Watching the “news” do sports and on the bottom of the screen it scrolls that 3 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan. This is a great example of the cult of celebrity in America when a baseball game or a hockey strike is more news then young men and women losing their lives to protect our country.
Right now we have one political party blaming the financial problems of America on unions and their “over the top pension” . These same politicians who cry that we can not afford to pay retirement for teachers, police and firefighters are the first in line to hand out money to millionaires and billionaires for things like new sports arenas. I read that since 2000 there have been 28 new major sports stadiums built in this country with a total cost of over 9 billion dollars, as much as 5 billion of that was public dollars raised through taxes and fees. Take a minute to read that - we can not afford to keep schools staffed and are laying off first responders to save money and we have given billions of dollars to rich people for their shiny new stadium that a lot of hard working folks can not even afford to use. The best example of this is in Minnesota, when they broke ground on a new stadium paid for with millions in taxpayer dollars a bridge collapsed killing people because they didn’t have the money to make the necessary repairs to keep it safe.
With the NHL threatening to lose another season because they are fighting on how to split up 3 billion dollars and in Pittsburgh we have Mike Wallace sitting out because he things only getting paid 2 million dollars is an insult. I often hear “players careers are short and they could get injured anytime”, I have an argument for that - you are playing a game, those 3 guys who died in Afghanistan would have risk their lives for 70 years to make the money you think you are to good for. A rookie or average player makes as much sitting on the bench of most major sports teams as it would take a soldier, teacher, or first responder at least 5 years to make.
Next time you watch a war movie remember that guy on screen is making 100 to 1,000 times as much as a real soldier and he doesn’t even do his own stunts. These people aren’t bad, they get what someone will pay them but for gods sake please stop using the short career or might get injured excuse for why you are holding out for more money, it all comes down to greed.
I’m not saying celebrities or sports stars are bad, they provide a service and keep people entertained even during hard times. I’m just saying maybe instead of having role models with the title CEO, All Star, Super Bowl Champion or MVP maybe it’s time for role models with the title Private 1st class, Deputy or Fire Chief.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Welcome to Republican America
It’s not hard to figure out what America will look like if Mitt Romney becomes the next president of the United States and republicans keep control of the house and win the senate. With Paul Ryan as the Vice President the picture has become even more clearer. Here is what we can look forward to
Their plan for lowering healthcare costs are to go back to the “free” market and then make Medicare a voucher program giving seniors the money to buy their own private insurance. They are complaining about the price of Medicare right now but it is rising at a lower rate then private health insurance, adding millions of sick and elderly will need to be paid for somehow and that will be by the price of insurance going up at even faster paces. They plan to do away with Obamacare so now insurance companies will be able to drop people who get sick or have pre-existing conditions, that means they will not have to take sick seniors and it will leave us with two choices, we can either put them on a government program or let them die. If we put them on a government program it will be worse then Medicare because the health seniors will be on private insurance and only the sickest will be left on the Government dime. This plan will cost private insurance to skyrocket, increase the Debt and bankrupt seniors.
They want to take away birth control from health insurance policies, make abortion illegal and finally cut funding for food stamps and Medicaid. So if you young daughter is at a party and gets drunk, like say Bristol Palin, she will be forced to have the child. When the child is born she will be forced to either put it up for adoption or dropping out of school to get a job to support the child. Any job they can get will not pay very well and will not allow them to feed or cloth the child. This will lead to many more sick and starving children and we already have one of the worst infant mortality rates in the world. Not to mention who will pay for all the doctors visits and the hospital stay to give birth to your child?
My favorite is Sean Hannity crying that liberals say “conservatives want dirty water and dirty air”, they say it because it’s true Mr. Hannity In the first year that republicans took control of the house they voted 191 times to lower environmental standards They voted 27 times to overrule the EPA and say that global warming is not harmful human health or the environment. Republicans voted 77 times to gut the clean air act including to stop the EPA from regulating mercury as dangerous. Think clean water is important, they voted 28 times to gut the clean water act including blocking the EPA from regulating toxins companies could dump into the water. The final straw was when they voted to decide on a “cost benefits analysis” if allowing a company to pollute was worth the know health risks of people so a company can make profits.
They want to lower taxes and “expand the base” which is republican for charge poor people more taxes. They like to tell a lie that most Americans don’t pay taxes but they do pay their fair share in Payroll Tax, Gas Tax, Sales Tax, State Taxes, Property Taxes, School Taxes etc. The plan to lower the rates also includes getting rid of some “loopholes” but they voted against getting rid of the ones for oil companies and big business so that only leaves the ones for middle class like tax credit, marriage credit, mortgage deduction. While they won’t raise the rates of poor or middle class people they will raise the taxes and have to in order to pay for the rate cuts of the upper 10% and keep giving handouts to their friends at Exxon or Goldman Sachs.
This is just a sample of what they will do to America, look at Mississippi and imagine 49 more of them. We will drop even further in poverty, starvation, healthcare but will still have the strongest military in the world. Just don’t ask the rich to pay for the military or god forbid serve the country they got rich off of.
Their plan for lowering healthcare costs are to go back to the “free” market and then make Medicare a voucher program giving seniors the money to buy their own private insurance. They are complaining about the price of Medicare right now but it is rising at a lower rate then private health insurance, adding millions of sick and elderly will need to be paid for somehow and that will be by the price of insurance going up at even faster paces. They plan to do away with Obamacare so now insurance companies will be able to drop people who get sick or have pre-existing conditions, that means they will not have to take sick seniors and it will leave us with two choices, we can either put them on a government program or let them die. If we put them on a government program it will be worse then Medicare because the health seniors will be on private insurance and only the sickest will be left on the Government dime. This plan will cost private insurance to skyrocket, increase the Debt and bankrupt seniors.
They want to take away birth control from health insurance policies, make abortion illegal and finally cut funding for food stamps and Medicaid. So if you young daughter is at a party and gets drunk, like say Bristol Palin, she will be forced to have the child. When the child is born she will be forced to either put it up for adoption or dropping out of school to get a job to support the child. Any job they can get will not pay very well and will not allow them to feed or cloth the child. This will lead to many more sick and starving children and we already have one of the worst infant mortality rates in the world. Not to mention who will pay for all the doctors visits and the hospital stay to give birth to your child?
My favorite is Sean Hannity crying that liberals say “conservatives want dirty water and dirty air”, they say it because it’s true Mr. Hannity In the first year that republicans took control of the house they voted 191 times to lower environmental standards They voted 27 times to overrule the EPA and say that global warming is not harmful human health or the environment. Republicans voted 77 times to gut the clean air act including to stop the EPA from regulating mercury as dangerous. Think clean water is important, they voted 28 times to gut the clean water act including blocking the EPA from regulating toxins companies could dump into the water. The final straw was when they voted to decide on a “cost benefits analysis” if allowing a company to pollute was worth the know health risks of people so a company can make profits.
They want to lower taxes and “expand the base” which is republican for charge poor people more taxes. They like to tell a lie that most Americans don’t pay taxes but they do pay their fair share in Payroll Tax, Gas Tax, Sales Tax, State Taxes, Property Taxes, School Taxes etc. The plan to lower the rates also includes getting rid of some “loopholes” but they voted against getting rid of the ones for oil companies and big business so that only leaves the ones for middle class like tax credit, marriage credit, mortgage deduction. While they won’t raise the rates of poor or middle class people they will raise the taxes and have to in order to pay for the rate cuts of the upper 10% and keep giving handouts to their friends at Exxon or Goldman Sachs.
This is just a sample of what they will do to America, look at Mississippi and imagine 49 more of them. We will drop even further in poverty, starvation, healthcare but will still have the strongest military in the world. Just don’t ask the rich to pay for the military or god forbid serve the country they got rich off of.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
What "Tradition" of Marriage are they talking about?
Republicans like to say they are defending marriage when they oppose giving gay and lesbians the same civil rights as everyone else. Looking at a history of marriage which “traditional” marriage are they defending?
The Hebrews believed in Polygamy and according to the bible King Solomon had hundreds of wives and hundreds of concubines. Polygamy was practiced in Africa, China, America and is still practiced in some Muslim cultures.
The First Marriages where over 4,000 years ago and where a way for the rich to keep their power or grow their empire. They would marry off daughters to forge alliances, acquire land. Even with the poor class women where not allowed to marry for love but where traded as property.
The church was not involved in marriage until they made et one of the seven sacraments and that wasn’t until 1215. It wasn’t until the 16th century that weddings involved a priest and witnesses. Even at this point marriage had nothing to do with love but as an exchange of property and to protect the ruling class.
It wasn’t till about 300 years ago that people started marrying for love and with the rise of unions based on love and not property divorce became common. Still Wives where considered property and not as equals and only people of the same race could marry.
If they are defending the Bible versions of marriage then why haven’t Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh been stoned to death yet since both have been married multiple times? How many are willing to marry their brothers widow and raise his kids as their own?
Here is a fact you won’t hear from republicans, Gay Marriage dates back to before the 13th century when two men could go though the same bonding ceremony as a man and a women. It wasn’t until 1306 when these unions where considered “unchristian” that they stopped.
Marriage has changed hundreds of times over the last couple centuries but they are refusing to change it back to the 13th century version where 2 people in love could get married no matter the sex. Next time a republican tells you he’s defending the tradition of marriage by refusing to allow gays to get married ask him which tradition, then offer him two pieces of silver and a goat for his daughter.
The Hebrews believed in Polygamy and according to the bible King Solomon had hundreds of wives and hundreds of concubines. Polygamy was practiced in Africa, China, America and is still practiced in some Muslim cultures.
The First Marriages where over 4,000 years ago and where a way for the rich to keep their power or grow their empire. They would marry off daughters to forge alliances, acquire land. Even with the poor class women where not allowed to marry for love but where traded as property.
The church was not involved in marriage until they made et one of the seven sacraments and that wasn’t until 1215. It wasn’t until the 16th century that weddings involved a priest and witnesses. Even at this point marriage had nothing to do with love but as an exchange of property and to protect the ruling class.
It wasn’t till about 300 years ago that people started marrying for love and with the rise of unions based on love and not property divorce became common. Still Wives where considered property and not as equals and only people of the same race could marry.
If they are defending the Bible versions of marriage then why haven’t Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh been stoned to death yet since both have been married multiple times? How many are willing to marry their brothers widow and raise his kids as their own?
Here is a fact you won’t hear from republicans, Gay Marriage dates back to before the 13th century when two men could go though the same bonding ceremony as a man and a women. It wasn’t until 1306 when these unions where considered “unchristian” that they stopped.
Marriage has changed hundreds of times over the last couple centuries but they are refusing to change it back to the 13th century version where 2 people in love could get married no matter the sex. Next time a republican tells you he’s defending the tradition of marriage by refusing to allow gays to get married ask him which tradition, then offer him two pieces of silver and a goat for his daughter.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Mitt Romney the "Businessman" good for America?
Mitt Romney claims he is the best person to run America because he has run a business, lets take a look at how Mr. Romney runs business.
DAMON CLINIC LABORATORIES
In 1990 Bain bought a stake in this company and Mitt Romney took a seat on the board of directors, he is on the company’s “strategic Planning” committee. In 1992 Romney is told that the company may not be following government regulations and are using practices which may no be deemed appropriate. In 1993 Damon was sold to Corning with Romney voting to approve the takeover, Corning immediately closed the Massachusetts plant laying off the 115 workers.
Corning uncovers fraud and alerts authorities, The SEC filings made by Damon prior to the acquisition make no mention of any potential earnings write-downs or legal problems
Bain’s profits is over 7 million dollars. Damon is found to have committed over 40,000,000 dollars in Medicare Fraud between 1988 and 1993, Romney later claims to have uncovered the fraud and ask for an investigation but both Corning and the SEC dispute that.
STERICYCLE
Bain purchased a this company in 1999, it is believed they have made over 50,000,000.00 off this company and what is it they do? They are a medical waste company that includes incinerating fetuses after an abortion. That’s right Mr. Pro Life has made millions of dollars off of abortion which he claims to be against.
GRINDING SYSTEMS STEEL MILL
The company was bought by Mitt Romney and Bain in 1993, the company had been in business since 1888. The name was changed to GS Technologies but now for long as the company was closed and 750 people where locked out. Workers where denied severance pay and health care and their pensions where gutted. Bain made over 16,000,000.00 on the deal while the employees where out in the cold. The government had to step in and pony up 44,000,000.00 to bail out the pension fund.
BAIN
Mr. Romney’s own company was about to go under when a deal was struck with the FDIC to forgive 10 million dollars in debt. This wasn’t a loan but is sure sounds like a bailout to me, if the FDIC hadn’t forgiven the debt would Bain have went under?
This is just a few of the questionable deals made by Mitt Romney and his Bain Capital before he stepped down in 2002. This doesn’t even cover the jobs he invested in who shipped jobs overseas to save on Taxes and cheaper labor. Yes he has had a few successes but do they make up for his shady or even illegal business decisions or all the jobs he has costs Americans to benefit himself? Unless he releases his tax return and accounts for all his money being held offshore we may never know exactly how much Damage Mr. Romney has done to American business just to make a few dollars.
DAMON CLINIC LABORATORIES
In 1990 Bain bought a stake in this company and Mitt Romney took a seat on the board of directors, he is on the company’s “strategic Planning” committee. In 1992 Romney is told that the company may not be following government regulations and are using practices which may no be deemed appropriate. In 1993 Damon was sold to Corning with Romney voting to approve the takeover, Corning immediately closed the Massachusetts plant laying off the 115 workers.
Corning uncovers fraud and alerts authorities, The SEC filings made by Damon prior to the acquisition make no mention of any potential earnings write-downs or legal problems
Bain’s profits is over 7 million dollars. Damon is found to have committed over 40,000,000 dollars in Medicare Fraud between 1988 and 1993, Romney later claims to have uncovered the fraud and ask for an investigation but both Corning and the SEC dispute that.
STERICYCLE
Bain purchased a this company in 1999, it is believed they have made over 50,000,000.00 off this company and what is it they do? They are a medical waste company that includes incinerating fetuses after an abortion. That’s right Mr. Pro Life has made millions of dollars off of abortion which he claims to be against.
GRINDING SYSTEMS STEEL MILL
The company was bought by Mitt Romney and Bain in 1993, the company had been in business since 1888. The name was changed to GS Technologies but now for long as the company was closed and 750 people where locked out. Workers where denied severance pay and health care and their pensions where gutted. Bain made over 16,000,000.00 on the deal while the employees where out in the cold. The government had to step in and pony up 44,000,000.00 to bail out the pension fund.
BAIN
Mr. Romney’s own company was about to go under when a deal was struck with the FDIC to forgive 10 million dollars in debt. This wasn’t a loan but is sure sounds like a bailout to me, if the FDIC hadn’t forgiven the debt would Bain have went under?
This is just a few of the questionable deals made by Mitt Romney and his Bain Capital before he stepped down in 2002. This doesn’t even cover the jobs he invested in who shipped jobs overseas to save on Taxes and cheaper labor. Yes he has had a few successes but do they make up for his shady or even illegal business decisions or all the jobs he has costs Americans to benefit himself? Unless he releases his tax return and accounts for all his money being held offshore we may never know exactly how much Damage Mr. Romney has done to American business just to make a few dollars.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Time for Universal Healthcare?
The debate on the affordable care act has got people talking again, republicans and tea party members are calling it socialized medicine and a government take over which is furthest from the truth. It forces people to buy private sector free market health insurance and if they can not afford it then they are fined, or taxed, depending on who you ask. The states are supposed to set up exchanges for people to choose their health care from like our politicians do.
While it’s a good step it’s the wrong one, our market based insurance has made America one of the most expensive and least efficient systems in the world and we rank behind countries like Saudi Arabia, Japan, Singapore and only rank 2 spots ahead of Cuba. The big difference is that most of these countries either have universal health care or a single payer plan. Both plans have been proven to be cheaper and more effective than what we have in America.
With all the evidence pointing to “socialized medicine” being the cheapest and most effective way to deliver care why hasn’t America decided to try this approach? The answer to that is money and power, we have for profit insurance companies spending billions of dollars to mislead the publican and to buy the votes of politicians. I’m going to argue it’s time that America steps into the 21st century and competes with other countries again.
Here are some of the benefits to a single payer health care system
1. Costs - every country that has a single payer system spends a lot less then America does for it’s outdated system and covers a lot more people. We currently pay more for Medicare and Medicaid to cover a few people then other countries spend to cover everyone. Having a single payer or Medicare for all will lower the costs to both the individual and the government.
Right now a person who doesn’t have insurance waits till they are really sick and goes to the emergency room, they are diagnosed with late stage cancer and given a few months to live. They choose to go through surgery, chemo and anything else that may extend their lives by a few months or even a year. This costs millions of dollars and since the patient has no insurance the costs are passed onto others who do have the luxury of insurance (that’s why it costs 40.00 for a piece of toilet paper). If we had a universal system this same person would have been able to visit a hospital when they first felt ill, had the cancer caught early and not only saved millions of dollars but would still be alive to raise their children. Since they had insurance the costs would have been paid by them and not absorbed by everyone else.
Costs are immediately brought down and instead of spending a fortune on end of life care a person can be diagnosed and treated early saving both money and their lives.
2. Benefits to business - If you pass a Medicare for all it can be paid with a 5% tax that everyone has to pay, this takes the burden off of corporations which currently pay millions of dollars a month to provide insurance for their employees. Lets say that Company A
Pays 2,000.00 a month per employee for healthcare coverage
Has 1,000 employees
That’s 2,000,000 dollars a month they are spending on health care coverage.
Imagine if they didn’t have to pay that money and could give raises, buy new machinery or hire more employees. The switch to a Medicare for all would not only lower health care costs but would be a huge benefit to the American business and would even allow companies to move back to America to save money.
3. And the most important - Life
If everyone had health care they could seek a doctor when they first got ill or felt a lump, they could be diagnosed with Cancer or Diabetes before it became life threatening and instead of spending years in a hospital and millions of dollars they could just take pills or have a simple surgery. The could spend decades with their family and not have to worry about who will take care of their kids or parents when they die.
A lot of people say they want universal care because they believe healthcare is a right and everyone should be entitled to it. I agree but as I pointed out it should not only be a right it is more cost effective than for profit care and would immediately cut the costs of medical care. If you ignore all the stories and lies and look at the facts - facts are every country that has went to a single payer or universal healthcare plan has seen costs lowered and care improve.
While it’s a good step it’s the wrong one, our market based insurance has made America one of the most expensive and least efficient systems in the world and we rank behind countries like Saudi Arabia, Japan, Singapore and only rank 2 spots ahead of Cuba. The big difference is that most of these countries either have universal health care or a single payer plan. Both plans have been proven to be cheaper and more effective than what we have in America.
With all the evidence pointing to “socialized medicine” being the cheapest and most effective way to deliver care why hasn’t America decided to try this approach? The answer to that is money and power, we have for profit insurance companies spending billions of dollars to mislead the publican and to buy the votes of politicians. I’m going to argue it’s time that America steps into the 21st century and competes with other countries again.
Here are some of the benefits to a single payer health care system
1. Costs - every country that has a single payer system spends a lot less then America does for it’s outdated system and covers a lot more people. We currently pay more for Medicare and Medicaid to cover a few people then other countries spend to cover everyone. Having a single payer or Medicare for all will lower the costs to both the individual and the government.
Right now a person who doesn’t have insurance waits till they are really sick and goes to the emergency room, they are diagnosed with late stage cancer and given a few months to live. They choose to go through surgery, chemo and anything else that may extend their lives by a few months or even a year. This costs millions of dollars and since the patient has no insurance the costs are passed onto others who do have the luxury of insurance (that’s why it costs 40.00 for a piece of toilet paper). If we had a universal system this same person would have been able to visit a hospital when they first felt ill, had the cancer caught early and not only saved millions of dollars but would still be alive to raise their children. Since they had insurance the costs would have been paid by them and not absorbed by everyone else.
Costs are immediately brought down and instead of spending a fortune on end of life care a person can be diagnosed and treated early saving both money and their lives.
2. Benefits to business - If you pass a Medicare for all it can be paid with a 5% tax that everyone has to pay, this takes the burden off of corporations which currently pay millions of dollars a month to provide insurance for their employees. Lets say that Company A
Pays 2,000.00 a month per employee for healthcare coverage
Has 1,000 employees
That’s 2,000,000 dollars a month they are spending on health care coverage.
Imagine if they didn’t have to pay that money and could give raises, buy new machinery or hire more employees. The switch to a Medicare for all would not only lower health care costs but would be a huge benefit to the American business and would even allow companies to move back to America to save money.
3. And the most important - Life
If everyone had health care they could seek a doctor when they first got ill or felt a lump, they could be diagnosed with Cancer or Diabetes before it became life threatening and instead of spending years in a hospital and millions of dollars they could just take pills or have a simple surgery. The could spend decades with their family and not have to worry about who will take care of their kids or parents when they die.
A lot of people say they want universal care because they believe healthcare is a right and everyone should be entitled to it. I agree but as I pointed out it should not only be a right it is more cost effective than for profit care and would immediately cut the costs of medical care. If you ignore all the stories and lies and look at the facts - facts are every country that has went to a single payer or universal healthcare plan has seen costs lowered and care improve.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
How to talk to Conservatives IF you have to
After spending a night arguing with a couple die hard conservatives it has become obvious that there is really very little point to it and I would suggest avoiding it at all costs if you can. If you are drawn into an argument here is a couple things you can do to really get them going, which usually leads to them calling you names and if you’re on twitter they will block you and leave you alone.
Taxes - They like to say that half of Americans pay no taxes -
1st this is not true, while they may not pay federal taxes most Americans do pay sales tax, state tax, local tax, gas tax, property tax, income tax and the reason they don’t pay federal is because they don’t make enough money.
2nd explain that they pay no taxes because of republicans who first cut taxes then gave things like child tax credits. Also point out that in 2009 1,470 millionaires pay zero income taxes so part of that group that pays no taxes includes the job creators.
Capitalist Country
The new argument is that the Federalist papers say America is a capitalist country, they act like these papers are part of the constitution but deny all the Anti-Federalist papers that where written. The men who wrote these papers did so to try and get NY to ratify the constitution even though it wasn’t needed because it already had enough states to ratify it before NY. The men who wrote these papers where also against the Bill of Rights so I guess that needs to be done away with.
The constitution like the bible can be read and interpreted in many ways but conservatives will act like the writings of these 3 men are the only interpretation that should count. I can not help you if they pull this card because they are so far right wing nothing will get through to them so I wouldn’t even try. They rely on the Federalist papers because even they know the constitution does not make America a capitalist economy.
Government can not create jobs
This is the fun one, just point out to them that both Reagan and Bush had massive expansion of government that brought down the unemployment numbers. Point out that President Barack Obama has less government employees today then Reagan did when he left office. The only two presidents to cut government employment in the last 30 years are Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Government needs to get out of peoples lives
I just ask simple questions when they say that government has no use in peoples lives
1. Did you attend public schools?
2. Have you ever needed to call the police or firefighters?
3. Are you willing to pick up a gun and go to foreign countries like Iraq for free to defend America?
4. Do you enjoy using the internet?
If they answer even one of those questions with YES(or question 3 with No) then they have relied on the Government they hate so much.
Liberal Media
Ask for proof - they will either show you a Fox News story or one written by other right wing media, Yes Msnbc leans liberal but all news is corporate and they will not run any story that might effect their bottom line. Real media died when they realized they could make a profit off of it, it’s a corporate media yes.
Pro - Life
This is a HUGE lie - republicans are pro fetus and are far from pro life. They pass law after law to prevent an abortion even if it means the loss of the mothers life. These same people believe in the death penalty, support wars and vote against things like S-chip and health care or meal programs for children, the sick or the elderly.
Obamacare is a government takeover of healthcare
WRONG- it is a free market solution that was supported and a republican idea in the 90’s as an alternative to Hillary care . It forces millions of people to buy insurance from private companies and sets up health care exchanges, the same kind that politicians choose from. They will argue that universal healthcare leads to long lines and massive debt when the truth is that countries with universal care pay less then we do in America and have far better care.
Tax cuts - spending cuts boost the economy
Again there is no proof of this, the one time in my life that we have not run up debt and millions of jobs where created was after President Clinton raised taxes. If anyone tells you they hire people because they got a tax cut they are either lying or a horrible business man. I have managed a business and we hired when business picked up not because of any tax cuts or breaks we might receive.
Their favorite line is “you can not raise taxes on the job creators”, this is simple to argue against. They themselves say that most jobs are created in small businesses which are not usually owned by millionaires but by people who are taking out loans or spending their lives savings taking a risk. It is also a like that most jobs are created by small business, most jobs are created by NEW businesses. Again we only hired new employees on the rare occasion one would quit or we where busy and needed part time help, as an established business it’s rare that new people are added unless someone leaves.
Finally ask them to show you how taking a billion dollars out of the economy by cutting food stamps or public assistance will boost the economy?
Taxes - They like to say that half of Americans pay no taxes -
1st this is not true, while they may not pay federal taxes most Americans do pay sales tax, state tax, local tax, gas tax, property tax, income tax and the reason they don’t pay federal is because they don’t make enough money.
2nd explain that they pay no taxes because of republicans who first cut taxes then gave things like child tax credits. Also point out that in 2009 1,470 millionaires pay zero income taxes so part of that group that pays no taxes includes the job creators.
Capitalist Country
The new argument is that the Federalist papers say America is a capitalist country, they act like these papers are part of the constitution but deny all the Anti-Federalist papers that where written. The men who wrote these papers did so to try and get NY to ratify the constitution even though it wasn’t needed because it already had enough states to ratify it before NY. The men who wrote these papers where also against the Bill of Rights so I guess that needs to be done away with.
The constitution like the bible can be read and interpreted in many ways but conservatives will act like the writings of these 3 men are the only interpretation that should count. I can not help you if they pull this card because they are so far right wing nothing will get through to them so I wouldn’t even try. They rely on the Federalist papers because even they know the constitution does not make America a capitalist economy.
Government can not create jobs
This is the fun one, just point out to them that both Reagan and Bush had massive expansion of government that brought down the unemployment numbers. Point out that President Barack Obama has less government employees today then Reagan did when he left office. The only two presidents to cut government employment in the last 30 years are Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Government needs to get out of peoples lives
I just ask simple questions when they say that government has no use in peoples lives
1. Did you attend public schools?
2. Have you ever needed to call the police or firefighters?
3. Are you willing to pick up a gun and go to foreign countries like Iraq for free to defend America?
4. Do you enjoy using the internet?
If they answer even one of those questions with YES(or question 3 with No) then they have relied on the Government they hate so much.
Liberal Media
Ask for proof - they will either show you a Fox News story or one written by other right wing media, Yes Msnbc leans liberal but all news is corporate and they will not run any story that might effect their bottom line. Real media died when they realized they could make a profit off of it, it’s a corporate media yes.
Pro - Life
This is a HUGE lie - republicans are pro fetus and are far from pro life. They pass law after law to prevent an abortion even if it means the loss of the mothers life. These same people believe in the death penalty, support wars and vote against things like S-chip and health care or meal programs for children, the sick or the elderly.
Obamacare is a government takeover of healthcare
WRONG- it is a free market solution that was supported and a republican idea in the 90’s as an alternative to Hillary care . It forces millions of people to buy insurance from private companies and sets up health care exchanges, the same kind that politicians choose from. They will argue that universal healthcare leads to long lines and massive debt when the truth is that countries with universal care pay less then we do in America and have far better care.
Tax cuts - spending cuts boost the economy
Again there is no proof of this, the one time in my life that we have not run up debt and millions of jobs where created was after President Clinton raised taxes. If anyone tells you they hire people because they got a tax cut they are either lying or a horrible business man. I have managed a business and we hired when business picked up not because of any tax cuts or breaks we might receive.
Their favorite line is “you can not raise taxes on the job creators”, this is simple to argue against. They themselves say that most jobs are created in small businesses which are not usually owned by millionaires but by people who are taking out loans or spending their lives savings taking a risk. It is also a like that most jobs are created by small business, most jobs are created by NEW businesses. Again we only hired new employees on the rare occasion one would quit or we where busy and needed part time help, as an established business it’s rare that new people are added unless someone leaves.
Finally ask them to show you how taking a billion dollars out of the economy by cutting food stamps or public assistance will boost the economy?
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
How Reaganomics Effected Me
I was just entering grade school when Ronald Reagan was elected president, I was not political but can tell you from a personal standpoint the effect his presidency had on me.
I was kind of a loose cannon at around the time of 1st grade, think it would be called ADD or ADHD today and pills would have been prescribed but back then we just sucked it up and went on with life. After being held back in and forced to repeat first grade because of my attitude my parents set me down and told me to get my act together. At the time my father worked 40 hours a week and my mother stayed home to take care of us three kids. My mother took an interest in my school work and I was not allowed to go outside or play with friend until the work was done. I flew through first grade and from then on was always at the top of my class each year.
Around 5th grade we where no longer taking family vacations anymore and money was obviously tight, by 8th grade my mother had taken not one but two jobs to help pay the bills. I no longer had that parent at home to keep me in line and stopped caring about school and was more into having fun with my friend. I always found school easy and hated to do the work, without a parent looking over my shoulder I stopped doing the work and from 10th grade on never brought a book home from school.
I enjoyed going and playing baseball and football with my friends but hated organized school sports. I kept up a good act at school finishing near the top of my class while taking advanced courses in science and math and computer courses (I managed to graduate high school without 1 since art credit). I passed 2 years of French class and can not speak, write or read a word. After taking the SAT and getting around a 1200 (at the time I believe a 1500 was the most you could get and you couldn’t use a calculator like the spoiled kids today). After that my parents made me apply to college, even though I had no interest in going so I applied to Penn State and got accepted.
I didn’t last long at the whole college thing, it takes structure and an interest in school neither of which I really had. I’ve done all right for myself after leaving college but can not help but wonder what would have been if I had that structure my whole life as I had my first years in school.
When I hear people like Rick Santorum blaming the family dynamic for a lot of problem I agree 100% but sadly thanks to Reaganomics which the republicans still practice today those days of having a parent who can stay home and be a huge part of their kids lives is long over.
While I’m not a fan of Welfare and other government programs the democrats shove down our throat I’m even less a fan of what republicans have done to the country and even more afraid of what they are trying to do to it. It’s ok to point out that when the nuclear family was destroyed America started to go downhill fast in education and other issues but you must also look back what ended the family.
Republicans look at the 80’s and see a great time in America where the rich got richer and think highly of President Reagan. I look back as a time where my family got poorer and they took my parents away from me. If you look at most of today’s problems they can be traced back to that time from education going downhill, weak defense and terrorism, national debt and the destruction of the American family structure all can be traced back to the 1980’s.
I was kind of a loose cannon at around the time of 1st grade, think it would be called ADD or ADHD today and pills would have been prescribed but back then we just sucked it up and went on with life. After being held back in and forced to repeat first grade because of my attitude my parents set me down and told me to get my act together. At the time my father worked 40 hours a week and my mother stayed home to take care of us three kids. My mother took an interest in my school work and I was not allowed to go outside or play with friend until the work was done. I flew through first grade and from then on was always at the top of my class each year.
Around 5th grade we where no longer taking family vacations anymore and money was obviously tight, by 8th grade my mother had taken not one but two jobs to help pay the bills. I no longer had that parent at home to keep me in line and stopped caring about school and was more into having fun with my friend. I always found school easy and hated to do the work, without a parent looking over my shoulder I stopped doing the work and from 10th grade on never brought a book home from school.
I enjoyed going and playing baseball and football with my friends but hated organized school sports. I kept up a good act at school finishing near the top of my class while taking advanced courses in science and math and computer courses (I managed to graduate high school without 1 since art credit). I passed 2 years of French class and can not speak, write or read a word. After taking the SAT and getting around a 1200 (at the time I believe a 1500 was the most you could get and you couldn’t use a calculator like the spoiled kids today). After that my parents made me apply to college, even though I had no interest in going so I applied to Penn State and got accepted.
I didn’t last long at the whole college thing, it takes structure and an interest in school neither of which I really had. I’ve done all right for myself after leaving college but can not help but wonder what would have been if I had that structure my whole life as I had my first years in school.
When I hear people like Rick Santorum blaming the family dynamic for a lot of problem I agree 100% but sadly thanks to Reaganomics which the republicans still practice today those days of having a parent who can stay home and be a huge part of their kids lives is long over.
While I’m not a fan of Welfare and other government programs the democrats shove down our throat I’m even less a fan of what republicans have done to the country and even more afraid of what they are trying to do to it. It’s ok to point out that when the nuclear family was destroyed America started to go downhill fast in education and other issues but you must also look back what ended the family.
Republicans look at the 80’s and see a great time in America where the rich got richer and think highly of President Reagan. I look back as a time where my family got poorer and they took my parents away from me. If you look at most of today’s problems they can be traced back to that time from education going downhill, weak defense and terrorism, national debt and the destruction of the American family structure all can be traced back to the 1980’s.
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