For Sale - The White House

FOR SALE:  This historic mansion set on beautifully landscaped lot in a National Park has 132 rooms, 32 baths on six levels. Built originally in 1800 it was totally renovated in 1952 and refurbished in 1979. The east wing and various balconies and porticoes were additions to the original structure. It comes completely furnished and with a resident staff.

The four year lease on this prestigious residence in its prime location of downtown Washington, DC will be offered at public auction on Ebay beginning the first Tuesday in November. Minimum opening bid of $150 million. Additional related offerings include a large number of congressional seats. Please submit a birth certificate and 3 years of certified tax returns to qualify to bid.

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I came up with this wild and crazy idea while sleeping. Properly executed it is an end to our economic woes and we get out of two years of campaign ads. We sell the White House and all congressional positions. We can do it with a bidding war on Ebay.

If it is true that the candidate who raises the most money wins then why vote? Why let the advertising companies and media get all the money? Why live through all those polling calls? We just put it all up for sale and take the winning amounts and put them in programs to aid the other 98%.

And here is the best part of this dream - we do not let any of those bidding for congressional office to pass laws. Hey, they are not in it to help the US anyway. They just want to pontificate on the evening news and get lobbyists to send them on junkets. And they seem to be willing to spend any amount of money, even several times what they stand to make in salary, to get those positions. So since the salary seems of little consequence we eliminate that straight off.

And we are not actually selling the property and seats but short time lease/lends. Everyone knows you cannot sell National Park land. So every two to six years we are able to put it all up for bid again. We will have a constant and dependable income to use in credit references.

And we the people of the United States of America will hold all governing rights. What has the congress done for us lately but repeal our universal health care 33 times. We the people will govern ourselves with a political FB. Legislation can be proposed by any adult registered voter. A law passes with the most likes or shares or a combo of both after a period of open debate and amendment. Don't tell anyone but this is a nice opportunity to put in place an ad hoc literacy law. Clearly you have to be able to read and write to participate.

I like it. If you do just leave a comment or go to this blog linked on Facebook and hit like. Please share.

Oh, and  BTW we are not changing much. It has always been for sale given our current campaign laws.

Memories

Yesterday was so full of gifts. There was the Bald Eagle sitting atop the telephone pole by the lake, and the herd of 200 elk grazing the banks, and the deer crossing the road near Bobcat Pass. It is strange how we pass through live often not noticing anything and then there are those times, those moments when an image is seared into our mind forever. Never it seems to be erased. If I could say which of the images I saw yesterday I would remember for a lifetime I would say it was that eagle. Seeing Bald Eagles here is a rare and new experience. But I would never have guessed that telephone booth 36 years ago that inspired this poem.

Memory

Out of the depths
of memory
It is there again
This image
Christmas season
On a crosstown bus
Idling before the White House
With all its illuminated marble
Wet from the rain

But what I remember
What I see still so clearly
From out of the window
Of the capital city bus
Is the telephone booth
Lit by the single dome light
And the woman in the so red coat
Laughing

How long had the bus idled there
Before moving on its route
How long had she laughed
At something said on the phone
How long had I watched
Raindrops obscuring my view
Tears blurring the image
How long had it been
Since
I laughed
Like that

How long has it been
Since
That bus ride
That epiphany of my depression
My unhappiness
And why do I still remember
That happy woman in red
In a telephone booth
At 1600 Pennsylvania

The flag was flying at the White House
Richard Nixon was in residence
Wandering the halls drunk
I was going home from pottery class
To a loveless row house
On Capital Hill
Boys my age
Were dying
In Vietnam
And she was laughing
She is still
Laughing
In my memory

(c) Jacqui Binford-Bell