Scared

The past few days have been crazy.

I have not been myself.

Work, school, exams, are just taking up almost all of my time.
My relationship with Sam has been suffering.

The trip to Texas has led me to question certain things about my relationship with Sam.
I know he wants to take it to the next level, even hinting at meeting my parents.
That's something I'm not prepared to do.

To further exacerbate things, I met someone in Dallas.
I'm not one to have sex with a guy I just met.
But it just happened. It was only a one night stand.
Yet, he has called me several times.

I guess I'm not ready for a fully drawn out relationship.
That's something I cannot give, at least not now.
Sam and I are in a "cool off" period.

It's obvious that we're no longer on the same page.

Flying

I'm currently waiting for my flight to board.

I'm going to Texas to visit some friends and relax for a few days.

Sam's not with me.

This is ME time!

I'll post pictures of my trip.

Rumors

There's been a rumor going around at work.
They say that I had been dating my friend Janny and fathered her child.

Little do they know.

When I told the story to Janny while holding my Goddaughter she laughed uncontrollably.

So did her husband Gary.

They know about me and Sam.

The easiest way to spread company policy and new directives isn't by memo or text or email. It's good ol' fashioned gossip through the grapevine. What's interesting is that before I heard these rumors of me having an affair and fathering a child, there was another rumor that I was gay. Of course I neither confirm nor deny any rumors. It's more fun that way.

I like to think that others think of me as a mystery. Plus, it's really much easier to manage people if you don't reveal too much about yourself. Almost all of my subordinates know very little about my personal life and I'd like to keep it that way. I like to keep work and home separate as much as possible. Never mix business with pleasure as they say.

There was also another rumor that one of the department heads, Carrie, was pregnant. After all, she was a big woman and it was hard to tell.

As I approached Carrie, I rubbed her large, protruding belly and said, "Congratulations on the baby!"

With a quizzical look and a raised brow, Carrie replied "What baby?!?! I'm not pregnant."

I turned beet red and apologized.

Good thing she was a sport about it all.

Painting by Rose Freymuth-Frazier

A Deep Divide

In reading Jessica Zafra’s blog entry “A Condensed History of the Rich”, Zafra contends that the oligarchic tendency of the Philippine social structure as well as its penchant for bossism and nepotism ultimately contribute to the cycle of poverty. The end result is a wide and deep income inequality. That is to say, that those at the top earn disproportionately more compared to those at the bottom of the economic barrel. This inequality cycles itself therefore not allowing the country to prosper as a whole.

Got that?

This can certainly be seen in the case of many industrialized nations. For instance, look at the United States. A strong middle class brought about by the industrial revolution allowed the country to prosper. But this was not always the case. So-called robber barons of the late 1800’s dominated America’s industries. Then the income tax came about. The progressive income tax is seen as a leveler of inequality. Tax the rich more than the poor. After all, they can afford. Furthermore taxes such as the Inheritance or Estate Tax ensured that family wealth would not stay “in the family” for generations to come. In this way oligarchies were broken. New entrepreneurs were encouraged and the country benefited as a whole.

If income inequality is the root of the problem, then government has the power to fix it through a progressive income tax rather than the regressive consumption tax known as the VAT. It is unconscionable that the Philippine government tax the poor at the same rate as the rich.

How is this possible you ask?

Let’s say there is 1 peso a tax on sardines. Since the poor would essentially consume the same number of cans of sardines as the rich (theoretically), then the same tax rate of 1 peso per can of sardines would apply to both of them. Proportionately, the 1 peso tax would hurt the poor man more since…well…he’s poor.

Then why oh why is GMA proclaiming that the RP will be a first world nation within a generation? It’s an estimate that is premature and certainly unrealistic given the current situation. The GDP did grow 7 percent, yet most of the gains were garnered by the rich and the poor felt little. Trickle down economics has not worked. A lot of work needs to be done before anyone can proclaim the Philippines as first world. Open your eyes and see the poor in Baseco, Tondo, Payatas, and a myriad of other “informal settlements”. Look at those living beside the antiquated railway.

It’s time for a revolution. The patchwork solutions of former administrations have not worked. Wake up and smell the stench from the Pasig River running right through your backyard.