Promoted from Comments: "Easy Piety"

From Tina:

There's a lot of "easy piety" going on these days. Easy piety consists mainly of pointing a finger at someone else' or disapproving of someone's lifestyle. Although I don't agree with cozying up to Hugo Chavez, I agree that being AGAINST cozying up to him is definitely easy piety.
More difficult piety involves actually doing something that improves the human condition whether it happens to be popular or not, and whether it happens to line your coffers with $$$ or not.
Our country is now in a situation where health care is neglected, border security is neglected (except for pompous statements about building The Great Wall), food safety is neglected, product safety is neglected, the Geneva Convention is neglected and diplomacy is a forgotten word. And not only all-of-the-above, but the stock market is low and gas prices are high. American men and women are dying in an ill-planned war that shows no progress.
And yet we still have politicians who are humming "holy, holy, holy" as they plan new ways to neglect both the poor AND the middle class.

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Whew! That's a Relief!

Thank God Sen. Cecil Staton and Rep. Allen Peake called a press conference so they and other Macon officials could stand in solidarity against the Mayor's statement of solidarity with Hugo Chavez. Before their press conference today, I was certain that Staton and Peake were co-signers of Ellis' letter (after all, they're all BFFE) and wanted nothing more than to invite Chavez to be honorary emcee for the Cherry Blossom Pageant. Glad they've clarified their position.

Seriously, how hard is it to call a press conference to stand up against something so ridiculous? How about a few press conferences to stand up for our children's health? Or for fully funding their schools? Or maybe to call for some ethics legislation that might address excessive lobbyist spending? Here's what Shipp had to say:

Georgia's vision of a prosperous future is based on attracting rich geezers and importing young adults who grew up somewhere else. As you can see, the current crowd certainly has no interest in investing in the well-being of Georgia children here and now.

But, never fear. They ARE opposed to Hugo Chavez and Jack Ellis.

Me, too.

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Hugo Now at Category Two

It looks like Hurricane Hugo has grown to a category two storm with sustained attention from local media, bloggers and now, none other than Fox News. Residents are encouraged to board their windows and stay inside to avoid the flying garbage.

Yes, reaction to Mayor Ellis's statement of solidarity with Hugo Chavez has now blown a news crew into town. We will, apparently be featured on Brit Hume tonight and have already been the subject of a morning news cast on the network. (City Councilman Rick Hutto "reluctantly agreed to be interviewed.")

Don't you love it that this is the news the world will hear about out little town? Did I mention that Mayor Ellis has endorsed Barack Obama for President? I hate to break it to the Mayor, but I think that any hope of a foreign policy post in an Obama administration just blew out the window.

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Hurricane Hugo?

The Telegraph, again today, reported about Mayor Ellis proclamation of solidarity with Hugo Chavez. Johnny Floyd, founder of The World Conference of Mayors, said the group had not sanctioned the Mayor's actions, but Floyd has learned too late that Ellis seldom waits for or feels he needs anyone's sanction. Giving the story a national audience, Neal Boortz picked it up for his radio program, calling the Mayor "a blithering idiot." The only question now is: will this story grow or die?" Those of us who have lived through the Ellis years in Macon know that this is just Jack being Jack. He doesn't speak for most of us, and never will.

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Ellis Declares Solidarity with Chavez

From Matt Barnwell at the Telegraph, it appears that Macon Mayor Ellis has gone and done it again. Just when you think he cannot possibly do anything more ridiculous, he does. Mayor Ellis, in his capacity as Mayor and Macon and as Vice President for Tourism for the World Conference of Mayors, has sent a declaration of solidarity to Hugo Chavez. Chavez read the declaration on his weekly radio show.

Only four more months, folks.

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