First and foremost is to get meaningful full-time employment with benefits once again.  I've been part-time employeed without any benefits or paid vacation time for over seven years now, and it stinks.  And I hate beening told that I'm "over qualified".

   My second goal is to have said employment on this side (Washington State) of the river.  I don't like the traffic going to and from the Portland, OR area, but even more than that, I don't like paying Oregon State income taxes when I don't have vote in their state.  It's taxation without representation!  However, if I am to be taxed on my earning while in Oregon, then ALL Oregonians should pay local state and city sales taxes when they shop in Vancouver / Clark County WA.

   Goals one and two could be completed if goal number three happens and happens within the next few months.  That goal is to turn my volunteer time here with SWVBRC into something more than just manning the Vancouver, WA office on each Wednesday for three hours.  We, as an organization, need to get a federal government contract or two that would pay us to help other veterans and in that way would allow us employment ourselves.

    My fourth goal is to get more involved in local and state politics.  I am currenlty a Republician PCO for my district (646).  I got somewhat involved this past elections with placing signs, phoning people to remind them to vote, manning the party's booth at the state fair, but I haven't help an individual canidate yet.  I would like to do that this time around.  I might even run for a commissioner's position since I don't believe that anyone should run unopposed, and that seems to be the case a lot for utility, water, dog, fire district and some other commissioner positions.  You know, the ones that don't pay much if anything at all.  Locally, we've had several people on our utility board for over 30 years now and they always run unopposed, why is that?

    My other goals are less important and change from month to month, or day to day depending if I have completed them or not.   I have a lot on my plate, bit its achieveing my first goal that has taken the most time but still hasn't happened.  Maybe this next year....