My favorite definition of the word "CHANGE" is: "something that is or may be substituted; something of the same kind but new or fresh."  That pretty much explains my lack of enthusiasm for policians who use the word to label what they have to offer.  It's a nebulous term.  It's so general in implication that when people hear it they are deceived by their own desires.  Used by a skillful speaker it can dazzle and delude listeners into believing that what they want is what they'll get.

 

I prefer a word that has more substance to it.  "REFORM" gets closer to what I'm looking for:

1.  To make better by removing faults and defects.

2.  To make better by putting a stop to abuses or malpractices and introducing better procedures.

3.  To cause or persuade a person to give up misconduct and behave better.

 

All three of the explanations Webster uses to clarify meaning say exactly what I think we need to deal with any of our current concerns.  Pick a problem and dig into it and find the fundamental flaws.  Uncover the deeds and identities of those that have used power and position to bend or break the Law and punish them.  I'm not talking about the usual show of cautious condemnation and wrist slapping.  Shame the people who have proved they don't deserve the public trust and kick them out of office.  Toss a whole bunch of white collar thieves in prison and take back what they have stolen.  Learn from their crimes and develop safeguards to prevent the same thing from happening again.

 

The most important is the third... raising the ethical bar in Wahington and on Wall Street.  It seems like a lot of the elected and elite have forgotten the value of integrity.  They have become adept at hiding their thoughts and plans rather than stating them with clarity.  Inferior ideas have thrived in the dark just like mushrooms and sprouted from the manure that is spread about during back room deals.  In the real world we bring our brilliant concepts into the light where everyone can see the details.  We have to be clear and specific.  If our Clients and Customer don't understand we must explain until they do.  To win their support... all of our dealings must proudly stand up to scrutiny and ongoing examination and evaluation.

 

That's the way an America does business.  We say what we're going to do and we do it.  The bottom line for us depends on results.  If we don't get the work done we don't get paid.  We have to keep our agreements and deliver on deadline.  American business offers both money back guarantees and warranties.  We can't excuse failure by saying we had noble intentions.  Our reputations are built on success.  That's the reason elected officials have dropped to unprecendented levels of unpopularity.  People know they're creating more problems than they are solving.  It's time for the Voters to remind the powerful that there is a cold hard reality we face every day.  If you can't do your job - you lose it.