Florida Independents now hold the attention of the Nation as GOP Governor Charlie Crist has announced he will leave the GOP and run for US Senate as an Independent. Understanding this comes about because of increasing pressure from fellow GOP candidate Mark Rubio who is running as a Tea Party candidate.

As an Independent activist, I have always been leery of major party members who all of a sudden have seen the light to the “Two Party” travesty we have in Washington. We have seen this before when Now Independent US Senator Joseph Lieberman made the change in 2006 when he lost the Democrat Primary.  Kentucky even has Senator Robert “Bob” Leeper who at one time or another belonged to one of the Major Two Parties.

What happened to the simple understanding that people will do what they will when it comes to their own money? It seems the more I open my eyes and ears the less I understand this state. Who here is for gambling? Opposed? I don't think we truely know anymore because of all the confusion that always gets thrown into this subject. I try to remain as middle ground as possible and see all sides of every argument before I pass judgement. But I have to admit, this one has me stumped. I should probably start by saying that I OPENLY support ALL gambling in this state. After all, who the hell has the right to tell us what we can or can't do with our own money?

Certain elected officials would have us believe that casino gambling is bad for our state, and some believe that it is immoral. In other words they have their heads so far up their own asses that they can't see the irony in the situation. HORSE RACING IS GAMBLING PEOPLE. You can't cut it any other way. It's not that people have better or worse odds, it's just a different type of gambling. Slots have different odds than horses, horses are different than cards, cards are different than dice, but they are all one in the same and it's about time someone walked up to these guys and asked them what the hell their problem is.

Video slots is all the new rage right now, the talk of the town. Should we allow slots at Churchill downs. NO! If we are going to allow slots, you allow them EVERYWHERE. How dare we try to control the market so that politicians businesses interest remain unscathed, while charitable organizations get bent over backwards trying to help themselves and others at the same time. I don't use this word often, but it is proposterous. Furthermore, what does it say about a state that says, well we don't want casino's because we are against gambling, yet they allow horse racing. We only want slots at Churchill downs, yet we are against gambling? I'm very very confused right about now. So let me tell you fine citizens the truth.

The truth is politicians have nothing against gambling, not at all. They go to Indiana and Ohio just like the rest of us when they get a weekend off and don't particularly care about the consequences. We are sending millions of dollars annually to surrounding states in tax revenue and so forth without thinking about the potential growth that could be provided for all of us. Why is Kentucky always so behind the times?

Again the truth of the matter is that we have lobbyists just like the rest of the nation, and special interest control a good portion of our politicians just like the rest of the nation, and corruption is alive and well here.....just like the rest of the nation. As long as there is more money to be made for our politicians pockets to keep casino gambling illegal, unfortunately they will continue to do so, and then spend that money in Indiana....

So what is the solution? Well for starters I think a baseball bat and a couple of broken legs might do the trick, but I don't think we could get all of them before they caught on. Unfortunately we have few options, but they are very attainable ones. Start by calling your politicians, all day every day if that's what it takes but get on their nerves as much as possible. If there is one thing politicians can't stand it's being told what a horrible job they are doing. Next on the list as always is protest, 10 people or 100 or 1000, however many it takes to get the job done. These people have to know that the citizens of this state demand to be heard. And next, the saddest option there is I know, stop going to Indiana or Ohio to gamble. Hell do it here illegally. As i've said many times, something is only illegal in this country as long as we allow it to be. Women were only allowed to vote once they demanded it. Citizens are only allowed to have what we fight to keep. The time for talk is over. It's time we start taking a stand, and I for one don't like being told what's best for me.

Doesn't it bother anyone that over the past 5-10 years (statewide, longer for the nation), it seems that our right to vote has just dissapeared? Let's start by looking at the merger of Louisville and Jefferson County. The first vote on the city/county merger was rejected immediately. Jefferson County made it abundantly clear that we did not want to be a part of a growing and failing city filled with corruption and political hacks. So how did the city solve their problem? By doing what they do best, add a little confusion and corruption and VOILA congrats we have a merger.

For those of you who don't know, only the county was allowed to have a vote on merger the first time around. So the second time around Abramson and he's cronies (those famous members of the metro council) allowed the city to have votes as well. Why is that a problem? Obviously the city was entitled to many more votes than the county! So essentially, the city said, "we don't care what these people want, we're going to do whatever we want regardless."

What is amazing to me is the notion that "we the people" wanted a merger. It was made clear that we didn't, but we were simply takin advantage of. And since the merger, Jefferson County has not only fallen by the wayside, but we have no say in what we want or how we want it. Thousands upon thousands of people now without our rights, just like Jerry wanted. Sometimes I wonder if even half of that man's brain is functional. Moving right along....

What happened with the arena? Isn't it our right, and more importantly our RESPONSIBILITY, as a citizen to vote on matters as controversial as this one? Of course, all we heard on the mainstream media was how good the arena would be for everyone. That's because they are the mainstream media; that's their job. You wouldn't believe the number of media outlets that Jerry Abramson and his constituents are affiliated with. The Leo magazine is one of the most well known.

To get back to the point, shouldn't there have been a referrendem on a ballot for the whole city to vote on this? Especially on something that would (A.) practically bankrupt OUR already bankrupt city, and (B.) affect the lives of so many citizens who will now be forced to live with the traffic, noise, crime, etc that will only get worse as this project comes together? I think so. But what shocks me even more is the idea that we can afford such a project, yet we can't afford to fix up the West End. People living there have been forced to deal with it for so long it's pathetic. Crime rising, buildings falling apart, people are begging for help, and good old Jerry says "we simply can't afford it". Wow, i'd tell him to go look those people in the eyes and say that, but I don't think that would have any affect on a man as out of touch as him. And this idea that "a substantial amount of jobs will be generated", what kind of jobs? Waitresses making $3 an hour plus tips, hot dog vendors, janitors and police? Great more police takin away from our streets as well to gaurd the city's precious jewel. Do any of these guys know how to run a city affectively? I think not.

Enough about the arena though, I could talk about that one for days as well. What about the bomb storage facility? Shouldn't we have had a vote to decide wether we want to put bombs next to a residential neighborhood? Isn't that some of the scariest crap you've ever heard before? And if that's not enough, we're putting it next to our water supply.......ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Have we lost our minds in this corrupt city? Anything to do political favors and get more money. Newsflash, we wouldn't need more money if we would utilize our city in a way that made sense.

Another subject that I feel is one of the worst travesties of Abramson's legacy, THE SMOKING BAN. Every single business in this city has been complaining about it since the start. Restaraunts, bars, the whole nine yards. All of us think it's bullshit, and the majority of us are against it, that's why we weren't allowed to vote. Have you seen how much business has been lost do to this issue? How many places have gone out of business already? How many bars remain empty because no one wants to go outside to smoke? People just stay home and watch a movie rather than go out because we refuse to have our freedoms violated in this way. They say they are concerned about health, need I refer to the bomb storage facility, or the crime rate? I'd assume that getting shot isn't at all healthy, and by-products of bomb waste probably wouldn't be to good for us if it leaked into our water supply. It's all about control.

To simplify this whole mess I ask you to think about this logically. Our elected officials have been trying to accomplish quite a few things at once.

1.Turn our city into a tourist location, present ourselves as politically correct as possible at all cost.

2. Abramson wanted to do as many favors as possible to help further his political career, which he is currently doing by running against Dea Riley in the Lt. Governers race.

3. Take as much control as possible by giving more power to government and less to it's citizens.

This is essentially the same thing that has been happening on a national level for some time now, so when are we going to put a stop to it? Anyone want to march to the mayors mansion and protest, or are we to beaten and abused to care anymore? Where are the activist leaders in this city? Who is going to speak for us? All I know is i'm only 22 years old, and if I can read through the bullshit, than it very well may be my name on the ballot come 2012. I may not be the most qualified person for the job however, at least you know where I stand. And let it be known that a politician is only supposed to have one job, DOING WHAT IT'S CITIZENS TELL THEM TO DO. So I ask again, where are OUR votes?

What does it mean to be a free country? First of all I think you have to define freedom. While I may not be able to tell you your beliefs I believe that it's something like this: The ability to choose how you want to live your life, raise your family, or practice your trade, not without fear of oppression; but without oppression. Not without problems; but with attainable solutions. And not without sacrifice, but with reward.

This country hasn't been free for a very long time. We've become afraid of ourselves as much as anyone else. Afraid of speaking out because we might get shot. Afraid of trying because we've failed so many times. Afraid of living because at this point dying slowly seems easier. And yes the government is killing us, with every freedom that's taken away from us by rich people with rubber stamps in nice suits. And instead of looking to those who truly want to make changes, or becoming one of those very people, we sink inside ourselves and build a shell out of cold comfort from our surroundings.

Our goals in life have shifted from trying to improve ourselves, to trying to keep ourselves pacified. All because we don't want to shoulder the responsibility of greater things. I understand, maybe better than most, that times are hard. There's a reason for that. We've allowed OUR government to tell US what to do for too long. Maybe America has forgotten how things get done. Or maybe we just don't care about being free anymore. If that's the case then, by all means, change the flag and stop thinking for yourselves. Do exactly what your told to do instead of deciding for yourselves. But let me die before I see the day that I can't decide, provide, or even speak up without permission.

This isn't school anymore kids, we all need to grow up. And part of being an adult is recognizing responsibility. Recognizing that there are worse things than death and some things worth dying for. And yes we are all going to die. How we choose to live is what makes all the difference. Today or tomorrow, I die free. You decide.

Temporary Jobs. Okay, for those of you who don't know, let me explain exactly how temporary and seasonal jobs work. First of all, I think it's very important to understand that temporary employees don't always come from “temp agencies.” Both seasonal and temporary employees can be hired directly through any company without the help of an outside agency.

That being said one might ask, why would a business want to go through the trouble of setting up a whole new system of hiring employees? Shouldn't business only be allowed to hire temporary employees through other agencies? How are employees rights being treated in this new trend? I will answer all of these questions and more. But in the end, it can always be explained by "following the money".

It starts with a few downright sickening facts about the way major businesses are being run in today's workplace. Say a business only needs on average 500 full time employees at all times (give or take depending on busy seasons and so forth). That's 500 employees making $10.00/hour..... 500 employees getting semi-annual raises.....500 employees receiving healthcare, 401k and stock options. Now think what would happen if businesses found a legal way to add to their annual profit and not hurt their production both at the same time, while also being able to get rid of 200 F/T employees? Would they do it? I believe that answer can be assumed YES.

This is how it's done. By firing 200 F/T employees, and replacing them with temporary and seasonal workers here is what is accomplished:

LIST OF NON-RIGHTS OF THE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE
1) Seasonal/Temporary workers on the whole have NO rights. You can be fired for any reason whatsoever without cause at any time.
2) Seasonal/Temporary workers are not "required by law" to receive any healthcare benefits from it's employer.
3) Seasonal/Temporary workers are not "required by law" to receive the same pay-rate as full-time employees.
4) Seasonal/Temporary workers are not "required by law" to receive any sick days, vacation etc.
5) Seasonal/Temporary workers are not "required by law" to receive any days off (your employer can work you 7 days a week).