FRIDAY WITH COREY April 22/11

And so it was, another highly anticipated visit with my son. I look forward to Fridays more than any other day of the week, as its generally the day I always get to see Corey. I arrived promptly at 9 am. Although visitation opens at 8 am in the morning (and lasts until 3 pm in the afternoon), long ago we got in the habit of not being the first 10 or so visitors, as it lessens the odds of our being asked to leave early those times the room fills to capacity while hopeful visitors are still standing in line to get in.

The first three years of his sentence, Corey was incarcerated in the Low security facility, just across the way from the Camp. “Terminations” to visits happened less often there in that our visitation points were calculated by the hour and we could pick times, a few hours generally (not all day) on those days we’d visit (we had 5 days available for visiting there as opposed to just 3 at the Camp), picking the day or the part of the day that was generally least busy, to avoid this type of thing.

This past year in particular it isn’t often anymore that the guards ask anyone to terminate their visits, perhaps that has something to do with new, both Main Facility and Camp, Wardens, but suffice it to say this past year they are more accommodating in allowing visitors to work together to make more space for newcomers (doubling up at tables for example) rather than resorting to just kicking people out. This is appreciated more than they can know, especially for those visitors who have traveled long distances to visit, and/or were not able to visit on a regular basis because of jobs. Imagine flying or driving hours and hours, in high anticipation of finally seeing your loved one, only to have that visit abruptly ended within 4 or less hours! Believe me, it happens! Over at the “Low” when things became crowded the guards would generally always first ask if anyone would be willing to “volunteer” to leave, to allow those others I’ve mentioned to continue their visit. The guards never ask this of us at the Taft Camp, but those times when we would see them bring out the dreaded "list" and start to scroll down to the first arrivals (the rule is "first in/first out") and start asking these folks to leave, we generally always would (will)approach them to volunteer to leave, and allow someone else to stay (one of the long distance visitor or such). Thanks to our moving to California to be closer to our son, so as to be able to visit often, we know we’ll be seeing him again the next week.

Corey and I had a lively political discussion this afternoon. We have opposing views on some policies but when all is said and done I believe we are on the same page as to what policy changes we feel are needed to help move our country though these difficult economic times. Maintaining and cutting taxes to the wealthiest americans we agree should not have been the first option on the table, the first policy implemented when it came up for renewal. Having extended the Bush tax cuts will cost us $900 Billion in lost taxes in these next 2 years. The idea of “trickle down” economic policy, implemented in large part when Ronald Reagan was President, doesn’t seem to have worked all that well for the nation at large. Case in point, look around you. Corey believes in lesser taxes for businesses and corporations, but that regulation is key.

We both discussed the idea of "tax credits" for corporations, rewards based on the role they play in providing jobs and services to the communities (domestic or global) they serve. I think he's a little naive by also believing they themselves are in the best position to illustrate what their particular “role” and result is come tax time. I disagree in that the bigger the corporations the more loss of tax dollars (ergo loss to the nations coffers) thanks to loopholes and tax havens/shelters, along with hundreds of lawyers on their payroles (take GE for example)that would foil such a system. Allowing the corporations to self regulate, as they have been able to do for the past decades pretty much, buying influence from the powerful in Govt, has proven this particular policy is unworkable...beyond “unworkable”…simply dangerous to the economy and lifeblood of the nations economy. Great for their own small and personal world they inhabit though! Greed will always be the overriding factor, or human nature which in this case needs supervision. As we’ve heard various politicians state, there is a strong need to update, modernize if you will, our nations Tax Policy, and it will need to be done with much care, deliberation, and the needs of the country overriding the needs for profits being the manifesto. In todays political climate I just don’t have much faith in that happening.

I am not a socialist, even though Americans as a whole seem to think all Canadians (of which I am one) are, but would consider myself as Independant, with perhaps conservative values more consistent with Republican views "of old" (as opposed to their seemingly short sighted, extreme in measure, self serving views currently on display). I do feel there IS a need for certain socialist programs however (its the Canadian in me creeping out),that its about balance...the Governments Social Security program for example, and many other programs utilizing tax dollars for the good of all (= socialism) but taxes are the key. And by that I don't mean cutting taxes or spending. Rather than taking an ax to our education system (key to a civilized and forward thinking nation), or social programs that allow our elderly to live with dignity, or our children to eat every day (and don’t get me started on our nations military and private contract spending to wage all our wars overseas, the greatest gobbler of our nations dollars!), IF we could, if we would actually come up with a fair and equitable tax policy that all would abide by, we both believe all our financial problems would be solved! Ahhh ...utopia!

Anyways Corey and I hashed this issue out for an hour or so, then moved onto equally disturbing subjects like who got kicked off American Idol! The week Pia was booted was almost the coup de gras for Corey. He feels its all “politics”, or a faulty voting system, that, much like our current federal/state Govt voting system, is rigged and out of control. He says his days of Idol watching are now limited, especially if James Durbin gets the boot.

After hours of quality conversation involving all manner of subject matter, we said our adieu’s at 2:30...a half hour before visitation formally ends, but Corey likes to avoid the longer wait line to get back to general pop(ulation) that comes with waiting until 3 pm to end his visit. And knowing everything he does and everywhere he goes, pretty much involves standing, waiting in a line, I completely understand. Now those times a “girlfriend” might visit, well, that’s another matter entirely ...general pop can wait, LOL . But I’m just “mom“, and I’ll be seeing him again next week.

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy. ~ Ernest Benn