Another conservative rant because they lose their freedom! Mr. Gundy misses a few things in his analysis of how medical insurance covering pregnancy is an infringement on freedom:
1. The United States ranks in the high 20s in so far as infant mortality. Many women in the United States have babies without anything, at home, with mid-wives or less. And babies and women die. You are free to die like a dog in America.
2. I know, if it is the same Mr. Gundy, that his employer has some of the best insurance on the planet. Many things are covered. Co-pays are low. So, the "burden" that he assumed when his wife was pregnant is far less than others who purchase insurance. He made up for paying for the birth by having great insurance for everything else.
3. If it is the same Mr. Gundy, he has NO even passing knowledge of how insurance works. Risk is shared with insurance, which drives down individual premiums. The more insurance that has a pregnancy rider, the more the risk is shared, the lower the individual premium cost. Mr. Gundy misses this. By having all insurance cover insurance, we drive down the cost for those who need it. Simple insurance principles!
4. The reason 30 million uninsured drive up insurance costs, is because they have to go to the emergency room for treatment, where in some cases they have their babies. The cost of having a baby has been driven up, precisely because we have not shared the risk on a broader base, and the excess cost is passed along to all medical procedures and costs.
5. In the season of Christ's birthday, we get yet another plea for "freedom", that had me, me, me all over it. If I can do it so can you, was almost chanted in Mr. Gundy's piece. What he misses of course, is that over 30 years ago, when he was graced with a child, that birth cost over 100% less than it does today. But, this is the land of me, of mine, of screw you....so let the children be born anywhere; like a manger maybe?
Monday, December 24, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
What Really is Wrong: Whoopass Stupid!
For the past few days I have followed the reaction to the tragedy in Newtown. I have endured several Facebook "face offs" with conservatives, who say not to rant, then take off, accusing, denying, defending; etc. I have heard all sorts of excuses: mental health deficiencies, federal government, poor parenting, coddling criminals (?), video games; 10 round or more magazines, assault rifles, bazookas; etc.
You will note some of the rants included a grudging admission that the explosion of guns in our culture might contribute to violence, but only as a passing admission. A whole host of excuses go in front of controlling the sale and distribution of guns.
One consistency comes up again and again: the smug indifference to fellow human beings. And, coupled with that, superficial and "easy" answers to complex societal situations.
One genius suggested that bringing corporal punishment back into the classroom would stop the violence. In short, he said graphically that beatings would teach children to not do violence.
I found it ironic to say the least, that 20 first graders were massacred, and this guy thinks spankings would have helped? Whoopass stupid!
Then, there was the opportunist who put out a picture of a tee shirt that implied the shootings occurred because we took prayer out of the public schools. I suppose the shooter would have stopped if the kids prayed. Whoopass stupid!
Many times the answers suggested belittled teachers (of all things) for the lack of discipline in class. Now remember, the bad buy broke into the school, killed randomly; killing teachers and staff as well. So, some people took the opportunity to criticize teachers. I supposed they should have taken the bullets more gracefully? Whoopass stupid!
Some Conservatives believe, in their souls, in personal responsibility (unless something pertains to them, then Medicare all the way!). They literally hate their government, want it limited at every turn. When something bad happens it has to be someones' fault, and often they turn on the victim. Remember the Senator candidate who implied that women got raped because they asked for it with provocative clothing (legitimate rape; implying there were some rapes that were deserved).
Whoopass stupid!
In summary, what we have is whoopass mean. That is right, mean and spiteful human beings who always, I mean always, blame, ridicule, and smugly proclaim that their simple minded solutions are the best.
So, in California we have "Three Strikes and You're Out", state mental hospitals are closed, thanks to that conservative hero, Ronald Reagan, who thought the family should treat their crazy sons and daughters. Legions of homeless madmen were the sad result.
And today, the NRA finally spoke, and attacked. That is right, they attacked those who ask that we study violence, and consider cutting back on guns, improve mental health; etc. He attacked, blaming, defending the culture of violence.
And that is whoopass stupid!
You will note some of the rants included a grudging admission that the explosion of guns in our culture might contribute to violence, but only as a passing admission. A whole host of excuses go in front of controlling the sale and distribution of guns.
One consistency comes up again and again: the smug indifference to fellow human beings. And, coupled with that, superficial and "easy" answers to complex societal situations.
One genius suggested that bringing corporal punishment back into the classroom would stop the violence. In short, he said graphically that beatings would teach children to not do violence.
I found it ironic to say the least, that 20 first graders were massacred, and this guy thinks spankings would have helped? Whoopass stupid!
Then, there was the opportunist who put out a picture of a tee shirt that implied the shootings occurred because we took prayer out of the public schools. I suppose the shooter would have stopped if the kids prayed. Whoopass stupid!
Many times the answers suggested belittled teachers (of all things) for the lack of discipline in class. Now remember, the bad buy broke into the school, killed randomly; killing teachers and staff as well. So, some people took the opportunity to criticize teachers. I supposed they should have taken the bullets more gracefully? Whoopass stupid!
Some Conservatives believe, in their souls, in personal responsibility (unless something pertains to them, then Medicare all the way!). They literally hate their government, want it limited at every turn. When something bad happens it has to be someones' fault, and often they turn on the victim. Remember the Senator candidate who implied that women got raped because they asked for it with provocative clothing (legitimate rape; implying there were some rapes that were deserved).
Whoopass stupid!
In summary, what we have is whoopass mean. That is right, mean and spiteful human beings who always, I mean always, blame, ridicule, and smugly proclaim that their simple minded solutions are the best.
So, in California we have "Three Strikes and You're Out", state mental hospitals are closed, thanks to that conservative hero, Ronald Reagan, who thought the family should treat their crazy sons and daughters. Legions of homeless madmen were the sad result.
And today, the NRA finally spoke, and attacked. That is right, they attacked those who ask that we study violence, and consider cutting back on guns, improve mental health; etc. He attacked, blaming, defending the culture of violence.
And that is whoopass stupid!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Old Gray Men
Old gray men; we see them everyday on our televisions, on our I-Pads. They are desperately trying to hold on to the past, to ideas and principles that no longer fit modern America.
They have been wrong countless times, giving us Iraq, a huge deficit, blocking health care reform for years, blocking full rights for women, blocking protections for children, holding back decent treatment of our people for years, screwing up the criminal justice system with a punitive approach that has incarcerated millions of non-violent drug users. The list is long, the damage is real.
The war on crime, Iraq, destroying gun control, anti-abortion madness; etc., all legacies of gray old men.
They have contributed millions to the NRA, who have cowered our leaders into allowing the nation to be armed with military weapons of mass destruction.
Friday, a mentally disturbed young man, killed 26 in an elementary school of all places, with an assault rifle his mother owned. His mother bought the weapon (s) and took her mentally disturbed son to the shooting range to evidently sooth his madness. Nobody said a thing. People knew he was disturbed, and I assume knew she had guns, all legal, and then he snapped and killed a bunch of kids a few days before Christmas, who were too young to know there is no Santa Claus.
And the old gray men scream, guns not people kill. And they send more money to the NRA. And they troop out sayings by Ronald Reagan about personal responsibility. And we watch as hundreds of thousands are killed by guns, equalling the death toll from WWII every seven years!
Old gray men hate the Affordable Health Care Act. They push conservative governors to not cooperate with the federal government, while their populations add more poor, untreated children to a list of suffering and grief. Old gray men with money, push to actually keep health care away from children because of their selfishness and their sullenness.
Most old gray men hate the Affordable Care Act, for reasons they cannot express, but all carry a Medicare Card.
Old selfish gray men.
Old gray men, who are getting meaner everyday; who want our society to be nihilistic, selfish and hateful. After Newtown, they are getting their wish; we are a country of fear, of hate, of reactionary selfishness. Old gray men, even want to secede from the union, sparking yet another Civil War, because a black man was re-elected. Old gray racist men.
Old gray men remain completely quiet, like the NRA, as we watch babies being buried in Newtown; victims of a crazy man with a machine gun.
And on Facebook, we now begin to read their posts as they come out of hiding, once again stating their absolute right to own guns, any gun. We read a post about a Congressman in Texas, and other posts, claiming if the teachers would have been armed it would not have happened.
The basic stupidity and lunacy of old gray men advocating arming teachers is unbelievable! A shoot out in a first grade classroom? What message does it send children, watching their teacher with a gun on their hip? The lunacy of gray old men.
The only thing that is good, is that the old gray men will someday expire, and leave us with their legacy of hate, of denial, of stupidity. By then it will too late.
Old gray men, once again screwing our country up.
They have been wrong countless times, giving us Iraq, a huge deficit, blocking health care reform for years, blocking full rights for women, blocking protections for children, holding back decent treatment of our people for years, screwing up the criminal justice system with a punitive approach that has incarcerated millions of non-violent drug users. The list is long, the damage is real.
The war on crime, Iraq, destroying gun control, anti-abortion madness; etc., all legacies of gray old men.
They have contributed millions to the NRA, who have cowered our leaders into allowing the nation to be armed with military weapons of mass destruction.
Friday, a mentally disturbed young man, killed 26 in an elementary school of all places, with an assault rifle his mother owned. His mother bought the weapon (s) and took her mentally disturbed son to the shooting range to evidently sooth his madness. Nobody said a thing. People knew he was disturbed, and I assume knew she had guns, all legal, and then he snapped and killed a bunch of kids a few days before Christmas, who were too young to know there is no Santa Claus.
And the old gray men scream, guns not people kill. And they send more money to the NRA. And they troop out sayings by Ronald Reagan about personal responsibility. And we watch as hundreds of thousands are killed by guns, equalling the death toll from WWII every seven years!
Old gray men hate the Affordable Health Care Act. They push conservative governors to not cooperate with the federal government, while their populations add more poor, untreated children to a list of suffering and grief. Old gray men with money, push to actually keep health care away from children because of their selfishness and their sullenness.
Most old gray men hate the Affordable Care Act, for reasons they cannot express, but all carry a Medicare Card.
Old selfish gray men.
Old gray men, who are getting meaner everyday; who want our society to be nihilistic, selfish and hateful. After Newtown, they are getting their wish; we are a country of fear, of hate, of reactionary selfishness. Old gray men, even want to secede from the union, sparking yet another Civil War, because a black man was re-elected. Old gray racist men.
Old gray men remain completely quiet, like the NRA, as we watch babies being buried in Newtown; victims of a crazy man with a machine gun.
And on Facebook, we now begin to read their posts as they come out of hiding, once again stating their absolute right to own guns, any gun. We read a post about a Congressman in Texas, and other posts, claiming if the teachers would have been armed it would not have happened.
The basic stupidity and lunacy of old gray men advocating arming teachers is unbelievable! A shoot out in a first grade classroom? What message does it send children, watching their teacher with a gun on their hip? The lunacy of gray old men.
The only thing that is good, is that the old gray men will someday expire, and leave us with their legacy of hate, of denial, of stupidity. By then it will too late.
Old gray men, once again screwing our country up.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Mr. Sowell Please!
So I am reading an article by Thomas Sowell, conservative
think-tank scholar and pundit.
He is trying to make the case, yet again, that tax cuts
stimulate the economy. He also is making
the case that liberal tax increases harm the economy.
Moreover, included in
his narrative is reinstating tax cuts, that were intended to stimulate the economy is
regressive, that all tax revenue is
somehow bad for economic growth and vitality.
Amazingly he uses Calvin Coolidge and John F. Kennedy in the
same paragraph as examples of lowering taxes to spread prosperity for all.
Is he kidding? Has he
looked at the historical context at all?
In the late 20s, Coolidge completed the “guilded age” massacre of the
economy. Basically the government
stayed out of financial matters, no regulation at all was the watchword. So, the economy merrily continued on,
concentrating wealth in the hands of the few, running a Wall Street that
became a flash in the pan casino.
Then Oct 1929 hit, and it all fell down.
Buying stocks on margin, investing the difference, then
selling to make money sounds a lot like “flipping houses” in the 2000s; buying a house on margin, taking out an equity
loan, fixing up the house a bit, selling it at a huge profit, paying off the
loan with a profit, and then buying two or three more.
Then 2007 hit and it all fell down.
.
And what fueled that massive speculation? Tax cuts!
And, while the revenue for the federal government took a
speculative holiday, two wars were started and President Bush spent money like
there was no tomorrow.
So, Mr. Sowell, where is there ANY proof that tax cuts
stimulate the economy. All they do is
increase rich people’s bank accounts, harm job growth, and create deficits that
cut programs that are needed because the ecnonomy has been wrecked by
speculation caused by tax cuts.
The United States has the largest defense budget in the
world by many times over. We are
spending money like there is no tomorrow, in the “War on Terror” and previously
on the “Cold War”. That is where most
of the money goes, so we don’t have the resources to have a decent universal
health plan (like all othe other nations in the world have).
That, Mr.Sowell, is where your cut tax madness has led us.
It Takes A Village
First, the pain is unimaginable. I spent 35 years in schools, in a variety of positions. I was directly responsible for the safety and security of all children, the concept is called loco parentis, for at least 12 of the 18 years I spent as a school administrator.
After Columbine and 9/11 we all had to develop and implement safety plans, practiced lock downs. I personally challenged several over the years, took firearms off at least two students, confiscated knives, reacted to stabbings, beatings, and bomb threats.
In short, I was like a cop on the beat.
There were several times when I feared for my life.
And I patrolled, usually alone, with a walki-talkie as my only defense.
I say that as I think about the Principal, who was killed in Connecticut, probably standing in the way of the shooter. I say that as I think about the children, all under 11, who the killer "wasted" in an apparent delusional rage.
I say that also as I witness this huge country reduced to a village, by modern communications. Everyone, either by cable T.V., Facebook, Twitter, satellite radio, FM Radios; etc., was bound together as if the murders occurred right next door.
And we must do something to at least make it harder for madmen to get guns. It is time, to stop this senseless slaughter.
I saw a chart that shows over 400,000 gun involved deaths in the United States from 2003-2007.
The United States lost 350,000 in World War II. And, I am not counting injuries by shooting, that far exceeds WWII casualties.
We are enduring the losses of WWII every 5 to seven years or so, during peacetime!
And still, the gun lobby prevails. Still, we allow internet buying of guns and ammunition with little check.
Michigan, in a footnote to these tragedies, the day before the school murders, passed a law that a person could carry a concealed weapon to school! It awaits the governor's signature!
Absolutely amazing! With the dead everywhere, with 40 gun deaths a day, this nation refuses to throttle back its appetite for guns and gun violence.
Tell this to the parents of those kindergartners and 1st graders who had to go to the morgue to identify their babies, who were shot repeatedly at close range as they screamed and cowered behind their desks.
I have always said gun murders are the act of real cowards. It takes bravery and personal risk to kill someone with a knife or your bare hands. A coward stands back and pumps bullets into someone, or for that matter an animal. How is hunting a sport, when you shoot a deer from 300 yards with an automatic weapon? It is NOT sport, it is not brave, it is cowardly! Use a bow and arrow to hunt, in fact restrict it to that.
The NRA has not even acknowledge what happened in Connecticut. They probably won't.
And here in Redding, the redneck capitol of California, we will see more of those damn bumper stickers, "pry my cold dead fingers from my gun" lunacies.
This nation is sick. What kind of people are we to stand back and watch school children murdered, Principals shot dead as they try to protect them, while we beat our chests and proclaim absolute gun ownership rights for nut cases?
It takes a village to raise a child. We are not a village anymore.
After Columbine and 9/11 we all had to develop and implement safety plans, practiced lock downs. I personally challenged several over the years, took firearms off at least two students, confiscated knives, reacted to stabbings, beatings, and bomb threats.
In short, I was like a cop on the beat.
There were several times when I feared for my life.
And I patrolled, usually alone, with a walki-talkie as my only defense.
I say that as I think about the Principal, who was killed in Connecticut, probably standing in the way of the shooter. I say that as I think about the children, all under 11, who the killer "wasted" in an apparent delusional rage.
I say that also as I witness this huge country reduced to a village, by modern communications. Everyone, either by cable T.V., Facebook, Twitter, satellite radio, FM Radios; etc., was bound together as if the murders occurred right next door.
And we must do something to at least make it harder for madmen to get guns. It is time, to stop this senseless slaughter.
I saw a chart that shows over 400,000 gun involved deaths in the United States from 2003-2007.
The United States lost 350,000 in World War II. And, I am not counting injuries by shooting, that far exceeds WWII casualties.
We are enduring the losses of WWII every 5 to seven years or so, during peacetime!
And still, the gun lobby prevails. Still, we allow internet buying of guns and ammunition with little check.
Michigan, in a footnote to these tragedies, the day before the school murders, passed a law that a person could carry a concealed weapon to school! It awaits the governor's signature!
Absolutely amazing! With the dead everywhere, with 40 gun deaths a day, this nation refuses to throttle back its appetite for guns and gun violence.
Tell this to the parents of those kindergartners and 1st graders who had to go to the morgue to identify their babies, who were shot repeatedly at close range as they screamed and cowered behind their desks.
I have always said gun murders are the act of real cowards. It takes bravery and personal risk to kill someone with a knife or your bare hands. A coward stands back and pumps bullets into someone, or for that matter an animal. How is hunting a sport, when you shoot a deer from 300 yards with an automatic weapon? It is NOT sport, it is not brave, it is cowardly! Use a bow and arrow to hunt, in fact restrict it to that.
The NRA has not even acknowledge what happened in Connecticut. They probably won't.
And here in Redding, the redneck capitol of California, we will see more of those damn bumper stickers, "pry my cold dead fingers from my gun" lunacies.
This nation is sick. What kind of people are we to stand back and watch school children murdered, Principals shot dead as they try to protect them, while we beat our chests and proclaim absolute gun ownership rights for nut cases?
It takes a village to raise a child. We are not a village anymore.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Brown Act/Democracy Goes Down
It took about three minutes. That is the amount of time a newly elected Tea Party member, who has just been sworn in to the Redding City Council, took to break the Brown Act. Three minutes!
There is a majority of Tea Party Patriots now on the Redding, California City Council. They have schemed and worked to get 3 out of the 5 positions so now they can exert their radical agenda on our fair city.
For the record, Redding California has a City Manager Form of City Government. Already, one of the radical Teaparty Members, has tried to change the city into a "Charter" City.
"Charter" cities are normally for cities over a million, but what the heck, it was a way for the Tea Party to get power fast over the city. It didn't work, but took months of staff time and energy, while the City Council was cutting police and fire positions.
Now, the present Vice-Mayor, who conveniently took an all-expense paid trip on a developer's expense account, then was shocked when he was caught, has been appointed over the traditional nominee.
Piously, the Tea Party members say they never talked about this before the meeting. They would NEVER break the Brown Act, that forbids "meetings before meetings" to 'arrange things'. Of course, that is exactly what they did.
Within three minutes of being sworn in, a motion was made to appoint a Tea Party collaborator Vice Mayor, and was passed 3 to 2 with no discussion. The woman council member was passed over, acutally run over, so the Tea Party could get its way. This was not the last time this will happen.
But, they didn't arrange it before hand right? If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you. This was a fix plain and simple.
Ironically, the Tea Party is an anti-democratic organization in the classical political science definition. And like all anti-democratic organizations, open meetings are a natural enemy.
To attain their ends, they use any means necessary. They hide behind the Constitution and Law, as "patriots" but resort to stunts like we just saw, all the time. They are anti-Democracy!
It is more "convenient" to cut corners, and talk about issues before meetings, rig votes, and the hell with the Brown Act. The ends of lower taxes and smaller government justify the ends of destroying good government and democracy.
The mark of any anti-democratic movement, is that expediency is always favored over democratic decision making. Democracy takes too much time, when there are ideological aims to be met. The Tea Party seeks to gut city government, cut pensions, end unions, rip into social services, and privatize everything, while lining its pockets with the ultimate corruption that evolves. That's right, in every anti-democracy movement, a huge underlying motive is good old fashioned corruption.
Mark this: The Tea Party majority in Redding will attack the city government at every turn. They will fire the City Manager, the City Attorney, and many in the city government. They will seek to privatize all that they can. They will conspire with developers and will corrupt the present building permit process completely. They will destroy impartial and fair city government, under the guise of "economies" and will reduce what once was a successful city government to a shadow of what it once was.
And their first step we just saw, running right over the Brown Act to further push their radical agenda.
And who will stop them? Will you? Or will we all "go along" as democracy dies in Redding, California.
There is a majority of Tea Party Patriots now on the Redding, California City Council. They have schemed and worked to get 3 out of the 5 positions so now they can exert their radical agenda on our fair city.
For the record, Redding California has a City Manager Form of City Government. Already, one of the radical Teaparty Members, has tried to change the city into a "Charter" City.
"Charter" cities are normally for cities over a million, but what the heck, it was a way for the Tea Party to get power fast over the city. It didn't work, but took months of staff time and energy, while the City Council was cutting police and fire positions.
Now, the present Vice-Mayor, who conveniently took an all-expense paid trip on a developer's expense account, then was shocked when he was caught, has been appointed over the traditional nominee.
Piously, the Tea Party members say they never talked about this before the meeting. They would NEVER break the Brown Act, that forbids "meetings before meetings" to 'arrange things'. Of course, that is exactly what they did.
Within three minutes of being sworn in, a motion was made to appoint a Tea Party collaborator Vice Mayor, and was passed 3 to 2 with no discussion. The woman council member was passed over, acutally run over, so the Tea Party could get its way. This was not the last time this will happen.
But, they didn't arrange it before hand right? If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you. This was a fix plain and simple.
Ironically, the Tea Party is an anti-democratic organization in the classical political science definition. And like all anti-democratic organizations, open meetings are a natural enemy.
To attain their ends, they use any means necessary. They hide behind the Constitution and Law, as "patriots" but resort to stunts like we just saw, all the time. They are anti-Democracy!
It is more "convenient" to cut corners, and talk about issues before meetings, rig votes, and the hell with the Brown Act. The ends of lower taxes and smaller government justify the ends of destroying good government and democracy.
The mark of any anti-democratic movement, is that expediency is always favored over democratic decision making. Democracy takes too much time, when there are ideological aims to be met. The Tea Party seeks to gut city government, cut pensions, end unions, rip into social services, and privatize everything, while lining its pockets with the ultimate corruption that evolves. That's right, in every anti-democracy movement, a huge underlying motive is good old fashioned corruption.
Mark this: The Tea Party majority in Redding will attack the city government at every turn. They will fire the City Manager, the City Attorney, and many in the city government. They will seek to privatize all that they can. They will conspire with developers and will corrupt the present building permit process completely. They will destroy impartial and fair city government, under the guise of "economies" and will reduce what once was a successful city government to a shadow of what it once was.
And their first step we just saw, running right over the Brown Act to further push their radical agenda.
And who will stop them? Will you? Or will we all "go along" as democracy dies in Redding, California.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Tea Party or Me Party?
Today, in our local paper, an editorial was posted lamenting the defeat of a moderate Republican from our city council and the election of a Tea Party member.
The election was extremely close, and a recount was necessary to determine the winner.
In my memory, our city council positions have not been partisan. Since the advent of the Tea Party, this has dramatically changed. Now, the Tea Party has taken dead aim at public employees, and run candidates expressly committed to "reform" local government.
Their agenda of "reform" is not hard to discern.
First they oppose all unions of any kind; especially public employee unions. Second they oppose all public employee pensions. Third, they seek to privatize as much of the local government as possible; usually with hidden benefactors who stand to profit. Fourth, they seek to reduce public worker workforces with no consideration of damage to public safety, service; etc.
You get the drift. Radical anti-government, and anti-democracy forces are at work here.
It reminds me of fascist efforts in Italy and Germany in the 1930s. The National Socialists began at the local level, literally taking over local and provincial governments on their way to national dominance.
The same thing is going on with the Tea Party. There is an obvious effort to subvert local city councils, and state legislatures to work their radical will. They promise reform, but only destroy and in many cases, corrupt the political process. Many times, the reforms are covers for corruption; manipulating the democratic process to monetarily benefit cronies or other hidden benefactors.
For example, one of our local tea party city councilmen, was given an all expense trip to Washington D.C., to lobby for a shopping mall, paid for by the developer of the shopping mall! Amazingly, he saw nothing wrong with this; eventually paying for the trip himself, but never understanding the conflict of interest.
Since the Tea Party brags of its concentration on the Me not the We, such corrupt practices are seen as part of the "free market" approach. Eventually, this deteriorates into corruption, since no public interest is defined, protected, or appreciated.
The damage is profound. Everywhere the Tea Party has been ascending, public services, public education, and public safety have suffered.
The problem with ideological fanaticism, it is usually makes for very bad government.
For years, our city was one of the best managed in Northern California. Now, we have an ideological city council, swinging to the hard right, and our streets have more pot holes, our police department is shrinking, our fire department is shrinking, and our local government is struggling. And in the background sits the inevitable corruption, just waiting for an opening made possible by fanatical belief that private is better than public.
Public services, governed by democratically elected councils, were established because of the inevitable corruption that private services bring. It was done for good reasons! The Tea Party wants us to go back to the era of private fire departments and police departments paid for by mob bosses.
In the "Old West", usually the local saloon hired the sheriff, who enforced the "Law" to aid the saloon. We stopped that privatization for good reason.
The Tea Party or the me party; nevertheless, it all works out to bad government for all of us.
The election was extremely close, and a recount was necessary to determine the winner.
In my memory, our city council positions have not been partisan. Since the advent of the Tea Party, this has dramatically changed. Now, the Tea Party has taken dead aim at public employees, and run candidates expressly committed to "reform" local government.
Their agenda of "reform" is not hard to discern.
First they oppose all unions of any kind; especially public employee unions. Second they oppose all public employee pensions. Third, they seek to privatize as much of the local government as possible; usually with hidden benefactors who stand to profit. Fourth, they seek to reduce public worker workforces with no consideration of damage to public safety, service; etc.
You get the drift. Radical anti-government, and anti-democracy forces are at work here.
It reminds me of fascist efforts in Italy and Germany in the 1930s. The National Socialists began at the local level, literally taking over local and provincial governments on their way to national dominance.
The same thing is going on with the Tea Party. There is an obvious effort to subvert local city councils, and state legislatures to work their radical will. They promise reform, but only destroy and in many cases, corrupt the political process. Many times, the reforms are covers for corruption; manipulating the democratic process to monetarily benefit cronies or other hidden benefactors.
For example, one of our local tea party city councilmen, was given an all expense trip to Washington D.C., to lobby for a shopping mall, paid for by the developer of the shopping mall! Amazingly, he saw nothing wrong with this; eventually paying for the trip himself, but never understanding the conflict of interest.
Since the Tea Party brags of its concentration on the Me not the We, such corrupt practices are seen as part of the "free market" approach. Eventually, this deteriorates into corruption, since no public interest is defined, protected, or appreciated.
The damage is profound. Everywhere the Tea Party has been ascending, public services, public education, and public safety have suffered.
The problem with ideological fanaticism, it is usually makes for very bad government.
For years, our city was one of the best managed in Northern California. Now, we have an ideological city council, swinging to the hard right, and our streets have more pot holes, our police department is shrinking, our fire department is shrinking, and our local government is struggling. And in the background sits the inevitable corruption, just waiting for an opening made possible by fanatical belief that private is better than public.
Public services, governed by democratically elected councils, were established because of the inevitable corruption that private services bring. It was done for good reasons! The Tea Party wants us to go back to the era of private fire departments and police departments paid for by mob bosses.
In the "Old West", usually the local saloon hired the sheriff, who enforced the "Law" to aid the saloon. We stopped that privatization for good reason.
The Tea Party or the me party; nevertheless, it all works out to bad government for all of us.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
And Then Bashing Teachers
George Will's article today, giving thanks by cynically bashing dozens of progressive ideas and movements, stooped to another low. This, and other "lows" is the reason the Republican Party is destined to be an afterthought in American political life.
He smashed into the teachers of Illinois. First he snidely commented that teachers in Illinois should give thanks that the "Bill to move retirement up from 47 did not pass", then a comment about how teachers at a low performing school all got good evaluations, while the school itself was failing.
Matt Damon's mother is a teacher. Recently a conservative blogger tried to interview him at an event praising teachers. The conservative bigot asked aggressive questions about teacher's huge pensions and lack of accountability.
Matt took his head off.
These were some of his comments:
1. If teachers are so greedy then why work in a profession that minimally at best rewards their training and experience? Most teachers in the United States top out at about $60,000 to $70,000 income before retirements, that deliver about 60% of that income after 35 years of service. That works out to about $40,000 retirement.
2. Find me other professionals in our work force with a bachelors degree plus year of professional credentialing of education and 35 years experience. The closest are engineers, who make over twice as much comparably.
3. The retirement is modest to say the least. There is no profit sharing plan for teachers. In fact, until only recently, most retired teachers had to substitute in California because their retirements had no inflation factor figured in. So, 70 plus year olds hobbled into classrooms filled with hyperactive children, and tried to hold it together for seven hours, because they had retired when $12,000 year salaries yielded a $3000 per year pension, with NO Social Security or Medicare.
4. Most bigots like Will don't realize that it was not until the mid-eighties that teachers were allowed to buy into Medicare. Many of those teachers are now retiring and at least have Medicare. Older teachers still don't have Medicare.
5. Why you might ask? Well, the same hide-bound conservative people, like Will, legislated a block to Medicare for teachers since their "salaries were sufficient to yield a pension that could buy health insurance in their retirement".
6. Ok, you do the math. A teacher retires in San Jose in 1995 after forty years of helping, teaching, counseling, saving young people. She retires with a salary of $40,000 (the average at that time). She gets a State Teachers Retirement of lets say 70% (forty years of service). This yields a retirement of $28,000 per year. She does not get Social Security or Medicare since in the mid-eighties it was too late to enter the Medicare system. So, on $28,000 she has to try to buy health insurance at 65. She has a pre-existing condition and cannot even qualify. So, she substitutes to pay most of her doctor's bills and prescriptions. The medical bills take half of her salary in the early 2000s. She dies in 2012, broke having worked until the last year substitute teacher (one of the hardest jobs on earth).
7. And the satisfactory evaluations at the at risk school comment: Mr. Will, you go into a truly "at risk" school and teach for a month. Then look me in the eye, and tell me that failing teachers make for a failing school. The best, and I mean the best teacher alive, fails at a school that has 90% abused children. The schools in America need to have the tools to treat deep socio-economic damage done to children, and have nothing, save that teacher who stands in front of 35 screaming, hurt, scared and sometimes hateful children every day. Try teaching an abused youngster someday, Mr. Will, and tell me the child does not achieve because of poor teaching techniques. Nonsense.
That, Mr. Will is the reality for most senior retired teachers. Only the 65 and younger retirees have Medicare (I am one of the first) and have benefited from more generous pensions.
And generous by what standard? As an example, I am a Stanford graduate with a Masters Degree. I have three credentials, one of which is an Administration Credential. Each of these required a year of post graduate study. So, basically I have a Masters plus three more. In the business world, that would mean a six figure salary. I put in 35 years of service. My retirement, far short of six figures, is about 70% of my best year's salary. I do qualify for Medicare and get an "offset" Social Security monthly stipend that is so small it is insignificant. The Social Security is for 16 years of coaching and 'extra-duty' assignments that my district decided to make subject to Social Security for which I qualified with 40 quarters (just like everyone else). But, the offset, because of my "generous pension" cuts the paltry social security by 50%, resulting in just enough to make my Medicare Plan B payment each month.
So I am a moocher by Will's standards I guess.
America has always not respected its teachers. The result is an educational system in constant crisis, math and science scores the lowest in the "developed world", and a constant cry to "privatize", "charter school", cut pensions; etc.
That Mr. Will is your problem. First, you don't know what you are talking about....see 2012 election results. And second, your bigotry toward teachers is why people now hate the Republican "brand".
He smashed into the teachers of Illinois. First he snidely commented that teachers in Illinois should give thanks that the "Bill to move retirement up from 47 did not pass", then a comment about how teachers at a low performing school all got good evaluations, while the school itself was failing.
Matt Damon's mother is a teacher. Recently a conservative blogger tried to interview him at an event praising teachers. The conservative bigot asked aggressive questions about teacher's huge pensions and lack of accountability.
Matt took his head off.
These were some of his comments:
1. If teachers are so greedy then why work in a profession that minimally at best rewards their training and experience? Most teachers in the United States top out at about $60,000 to $70,000 income before retirements, that deliver about 60% of that income after 35 years of service. That works out to about $40,000 retirement.
2. Find me other professionals in our work force with a bachelors degree plus year of professional credentialing of education and 35 years experience. The closest are engineers, who make over twice as much comparably.
3. The retirement is modest to say the least. There is no profit sharing plan for teachers. In fact, until only recently, most retired teachers had to substitute in California because their retirements had no inflation factor figured in. So, 70 plus year olds hobbled into classrooms filled with hyperactive children, and tried to hold it together for seven hours, because they had retired when $12,000 year salaries yielded a $3000 per year pension, with NO Social Security or Medicare.
4. Most bigots like Will don't realize that it was not until the mid-eighties that teachers were allowed to buy into Medicare. Many of those teachers are now retiring and at least have Medicare. Older teachers still don't have Medicare.
5. Why you might ask? Well, the same hide-bound conservative people, like Will, legislated a block to Medicare for teachers since their "salaries were sufficient to yield a pension that could buy health insurance in their retirement".
6. Ok, you do the math. A teacher retires in San Jose in 1995 after forty years of helping, teaching, counseling, saving young people. She retires with a salary of $40,000 (the average at that time). She gets a State Teachers Retirement of lets say 70% (forty years of service). This yields a retirement of $28,000 per year. She does not get Social Security or Medicare since in the mid-eighties it was too late to enter the Medicare system. So, on $28,000 she has to try to buy health insurance at 65. She has a pre-existing condition and cannot even qualify. So, she substitutes to pay most of her doctor's bills and prescriptions. The medical bills take half of her salary in the early 2000s. She dies in 2012, broke having worked until the last year substitute teacher (one of the hardest jobs on earth).
7. And the satisfactory evaluations at the at risk school comment: Mr. Will, you go into a truly "at risk" school and teach for a month. Then look me in the eye, and tell me that failing teachers make for a failing school. The best, and I mean the best teacher alive, fails at a school that has 90% abused children. The schools in America need to have the tools to treat deep socio-economic damage done to children, and have nothing, save that teacher who stands in front of 35 screaming, hurt, scared and sometimes hateful children every day. Try teaching an abused youngster someday, Mr. Will, and tell me the child does not achieve because of poor teaching techniques. Nonsense.
That, Mr. Will is the reality for most senior retired teachers. Only the 65 and younger retirees have Medicare (I am one of the first) and have benefited from more generous pensions.
And generous by what standard? As an example, I am a Stanford graduate with a Masters Degree. I have three credentials, one of which is an Administration Credential. Each of these required a year of post graduate study. So, basically I have a Masters plus three more. In the business world, that would mean a six figure salary. I put in 35 years of service. My retirement, far short of six figures, is about 70% of my best year's salary. I do qualify for Medicare and get an "offset" Social Security monthly stipend that is so small it is insignificant. The Social Security is for 16 years of coaching and 'extra-duty' assignments that my district decided to make subject to Social Security for which I qualified with 40 quarters (just like everyone else). But, the offset, because of my "generous pension" cuts the paltry social security by 50%, resulting in just enough to make my Medicare Plan B payment each month.
So I am a moocher by Will's standards I guess.
America has always not respected its teachers. The result is an educational system in constant crisis, math and science scores the lowest in the "developed world", and a constant cry to "privatize", "charter school", cut pensions; etc.
That Mr. Will is your problem. First, you don't know what you are talking about....see 2012 election results. And second, your bigotry toward teachers is why people now hate the Republican "brand".
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Standing by Shaking Their Heads
And the Native Americans stand by shaking their heads.
Recently Ken Burns did yet another excellent and prophetic documentary on the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
The documentary was excellent in its detail and accuracy. The piece, in great detail, documented the dust bowl storms that killed thousands, and the reasons for the tragedy.
The dust bowl was almost entirely man's fault. Fools, and I can't call them anything else, of today who deny global climate change, are shown by the "Dust Bowl" to be the same fools making the same mistakes.
Man's greed triumphs over science is a very bad idea.
Settlers were enticed by unscrupulous land agents to settle on land that was called "no man's land" by the Native Americans. They then tore up the land, plowed under centuries of prairie grasslands, in a mad rush to make money.
In fact, "no mans' land" was so bad, Comanches had been relocated there since is was "useless" prairie. It was good enough however for illiterate immigrants suckered by land speculators.
And the Comanches, who were even pushed off "no mans' land", looked on and shook their heads.
World War I did not help. A vast market was created for American wheat, since the Russian Ukraine was unavailable due to war.
Poor American immigrants, were enriched by the wheat they grew on land that was never suited for farming. And the Native Americans stood by, shaking their heads.
And the more the grew, the more they plowed; in unscientific ways.
Scientific farming was a thing for losers. Many of the farmers were poor, often illiterate, who did not know terrace plowing. Others, who knew better, denied the science.
The rain, that did fall in the early 1900s, was said not to be an anomaly (in a drought area), but was a "new normal". The land speculators said that.
And the Native Americans stood by shaking their heads. After all, it was called the "Great American Desert" for a reason.
Government scientists, who warned that a catastrophe was in the offing, were said to be anti-capitalism and anti-jobs. Reality was what the greedy farmers said it was, not what scientists said it was.
Boy does this sound familiar. Then as now, self deception ruled the Dust Bowl. In fact, today, Oklahoma, Texas Kansas and Nebraska are hotbeds of climate change deniers.
And the Native Americans stood by shaking their heads.
And so plow on they did. And the war ended. And the market busted. And they plowed and planted more, since the price of wheat dropped (more is better-drill baby drill).
Today we are running out of oil, but rather than conserve, we drill more, we use more, and we accelerate global warming. We are doing the same thing the "sodbusters" did!
True insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.
Hard working farmers, who toil in spite of the odds, who outwork nature is one thing, stupid is another.
And then the 30s came, the rain stopped, the wind continued to blow and the "black lizards" blew entire states away.
The immigrant farmers, who were by now fiercely independent and hateful of government, still disregarded reality and even plowed the sand dunes!
And people died, the depression wrecked havoc.
Finally, toward the mid-30s, they finally asked, actually pleaded, for help from the government. And the scientific plowing techniques, that had been there all along began slowly to turn the tide.
And it finally rained in the 1940s. And the "dusters" stopped.
The cost was incredible, thousands dead, millions displaced, a region destroyed.
Yesterday, in "Climate Progress" there was a chilling photograph. The picture was from space, and it showed a "duster" running from Colorado to Texas, right through the Dust Bowl
The picture was taken this summer!
You see, the droughts are back, along with killer heat that is a product of yet another man made ecological disaster. Only this time, the scope of the disaster is world wide. Climate change is making for another dustbowl on a scale that we can barely imagine.
This time, it will be much longer and much worse.
And, the farmers in the Dust Bowl, are at it again, plowing up the soil and over planting to make higher profits.
And the droughts continue, and the wind blows.
And no man's land is about to strike us all down again.
And the Native Americans stand by shaking their heads.
Friday, November 16, 2012
We Promise to Change
So now it comes; the inevitable conservative "mia culpa" (not really), and promises to change their approach after losing the national campaign (badly).
And the chorus is loud, and often, and as usual, wrong.
First, the Libya controversy is still being stirred by Fox News and Senator McCain. The tragedy in Libya, with four people murdered by "bad guys" (we don't still know who they specifically were), is an "issue". Supposedly, the Administration covered up who really did the violence.
The question is why? Why cover it up? If the perpetrators were terrorists, which they were if you apply any kind of definition, then why call them demonstrators gone mad? The President, in his first public statement, famously said the nation would not be cowered by "terrorists"; why say that if you were scheming to depict the act as a "demonstration" Romney walked into a buzz saw when he thought he had the President in the debate remember.
Somehow, this tragedy, we are told by the Cons, disproves Obama's successful foreign policy in the Middle East, which was an election issue: and the election is OVER. So why keep beating on it?
That is "we promise to change"? NO, that is we will continue the gotcha game no matter what!
What difference does it make? The Middle East is a dangerous place, revolutions leave chaos in their wakes, and people get hurt.
But the cons are working ceaselessly to keep this "issue" alive. This includes the incredible statement by McCain, that "Watergate type hearings be held".
What? Where on earth is there any administration culpability in this? Are we to assume the administration planned the attack for political reasons?
Or, made up a story, that intelligence officials contradicted within weeks of the incident, openly to everyone. President Nixon would be shocked by the shoddy cover up behavior. He was "successful" for over a year before Watergate ruined him. Obama stonewalled for about a day and a half!
No, the "promise the change" that got the Republicans beat, is no promise at all. The Libyan "issue" is proof that they are not going to change.
They are still playing payback for Watergate, when a President really did engage in a detailed and planned cover-up of a "third rate" burglary, failed to tell the truth for over a year, and finally was driven from office not for the incident, but for the cover up.
The murder in Libya occurred on September 11, it is November 16, and every depiction imaginable of the incident has been released by the administration. The problem is finding the perpetrators and punishing them. If we are lucky, and they talk, THEN we will know the motives...only then!
What the cons forget, is that it was months before Nixon gave an inch regarding the wall of lies that were used. This administration has allowed all sides (?) of the intelligence agencies to postulate the reasons for the attack and the possible perpetrators, within a few weeks of the event.
Watergate? Come on McCain, that makes about as much sense as your calling our ambassador to the U.N. "not too bright" when she is a Stanford grad, AND a Rhodes Scholar. Not too bright, or not white enough Senator?
And there it is. There is the proof that no change is coming for the conservatives, now or later.
Scratch the Republican Party and you get white, old southern whites desperate to retain a system of repression and white supremacy that simply is clueless when confronted with modern America.
If does not help that the President is a person of color. That fact, and cons don't handle facts very well, destroys any chance to change. In calling Ambassador Rice basically "stupid", McCain falls into the racist trap of assuming that all people of color are not equal to him.
This from a man who selected Sarah Palin as his Vice President. Remember her, the governor who saw Russia from her front porch, who listed newspapers she reads as "all those you know", who was so clueless about foreign policy it was scary? Not very smart huh? A Rhodes Scholar, really?
So, we promise to change statements, are just that; promises. The Republican Party is being run by racists who "want their country back". The majority of statements made in the last few days, come back to colored people cheated to win, white people can win again if we repress the vote, as their numbers dwindle, and white power succumbs to simple demographics.
We promise to change....right!
And the chorus is loud, and often, and as usual, wrong.
First, the Libya controversy is still being stirred by Fox News and Senator McCain. The tragedy in Libya, with four people murdered by "bad guys" (we don't still know who they specifically were), is an "issue". Supposedly, the Administration covered up who really did the violence.
The question is why? Why cover it up? If the perpetrators were terrorists, which they were if you apply any kind of definition, then why call them demonstrators gone mad? The President, in his first public statement, famously said the nation would not be cowered by "terrorists"; why say that if you were scheming to depict the act as a "demonstration" Romney walked into a buzz saw when he thought he had the President in the debate remember.
Somehow, this tragedy, we are told by the Cons, disproves Obama's successful foreign policy in the Middle East, which was an election issue: and the election is OVER. So why keep beating on it?
That is "we promise to change"? NO, that is we will continue the gotcha game no matter what!
What difference does it make? The Middle East is a dangerous place, revolutions leave chaos in their wakes, and people get hurt.
But the cons are working ceaselessly to keep this "issue" alive. This includes the incredible statement by McCain, that "Watergate type hearings be held".
What? Where on earth is there any administration culpability in this? Are we to assume the administration planned the attack for political reasons?
Or, made up a story, that intelligence officials contradicted within weeks of the incident, openly to everyone. President Nixon would be shocked by the shoddy cover up behavior. He was "successful" for over a year before Watergate ruined him. Obama stonewalled for about a day and a half!
No, the "promise the change" that got the Republicans beat, is no promise at all. The Libyan "issue" is proof that they are not going to change.
They are still playing payback for Watergate, when a President really did engage in a detailed and planned cover-up of a "third rate" burglary, failed to tell the truth for over a year, and finally was driven from office not for the incident, but for the cover up.
The murder in Libya occurred on September 11, it is November 16, and every depiction imaginable of the incident has been released by the administration. The problem is finding the perpetrators and punishing them. If we are lucky, and they talk, THEN we will know the motives...only then!
What the cons forget, is that it was months before Nixon gave an inch regarding the wall of lies that were used. This administration has allowed all sides (?) of the intelligence agencies to postulate the reasons for the attack and the possible perpetrators, within a few weeks of the event.
Watergate? Come on McCain, that makes about as much sense as your calling our ambassador to the U.N. "not too bright" when she is a Stanford grad, AND a Rhodes Scholar. Not too bright, or not white enough Senator?
And there it is. There is the proof that no change is coming for the conservatives, now or later.
Scratch the Republican Party and you get white, old southern whites desperate to retain a system of repression and white supremacy that simply is clueless when confronted with modern America.
If does not help that the President is a person of color. That fact, and cons don't handle facts very well, destroys any chance to change. In calling Ambassador Rice basically "stupid", McCain falls into the racist trap of assuming that all people of color are not equal to him.
This from a man who selected Sarah Palin as his Vice President. Remember her, the governor who saw Russia from her front porch, who listed newspapers she reads as "all those you know", who was so clueless about foreign policy it was scary? Not very smart huh? A Rhodes Scholar, really?
So, we promise to change statements, are just that; promises. The Republican Party is being run by racists who "want their country back". The majority of statements made in the last few days, come back to colored people cheated to win, white people can win again if we repress the vote, as their numbers dwindle, and white power succumbs to simple demographics.
We promise to change....right!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
The Bubble
It is nearly impossible to believe, but the Fox Bubble Machine just continues on and on.
The latest is the Patraeus "scandal". Fox is trying to link the infidelity of the much decorated General and CIA Director (former) with the Libya killing "scandal".
Both are completely bogus.
Patraeus, it appears, succumbed to a very attractive 40 something woman, who was his biographer. The "affair" it seems, in no way threatened national security. In short, the General succumbed to a beautiful woman. Gee, how unique!
Moreover, it appears that the Libyan "scandal" is more the product of Fox imagination than anything.
Let's see, how many Fox Scandals have actually born out? Tell me a couple that did? Go on, I'm waiting.
The truth (a word Fox News has no clue about), is that Fox scandalizes practically everything, from prayers in schools, to religious artifacts.
And 99% of the time, there is NOTHING there.
What is amazing, is that Fox has admitted that it was clueless when it came to the Presidential election, attacking polls that were right, while touting polls that were very wrong.
This "living in a bubble of created reality" probably contributed to Romney's substantial loss, and may have cost some conservative congressmen their jobs.
Fox basically gave cons the impression, based on no facts, that Romney was going to win in a landslide and bring Republicans with him.
Of course, this was nonsense. But Romney perceptibly "coasted" through the last few days of the campaign. He even visited Pennsylvania, which he had no chance in.
Of course now, Fox has had the gall to actually launch a couple "stories" (as in once upon a time), claiming ominously that some areas in Pennsylvania actually went 100% for Obama. Right, people were so pissed off with voter suppression, they all voted for Obama...No surprise!
This from a network that actually cheered on the voter suppression efforts of Republicans, that had the unintended consequences of actually INCREASING minority turnout, and dooming Romney (and apparently other radical conservatives) to defeat.
Absolutely unbelievable!
The latest is the Patraeus "scandal". Fox is trying to link the infidelity of the much decorated General and CIA Director (former) with the Libya killing "scandal".
Both are completely bogus.
Patraeus, it appears, succumbed to a very attractive 40 something woman, who was his biographer. The "affair" it seems, in no way threatened national security. In short, the General succumbed to a beautiful woman. Gee, how unique!
Moreover, it appears that the Libyan "scandal" is more the product of Fox imagination than anything.
Let's see, how many Fox Scandals have actually born out? Tell me a couple that did? Go on, I'm waiting.
The truth (a word Fox News has no clue about), is that Fox scandalizes practically everything, from prayers in schools, to religious artifacts.
And 99% of the time, there is NOTHING there.
What is amazing, is that Fox has admitted that it was clueless when it came to the Presidential election, attacking polls that were right, while touting polls that were very wrong.
This "living in a bubble of created reality" probably contributed to Romney's substantial loss, and may have cost some conservative congressmen their jobs.
Fox basically gave cons the impression, based on no facts, that Romney was going to win in a landslide and bring Republicans with him.
Of course, this was nonsense. But Romney perceptibly "coasted" through the last few days of the campaign. He even visited Pennsylvania, which he had no chance in.
Of course now, Fox has had the gall to actually launch a couple "stories" (as in once upon a time), claiming ominously that some areas in Pennsylvania actually went 100% for Obama. Right, people were so pissed off with voter suppression, they all voted for Obama...No surprise!
This from a network that actually cheered on the voter suppression efforts of Republicans, that had the unintended consequences of actually INCREASING minority turnout, and dooming Romney (and apparently other radical conservatives) to defeat.
Absolutely unbelievable!
Friday, November 9, 2012
We Didn't
I had a dream last night.
I dreamed I saw hundreds of people standing in line, waiting hours to vote. They were standing, often, in the ruins of a recent Hurricane. They stood patiently, offered coffee by volunteers from the Democratic Party while the Republicans stayed away.
I dreamed of the Republicans in the background hoping and scheming to get people off the line, forcing voters to stay home.
They didn't.
I dreamed of women, being elected to the U.S. Senate in record numbers. I dreamed of Republicans, shouting that they know what decisions women should make during the most difficult times of their lives. I dreamed that women agreed to let religious zealots take control of their bodies.
They didn't.
I dreamed that voters would buy the con that people were dependent on government, that it was killing their spirit. I dreamed that people would agree about this evil, and would vote to end programs that were keeping millions of elderly citizens living in comfort.
They didn't.
I dreamed that voters would turn their back on the millions of immigrants, that we all were once, and vote for policies that would punish and not welcome. I dreamed that the walls would be approved by the voters.
They didn't.
Finally, I dreamed that the "I Have a Dream Today" of Martin Luther King would die as he did, in a wave of racist reaction; that people of color cannot lead, that only whites should be President. I dreamed that American citizens would renounce the we, and embrace the me and kill the social contract we all share with this generation and the next.
We didn't.
I dreamed I saw hundreds of people standing in line, waiting hours to vote. They were standing, often, in the ruins of a recent Hurricane. They stood patiently, offered coffee by volunteers from the Democratic Party while the Republicans stayed away.
I dreamed of the Republicans in the background hoping and scheming to get people off the line, forcing voters to stay home.
They didn't.
I dreamed of women, being elected to the U.S. Senate in record numbers. I dreamed of Republicans, shouting that they know what decisions women should make during the most difficult times of their lives. I dreamed that women agreed to let religious zealots take control of their bodies.
They didn't.
I dreamed that voters would buy the con that people were dependent on government, that it was killing their spirit. I dreamed that people would agree about this evil, and would vote to end programs that were keeping millions of elderly citizens living in comfort.
They didn't.
I dreamed that voters would turn their back on the millions of immigrants, that we all were once, and vote for policies that would punish and not welcome. I dreamed that the walls would be approved by the voters.
They didn't.
Finally, I dreamed that the "I Have a Dream Today" of Martin Luther King would die as he did, in a wave of racist reaction; that people of color cannot lead, that only whites should be President. I dreamed that American citizens would renounce the we, and embrace the me and kill the social contract we all share with this generation and the next.
We didn't.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Work Needs to Start
Truth: The government needs revenue. It just does. There are no smoke and mirrors to fake it.
The trick will be to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire, but in a measured manner.
I personally think allowing them to expire on people who make over $250,000 is a great idea. We also need to look at the other tax cuts, even for the middle class, and phase them out gradually, to begin getting the deficit under control. We also need to NOT dramatically cut spending, do not make the same mistake we made in 1936.
President Obama's balanced approach is sensible. I hope he doesn't get bullied into anything less.
President Bush caused a huge deficit by cutting taxes irresponsibly while getting us into two wars, a huge addition to entitlements, and don't forget Homeland Security (a new federal agency with practically limitless funds).
All this was done on the Republican watch.
Then, incredibly, when President Obama was elected, they immediately turned from cut tax and spend, to deficit hawks. They literally pivoted on a dime.
This was all a ruse, a con, too pin the deficit on the new President, make him the fall guy for the damage it did to the economy, and make him a one term President.
It almost worked. Really, it almost did.
And, with a limitless amount of money to literally buy the election, the odds were great for a Republican sweep of the Senate, House and White House.
But, from the beginning, it appears, more Americans were on to the con than the cons themselves.
Any betting person would have figured it would work. Billions were spent to make it work. Fox News pounded away, year after year, that it was all Obama's fault.
And it did not work. The con backfired. The American People got it, saw the truth, and punished the Republican party for not honestly working with the President.
Billions were pissed away, gone, wasted. I wonder how much gas prices will have to go up to pay for all the money Big Oil spent to elect Republicans, pass anti-union propositions; etc.
The real work needs to start to straighten out the problems facing our country. Ruses, cons, and deceit were detected and punished severely last night.
Conservatives need to shake this infatuation they have with conning people, take Karl Rove out of their dialogue completely, insist Rush Limbaugh be fired, stop listening to nutso radio, stop the conspiracy theories and start working for the good of the nation.
The con did not work. Immense amounts of money to support the con did not work. Deceit does not make good public policy. Karl Rove represents this principle, that deceit and lying work to win elections, regardless of the consequences. He needs to disappear from the body politic.
The work needs to start to approach the real problems of the country, honestly, without sneaky agenda, and deceit.
Join us.
The trick will be to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire, but in a measured manner.
I personally think allowing them to expire on people who make over $250,000 is a great idea. We also need to look at the other tax cuts, even for the middle class, and phase them out gradually, to begin getting the deficit under control. We also need to NOT dramatically cut spending, do not make the same mistake we made in 1936.
President Obama's balanced approach is sensible. I hope he doesn't get bullied into anything less.
President Bush caused a huge deficit by cutting taxes irresponsibly while getting us into two wars, a huge addition to entitlements, and don't forget Homeland Security (a new federal agency with practically limitless funds).
All this was done on the Republican watch.
Then, incredibly, when President Obama was elected, they immediately turned from cut tax and spend, to deficit hawks. They literally pivoted on a dime.
This was all a ruse, a con, too pin the deficit on the new President, make him the fall guy for the damage it did to the economy, and make him a one term President.
It almost worked. Really, it almost did.
And, with a limitless amount of money to literally buy the election, the odds were great for a Republican sweep of the Senate, House and White House.
But, from the beginning, it appears, more Americans were on to the con than the cons themselves.
Any betting person would have figured it would work. Billions were spent to make it work. Fox News pounded away, year after year, that it was all Obama's fault.
And it did not work. The con backfired. The American People got it, saw the truth, and punished the Republican party for not honestly working with the President.
Billions were pissed away, gone, wasted. I wonder how much gas prices will have to go up to pay for all the money Big Oil spent to elect Republicans, pass anti-union propositions; etc.
The real work needs to start to straighten out the problems facing our country. Ruses, cons, and deceit were detected and punished severely last night.
Conservatives need to shake this infatuation they have with conning people, take Karl Rove out of their dialogue completely, insist Rush Limbaugh be fired, stop listening to nutso radio, stop the conspiracy theories and start working for the good of the nation.
The con did not work. Immense amounts of money to support the con did not work. Deceit does not make good public policy. Karl Rove represents this principle, that deceit and lying work to win elections, regardless of the consequences. He needs to disappear from the body politic.
The work needs to start to approach the real problems of the country, honestly, without sneaky agenda, and deceit.
Join us.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
The Promise of the Center from the Right
I recently read an article by Thomas Friedman that hoped a defeat by the Republicans in the upcoming Presidential race would force the party to go back to the middle.
He also remarkably intimated that the Democrats would do the same thing, .
The past four years will not be remembered by historians fondly. You have to go back to the 1850s to find so much acrimony, hate and vitriol.
What amazes me is how observers like Friedman always try to strike a balance considering the radical agendas being shouted. The Tea Party Republican Party is supposed balanced off by the "?" Democratic Party.
Note the "?". What takes its place relative to the supposed Democratic Party extremism? Where is the "?" Party in the Democratic Party. There is none. Friedman, and many others, postulate that both Parties have their extreme wings. There is no such thing in the Demoratic Party. But there sure is in the Republican Party, BOTH Tea Party and Libertarians...and a few moderates left.
I would postulate that an overwhelming number of non-partisan political scientists, rate President Obama as a moderate Democrat. I also would postulate that the Democratic Party right now, is not Center/Left (as Friedman suggests) but Center.
The Republican Party is not.
Look at their Platform if you doubt the radical swing to the right. Abortion is outlawed in ALL cases. Their economic policy is for radical tax cuts, huge reductions in "entitlement programs"; etc.
Look at the Democratic Platform. You see the "radical" notion of redoing the tax rates for people making $250,000 a year from 34% to 39%. Those are the same rates that existed during President Clinton's term, and are still much below the marginal tax rates in the post WWII era. How on earth is this a "radical agenda"?
And then there is the Affordable Care Act, that the Republican Tea Party basically grew to power hating. People forget the summer of 2010, when hapless Congressmen went into their districts to simply discuss the Act. They walked into a staged, contrived agenda of anger and fury, not seen since the segregationist south resisted Civil Rights in the 1960s.
Much of the anger was carefully rehearsed for effect, with millions of dollars provided by the health insurance companies, but much was genuine. The sponsors of the angry demonstrations, quickly lost control of what essentiall was a white backlash to the first President of color this country ever elected.
This anger, that caught the nation by surprise, was actually the right racist wing of the Republican Party, screaming that they could not stand a Black Man being President! Moreover, all the old radical right agendas were trotted out: The Federal Government is regulating us to death; there are conspiracies to take away white people's rights, the Feds are after our guns, the Income Tax is a plot to enslave us; etc. etc.
And that anger is still fueling the candidacy of Mitt Romney. Romney decided, early on, that either you fought them or you joined them, so he cloaked himself in his "radical conservative" clothing, took the Koch brothers' money, and became a lackey for the far right.
Friedman explains that the major reason Romney is competitive now, and may win the election, is his swing to the middle in the first debate. Americans had not heard this "softer, more central Mitt", who proudly proclaimed that he had "reached across the aisle" in Massachusetts while governor. And, after all, he had championed the Affordable Care Act there...but still will repeal it? That promise to repeal is an absolute cave-in to the radical racist right of the Republican Party.
And therein lies the invalidation of Friedman's argument.
The nation is split almost 50/50 right now between radical conservative and the rest of us. In real terms, it is about 60/40 moderate to radical conservative, but Citizens United makes up the difference.
The right wing can make up for their minority status by basically buying votes. And they are doing that with abandon.
If Romney wins, with his right wing Vice President, he will have no chance of governing from the middle. If he tries, he will be blocked at every turn by the Tea Party.
And losing will not "reform" the Republican Party, because they have been taken over by scared white voters, who see the technicolor coalition of multi-racial Democrats growing steadily every year, and must adopt what minority white racists have always done; a repressive right wing government that rolls back civil rights, attacks fairness and equity, and eventually resorts to violence to keep its position.
South Africa comes to mind. Still, after all the feel good movies about the defeat of Aparteid, still South Africa struggles. Racism dies hard.
That is what the segregationists did in the south. Pure racists were never the majority, but used fear and violence (and extra-legal discrimination), to control the south for over 100 years after the Civil War. For over a hundred years, the social illness of racism destroyed the south, held back economic development, stifled humanity. It is not dead yet...it lives in the Tea Party.
And that, contrary to what Mr. Friedman suggests, is what is in store for the United States no matter who wins Tuesday.
The Republican Party has become radically right wing, even fascist by the classical definition, and are being run by scared whites who are making a "last stand" for white supremacy.
So there is a reason we have seen the anger and angst of the 1960s segregationists in the Tea Party of today; because in a more sophisticated sense, they are doing the same thing that plagued this nation of 200 years.
It all comes down to race. The one thing that historians, political scientists, and others have always warned could almost end this nation, is still there trying.
A few days after the election, a new motion picture will come out, about President Lincoln. Its main theme is the struggle to get the emancipation proclamation passed before the war ended. Lincoln believed that, even if the north won the Civil War, the south would never relent and abandon slavery voluntarily. The racist bedrock of the radical right was simply too strong.
He succeeded. We are failing.
So, Mr. Friedman alas, is wrong. What we are seeing I am afraid are the seeds of another Civil War, this time along "ideological lines" which are still painted with race.
Racism kills, and it is killing us now.
He also remarkably intimated that the Democrats would do the same thing, .
The past four years will not be remembered by historians fondly. You have to go back to the 1850s to find so much acrimony, hate and vitriol.
What amazes me is how observers like Friedman always try to strike a balance considering the radical agendas being shouted. The Tea Party Republican Party is supposed balanced off by the "?" Democratic Party.
Note the "?". What takes its place relative to the supposed Democratic Party extremism? Where is the "?" Party in the Democratic Party. There is none. Friedman, and many others, postulate that both Parties have their extreme wings. There is no such thing in the Demoratic Party. But there sure is in the Republican Party, BOTH Tea Party and Libertarians...and a few moderates left.
I would postulate that an overwhelming number of non-partisan political scientists, rate President Obama as a moderate Democrat. I also would postulate that the Democratic Party right now, is not Center/Left (as Friedman suggests) but Center.
The Republican Party is not.
Look at their Platform if you doubt the radical swing to the right. Abortion is outlawed in ALL cases. Their economic policy is for radical tax cuts, huge reductions in "entitlement programs"; etc.
Look at the Democratic Platform. You see the "radical" notion of redoing the tax rates for people making $250,000 a year from 34% to 39%. Those are the same rates that existed during President Clinton's term, and are still much below the marginal tax rates in the post WWII era. How on earth is this a "radical agenda"?
And then there is the Affordable Care Act, that the Republican Tea Party basically grew to power hating. People forget the summer of 2010, when hapless Congressmen went into their districts to simply discuss the Act. They walked into a staged, contrived agenda of anger and fury, not seen since the segregationist south resisted Civil Rights in the 1960s.
Much of the anger was carefully rehearsed for effect, with millions of dollars provided by the health insurance companies, but much was genuine. The sponsors of the angry demonstrations, quickly lost control of what essentiall was a white backlash to the first President of color this country ever elected.
This anger, that caught the nation by surprise, was actually the right racist wing of the Republican Party, screaming that they could not stand a Black Man being President! Moreover, all the old radical right agendas were trotted out: The Federal Government is regulating us to death; there are conspiracies to take away white people's rights, the Feds are after our guns, the Income Tax is a plot to enslave us; etc. etc.
And that anger is still fueling the candidacy of Mitt Romney. Romney decided, early on, that either you fought them or you joined them, so he cloaked himself in his "radical conservative" clothing, took the Koch brothers' money, and became a lackey for the far right.
Friedman explains that the major reason Romney is competitive now, and may win the election, is his swing to the middle in the first debate. Americans had not heard this "softer, more central Mitt", who proudly proclaimed that he had "reached across the aisle" in Massachusetts while governor. And, after all, he had championed the Affordable Care Act there...but still will repeal it? That promise to repeal is an absolute cave-in to the radical racist right of the Republican Party.
And therein lies the invalidation of Friedman's argument.
The nation is split almost 50/50 right now between radical conservative and the rest of us. In real terms, it is about 60/40 moderate to radical conservative, but Citizens United makes up the difference.
The right wing can make up for their minority status by basically buying votes. And they are doing that with abandon.
If Romney wins, with his right wing Vice President, he will have no chance of governing from the middle. If he tries, he will be blocked at every turn by the Tea Party.
And losing will not "reform" the Republican Party, because they have been taken over by scared white voters, who see the technicolor coalition of multi-racial Democrats growing steadily every year, and must adopt what minority white racists have always done; a repressive right wing government that rolls back civil rights, attacks fairness and equity, and eventually resorts to violence to keep its position.
South Africa comes to mind. Still, after all the feel good movies about the defeat of Aparteid, still South Africa struggles. Racism dies hard.
That is what the segregationists did in the south. Pure racists were never the majority, but used fear and violence (and extra-legal discrimination), to control the south for over 100 years after the Civil War. For over a hundred years, the social illness of racism destroyed the south, held back economic development, stifled humanity. It is not dead yet...it lives in the Tea Party.
And that, contrary to what Mr. Friedman suggests, is what is in store for the United States no matter who wins Tuesday.
The Republican Party has become radically right wing, even fascist by the classical definition, and are being run by scared whites who are making a "last stand" for white supremacy.
So there is a reason we have seen the anger and angst of the 1960s segregationists in the Tea Party of today; because in a more sophisticated sense, they are doing the same thing that plagued this nation of 200 years.
It all comes down to race. The one thing that historians, political scientists, and others have always warned could almost end this nation, is still there trying.
A few days after the election, a new motion picture will come out, about President Lincoln. Its main theme is the struggle to get the emancipation proclamation passed before the war ended. Lincoln believed that, even if the north won the Civil War, the south would never relent and abandon slavery voluntarily. The racist bedrock of the radical right was simply too strong.
He succeeded. We are failing.
So, Mr. Friedman alas, is wrong. What we are seeing I am afraid are the seeds of another Civil War, this time along "ideological lines" which are still painted with race.
Racism kills, and it is killing us now.
Friday, November 2, 2012
The Cost
Spain nearly burned down a couple years ago. Remember?
Greece nearly burned down a couple years ago. Remember?
Russia had a huge drought, weeks of 100 plus temperatures, and nearly burned down a couple years ago. Remember.
Our Mid-West and South had a rash of huge tornadoes, that killed dozens and destroyed several towns. Remember.
A monster Hurricane, just last year, came into New England and caused flooding that had never been encountered. Remember.
Nashville almost washed away with record floods. Remember.
Katrina struck New Orleans and nearly finished the city. Remember.
Drought afflicted Texas and Oklahoma for months, with wildfires and a touch of hell. Remember.
New Mexico, Colorado and Northern California just had huge wildfires that burned hundreds of homes. Remember.
Hurricane Sandy just destroyed the Jersey Shore, the Atlantic Boardwalk is GONE, the New York subways are flooded, with billions of dollars in damage. Remember.
The cost of global warming or climate change is huge and climbing every day.
Candidate Romney says we are warring on coal, that all fossil fuels need to be used as fast a possible, to create jobs.
But the cost of man made global warming is accelerating. It will not stop. The cost has already overwhelmed the "new jobs" that using more coal, or the Canadian pipeline with dirty oil.
The cost.....Remember?
Greece nearly burned down a couple years ago. Remember?
Russia had a huge drought, weeks of 100 plus temperatures, and nearly burned down a couple years ago. Remember.
Our Mid-West and South had a rash of huge tornadoes, that killed dozens and destroyed several towns. Remember.
A monster Hurricane, just last year, came into New England and caused flooding that had never been encountered. Remember.
Nashville almost washed away with record floods. Remember.
Katrina struck New Orleans and nearly finished the city. Remember.
Drought afflicted Texas and Oklahoma for months, with wildfires and a touch of hell. Remember.
New Mexico, Colorado and Northern California just had huge wildfires that burned hundreds of homes. Remember.
Hurricane Sandy just destroyed the Jersey Shore, the Atlantic Boardwalk is GONE, the New York subways are flooded, with billions of dollars in damage. Remember.
The cost of global warming or climate change is huge and climbing every day.
Candidate Romney says we are warring on coal, that all fossil fuels need to be used as fast a possible, to create jobs.
But the cost of man made global warming is accelerating. It will not stop. The cost has already overwhelmed the "new jobs" that using more coal, or the Canadian pipeline with dirty oil.
The cost.....Remember?
Thursday, November 1, 2012
And Then Along Came Sandy
Not a comment about global warming in the debates; not a word. Governor Romney, as usual, has switched his position from one of advocating efforts to curb global warming, to a drill baby drill conservative collaborator. President Obama, has not mentioned it, but his support of a balanced approach to energy includes at least attention to global warming or climate change. These is a huge difference between the to mens' positions.
President Obama is saying the more we rely on clean energy sources, wind, solar, and yes, even natural gas, the more we approach a coordinated attack on climate change that is costing us billions every day. Governor Romney's position is to use fossil fuels with no regard for the consequences, because not doing so will cost jobs.
But, then Katrina was a long time ago. The polar ice caps melting, the rise in ocean levels and temperature, did create larger Hurricanes and Typhoons but those did not hit populated areas.
Why worry?
And then along came Sandy.
"An Inconvenient Truth" which has been constantly attacked by conservative deniers, spent much screen time explaining the danger to cities like New York City, from rising ocean levels and warming oceans. Much of New York City lies at or near sea level, and the island nature of the city lends itself to storm surges and tidal flooding.
In short, New York and its Burroughs lies a few short feet from disastrous floods. But, super storms never happen. There is simply no evidence that a Hurricane of significant force could hit New York directly, because Atlantic waters are so cold, that Hurricanes typically lose force and swing out to sea.
Those few that have come inland, are of minimal power and force.
And then along came Sandy.
Sandy was a tropical Hurricane, that became a killer in the Caribbean and then headed north, to die in the Atlantic like all other Hurricanes had done.
But it didn't, it suddenly dove west, taking dead aim at New Jersey and New York.
It did that because the Atlantic Ocean is degrees warmer than ever before. Warm oceans feed Hurricanes. Warm oceans create a beacon if you will, drawing the Hurricanes in.
Scientists, at first, were reluctant to attribute Sandy to climate change. They still subscribe to the moderate position that no one weather "event" is a product of climate change.
So this time, local politicians, namely the mayor and governor of New York, admitted that yes, Hurricane Sandy was a product of global warming, and the world had better wake up. Mayor Bloomberg even went so far as endorsing President Obama, who he has criticized from a Wall Streeter's point of view in the past. The reason? The President's policies are addressing the climate change that nearly destroyed his city.
The Republican Governor of New Jersey, no friend of a Democrat, was effusive in his praise for President Obama, because he needs federal help bad; since his state was dramatically damaged at huge cost.
Governor Christie had roundly criticized President Obama, has predicted his defeat, but suddenly could find nothing but superlatives to say about his disaster help. What an amazing turn around!
I would not doubt that the governor has "seen the elephant" and now acknowledges climate change as the disruptor of life on earth. Many citizens from the east coast now are having the same realization.
Many deniers have lived in a false world of unscientific nonsense.
And along came Sandy.
President Obama is saying the more we rely on clean energy sources, wind, solar, and yes, even natural gas, the more we approach a coordinated attack on climate change that is costing us billions every day. Governor Romney's position is to use fossil fuels with no regard for the consequences, because not doing so will cost jobs.
But, then Katrina was a long time ago. The polar ice caps melting, the rise in ocean levels and temperature, did create larger Hurricanes and Typhoons but those did not hit populated areas.
Why worry?
And then along came Sandy.
"An Inconvenient Truth" which has been constantly attacked by conservative deniers, spent much screen time explaining the danger to cities like New York City, from rising ocean levels and warming oceans. Much of New York City lies at or near sea level, and the island nature of the city lends itself to storm surges and tidal flooding.
In short, New York and its Burroughs lies a few short feet from disastrous floods. But, super storms never happen. There is simply no evidence that a Hurricane of significant force could hit New York directly, because Atlantic waters are so cold, that Hurricanes typically lose force and swing out to sea.
Those few that have come inland, are of minimal power and force.
And then along came Sandy.
Sandy was a tropical Hurricane, that became a killer in the Caribbean and then headed north, to die in the Atlantic like all other Hurricanes had done.
But it didn't, it suddenly dove west, taking dead aim at New Jersey and New York.
It did that because the Atlantic Ocean is degrees warmer than ever before. Warm oceans feed Hurricanes. Warm oceans create a beacon if you will, drawing the Hurricanes in.
Scientists, at first, were reluctant to attribute Sandy to climate change. They still subscribe to the moderate position that no one weather "event" is a product of climate change.
So this time, local politicians, namely the mayor and governor of New York, admitted that yes, Hurricane Sandy was a product of global warming, and the world had better wake up. Mayor Bloomberg even went so far as endorsing President Obama, who he has criticized from a Wall Streeter's point of view in the past. The reason? The President's policies are addressing the climate change that nearly destroyed his city.
The Republican Governor of New Jersey, no friend of a Democrat, was effusive in his praise for President Obama, because he needs federal help bad; since his state was dramatically damaged at huge cost.
Governor Christie had roundly criticized President Obama, has predicted his defeat, but suddenly could find nothing but superlatives to say about his disaster help. What an amazing turn around!
I would not doubt that the governor has "seen the elephant" and now acknowledges climate change as the disruptor of life on earth. Many citizens from the east coast now are having the same realization.
Many deniers have lived in a false world of unscientific nonsense.
And along came Sandy.
Monday, October 29, 2012
What is Wrong With You?
What is wrong with you? Really, what is wrong?
How can you constantly fall for the same ploys?
Government is too big, incompetent, and bad. But you collect your Medicare benefits, and Social Security checks with no complaint, buy your excessive prescriptions, to treat what mostly are obesity related ills. Eat like pigs, and condemn poor children who need food stamps.
Tell racist stupid jokes, to friends who have mixed race backgrounds, and wonder why they hate you?
Make believe that global warming is not real, while Hurricane Sandy, grown to a monster by the ingredients of a warming planet, drown your grandchildren.
Make believe that drill baby drill will provide enough gas, blame the President for high prices, while driving your RV to your comfortable Elks parking lot, at 6 miles to a gallon. Using the money you are saving on prescription drugs, thanks to the Affordable Care Act (that you hate) to buy that gas.
Hating the President, because you call him a "socialist" but really because he his black, while you coddle your half black grandchild.
Choosing to vote for a man who has never told the American people the truth, who changes his position at every campaign stop, who actually made his fortune crippling the American economy, by outsourcing the job you lost.
Voting down tax increase for schools. Being so stupid, you buy the crap that tax replacements, for former crazy tax cuts, are actually tax increases.
Living about two days in the past. Refusing to even look at what George W. Bush did to this country.
Then, when schools have to close, say you "don't give a shit since I don't have kids in school anymore", and actually believe it.
Be a veteran, but vote against veteran's benefits for new vets, and call them parasites.
And finally, fly the flag everyday, and night, rain and shine, proclaim that you support the troops, while you refuse to pay for the two wars that we have been in the past ten years.
What is wrong with you?
How can you constantly fall for the same ploys?
Government is too big, incompetent, and bad. But you collect your Medicare benefits, and Social Security checks with no complaint, buy your excessive prescriptions, to treat what mostly are obesity related ills. Eat like pigs, and condemn poor children who need food stamps.
Tell racist stupid jokes, to friends who have mixed race backgrounds, and wonder why they hate you?
Make believe that global warming is not real, while Hurricane Sandy, grown to a monster by the ingredients of a warming planet, drown your grandchildren.
Make believe that drill baby drill will provide enough gas, blame the President for high prices, while driving your RV to your comfortable Elks parking lot, at 6 miles to a gallon. Using the money you are saving on prescription drugs, thanks to the Affordable Care Act (that you hate) to buy that gas.
Hating the President, because you call him a "socialist" but really because he his black, while you coddle your half black grandchild.
Choosing to vote for a man who has never told the American people the truth, who changes his position at every campaign stop, who actually made his fortune crippling the American economy, by outsourcing the job you lost.
Voting down tax increase for schools. Being so stupid, you buy the crap that tax replacements, for former crazy tax cuts, are actually tax increases.
Living about two days in the past. Refusing to even look at what George W. Bush did to this country.
Then, when schools have to close, say you "don't give a shit since I don't have kids in school anymore", and actually believe it.
Be a veteran, but vote against veteran's benefits for new vets, and call them parasites.
And finally, fly the flag everyday, and night, rain and shine, proclaim that you support the troops, while you refuse to pay for the two wars that we have been in the past ten years.
What is wrong with you?
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
War on Women is Not Exactly Finished
Mitt Romney was very adroit in calming women's concerns in the first Presidential Debate. Contrary to the Republican Party's radical platform, that outlaws abortion in ALL cases; that calls for the outlawing of abortion throughout the land, that seeks to reduce health care to women dramatically women were lulled into a false sense of security by the Bain salesman.
Romney said he was against Abortion except in cases of rape or incest, that he was almost disinterested in overturning Roe vs Wade, and took a "trust me, I'm actually a moderate" point of view.
And apparently it worked. Along with his assurances that he had "reached across the aisle" in Massachusetts (he vetoed almost 1000 bills), which was a flat out lie, women and many others took a deep breath, and decided that his promises on the economy (also lies), were enough to gain their vote.
So the polls swung. Suddenly what looked like a run away for Obama became very close. Women particularly, gave Romney the benefit of the doubt mainly because the economy has not rebounded enough.
Of course, this happened while the unemployment rate dropped, housing starts improved, and the public's confidence in the economy rose.
But the "war on women" that Democrats had so loudly proclaimed; that message began to fizzle.
Even the Claude Aiken truth speak, when he said that a legitimate rape should not deserve an abortion, began to fade.
Then the nut case from Indiana spoke. Again, he spoke exactly what the Republican platform and the vast majority of Tea Party members, and Christian Conservatives believe, that rape and incest should NOT be a mitigating factor in a woman getting an abortion in the Republican world of government reproductive control.
The Indiana Senator candidate basically said that God promoted keeping a rape induced baby. So, he was for government forbidding abortions even in cases of rape (legitimate or not).
And Romney, flushed out again, through a spokesman, "denounced" the statement, while running an ad in Indiana promoting the candidate's election.
Once again, it is "now you see it, now you don't". Where does this guy really stand?
I will give you a clue. He is being supported by millions from hard right wing plutocrats, who hide behind "Citizens United" to give billions anonymously, against democrats from Senate to local school boards.
If anyone thinks for one minute, that Romney as President will stand up to these fat cats, they are living in dream land.
And, if any woman believes for one minute that Romney will stand up against right wing conservative Christians anti-abortion radicals, they are living in dream land.
Look, women of America, the Republican Party has a platform that is anti-women, anti-choice and anti-freedom. You can accept the snake oil for what it is, a huge con, to get your vote, then take control over your body because "God wills it".
And who, my fellow Christian friends, can claim they really know what God intends or thinks? Who in the heck do they think they are?
The War on Women is not Finished. Don't be fooled. If Romney wins, things will change dramatically, especially for women!
Romney said he was against Abortion except in cases of rape or incest, that he was almost disinterested in overturning Roe vs Wade, and took a "trust me, I'm actually a moderate" point of view.
And apparently it worked. Along with his assurances that he had "reached across the aisle" in Massachusetts (he vetoed almost 1000 bills), which was a flat out lie, women and many others took a deep breath, and decided that his promises on the economy (also lies), were enough to gain their vote.
So the polls swung. Suddenly what looked like a run away for Obama became very close. Women particularly, gave Romney the benefit of the doubt mainly because the economy has not rebounded enough.
Of course, this happened while the unemployment rate dropped, housing starts improved, and the public's confidence in the economy rose.
But the "war on women" that Democrats had so loudly proclaimed; that message began to fizzle.
Even the Claude Aiken truth speak, when he said that a legitimate rape should not deserve an abortion, began to fade.
Then the nut case from Indiana spoke. Again, he spoke exactly what the Republican platform and the vast majority of Tea Party members, and Christian Conservatives believe, that rape and incest should NOT be a mitigating factor in a woman getting an abortion in the Republican world of government reproductive control.
The Indiana Senator candidate basically said that God promoted keeping a rape induced baby. So, he was for government forbidding abortions even in cases of rape (legitimate or not).
And Romney, flushed out again, through a spokesman, "denounced" the statement, while running an ad in Indiana promoting the candidate's election.
Once again, it is "now you see it, now you don't". Where does this guy really stand?
I will give you a clue. He is being supported by millions from hard right wing plutocrats, who hide behind "Citizens United" to give billions anonymously, against democrats from Senate to local school boards.
If anyone thinks for one minute, that Romney as President will stand up to these fat cats, they are living in dream land.
And, if any woman believes for one minute that Romney will stand up against right wing conservative Christians anti-abortion radicals, they are living in dream land.
Look, women of America, the Republican Party has a platform that is anti-women, anti-choice and anti-freedom. You can accept the snake oil for what it is, a huge con, to get your vote, then take control over your body because "God wills it".
And who, my fellow Christian friends, can claim they really know what God intends or thinks? Who in the heck do they think they are?
The War on Women is not Finished. Don't be fooled. If Romney wins, things will change dramatically, especially for women!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
I Really Wonder
I really wonder about my fellow citizens. We are locked in one of the most important elections in the nation's history and don't seem to get it.
In many states voter ID laws are being either overturned, or stayed until after the election. Voter fraud is happening all right, by those who are yelling fraud the loudest; Republicans. The latest was a Republican elections official who was caught throwing democratic registration away! Real American Patriotism there, cheat to win?!
Voters are still "undecided" after billions of dollars of persuasion, three debates and endless speeches.
The Republican candidate for President makes a comment that Syria needs Iran as its pathway to the sea, completely ignoring geography. No Americans noticed because most Americans know nothing about geography.
In California, an initiative to provide revenue to a deficit ridden budget, which could save education, is in real trouble. This will mean huge mid-year cuts, but many voters still hold to the folly that "the state has more money".
Governor Romney blithely promises to cut taxes by 20%, raise defense spending by a like amount, AND balance the budget...and most Americans seem to be believing him!
The same old snake oil, "voodoo economics" is being peddled in California and in the nation. And if you believe recent polls, Americans are buying it.
This is just five years after the economy melted down; after the worst loss of wealth by the middle class EVER! We all suffered the realization that Wall Street money manipulators have defrauded people out of billions.
And, one of their own, Mitt Romney Bain Capital manipulator, is running for President and may win.
There was a classic movie, that was made in the Great Depression. It was the first mass movie produced in color. It was called the "Wizard of Oz".
The natives of Oz, were following a wizard, who was no wizard at all, but a fraud; but they followed him anyway; blindly. He sold himself as a wizard who could cure all ills while doing nothing of the sort, and people still believed him. They believed him blindly.
I really wonder if Americans can ever shake themselves and wake up to the fraud of the Republican Tea Party who caused the deficit with two wars, homeland security and Medicare benefits, that were not paid for, and passed a huge tax cut; pivoted and blamed the next President for the damage; and are getting away with it.
That is the part that makes me really wonder if Americans have a clue.
In many states voter ID laws are being either overturned, or stayed until after the election. Voter fraud is happening all right, by those who are yelling fraud the loudest; Republicans. The latest was a Republican elections official who was caught throwing democratic registration away! Real American Patriotism there, cheat to win?!
Voters are still "undecided" after billions of dollars of persuasion, three debates and endless speeches.
The Republican candidate for President makes a comment that Syria needs Iran as its pathway to the sea, completely ignoring geography. No Americans noticed because most Americans know nothing about geography.
In California, an initiative to provide revenue to a deficit ridden budget, which could save education, is in real trouble. This will mean huge mid-year cuts, but many voters still hold to the folly that "the state has more money".
Governor Romney blithely promises to cut taxes by 20%, raise defense spending by a like amount, AND balance the budget...and most Americans seem to be believing him!
The same old snake oil, "voodoo economics" is being peddled in California and in the nation. And if you believe recent polls, Americans are buying it.
This is just five years after the economy melted down; after the worst loss of wealth by the middle class EVER! We all suffered the realization that Wall Street money manipulators have defrauded people out of billions.
And, one of their own, Mitt Romney Bain Capital manipulator, is running for President and may win.
There was a classic movie, that was made in the Great Depression. It was the first mass movie produced in color. It was called the "Wizard of Oz".
The natives of Oz, were following a wizard, who was no wizard at all, but a fraud; but they followed him anyway; blindly. He sold himself as a wizard who could cure all ills while doing nothing of the sort, and people still believed him. They believed him blindly.
I really wonder if Americans can ever shake themselves and wake up to the fraud of the Republican Tea Party who caused the deficit with two wars, homeland security and Medicare benefits, that were not paid for, and passed a huge tax cut; pivoted and blamed the next President for the damage; and are getting away with it.
That is the part that makes me really wonder if Americans have a clue.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Money money money
As the Presidential race tightens, and Congressional Races lean toward the Republicans, we begin to ask why? Why did one relatively poor debate performance swing the race (at least in the polls) so radically to Romney?
Why is Warren now losing to Brown. How in the world can one explain the mess in Missouri.
It is money dear friends. Citizens United is having its intended effect.
It is not easy to "follow the money", but it still can be done.
The Presidential race is mostly even, though Romney is pouring millions into battleground states. The number of donors on the Republican side is small compared to the Democratic side.
That is because most donors for the Democrats are like me, five bucks here, five bucks there.
On the Republican side is is $100,000 here and $100,000 there.
After awhile that is real money. And real influence.
Elections can be bought. Enough money pours out so much propaganda, plus Fox News and 90% of talk radio being owned by conservatives, that the progressive side does not have a chance.
Most people do not read, or study history very much. Most are too busy trying to scratch out a living to do much research...they depend on the T.V. and radio for their information.
And that media is saturated by the far right.
So, propaganda is winning; it usually does.
Read Germany 1932 to 1945 if you want to see what results.
We are doomed.
Why is Warren now losing to Brown. How in the world can one explain the mess in Missouri.
It is money dear friends. Citizens United is having its intended effect.
It is not easy to "follow the money", but it still can be done.
The Presidential race is mostly even, though Romney is pouring millions into battleground states. The number of donors on the Republican side is small compared to the Democratic side.
That is because most donors for the Democrats are like me, five bucks here, five bucks there.
On the Republican side is is $100,000 here and $100,000 there.
After awhile that is real money. And real influence.
Elections can be bought. Enough money pours out so much propaganda, plus Fox News and 90% of talk radio being owned by conservatives, that the progressive side does not have a chance.
Most people do not read, or study history very much. Most are too busy trying to scratch out a living to do much research...they depend on the T.V. and radio for their information.
And that media is saturated by the far right.
So, propaganda is winning; it usually does.
Read Germany 1932 to 1945 if you want to see what results.
We are doomed.
Monday, October 1, 2012
FDR
This weekend I watched a long documentary on Franklin D. Roosevelt. I was struck by how the language and issues were so similar, between the Republicans of the time, and Roosevelt.
For the first time in American history, the Federal Government got directly involved in the economy under Roosevelt. In a every sense, the foundation of our modern post-industrial capitalism was created by Roosevelt and his experimentation filled New Deal.
For most of American history, charity for the poor was considered an area for private and church donations. The Great Depression changed that, no amount of charity could deal with 50% unemployment.
People were afraid, they were hungry, and free market capitalism seemed to be totally inadequate to deal with the suffering.
Roosevelt changed all that. He kick-started the federal government into massive spending programs in an attempt to ease the suffering of millions, and to insure that the boom and bust cycle of capitalism could be regulated.
This, of course, started the great debate we are still in today. Conservatives, most rich ones, of the thirties literally grew to hate Roosevelt as a "traitor to his class", as the President broadened the New Deal to massively aid the "have nots".
And it worked. The Depression may not have been cured by the New Deal, but its effects were greatly mitigated.
As it turned out, the Great Depression was a world wide phenomenon, and it took WWII to shake the world out of it; at the cost of over 50 million dead.
The boom and bust cycles of capitalism were greatly tamed by the New Deal. In the 2000s, George W. Bush, greatly de-regulated Wall Street and the financial markets, and plunged the nation into a financial crisis nearly as bad as the Great Depression.
What we see now, is a massive, I hope last ditch, effort by rich conservatives, to once again roll back New Deal regulations of the economy; in a self interest attempt to fix the game and drive their wealth even higher.
The rich have got richer in the last 30 years, the gap between haves and have-nots has exploded.
Meanwhile, thanks to Fox News and conservative propaganda, many members of the middle class are actually on the rich conservatives side, caught up in a false ideological argument, that actually is a cynical rich man's con to fool them into giving their blind support.
It is almost sickening to listen to them. They puppet the rich conservative talking points, that have been fed them for hours by Fox and Rush, not aware that NONE of these talking points help them at all.
In a real sense they are like pretend rich men, acting like they are standing for economic liberty, while the rich continues to push them farther down into poverty.
It has got so bad, that many members of the middle class, are actually falling in line with attacks on Medicare and Social Security, when most of them are, or will be, dependent for their future health and welfare on those New Deal (and Great Society) programs.
In short, they decry the very programs that will keep them well as seniors, and pay their bills.
FDR changed the nation forever, and forever the rich have hated him. Today, the visceral hatred of President Obama is reminiscent of that same loathing.
The amazing thing, is the wealth, especially the super rich, have benefitted massively under the New Deal (that saved their capitalistic and unfair system). The rich are richer today than ever before compared to everyone else.
So, today the battle is between the New Deal, that succeeded, and everyday provides security and assistance to millions, and the rich, who literally want it all; and the 47% , as Romney famously said, do not matter.
The debate cannot be lost this time around, just as it could not be lost the last time. The future of this country depends on it.
For the first time in American history, the Federal Government got directly involved in the economy under Roosevelt. In a every sense, the foundation of our modern post-industrial capitalism was created by Roosevelt and his experimentation filled New Deal.
For most of American history, charity for the poor was considered an area for private and church donations. The Great Depression changed that, no amount of charity could deal with 50% unemployment.
People were afraid, they were hungry, and free market capitalism seemed to be totally inadequate to deal with the suffering.
Roosevelt changed all that. He kick-started the federal government into massive spending programs in an attempt to ease the suffering of millions, and to insure that the boom and bust cycle of capitalism could be regulated.
This, of course, started the great debate we are still in today. Conservatives, most rich ones, of the thirties literally grew to hate Roosevelt as a "traitor to his class", as the President broadened the New Deal to massively aid the "have nots".
And it worked. The Depression may not have been cured by the New Deal, but its effects were greatly mitigated.
As it turned out, the Great Depression was a world wide phenomenon, and it took WWII to shake the world out of it; at the cost of over 50 million dead.
The boom and bust cycles of capitalism were greatly tamed by the New Deal. In the 2000s, George W. Bush, greatly de-regulated Wall Street and the financial markets, and plunged the nation into a financial crisis nearly as bad as the Great Depression.
What we see now, is a massive, I hope last ditch, effort by rich conservatives, to once again roll back New Deal regulations of the economy; in a self interest attempt to fix the game and drive their wealth even higher.
The rich have got richer in the last 30 years, the gap between haves and have-nots has exploded.
Meanwhile, thanks to Fox News and conservative propaganda, many members of the middle class are actually on the rich conservatives side, caught up in a false ideological argument, that actually is a cynical rich man's con to fool them into giving their blind support.
It is almost sickening to listen to them. They puppet the rich conservative talking points, that have been fed them for hours by Fox and Rush, not aware that NONE of these talking points help them at all.
In a real sense they are like pretend rich men, acting like they are standing for economic liberty, while the rich continues to push them farther down into poverty.
It has got so bad, that many members of the middle class, are actually falling in line with attacks on Medicare and Social Security, when most of them are, or will be, dependent for their future health and welfare on those New Deal (and Great Society) programs.
In short, they decry the very programs that will keep them well as seniors, and pay their bills.
FDR changed the nation forever, and forever the rich have hated him. Today, the visceral hatred of President Obama is reminiscent of that same loathing.
The amazing thing, is the wealth, especially the super rich, have benefitted massively under the New Deal (that saved their capitalistic and unfair system). The rich are richer today than ever before compared to everyone else.
So, today the battle is between the New Deal, that succeeded, and everyday provides security and assistance to millions, and the rich, who literally want it all; and the 47% , as Romney famously said, do not matter.
The debate cannot be lost this time around, just as it could not be lost the last time. The future of this country depends on it.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Are We Waking Up?
The latest polls, of Americans over 50, show a shift to President Obama. The biggest reason is the Ryan/Romney (I put Romney second because Ryan is the protagonist with Medicare), have taken dead aim at "reforming" Medicare.
The Ryan proposals, that Romney is predictably running away from, call to basically give vouchers to all Medicare prospects under 55, when they become eligible. Also, the eligible age will go to 67. These vouchers will in no way be enough to buy insurance.
Any person with any familiarity with insurance, will immediately wonder how 67 year old people will do in the "free health insurance market" with a paltry voucher?
People who are 67 or over have a host of maladies. Right now, most seniors without Medicare who are 67 have no chance of even purchasing health insurance because of pre-existing conditions. People over 67 are VERY expensive to insure.
That is why we got Medicare in the first place!
Meanwhile, Ryan's "Plan" (actually a scheme to destroy Medicare), benignly (?) allows everyone over 55 when his plan goes into effect, can keep the "defined benefit" Medicare plan. So, let's just play this out.
Let's say Romney is elected and can somehow get this "reform" passed. All those over 55 would be guaranteed the Medicare we now have, which means they all have insurance. All those under 55 have a voucher waiting for them when they reach 67. I assume they keep paying into the fund, but get a voucher to go get private insurance. In 12 years, the 55 something has Medicare at 65 and has a "single payer" insurance with all the benefits of Medicare today (I assume). In 12 years the 54 something is 66 and is planning on getting a voucher. For at least thirty years, you will have a mix of elderly people, about 1/2 who have single payer insurance, 1/2 and growing who have to go out to the private insurance vultures to purchase insurance.
Have you heard of pool regarding insurance rates? This will be a disaster. You need a huge pool of people to bring the risk down of an insurance group. And 67 year old people (and older) are a horrible risk pool. All of them will be getting sick, cancer rates double the younger population, high blood pressure; etc, AND 1/2 of the pool will have the single payer Medicare program.
So, small pool, huge rates!
For almost 40 years, until all the traditional Medicare people die off, the pool of seniors to "shop" for individual insurance will result in premiums that will be staggering.
The ONLY way insurance companies can even insure this group, and Ryan's bright idea forces them to, is to pass the cost along to younger customers; the 40, 30 and 20 somethings.
The potential for huge increases in health insurance premiums is 100%.
It won't work. It is ridiculous.
We do need to reform Medicare. We need to crack down on fraud and abuse. We need, perhaps, to raise some deductibles on wealthy Medicare recipients. We might even need to increase the tax that drives the program.
That's right, we may have to pay a little more, to keep the program solvent. Oh God, I just said the tax word...Romney will immediately protect his tax returns.
Any of these more sensible ideas are superior to the sheer insanity of the Ryan plan.
And seniors, like me who just turned 65, are beginning to think this through, and realize it for the madness that it is.
And Romney, who foolishly put Ryan on his ticket, is suffering in the polls big time.
The Ryan proposals, that Romney is predictably running away from, call to basically give vouchers to all Medicare prospects under 55, when they become eligible. Also, the eligible age will go to 67. These vouchers will in no way be enough to buy insurance.
Any person with any familiarity with insurance, will immediately wonder how 67 year old people will do in the "free health insurance market" with a paltry voucher?
People who are 67 or over have a host of maladies. Right now, most seniors without Medicare who are 67 have no chance of even purchasing health insurance because of pre-existing conditions. People over 67 are VERY expensive to insure.
That is why we got Medicare in the first place!
Meanwhile, Ryan's "Plan" (actually a scheme to destroy Medicare), benignly (?) allows everyone over 55 when his plan goes into effect, can keep the "defined benefit" Medicare plan. So, let's just play this out.
Let's say Romney is elected and can somehow get this "reform" passed. All those over 55 would be guaranteed the Medicare we now have, which means they all have insurance. All those under 55 have a voucher waiting for them when they reach 67. I assume they keep paying into the fund, but get a voucher to go get private insurance. In 12 years, the 55 something has Medicare at 65 and has a "single payer" insurance with all the benefits of Medicare today (I assume). In 12 years the 54 something is 66 and is planning on getting a voucher. For at least thirty years, you will have a mix of elderly people, about 1/2 who have single payer insurance, 1/2 and growing who have to go out to the private insurance vultures to purchase insurance.
Have you heard of pool regarding insurance rates? This will be a disaster. You need a huge pool of people to bring the risk down of an insurance group. And 67 year old people (and older) are a horrible risk pool. All of them will be getting sick, cancer rates double the younger population, high blood pressure; etc, AND 1/2 of the pool will have the single payer Medicare program.
So, small pool, huge rates!
For almost 40 years, until all the traditional Medicare people die off, the pool of seniors to "shop" for individual insurance will result in premiums that will be staggering.
The ONLY way insurance companies can even insure this group, and Ryan's bright idea forces them to, is to pass the cost along to younger customers; the 40, 30 and 20 somethings.
The potential for huge increases in health insurance premiums is 100%.
It won't work. It is ridiculous.
We do need to reform Medicare. We need to crack down on fraud and abuse. We need, perhaps, to raise some deductibles on wealthy Medicare recipients. We might even need to increase the tax that drives the program.
That's right, we may have to pay a little more, to keep the program solvent. Oh God, I just said the tax word...Romney will immediately protect his tax returns.
Any of these more sensible ideas are superior to the sheer insanity of the Ryan plan.
And seniors, like me who just turned 65, are beginning to think this through, and realize it for the madness that it is.
And Romney, who foolishly put Ryan on his ticket, is suffering in the polls big time.
Monday, September 24, 2012
The Only Thing To Fear
In 1945 the United States led the United Nations to defeat one of the worst evils the world had ever seen. We recently visited Italy, marveled at the accomplishments of the Renaisance, the history, the art, the civilization.
However, Italy and Germany murdered millions during World War II.
And what was the engine of this destruction? What caused these very civilized, Christian nations to turn into engines of evil?
Fascism. Propaganda. Fear.
I have read several letters to the editor recently warning that America is at risk, that our freedoms are in danger, that our freedom of religion is threatened, fear, fear, fear. And by implication, hate, hate, hate.
I ask those writers to go to a quiet place, and list the real, actual threats that REALLY threatens them. And, please turn off Fox News, right wing hit piece radio, and Rush is right. Just let it get real quiet, and list the real, actual limits on your liberty that threaten you so much. Make a list of all the times evil government, or President Obama has REALLY threatened you. I mean real threat, threatened imprisonment, violence, loss of doing what you really want to do. I will bet, your list is very short if you find a quiet place and turn off the propaganda machine.
Fascism is a socio-political illness. It is fed by fear, stereotypes and lies. Joseph Goebbles famously said, "If you are going to tell a lie to the masses, tell big lies". The disease of fascism feeds on fear, on telling big lies. And, it is works through blind, unquestioning fear, to motivate people to do horrible things.
When we get afraid, we do things we never would do, people in Italy and Germany killed, jailed, and attacked their supposed enemies. The Jews were supposedly responsible for the loss of WWI (Italy actually fought on the Allied Side), the Great Depression, everything wrong in the world.
And through it all, at first anyway, there was no REAL threat at all. People were motivated to kill their neighbors, imprison millons, because they were propagandized into fear, and responded with deadly force.
So, take a minute and think about all this before you go off on liberals, or the President, or those who supposedly are stealing your freedom.
You are getting worked by propaganda that is demonizing your fellow citizens, using fear everyday to manipulate your into the deadly trap of destructive fascism.
My father's generation fought, and sacrificed beyond belief to destroy the fascist destroyers. It was not easy. It killed almost 75 million people.
Be not afraid, the only thing we really have to fear is fear itself. That, and the propaganda manipulators, are our true enemies.
However, Italy and Germany murdered millions during World War II.
And what was the engine of this destruction? What caused these very civilized, Christian nations to turn into engines of evil?
Fascism. Propaganda. Fear.
I have read several letters to the editor recently warning that America is at risk, that our freedoms are in danger, that our freedom of religion is threatened, fear, fear, fear. And by implication, hate, hate, hate.
I ask those writers to go to a quiet place, and list the real, actual threats that REALLY threatens them. And, please turn off Fox News, right wing hit piece radio, and Rush is right. Just let it get real quiet, and list the real, actual limits on your liberty that threaten you so much. Make a list of all the times evil government, or President Obama has REALLY threatened you. I mean real threat, threatened imprisonment, violence, loss of doing what you really want to do. I will bet, your list is very short if you find a quiet place and turn off the propaganda machine.
Fascism is a socio-political illness. It is fed by fear, stereotypes and lies. Joseph Goebbles famously said, "If you are going to tell a lie to the masses, tell big lies". The disease of fascism feeds on fear, on telling big lies. And, it is works through blind, unquestioning fear, to motivate people to do horrible things.
When we get afraid, we do things we never would do, people in Italy and Germany killed, jailed, and attacked their supposed enemies. The Jews were supposedly responsible for the loss of WWI (Italy actually fought on the Allied Side), the Great Depression, everything wrong in the world.
And through it all, at first anyway, there was no REAL threat at all. People were motivated to kill their neighbors, imprison millons, because they were propagandized into fear, and responded with deadly force.
So, take a minute and think about all this before you go off on liberals, or the President, or those who supposedly are stealing your freedom.
You are getting worked by propaganda that is demonizing your fellow citizens, using fear everyday to manipulate your into the deadly trap of destructive fascism.
My father's generation fought, and sacrificed beyond belief to destroy the fascist destroyers. It was not easy. It killed almost 75 million people.
Be not afraid, the only thing we really have to fear is fear itself. That, and the propaganda manipulators, are our true enemies.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Romney is a Quitter
Again, I knew Mitt Romney. I knew him his Freshman year at Stanford. I met him through my good friend and teammate, Mark Marquess, who was Mitt's roommate, and my teammate on the Freshman (and later Varsity) football team.
I can say that now, because Stanford, where Mark is the baseball coach, has divulged this information.
Mitt was a nice enough guy, but reminded us constantly of his "top boy" status; which is being ranked first in his exclusive prep school. He had an almost obsessive need to be the best, to be the one who everyone looked up to.
I always had the feeling that Mitt did not like Stanford, he left after his Freshman year, because of the competition that existed. There were nothing but "top boys" at Stanford. Everyone was in the upper 2% of his/her class. Everyone was bright and talented.
Mitt missed being looked up to. At Stanford he was just another of a whole class of excellent athletes and students. He could not stand that. He could not compete with the Stanford freshmen.
In fact, I remember the phrase on our Frosh Book: "There is no greater burden than great potential". Mitt could not take that, he quit.
It was hard to be sure, to acclimate to the unbelievable talent that surrounded us, both athletically and academically. I struggled for awhile, until I realized that I was still who I was from my family background and upbringing, and I could compete, I just had to stay within myself and work.
Of course, I was a mechanic's kid, the first member of my family to graduate from college, the smallest active member of the Stanford Varsity for two years on scholarship; if anyone had trouble competing it was me.
And Mitt quit. And I, a 47% member, did not!
Of course, today, because I am on Medicare and get a state teacher's pension and small social security payment, I am a member of Romney's 47%. I am a Stanford graduate, football letter winner, possess a Masters Degree with many Credentials, spent 35 years teaching and managing the education system of this great country, did not quit, and now am a member of the 47%. In short, I am not rich!
But I did adapt, compete at the highest level, and succeed. It was not easy, but it could be done.
Mitt quit. That's right, he quit. The competition, the homesickness was too great, so he quit. He went on his mission, dodged the draft, and finished at BYU.
BYU? He picked BYU over Stanford? I still can't get over that!
Now, he basically has told the truth, for once, that he hates the 47%, who are mooching off the government, who are "entitlement" bound. He sneers at those who have lost out in the capitalist competition that he so espouses. The millions of the poor, the elderly who are under social security and medicare, he says he will not do anything for.
He will serve the rich, the well born. He will be the top boy!
The fact is this is the same old Mitt I knew at Stanford. In effect he does not want to adapt his views to the reality that there are many people in trouble in this country right now. He is quitting on the American Dream! Every time I think about the way he depicts the 47% as whining about their entitlements, it greatly angers me.
Mitt could not stand the competition that Stanford represented (and represents). He yearned for his priviliged life, his rich friends, he missed being the "top boy". He could not compete: SO HE QUIT!
That's right, he quit. He cut and ran. He is only really comfortable when he is in an environment that is fixed so he can win, he can be the top boy forever.
The guy is an incredible hypocrite he is messed up...God Help us from the Quitter becoming the real top boy!
I can say that now, because Stanford, where Mark is the baseball coach, has divulged this information.
Mitt was a nice enough guy, but reminded us constantly of his "top boy" status; which is being ranked first in his exclusive prep school. He had an almost obsessive need to be the best, to be the one who everyone looked up to.
I always had the feeling that Mitt did not like Stanford, he left after his Freshman year, because of the competition that existed. There were nothing but "top boys" at Stanford. Everyone was in the upper 2% of his/her class. Everyone was bright and talented.
Mitt missed being looked up to. At Stanford he was just another of a whole class of excellent athletes and students. He could not stand that. He could not compete with the Stanford freshmen.
In fact, I remember the phrase on our Frosh Book: "There is no greater burden than great potential". Mitt could not take that, he quit.
It was hard to be sure, to acclimate to the unbelievable talent that surrounded us, both athletically and academically. I struggled for awhile, until I realized that I was still who I was from my family background and upbringing, and I could compete, I just had to stay within myself and work.
Of course, I was a mechanic's kid, the first member of my family to graduate from college, the smallest active member of the Stanford Varsity for two years on scholarship; if anyone had trouble competing it was me.
And Mitt quit. And I, a 47% member, did not!
Of course, today, because I am on Medicare and get a state teacher's pension and small social security payment, I am a member of Romney's 47%. I am a Stanford graduate, football letter winner, possess a Masters Degree with many Credentials, spent 35 years teaching and managing the education system of this great country, did not quit, and now am a member of the 47%. In short, I am not rich!
But I did adapt, compete at the highest level, and succeed. It was not easy, but it could be done.
Mitt quit. That's right, he quit. The competition, the homesickness was too great, so he quit. He went on his mission, dodged the draft, and finished at BYU.
BYU? He picked BYU over Stanford? I still can't get over that!
Now, he basically has told the truth, for once, that he hates the 47%, who are mooching off the government, who are "entitlement" bound. He sneers at those who have lost out in the capitalist competition that he so espouses. The millions of the poor, the elderly who are under social security and medicare, he says he will not do anything for.
He will serve the rich, the well born. He will be the top boy!
The fact is this is the same old Mitt I knew at Stanford. In effect he does not want to adapt his views to the reality that there are many people in trouble in this country right now. He is quitting on the American Dream! Every time I think about the way he depicts the 47% as whining about their entitlements, it greatly angers me.
Mitt could not stand the competition that Stanford represented (and represents). He yearned for his priviliged life, his rich friends, he missed being the "top boy". He could not compete: SO HE QUIT!
That's right, he quit. He cut and ran. He is only really comfortable when he is in an environment that is fixed so he can win, he can be the top boy forever.
The guy is an incredible hypocrite he is messed up...God Help us from the Quitter becoming the real top boy!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Italy is Better Prepared
We recently enjoyed a two week tour of Italy. We we treated to beautiful scenery, breathtaking art and history. I had never been to Europe before, so for me it was definitely time to check some of the impressions I have developed over the years.
One impression I had was that Europe, and industrialized nations in Europe (Italy being one of course), have a much better mass transporation system than the United Stated.
This impression supported my deep concern that the United States is so dependent on individual transportation via automobiles and trucks, that we are at an increasing disadvantage in the global economy as oil reserves are used up.
I envisioned Italy as a place of trains, buses, mass transit, with few freeways, cars and long haul trucking.
And what did I find? Los Angeles!
Yep, that is right, Italy has lots of freeways (toll roads), lots of cars, R.V.s, and large diesel run eighteen wheelers.
Granted many of the cars are smaller, and the long haul trucks are not quite as large, but they are everywhere. Rome's traffic reminded me of the Bay Area, way too many cars for way too small of space.
Italy supposedly is in a deep recession. You couldn't have told that from the vehicle volume. The gas prices would cause a revolution in the United States, standing at over $8.00 per gallon. But, the cars are smaller, and I did notice more people occupying vehicles (obviously car pooling is being done).
The big difference is there are lots of passenger trains as well, and electric trollies, and public buses. These are well used, but seemed to me to have excess capacity.
This is the BIG difference I expected to see, and it was confirmed.
In short, as gas becomes more rare, Italians have a plan B, the train systems, and other mass transit alternatives are available.
We do not.
The United States passenger train system, especially in the west, is a joke. Public bus systems do exist in large cities, but are a mere fraction of the need, once we have to shift millions from their unaffordable gasoline run cars to buses, trollies; etc.
The most upsetting impression confirmed was that Italy, is way more prepared for the inevitable distress that dwinding oil resources will bring.
I will only mention their socialized medicine system, that takes up a fraction of the national economy compared to ours; more about that later.
Italy, regardless of my conservative friends "American exceptionlism" nonsense, is way more prepared for the future than we are. That's right folks, the Italy that Americans like to make fun of as being so dysfunctional, is way more prepared for the energy deprived future that is inevitable for the world economy.
Americans are fooling ourselves. We are so used to cheap energy, expecially oil, that we have built an economy and life style, that is now stuck in the past, and ill equipped for the future that will bring increasingly expensive energy costs, with practically no alternatives to getting ourselves to work, to vacation, to anywhere.
Italy is better prepared.
One impression I had was that Europe, and industrialized nations in Europe (Italy being one of course), have a much better mass transporation system than the United Stated.
This impression supported my deep concern that the United States is so dependent on individual transportation via automobiles and trucks, that we are at an increasing disadvantage in the global economy as oil reserves are used up.
I envisioned Italy as a place of trains, buses, mass transit, with few freeways, cars and long haul trucking.
And what did I find? Los Angeles!
Yep, that is right, Italy has lots of freeways (toll roads), lots of cars, R.V.s, and large diesel run eighteen wheelers.
Granted many of the cars are smaller, and the long haul trucks are not quite as large, but they are everywhere. Rome's traffic reminded me of the Bay Area, way too many cars for way too small of space.
Italy supposedly is in a deep recession. You couldn't have told that from the vehicle volume. The gas prices would cause a revolution in the United States, standing at over $8.00 per gallon. But, the cars are smaller, and I did notice more people occupying vehicles (obviously car pooling is being done).
The big difference is there are lots of passenger trains as well, and electric trollies, and public buses. These are well used, but seemed to me to have excess capacity.
This is the BIG difference I expected to see, and it was confirmed.
In short, as gas becomes more rare, Italians have a plan B, the train systems, and other mass transit alternatives are available.
We do not.
The United States passenger train system, especially in the west, is a joke. Public bus systems do exist in large cities, but are a mere fraction of the need, once we have to shift millions from their unaffordable gasoline run cars to buses, trollies; etc.
The most upsetting impression confirmed was that Italy, is way more prepared for the inevitable distress that dwinding oil resources will bring.
I will only mention their socialized medicine system, that takes up a fraction of the national economy compared to ours; more about that later.
Italy, regardless of my conservative friends "American exceptionlism" nonsense, is way more prepared for the future than we are. That's right folks, the Italy that Americans like to make fun of as being so dysfunctional, is way more prepared for the energy deprived future that is inevitable for the world economy.
Americans are fooling ourselves. We are so used to cheap energy, expecially oil, that we have built an economy and life style, that is now stuck in the past, and ill equipped for the future that will bring increasingly expensive energy costs, with practically no alternatives to getting ourselves to work, to vacation, to anywhere.
Italy is better prepared.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Why Lie?
Why lie?
Why lie, really I cannot believe the lies coming out of Mitt Romney's campaign.
Whoever is strategizing this (I suspect Karl Rove) has decided on every "hot button" issue that will stick, to de-legitimize the President.
One whopper is that the Affordable Care Act cuts over 7 billion dollars out of Medicare. This implies, that 7 billion dollars will be cut from Medicare benefits. The truth is 7 billion or so, it depends on how the efficiencies work, of savings are built into the Affordable Care Act. These savings do NOT come from benefits to Medicare recipients, but streamline reimbursements to insurance companies, cut over payments to insurance companies; in short, bring much needed savings to Medicare operations. The President pledged this during the Affordable Care debate, remember. He told us Medicare efficiencies had to occur, as PART of the new law.
Not ONE word was ever said about cuts in benefits, during the raging debate over the Affordable Care Act. Not one! In fact, I recall some Republicans saying that savings to Medicare were the ONLY responsible factor in the Act. And, Ryan's nefarious "budget" in fact includes these savings in his blueprint for Medicare "reform"; along with a whopping decrease in benefits!
So, the Rove school of political cheating, took advantage of what is an effort to actually shore up Medicare, a provision that Ryan himself has in his "budget", and proclaim it as a benefit cut. In a right world, there would immediate revulsion to this lying.
But this is an election year.
The next whopper is that the President has changed the welfare to work rules, allowing welfare to be paid to people who refuse to work. This is also completely false. The only modification made was years ago, giving states more flexibility in applying workfare rules. The Clinton welfare to work law is substantially the same; even Clinton has said so.
Again, nothing was said, until the election, in what is any out and out lie. Romney knows Americans hate "welfare cheats", Reagan was elected on this racist urban myth. It was a myth then, and a myth now, but is effective in appealing to white males, who hate African Americans and think they are all welfare cheats. The facts that the great majority of people on welfare are white, children, and adults now have to work to get it, are covered up by Romney's lies.
So, Romney continues his disingenuous path of campaigning, that so troubled his opponents in the last primary. Romney is being counseled, obviously, to stretch the truth or outright lie to win.
Finally there are those taxes. Romney has a record of tax dodging that goes back decades. He has a Swiss Bank Account, money in the Cayman Islands (a notorious tax avoidance vehicle), and when confronted about it, he LIES. He says he has always paid taxes, he panders, he pivots.
And, unlike every Presidential candidate before him, he refuses to release his income tax information for more than a paltry two years. He has been running for President for the past two years; and has obviously "cooked the books" to make his income tax record look acceptable.
There is something to hide, that is why he is not divulging his tax records. He is a rich man who cheats on his taxes, because he can afford to hire an army of accountants who work to find every loophole, every dodge, so he pays far less (maybe zero) of what he should pay. I have never been able to understand why multi-millionaires, who have more money than they know what to do with, spend millions to dodge taxes.
Now taking ordinary exemptions, or tax credits that work to improve the economy to encourage investment in the United States are not bad. But the Cayman islands? Switzerland? Really Mitt...300 million is not enough I guess.
What is really hard to understand, is why lie anyway. Romney has plenty of ammunition regarding the sluggish economy; even though the President inherited the mess from George W. But, there are a considerable number of Americans, including the President's supporters, who are frustrated with the tepid economic recovery.
Regardless, Romney lies anyway. He would have us believe that another round of tax cuts for the rich, permanently reducing revenue to the Federal Government, while increasing defense spending will somehow reduce the deficit. That is the same Whopper George W. did, cutting taxes while increasing spending and telling us it will all "trickle down" and somehow work.
2007/2008 proved conclusively, once again IT DOES NOT WORK!!!!
This is the problem with lying to win. Once in office, the practice continues. George W., is a great example. He lied to get elected (he actually didn't get elected, he cheated there too) telling whoppers about being a "compassionate conservative", wanting to "save social security"; etc.
Once in office, when confronted with his own bungling during 9/11, he lied constantly, drawing the nation into two wars. Then he lied about the budget, pushing through a senseless tax cut. He lied about Katrina. He lied about Iraq.
Editorial writers mused about the "alternative reality" that the Bush Administration fabricated to cover everything. This blew up big time, when the "ownership society" (another pack of lies) led to the housing bubble economic catastrophe, that plunged us into a depression in 2008.
You see, reality is still reality. No matter how much lying you do, the facts are the facts. Romney is trying the same tricks as Bush did, telling huge lies to get elected, which leads to then more lies to stay elected. Once lying is rewarded, it becomes compulsive.
When nations follow this path, see Germany 1932 to 1945, the results can be catastrophic.
President Obama has told us the truth, he has never promised what he could not deliver. He told us right off the bat, that the economic recovery would be hard. He counseled that there was no easy way out. He has told us about the energy problems, the educational challenges. He did bring unemployment down, just not enough. He did stop what was a plunge into a depression.
He also promised a medical insurance reform, which he delivered. He promised to get Bin Laden, which he did. He promised to withdraw from Iraq, which he did. He promised to change our approach to terrorism, which he did with positive results; his leadership has killed more terrorists that Bush ever did.
There is an old saying, "Never promise a rose garden". Romney is doing that now, promising and lying for effect. The President is telling it straight.
You choose.
Why lie, really I cannot believe the lies coming out of Mitt Romney's campaign.
Whoever is strategizing this (I suspect Karl Rove) has decided on every "hot button" issue that will stick, to de-legitimize the President.
One whopper is that the Affordable Care Act cuts over 7 billion dollars out of Medicare. This implies, that 7 billion dollars will be cut from Medicare benefits. The truth is 7 billion or so, it depends on how the efficiencies work, of savings are built into the Affordable Care Act. These savings do NOT come from benefits to Medicare recipients, but streamline reimbursements to insurance companies, cut over payments to insurance companies; in short, bring much needed savings to Medicare operations. The President pledged this during the Affordable Care debate, remember. He told us Medicare efficiencies had to occur, as PART of the new law.
Not ONE word was ever said about cuts in benefits, during the raging debate over the Affordable Care Act. Not one! In fact, I recall some Republicans saying that savings to Medicare were the ONLY responsible factor in the Act. And, Ryan's nefarious "budget" in fact includes these savings in his blueprint for Medicare "reform"; along with a whopping decrease in benefits!
So, the Rove school of political cheating, took advantage of what is an effort to actually shore up Medicare, a provision that Ryan himself has in his "budget", and proclaim it as a benefit cut. In a right world, there would immediate revulsion to this lying.
But this is an election year.
The next whopper is that the President has changed the welfare to work rules, allowing welfare to be paid to people who refuse to work. This is also completely false. The only modification made was years ago, giving states more flexibility in applying workfare rules. The Clinton welfare to work law is substantially the same; even Clinton has said so.
Again, nothing was said, until the election, in what is any out and out lie. Romney knows Americans hate "welfare cheats", Reagan was elected on this racist urban myth. It was a myth then, and a myth now, but is effective in appealing to white males, who hate African Americans and think they are all welfare cheats. The facts that the great majority of people on welfare are white, children, and adults now have to work to get it, are covered up by Romney's lies.
So, Romney continues his disingenuous path of campaigning, that so troubled his opponents in the last primary. Romney is being counseled, obviously, to stretch the truth or outright lie to win.
Finally there are those taxes. Romney has a record of tax dodging that goes back decades. He has a Swiss Bank Account, money in the Cayman Islands (a notorious tax avoidance vehicle), and when confronted about it, he LIES. He says he has always paid taxes, he panders, he pivots.
And, unlike every Presidential candidate before him, he refuses to release his income tax information for more than a paltry two years. He has been running for President for the past two years; and has obviously "cooked the books" to make his income tax record look acceptable.
There is something to hide, that is why he is not divulging his tax records. He is a rich man who cheats on his taxes, because he can afford to hire an army of accountants who work to find every loophole, every dodge, so he pays far less (maybe zero) of what he should pay. I have never been able to understand why multi-millionaires, who have more money than they know what to do with, spend millions to dodge taxes.
Now taking ordinary exemptions, or tax credits that work to improve the economy to encourage investment in the United States are not bad. But the Cayman islands? Switzerland? Really Mitt...300 million is not enough I guess.
What is really hard to understand, is why lie anyway. Romney has plenty of ammunition regarding the sluggish economy; even though the President inherited the mess from George W. But, there are a considerable number of Americans, including the President's supporters, who are frustrated with the tepid economic recovery.
Regardless, Romney lies anyway. He would have us believe that another round of tax cuts for the rich, permanently reducing revenue to the Federal Government, while increasing defense spending will somehow reduce the deficit. That is the same Whopper George W. did, cutting taxes while increasing spending and telling us it will all "trickle down" and somehow work.
2007/2008 proved conclusively, once again IT DOES NOT WORK!!!!
This is the problem with lying to win. Once in office, the practice continues. George W., is a great example. He lied to get elected (he actually didn't get elected, he cheated there too) telling whoppers about being a "compassionate conservative", wanting to "save social security"; etc.
Once in office, when confronted with his own bungling during 9/11, he lied constantly, drawing the nation into two wars. Then he lied about the budget, pushing through a senseless tax cut. He lied about Katrina. He lied about Iraq.
Editorial writers mused about the "alternative reality" that the Bush Administration fabricated to cover everything. This blew up big time, when the "ownership society" (another pack of lies) led to the housing bubble economic catastrophe, that plunged us into a depression in 2008.
You see, reality is still reality. No matter how much lying you do, the facts are the facts. Romney is trying the same tricks as Bush did, telling huge lies to get elected, which leads to then more lies to stay elected. Once lying is rewarded, it becomes compulsive.
When nations follow this path, see Germany 1932 to 1945, the results can be catastrophic.
President Obama has told us the truth, he has never promised what he could not deliver. He told us right off the bat, that the economic recovery would be hard. He counseled that there was no easy way out. He has told us about the energy problems, the educational challenges. He did bring unemployment down, just not enough. He did stop what was a plunge into a depression.
He also promised a medical insurance reform, which he delivered. He promised to get Bin Laden, which he did. He promised to withdraw from Iraq, which he did. He promised to change our approach to terrorism, which he did with positive results; his leadership has killed more terrorists that Bush ever did.
There is an old saying, "Never promise a rose garden". Romney is doing that now, promising and lying for effect. The President is telling it straight.
You choose.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Water in the Bathtub...
Northern California is a land of forests. Much of our forest land, old growth forest, has been cut down. Historical maps show startling evidence of massive clear cutting over the past 100 years.
As clear cut forests grew back, the fire proof nature of the old growth forests were lost. Fire is part of the natural process of ecological forest maintenance. But, old growth forests develop naturally, fire cleanses the underbrush; and those forests are gone.
New growth forests have more undergrowth, more foreign plant species, and burn faster and hotter than old growth forests.
Add to that, the ravages of climate change, and our forests are now like atomic bombs; they don't just burn, they blow up!
The Ponderosa Fire figures to be one of the most destructive in Northern California history. Dozens of homes have burned, thousands of acres have literally exploded.
We have a state rural fire fee of $150 per year. If you have a local fire district the fee is $120 per year; $10 per month; which is about two six packs!
But, Oh My Gawd, the Howard Jarvis Tax Association, is fighting the fee in court, as California's forests burn down. Jarvis is rushing to the taxpayers defense (and destruction) once again.
Over and over again, conservative anti-tax groups have successfully stopped tax replacement revenue attempts. California, and the United States, has cut tax continuously over the past forty years. Meanwhile, California and the United States have kept spending.
In California this has meant adding millions to our prison population as part of the "war on crime/drugs" effort pushed by conservatives who opposed "bleeding heart liberals" who were "soft on crime". Conservatives were able to use scare tactics to convince voters that the best way to treat a heroin addict is to throw them in jail forever (three strikes).
So, California has spend billions on incarcerating everyone they can for as long as possible. This costs money, lots of it. We now spend more money on prisons than on colleges! And crime still is rising!
Meanwhile, in California, any taxes that were cut, to stimulate whatever segment of the economy that was targeted, can NEVER be re instituted. It takes a simple majority to cut a tax, it takes a 2/3 majority to add or even re institute a tax.
California even recalled a governor because he sought to re institute the vehicle license fee, a legally mandated thing to do. That 9 Billion Dollar hit, that got us the governator (one of the worst governors ever) is at the core of the budget deficit today.
An anti-tax pledge has been taken by EVERY Republican in the legislature, pledging to NEVER raise taxes, even if those taxes were previously reduced "temporarily". So, no 2/3 majority....EVER! As a result, state revenues have been steadily declining for at least a decade, while the population, fires, college enrollments, school enrollments;etc., have increased.
Nationally, the Bush Tax Cuts are a perfect example. The Bush Tax Cuts were meant to temporarily stimulate the economy because of the 9/11 Recession, and to spend down the "budget surplus" (that didn't exist for another 10 years), from the Clinton Budget of 2000. Of course, two wars, Homeland Security, additions to Medicare; etc, made the Bush Presidency one of the most spendy in history.
This coupled with the tax cuts created a huge......deficit.
Same nonsense in California, excessive spending in "social criminal engineering" by conservatives, were coupled with incessant tax reductions creating a.......deficit.
So now, the state, which is literally broke, must seek a rural fire fee. Moreover, a small tax increase (actually re institution) is on the ballot to basically forestall massive cuts in state services and education.
And of course, the revenue hawks are on the prowl, screaming that the state has plenty of money, the state is "anti-business" and needs to guess what; cut taxes even more.
So, infrastructure improvements are stalled, colleges are starved, fires are fought but with borrowed money; in fact if the fire fee is stopped, I have no idea how we fight the fires.
Oh, I know, one of conservative friends told me, the local citizens can band together, like in the old days, to fight the fires; thousand acre monsters, burning with the same energy of Hiroshima!? Sure...right!
And the ordinary voter, from a middle class that has been decimated by all this nonsense, STILL believes it is the government's fault, that there is plenty of revenue, that tax cuts are good for them. The middle class in this country stopped trusting the Democratic Party after the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the Reagan presidency, with disastrous consequences for itself; a classic example of self destruction!
TAX CUTS ARE KILLING THE MIDDLE CLASS. TAX CUTS HURT THE ECONOMY. TAX CUTS DO NOT WORK TO STIMULATE ANYTHING...except a rich person's Swiss Bank Account: see Mitt Romney economic personal stimulus plan #2.
And, guess who doesn't believe any of these facts; what is left of America's white, (especially male high school graduate) middle class.
I predict that Orville Norquist will succeed, government will indeed be drowned in the bathtub. But the water it took to drown government, will be needed to put out the damn fires; and with no water, we will all burn in hell.
It's the revenue.
As clear cut forests grew back, the fire proof nature of the old growth forests were lost. Fire is part of the natural process of ecological forest maintenance. But, old growth forests develop naturally, fire cleanses the underbrush; and those forests are gone.
New growth forests have more undergrowth, more foreign plant species, and burn faster and hotter than old growth forests.
Add to that, the ravages of climate change, and our forests are now like atomic bombs; they don't just burn, they blow up!
The Ponderosa Fire figures to be one of the most destructive in Northern California history. Dozens of homes have burned, thousands of acres have literally exploded.
We have a state rural fire fee of $150 per year. If you have a local fire district the fee is $120 per year; $10 per month; which is about two six packs!
But, Oh My Gawd, the Howard Jarvis Tax Association, is fighting the fee in court, as California's forests burn down. Jarvis is rushing to the taxpayers defense (and destruction) once again.
Over and over again, conservative anti-tax groups have successfully stopped tax replacement revenue attempts. California, and the United States, has cut tax continuously over the past forty years. Meanwhile, California and the United States have kept spending.
In California this has meant adding millions to our prison population as part of the "war on crime/drugs" effort pushed by conservatives who opposed "bleeding heart liberals" who were "soft on crime". Conservatives were able to use scare tactics to convince voters that the best way to treat a heroin addict is to throw them in jail forever (three strikes).
So, California has spend billions on incarcerating everyone they can for as long as possible. This costs money, lots of it. We now spend more money on prisons than on colleges! And crime still is rising!
Meanwhile, in California, any taxes that were cut, to stimulate whatever segment of the economy that was targeted, can NEVER be re instituted. It takes a simple majority to cut a tax, it takes a 2/3 majority to add or even re institute a tax.
California even recalled a governor because he sought to re institute the vehicle license fee, a legally mandated thing to do. That 9 Billion Dollar hit, that got us the governator (one of the worst governors ever) is at the core of the budget deficit today.
An anti-tax pledge has been taken by EVERY Republican in the legislature, pledging to NEVER raise taxes, even if those taxes were previously reduced "temporarily". So, no 2/3 majority....EVER! As a result, state revenues have been steadily declining for at least a decade, while the population, fires, college enrollments, school enrollments;etc., have increased.
Nationally, the Bush Tax Cuts are a perfect example. The Bush Tax Cuts were meant to temporarily stimulate the economy because of the 9/11 Recession, and to spend down the "budget surplus" (that didn't exist for another 10 years), from the Clinton Budget of 2000. Of course, two wars, Homeland Security, additions to Medicare; etc, made the Bush Presidency one of the most spendy in history.
This coupled with the tax cuts created a huge......deficit.
Same nonsense in California, excessive spending in "social criminal engineering" by conservatives, were coupled with incessant tax reductions creating a.......deficit.
So now, the state, which is literally broke, must seek a rural fire fee. Moreover, a small tax increase (actually re institution) is on the ballot to basically forestall massive cuts in state services and education.
And of course, the revenue hawks are on the prowl, screaming that the state has plenty of money, the state is "anti-business" and needs to guess what; cut taxes even more.
So, infrastructure improvements are stalled, colleges are starved, fires are fought but with borrowed money; in fact if the fire fee is stopped, I have no idea how we fight the fires.
Oh, I know, one of conservative friends told me, the local citizens can band together, like in the old days, to fight the fires; thousand acre monsters, burning with the same energy of Hiroshima!? Sure...right!
And the ordinary voter, from a middle class that has been decimated by all this nonsense, STILL believes it is the government's fault, that there is plenty of revenue, that tax cuts are good for them. The middle class in this country stopped trusting the Democratic Party after the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the Reagan presidency, with disastrous consequences for itself; a classic example of self destruction!
TAX CUTS ARE KILLING THE MIDDLE CLASS. TAX CUTS HURT THE ECONOMY. TAX CUTS DO NOT WORK TO STIMULATE ANYTHING...except a rich person's Swiss Bank Account: see Mitt Romney economic personal stimulus plan #2.
And, guess who doesn't believe any of these facts; what is left of America's white, (especially male high school graduate) middle class.
I predict that Orville Norquist will succeed, government will indeed be drowned in the bathtub. But the water it took to drown government, will be needed to put out the damn fires; and with no water, we will all burn in hell.
It's the revenue.
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