Show Me the Money

I sat down and watched Obama's State of the Union with a friend and it got me thinking. I heard him saying that he has basically three priorities, in this order:
1. Show me the money: jobs, green jobs, economy
2. Fiscal responsibility: spend the money we have to, be responsible and conservative with the rest.
3. Socially liberal agenda: dont ask dont tell repeal, etc.

Perhaps #3 is more my own interpretation colored by my own bias, but I do think I heard it in there.

I think this mirrors my own approach to both the Time Bank and Transition. First priority: Show me the money. Beneath all the problems, all the differences of opinion, all the conflicts, there is the need for everyone to prosper on the physical level. We need to create wealth. Economic wealth first, as it can be manifested alongside resilient resources and emotional wealth through community building. Take it down to the money, to the wealth, and we have a common denominator motivator that is crucial to everyone. Wealth translates directly into basic needs: food, shelter, clothing, heat. When we as people worry about having those, it is hard to lift our heads up to see a bigger picture because our survival is on the line.

There were moments tonight when I literally said, "This is why I voted for him." I know everyone will pick it apart and try to make it into something less or something inadequate or scary, but I still am glad I voted for him. He is an ox, and he is head down, pulling the plow of his choice. Tonight he said, "Look, I plowed that row, and that row, and tried to plow that row, you have been throwing rocks at me, but I will finish plowing it anyway. And when I finish it, I will plow this row, and then this row, and then this row. Walk behind me and plant more seeds in the freshly turned earth. It is what we want."