We saw today how a Federal Judge put some restraints on the Arizona Immigration Law, but it did not declare it unconstitutional. It is just a small delay for those who believe that this will end up in the Supreme Court. It will be interesting to see the five conservative judges deciding if they will rule based on their right wing beliefs or if they will enforce the constitution which says that the Federal Government is the one who sets the immigration policy of the country. This will create an interesting precedent if they rule in favor of Arizona as other states will try to follow with similar legislation in their own states, and it will upset many conservatives who feel that the Supreme Court is in their pockets if they do the opposite. It will also give plenty of ammunition to liberals if the court does not abide by the constitution as it specifically states that federal law supersedes any state law, thus making this Supreme Court a court that would, in the words of conservatives, legislate from the bench. They already have done this in the case of the first amendment, giving rights to corporations and labor unions the same rights as citizens to fund campaigns.
The next few months will let us see lots of back and forth until the Supreme Court takes the case. The only thing to look out is regardless of the decision of the Highest Court in the nation the Obama Administration and democrats may end up losing because a majority of Americans agree with the legislation, and may feel it from independents as early as November 2010.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
My first 48 hours back at home
I have been back in the US for almost 48 hours and I am still feeling exhausted. I did not sleep well on the plane, and although I did not sleep on my way to Argentina either I was able to function normally the whole day with no exception. I guess I am finally suffering a bit the emotional and physical effect of having come and gone for two weeks with my parents, trying to help them with their doctors visits and also with some outings that we did together. I recognize that I am not 20 years any more.
I also feel something that I tend to feel almost every year when I come back and that is that I am not mentally here or there, I am sort in no man’s land. I guess it is part of the drainage of my emotions, and it’s not that I miss the place, the US is my home, and it’s been for 25 years, together with my family. But meeting with friends, although it gives me a tremendous boost at the time, it also drains me emotionally, especially this year as it was the night before my departure. By the time I am on the plane it feels like I’ve been shutting down, first by saying goodbye to my friends, then to my family, and last with a very good friend, who picks me up and takes me back to the airport, although I value his friendship and will never be able to repay all he does for me, it seems it is the last straw that breaks the camel.
I guess with a night or two of proper sleep and going back to my daily activities I will plug myself back into the routine, not that I will completely forget what I have gone through but reminding myself that life goes on. As all these things are in my head I come to appreciate why my mother’s sister and family only came back to Argentina twice in more than 50 years, not that I agree with that idea.
I also feel something that I tend to feel almost every year when I come back and that is that I am not mentally here or there, I am sort in no man’s land. I guess it is part of the drainage of my emotions, and it’s not that I miss the place, the US is my home, and it’s been for 25 years, together with my family. But meeting with friends, although it gives me a tremendous boost at the time, it also drains me emotionally, especially this year as it was the night before my departure. By the time I am on the plane it feels like I’ve been shutting down, first by saying goodbye to my friends, then to my family, and last with a very good friend, who picks me up and takes me back to the airport, although I value his friendship and will never be able to repay all he does for me, it seems it is the last straw that breaks the camel.
I guess with a night or two of proper sleep and going back to my daily activities I will plug myself back into the routine, not that I will completely forget what I have gone through but reminding myself that life goes on. As all these things are in my head I come to appreciate why my mother’s sister and family only came back to Argentina twice in more than 50 years, not that I agree with that idea.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Notes from the plane
As I sit on the plane on my return flight from Argentina, not being able to sleep, I am going over on my mind about the few days that I spent there. Once it comes to an end you feel that it was probably too short, that you didn’t enough time to do some other things that you would have wanted to.
I am glad to have got together with some of the classmates from elementary school, two of them that I had not seen since 1969 when we graduated, the other one I had seen last year.
I am also happy to have met again with my high school class mates, and although we had seen each other last September we had had plenty to talk about. We spent 7 hours together and to be honest, we could have spoken another 7. This time instead of remembering our high school days many other issues came up, primarily of our 2010 lives.
But the main reason for this trip was to be with my parents, trying to help in anything I could with doctor’s visits, go out, and try to do things that ordinarily they do not do because of my father’s uneasiness with driving medium distances. What I mean by medium distances for him would probably be short distances to me, or to many Americans. I usually travel to Argentina during the months of august or September, but because of my mother’s lack of health I felt that moving forward that trip would help. I also felt that although my stay would be short it would relieve my sister from having to carry all the wait on her shoulders which she does 11 and a half months a year. I give her tremendous credit for that and I am very thankful for everything she does for them. When one moves to another nation far away most of the times these are the things that we tend to overlook. God bless my sister for all the hard work, support and guidance she gives my parents, her hard work does not go unnoticed.
Before I conclude this short blog I would like to talk just a little bit about my mother’s health, she has lost some of the energy that she had even up to last year when I visited with Ian, I feel that she made some progress during my stay there, and I do not take any credit for it, as I am not a doctor, just a son trying to give back a small portion of what my parents gave me. Apart from her weakness my mother’s biggest issue is, like she says, her fear of returning to the hospital again, a place that she has been many times in the last few years, and especially during 2010, but there is no doubt that her last stays there have left some scars, so her fears are substantiated.
The thing that I tried to remind her and to a certain degree reinforce is that she needs to trust her creator in this, come to the realization that she is not alone in the storm, that God is always faithful, even when we are not, that he was present in his son’s crucifixion and his resurrection. So the whole idea is trust and surrender, we always belong to God.
I asked my mother as I was leaving to fight, never give in to her feelings of anxiety, and that I want to see her get better in the next months until I come back in a few months. I can say with no hesitation that I entrust my parents to God, like I do myself every day of my life.
I am glad to have got together with some of the classmates from elementary school, two of them that I had not seen since 1969 when we graduated, the other one I had seen last year.
I am also happy to have met again with my high school class mates, and although we had seen each other last September we had had plenty to talk about. We spent 7 hours together and to be honest, we could have spoken another 7. This time instead of remembering our high school days many other issues came up, primarily of our 2010 lives.
But the main reason for this trip was to be with my parents, trying to help in anything I could with doctor’s visits, go out, and try to do things that ordinarily they do not do because of my father’s uneasiness with driving medium distances. What I mean by medium distances for him would probably be short distances to me, or to many Americans. I usually travel to Argentina during the months of august or September, but because of my mother’s lack of health I felt that moving forward that trip would help. I also felt that although my stay would be short it would relieve my sister from having to carry all the wait on her shoulders which she does 11 and a half months a year. I give her tremendous credit for that and I am very thankful for everything she does for them. When one moves to another nation far away most of the times these are the things that we tend to overlook. God bless my sister for all the hard work, support and guidance she gives my parents, her hard work does not go unnoticed.
Before I conclude this short blog I would like to talk just a little bit about my mother’s health, she has lost some of the energy that she had even up to last year when I visited with Ian, I feel that she made some progress during my stay there, and I do not take any credit for it, as I am not a doctor, just a son trying to give back a small portion of what my parents gave me. Apart from her weakness my mother’s biggest issue is, like she says, her fear of returning to the hospital again, a place that she has been many times in the last few years, and especially during 2010, but there is no doubt that her last stays there have left some scars, so her fears are substantiated.
The thing that I tried to remind her and to a certain degree reinforce is that she needs to trust her creator in this, come to the realization that she is not alone in the storm, that God is always faithful, even when we are not, that he was present in his son’s crucifixion and his resurrection. So the whole idea is trust and surrender, we always belong to God.
I asked my mother as I was leaving to fight, never give in to her feelings of anxiety, and that I want to see her get better in the next months until I come back in a few months. I can say with no hesitation that I entrust my parents to God, like I do myself every day of my life.
Monday, July 12, 2010
My trip of 2010
As I start today a new trip to visit my parents, full of uncertainty as to how are they holding, primarily my mother who was hospitalized a few times this year, I do it full of mix feelings. For the first time in many years I will go completely by myself. I think the last time I went by myself with no family members was in 1986. Since 2007 we haven’t traveled to Argentina as a family, but I’ve had my son Ian as my companion in 2008 and in 2009. This year I felt that because of my mother’s lack of health his presence, although he is very good, would just put more stress on my parents. This is where my mixed feelings come into the picture. I know that he looks forward 11 months a year to traveling and visiting family members. He reminds my parents and friends when we talk over the internet that he will come to visit them in “xyz” month and year. He is not conscious of my parents aging, so he thinks that they will always be there when he goes to Argentina, and he gives them dates way into the future.
He was still at the summer camp when I left so at least for the next few days he would be enjoying himself. My wife would pick him up Saturday morning, and as of Monday he starts his July classes at school. When I get back I will try to give him something to hold on to, the hope that next year we would be going back the two or the four of us. In the meantime I pray that God helps me put my feeling of guilt aside and make the best of this short but hopefully productive trip, trying to boost my parent’s morale, and help them in whatever way I can, allowing God to use me in whatever way he sees fit.
(written 07/08/10)
He was still at the summer camp when I left so at least for the next few days he would be enjoying himself. My wife would pick him up Saturday morning, and as of Monday he starts his July classes at school. When I get back I will try to give him something to hold on to, the hope that next year we would be going back the two or the four of us. In the meantime I pray that God helps me put my feeling of guilt aside and make the best of this short but hopefully productive trip, trying to boost my parent’s morale, and help them in whatever way I can, allowing God to use me in whatever way he sees fit.
(written 07/08/10)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thy will be done
As I reach a certain age in my life I come to appreciate certain things. One of the things that comes to mind primarily is the image of my grandfather. Here is a man that lived until he was 86 years old.
He passed away when I was in my late 20s. Many things have been said about him, that he was a good a man, that he was caring, that he was a good husband, a good father, but I think the thing that talks to me the most is the fact that he lived his life with one rule that guided him from The Lords Prayer: “Thy will be done”. It is inscribed in my grandparent’s tomb stone. Many people say the same thing as my grandfather said. But it doesn’t come down to just saying it, you need to live it, feel it, be convinced of it, and that is what stands out the most with my grandfather. When we are in our 30s, 40s, 50s, it seems easy to say “Thy will be done”, but when you are 80 years old, and you have just lost your wife, you are reminded of how precious life is, and the decision of our creator of calling one of us to be with him in eternity, those words become a lot harder to accept. But those were the first words my grandfather uttered when the doctor told him that she had just passed away. And he accepted God’s will, if not with great enthusiasm, at least knowing that God was there, just like he was at the crucifixion, and at the resurrection of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. It is this mystery that is at the core of our belief that God is always present, no matter the circumstances, and that we have the reassurance that we are never alone, that as his children he will never abandon us, no matter what.
During my early years I never came to understand, appreciate, value, and possibly respect my grandfather’s beliefs, as they didn’t seem to mean much to me. With what appeared to be great frustration he would tell me time and time again why not come to church. Maybe it was his disappointment that he could not reach me, no matter how hard he tried.
I would love to be able to tell him today that I have come to understand all those things. I guess it takes maturity, life’s experiences and primarily the love of God at work through us to come to respect and value other people’s lives and beliefs. I also believe that it our generation responsibility to pick up where they left and continue the good works being good ambassadors of our creator, and doing what Christ told us in the Great Commission: “To go out there making disciples of all nations”.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Paterson Habitat for Humanity
A little bit over twelve months Ed Smith, my main contact at Paterson Habitat for Humanity packed his bags and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. He had been volunteering at Habitat for many years. I say volunteering because he was already retired and the salary that he got paid was not based on his experience, it was much lower than what he used to make before working there.
He was honestly my last true contact there, even though I had some contact with the director. He was criticized by many people for being at times rigid, inflexible. I find that to be in many cases a plus, because the criticism came from having expectations from people, the same that he had from himself, and one of the issues was that he was rigid about schedules. I, for one, am always running late, not by much, but punctuality is not my biggest asset. But I do not criticize those who are on time.
The thing I liked the most of Ed was that when we went out to see a property in just a matter of minutes he knew exactly what he wanted from the property, what had to be done. All of this came from this many years of experience in construction. So I did not have to waist a lot of time going out with him. The same thing with the listings that I sent him, he would say this one yes and this one is not for us. He would always tell it as he saw it.
I had had a very productive relationship with Habitat for several years. But over twelve months ago the organization decided to head in a different direction. They “pushed” Mr. Smith out the door for somebody with less experience but with the gift of the gab. She could make the director believe that it was summer in the middle of a snow blizzard. I am not a great believer in talkers, I like doers, even though they don’t communicate well, they don’t sell every project that they finish, in other words they don’t have to cackle every time they lay an egg.
For many months I heard nothing from Habitat although I would email everything new that came on the market to Ed’s replacement. I even went ahead and started forwarding emails to the director. In the meantime they always asked for support whenever they would sell one of their properties, by asking for comparisons so that they could justify what they were asking for their properties. If I would take a few days they would follow up with calls and/or faxes.
So I decided to call the director one day and see what they were purchasing or if they had been looking at new properties, vacant land, etc. To my astonishment she told me that they had been purchasing properties through another real estate company, even though they would ask me for support. I felt that I was being taken advantage of my time and my generosity. So I felt that it was time to move on and cut my relationship with the organization as far as a customer was concerned.
The greatest surprise to me was that a few months later one of the employees of Paterson Habitat, with whom I kept in contact with, told me that they were finishing a condo complex in Paterson and that he was purchasing one of the units for his own use. To say that I was disappointed, disillusioned, is putting it mildly. I went as far as to say to him that I was always under the impression that the goal of Habitat was to help low income people purchase their own homes, and through donations of people of faith with financial resources and materials for building, and volunteers helping build the houses this was a success story. God at his best. He said that in some instances employees were able to purchase some of the units. As I write this I am still amazed at the answer.
I wonder if it’s the same at all Habitat offices, or if this is the exception. I am not naive, but I am very disappointment with the organization. I don’t think that I can ever support an organization with these values. And it all comes from the head, down.
He was honestly my last true contact there, even though I had some contact with the director. He was criticized by many people for being at times rigid, inflexible. I find that to be in many cases a plus, because the criticism came from having expectations from people, the same that he had from himself, and one of the issues was that he was rigid about schedules. I, for one, am always running late, not by much, but punctuality is not my biggest asset. But I do not criticize those who are on time.
The thing I liked the most of Ed was that when we went out to see a property in just a matter of minutes he knew exactly what he wanted from the property, what had to be done. All of this came from this many years of experience in construction. So I did not have to waist a lot of time going out with him. The same thing with the listings that I sent him, he would say this one yes and this one is not for us. He would always tell it as he saw it.
I had had a very productive relationship with Habitat for several years. But over twelve months ago the organization decided to head in a different direction. They “pushed” Mr. Smith out the door for somebody with less experience but with the gift of the gab. She could make the director believe that it was summer in the middle of a snow blizzard. I am not a great believer in talkers, I like doers, even though they don’t communicate well, they don’t sell every project that they finish, in other words they don’t have to cackle every time they lay an egg.
For many months I heard nothing from Habitat although I would email everything new that came on the market to Ed’s replacement. I even went ahead and started forwarding emails to the director. In the meantime they always asked for support whenever they would sell one of their properties, by asking for comparisons so that they could justify what they were asking for their properties. If I would take a few days they would follow up with calls and/or faxes.
So I decided to call the director one day and see what they were purchasing or if they had been looking at new properties, vacant land, etc. To my astonishment she told me that they had been purchasing properties through another real estate company, even though they would ask me for support. I felt that I was being taken advantage of my time and my generosity. So I felt that it was time to move on and cut my relationship with the organization as far as a customer was concerned.
The greatest surprise to me was that a few months later one of the employees of Paterson Habitat, with whom I kept in contact with, told me that they were finishing a condo complex in Paterson and that he was purchasing one of the units for his own use. To say that I was disappointed, disillusioned, is putting it mildly. I went as far as to say to him that I was always under the impression that the goal of Habitat was to help low income people purchase their own homes, and through donations of people of faith with financial resources and materials for building, and volunteers helping build the houses this was a success story. God at his best. He said that in some instances employees were able to purchase some of the units. As I write this I am still amazed at the answer.
I wonder if it’s the same at all Habitat offices, or if this is the exception. I am not naive, but I am very disappointment with the organization. I don’t think that I can ever support an organization with these values. And it all comes from the head, down.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Section 8 in New Jersey
Today I will go over a topic that I have discussed in the past. Back then I included it with another issue.
I have since then come to the conclusion that it deserves a whole blog. As the title says, the issue is Section 8.
For those who know me they know where I stand, I consider myself a liberal in the true sense, with government helping those who cannot help themselves, and looking at government as the overseer in many instances, regulating, defending the interests of the have nots.
But Section 8 is a program that I believe does not help. It may have had a good intention originally, but it is not serving the interests of society as a whole.
I know a few people who are on the program. In many instances it is doing what it should, helping people who help themselves. What do I mean by this? I am all in favor of somebody who is working, may have a disability and with their work they are paying the majority of the rent, while Section 8 pays a small part of it. This is how it should be.
Now let’s look at the other side of the coin. We have lots of people who are not paying anything out of their pocket except for a few dollars a month. Now these are, in many instances, single parents with several kids. First, where is the father? If there is one, how come he is not living in the premises? If the couple is divorced how come the father is not paying his fair share of Alimony?
I know that people say, well… he gets paid cash, he lives in another state, and it is very hard to do anything. I find that to be a bunch of bull. If I don’t pay Uncle Sam what he considers his fair share in taxes, the federal government doesn’t care whether I moved to Hawaii, to Massachusetts or to Florida. They will make me pay. Why don’t we put these fathers on the wanted list? They are defaulting, not only those children, but also society, as we all have to pay for that. Second, is the parent living at home capable of working? If that parent is capable why is he or she not working? Third, do they have kids in a working age living at home? I’m not saying high school age, but if they are working why aren’t they paying for part of the rent? I don’t think we should encourage parasites.
I agree that people don’t want to live in a drug infested area, but they should live in an area based on their income. I would love to live in a very affluent area of New Jersey, but it is out of my reach.
I have also seen many instances in which a man calls me about a rental, and then he tells me that it’s his wife who is going to be renting the place with Section 8.
As a realtor I have had many cases in which the listing agent or the owner will say ‘no section 8”, and even though it may be illegal to say no, that owner will do what it takes not to rent to a Section 8 tenant. Why? Very simple, because it becomes impossible to get them out. Judges will always side with the tenants, because they have, in many instances, small kids.
And I have to side with the owners on this one, because they are not a good investment. I will help owners find alternatives. The system is setup so that the day that you take them in you are stuck until they feel like leaving. If they don’t, good luck.
A friend of mine always says that I don’t understand conservatives. I do in this case. He also says that I cannot generalize because you have bad apples, and that they tend to be a minority. I respect his point of view, but because my experience in this industry over the last 6 years, and the horror stories that I hear from other colleagues in the industry, I have to say that they are the majority.
I think it also comes down to the people that run the public housing that I think that are many times at fault, they seem to encourage parasites, they defend them against all odds, and they are not teaching people how to fish, they are just making them dependent on somebody providing that fish forever.
This friend also says where is the love of Christ, where is your compassion, the compassion of God? I am all for the love of Christ, but I don’t believe that Section 8 has anything to do with compassion or love, it has more to do with enslaving people into a trap system, and it also has to do with people abusing the system.
I have since then come to the conclusion that it deserves a whole blog. As the title says, the issue is Section 8.
For those who know me they know where I stand, I consider myself a liberal in the true sense, with government helping those who cannot help themselves, and looking at government as the overseer in many instances, regulating, defending the interests of the have nots.
But Section 8 is a program that I believe does not help. It may have had a good intention originally, but it is not serving the interests of society as a whole.
I know a few people who are on the program. In many instances it is doing what it should, helping people who help themselves. What do I mean by this? I am all in favor of somebody who is working, may have a disability and with their work they are paying the majority of the rent, while Section 8 pays a small part of it. This is how it should be.
Now let’s look at the other side of the coin. We have lots of people who are not paying anything out of their pocket except for a few dollars a month. Now these are, in many instances, single parents with several kids. First, where is the father? If there is one, how come he is not living in the premises? If the couple is divorced how come the father is not paying his fair share of Alimony?
I know that people say, well… he gets paid cash, he lives in another state, and it is very hard to do anything. I find that to be a bunch of bull. If I don’t pay Uncle Sam what he considers his fair share in taxes, the federal government doesn’t care whether I moved to Hawaii, to Massachusetts or to Florida. They will make me pay. Why don’t we put these fathers on the wanted list? They are defaulting, not only those children, but also society, as we all have to pay for that. Second, is the parent living at home capable of working? If that parent is capable why is he or she not working? Third, do they have kids in a working age living at home? I’m not saying high school age, but if they are working why aren’t they paying for part of the rent? I don’t think we should encourage parasites.
I agree that people don’t want to live in a drug infested area, but they should live in an area based on their income. I would love to live in a very affluent area of New Jersey, but it is out of my reach.
I have also seen many instances in which a man calls me about a rental, and then he tells me that it’s his wife who is going to be renting the place with Section 8.
As a realtor I have had many cases in which the listing agent or the owner will say ‘no section 8”, and even though it may be illegal to say no, that owner will do what it takes not to rent to a Section 8 tenant. Why? Very simple, because it becomes impossible to get them out. Judges will always side with the tenants, because they have, in many instances, small kids.
And I have to side with the owners on this one, because they are not a good investment. I will help owners find alternatives. The system is setup so that the day that you take them in you are stuck until they feel like leaving. If they don’t, good luck.
A friend of mine always says that I don’t understand conservatives. I do in this case. He also says that I cannot generalize because you have bad apples, and that they tend to be a minority. I respect his point of view, but because my experience in this industry over the last 6 years, and the horror stories that I hear from other colleagues in the industry, I have to say that they are the majority.
I think it also comes down to the people that run the public housing that I think that are many times at fault, they seem to encourage parasites, they defend them against all odds, and they are not teaching people how to fish, they are just making them dependent on somebody providing that fish forever.
This friend also says where is the love of Christ, where is your compassion, the compassion of God? I am all for the love of Christ, but I don’t believe that Section 8 has anything to do with compassion or love, it has more to do with enslaving people into a trap system, and it also has to do with people abusing the system.
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