On the morning after America made history by electing the first African American man as the next President of the United States, I look upon my country with admiration, hope and fear. Admiration because the discrimination that existed for so long in this great country has faded into history. Hope for the future and the change in politics as usual that was promised to me. Hope, because there is now no excuse for not realizing the American dream, regardless of race. With hard work and determination, you can accomplish your dreams; even become President of the United States of America. Hope that we will have a country governed of the people, for the people and by the people.

Fear because I don't know of a politician in history who has truly kept their campaign promises. Fear that that main-stream America will be taken advantage of once again and special interest groups will have an open check-book regardless of the will of the people. Fear that government is growing and all of our working class check-books are shrinking while the check-books of those who choose not to work and of government coffers are growing.

Regardless of your party affiliation, regardless of how you voted in this election, we are Americans! Americans need to stand united. United we Stand, Divided we Fall! Our politicians have failed us because of their divisive stand on every key issue presented to congress. However, it was evident by the number of Congressional incumbents re-elected yesterday that we have failed to truly vote for change. Change starts with a new congress. This congress has the lowest approval rating in history! Yet, we re-elected the majority of the incumbents. If the change we are seeking does not occur, we have only ourselves to blame. Would your employer keep paying you if in your performance review you achieved 24 points out of 100 possible? Keep in mind, we are the employer.

Going forward, the most critical part of changing politics as usual is staying informed, not only reading the headlines and not waiting for the next group of candidates to twist and spin the issues. How does the average person stay informed and truly know the contents of a piece of legislation? How do you evaluate the rationale your elected official used to vote for or against a piece of legislation? How do you truly know that your elected state or national official is representing the will of the people of this great state of Iowa? Good questions. It is the responsibility of our local and national media representatives to inform us with the facts and the truth, not bias and hype. The average voter can't spend hours each week researching what earmarks and partisan agendas are attached to basic pieces of legislation.

Only believing what your, union, chamber of commerce, churches and news reporters tell you to believe is not enough! These are the special interest groups who are driving legislation with their earmarks, spending your hard-earned money for causes that may not advance your thoughts and beliefs, and who may not have the will of the people at the center of their cause. Demand that the media today inform you with the facts and figures, the whole picture; so that you can make informed decisions about the people you are electing to represent you. Keep your elected officials in check. With knowledge comes power. The people have the power, but do we have the truth? Do we have the knowledge? Insist that your local media give you the facts about what is happening in state government and federal government every week of every year, not just during the election season hype. Demand accurate and complete accounts of the intricate details of a piece of legislation and how it will affect your life. Insist that your elected representatives justify to you why they did or did not vote for a critical piece of legislation and what special interest earmarks were attached to that bill. As an American, as a voter, as an employer, this is our responsibility. With knowledge comes power, and with power comes responsibility. God Bless America!