the time goes by
The tour is over, I've survived
I can't wait till I get home
To pass the time in my room alone
-Adams Song. By: Blink 182..

 

 

 

 

Every time I hear this song, I think of my friend Eian, Who was 16 when he died. 

Eian was a sweet, loving, beautiful young man, He always lent a hand to help someone else. I never once seen him

without a smile, or kind word... Not until his mother died. He was 14, and I held his hand and let him cry on my shoulder.

He was my best friend, the one I spent all my time with, I was so young, I looked up to him

and I didn't know how to make him stop crying, but I wish now that I did.

I wish I had seen it was the beginning of the end..

Suddenly,

all the bullies that made fun of him for his hair,

his clothes,

his laugh,

his friends,

the way he said "aluminum"

Everything he did, they teased him for. I hated it, but he'd never let me intervene..

Eian loved baseball, playing guitar, helping people, swinging out to far on the rope swing by the lake,

where he carved our names on his favorite tree, after catching 64 fireflies, the night we skipped the Winter SnowFlake dance..

I remember him standing there, so handsome in his tux, with the tie that matched my blue dress, 

He smiled and took my hand, the moon was full and bright,

"I like your hair curly, you shouldn't straighten it."

I wore it curly to his funeral two years later.

After Mrs. M died, he cried a lot more.. 

My best friend wasn't ... him... anymore, he seemed so much older... 

When Zac freaked out and destroyed the house in a fit of pure frusteration, Eian took the blame and didn't move a muscel as his father hit him

too many times, too hard with a belt.. 

I went home and cried in my mothers arms for hours, so glad she was still there.

I remember..

Walking into his bedroom once, and he was listening to his favorite song, the one he and his mother danced to in the kitchen,

while cleaning up, more times than I could count..

"Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star? One without a permanent scar? And tell me, did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?" 

He was crying, and drawing...

"...Now that she's back in the atmosphere, I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain old jane, tell a story about a man,

who was too afraid to fly so he never did land.." 

There was blood on his wrists, he hadn't bothered to clean up..

"Tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet? Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day? And head back to the milky way, tell me. Did Venus blow your mind?"

 

I helped him clean up, but I'll never forget the look in his eyes, the far away look as he kept whispering that he

was sorry,

he loved me,

he missed her,

he felt so alone,

broken,

lost,

confused,

changed,

..dead..

 

Pretty soon, he didn't even try to hide the cuts and scars. His father was never

around enough

to notice.

I did though, and I'd bandage him, kiss them better, 

Tell him,

I loved him

I needed him

I missed her too.

I'm Lost without him

We had a wall in his room, with lots of colorful construction paper, 

if we enjoyed a certain memory, he or I would draw it,

and hang it on the wall.

There was everything, 

Mall trips,

Parks,

School,

Angry Teachers,

Grateful "Needing" people we'd helped.

SkateBoards,

Snow Boards,

Summer Trips, 

Beach Balls

Fireflies

 

Around the time he turned 15, he started hanging out with some other, older boys, 

He never let me come around, 

Said they'd hurt me, He couldn't protect me around them. 

He didn't want me doing the things they did.

I didn't know what Meth was then.

 

I just knew, he was my best friend, and I'd never tell when he stole something to sell, because I knew,

he'd never hurt anyone, He was only helping...

I didn't know why he was so 

cold,

angry,

distant,

sad,

crying,

throwing things,

shielded,

guarded,

gone..

On Halloween, there was a party...

He was 16, and I was so excited. He was my best friend. I loved him more than anything..

He seemed okay today, he hadn't cried, he hadn't screamed.. 

He hadn't cut at all. 

Not that it bothered me, except for the cutting. Everytime he yelled at me, or threw things around me,

I forgave him

I didn't know.

I asked if he wanted to go with Zac and I, too the party.

He said no, he didn't feel well, and that he hoped we had fun.

Right before we left, he kissed Zac.

"I love you, baby brother. Be good okay? And take care of her, please? Protect her." 

Zac nodded, it wasn't unlike Eian to ask this of him, but then, he turned to him and said, 

"Don't be like me. You're beautiful Zac, don't change." 

I don't know why we didn't see it right then, but hind sight is 20\20. 

I took a picture of those two. They were so different.

There hair was about the same length, long, and covering their eyes. But Eian's was jet black, like his mothers, 

and choppy, sort of layered,he kept it in his eyes mostly, where Zac pushed his bright blonde bangs to the side,

showing off his deep, almost emarald green eyes, a stark contrast to Eian's Ice blue eyes that I loved so much, 

I wish I had noticed the deep, dark sadness in them that night..

Zac was a foot ball player, about two inches taller than Eian, and a lot more muscular, Eian was super thin, especially since the drugs..

Each brother had an arm around the other, both with a crooked half smile, 

a final moment, caught in film,

frozen forever. 

Zac walked out to start the car, and Eian turned to me,

Kissed me on the head,

"I love you, Sparkle. Stay Beautiful, Don't let any one change you,

be yourself. You are amazing. I love you, Thank you, 

for always being here." 

He pressed his lucky guitar pick into my hand, and kissed my head, and let me out the door...

I didn't know #suicide was real then.

Didn't know it could happen to me,

to him.

He was only #Sixteen

After that night, I couldn't cry enough. I slept in his bed for weeks, wore his shirts, touched his things. 

I screamed in my sleep,

begged him to come back,

begged anyone to bring him home.

Don't be #dead

please, Eian, don't be dead...

He was gone. I couldn't bring him back.

I was 

so alone,

broken,

lost,

confused,

changed,

 Zac cried with me, why did we leave?

Why didn't we know? 

I'd do anything to save another person from this pain,

this aloneness,

this time of complete...

darkness.

It's been two years, Nine since i met him, and I

still miss him

still cry

still listen to his favorite songs

wear his shirts

touch his things

call his number

whisper his name

scream in my sleep

 

Because I didn't know..

But now I do, and I beg you.

Please! If you ever...

ever think that dying is the #wayout

its not.

Think of your sister, mother, father, brother, best friend, 

Think of me,

think of Eian.

Talk to someone. I can't stress it enough.

Talk.

Talk.

Talk.

Cry, if you need,

scream,

rant,

break things.

But please...Please don't end it..

You don't know what your doing to anyone else.

I'm doing this for you, Ace.

I love you.

 

 

 

May 11th, 2012.

I have spent so many tears today. I'm a sophomore, but I have a lot of really good, really lovely senior friends, and today they graduate. Besides being super proud of them, I am also saddened to see them go. These are beautiful, amazing, and talented young adults, and I just know they're going to go far in life, and I couldn't be any more exeburated to call them my friends

 

 

With that said, good luck Caleb, Kelly, Seth, Alisha, Hayley, Lukas (I'll miss you especially; Fatty (= ) Malory, Amber, Shayne, Chris (So glad you got your dream of a full scholarship to play football bud!) Darius, Sarah, and Brooke..

 

 

I love you all, and I'm sure school will be so much quieter next year...

 

 

And to the rest of the 2012 graduating class, Congratulations, Good luck everyone! :D

 

 

 

 

oh my... they're playing the grads class video again... I'm gonna cry more >_<