My very dear friend, Luanne Zoller, posted this on election day.
It's time for all of us to set aside our egos and start thinking of what we can do to help our country.
Put this on FaceBook just now.......
Dear Friends,
This will be my last political post. I am really worried about the divisiveness of this election and how it seems to be affecting friendships. I am also very worried that some of my FB “friends” are considering voting for a candidate that is a polar opposite to everything I hold dear in my life.
I believe in Diplomacy as opposed to War. I believe in the United Nations. I believe in Defending this Nation. I believe in Peace on Earth and not bomb the crap out of everybody. I believe in honoring Diversity and Religious Freedom, for all citizens of this planet. I believe that Love Not Hate will heal the world.
I believe that the Administration prior to this one got us into this Economic Mess. I believe that it takes more than 4 years to get us out of it. I believe we are on the Right Track. I believe that the 2% should have to pay their fair share of taxes. I believe that the Economy is Improving. I believe that Wall Street, Corporations and Banks have ruined us. I believe in the Middle Class and the 98%. I don’t believe in Greed.
I believe in the Separation of Church and State. I believe in Human Rights and Civil Rights. I believe that as a Woman, I have the right to make my own medical decisions. I believe that I should have the Right to Marry the person I choose to marry and not have some politician or hateful bigot make that decision for me.
I believe in a God and I believe that God is a loving being that wants me to take care of the Sick, Elderly and Poor. I do believe there is a time and place for Hand Outs and I also believe in giving a Hands Up. I believe in Compassion.
I believe in a Strong Government which provides us with FEMA and I believe disasters of this scale require Federal Intervention and Assistance. I don’t believe that states should have to fend for themselves.
I believe in Your Right to Bear Arms but not your right to use an assault weapon on innocent children and citizens. I believe there are some sick people out there that need help but I also believe in removing these weapons.
And yes, I believe in Global Warming. And I believe in putting the Environment First so that later generations can enjoy this Spectacular Planet.
Please vote your Conscience.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Where Did Mitt Go?
Before the campaign really got going I thought to myself that should Romney win, that that would probably be okay.
He's a good, spiritual family. Smarter than W, and a much better speaker at least.
Most of all a man of principles, ethics and commitment.
I still that was right then, but what has happened I believe to Mr. Romney is that in his ambition to become President, he has lost track of who he is.
He has reverted to being a fast tlking salesman like he was at Bain.
You know the kind.
They'll promise or say anything to get you to sign on the dotted line and close the deal.
Conservative crowd, hey, I'm a severe conservative.
No abortions under any case.
Lets spend $2 trillion more on defense than the military asks for.
Merry Christmas defense contractors.
And then the debates.
The biggest audiences he will ever see and that ol' severe conservative changes faster than a cameleon's dream.
Whatever Obama had accomplished, the governor was right behind him, smiling like pig in shit, no rancor, just that Chamber oc Commerce grin.
Ya, he would have gotten Bib Laden.
Ya, he would have bailed out the auto industry.
Ya, he would make sure everyone had health care.
He was spinning bullshit so fast and furious it was dripping off of his chin.
He forgot about saying getting Bin Laden was a waste of time.
He forgot that his plan for private financing the auto bailout wouldn't have worked. There was no private money out ther.
He forgot his statement that we have health coverage for the uninsured already, its the hospital emergency room.
The scariest thing about Romney for me is the group of people he has for advisors.
Many of them are the same people that W turned to.
The same o es that led us into 2 wars.
The same that sat and watched while the economy was collapsing.
They say that a sign of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different outcome.
What does that say about the people that will vote for Romney?
He's slicker and talks better but is he any different?
He's a good, spiritual family. Smarter than W, and a much better speaker at least.
Most of all a man of principles, ethics and commitment.
I still that was right then, but what has happened I believe to Mr. Romney is that in his ambition to become President, he has lost track of who he is.
He has reverted to being a fast tlking salesman like he was at Bain.
You know the kind.
They'll promise or say anything to get you to sign on the dotted line and close the deal.
Conservative crowd, hey, I'm a severe conservative.
No abortions under any case.
Lets spend $2 trillion more on defense than the military asks for.
Merry Christmas defense contractors.
And then the debates.
The biggest audiences he will ever see and that ol' severe conservative changes faster than a cameleon's dream.
Whatever Obama had accomplished, the governor was right behind him, smiling like pig in shit, no rancor, just that Chamber oc Commerce grin.
Ya, he would have gotten Bib Laden.
Ya, he would have bailed out the auto industry.
Ya, he would make sure everyone had health care.
He was spinning bullshit so fast and furious it was dripping off of his chin.
He forgot about saying getting Bin Laden was a waste of time.
He forgot that his plan for private financing the auto bailout wouldn't have worked. There was no private money out ther.
He forgot his statement that we have health coverage for the uninsured already, its the hospital emergency room.
The scariest thing about Romney for me is the group of people he has for advisors.
Many of them are the same people that W turned to.
The same o es that led us into 2 wars.
The same that sat and watched while the economy was collapsing.
They say that a sign of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different outcome.
What does that say about the people that will vote for Romney?
He's slicker and talks better but is he any different?
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Romney, Romney, Where's Romney?
In last week's Presidential debate Gov. Romney continued his trip down the path of no identity.
He was the very moderate conservative governor of Massachusetts.
During the campaign he became the self professed 'severe conservative'.
Whateve the hell that is.
Then last week he swerved back to the moderate middle.
In the vernacular of the texting world, WTF?
Easy explanation. Like any good chameleon, or person with no conviction, he adjusts his views to those of his audience.
I'm sure if he had been speaking to a group of nuns he would have been saying Hail Marys!
He has alternated between being pro-choice or anti-choice(aka pro-life) depending upon the audience.
Gov. Romney created a successful healthcare system, now he wants to abandon Obamacare which is a veritable copy of his RomneyCare plan.
He stated that 47% of the people won't vote for him no matter what so he won't even address them, then days later he is assurring everyone that he would be a 100% President.
Oh, wait 100%er in public, 47% in private.
Different audience, different point of view.
He said that he plans on maintaining the Bush tax cuts and cut everyone's tax rates by 20% and increase defense spending by $2trillion.
All of these reductions in income and he will keep the budget 'revenue' neutral by eliminating deductions, loop holes, etc..
But the middle class won't pay more.
The bean counters have calculated that 20% equals about $4.7 trillion
The deductions and loop holes will make up about $2.7trillion leaving a $2% tril. difference.
Oh, and don't forget the + $2 tril for defense.
That puts us back to $4 tril.
Where will that come from?
That's right, you and me.
The middle class.
I hope you weren't planning on using your tax refund for a vacation or new car.
Without a mortgage and property tax deductions, kiss that refund good by.
Oh, and that $20 you put in the collection plate and the pile of old clothes you took to Goodwill?
Those are out of the goodness of your heart, since that deduction will go too.
I wish I were the owner of my own business so I could have it own my home and then take it and all expeses as business expenses.
Or go on vacation to explore new business opportunities with my wife, the VP of the company.
And don't forget the kids cars, owned and maintained by my company.
I sure hope my Mom enjoys the house at the beach the company owns.
Lucky I can cover her on the company health insurance plan.
If Gov. Romney becomes president, I won't have to worry about the tax changes at all, and I know he'll take care of me.
And I'm not even a 1%. Yet.
He was the very moderate conservative governor of Massachusetts.
During the campaign he became the self professed 'severe conservative'.
Whateve the hell that is.
Then last week he swerved back to the moderate middle.
In the vernacular of the texting world, WTF?
Easy explanation. Like any good chameleon, or person with no conviction, he adjusts his views to those of his audience.
I'm sure if he had been speaking to a group of nuns he would have been saying Hail Marys!
He has alternated between being pro-choice or anti-choice(aka pro-life) depending upon the audience.
Gov. Romney created a successful healthcare system, now he wants to abandon Obamacare which is a veritable copy of his RomneyCare plan.
He stated that 47% of the people won't vote for him no matter what so he won't even address them, then days later he is assurring everyone that he would be a 100% President.
Oh, wait 100%er in public, 47% in private.
Different audience, different point of view.
He said that he plans on maintaining the Bush tax cuts and cut everyone's tax rates by 20% and increase defense spending by $2trillion.
All of these reductions in income and he will keep the budget 'revenue' neutral by eliminating deductions, loop holes, etc..
But the middle class won't pay more.
The bean counters have calculated that 20% equals about $4.7 trillion
The deductions and loop holes will make up about $2.7trillion leaving a $2% tril. difference.
Oh, and don't forget the + $2 tril for defense.
That puts us back to $4 tril.
Where will that come from?
That's right, you and me.
The middle class.
I hope you weren't planning on using your tax refund for a vacation or new car.
Without a mortgage and property tax deductions, kiss that refund good by.
Oh, and that $20 you put in the collection plate and the pile of old clothes you took to Goodwill?
Those are out of the goodness of your heart, since that deduction will go too.
I wish I were the owner of my own business so I could have it own my home and then take it and all expeses as business expenses.
Or go on vacation to explore new business opportunities with my wife, the VP of the company.
And don't forget the kids cars, owned and maintained by my company.
I sure hope my Mom enjoys the house at the beach the company owns.
Lucky I can cover her on the company health insurance plan.
If Gov. Romney becomes president, I won't have to worry about the tax changes at all, and I know he'll take care of me.
And I'm not even a 1%. Yet.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Republican Thievery. If you don't have any good ideas of your own, just steal some!
I have plagiarised this post from an answer to a Eugene Robinson article in the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-republicans-steal-medicare-from-the-democrats/2012/08/27/6c7a06b2-f073-11e1-892d-bc92fee603a7_story.html?hpid=z3
nobsartist 7:37 PM PDT
For all of those with short memory problems-
the GDP was -8% and today it's 2.2+% (it'd be over 3.2 if not for all the gov't layoffs in state/local -- particularly teachers)
- the DOW was ~7.2K and now it's 13.5K
- the Recovery Act provided ~4million jobs (according to the CBO)
- rescue of the auto industry succeeded in saving over a million jobs; GM on top; Chrysler's 1Q '12 results showed earnings up over 25%
- manufacturing jobs have increased to pre 2004 levels
- US home sales rose 3.4% in April ’12 from March
- federal spending is down for the 1st time in 40 years
- taxes cut for every working American
- taxes cut for small businesses 18x - $200 billion in tax relief and incentives for small business
- exports are up over 30%; exports to Western Hemisphere up over 40%
- 3 international trade deals signed with S. Korea, Panama and Columbia
- Affordable Care Act signed(the health care system in the US is decimating American middle class)
- Ledbetter Act signed
- added ~ 900 border patrol officers
- out of Iraq
- killed bin Laden
-gave Paul Ryan 21 MILLION DOLLARS for the stimulus that he says he never asked for
Want more?
Now you tell me Romney's record.
Mittens did not pay any taxes for 10 YEARS!
Vet Romney -- but you won't do it.
nobsartist 7:37 PM PDT
For all of those with short memory problems-
the GDP was -8% and today it's 2.2+% (it'd be over 3.2 if not for all the gov't layoffs in state/local -- particularly teachers)
- the DOW was ~7.2K and now it's 13.5K
- the Recovery Act provided ~4million jobs (according to the CBO)
- rescue of the auto industry succeeded in saving over a million jobs; GM on top; Chrysler's 1Q '12 results showed earnings up over 25%
- manufacturing jobs have increased to pre 2004 levels
- US home sales rose 3.4% in April ’12 from March
- federal spending is down for the 1st time in 40 years
- taxes cut for every working American
- taxes cut for small businesses 18x - $200 billion in tax relief and incentives for small business
- exports are up over 30%; exports to Western Hemisphere up over 40%
- 3 international trade deals signed with S. Korea, Panama and Columbia
- Affordable Care Act signed(the health care system in the US is decimating American middle class)
- Ledbetter Act signed
- added ~ 900 border patrol officers
- out of Iraq
- killed bin Laden
-gave Paul Ryan 21 MILLION DOLLARS for the stimulus that he says he never asked for
Want more?
Now you tell me Romney's record.
Mittens did not pay any taxes for 10 YEARS!
Vet Romney -- but you won't do it.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
More Thoughts on Healthcare, and Insurance.
Okay, like I said before, I want to focus on healthcare costs and let the government decide who is going to pay for it.
I have been thinking that perhaps a better way to get costs down would be pressure from the insurance companies.
Treat them as the utility.
Regulate how much they can charge for insurance, at the state level.
Provide guidelines for services.
To prevent them from just denying service, there would be local review boards made up of health care professionals to perform spot reviews and requests for mediation for contested services.
Insurance companies would also be incented to work with care providers to develop less expensive treatments.
The idea is if the insurance companies are encouraged to reduce care costs, they will put pressure on the care community to do so as well.
What do you think?
I have been thinking that perhaps a better way to get costs down would be pressure from the insurance companies.
Treat them as the utility.
Regulate how much they can charge for insurance, at the state level.
Provide guidelines for services.
To prevent them from just denying service, there would be local review boards made up of health care professionals to perform spot reviews and requests for mediation for contested services.
Insurance companies would also be incented to work with care providers to develop less expensive treatments.
The idea is if the insurance companies are encouraged to reduce care costs, they will put pressure on the care community to do so as well.
What do you think?
Arizona Building Fence For Wrong Reason
I was just reading that the state of Arizona has raised 10% of the needed $2.8 million needed to build 1 mile of fence. http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-want-ariz-border-fence-started-202136669.html
That comes to a whopping $280,000?
Roughly $2,520,000 short of building that first mile.
Then they would only need $557,200,000 left to raise for the other 199 miles of fence.
Given Arizona's population of about 7,863,289, and Taking out the roughly 31% that are Hispanic, and assuming they are not pro-fence, that leaves about 5,425,669 to pay.
Or, a little over $103,000 each non-Hispanic man, woman and child in the state.
Ya, thats going to happen.
I don't really care about what less than well thought out ways Arizona wants to spend money it doesn't have.
And yet I think if they changed their plan a bit, that I and a lot of people would be glad to help them .
Build the fence around the entire state.
Yup, a fence to keep the crazies in, not the Hispanics out.
To get into Arizona you would have to show your NRA card and loaded weapon with a minimum amount of ammunition.
Sort of a do it yourself Hunger Game.
To get out, well thats pretty complicated.
How does a person prove that they are ready for civilization?
I need to think on that one.
That comes to a whopping $280,000?
Roughly $2,520,000 short of building that first mile.
Then they would only need $557,200,000 left to raise for the other 199 miles of fence.
Given Arizona's population of about 7,863,289, and Taking out the roughly 31% that are Hispanic, and assuming they are not pro-fence, that leaves about 5,425,669 to pay.
Or, a little over $103,000 each non-Hispanic man, woman and child in the state.
Ya, thats going to happen.
I don't really care about what less than well thought out ways Arizona wants to spend money it doesn't have.
And yet I think if they changed their plan a bit, that I and a lot of people would be glad to help them .
Build the fence around the entire state.
Yup, a fence to keep the crazies in, not the Hispanics out.
To get into Arizona you would have to show your NRA card and loaded weapon with a minimum amount of ammunition.
Sort of a do it yourself Hunger Game.
To get out, well thats pretty complicated.
How does a person prove that they are ready for civilization?
I need to think on that one.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
50 Shades of Rape by Todd and Paul
I've been listening to the TV people talking about Rep. Todd Akins use of the term 'legitimate rape' and about Rep. Paul Ryan sponsoring bills regarding abortion and using the term 'forcible rape'.
It would be very easy to disregard these discussions as simply parsing the statements to find anything that can be used by the opposition against these people.
But the usage of those two words is how these people try to sound like they are reasonable and would allow abortion under some circumstances. While the truth is they don't want to allow abortion under any situation. Rape, how do you define forcible or legitimate vs other rape? What kind of rape is the conservative movement performing on the American woman and public in general? Is it forcible, legitimate, or miscellaneous?
I am tired of the arrogance of the conservatives in this country.
They use terms like, Christian Values and Pro-Life as if they are on some sort of superior moral plane to the rest of us.
What about those of us that choose to live by values that are shared by all religions and societies - Human Values?
We respect each other, we don't steal, kill, cheat, or harm our neighbors, not because we are practicing Christian values, but Human values.
And the term, Pro Life. This is insulting to any one that does not agree with these people.
Are we, Pro Death? NO!
I believe everyone is pro life.
The difference is really, Pro-Choice vs Pro-Control.
Call it like it really is, liberals. Quit being a bunch of pussies!
It would be very easy to disregard these discussions as simply parsing the statements to find anything that can be used by the opposition against these people.
But the usage of those two words is how these people try to sound like they are reasonable and would allow abortion under some circumstances. While the truth is they don't want to allow abortion under any situation. Rape, how do you define forcible or legitimate vs other rape? What kind of rape is the conservative movement performing on the American woman and public in general? Is it forcible, legitimate, or miscellaneous?
I am tired of the arrogance of the conservatives in this country.
They use terms like, Christian Values and Pro-Life as if they are on some sort of superior moral plane to the rest of us.
What about those of us that choose to live by values that are shared by all religions and societies - Human Values?
We respect each other, we don't steal, kill, cheat, or harm our neighbors, not because we are practicing Christian values, but Human values.
And the term, Pro Life. This is insulting to any one that does not agree with these people.
Are we, Pro Death? NO!
I believe everyone is pro life.
The difference is really, Pro-Choice vs Pro-Control.
Call it like it really is, liberals. Quit being a bunch of pussies!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Healthcare: 1 May, 2012
Instead of focusing on how to pay for healthcare I prefer to look at how to decrease the amount that has to be paid..
Everyone has to have it just like water, sewer, electricity, etc., so let's regulate like other necessities, i.e. utilities.
Clinics, physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, labs will be able charge enough to make a good profit.
And yet not an outrageous profit.
If their costs go up they can request price increases.
If costs go down, the prices go down. Insurance companies get same considerations.
Their premiums will be tied to expenditures.
Providers will be required to help fund services in rural, undeserved areas to insure everyone has care.
There will be a public commission to do the regulating.
Transparency! Don't we all like transparency?
There will be a system of incentives to encourage preventive care, public health education, and for introducing efficiencies into the healthcare system that improve care and/or lower costs.
Everyone has to have it just like water, sewer, electricity, etc., so let's regulate like other necessities, i.e. utilities.
Clinics, physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, labs will be able charge enough to make a good profit.
And yet not an outrageous profit.
If their costs go up they can request price increases.
If costs go down, the prices go down. Insurance companies get same considerations.
Their premiums will be tied to expenditures.
Providers will be required to help fund services in rural, undeserved areas to insure everyone has care.
There will be a public commission to do the regulating.
Transparency! Don't we all like transparency?
There will be a system of incentives to encourage preventive care, public health education, and for introducing efficiencies into the healthcare system that improve care and/or lower costs.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Lightbulb and the Switch
When i was a little kid I remember thinking that to put a light in a room all you had to do was put a switch on the wall and put a light bulb on the ceiling.
Very simple cause and effect.
Flip the switch and voila, there is light.
Some where along the line I learned the reality of what it took to add that Ight bulb and make the dark disappear.
Not only were there wires that had to go from the switch to the light but there wires from the fuse box tothe switcc.
Plus wires that went from the fuse box to the big wire strung between the poles.
And those wires sometimes went fir hundreds of miles to dams, coal powered generators, nuclear power plants.
And so on.
You get it.
All you see is the switch and the light bulb but there is a whole lot more going on that you don't see. I grew to call this train of thought the switch and the light bulb syndrome.
When I hear Republican economic plans I hear the switch and the light bulb being offered as a solution.
The light bulb is jobs.
Everyone wants yo put more people to work.
The switch the Repubs offer to hang on the wall is a combination of several things.
Lower corporate taxes, remove any and all environmental regulation, keep paying corporate subsidies (can't have oil companies in need!). Etc..
What they are avoiding is a discussion of the wires.
Trust us, give corporate America more money and you will get jobs.
What they don't care to mention is that that switch was hung on the wall before.
See George Bush economy collapse.
Companies don't hire just bcause they have greater profits and lower expenses.
They hire when there is demand for their products.
The lousy job numbers for May need to be looked at closer.
In a lot of categories jobs were up significantly, Manufacturing, Transportation and Warehousing, Wholesale trade and education.
The big losing segments were Leisure, government and construction (construction often driven by govt.spending).
When govt. doesn't spend it sucks a lot of money directly out of the economy.
To start the upward spiral govt. needs to spend more and hire more.
Austerity is not the answer.
See Greece, Italy, Spain economies and there virtual collapse to see what austerity gets you.
If Republicans get their way, prepare to have the US become the next Greece.
Very simple cause and effect.
Flip the switch and voila, there is light.
Some where along the line I learned the reality of what it took to add that Ight bulb and make the dark disappear.
Not only were there wires that had to go from the switch to the light but there wires from the fuse box tothe switcc.
Plus wires that went from the fuse box to the big wire strung between the poles.
And those wires sometimes went fir hundreds of miles to dams, coal powered generators, nuclear power plants.
And so on.
You get it.
All you see is the switch and the light bulb but there is a whole lot more going on that you don't see. I grew to call this train of thought the switch and the light bulb syndrome.
When I hear Republican economic plans I hear the switch and the light bulb being offered as a solution.
The light bulb is jobs.
Everyone wants yo put more people to work.
The switch the Repubs offer to hang on the wall is a combination of several things.
Lower corporate taxes, remove any and all environmental regulation, keep paying corporate subsidies (can't have oil companies in need!). Etc..
What they are avoiding is a discussion of the wires.
Trust us, give corporate America more money and you will get jobs.
What they don't care to mention is that that switch was hung on the wall before.
See George Bush economy collapse.
Companies don't hire just bcause they have greater profits and lower expenses.
They hire when there is demand for their products.
The lousy job numbers for May need to be looked at closer.
In a lot of categories jobs were up significantly, Manufacturing, Transportation and Warehousing, Wholesale trade and education.
The big losing segments were Leisure, government and construction (construction often driven by govt.spending).
When govt. doesn't spend it sucks a lot of money directly out of the economy.
To start the upward spiral govt. needs to spend more and hire more.
Austerity is not the answer.
See Greece, Italy, Spain economies and there virtual collapse to see what austerity gets you.
If Republicans get their way, prepare to have the US become the next Greece.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Why I don't like giving rich people more money
Okay, what happens when a person in the upper middle class, or higher, do when they get a raise in their paycheck due to a raise or decrease in taxes?
A little of it gets spent, a dinner out, something for the family, a better vacation.
But most of the people at in that income class already have 'enough' so they put it in the bank or make investments in things like stocks or bonds.
I wonder how many people realize that except for during an IPO that the money paid for a stock doesn't go to that company. That the stock comes from a brokerage firm or other investors that are selling their stock.
It doesn't go to anyone that is going to create a job.
Unless its another nanny for Muffy and Elwood.
The argument that the Republicans make that giving these people more money via lower taxes will create jobs is pretty much bullshit.
If you give a person just making it from pay check to pay check a few bucks, he is not very likely going to save it or buy stock.
They are going to spend it.
Fill the refrigerator, new shoes for the kids, maybe take the family out to pizza.
The difference is that it gets spent. And that creates jobs. Local jobs.
The same can be said for the government.
The people that argue that the gov. Spends too much money are missing their own point.
The gov. spends. All of the money that it received from taxes, fees and is borrowed gets spent.
When gov. spending is reduced it decreases the amount of money going into the economy that puts people to work and generates tax revenue.
In your personal economy think about what happens if you find yourself with your spending being limited by your income.
You can decrease spending. But that's not fun.
In the case of the gov. decreasing spending leads to lost jobs and decreased revenue.
It's a downward spiral.
The other path is to increase revenue.
You can work a few more hours, a weekend gig, and other options. Not fun, but an alternative.
The gov. can do the same thing by raising taxes or even just close loopholes.
More revenue, more spending and more revenue.
Another spiral but it's upward not downward.
With a little judicious budgeting eventually the extra work, or taxes, can be rolled back.
Just my thoughts.
A little of it gets spent, a dinner out, something for the family, a better vacation.
But most of the people at in that income class already have 'enough' so they put it in the bank or make investments in things like stocks or bonds.
I wonder how many people realize that except for during an IPO that the money paid for a stock doesn't go to that company. That the stock comes from a brokerage firm or other investors that are selling their stock.
It doesn't go to anyone that is going to create a job.
Unless its another nanny for Muffy and Elwood.
The argument that the Republicans make that giving these people more money via lower taxes will create jobs is pretty much bullshit.
If you give a person just making it from pay check to pay check a few bucks, he is not very likely going to save it or buy stock.
They are going to spend it.
Fill the refrigerator, new shoes for the kids, maybe take the family out to pizza.
The difference is that it gets spent. And that creates jobs. Local jobs.
The same can be said for the government.
The people that argue that the gov. Spends too much money are missing their own point.
The gov. spends. All of the money that it received from taxes, fees and is borrowed gets spent.
When gov. spending is reduced it decreases the amount of money going into the economy that puts people to work and generates tax revenue.
In your personal economy think about what happens if you find yourself with your spending being limited by your income.
You can decrease spending. But that's not fun.
In the case of the gov. decreasing spending leads to lost jobs and decreased revenue.
It's a downward spiral.
The other path is to increase revenue.
You can work a few more hours, a weekend gig, and other options. Not fun, but an alternative.
The gov. can do the same thing by raising taxes or even just close loopholes.
More revenue, more spending and more revenue.
Another spiral but it's upward not downward.
With a little judicious budgeting eventually the extra work, or taxes, can be rolled back.
Just my thoughts.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Trickle Down Economics Or Trickle Down Your Pants Leg
When someone questions why I am a liberal I often respond that I'm not rich enough or stupid enough to be a conservative.
Liberal's laugh, conservatives snear.
In the 80's Reagan's chief economic advisor, David Stockman, developed the trickle down theory. Simply it suggested that lowering taxes on wealthy individuals and companies would make them wealthier and more profitable and that benefit would trickle down to to the mid and lower income folks in America.
To support that Reagan lowered taxes several times. Then raised them several times as well.
It didn't work.
Think of it at home. You get into a financial bind so you go to your boss and tell him he can keep a bigger chunk of your paycheck. Ya, that will get you out of debt.
Eventually Stockman left saying that it was an error, that it didn't work.
The money did not trickle down, it just got deposited in the bank and stayed there.
The people that did benefit, the wealthy thought it was a big success. They had never been wealthier, and corporate profits were awesome.
Armed with their "success" they began selling it to the middle class. Saying that any tax increases would hurt the economy, so we have to keep those taxes lower, especially for the wealthy. The cure for the economy is to cut services that the poor and average citizen need.
A major portion of the working class has swallowed that pill and keeps voting for the candidates that espouse it, still.
In the mean time our governments are going broke, schools are firing teachers, roads are going to hell, bridges are falling.
And people are still voting for people that want to keep taxes lower.
Hence my answer, I am not rich enough or stupid enough to vote Republican
Liberal's laugh, conservatives snear.
In the 80's Reagan's chief economic advisor, David Stockman, developed the trickle down theory. Simply it suggested that lowering taxes on wealthy individuals and companies would make them wealthier and more profitable and that benefit would trickle down to to the mid and lower income folks in America.
To support that Reagan lowered taxes several times. Then raised them several times as well.
It didn't work.
Think of it at home. You get into a financial bind so you go to your boss and tell him he can keep a bigger chunk of your paycheck. Ya, that will get you out of debt.
Eventually Stockman left saying that it was an error, that it didn't work.
The money did not trickle down, it just got deposited in the bank and stayed there.
The people that did benefit, the wealthy thought it was a big success. They had never been wealthier, and corporate profits were awesome.
Armed with their "success" they began selling it to the middle class. Saying that any tax increases would hurt the economy, so we have to keep those taxes lower, especially for the wealthy. The cure for the economy is to cut services that the poor and average citizen need.
A major portion of the working class has swallowed that pill and keeps voting for the candidates that espouse it, still.
In the mean time our governments are going broke, schools are firing teachers, roads are going to hell, bridges are falling.
And people are still voting for people that want to keep taxes lower.
Hence my answer, I am not rich enough or stupid enough to vote Republican
Monday, May 14, 2012
Mitt the Twit
I have told many people over the years that I have an inherent dislike for rich people.
When I was a kid being raised by a single mother of two boys there wasn't a lot of money to be had.
My Mom did the best she could but the clothes were not the newest and there were school things I didn't get to do.
To make it worse I went to a school with a lot of kids that came from old money families.
You know, business owners, doctors, dentists, lawyers and such.
Not as rich as the Mitt Romney family, but enough that they had that same superior attitude.
When I heard Romney get asked about the high school bullying and he answered with that all too familiar smirk and a chuckle it sent shivers through me.
He is the same rich fuck I had to deal with when I was a kid.
He looks at anyone that isn't in his same wealth class as inferior.
He can't see that without the money, education and connections that his father had provided him, that would be no more powerful than the people that he used to move around like just so many pawns to be used in his game of power.
He doesn't respect them for anything more than he can get out of them.
Romney is a clown.
He will whore himself to any person or cause that advances him and his greed.
Mitt can not be trusted.
By the left or right.
He will sell out America just like he did the companies that Bain Capital bought, chopped up then disposed of.
The corporate mindset that says buy American while shipping jobs to Asia will love him.
No principals, no respect for America.
Their only value is money.
If he is elected, may God save America.
When I was a kid being raised by a single mother of two boys there wasn't a lot of money to be had.
My Mom did the best she could but the clothes were not the newest and there were school things I didn't get to do.
To make it worse I went to a school with a lot of kids that came from old money families.
You know, business owners, doctors, dentists, lawyers and such.
Not as rich as the Mitt Romney family, but enough that they had that same superior attitude.
When I heard Romney get asked about the high school bullying and he answered with that all too familiar smirk and a chuckle it sent shivers through me.
He is the same rich fuck I had to deal with when I was a kid.
He looks at anyone that isn't in his same wealth class as inferior.
He can't see that without the money, education and connections that his father had provided him, that would be no more powerful than the people that he used to move around like just so many pawns to be used in his game of power.
He doesn't respect them for anything more than he can get out of them.
Romney is a clown.
He will whore himself to any person or cause that advances him and his greed.
Mitt can not be trusted.
By the left or right.
He will sell out America just like he did the companies that Bain Capital bought, chopped up then disposed of.
The corporate mindset that says buy American while shipping jobs to Asia will love him.
No principals, no respect for America.
Their only value is money.
If he is elected, may God save America.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Republicans More Disappointing Than Usual
It's been a while since the Republicans had a candidate that was even remotely charismatic, Ronald Reagan - the great communicator, but the most interesting aspect of Mitt Romney appears to be his ability to stack bullshit so high.
On 1 May, after criticizing Obama for going to Afghanistan and politicizing the 1 year anniversary of OBL's assassination, Mitt and Rudy Giuliani were hand delivering pizza's to a NYFD house that had lost 11 firefighters on 9/11.
No politicizing there.
What a horse's ass.
The best thing to come out of that was the revival of the Biden comment about Giuliani, Every one of his sentences has a noun, a verb and a 9/11.
I guess the Republicans didn't feel that GW standing on a pile of rubble, next to a NYFD firefighter, talking through a bull horn had no political intention. Maybe that's why they still use that picture from time to time.
Too bad Bush drop the ball and turned the world's good feelings toward the US into hatred. Quite a skill.
And don't forget GW landing on an aircraft carrier and declaring Mission Accomplished! How did that work out my Republican friends?
I miss Herman, Michelle, Newt, Rick and the rest of the rebubliclowns that got in the car last year. There's only one clown left in the car, and he just isn't funny at all.
On 1 May, after criticizing Obama for going to Afghanistan and politicizing the 1 year anniversary of OBL's assassination, Mitt and Rudy Giuliani were hand delivering pizza's to a NYFD house that had lost 11 firefighters on 9/11.
No politicizing there.
What a horse's ass.
The best thing to come out of that was the revival of the Biden comment about Giuliani, Every one of his sentences has a noun, a verb and a 9/11.
I guess the Republicans didn't feel that GW standing on a pile of rubble, next to a NYFD firefighter, talking through a bull horn had no political intention. Maybe that's why they still use that picture from time to time.
Too bad Bush drop the ball and turned the world's good feelings toward the US into hatred. Quite a skill.
And don't forget GW landing on an aircraft carrier and declaring Mission Accomplished! How did that work out my Republican friends?
I miss Herman, Michelle, Newt, Rick and the rest of the rebubliclowns that got in the car last year. There's only one clown left in the car, and he just isn't funny at all.
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