dear politicians, it's not about you - really

Florida real estate sign

This week I interviewed a realtor for a news story in the local paper. We talked about property values, what makes Brandon a great place to live, the future of the housing market, consumer confidence, and the economy in general.

Then I asked what single factor has the potential to positively impact our local economy in general, and the housing market in particular. He didn’t miss a beat:

I can’t wait for this election to be over,” he said. “Once the campaign started in earnest the negative energy just spiraled down. Both parties are guilty. We had the beginnings of a strong recovery in 2011, but then the politicians sucked all the confidence out of the market. I don’t really care who wins, so long as it’s over soon…

Who started this fire?

SABOTAGE: It seems to me, as a fairly objective observer, that far too many people in politics wants things to not only look bad but actually be bad. It’s getting to be a lot like the firefighter who sneaks out at night as an arsonist. That way he can sound the alarm, jump in his fire truck, put the fires out and look like a hero.

Yesterday I listened to a conservative commentator admit that he’s happy when he hears bad news on the economy. In fact, he said, I’d like to see more, including higher gas prices. Why? Because that will increase the likelihood that Romney will win in November.

Really? Come on, people. Have we come to the place now where people are open and honest about the sabotage… because it ultimately leads to the opportunity for their ideology to play fireman and show up with a hose?

Newsflash, Mr (and Ms) Politician. You don’t have a hose big enough to put out this kind of fire.

GOOD NEWS: The good news is that there is enough money, enough resources, enough imagination to restore economic stability to this economy. All that needs to happen is for enough people to believe.

And so, instead of trying to suck the life out of the country by moaning and complaining and sabotaging all the time, how about putting your heads together and acting in a way that will stoke the confidence instead of the fire?

Just a thought – DEREK