Dear 2008 Republicans

In direct homage to our new President elect, Barack Obama, i will refrain from saying "nah nah nah nah nah!" I know that many of you are scared about what Obama is going to do with the country over the next few years. I know that your scared about how taxes will change, about how you will be able to afford luxuries like groceries in the credit crisis. I know so many of you are not certain you can trust someone who speaks so eloquently, after all even the biblical devil apparently speaks eloquently.

I can not calm your fears.

For the rich republicans, your off-shore tax havens will probably be in danger. Your $500,000 a year tax frauds will likely come to an end. I suggest for you that you learn to enjoy simple pleasures in life, like board games with the family, ice cream at the beach, and yoga classes, instead of personalised lessons.

For religious republicans your morals will not be forced to change, although you may find yourself expectantly living a more christian lifestyle. Your taxes may be used to help pay for the widows' life saving surgeries. It may pay for medicine for orphans and housing for the homeless. But don't worry, your forced charitable acts will not count as your own free willed actions in heaven. God will understand that you really didn't want to do it, especially when it came to providing methadone to addicts.

I do not know for certain what the future holds. I know that election promises get broken, that important points disappear in face of money troubles. Yet i believe and hope that we really are moving towards a better tomorrow. If you don't believe me today, please judge for yourself tomorrow.

top 5 things i wish candidates would worry about

5.New business - i would love to see the government put some real muscle behind getting mobile innovation on the move. Either some mass public transport systems or new ways to travel independently.

4. Global warming - its time the EPA (enviormental protection agency) started actually working to protect the environment.

3.Personal freedom - trust needs to be given back to the public. Their rights to privacy need to be respected and restored.

2.foreign policy - better diplomacy with foreign countries. no more: "USA way or no way".

1.Torture - zero tolerance policy on torture. If we have to torture people to "keep us safe" than we aren't really even safe from ourselves.

Welcome

I honestly wasn't sure that Kevin Rudd was going to get into office, but i was pleased that a change in leadership took place. Not because i thought John Howard was the worst Prime Minister that Australia had ever seen, but rather because i felt that his party had become complacent about their role. With members of his party passing out fake leaflets to discredit others, it just made me wonder if they truly understood the gratitude they should feel towards the people they represented.

I was glad to see Kevin Rudd making some bold movements straight away. His statement that we will ratify the Kyoto Protocol as soon as possible was an impressive, if somewhat more appearance driven than action. (in other words the Kyoto Protocol has some very interesting loopholes that mean some countries get a "please do nothing for signing this" clause. Although, Australia is not currently one of them)

I really hope that the changes that are going to be made to work places are for the best. I hope that people are more secure in their jobs than they were only a few months ago. I hope that things are more fair and employees better paid.

I have many hopes for this government. With any luck, we'll see one third of my hopes meant and the other two thirds of my hopes dashed to little bitty pieces. (please let Rudd have his own mind and not be a puppet of GWB...please please please PLEASE let that be in the 1/3 part)

Good luck Mr. Kevin Rudd. You'll definitely need it.