Politics
In the early testing of the HomeCraft Personal Journal we've have had many people tell us that politics and society are intermixed and can not be separated. If we are going to find ways to make a better life for ourselves, we need to also be concerned about politics and government. So, we've decided -- at the last minute -- to add another section to the HPJ. A section for discussions about government.
I'm actually adding this section about a week after the HPJ was released to some BBS' so this is a little rushed and there are not many comments. But, I did want to get this section in so you are aware that it is available.
My original thought in not including a political section in the HPJ was that the issues change so fast that a publication distributed as shareware would be out of date almost before it was read. But, the more I've paid attention to political issues, the more I feel that little changes. It's all business as usual and finding ways to fool the taxpayers.
I've now come to believe that a publication with a long distribution lead-time, such as the HPJ, will be very useful. It will provide a prospective on the issues. I've found it amazint to read newspapers from a year or two ago and find that we are facing the same problems as we did then. Not only haven't they been solved -- they've gotten worse. We're not getting better, we're going backward.
I'd also like to see your comments about local issues as well as national issues. National publications seldom provide coverage of local issues such as schools, zoning, traffic problems, community drug problems, etc. As a result, on a local basis we are all in our own little worlds. We don't know what other communities are doing to solve their problems. We may be trying solutions that have already failed elsewhere and missing things that have proved successful in other communities. By describing our success' and failures in the HPJ we can share information that will help us all built better lives for ourselves and our neighbors.
By the way, please give a copy of the HPJ to your neighbors. Unlike a traditional paper based magazine, the HPJ is easy to copy and pass around - and it's perfectly legal to do so. (Of course, we hope your neighbors will pay for the issues they read - or maybe I should say we expect they will pay for the issues they read, just as you do).
I checked with some of our beta testers and this is what they had to say:
- I've said this for years, but now that the deficit reduction/tax increase debate is raging I feel I should say it again: I'd be will to pay more taxes to reduce the national debt, once our legislators have shown they can be financially responsible by balancing the federal budget. I'm not interested in giving them more money so they can waste more money. -- SCH
- All I want to say is that I am thankful for the country I live in and it's ability to withstand dissent and troubles without violence and revolution.
- What bothers me are people who say, "That person is a republican, so what they are proposing must be bad." Or, "that person is a democrat, so he/she can't be right." We seem to be dividing ourselves, and our country, instead of coming together to solve our problems.
If you have something to say, send your comments to:
H.P.J.
P.O. Box 1123
Cannon Beach, OR 97110
