Lately the argument between the Left and the Right has gotten way out of control. They are all trying to out do each other for being more religious, more in touch with unemployment and more in touch with the poor.
I have news for all of them, you understand nothing. You have never had to worry about paying the bills. You have never had to choose between feeding a child and and keeping the lights on. You have never had to take the bus to get to a minimum wage job. You have never had to swallow your pride and walk into a Welfare Office to get assistance for your child only to find out that you will receive $12.36 a month food in stamps. YOU KNOW NOTHING. You claim that people on Welfare are getting money for nothing, but do you even know anyone on Welfare? Have you tried to live with a minimum wage job? No. You have no clue.
WalMart has classes that teach their employees how to get Welfare. They keep their employees under the 40 hour work week so they don't have to give them healthcare. That has been going on for years. A Multi-Billion dollar company that pays it's employees slave wages and sees them as disposable. They get corporate tax deductions in the millions each year, but encourage employees to benefit from the same government assistance they rail against because health costs are too high. They simply pass it along to the state which in turn ends up costing the government billions each year so the company can save millions. Why is this allowed?
The War on the Middle Class we all hear of is not a war, it's a plague. No one wants to think that they can't have "The American Dream" but it's no longer an option. College has become a luxury, and most people cannot afford it. Tuition has increased as wages have decreased. How can you expect to pay for the loans they take out if they have no jobs to look forward to when they graduate? We all suffer so the major companies can continue the bloodletting on the American Public.
Healthcare? You have no idea what it's like to NOT have Healthcare. YOU have healthcare for life. We have to worry about getting sick. If we get cancer, the chances are our insurance company will drop us and we either die in horrible pain from lack of money and medication, spend every penny we have to try and get our medication and die with bankrupt families or commit suicide. YOU didn't know that, did you? Maybe you do know, and you just don't care. After all Mr. Right wants to take away the only Healthcare law we now have. He wants to take away the safety net we have that our insurance company cannot drop us if we get sick. He wants to remove the part of the bill that says CHILDREN with serious illnesses cannot be dropped from their parents plan. Save the children, unless they are sick? You don't care at all do you?
You want to cut Medicare for the elderly. Why? You have a 1.3TRILLION dollar defense budget. but the elderly need to make a sacrifice? You are on very shaky ground here guys. Giving less to the elderly and paying less to doctors means more sick people and fewer doctors to see them. That leads us to believe you're just trying to kill off the elderly. You won't tell them that, but it is the bottom line, isn't it? You make more money if they're dead? You don't know the American People, you know what you're told about the American people, and what you've been told is nowhere near the truth.
You live in Ivory Towers, blinded by your own greed, fed by the lives you ruin. "We The People" means "We the rich and powerful" to you. You have no idea what we want or what we need. You like to tell us what you can do for us, but when we read the fine print, we see that it takes more from us and gives more to you.
You sold our jobs to the lowest bidder overseas. Did you ever think about our futures, or just your own profits? Millions out of work in America, Millions of jobs sent to Bangalore India, China, Mexico and Korea. All for the sake of bigger profits. Well, here is a bit of news for you, if people in America cannot buy the products you make in other countries, at what point does it not become profitable to make those products overseas? You pay NOTHING in taxes here because the company is overseas. This brings our tax revenue down and makes the country suffer, but you made millions, and that's what all of this is about, right?
President Bush didn't do this, President Obama didn't do this, years before them both we had President Reagan who started it and President Clinton did nothing to stop it and because of this, we now have a runaway system that seems to be the norm. Big Business made Billions, yes Billions by sending American Jobs overseas. They have paid no taxes here, and we have been hemorrhaging money ever since.
So, Mr. Left and Mr. Right neither of you know what it is that hurts the American People. You say a few key words and repeat what your handlers tell you, but you have no idea. Live like us and you will begin to hate yourself more and more each day, but you'll never give up your money.
Revolution could be at hand, and I don't mean at the polls.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Occupy Wall Street
In case you have been living under a rock for the past month you should be aware of a very powerful movement that is sweeping the globe. Occupy Wall Street has now gone global. The movement has no leader, but many many followers. They are not the Tea Party, they are not the Coffee Party, they are the people. They need no label, but if you must, they are America. This country was founded on disobedience. Look at our history. The people have always risen against government in one way or another.
No one is saying we should take money from the rich to keep for ourselves. We just want our jobs back. Big companies or "Job Creators" as the press likes to call them have shipped nearly 3 million jobs overseas to make bigger profits. They apparently did not see far enough into the future, because the very people they wish to purchase those goods, have no money to do so. They call us lazy, they call us freeloaders, they call us a mob. We are none of those things. We are America. We need work and we are willing to stand up to those that shipped our jobs overseas to get them back.
"Job Creators" have done just that, created jobs overseas and turned their back on America. They do not care about the Middle Class because they no longer need it. They can easily starve the poor so eventually they can have their Multi-Millionaire country free of us vermin. Well guess what? This tactic has never worked. Follow your history. Every time the rich have squeezed the poor, there is a revolution, and I can tell you it ends badly for the rich.
We need to bring back the jobs. We need to become the country the world once envied, but alas, this is not going to happen. The government is now ruled by the very companies that took our jobs, and they don't give a damn about us anymore. My only hope is that one day they will be in the same situation as we are, then maybe they will understand what it is like to go hungry and worry about where the rent money will come from.
Are you listening Washington? Probably not. You didn't care 20 years ago, why would you care now? America is awake, and it's protesting at your front door. Be careful, we are hungry, angry and we bite.
No one is saying we should take money from the rich to keep for ourselves. We just want our jobs back. Big companies or "Job Creators" as the press likes to call them have shipped nearly 3 million jobs overseas to make bigger profits. They apparently did not see far enough into the future, because the very people they wish to purchase those goods, have no money to do so. They call us lazy, they call us freeloaders, they call us a mob. We are none of those things. We are America. We need work and we are willing to stand up to those that shipped our jobs overseas to get them back.
"Job Creators" have done just that, created jobs overseas and turned their back on America. They do not care about the Middle Class because they no longer need it. They can easily starve the poor so eventually they can have their Multi-Millionaire country free of us vermin. Well guess what? This tactic has never worked. Follow your history. Every time the rich have squeezed the poor, there is a revolution, and I can tell you it ends badly for the rich.
We need to bring back the jobs. We need to become the country the world once envied, but alas, this is not going to happen. The government is now ruled by the very companies that took our jobs, and they don't give a damn about us anymore. My only hope is that one day they will be in the same situation as we are, then maybe they will understand what it is like to go hungry and worry about where the rent money will come from.
Are you listening Washington? Probably not. You didn't care 20 years ago, why would you care now? America is awake, and it's protesting at your front door. Be careful, we are hungry, angry and we bite.
Friday, September 23, 2011
A Little Respect, Please
These past few weeks we have seen our share of audience reaction, from applauding for the death penalty, to applauding for letting a 30 year old man die because he has no insurance. Finally, last night at the Republican debate, a gay soldier with a question for one of the presidential hopefuls, was booed by members of the audience. These events had me seriously doubting that human kindness even exists. But I watch the Daily Show, and last week they showed the footage of the young soldier coming out to his dad over the phone, and their audience responded with thunderous applause for the dad and his acceptance and unwavering love for his son. Some people still celebrate courage and love, and I count myself among those that would rise to their feet in clarion hand-clapping celebration only to praise the positive. Anything less and we are smaller because of it. And anyone that boos a serviceman/woman for their sexuality should be made to serve a tour of duty with these folks they so openly mock. Then we would see who the real sissies are. - Michael Cunningham
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Education and the Constitution
Here we are, struggling over the New York Public School System and how much money it seems to be lacking. Well, I have news for you angry parents and soon to be out of work teachers....
The U.S. Constitution grants no authority over education to the federal government. Not a single word is mentioned about it in the Constitution of the United States. The Founders also make no mention of "School" or "University". So, if this beloved document makes no mention of educating your child, then why is the government responsible for giving money to each state to do so? I believe this money could and should be used to cut the deficit. Billions of dollars a year are given to states for education each year, and believe it or not, IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
Each state, however is different.
The New York State Constitution states: ARTICLE XI Education: Article 3
[Use of public property or money in aid of denominational schools prohibited; transportation of children authorized]
§3. Neither the state nor any subdivision thereof, shall use its property or credit or any public money, or authorize or permit either to be used, directly or indirectly, in aid or maintenance, other than for examination or inspection, of any school or institution of learning wholly or in part under the control or direction of any religious denomination, or in which any denominational tenet or doctrine is taught, but the legislature may provide for the transportation of children to and from any school or institution of learning. (Formerly §4 of Art. 9. Renumbered and amended by Constitutional Convention of 1938 and approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938. Formerly §4, renumbered §3 without change by amendment approved by vote of the people November 6, 1962; former § 4 repealed by same amendment.)
I am, however taken aback by today's outcry of "our children deserve a better education" and people barking to senators and the like about how the schools deserve more money and better teachers. Some of these children come from homes that have both parents working, and in some cases more than one job each. Some come from single parent homes with likely the same situation. Parents are not always to blame, few, but not all. In such cases parents do not have much time, if any, to sit with their child and help with schoolwork. They rely on educators solely, and when the child fails, they blame the educator. This is the wrong attitude.
The New York State Lottery was designed to generate money for the school system. We were told it would be a saving grace and that our schools would flourish. Remember that?
The New York State Bill of Rights Article I Section 9:
[Right to assemble and petition; divorce; lotteries; pool-selling and gambling; laws to prevent; pari-mutual betting on horse races permitted; games of chance, bingo or lotto authorized under certain restrictions]
§9. 1. No law shall be passed abridging the rights of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government, or any department thereof; nor shall any divorce be granted otherwise than by due judicial proceedings; except as hereinafter provided, no lottery or the sale of lottery tickets, pool-selling, book-making, or any other kind of gambling, except lotteries operated by the state and the sale of lottery tickets in connection therewith as may be authorized and prescribed by the legislature, the net proceeds of which shall be applied exclusively to or in aid or support of education in this state as the legislature may prescribe, and except pari-mutual betting on horse races as may be prescribed by the legislature and from which the state shall derive a reasonable revenue for the support of government, shall hereafter be authorized or allowed within this state; and the legislature shall pass appropriate laws to prevent offenses against any of the provisions of this section.
Our system is not broken, it's mismanaged. The government should not be paying for schools, parents should. If a parent were to be paying even $200 a semester for their child to go to school, you would see may more children graduating and a lot less violence. Everyone wants something but no one wants to work for it anymore. I say it's time to fix that little problem. I say, show me the books. Let the people see where the money is going. Maybe together we can fix New York, or at least fix what used to be the great city of Yonkers.
Peace.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Government's Personal Agenda
The gay marriage bill has finally passed here in the state of New York. It took long enough, wasted a lot of man hours and tax payer dollars but it passed. It should never have been a big deal. It seems that lately nothing can get passed without someone having to throw their personal religious beliefs into the mix. You were not elected to tell me what you think, you were elected to speak for all of us, yet they become deaf to our voices once they are in power. Why is that? Why has this country become so divided because of a book? Mind you, I take no issue with those who choose to follow the Bible or any other religious book for that matter, I just don't want it used as an excuse to vote against the will of the people. Not everyone reads the Bible, and those of us who don't have our reasons. Keep your beliefs out of policy. Don't you understand? We fought for our freedom from Brittan so that we could not be ruled by a book. Here we are, a few hundred years later being told that our country was founded and should be governed by the same thing our forefathers fought to get away from. We fight within the system because "Left and Right" decide what is right for us, based on their beliefs. One person believes man should not lay with man and should die for such sins. The other believes live and let live. Take that and multiply it by millions and you have a faith war on your hands. How are we supposed to thrive as a nation if we cannot live in harmony? The nation that was founded of it's differences is now being divided by them. All because of a book.
I live in a very diverse neighborhood. A few years ago the Muslim family who just moved in down the street had a wedding. Instead of isolating the neighborhood they went to every house on the block and handed out fliers inviting us all to the party they had at their home. I had never eaten (or heard of) much of the food they had, but it was pretty good. They welcomed strangers into their home on a very special day, and I did feel welcomed. They are a wonderful family, and before I met them, all I had known of The Muslim people was that they were suicide bombers and murderers. Now I know, that a handful of radical people turned a religion into a bad word. We have Christian radicals in this country too you know, you just don't hear about them as often. Well I think we should. Maybe then the would will see that Christians can be just as dangerous when they believe in their cause. Remember the Spanish Inquisition?
Religion is a beautiful thing, when it is used for a personal relationship with ones deity, not when it is used to control and command others. That is what is happening today. "God" has become more important than the issues. We have now gone to war between ourselves over the books that were supposed to unite us. Who are we to decide which "God" is mightier than the other? Let's play a game, when a politician starts speaking about any piece of legislation see how long it takes for them to mention "God" or "Morals" or "Constitution" shouldn't take more than 30 seconds. That's what we've come to in this country. We're afraid to say anything that may go against anyone's beliefs for fear that we may offend. Religion will be the death of this country only now, we have nowhere to run to so we can start again.
Peace.
I live in a very diverse neighborhood. A few years ago the Muslim family who just moved in down the street had a wedding. Instead of isolating the neighborhood they went to every house on the block and handed out fliers inviting us all to the party they had at their home. I had never eaten (or heard of) much of the food they had, but it was pretty good. They welcomed strangers into their home on a very special day, and I did feel welcomed. They are a wonderful family, and before I met them, all I had known of The Muslim people was that they were suicide bombers and murderers. Now I know, that a handful of radical people turned a religion into a bad word. We have Christian radicals in this country too you know, you just don't hear about them as often. Well I think we should. Maybe then the would will see that Christians can be just as dangerous when they believe in their cause. Remember the Spanish Inquisition?
Religion is a beautiful thing, when it is used for a personal relationship with ones deity, not when it is used to control and command others. That is what is happening today. "God" has become more important than the issues. We have now gone to war between ourselves over the books that were supposed to unite us. Who are we to decide which "God" is mightier than the other? Let's play a game, when a politician starts speaking about any piece of legislation see how long it takes for them to mention "God" or "Morals" or "Constitution" shouldn't take more than 30 seconds. That's what we've come to in this country. We're afraid to say anything that may go against anyone's beliefs for fear that we may offend. Religion will be the death of this country only now, we have nowhere to run to so we can start again.
Peace.
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