The last Presidential Election was seen as a great time of change for America. In fact "Change" was the word of the day. So what has changed? Unemployment  has risen to a point that some people have actually stopped looking for work. Congress has bailed out the automobile manufacturing industry. The Federal Budget is growing at an astonishing rate. Gas prices Continue to climb with no end in sight. Politicians continue to see Americans as stupid, but with deep pockets.

Americans are living in fear. Americans are not only afraid of terrorist and their threats, but we continue to live in fear of losing our jobs, our homes, our freedoms and our rights. We live in fear of elected and career politicians selling us down the river for their personal gain. We live in fear of Big Business jacking up prices on goods and services. We live in fear of becoming a Third World Country because of hidden agendas, lies and greed.

When the Tea Party Movement started, they were ridiculed and lied about by different politicians and media groups. Every day Americans, standing up for what they believed in and for what they wanted were seen as crazy or radical. But in the end their voices were heard and they did effect change. It was a start. But, the work has only started for them and for all Americans.

Hard times have been here for some time. Now is the time for hard decisions. No longer can politicians and elected officials on local, state or federal levels ignore the need to make "Change" a reality. Local and State Governments are running of deficits. The Federal Government is operating in the red and the debt continues to grow. Our leaders can not continue to turn a blind eye to the facts and continue as if nothing is wrong.

We need to make hard decisions. They won't be popular by any stretch of the imagination. Individuals and groups will complain, but if we don't do something soon, we may not have a country to call home. America and it's citizens are in crisis on a multitude of levels. We need our leaders to talk with us, not at us. We need our leaders to work together for the betterment of all of us, not just a select few. We definitely don't need "Politics as usually".

We are losing the greatest generation this country has ever known. They were born in and survived the "Great Depression". They fought in and won a horrific war. They rebuilt this country and now the remaining few are seeing their beloved country flounder and fail. What a sad comment on this once great country.

American families are making hard decisions on a daily basis. We have been tightening our belts and digging deep for quite some time. Now is the time for Congress and the White House to step us and follow our example. The same goes for state and local governments. Hard times call for hard decisions. Hard times are here and they won't be leaving any time soon.