Sunday, April 17, 2011

"THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN..." joan baez

We just went through the anniversary of the Civil War that started over 150 years ago.It has been said that that was when our country was divided the most. Ask a northerner what the war was about and he'll tell you slavery. Ask a southerner and he"ll tell you states' rights. Even then we could not agree on what the war was about.
Today I feel the country is divided again and we can't even agree on what the problem is, let alone on a solution.
Any American that thinks this country can go on with the debt that it is presently incurring can only be judged a fool.
The Democrats want to raise taxes on households with income over $250,000 while the Republicans want to balance the budget by cutting social programs. Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, College Pell grants etc. Both sides feel the other is wrong. I have noticed what can best be described as rage between the cores of both parties . To be honest, this is not the way I believe these issues can be solved. The cores of both parties seem to be equally represented by about 25% in both groups with about 50% of the voters independent.
It has been said that before the start of the Civil War 30% were for the war, 30% against the war and the rest not sure what they wanted.
Recently the Republicans swept into Congress, along with many state governors and legislatures. So people could assume Republicans leadership is what the country is looking for. At the same time, polls show Americans wanted the Bush tax cuts abolished for the rich, and no cuts to social programs. So what gives?
Whichever political party assumes power seems to overstep what was asked of them and they both take things too far.
Here's an example close to home of things gone too far. While I was standing in a local check-out line and overheard one lady telling another that she was up for some new section-8 housing....and this one had better have a garage! Now, nowhere is it written that anyone is entitled to a garage...especially on the public dime. That's one extreme...and just how did we get to this point? How about the huge tax cuts, rebates and other legal corporate charity (porous borders maybe?) that big business enjoys at the expense of just about everyone? Another extreme....and a costly one at that.
Recently I read a book by an author named Ayn Rand.... "Atlas Shrugged" which seems to be where Congressman Paul Ryan is getting his views. Basically, Ms. Rand (an atheist)stated that she rejected faith, emotion and hope.... the original 'Vulcan' from Star Trek.
She believed the capitalists, not the workers, were the producers of all wealth and the workers (not the capitalists) as useless parasites. Sorta like inverted Marxism.
Congressman Ryan, along with all his cuts to social programs, believes the wealthy among us should have their taxes cut from 35% to 25%?
He showed a graph on how he arrives at a balanced budget in 10 years.
Another Congressman showed a graph that if ALL Bush tax cuts were rescinded, we would pretty much be in the same place in ten years.
I don't know where this is going... but soon the Federal Government will have to raise the debt ceiling. I have heard rumblings that certain groups want something for their yes vote. Don't forget only one Senator needs to filibuster to keep the vote from being taken.

Will President Obama cave in or will he be wise enough to tell them....'Go ahead, vote against it.... and enjoy the consequences.'

51 Comments:

At April 17, 2011 at 4:14 PM , Blogger j said...

The movie "Atlas Shrugged" was good. Just saw this movie this weekend.

Rand followed this philosophy, objectivism.

Unrestrained free markets and pure collectivism both come to the same point. Limited choices for the citizen or should we say the consumer.

Right now, the residents of Painesville probably wish they had a choice in their water supply. If they are asked to pay an additional amount on their bill to pay for 'capital' improvements, then why shouldn't they just take that money and start their own fund for their residence? They make atmospheric water machines now, I suggest the residents of PVille start looking into alternatives to get their own water.

 
At April 17, 2011 at 4:26 PM , Anonymous B.E.WARE said...

Ayn Rand was a complete idiot. The reason for the Republican budget is pretty simple. Reward the people who contribute to your campaign and take from the poor and the elderly that have very little political clout.
Term, you maybe seeing the first shot of the Class War that seems to be right around the corner.
The wealthy will have to spend billions on security.
I can only hope it doesn't get violent. There are more guns then people presently in this country.
Seems everyone is intent on destroying a great thing.

 
At April 17, 2011 at 8:12 PM , Blogger Sandy Miller said...

And congress fiddles while Rome burns.....

History always repeats itself, we have been down this road before, have we learned nothing...... So sad.

Please vote this election......
Attend a POC meeting....

 
At April 17, 2011 at 9:10 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting, Term.

You say Republicans are only out to cut taxes for the rich. What about SB 5? It is against the overburdening cost of the public employees. You seem to agree with this when you talk about Painesville's city and school employees and their administrations but turn pro union if an R is involved.

You don't think a garage is a right but also don't think some social programs need to be cut.

On one hand, around 47% of Americans don't pay ANY income tax and only around 45% of Americans work now and must support the other 55%. We can't continue at this rate. It is foolish to borrow and borrow to pay for ever increasing entitlement programs.

I believe your percentages are all off base. It should be 45% will vote for a status quo because it doesn't cost them a dime for more entitlements or garage. The other extreme of say 5% of high income voters will vote to reduce costs. Let's not forget that THAT 5% is self supporting. The middle 50% doesn't have to take care of them. Now, when costs or taxes get to high, companies or the rich will just move on to a cheaper place. That leaves the middle 50% (the rest of us) to pay for the entitlements. How many will we have to support? Happening in the big inner cities and is now here in Painesville. People move to Heisley Park, Concord or Painesville Twp. Stores are empty and school scores are in the sewer and I think that pipe has been leaking longer than the water lines.

One last thing before the Republicans are rich and the Democrats are for the working man. Among the highest per capita incomes are NY and CAL, all D's. The lower are the Midwest and farmers, the R's. Compare a map of red states vs blue states and their incomes if you don't believe me. Being rich or poor has little to do with political party.

 
At April 17, 2011 at 9:32 PM , Anonymous Kathy Sak said...

This is an interesting post. No insult intended Term but who wrote it really? Hey, this has been coming for years, we have read from experts on both sides that when the baby-boomers reached entitlement age we'd be out of money. Where's the surprise? Good programs but who is to pay for them? As I see it, all this is the fault of the government, both parties. The government has no business running any of these, including medicare and medicaid and schools. All should be private. As we all know - when you give money to someone you have to take it away from someone else since the government doesn't have its own money. Well I guess yes it does. It'll just print more. Interesting side note - in any given election the voter turnout rarely exceeds 50 percent. So I guess half of us really don't care. Or, maybe half of us are collecting on the public dime right now and like it just fine.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 3:24 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

We are in this mess because we don't teach our citizens what the original intent of our government was. Our government was originally intended to provide for its people those items which they could not provide for themselves.
The meaning was, defending our borders, national highways, etc.

We have allowed politicians to buy votes by warping the meaning into providing section 8 housing with a garage!

 
At April 18, 2011 at 5:43 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Quote "Reward the people who contribute to your campaign"

Isn't that why the Czars were picked. Or, You get a cabinet positions or a ambassadorships until you GROSSLY misappropriate funds and have to be removed.

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/05/big-donors-bundlers-among-obam.html

Wonder how many times the head of GE has gone to the White House and how much did GE pay in taxes?????

I'm old enough to remember the Teamsters shooting at drivers and houses being blown up in Perry and from the post at 4:26 and from the White House changing the usual political debate into a new class war. I know I paid taxes this April. I wonder how many else in Painesville paid too. How many get that free garage? If this new health care is just so GREAT, then why is the President talking about the elderly having to pay thousands more for health care? The savings where suppose to come from eliminating waste and reductions to Medicare/Medicaid. Why is it OK for health care and not the budget? Sure smells like smoke is being blown in my direction and I don't like the target.

I hate to say it but maybe those calling someone a socialist were closer than most thought. Isn't Socialism basically a class war? Eliminate the classes and you only have one left to control.

Now, if you eliminate the classes, the only ones left with any power will be our politicians. We all know how well thats working, right. How's that go again, Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.

"We the People" means we control the government, not the other way around. Time for us to tell them what WE want and stop listening to them telling US what they want. Time to cut through all the propaganda from both sides and get to what's best for all of us.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 6:29 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Term, did you ask that person that demanded a garage if they had WIC, free health and dental care, food stamps, and the rest of the things that go with Section 8 "free" housing. They probably had several kids too. I wonder how many churches or maybe the Salvation Army support them too. Since we are talking taxes, who do you think has to pay for all of this. Just think, with the Earned Income Credit, they probably paid next to zero in income taxes but got several thousand dollars in their tax refund. In other words, paid in zero and collected thousands.

So, Term, you and I paid for all those benefits and maybe a garage next plus redistributed our tax payment to their tax refund after they claimed the Earned Income Credit.

So next time you go to the grocery store, get in a line with people in it. Watch what they buy and how the pay for it. The average senior citizen buys little and cheaper things while the ones on food stamps load their carts with the best cuts of meat and things. The seniors who worked all their lives have to eat frugally while the ones on food stamps dine with the best. Seems to me, we are encouraging welfare as a way of life. It's like we have who are able to say I retired after my 50 years on welfare. It was tough getting everyone else to pay for my every need so it is time to retire. Sad commentary, but it seems to be the way we are headed.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 9:03 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

WOW! I knew this post would bring out a response or two.
6:29 Yes I see that every day.
5:43 We have the absolute best health care in the world. I believe the mechanism to pay for it has run amok.
3:24 How many tax breaks have been the result of a lobbyist making a campaign contribution?
GE has a lot of explaining to do?We all can remember Ken Lay's cronyism with Bush when he ran ENRON.
The wealthest of us ran the market into the ground.... then bailed out banks and large brockerage houses... where was the outcry then? Talk about asking for a garage....this bunch wanted so much more.
Kathy... I guess I fooled you too? I wrote it. In any debate its a good idea to know where the other side is coming from.
A good friend pointed me in the direction of Ms. Rand
after I asked where could this philosophy be coming from?
I tried to write a balanced post.
9:10 SB 5? Something has to be done to rein in government spending. I just believe the Republician Governors, such as Kasich, are over-reaching. Was this to save money or to make it hard for Unions to support the Democratic party?
It will be interesting to see how SB 5 will affect Painesville's ability to save money? My guess is it will just come down to a wage and step freeze and how much money did you save? I see no one in either administration (local or national) with the guts to save money through wage cuts. Both administrations believe the only way to get things done is to keep asking for more money...and there ain't none.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 9:14 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

6:29 Do you know which Pesident promoted the Earned Income Tax Program? The same President raised taxes 11 times during his 2 terms.
President Ronald Reagan, your\ hero.
That man couldn't get on the GOP ticket today. [To Liberial]
The Congress, Senate, and the President voted for the 2011 budget so why are they asking for more to approve the debt ceiling?

 
At April 18, 2011 at 9:26 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well now you have it so post it.

LAID OFF UN-TRAINED AIDES, BUMPING TRAINED AIDES OUT OF THERE JOBS IN THE M.H. ROOMS.
THOSE POOR KIDS, HOW UN-FAIR.

ONLY SAFE AIDES ARE THE BILINGUAL ONES, HOW UN-FAIR.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 9:33 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

9:26 now I have it so post it?
I posted it the first time on a post you were reading from long ago. Try to remember. I can't change where to put your post.
Also what are M.H. rooms?

 
At April 18, 2011 at 9:36 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

9:26 I looked it up "Special Meeting Agenda" from around March 23. and I posted your comment April 16.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:10 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

How Ayn Rand Became an American Icon

http://www.slate.com/id/2233966?wpisrc=obinsite

Ayn Rand is one of America's great mysteries. She was an amphetamine-addicted author of sub-Dan Brown potboilers, who in her spare time wrote lavish torrents of praise for serial killers and the Bernie Madoff-style embezzlers of her day. She opposed democracy on the grounds that "the masses"—her readers—were "lice" and "parasites" who scarcely deserved to live. Yet she remains one of the most popular writers in the United States, still selling 800,000 books a year from beyond the grave. She regularly tops any list of books that Americans say have most influenced them. Since the great crash of 2008, her writing has had another Benzedrine rush, as Rush Limbaugh hails her as a prophetess. With her assertions that government is "evil" and selfishness is "the only virtue," she is the patron saint of the tea-partiers and the death panel doomsters. So how did this little Russian bomb of pure immorality in a black wig become an American icon?

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:11 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Quote

"Was this to save money or to make it hard for Unions to support the Democratic party."

Election laws govern political donations and not SB 5. Ask a union member of these groups if they have been asked to donate extra in this battle. Follow the news and watch and see how much money is spent on this debate.

Now back to my question. What is more important, at least at the present time, to save money or just keep paying more and more in automatic raises? Save money or support the union at all cost? What party raised more money in the last election. Just two examples. Big money, companies, or big special interest groups, unions, will continue to donate huge amounts of money to get their agendas passed. Then they expect us to pay the bill with our tax money.

Maybe it just boils down to Democrats are always right and Republicans are always wrong. Is that what you are trying to say? Easy enough to say in a city of mostly Democrats. Remember, they also elected our councilmen and school board. Maybe the issue should be the most important thing and not the party. The money pie is only so big. The issues are what the new POC should stick to and not encourage class wars or negative campaigning. Otherwise it will just be more of the same.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:15 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

To Kathy Sak:

They used to let private companies run dams too, till whole cities were flooded and people died. THEN it wasn't such a hot idea.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:20 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Evva Pryror, a social worker and consultant to Miss Rand's law firm of Ernst, Cane, Gitlin and Winick verified that on Miss Rand's behalf she secured Rand's Social Security and Medicare payments which Ayn received under the name of Ann O'Connor (husband Frank O'Connor).
As Pryor said, "Doctors cost a lot more money than books earn and she could be totally wiped out" without the aid of these two government programs. Ayn took the bail out even though Ayn "despised government interference and felt that people should and could live independently... She didn't feel that an individual should take help."

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:25 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

9:14

The House introduces money bills. During Reagan's Presidency, the Democrats controlled the House.

What happened when the air traffic controllers went on strike demanding upwards of $10,000 raises. FIRED.

Will it be layoffs or just plain getting fired this time without the money to keep paying out. We have seen a recent slight increase in unemployment requests, inflation is coming back, gas prices are going through the roof, and more countries are drilling new wells in the Gulf, even Cuba, but not the US.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:30 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

And the Painesville's part in the Gristmill flood was what? The cities part in Elm Streets water line? What's your point, 2:15.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:32 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

What in the world is all this talk about class wars. There are not going to be class wars. Crazy talk. Is this something new that Limbaugh and the like are screaming about and trying to make trouble about now?

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:39 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kathy are blaming Gibbs.. he had the right blow up his damn.. it was on his own property.. infact he should sell the gravel too! your just jealous of him...

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:43 PM , Anonymous Kathy Sak said...

To 2:15 I'm not talking about dams here, just entitlement programs. But since you brought it up - please name the dam that failed which at the time of failure was not under some sort of government inspection/oversight program.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:45 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

First off no one blew up anything. He pulled it down as it was on his property.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 2:55 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

I'm just guessing here but maybe they were refering to the Johnstown Pa. dam that broke that was operated by a coal company. Like I said I'm guessing.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 3:23 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

2:32 class wars.

I believe it has to do with tax cuts for the rich. You might add that if you ask the "average" person in Painesville who the rich are that they will blame the Republicans. It is even coming from the Oval office now. Politicians are starting this talk now. Interesting that this is coming from someone who made 1.7 million dollars last year and 5.5 million the year before. Also, the states with the highest per capita incomes are Democratic states who just happen to also have the highest budget deficits. 17 of the top 20 states with the highest deficits are Democratically controlled. Seems a little like do as I say and not as I do, because we can always blame the other guy.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 3:30 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dams, unions, bean counters, politicians, insurance companies,city managers, school boards or public employees. It all comes down to money. Follow the money and you can find great charitable groups, effective administrations or great corruption. It's up to us to know the difference because in the end, it will be our money we are talking about.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 3:42 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

Class Warfare? I read today that there are 396 Billionaires in the United States today.
Individual tax rates for Americans are presently the lowest going back to the 1950's. Every wonder why Mick Jagger apllied for citizenship?
Of developed nations only two have lower tax rates then the United States and those two have no intention of being policeman of the world. Those 160 military bases in foreign countries cost money, along with twenty aircraft carrier battle groups.
You want to play on the world stage it costs money. Presently we are ingaged in 2 and 1/2 wars that are breaking the bank.
Yet the solution to our problems always seems to cost the least fortunate of us? Why are they really parisites?

 
At April 18, 2011 at 3:43 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Deficits, budget fights, debt ceiling, Standard & Poor's negative long term rating and stocks dropping. What do all these have in common? Air traffic controllers falling asleep now. Can't fire?? Don't even get me started on foreign policy.

Where are we headed?

 
At April 18, 2011 at 5:20 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

To turn the other cheek or to help the less fortunate, a touch choice in today's world. I would say it is closer to three wars if since we are in Pakistan and S. Korea along with off the coast of Somalia. Afghanistan is now our longest war and there are more deaths in the last two years than the first 8 years added together. In a perfect world, we wouldn't need an Army or police for that matter. I wish it were so but the days of unlocked doors and trusting a stranger are behind us i'm afraid. Yes, a military is expensive but it is also like the fire department, you hate to pay for it but when you need it, it is priceless. Military budget cuts are a necessity but things like the garages for section 8 need to be looked at too. Is it right that someone below just a certain income level has everything provided and someone who makes just a little more has to pay for everything himself. Help the needy, YES, but at the same time lets not provide for every need with no incentive to leave the system.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 5:30 PM , Anonymous Kathy Sak said...

Okay, here's a good link.http://www.nps.gov/archive/jofl/thedam.htm

The dam was originally built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be used as a reservoir for the canal basin in Johnstown. But as good ideas go the dam took so long to build that the canal system was made obsolete by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). The railroad eventually bought the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal and operated many sections of it for a number of years. While under the PRR’s ownership, the dam broke in 1862. But fortunately the lake was only half full and it was a dry summer.
The PRR sold this particular property to a congressman from Altoona (PA) named John Reilly. Reilly hoped (as many in the area did) that he would be able to sell it to a group interested in starting a resort. Interested buyers were so few that Reilly sold it to the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club at a loss.

So as you see, the government built the dam and sold it to a congressman. Ummmm

 
At April 18, 2011 at 7:22 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not one of the rich people in this country, and I am a Democrat, just to clarify. At the risk of sounding really stupid here, I have a question, please. I think taxing anyone 35% is just too much. However, do the rich actually end up paying 35% (if we can group them all together)? Or do they use all kinds of loopholes/deductions and end up paying much less? If they end up paying much less, then maybe a flat tax is the answer at a straight 25%. I personally think that 25% of anyone's money is enough to take. If that would cut down on their charitable giving because of a lack of deductions for it, then make the tax 27%, and give them another 2% leeway for charitable deductions only. Does this make sense, or do I not understand?

 
At April 18, 2011 at 8:56 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Kathy...no insult intended but I guess you are not the only one that can write. Nice job TERM...glad to see that new dictionary is coming in handy.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 9:08 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

To Kathy Sak:
Capitalism is totally unnatural for our species. It's an artificial construct, used to make it easier for a tiny fraction of the population to rule the vast majority. Human beings survived in groups for thousands upon thousands of years. They depended upon one another for their very life, long before there were merchants, much less capitalists. They shared pretty much everything, and everyone pitched in for the sake of the group or tribe. It's called a civilized sociality! You know civilization.

 
At April 18, 2011 at 9:26 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

7:22 I to am not a rich person either but I am a Republican. So which one of us is the BAD person? I guess it is just who you listen to.

Things like a flat tax or even a national sales tax have been proposed as a possible solution before. Seems everything is fair as long as it's not your money or mine. A simpler tax rate without all the loopholes makes sense too. The ones with the money will always find ways to keep their money with tax free investments somewhere. I think someone here said the city pays into a tax free annuity for the city manager. So as to fair, it depends on how you look at things. The woman who expected a garage thought it was fair that she should get one. The city worker think it is fair they get their 2% raise and the list goes on and on.

Bottom line is it is always fair if you are on the receiving end and unfair if you are on the paying more end.

I don't know about you, but I am making less now and expected to pay more in taxes. My problem with the garage is that she wants more and I must make do with less. That's the part I think is unfair in these times.

 
At April 19, 2011 at 8:41 AM , Anonymous Freethinker said...

Is putting yourself first the most important rule because it promotes economic efficiency or do yo value other social goals over economic efficiency?
Is it possible to harness the productive power of capitalism using "mixed capitalism" that also regulates business excesses and provides a social safety net though progressive taxation?

 
At April 19, 2011 at 8:48 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Will someone explain why we subsidize oil companies in this country to the tune of 4 billion a year and they pay 16% less in capital gains then other taxpayers?
Why does GE pay no taxes?
You people can all be upset with the person wanting a garage I am to. What with all this corporate welfare?

 
At April 19, 2011 at 12:42 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

To 8:48: This is 7:22, and that was pretty much my point. If the rich and the large companies end up paying less than the 35% that some people think they should be paying, and that I think would be too high, and they end up paying nothing, or next to nothing, then talking about raising their rates to 35% under the same circumstances is just kind of stupid. We would need to get real and charge them a flat tax that they would actually pay, and that could then be below the 35%, but would still have them paying more money than they are now. I mean, fair is fair on both sides of that coin. I don't think 35% is okay to ask anyone to pay, but paying less than 25% doesn't seem fair either. Until they cut out the garbage in the code that ends up having GE pay nothing, it's just ridiculous to talk about anything else as far as raising their rates, because they wouldn't be paying those rates either, under the same given circumstances, right?

 
At April 19, 2011 at 3:34 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is 12:42 adding to my post. Maybe the answer is as simple (relatively speaking) as making sure that even after they take deductions, etc., that there is some kind of minimum that they cannot go below. If they are saying that raising the taxes to 35% won't change anything, then it must be because of all the available deductions, meaning that they'll still owe nothing, or close to nothing. So, as I said, maybe there just needs to be a minimum amount of taxes that must be paid, and that they cannot deduct their way out of.

 
At April 20, 2011 at 6:53 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seems all the polls tell us American's want NO cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid?
What mandate are the Republicans talking about?
Even 7 out of 10 "Tea Party" members don't want cuts in these programs.
Please what are people willing to cut?

 
At April 20, 2011 at 9:18 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anyone realize that the Obama care makes cuts to Medicare/Medicaid too. Why do you think doctors are refusing to take any new patients covered by these programs.

The top 5% of income levels pay 59% of taxes. That is anyone over $160,000. The next 45% of MIDDLE CLASS who make $35,000 to $160,000 pay 39% of our taxes. The rest, that is half of the people in the US only contribute 2% of our tax revenue.

It has been said to balance the budget, the rich would go from 35% to 88% tax rate. The middle class would have to rise to 63% and the ones who don't pay any taxes would now have to pay 25% of their income in taxes.

Not very likely.

A billion here, a billion there or eliminating waste that shouldn't be there in the first place isn't going to solve anything. Either is arguing that my plan is better than your plan. Real cuts, painful as they may be, must be made. Printing or borrowing more money only digs us deeper in debt.

Term, there is your next song post.

You load "Sixteen Tons" and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt.

Schools, city employee's and our lady wanting the garage all want more of our money. Isn't it time we stand up and say, time to get serious and start demanding financial responsibility and job performance first. Only then, will we consider giving you more money. The times of show me the money first are over.

 
At April 20, 2011 at 11:33 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

I'm all for getting rid of spending waste. First we must identify it. Is providing a breakfast for children in school waste? Is paying a subsidy to raising horses? Should we subsidy oil companies, farmers?
Problem one mans waste is anothers pride and joy.
Myself I would pull all the troops out of Afganistan, Iraq, and close half the military bases around the world.How much would I be saving in wasted money?
Lady forget your garage, be glad you got a roof over your head.

 
At April 20, 2011 at 1:05 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

If we are going to be policing the whole world like we end up doing all the time, then why isn't the rest of the world paying the costs for it? We're paying in lives and dollars. At least some countries are stepping up more now to help us, but the rest of them need to be paying us for the military costs at the very least. Between paying for all the illegals, the illegals taking our jobs and not paying taxes, the illegals keeping Americans that WOULD be paying taxes from those jobs, our military costs, and the recent crash of our economy, it's lucky ANY of us have roofs over our heads. Other countries just seem to think that we've got money growing off of trees here. And certainly we keep doling it out to the illegals like we do. It's our money, not the governments that they are stealing. And now they've been stealing it for so long, they demand the right to continue stealing and are demanding citizenship and the right to stay. Then they'll have the right to steal our Social Security, too. No wonder we, as individual citizens, are broke. Now we have the Tea Party people putting the Republicans back in office - the same people that crashed our economy - without a word about the illegals. I at least thought that they would rally to get them out, but not a word as far as I can tell.

 
At April 20, 2011 at 10:01 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok Term the military.

I don't happen to agree with disbanding half the military. But. Let's say you cut the military's funds in half. That would save a just over 330 billion dollars. That would reduce this year expected deficit down to 1.3 TRILLION dollars from 1.6 TRILLION dollars. Eliminate the military all together and we still have a deficit over a TRILLION dollars. Is a drastic cut like that in our best interest. We could cut Painesvilles police and fire departments in half and save money too. Wise?? I'd rather see useless government bureaucrats cut before we start removing the men on the wall defending our country or the safety forces here in Painesville.

Iraq has been winding down for years now. Afghanistan on the other hand has more than tripled. Add the covert war in Pakistan, navy increase patrols in the far east because of N. Korea, pirates off Somalia and now we have Libya. Should we stop all humanitarian aid our armed forces take part in such as Japan's earthquakes/tsunami, Indonesian earthquake/tsunami or closer to home as in Haiti or hurricane Katrina. What about the the military's part intelligence work and surveillance satellites. Do we pull out of NATO? Has this administration made our country more secure or a bigger target? Because of the world economy, is the world a safer place today?

So reductions can be made. Delay some purchases of new hardware. Consolidate a few bases. But never put our servicemen and women in harms way just to save a buck. War or defense can't become a political game. Our countries security can't become a political agenda.

 
At April 21, 2011 at 6:06 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

Hoe many bases do we have in England and Germany? Why.
Why subsidize Oil companies?
What administration in the last twenty years has made us safer? If your worried about terrorist coming into this country all they have to do is buy a plane ticket to Central America pay a little and walk in somewhere on our southern border. Feel safe?
Usless Government Bureaucrats Hey I'm with you.

 
At April 21, 2011 at 9:20 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can see one budget cut that should be made. Why are we taxpayers footing the bill for campaigning, fundraisers and town hall meetings in the name of explaining his lack of budget cuts. Seems like charging big bucks to attend a campaign rally this far ahead of the 2012 election is costing us millions of dollars in transportation, security and unproductive work to really reduce the deficit. How much strain does his campaigning put on the local safety forces. With all that's going on now, it's time to govern not campaign.

Yes, they all do it, but a year and a half before the next election. Come on, who are we kidding or taking to the cleaners. Oh yea, it's the taxpayer.

 
At April 21, 2011 at 12:26 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

This practice has been going on forever. It happened with Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George R. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W.Bush, and it will happen with Barack Obama.
No matter who's in office the other side crys foul.
You guys had better come up with a plausible candidate or he will spend four more years traveling on your dime.

 
At April 22, 2011 at 9:23 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'll never understand these tea party people. First they claim the President wasn't born here, and now they claim the left is keeping this urban legend alive to embarress the conservatives who made the claim. Please make up your minds.

 
At April 22, 2011 at 7:59 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

9:23am, my mind is made up. He wasn't born here! No doubt in my mind. And I haven't heard the urban legend claim you make. Must be a very small portion who said this,if at all.

 
At April 23, 2011 at 6:42 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

FOX NEWS contributor Karl Roe made the claim that the White House may be setting up a candidate with strong views on this subject.
It's not about changing your mind it's about making your candidate look foolish to independent voters.
Funny none of the candidates have embraced Paul Ryan's budget plan?
Soon he will be thrown under the bus.

 
At May 5, 2011 at 2:39 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

You mischaracterize Rand and "Atlas Shrugged". She celebrates producers and criticizes parasites, true... but she includes as producers both the industrialist and the worker and she proposes that they can share a mutually beneficial relationship when each honestly trades value for value. To Rand, a worker IS a capitalist - his Capital is his body and the labor he can produce with it, and he owns that labor until he trades it for something else.

The parasites are not the working class. The parasites are the dependent class and their spokesmen, the people who say that NEITHER the worker nor the industrialist truly own what they produce or trade for, because someone with a greater "need" has a greater claim.

Did you observe the recent debate about public sector union rights? Govt was trying to save money and stretch budgets to continue meeting the expenses of their social programs... so govt was asking WORKERS to make sacrifices so govt could serve the needs of the needy. "Take your evil demands away from my union and make the same evil demands to Mr.Industrialist" is not a valid solution.

 
At May 5, 2011 at 4:02 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

Mischaracterized? The parasites are the dependent class? What is the dependent class, young children, elderly people, maybe a disabled person,or even a person that has been in a job for 30 years and that was taken to China?
Please expain the dependent class also remember when Rand was old she collected SSI and Menicare under an assumed name.
If the dependent were just the lazy I would be on board, but it's not is it?
When your employer's revenue goes down your loyalty is to the business or the government that pays you not to the union.
When I was is the Union I was an employee first and a Teamster second.

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home