Letters to Merl
| Continued from Page one...
NEW 2/23/1012
Wanting Less discussed her disgust with the lack of ID
requirements to vote because it would disadvantage the poor,
minorities, ect and went on to detail situations where ID is
required in daily life. I had an experience just this week
which now brings me pause when I consider the lack of ID
requirements to vote. Merl's words: Two forms of ID and a fingerprint... Wow - let's get some detail before I make comments that are inaccurate. 1) Was the check huge? 2) Do you look like a thief or - are you a minority? 3) Did you ask the bank what gives? As for the rest, well, I agree - you do need to get your head out of the sand. Participate in selecting your government and the only way to do that without embarrassing yourself is to be informed and make informed decisions. Start at the bottom of my EDITORIAL page and read everything - you'll be fine by the time you get to the top. Merl Reader's Reply: Merl, And yet, to vote... Oh dear lord of all things logical (and chocolate), we cannot even ask to show ID to cast a vote for this country's leadership. What must the DOJ and AG Holder be thinking? My mistake - I almost forgot that there is no (correct) logic to this decision - this is an attempt to keep the corrupted system in place so that mass voter fraud can exist. That can be the only LOGICAL conclusion as, it is obvious that minorities, the elderly and student all have forms of ID that would enable them to participate in the most basic functions in our society - like cash a check!
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01/08/2012 Merl- Let’s call this the “Snooki Syndrome of Sputtering Synapse”.
This type of malfunction is characterized by the “high” one gets
from over-indulging in mindless celebrity gossip, an intense
addiction to all social media from which all thoughts and
opinions are derived, an absence of the need to learn and
expands one’s mind, and the willingness to accept drivel and
horsesh!t as fact so long as it is spoon fed by a likeable
someone so there is no need to separate fact from fiction. |
NEW! 01/08/2012
Merl,
As your wife I stay on the sidelines with your website here, collaborating on topics from behind the scenes. However, I have a topic that I am going to make public. Our 16 year old daughter had a discussion with me the other day concerning a very broad topic that I hope I have inspired more thought within her about. She is distraught at the number of homeless people she has noticed in our small town community and was even more distressed when she got a glimpse at the large number of homeless in a recent trip to a nearby big city.
She explained to me that she believes everyone deserves a house. She believes the government should provide an efficiency apartment and a job to every graduating 18 year old in our country, and if that person wants more in life, they need to work to obtain it. I suggested to her that this is a socialist ideology and queried her on how she believes this could be made to happen. She admitted she had not given this great thought; just that she feels everyone should have a place to live.
She pondered it for a time and came back to me with the thought that the government needs to make more money to make this happen. I was impressed with her thought process here; she stated that companies need to be given an incentive to create more jobs in America and end the move of manufacturing to China then the government would make more money from a larger working tax base and there would be more jobs, so fewer homeless and the government would need less money to make her idea happen. I gave her another item to ponder, how can we inspire companies to move jobs back to America? I got an eye roll and a “mom you make me think too much” but I am awaiting her next tidbit of wisdom.
My question to the public is: “Why can’t we convert the extensive abandoned properties of this country into housing for the homeless/poor/unemployed?” Furthermore, “What keeps us from adjusting our current Social Welfare System to something that would help sustain, as well as motivate, those in need? I am not saying to just give it to them no questions asked. The residents would have to undergo job training, work to maintain the property, and work at a job to earn their rent (a job doing a task assigned by the community such as cleaning the parks, cleaning the highways, repairing government buildings. In the end the desired outcome would be a new start for these residents, making them contributing members of society and also cutting community budgets by having work done by these residents instead of paying to have them done. Don’t we already do this for communities in foreign countries (build housing, schools, job train) through our foreign aid programs?? Why should people in other countries be the only ones to reap these benefits from our hard earned tax dollars? Why do we do so little to help our own in comparison to helping others?
BEFORE I get called a Socialist or an Obama lover, I DO NOT agree with redistribution of wealth. That takes from those who earn and gives to those that, well quite frankly, don’t. What I am saying is:
a. Come up with a way to utilize our under-utilized/abandoned/forgotten infrastructure for the benefit of us all.
b. Take care of our citizens as well as we do those in far off countries.
c. Work toward doing away with the entitled attitude that our system has created in a large segment of the country and give to those with less or nothing. But, and this is a big one - expect those that get to give back! Call it: welfare/homeless/unemployed-to-work
Is it really wrong to give a hand up to those in need and at the same time require that they earn it and work toward a self-sustaining living? I for one think not.
At first blush, I can see the slings and arrows at the ready. Having been partnered with Merl for decades, I have picked up a thing or two about pattern recognition and can therefore, see the concerns. Individual rights, for one, will be the first complaint by the usual suspects (NAACP, ACLU & every other group that purports to “help” minorities). These are the same groups that claim mandatory drug testing for welfare is an infringement on the civil-rights of minorities, just as requiring photo ID for voting would be. They’re silly and everyone knows it. Of course, the unions will also crow at the notion of losing government business to non-union contractors (welfare/homeless/unemployed-to-work workers). Why in the world would we want an unemployed person sweeping the floor when we could have an illegal alien doing it? OH, that’s right – the union doesn’t get their dues that way. In short, of course there will be many, many more to line up and poo-poo on this idea, but just for the fun of it, let’s contemplate it.
When considering guidelines for entering into this arrangement with the government, a series of “qualifications” would have to be met. First, they would have to fall into one of the three categories: a) Homeless, b) Receiving Welfare as their primary source of income and, c) unemployed. Get over that hurdle and you have to pass through one more sieve: a) have no active wants or warrants, b) have no felony convictions (violent or otherwise), c) pass a drug test every 30 days and/or randomly after enrollment. I am not saying that we want only the best of the best; I’m saying that we do not want to create a cesspool in government housing with the worst of the worst. I would find it hard to believe that anyone would think that any of these stipulations would, “infringe on individual/civil rights,” but I’m certain that it would come up. The notion of making people work for a government stipend is a foreign concept to socialists, progressives, leftists and the uber-liberal rich and famous.
There is one more caveat to this program and it is one that I think is necessary but will draw the most fire from the far left & right. I have chosen to address it separately because it will nicely dovetail into the true discussion at the heart of this conversation. Women – married or not & having children or not, would have to agree to be chemically sterilized (at the government’s expense) for the duration of receiving government benefits. Hold on now – before you start typing – I know how that sounds. If we could easily and cheaply do it to men (like we can with women) I would have them sterilized as well. The true reality is that we simply cannot do it to them economically and as effectively as we can with ourselves and as easily reverse the process. Just watch the Springer show or Maury Povich and you’ll understand why this needs to be done. Spend an hour in the local County Assistance office, listen to the stories and watch the picture unfold around you as I have – you’ll understand. Too many babies being born to too many women, by too few men; none of them wanting to be daddies. We need some personal responsibility and we need it to trump individual freedoms.
It is time that the push to support & protect individual rights stops endorsing laziness and protecting criminals. The benefit of the community as a whole must become important once again before the U.S. can regain its greatness.
Our individual rights, freedoms, and liberties make this country great. However those same ideals are, at this moment, destroying America as we know it. Individual rights trump societal rights in every facet anymore lest the community be sued for infringing on the rights of some one. Does anyone out there agree with me that rights of the individual have been taken to an absurd extreme?
Mrs. Merl
Merl,
So, we have the Puerto Rico vote, the immigration issue, Times Square bombing, the Gulf Oil Spill, Solicitor General Elena Kagan as the nominee and My Big Fat Greek Bailout. Is any of this what He wanted? what's your take on the "State of the Union" now?
Ted
Ted,
Puerto Rico is a boon to the administration. The evidence is in the fact that it was they who were instrumental in crafting the vote in addition to writing the rules for its process (and passage). The Immigration issue, too, is a creation of the current administration. Face it - had the administration done a darn thing about it, Arizona would not have felt the urgency to strike out on their own. Strip the emotion from it and look at it logically: The admin was reducing money flowing to DHS for border control, they cancelled the fence project and they kept making noise that immigration reform was coming... Then came Obamacare and it became all too obvious that immigration reform was not coming in the format Arizonan's were looking for. Faisal Shahzad, or, the nitwit who couldn't ignite cans of gas with road flares, is a pat on the head as much as a kick in the groin for the administration. Again, they couldn't stop an amateur from [trying] to do harm, but they still chalk it up in the "W" column. Doesn't matter if it was his own incompetence that saved lives I guess. Old Shazaam is spilling his guts now, so I suppose we'll capture a bunch more amateurs and take our eye off the ball again. Think back to Dirty Skivvy and Sneaker Killer...
Kagan is just more of the
same. Her experience in the court matches that of here
benefactor; nil, zip, zero, zilch. Why would we expect
her to do a good job with no experience? Dean of this,
Professor of there, Assistant to this and that... All
sounds like a Dr. Seuss story. We'll see if she (and
her boss) stand by her previous view of, "...thorough and
robust discussion during the interview as it's
an opportunity to gain knowledge
and promote public understanding of what the nominee
believes the Court should do and how she would affect its
conduct.” (review
of Professor Stephan L. Carter's book “The Confirmation
Mess" in the University of Chicago Law Review during the
Spring of 1995.)
I love your term, "My Big Fat Greek Bailout," with your permission, I'd like to co-opt it for later use please. As for the money itself, I'd prefer that we choose to "un-involve ourselves" in the issue. Either the European Union (EU) exists and can support itself, or it can't. If it does - it's great and it should be counted as a financial super power in its own right. However, if it cannot, then there is a problem... The problem cannot be fixed by the U.S. and therefore we should not get involved. In both cases the U.S. has no stake. Now, if we follow the rhetoric [purportedly] coming from Wall St. that the Greek crisis could cause a ripple through the world economy, creating issues in Spain, Italy, Turkey, etc. we are forced to do something; right? My question is then two-fold: 1) Why? Why is it a given that this will happen and why do we care? 2) Who, exactly, is saying this and are their motives purely financial?
So far, even when I leave a little emotion in the debate, I see no reason to insert our country into this disaster. They have done this to themselves by adopting one of the most pervasive socialist "cradle to grave" welfare programs in the world. They have furthered their debt by grasping at every "green" program and philosophy coming down the pike. During the past 15 years they have been passing laws based on the "Make hay while the sun shines" philosophy, investigating little on the long term outcomes of all of their short term views. As well all know, shortsightedness brings unexpected eventualities and loopholes. Both are a recipe for corruption at all levels and in the process, corruption has insinuated itself into every aspect of their government. Lastly, the corruption has extended itself into the daily lives of Greece's population through the rampant expansion of unions... <<Tada sound-effect>>
What have I just described? Anyone.... Anyone?? This is a gosh-darned Greek tragedy (pun intended) and we're setting the U.S. up to tread the same path. The U.K. is right there with us - as is Canada, Portugal, France, The Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and many others.
We don't seem poised for learning a lesson from history (the Great Depression), we don't want to look toward the future (no budget referendum, all accounting for bills are B.S.) and we refuse to learn from the results of others doing the same thing (copying a failed carbon trading program in Europe, copying the Greek method of social justice). How can we possibly avoid the exact same fate? Are we so vain as to believe that it won't happen to us because we're... US?
We've been here before and we threw the bums out. FDR took us to the edge but we survived, we term-limited the next comers and we wised up. Wilson and Carter did it too and we responded in kind. For now, we need to wake up - take control and do what needs to be done: Throw all of the incumbents out, term limit the elected officials, cut their pay, kill their retirement, limit their election spending, limit their budgetary spending and only hire qualified people for the support jobs. Remind them that this is a job, not a career and that they serve us!
- Merl -
NEW!
Merl,
The media continues to become [less] news than entertainment
which requires us to be more diligent. The Rest,
"Never trust a society to
make good decisions for themselves when they are doing so
out of desperation, emotional reflex or self-preservation."
Who should make it for them? The government, because people
don't know what's best for them? Be careful with your words.
People do this in response to the situation they are in
which causes the emotions which results in the knee jerk
reaction. We are on Animal Farm (allow me my bit of drama)
because the mechanism became greed, the recipients became
greedy, and it was thought that people would always do the
right thing because... well... they should. Laws that
guide us were removed & oversight became lax. The world
changed & the knight came riding in on his unicorn. The rest
is history. We still have the future.
Which brings me to
Politics. I agree with your positions but don't think you
went far enough. I'd like to see some commentary on
why immigration is so important to his mission, as is his
nominee, and what the coming elections will mean. Lets talk
about not rushing to make change for the sake of change, but
rather, put on the b#llsh*t filter & really try to see what
makes the most sense.
Wanting More
Wanting More,
We aren't in heated disagreement here, more of just a bit askew. Probably somewhat due to my hasty replies. No, not under any circumstance would I ever say that the government should be trusted to make our (collective) decision for us. Not during crisis - not ever. That would be tantamount to us shirking our duties because it wasn't convenient.
In the quote of mine you reference, I not offering advice. In fact, I'm not saying anything other than, "Don't be surprised by piss-poor decision making when a society is under severe stress/pressure; history tells us to expect it." Realistically there isn't a whole heck of a lot we can do about it, save, postponing elections during times of crisis. Unfortunately - I don't support that as it is a tactic employed by most oppressive regimes throughout the world. Seriously now, the only defense against emotional voting and knee-jerk reactions is knowledge. Real knowledge, not the crap manufactured in soundbite snippets and blasted into your minds through the TV. My new favorite is the nonsense the spin-control teams inundate the internet with so that it spreads like a virus through social networking sites. I call it: Mass Produced Grass Roots (MPGR) and it's about as genuine as Obama's promise to not raise taxes. I have a few ideas of how to do it (maintain accuracy) but I'll save that for another day.
Well, the dragon (capitalism) slayer, sitting proudly on his white, one-horned steed, has arrived and drawn his sword (disinformation). He has most of his followers convinced that the republicans brought all these financial woes on us even though it was a combination of effects originating with Clinton and perpetuated by the very same democrats who controlled congress (back then) that do now. He doesn't even wink when he says that stuff. He announces to the world that the U.S. (begrudgingly) remains a super power, and thus, must "be there" to provide aid & comfort wherever called... No one is calling for that, only cash. He tells you you're sick, then he gives you the only medicine available (because he's hiding all the other choices). Are you sure that you were even sick? His people break your legs so he can rush in to take care of you. He won't make you well - just well enough to rely on him but otherwise burden those around you. Animal Farm??? Maybe - but I see deeper, longer down the road than that. I also don't necessarily think the future is as bright as you. I hope you're right and I'm wrong.
I address the nominee and immigration issues in other responses to readers. Hopefully that will suffice for now.
Keep writing - keep reading
- Merl -
Merl,
People wonder why healthcare and healthcare insurance costs are constantly going up. The following is an event we had today.
I vote that we stock the ambulances with Gas-X. Overall, I don't think we're going to find a "perfect solution" to cure all that's wrong with our society; certainly not with a heathcare bill. Thanks to all who responded in kind.
Merl
01/11/2012
Merl,
This letter is going to come across as sarcastic and condescending; not to you specifically but to the public in general. The sarcasm comes from my utter frustration with the lack of brain power possessed by most of our society. Thinking would appear to be a foreign concept and is a lost art for most of the man apes that surround me. In my daily life from now on I am going to take a page from the politician/news reporter/ expert of any sort play book and say everything with conviction, because that will make it true. Don’t you dare ask me to prove what I say either, because I said it with conviction and the conviction of my word makes it true! My God - no one debates anymore! But alas, how can one debate when they don’t actually have a researched opinion about anything? Let us as a society just throw sound bites at each other like monkeys throw poo. That mentality will surely solve the massive problems that face us as a nation right now.
Socialism: according to the Random House College dictionary is defined as:
1. A theory or system of social organization that advocates the ownership and control of industry, capital, land, etc., by the community as a whole
2. Procedure or practice in accordance with this theory
3. (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in a transition of a society to communism.
That last one is frightening if one actually pays attention to the work of our illustrious president Obama and his cronies thus far; is it not?
Obamacare: How many of you out there have taken the time to read the thousands of pages that define it? Many of those in favor of it see it as a big package of notes that will ultimately lead to them getting insurance; good for you. On the other hand - many of those against it simply cringe at the name Obamacare and the myriad of reasons why are as varied as the stripes on a zebra. Lord knows, given my experience with him so far, I don’t want Mr. Obama caring for anything that is mine. But all jesting aside, how many of you have actually taken the time to read and understand it? I have… Are any of you as appalled as I at how it got passed? Do you even know how it got passed? How about the voodoo math used to prove (and that word is being used sarcastically) that it would pay for itself with no problem! The whole process by which it passed (by lawmakers who knew no more about it than you) into law should strike fear in the hearts of all of you out there. I don’t want any feedback from Obamacare supporters out there unless you have taken the time to READ AND FULLY UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE THING. Then I would revel in the opportunity to debate this issue with you; no sound bites (poo poo) will be tolerated. Bring your brain, your thoughts and your facts or go back to Facebook.
Obamacare = socialized medicine and opens the lid on a whole can of worms. Do you want a committee deciding if you are worth spending the money on for treatment? Yep, though it isn’t specifically dictated, it is a probable side effect given the exact wording, vague instruction and lack of constraints. Do you want to have waiting lists so long that you could die before actually receiving (basic, life-saving) treatment? Yep, just like in Great Britain and Canada, that could happen. I just hope everyone out there is actually thinking about the consequences this little jewel of legislation will bring, not just rejoicing in the fact they will now receive medical care on the government’s dime. WHO DO YOU THINK IS BEING SCREWED MOST BY OBAMACARE DUMMIES? Hint hint hint…. The segment of our country that is having everything taken from them already? No, it isn’t the rich folks – it’s you! (no sugar daddy here to pay for you).
Does anyone know just how much of General Motors the government owns? Please refer back to the definitions of socialism and tell me how you feel about that little tidbit of the stimulus package. Now tell me you don’t cringe a little thinking about that. Come on, give me a shiver. Though GM does not “technically” owe the government any more money, the governments of the US and Canada do still own a large piece of stock. Between the two countries, GM was given {somewhere} between 49-75 billion dollars, of which they paid back 6 billion – with government money (some of the 49-75 Billion). Later, they applied for and received even more government money at a 2% lower interest rate! As an aside, how about that Chevy Volt? Can we all just admire the ridiculous sum of taxpayer money that went into that vehicle: According to the GAO the number is somewhere between $200,000 and 300,000 per vehicle sold? You as a taxpayer should be pissed! That’s some stimulus plan… Speaking of the stimulus package, let’s have a contest: Let’s see who can list the most stimulus program projects that benefitted the economy. I’ll help the democrats do their job by listing all (or any) benefits that came out of that spending spree? Anything? Anything at all? It promised to drop unemployment to fewer than 8%. Wow, nope that didn’t happen. But I digress.
How about all the Czars the socialist-in-chief has appointed. Czars? Really? Anyone ever research the concept of a czar? Ever heard that word before?
Czar: same dictionary
1. An emperor or a king
2. (often capitalized) the former emperor of Russia
3. An autocratic ruler or leader
4. Any person in position of power, as a high public official
Yes, let’s bring some Russian ideology to our government officials (refer back to socialism being the progression of capitalism to communism). Are all of you left wing nut balls out there so drunk on the concept of hope and change that you really cannot see through this charismatic man’s words --- to his agenda? Go drink some coffee and sober up for crying out loud. If you are younger than 30, there’s a chance that you may not recognize the pattern developing here. Google: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and get back to me.
Photo IDs: Come on now!! “It would disadvantage the poor, minorities, ect.”? PUHLEASEEEEE I can just imagine walking into the bank to open an account to cash my welfare check and saying, “.. sorry I cannot provide a photo id because it would disadvantage me to get one. You just have to take my word that I am the person whose name is written on this check.: :::eye roll::: People have to prove who they are at banks, libraries, schools, etc… What about the counterterrorism laws brought to you by the Department of Homeland security? Try getting on a plane or train without photo ID! Why do the same laws not protect the most important freedom we have:
I think it is BS that the DOJ, under our fabulous Campaigner-in-Chief, decided that voting is not important enough to prevent fraud. Is it not feasible that terrorists could gather their ranks in this country and without the need to prove their identity have their minions vote as many times as they want in numerous locations and elect a terrorist (or sympathizer) into office? Wake up people. Again, we are giving up societal rights for individual rights; again. The group that His Holiness and his cronies are saying are being disadvantaged jeopardizes our election process just so they can maintain and grow their voter base. Yep, I said it. Think about it! Who benefits when the ultra-liberals (socialists) are in office? The segment of our community that feels they are entitled to being taken care of on the government’s dime while doing nothing in return. The ultra-liberals promise them everything, pandering to them, if they just go out and vote for them. Who are the people being disadvantaged by proving their identity? Oh I don’t know… Illegal votes of course!!! Non-resident aliens (illegals), convicts, unregistered voters and people who would attempt to vote multiple times! They, for the most part, make up the cause of the giant sucking sound (Ross Perot used to talk about) that everyone hears and most ignore. In other words, the socialist’s voting base. Can I get an amen?
Ahhhh to quote a friend, “Comrade Obama playing Stalin like games with the Constitution, THAT is unsettling.” He was referring to the recess appointments for those not up with the latest shenanigans in the Obama files. It is unsettling, and Obama’s ass, popularly known as Harry Reid, calls the use of Pro Forma recess a gimmick. Yet HE (and the other democrat stooges at the time) used the very same tactic against Bush to block appointments. Is it only a gimmick if the other side steals your play? Come on now! Do they forget that we have video and the written word? They act like we can’t just jump on the computer and take a look into the past to see what they, themselves have done. Yet the buffoon in charge (the B man), in a very recent speech reiterating his hope and change nonsense, emphatically professed that he is going to do everything in his power to bridge the bipartisan gap. Chuckle, snort, gag. SOOOO, that little war game you just played is, to you Mr. Obama, an example of bridging the gap? I cannot even begin to fathom what antics would occur if you were trying to widen the divide. Then his puppet, errr press secretary, stated that he cannot believe the Republicans would be against these appointments. Because, “.. these appointments will protect the average hard working American.” Really? The union friendly appointments he made to the labor board will protect the 90% non-union workforce how? The Unions, although a great concept when they began, are now little more than extortionists with a friendly face. It is what I imagine the mafia looks like in Sicily - a bunch of gangster thugs robbing, bribing, and intimidating everyone around in order to get more for less. Here, they have the added benefits of killing American job growth in right-to-work states as well as bankrupting local governments and businesses in other states with their wage and benefit demands. They do not even protect their own members, especially the ones that do not tote the union line. They are bullied and threatened and have their money stolen from them…… in the form of dues. They exist to support themselves. Unions are staunch supporters of the Dems. I know, “shocking ain’t it?” They too have the give me everything for nothing mentality right along with the rest of that voting base. YET, here is a VERY humorous contradiction: The unions were push, push, pushing for Obamacare --- Gotta have it! How many of them (unions) are excused, waivered or given a pass on being bound by the law of Obamacare? LMFAO
To quote another friend, “…it was so cold last night that when I left work I saw a Democrat with his hands in his own pockets!” I hope all this climate change, Consensus Conspiracy (Merl), leads us into an ice age! Maybe fewer hands will be in my pockets so that I can keep a shekel or two for myself. Of course, all I have left after all the hope and change flying around is pessimism and pocket fuzz.
Obama - you brainwashed a large segment of our population with your hope and change rhetoric. The saddest thing of all is that most of us are left with nothing more than hopelessness and debt. Yet somehow your charisma still enchants the nitwits that were dumb enough to drink the Kool-Aid. Apparently, the difference between Obama punch and the Jonestown punch is only the time it takes to kill you. One is immediate, sweet release – the other is yours.
Here’s a peek at the Change:
a. Record unemployment. Please don’t point out the recent drops in claims/rate because they do not include the hordes of unemployed that have fallen off unemployment, take into account the number of seasonal jobs at Christmas, or the fact that so many jobs have been cut so far the rate of new claims has to slow down eventually because there aren’t any jobs left to cut.
b. Homelessness. I remember not that long back the event of seeing an auction sign due to foreclosure was a very rare thing. Now I cannot drive a city block without seeing one. I used to know a couple of unemployed people – now I only know a couple of employed people! Practically no one around me has a job; few can pay their mortgage on time and without pain. I know people who have moved into tent cities. They do exist (these tent cities) no matter how hard people try to ignore them.
c. Intellectual progress - School budgets and Education. How far have we slipped in ranking in math and science around the world? We have fallen so far we might as well be dumb animals in a zoo somewhere. Don’t you dare blame this on Bush! YOU, my friend, have done nothing, zip, zilch on the subject of education. Although you did make it so much harder for my middle class family to pay for it; thanks buddy. The school district in which I live crowds 3-4 HIGHSCHOOL students per seat on the bus; seats designed to accommodate 2 high school students. Our district’s budget continues to shrink, leaving no money to purchase adequate transportation. This is a direct consequence of less money. Why is there less money? No one has a job so no one is paying taxes. Why doesn’t anyone have a job? Hmmmmm think we have touched on that already (regulation nation perhaps?). Then there’s the issue of actually teaching kids. According to news reports from across the nation - it’s all about teaching the standardized test anymore. Teachers have stopped teaching. This is a major problem and has anyone ever noticed how difficult it is to get a truly bad teacher removed? Next to impossible! That darn tenure gets in the way. Why do a good job when you can’t get fired for being a lazy bum? Another gift (consequence) of those lovely things called Unions. Not only do you get to pay that do nothing teacher’s salary, but you get to pay their pension until they die; nothing like rewarding incompetence for a lifetime!
To even mention revamping the collective bargaining rights, salaries, benefits of unions is sacrilegious to the cult of hope and change. How dare you vilify these hard working people? Never mind that everyone is broke! For crying out loud people - the kids are our future and this is an example of the entitled mentality that is ruining our nation.
Does anyone remember the temper tantrums that Sunshine threw over his jobs bill? I know where he could have created a few jobs, how about that campaign bus he spent MILIONS of YOUR money on. He had them built In CANADA! :::snort, giggle, gag::: Let me correct myself, “.. it is not a campaign bus,” so says Sunshine. We are all losing our jobs, our homes and are wondering how to feed our kids and every time I turn around he’s playing golf or vacationing in Hawaii. Glad you are having such a good time on my dime, I haven’t been able to afford a vacation in quite some time, don’t see being able to afford one soon either. Thank you for the change you have delivered to me Mr. President.
The defense budget changes. I am only going to touch on one piece of that disaster-in-waiting; restructuring of veteran’s benefits. We all know what “restructuring” means when it comes to the veterans; cuts. I am going to vent here, and I am going to admit that, on this subject, I am nothing short of angry. Revamping of entitlement programs (social security, Medicare/Medicaid, welfare) is absolutely TABOO in the cult of hope and change. We absolutely CANNOT address those programs. Because, to do so, would risk cutting benefits to those receiving them. Those systems have become so complicated, convoluted and bloated with legacy programs that it is rife with fraud, waste and abuse. If we would just take some time to streamline them and cut the massive amount of waste within them no deserving person would be denied. But just mentioning those programs brings a backlash of hysteria and ire from the entitlement mentality crowd (Democrats). Yet, Mr. Bi-partisan Bridge Builder has ABSOLUTLEY NO ISSUE “restructuring” (cutting) the benefits of veterans; the very people that give their lives to protecting this great country he serves. Here’s something Sunshine may have forgotten:
VETERANS ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING TO EARN THE BENEFITS THEY HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They volunteered to serve at your pleasure, sacrificing their lives so that the USA may use them as she sees fit. Yet – their benefits are pathetic in comparison to Medicare benefits. My spouse is a war veteran and we have not utilized one benefit; no VA loans, no GI bill funds, no medical care at the VA, because we have not had the need to. That is the difference between the mindset of most military folks and that of the entitlement class: Military folk only utilize their benefits if they have actual need to, they don’t feel the need to use them because they have some great entitlement to them. I’m just waiting for Dummy to pull a Jimmy Carter and just not pay the military for a time to prove some deluded point that we all can survive on less. Short Stack and his crew have no issue messing with the military (the heroes of our country) because the military folk are not looking for the world to be handed to them and are not part of that cult’s voting base. That’s why they feel secure in screwing them! “Who cares if we screw em, right? We didn’t have their vote anyway!”
Mr. Obama, you said in that interview that you would “rather be a great one term president than a mediocre two term president.” I have news for you – “You have not even been mediocre one-termer”. You certainly did not live up to your campaign promises, so why are you seeking re-election? Oh yes, your mission to change the name of the country to The United Socialist States of America has not been achieved yet, my bad.
I am done ranting. There are a myriad, a sheer plethora of other examples of Mr. Obama’s (can I just insert a little humor here, can I point out our president’s initials are BO, his policies sure do stink like his initials) failures and socialist agenda. I fear the Kool-Aid drinking cult of hope and change is too far off the reservation and trying to make them think about the big picture is losing battle. If I would win the lottery, I would pay for a massive, country wide deprogramming of this cult, shave the sheep wool off of them and return their ability to think for themselves.
Wanting Less from those Wanting More (of what’s mine)
Merl,
Is it really that simple? In the process, wouldn't someone have come along and said, "Whoa - what's going on here?" I realize that there is such a thing as 'spin' and that people (especially politicians) have a desire to keep things positive all of the time, but I find it hard to believe that they just outright lied. Prove it.
Dartmouth
Dartmouth,
People did come out and say that. Many, many, many people cried foul. Actuaries, business owners and individuals alike balked at the terms, the numbers and the precedence-setting nature. Remember the whole thing with double counting the $500 BB in savings? How about when the Medicare/Medicaid actuaries claimed the numbers were wrong? The Louisiana Purchase??? Anyone who paid attention knew that the books were cooking when the limits appeared to be crafted just so that the senator's and representative's salaries and benefits packages fell just slightly outside the program's borders. You have to remember when the tax on "Cadillac Plans" was being discussed and Stearn from the SEUI and Trumka from the AFL/CIO rushed in to save the day! Viola - exemptions were issued.
Face it - it was done to you, right in your face and you are just too stunned by the lack of foreplay to realize what has just happened to you.
Need a smoke?
Merl
Merl,
If, in fact, our leaders believe that Obamacare is the best for the country, then why have they effectively excluded themselves from it?
Dartmouth
Dartmouth,
Because they lied.... Don't over-think it. Sometimes, if it looks like sh*t, smells like sh*t and oozes like sh*t - it ain't a BLT.
Merl
NEW!
Merl,
Wow. Thank you for taking the time to reply, honestly. It sounds like your kids are engaged in the world, unlike a lot of other families I know of. What I have learned from your writing amazes me. I am in awe of what I don't know and it scares me. Not in a Sci-Fi, the government is taking over our life kind of way, but more of a, "I'm never going to have free time to socialize while I research the truth," kinda way. But it has to be done, I'm heeding your call. Just last night I had a conversation with a group of people that made me sick to my stomach. I was so angered by the fact that most of the people trying to debate politics had all of their information wrong that I actually swore a couple of times. I would stand there shaking my head so much, while waiting my turn to rebut, that I became dizzy. And, when I did get responses, they all sounded like they were stripped from the day's pre-approved soundbites on MSNBC. No one had any facts - they were all vomiting canned liberal dribble in 30 second intervals. Your words resounded in my mind: "USE YOUR BRAINS!! Read, identify clues, seek sources, and follow the information where it takes you - not where you are lead." Words I now live by. My brain thanks you - My social life thinks you are an evil dictator.
Less Lost
Lost (less),
Welcome to the rabbit hole.
Take it from me - swearing during a debate is not the way to go. I understand the feeling, but keep your hands and brain inside of the ride at all times. I appreciate the kind words and it pleases me that you managed to find inspiration in my words, now, go forth, prosper and inspire others!
- Merl -
Merl,
I don't claim to be the smartest person in the world, but I do try very hard to keep up with all that's going on. I've been reading at your site for a while now and I've come up with a list of questions that don't seem to be answered plain enough for me to understand. How is it possible that so much of the stuff that is going wrong has been missed by the media and all of the resources that we rely on to make sure that this stuff doesn't happen? You seemed to predict it, but you made a joke of the whole thing. I mean, no one knew that he was a socialist (or worse) and that he [deep down] hates the U.S. system of capitalism? It seems so obvious now, what happened before? How come the senators and the other house are going along with him? Between you and Glen Beck it seems like this guy is the devil and he's surrounded himself with his evil minions. What am I missing and how did I miss it?
Lost in the midst
Lost,
Don't take this the wrong way, but, this is going to sting a little:
We missed it because of people like, well - you. I suspect that you define "awhile" as being the amount of time that has passed since you became unhappy with the way things are going and now. Prior to that, you wandered aimlessly through life, surfing the channels as your entertainment level waned and paid little attention to the details of the electoral process. Anything that didn't affect you didn't interest you. Now you are feeling the pressure due to either the crap economy, unemployment, rising healthcare costs, the rising costs of education and/or the fledgling credit markets... Or a combination thereof. Shame on you.
My 12, 14 and 15 year old daughters had the savvy to detect BS during the primary season when Mr. Happy ran around promising rainbows and unicorns for every household. Where were the adults when he was passing out his lucky charms and magic Kool-aid?
THE MEDIA
Seriously now, a full 50% of his voters were so swept up in the "historical aspect of electing a black man" that they hardly even listened to his speeches. Most couldn't tell you who his running mate was, nor could they tell you what any of his platform promises were. This group contained the party loyalists, the hardcore odd-balls and the first-timers. The remaining 50% voted for him because he wasn't Hillary or Edwards or Richardson or McCain or Bush or anyone else for that matter. They chose the one who wasn't someone they didn't like. Sadly, the media (for the most part) is a business and it is made up of people who almost entirely land in the first category of voters. Let's face it - this election was big business for the media and even they are smart enough not to kill the golden goose (or geese).
THE REST
I've said it so many times that I'm becoming bored with it: Humans, when under pressure, make awful decisions. Never trust a society to make good decisions for themselves when they are doing so out of desperation, emotional reflex or self-preservation. Two wars, collapsing markets, rising unemployment and a backlash against the incumbent administration was all the pressure Marxist/Socialists (draped in Democratic robes) needed to waltz into power unencumbered.
Merl
Here's one that was forwarded to me. Not sure what to think about this because I suspect there are some errors and omissions; why don't you all get busy for awhile:
As you listen to the news about the student protests over illegal immigration, there are some things that you should be aware of:
I am in charge of the English-as-a-second-language department at a large southern California high school which is designated a Title 1 school, meaning that its students average lower socioeconomic and income levels
Most of the schools you are hearing about, South Gate High, Bell Gardens, Huntington Park, etc., where these students are protesting, are also Title 1 schools.
Title 1 schools are on the free breakfast and free lunch program. When I say free breakfast, I'm not talking a glass of milk and roll -- but a full breakfast and cereal bar with fruits and juices that would make a Marriott proud. The waste of this food is monumental, with trays and trays of it being dumped in the trash uneaten.
I estimate that well over 50% of these students are obese or at least moderately overweight.. About 75% or more DO have cell phones. The school also provides day care centers for the unwed teenage pregnant girls (some as young as 13) so they can attend class without the inconvenience of having to arrange for babysitters or having family watch their kids.
I was ordered to spend $700,000 on my department or risk losing funding for the upcoming year even though there was little need for anything; my budget was already substantial. I ended up buying new computers for the computer learning center, half of which, one month later, have been carved with graffiti by the appreciative students who obviously feel humbled and grateful to have a free education in America..
I have had to intervene several times for young and substitute teachers whose classes consist of many illegal immigrant students, here in the country less than 3 months, who raised so much hell with the female teachers, calling them "Putas" (whores ) and throwing things, that the teachers were in tears.
Free medical, free education, free food, day care etc., etc, etc. Is it any wonder they feel entitled to not only be in this country but to demand rights, privileges and entitlements?
To those who want to point out how much these illegal immigrants contribute to our society because they LIKE their gardener and housekeeper and they like to pay less for tomatoes: spend some time in the real world of illegal immigration and see the TRUE costs.
Higher insurance, medical facilities closing, higher medical costs, more crime, lower standards of education in our schools, overcrowding, new diseases etc.., etc, etc. For me, I'll pay more for tomatoes.
It does, however, have everything to do with culture: It involves an American third-world culture that does not value education, that accepts children getting pregnant and dropping out of school by 15 and that refuses to assimilate and an American culture that has become so weak and worried about political correctness that we don't have the will to do anything about it.
CHEAP LABOR? Isn't that what the whole immigration issue is about? Business don't pay a decent wage because consumers don't want expensive produce. Government will tell you Americans don't want the jobs.
But the bottom line is cheap labor. The phrase "cheap labor" is a myth, a farce and a lie. There is no such thing as cheaplabor.
Take, for example, an illegal alien with a wife and five children. He takes a job for $5.00 or 6.00/hour. At that wage, with six dependents, he pays no income tax, yet at the end of the year, if he files an Income Tax Return, he gets an "earned income credit" of up to $3,200 free.
He qualifies for Section 8 housing and subsidized rent.
He qualifies for food stamps. He qualifies for free (no deductible, no co-pay) health care. His children get free breakfasts and lunches at school. He requires bilingual teachers and books. He qualifies for relief from high energy bills. If they are, or become, aged, blind or disabled , they qualify for SSI. If qualified for SSI they can qualify for Medicare . All of this is at (our) taxpayer's expense. He doesn't worry about car insurance, life insurance, or homeowners insurance. Taxpayers provide Spanish language signs, bulletins and printed material.
He and his family receive the equivalent of $20.00 to $30.00/hour in benefits.
Working Americans are lucky to have $5.00 or $6.00/hour left after paying their bills and his.
Cheap labor? YEAH RIGHT!
A California school teacher