Three Do Nothing Senators Run for US Presidency

US Senators
It’s interesting to note that we have running for office, three sitting United States Senators. All supposedly active in the Senate and of course all being paid by your and my dollars to be United State Senators. Well so what are they doing for your and my hard-earned dollar? Well you can see it every day you open a newspaper, watch television news or a webcast, these three US Senators are all over the place scrambling for delgates for their presidential campaigns. Of course the obvious question I ask “why are they not working to help you?” Every state they arrive at, they make their campaign promises today so that you can bank on that promise in the future.

It’s almost like a fishing story. Each US Senator tells you how great of a fisherman they are and how they are going to catch the biggest fish you ever saw, and this time around it will be different; the line won’t break, they will not fall off the boat etc. They pull you in close and say this can only work, if you, the American public buy them a boat. They will be the best fishermen ever, if you buy them a boat. Of course, they are working a fishing boat right now, and have never caught a big fish. Mostly what they have caught can be considered small to well maybe medium size. Nothing of any distinction compared to the other fishing people on the boat. But they insist once you buy them a boat, and let them be captain of their boat, only and that is ONLY then can they catch the big fish.

Good story US Senators, and we all heard it all before. There are a few more pressing things for us than listening to a good fishing story. The recession is now. Gas prices are increasing now. Our food prices are increasing now. So get off the campaign trail now, and play a part in fixing the country now. Unless of course, your contribution in the senate does not matter much now, this leads me to believe better for all, if you resign today.

As an update.. has gasoline prices still gone up? Has there been any new plans to get us out of this fiscal mess?

Camden Diocese Consolidation - Another thought

I have read quite a few of the letters regarding the parish consolidation in the Camden Diocese. This same effort of consolidation is occurring across the country, Massachusetts to New Orleans. The usual reasons priests, parishioners and payouts due to lawsuits. Though this time, in our diocese, it is because the current make up of our parishioners is changing.

I know many of my fellow parishioners are very depressed and feel a sense of loss, that their parish will no longer be open. Some of these same parishioners Of course there are many who have said how beneficent Bishop Galante has been to allow a democratic process to proceed under his auspices.

What I find amazing, is that my fellow parishioners are not looking ahead, what will be the process after the parishes are closed. Let’s be real, parishes were going to be closed to make it more manageable for the Bishop. Removing all these parishes means priests, which we do have a shortage of, will now be requested to resign from their present churches. Under the new re-organization, the new pastor or the current pastor would decide, along with the consent of the Bishop, if the displaced priests would be hired or perhaps retire.

Paid professionals would be hired by each parish, and again how many paid professionals are we talking about? In turn, these paid professionals would be supervised by the new parish council and, of course, the Bishop. Note, I am sure the closed parishes real estate would be sold, and the promise would be the professionals would be paid by the sale of the real estate or some financial device funded by the sold real estate. The parish council would be forced to do this, because of the mandate by Bishop Galante.

The other matter would be if the new parishes would be able to handle the new congregations? Could they handle the number of people now going to these new parishes? On one hand, the argument would be simply yes, since there is such a low attendance to start, the newly formed parishes would now be filled.

Perhaps my projections are a bit bleak perhaps even unfair to Bishop Galante, however, I have gone through enough mergers and consolidations to know one thing is true. Reductions in manpower and assets are made for tighter control. The question is, do you as a parishioner think you will be part of the new view of how your parish is to operate?