Thursday, July 14, 2011

The American People and the GOP

We need to raise the debt ceiling.  We need to raise taxes and we need to cut spending.  The Democrats want to raise taxes, and that would be good, we need the revenue.  The Republicans said they will not vote on any bill that raises taxes.  The Democrats want to cut defense spending, the Republicans will not vote on it.  Why is is such a big deal now, but it never was before?  When Bush was in office Republican leaders saw increasing the debt limit as a way to keep America’s economy running. But with Obama, it’s nothing more than a political pawn.  Let's take a look, shall we? 

June 2002: Congress approves a $450 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $6.4 trillion. McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor vote “yea”, Kyl votes “nay.”  May 2003: Congress approves a $900 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $7.384 trillion. All four approve.  November 2004: Congress approves an $800 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $8.1 trillion. All four approve.   March 2006: Congress approves a $781 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $8.965 trillion. All four approve.  September 2007: Congress approves an $850 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $9.815 trillion. All four approve.

Vice President Dick Cheney famously declared in 2002, "Regan proved deficits don't matter." Not, unless a BLACK Democrat is in the White House.  We all know what this is about, it's just that no one wants to say it out loud.  I will.  Republicans can't stand the fact that a black man is in the White House.  They have all but said it out loud.  The republicans got their tax cuts for the rich, but wouldn't give us common folk healthcare.  They are still trying to rip that bill apart.  They want it all, and we can have the scraps.  Anyone remember "trickle down economics?"  How did that work out?  It didn't.  Hell, Reagan wouldn't even say the word AIDS.  His "Fellow Americans" were in dire need of medical help to find a cure, that he wouldn't talk about. 

When I cast my vote for President Obama, I along with millions of others, made history.  All the Republicans want to do is make it go away.  They assume that they are showing this administration in a bad light.  Well, they are merely drawing more attention to themselves as people who are putting the brakes on progress.  They have voted on nothing to help the country, and have held up almost every piece of legislation that would help us.  They care for their own interests under the guise of "The American People."  I really wish they would stop using that term.  It seems cheapened by them.  Why don't they let The American People vote on what gets cut and who gets taxed?  They wouldn't like that very much would they?

Peace.

Monday, July 11, 2011

The Republican Plan

Since President Obama took the White house, Republicans all over the country have been working hard to make sure everything he does would be seen as bad for the country.

When President Bush took office, he gave his rich friends a huge tax break.  That was nice for them, wasn't it?  Well, it didn't do us a bit of good.  In 2002 more than 1 million jobs were sent overseas, and we have been losing jobs ever since.  In 2008 the country was sliding into a horrible fiscal nightmare, but it didn't matter because big companies were raking in record profits.  Big banks and Wall Street nearly ruined the country and the global economy.  President Bush signed the first stimulus plan and they said "the $168 billion package Bush signed will help prevent the current downturn from ballooning into a crisis."  Then Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson said he believed the stimulus package could lift U.S. employment by about 500,000 jobs.  That didn't happen.  People used the stimulus money went to pay bills, not purchase things.  Most of the money never went back into the economy.  By this time the average American was running on fumes.  We were losing jobs daily and people were doing some desperate things to get buy.

The second stimulus was no better.  There has been zero net job creation since December 1999.  No decade going back to the 40s had job growth of less than 20%. Economic output slower than any decade since the 30s. Middle-income households made less in 2008, than they did in 1999, and it has declined further during a difficult 2009.

The major companies that are supposedly "creating jobs" with all the tax breaks they are getting are actually laying workers off.  They are sending more work overseas because they don't pay taxes on that money here in the states.  No Tax revenue going into the country, and the country goes broke.  The plan by the GOP was simple, starve the people and the people will turn on the president.  Making a 2012 run for president easier for the Republican party.  Or so they think.  If the GOP think we the people are that stupid, they should wait to see what happens at the polls in 2012.   

The Republican Party has held up the workings of Government since President Obama took office.  They hated the Health Plan because it helps the poor.  They wish to do away with "social programs" like Medicaid and make seniors pay more for their Medicaid.  A program they have paid into for years.  All the while they wish to make the tax cuts for Millionaires and Billionaires permanent.  Do you think that is in any way fair to the average working person?

We don't make anything in this country anymore, that's our problem.  We can get it cheaper from China.  We don't pay customer service people here because Bangalore India will do it for a quarter of the price.  We are no longer a superpower, WE are a dying country, and we have no one to blame but GREED.

How any person can vote for a party that would cut their programs, make them pay more in taxes and keep all the benefits for themselves is beyond me.  They use tools like "God" to bend their words.  They should be ashamed of themselves.  Using a scare tactic against people yo get them to vote for you should be criminal.  I firmly believe that God should play no part in politics, but without it, the Republican party would have nothing.  That is a sad thought.

Peace.