Sunday, October 13, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Democrats Taking Back The House
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Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Carter: Middle Class Today Resembles Past's Poor
The following article is Jimmy Carter telling it like it is!
Carter says today's middle class looks like the poor from his presidency due to income gap..
http://news.yahoo.com/carter-middle-class-today-resembles-110509535.html
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday that the income gap in the United States has increased to the point where members of the middle class resemble the Americans who lived in poverty when he occupied the White House.
Carter offered his assessment of the nation's economic challenges Monday at a Habitat for Humanity construction site in Oakland — the first of five cities he and wife Rosalynn plan to visit this week to commemorate their three-decade alliance with the international nonprofit that promotes and builds affordable housing.
The recent economic downturn revealed that families living in even comparatively well-off, but expensive regions like the San Francisco Bay Area are economically insecure, he said.
"Even in one of the wealthiest parts of the world there is a great deal of foreclosures and now a great deal of people who are fortunate to own their own houses owe more on them than the houses are worth in the present market, and that's all changed in the last eight years," Carter said during an exclusive interview with The Associated Press.
Taking a break from framing windows at a new 12-unit town house development in a section of East Oakland where Habitat already has built or repaired 115 homes, the 89-year-old former Democratic president said the federal government is investing less in affordable housing at a time of greater need.
"The disparity between rich people and poor people in America has increased dramatically since when we started," he said. "The middle class has become more like poor people than they were 30 years ago. So I don't think it's getting any better."
Years of tax breaks for the wealthy, a minimum wage untethered from the inflation rate and electoral districts drawn to maximize political polarization have reduced the quality of life for all but a small fraction of Americans and imperiled the nation's standing as "a real superpower," he said.
"Equity of taxation and treating the middle class with a great deal of attention, providing funding for people in true need, like for affordable housing, those are the sort of things that would pay rich dividends for Americans no matter what kind of income they have," said Carter, looking relaxed in a baseball cap, blue jeans and white sneakers.
"The richest people in America would be better off if everybody lived in a decent home and had a chance to pay for it, and if everyone had enough income even if they had a daily job to be good buyers for the products that are produced."
Habitat for Humanity was founded in Georgia, the home state of the Carters. They first joined a Habitat for Humanity work site in 1984 in New York and have spent a week every year working on construction sites in the U.S. and abroad.
On Tuesday, the former president and first lady are scheduled to help renovate homes in a section of Silicon Valley that has remained immune to the wealth generated by the high-tech industry. After that, they intend to travel to Denver, New York and Union Beach, N.J., where they will help rebuild homes wiped out by Hurricane Sandy.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Congressional Reform Act of 2013
Winds Of Change
Warren Buffet is asking you forward this to a minimum of twenty people on your Email list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise. At least 20 if you can. It has to stop somewhere.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have this message.
Congressional Reform Act of 2013
1. No Tenure / No Pension. (They are not tenured)
A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
(They already do)
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. (They already do)
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. (Members of Congress currently select and purchase the health insurance they want. They can buy from the exchanges)
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. (By law they are currently required to abide by all US laws.)
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/31/13. (This is just stupid. This would void every contact into which they entered eg, car loan, life insurance, marriage, cell phone, cable TV, ect,,
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have this message.
Congressional Reform Act of 2013
1. No Tenure / No Pension. (They are not tenured)
A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
(They already do)
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. (They already do)
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. (Members of Congress currently select and purchase the health insurance they want. They can buy from the exchanges)
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. (By law they are currently required to abide by all US laws.)
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/31/13. (This is just stupid. This would void every contact into which they entered eg, car loan, life insurance, marriage, cell phone, cable TV, ect,,
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.
Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Don't you think it's time?
If you agree with the above, pass it on. Also post this on Facebook and Twitter.
UPDATE!
Actually, it's not at all how you fix Congress. But more to the point, the fake "petition" is filled with inaccuracies about Congress.
Congressmen do not have "tenure." They run for re-election. If you don't like your congressman, vote him or her out. They do pay into Social Security, just like everyone else, and are not immediately vested with a full pension, as people oddly seem to believe. They are welcome to invest in separate individual retirement accounts if they like.
Congress has not been voting pay raises for itself. Generally, Congress gets an automatic cost-of-living raise, but has sometimes voted not to give itself even that. Since 1994, Congress has gone without a pay raise nine times (four of those times occurring in the past six years). And if the federal workforce gets a pay freeze, as is currently being discussed, Congress's pay is frozen as well.
Congress doesn't get free healthcare or even a special plan. Like all federal employees, they choose (and pay premiums for) a private healthcare plan from a menu of choices.
[See a collection of political cartoons on healthcare.]
It's true that Congress as an institution doesn't abide by the same laws. They can hire and fire staff at will, for example. There is an argument that Congress should be held to many of the same laws they pass for everyone else, but some are not workable. Should a Republican be forced to hire Democratic staff, for example? That wouldn't be reasonable.
It's not clear what "contracts" the misinformed author of this bogus E-mail petition is citing. Congressmen cannot earn outside earned income while in office. What contracts would be considered void? Mortgages? Marriage licenses? This is absurd. And the idea that lawmakers receive no pay when they are out of office? What does that mean—that if someone serves one, two-year term, he or she can never work again? Are they meant to go on welfare instead?
And yet, this kind of E-mail is common on the Internet. Lawmakers say they frequently have to send E-mails to outraged constituents explaining that the characterizations of Congress are simply untrue. But the rumors keep coming back, forcing members and staff to constantly defend themselves against charges that have no basis in fact.
Incendiary E-mails like the bogus Buffett petition aren't an argument for cleaning up Congress. They're a better argument for civics tests for voters. And it's easy to see why someone wouldn't want to serve in Congress, given the misinformation campaign.
Fat Bastardo's Op Ed
Congress is a fucking sewer and we don't need to lie about those criminal dick suckers who have made it that way to convince the American people that their elected officials in Washington DC suck.
Here is Fat Bastardo's Congressional Reform Act.
If a congressional representative is caught taking bribes they will be charged with treason.
If a congressional representative is caught lying they will be charged with abuse of office.
If a congressional representative cannot pass a polygraph test they will be kicked out.
If a congressional representative is caught behaving like a fucking asshole they will be kicked out.
If a congressional representative is caught molesting a kid they will be castrated.
Congressional members will leave congress with only the income they received in salary. They will not be allowed any investments.
Campaign spending limits.
Minimum of 25 debates paid for by all the candidates.
Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Don't you think it's time?
If you agree with the above, pass it on. Also post this on Facebook and Twitter.
UPDATE!
Actually, it's not at all how you fix Congress. But more to the point, the fake "petition" is filled with inaccuracies about Congress.
Congressmen do not have "tenure." They run for re-election. If you don't like your congressman, vote him or her out. They do pay into Social Security, just like everyone else, and are not immediately vested with a full pension, as people oddly seem to believe. They are welcome to invest in separate individual retirement accounts if they like.
Congress has not been voting pay raises for itself. Generally, Congress gets an automatic cost-of-living raise, but has sometimes voted not to give itself even that. Since 1994, Congress has gone without a pay raise nine times (four of those times occurring in the past six years). And if the federal workforce gets a pay freeze, as is currently being discussed, Congress's pay is frozen as well.
Congress doesn't get free healthcare or even a special plan. Like all federal employees, they choose (and pay premiums for) a private healthcare plan from a menu of choices.
[See a collection of political cartoons on healthcare.]
It's true that Congress as an institution doesn't abide by the same laws. They can hire and fire staff at will, for example. There is an argument that Congress should be held to many of the same laws they pass for everyone else, but some are not workable. Should a Republican be forced to hire Democratic staff, for example? That wouldn't be reasonable.
It's not clear what "contracts" the misinformed author of this bogus E-mail petition is citing. Congressmen cannot earn outside earned income while in office. What contracts would be considered void? Mortgages? Marriage licenses? This is absurd. And the idea that lawmakers receive no pay when they are out of office? What does that mean—that if someone serves one, two-year term, he or she can never work again? Are they meant to go on welfare instead?
And yet, this kind of E-mail is common on the Internet. Lawmakers say they frequently have to send E-mails to outraged constituents explaining that the characterizations of Congress are simply untrue. But the rumors keep coming back, forcing members and staff to constantly defend themselves against charges that have no basis in fact.
Incendiary E-mails like the bogus Buffett petition aren't an argument for cleaning up Congress. They're a better argument for civics tests for voters. And it's easy to see why someone wouldn't want to serve in Congress, given the misinformation campaign.
- Susan Milligan: Anti-Incumbent Super PAC Does More Harm Than Good
- Check out U.S. News Weekly: an insider's guide to politics and policy
- Follow the Thomas Jefferson Street blog on Twitter at @TJSBlog.
Fat Bastardo's Op Ed
Congress is a fucking sewer and we don't need to lie about those criminal dick suckers who have made it that way to convince the American people that their elected officials in Washington DC suck.
Here is Fat Bastardo's Congressional Reform Act.
If a congressional representative is caught taking bribes they will be charged with treason.
If a congressional representative is caught lying they will be charged with abuse of office.
If a congressional representative cannot pass a polygraph test they will be kicked out.
If a congressional representative is caught behaving like a fucking asshole they will be kicked out.
If a congressional representative is caught molesting a kid they will be castrated.
Congressional members will leave congress with only the income they received in salary. They will not be allowed any investments.
Campaign spending limits.
Minimum of 25 debates paid for by all the candidates.
Republicans Demystified
Four surgeons are comparing the type of patients they consider the
easiest to operate on. The first surgeon says, "I like to operate on
electricians, because when you open them up everything is color coded."
The second surgeon says, "I prefer to operate on accountants, because when you open them up everything is numbered."
The third surgeon says, "I think librarians are the easiest to operate on because everything inside them is in alphabetic order."
The fourth surgeon says, "I've got you all beat. I like to operate on Republicans best. They are by far the easiest because they have no guts, no heart, no spine and their mouths and assholes are interchangeable.
The second surgeon says, "I prefer to operate on accountants, because when you open them up everything is numbered."
The third surgeon says, "I think librarians are the easiest to operate on because everything inside them is in alphabetic order."
The fourth surgeon says, "I've got you all beat. I like to operate on Republicans best. They are by far the easiest because they have no guts, no heart, no spine and their mouths and assholes are interchangeable.
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