Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Alan Grayson - The New Dude


In case you missed it here is a great presentation using simple charts.




CNN got an earful when they repeated the Republican demand for an apology.



So Alan did apologize on the floor of the house.




I think we need more Grayson and less Conrad and Baucus

Monday, September 28, 2009

From a Dr. Friend

One of my friends is a Doctor and he sent me this thought provoking message for our Republican't friends and all the Libertarian Anarchists who hate government. Maybe they hate government because when they run the government they run it into the ground economically and spiritually.

Enjoy



A Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican by John Gray

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medicals benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.

Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dads; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans. The house didn’t have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republican’s would still be sitting in the dark)

He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home.

He turns on a radio talk show, the host’s keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn’t tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day) Joe agrees, “We don’t need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I’m a selfmade man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have"

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Republican'ts in the UK - Yikes!!!

The logic of the "Me Generation" shows it's ugly face again. Howard Jarvis' Prop 13 killed education in California and now the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) is striking out at our future in the same way. The net effect would be the dumbing down of the UK much like the destruction of education in the US. No wonder they constantly strike out at the educated just as Hitler did. I suspect it's pretty hard to enslave the enlightened.

The irony is that the wealthy do see the value of education for their children, just not for those who cannot afford the costs.

Enrollment will decline for fear of accumulating debt. Tuition fees had long held at £1,000 until it went up to Enrollment will decline for fear of accumulating debt. Tuition fees had long held at £1,000 until it went up to £3000 in 2006.

“Tuition fees make it harder for the working class portion of the public to further their education,” said Rebecca Glithero, a student. “If it wasn’t for student loans, only the upper classes or those who could afford it, would be able to attend university, especially as the cost of tuition fees are on the rise.” in 2006 and now the CBI wants the cost to rise to £5000.



Headline:
Students should pay higher fees, says CBI
Simon Lambert published in This is Money
21 September 2009


Students should pay higher fees, more interest on loans and get less grants says a new report by business bosses that has been backed by leading universities.

Tuition fees could rise from £3,000 per year to £5,000, while graduates should pay a market rate of interest on their debt, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

The report has been backed by the Russell Group of 20 leading universities but attacked by Million+, which represents newer universities, and the students' union.

The CBI said that businesses also had a part to play in improving the system and helping families by sponsoring more people through university.

It recommended the target for 50% of 18-30 year-olds participating in highr education should be dropped for the time being.

The National Union of Students (NUS) said it was 'astonished' at the report, and branded its recommendations offensive.

Middle-income families would be hardest hit by the proposals, as above a set threshold they would not qualify for any grants or interest rate subsidies on loans.

The CBI plans come as the government prepares for a major review of tuition fees that will begin this autumn but not report until after the general election.

It recommends restricting maintenance grants and charging the government's market rate of borrowing as the interest rate on loan balances, rather than the current system that maintains real value by setting them at the retail prices index measure of inflation.

The report by a CBI Task Force adds that a funding crisis facing the UK and universities means there is 'little choice but to plan to raise student contributions'. It says evidence from vice-chancellors suggests fees of up to £5,000 per year would not put students off.

All savings should be ring-fenced for universities and the system changed as soon as possible for new students. The report notes that 25% of public funding going to higher education is spent on student support, and the UK has one of the most generous levels of support in the world ~ This is Money


“Tuition fees make it harder for the working class portion of the public to further their education,” said Rebecca Glithero, a student. “If it wasn’t for student loans, only the upper classes or those who could afford it, would be able to attend university, especially as the cost of tuition fees are on the rise.”

Yes, the same is hasppening here in the US.

At prestigious universities around the country, from flagship state colleges to the Ivy League, more and more students from upper-income families are edging out those from the middle class, according to university data.

The change is fast becoming one of the biggest issues in higher education.

More members of this year's freshman class at the University of Michigan have parents making at least $200,000 a year than have parents making less than the national median of about $53,000, according to a survey of Michigan students. At the most selective private universities across the country, more fathers of freshmen are doctors than are hourly workers, teachers, clergy members, farmers or members of the military ? combined.

Experts say the change in the student population is a result of both steep tuition increases and the phenomenal efforts many wealthy parents put into preparing their children to apply to the best schools. It is easy to see here, where BMW 3-series sedans are everywhere and students pay up to $800 a month to live off campus, enough to rent an entire house in parts of Michigan. ~ New York Times


Is it any wonder the Republican't Party is also against any kind of meaningful Health Care Plan? Reminds me of the old "Barefoot and Pregnant" statement about keeping women "in their place." The new thing is keeping the populist rabble "in their place" by keeping them "dumb and sick with no job."

This is no game folks it's our future.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Will Farrel - Something Terrible is Happening

Where are our priorities when we want to throw insurance company executives out on the street to live like the ordinary rabble instead of keeping the Yacht industry rolling, what about the Private Exclusive Golf courses and Real Estate market for multi-million dollar estates? What a shame to expect these people to live on only 9,000% of the average guy's salary when they have so much responsibility to their even wealthier stockholders.






Friday, September 18, 2009

True Health Care Reform D.O.A. - A Fable?

Hope is a good thing but alone without persistence is a matter of luck. The thing the opposition doesn't understand is that people with hope deep inside actually will follow through.


The ant can't be bothered with the size of his/her task when it finds a spider that was D.O.A. when it was found. It drags its object little by little until it reaches home. It persistent ant works rests and works some more.


The thing about the ant is that it persists and exists not just for itself but for it's community. The ant never questions what the other ants are doing. It doesn't quit because another ant is just walking around goofing off. The ant will share the spider with the nest. If it were too heavy the ant would disassemble the spider and haul it piece by piece but it will never give up.


This tiny creature is, to paraphrase Shakespeare, "What a piece of work is a ant, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action..."

So that's how it is with Health Care. Dead on arrival from the Senate Finance Committee that unlike the ant decided the issue was too big and gave it up for another smaller morsel that, as it turns out was poisoned.

Perhaps the Congress can take it apart and get most of it back to the nest. All along Barack Obama has kept pulling and if we really want it dragged home perhaps we should help with calls, letters and expressions of hope backed with the persistence of belief in our country.

I'd love to see the headlines read "President Obama Drags Health Care Across the Line"

Monday, September 14, 2009

Let's Just Stop Writing Laws

Why write any laws and do away with government altogether. I'm sure the selective Republicant's would love that, and the Libertarians would as well. Our country was not based on anarchy and we are a governmental system. That government was meant to support our freedoms with a set of common laws. While there were Christians in those who founded America they were not like some of the "with us or against us" faiths but were supportive of all faiths or lack thereof. So if we follow that logic that says illegals will sign up anyway why not just take what we want until we are stopped by someone stronger and better armed.

While I certainly understand the argument made, I have to say the bill has specific language barring illegal immigrants from using the health plan. If illegal immigrants go to a hospital right now what would happen in an emergency situation? Right they would be cared for like anyone else.

This plan is definitive and excludes illegal immigrants and any breaking of the law is like any other illegal act. Should we not have theft laws because some people will still steal?

In the meantime legal Americans who have worked hard and lost coverage due to a layoff can still be covered. Why do some fight so hard to exclude the already excluded and in the process harm their fellow American elderly, children and everyone in between.


"The language of the health care bill, in regard to coverage of illegal immigrants, is obscure and can be understood to cover illegal immigrants but also to exclude them. President Obama assures the American people that illegal immigrants will not be covered; however, recently the House Ways and Means Committee rejected an amendment that would have required the government to verify that those enrolling in the "public plan" are not illegal immigrants.

Without a system in place to verify an individual’s immigration status, how will we identify those here illegally? We can’t, that may just be the point." ~ Christina Wijfjes-Smit Mesa Independent Examiner

This is what the White House communicated:
  • "Undocumented immigrants would not be able to buy private insurance on the exchange. Those who are lawfully present in this country would be able to participate.
  • Undocumented immigrants would be able to buy insurance in the non-exchange private market, just as they do today. That market will shrink as the exchange takes hold, but it will still exist and will be subject to reforms such as the bans on pre-existing conditions and caps.
  • Verification will be required when purchasing health insurance on the exchange. One option is the SAVE program (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) which states currently use to make sure that undocumented immigrants don't participate in safety-net programs for which they are ineligible.
  • There would be no change in the law that requires emergency rooms to treat people who need emergency care, including undocumented immigrants. There is already a federal grant program that compensates states for emergency room costs associated with treatment of undocumented immigrants, a provision sponsored by a Republican lawmaker." ~ Domenico Montanaro MSNBC First Read
So let's Just Stop Writing Any Laws

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Gridlock Games

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