Obama administration works for modernising of american Railways! Why the Heck is moron GOP against? (753)
Mandy7: And pocketing the money is better?? The rich are way too rich at the expense of the middle class.
Mandy7: We have about the smartest president ever, with an IQ of 138. But best of all he cares about the people more than the money.
Is that why he bailed all the Rich Corporations out that bankrolled his election?
jvaski: Conservative politics - 101
Modern railways = more people moving faster and not driving cars
Less car driving = less gasoline used
Less gasoline used = less profits for the oil corporations
Less profits for the oil corporations = Pissed-off Republicans who are in bed with them ......
Bulldung!Modern railways = more people moving faster and not driving cars
Less car driving = less gasoline used
Less gasoline used = less profits for the oil corporations
Less profits for the oil corporations = Pissed-off Republicans who are in bed with them ......
Railroads+Federal-Government=Extreme Inefficiency!
jvaski: But, WHY do they have to be so BUTCH ?
Why are you so Homophobic?Mandy7: I've been to Europe Italy, France, Spain, Ireland, Turkey)and the trains, subways, buses and boats are first class. Like here on the east and west coasts. Too bad us in Colorado can't get out except to Chicago or Los Angeles. I love the trains and I see a lot of people on them on the coasts. Trains can go 120 miles easy.
.....and how many of them break even,or are running at a profit,instead of having to be subsidized with Tax-Money?
Hot_Single_Dude: Where the freak does this shi* coming from Grumpy? Fick Librarians
You are part of the problem,Dude!Got a Hangup on Librarians?
Hot_Single_Dude: Cause Amtrack needs modernasation Freddy ... gosh! Why shall I spell it out for yah all time
How many Billions of Taxpayer's Money has AmTrack eaten up so far in it's Bottomless Hole?Hot_Single_Dude: Very good for you Freddy!
So both the Republican mayor of urs, the police departement and fire departement are all Gays? Congraduation Freddy! Some good news from Indiana at last... way to go Freddy... you too?
I did not knew the Mayor of Indianapolis was Gay too... Fabulous in deed ... Republicans are finally becoming more civilised
What is your Hangup with Gays?So both the Republican mayor of urs, the police departement and fire departement are all Gays? Congraduation Freddy! Some good news from Indiana at last... way to go Freddy... you too?
I did not knew the Mayor of Indianapolis was Gay too... Fabulous in deed ... Republicans are finally becoming more civilised
Thought tis Thread was about Railroads,of which you,of course have no understanding of!
Or was the Title just another pretext so you could engage in some more Gaybashing with your Fellow-Hooligans?
Me thinks it is the Latter!
vikingdream: this is why dont vote and probably never will obama could say 2+2=4 and the gop would find a way to argue same thing the other way around the government you voted in doesnt work there are only two ways and neither work and you all keep talking about how great your party is I'm sending a way more powerful message by refusuing to vote because Im totally disgusted with the government Im the vote they so desperately want not yours they already have you dems nor rep will ever get my vote Im saving it for when it really matters
And how are you sending a Message,by NOT sending a Message?
Hot_Single_Dude: Hi Happy
High speed trains are for connecting major cities ina country and high speed trains will not have stations in every corner of the country of course and by that I am sure your area will be pretty safe that way. High speed trains and it,s importance is all a bout reliable and fast and rahter cheap way of transportation and on the other hand the most fule economical methode of moving passengers and goods on long distances, Most high speed trains of today are runned on electricity and by that electricity made by windmills will play a major role in this and the whole thing is a great plus for America and the same is done every where now on days and America is one of the few modern nations still not doing this.
Where the money shall come from is not the main issue here becasue investments in a better feauter and in a better and more clean infrastructur are so important that like in any countries , governments got to find the money necessary and building it now and being sure that in some few years the whole thing is paid back with interest.
France got huge economical problems for example and France economy have been devistated because of STUPId right wingers on power for too many years but still... they have developed their rail ways massivley and have builted the fastest train on earth and are getting back on track that way also because of these investments. France is exporting this technology today together with Japan and Italy and China even while America still uses "choo choo" trains of 60,s... too slow and too fuel consumping to count on for real and that is sad when thinking a bout America is THE land of trains and where this fabulous machine got developed.
Economy today is based on transportation and how fat and how cheap and how reliable is this possible and beside on with less poloution as possible. This is why China leads today ...Me personally Want America Back on Track and ASAP!
Doesn't matter what YOU want,personally!High speed trains are for connecting major cities ina country and high speed trains will not have stations in every corner of the country of course and by that I am sure your area will be pretty safe that way. High speed trains and it,s importance is all a bout reliable and fast and rahter cheap way of transportation and on the other hand the most fule economical methode of moving passengers and goods on long distances, Most high speed trains of today are runned on electricity and by that electricity made by windmills will play a major role in this and the whole thing is a great plus for America and the same is done every where now on days and America is one of the few modern nations still not doing this.
Where the money shall come from is not the main issue here becasue investments in a better feauter and in a better and more clean infrastructur are so important that like in any countries , governments got to find the money necessary and building it now and being sure that in some few years the whole thing is paid back with interest.
France got huge economical problems for example and France economy have been devistated because of STUPId right wingers on power for too many years but still... they have developed their rail ways massivley and have builted the fastest train on earth and are getting back on track that way also because of these investments. France is exporting this technology today together with Japan and Italy and China even while America still uses "choo choo" trains of 60,s... too slow and too fuel consumping to count on for real and that is sad when thinking a bout America is THE land of trains and where this fabulous machine got developed.
Economy today is based on transportation and how fat and how cheap and how reliable is this possible and beside on with less poloution as possible. This is why China leads today ...Me personally Want America Back on Track and ASAP!
So the Money to build those thing is NOT the Mainissue?
---- IMAGE REMOVED because photobucket.com no longer allows embedded images ----
What you gonna use to Build and invest?
Pixiedust?
All you progressives are alike!
Lighter-than-Air-Balloons!
Highflying Dreams,and no means to ever realizing them,without victimizing those around them!
Conrad73: CONT.
Unlike many similar polls in the past, Americans are not happy even with their own representatives. Only 27% of voters believe their own Congressperson is the best person for the job.
Interestingly, Americans with a greater sense of history are less accepting of the current government. Only 16% of senior citizens believe that the government is acting with the consent of the governed. Only 19% of those polled between the ages of 50 and 64 agreed. 25% of Americans under 40 believe that the government is operating with the consent of the governed.
It should be alarming to the Democratic Party that even 44% of their own party members do not believe that the government they elected just over a year ago still maintains the consent of the governed. That’s only 6% from a majority. I wonder if Pelosi and Reid are looking at these numbers? Without support even from members of their own party, they may soon be looking for jobs.
What I wonder more though, is if Americans remember what follows immediately after that opening excerpt from the Declaration of Independence:
“… That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
This is a very high standard for Americans to live up to. It is a standard to which our forefathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Frankly, I don’t believe that we’re up to the task. We get the government we deserve, and it seems to me that the current generation of Americans is getting the government it deserves. Our lack of will to live our lives as free individuals has left us defenseless against the predations of the federal government. Until we learn once again to stand on our own two feet, we will never deserve the freedom for which our forefathers fought and died.
Unlike many similar polls in the past, Americans are not happy even with their own representatives. Only 27% of voters believe their own Congressperson is the best person for the job.
Interestingly, Americans with a greater sense of history are less accepting of the current government. Only 16% of senior citizens believe that the government is acting with the consent of the governed. Only 19% of those polled between the ages of 50 and 64 agreed. 25% of Americans under 40 believe that the government is operating with the consent of the governed.
It should be alarming to the Democratic Party that even 44% of their own party members do not believe that the government they elected just over a year ago still maintains the consent of the governed. That’s only 6% from a majority. I wonder if Pelosi and Reid are looking at these numbers? Without support even from members of their own party, they may soon be looking for jobs.
What I wonder more though, is if Americans remember what follows immediately after that opening excerpt from the Declaration of Independence:
“… That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
This is a very high standard for Americans to live up to. It is a standard to which our forefathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Frankly, I don’t believe that we’re up to the task. We get the government we deserve, and it seems to me that the current generation of Americans is getting the government it deserves. Our lack of will to live our lives as free individuals has left us defenseless against the predations of the federal government. Until we learn once again to stand on our own two feet, we will never deserve the freedom for which our forefathers fought and died.
raphael118: your knowledge of american history is warped and sad, sad, sad. better stick to israel and and your own country instead of trashing ours.
What's Israel got to do with this!Damn,I forgot,that's another ethnicity you fear!
vikingdream: this is why dont vote and probably never will obama could say 2+2=4 and the gop would find a way to argue same thing the other way around the government you voted in doesnt work there are only two ways and neither work and you all keep talking about how great your party is I'm sending a way more powerful message by refusuing to vote because Im totally disgusted with the government Im the vote they so desperately want not yours they already have you dems nor rep will ever get my vote Im saving it for when it really matters
I am thinking no matter how frustrated it feels ... still... participating in elections is important and no matter what some folks politics are more near to what u expect the country should look like and how things shall get done in America.
There is no any body who can force u choosing what party or what people to support and u are the one on charge regarding that important choice of course... I just hope You will be eager to support those you more agree with on the election day. Those being Republicans or Teapublicans or Democrats or Independents will be ur choice but still... just imagine how wonderful it is having the right to Vote and having the right to participate in the shape of ur bloved country this way.
Welcome to this thread
Conrad73: Why are you so Homophobic?
Why do we need to tolerant of angry BUTCH women ?
raphael118: your knowledge of american history is warped and sad, sad, sad. better stick to israel and and your own country instead of trashing ours.
Hot_Single_Dude: How can a huge country like America keep staying back wards regarding Rails and still making it in this huge international compettition regarding demands of cheap and reliable transportation of goods Freddy?
I know Republicans beleive the Econoy is Stupid and beleive me or not Taliban Pakistanee folks beleive the exact same as Republicans a bout the economy and all other Right winged Bosos the exact same... but! You Republicans or most of u can READ at least and study what economical gain is and how a country can compete more succesfully.
America is huge you see? Trucks alone can not do the thing and planes can never carry much goods any way and modernisation of american railing system generally will strengthening America to get back on track sooner and more smoothly in a matter of some few years, because America got the capacity and the know how and so on if politicians decide to cooporate and stop acting as kids/Republican style.
We are also talking a bout millions of new jobs that way... real and reliable jobs generally in infrastructur matters all over America and railroads generally. America this huge super power got old trains from 60,s to oporate with still... what is good keep staying this old fashioned any way? I say Fick Koch bros and their STUPID look a liked and their freaking anti american eager not paying more in taxes which they have to pay because they can afford it and because folks like those making an 80 procent of the money even being a one procent of the population... America needs modernisation of rail roads and modern trains and stuff and Koch bros and other rich got to pay more in order to provide the necessary funds. Investments on this matter today, will mean economical gain for the country and millions of jobs ...
What is good keep staying a Hilly Billy not understading the rules of the global Economy and keep beleiving America is one,s back yard only and gunning down any body trying to pass by?
Time have passed by Freddy... it ain,t no the freaking 1800,s no more but the 2100,s...
Demorats torpedoed lots of Civilrights-Laws in the sixties!1960's that is!I know Republicans beleive the Econoy is Stupid and beleive me or not Taliban Pakistanee folks beleive the exact same as Republicans a bout the economy and all other Right winged Bosos the exact same... but! You Republicans or most of u can READ at least and study what economical gain is and how a country can compete more succesfully.
America is huge you see? Trucks alone can not do the thing and planes can never carry much goods any way and modernisation of american railing system generally will strengthening America to get back on track sooner and more smoothly in a matter of some few years, because America got the capacity and the know how and so on if politicians decide to cooporate and stop acting as kids/Republican style.
We are also talking a bout millions of new jobs that way... real and reliable jobs generally in infrastructur matters all over America and railroads generally. America this huge super power got old trains from 60,s to oporate with still... what is good keep staying this old fashioned any way? I say Fick Koch bros and their STUPID look a liked and their freaking anti american eager not paying more in taxes which they have to pay because they can afford it and because folks like those making an 80 procent of the money even being a one procent of the population... America needs modernisation of rail roads and modern trains and stuff and Koch bros and other rich got to pay more in order to provide the necessary funds. Investments on this matter today, will mean economical gain for the country and millions of jobs ...
What is good keep staying a Hilly Billy not understading the rules of the global Economy and keep beleiving America is one,s back yard only and gunning down any body trying to pass by?
Time have passed by Freddy... it ain,t no the freaking 1800,s no more but the 2100,s...
raphael118: your knowledge of american history is warped and sad, sad, sad. better stick to israel and and your own country instead of trashing ours.
Actually I am trashing Hooligans like you all,not your Country,Dude,JV and you are doing a swell Job at it!How the Mass Media Failed in 2009
The “American” mass media failed miserably to execute their duties as ethical and responsible journalists in 2009.
They filled the their airtime with stories about The Baloon Boy, Tiger Woods, and the deaths of Teddy Kennedy and Michael Jackson. They has a lot of air time to fill, because they self-censored news reporting about a large number of stories which were far more important to the average American.
FoxNews highlighted this failure in Nine Big Stories the Mainstream Media Missed in 2009:
* Van Jones
* Acorn
* John Holdren (Science Czar)
* ClimateGate
* Politicizing the NEA
* Chas Freeman
* Tea Party Protests
* Kevin Jennings (Safe Schools Czar)
* Democratic Stimulus
BigGovernment covered the same story in Its a Wrap: The Most Underreported Stories of 2009:
* ClimateGate
* The Tea Party Movement
* Fort Hood and Islamic Extremism in the U.S.
* Acorn and SEIU
* HCR Cover-Up
* NEA
* DHS, Napolitano, and Target Dissent
* Kevin Jennings – FistGate
* Van Jones
* Obama’s Lack of Success
If you look at the two lists, you will see a lot of similarities. Van Jones, Acorn, ClimateGate, Kevin Jennings, and the tea party movement appear on both lists. These are stories which are interesting, and important, to Americans. These are stories which the target audience of ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN would want to know more about — if they knew about them at all.
Instead, the lefist self-identified “elite” believe in treating their viewers like mushrooms — leaving them in the dark and piling fertilizer on top of them.
No, we’re not talking about cuts in the gargantuan federal budget. We’re talking about the endless array of smothering regulations, budget-busting entitlements, special interest ear-marks, economically regressive taxes and bureaucratic agencies that have been steadily extinguishing the dream, the American Dream, that drew millions to our shores, raised tens of millions out of poverty and created the greatest locus of hope and opportunity the world has ever known. The slow slicing away at American Exceptionalism (as defined by Tocqueville and not by leftist elitists) could be, we think, the political equivalent of the now abandoned Chinese practice of ling chi, the death of a thousand cuts.
Alexis de Tocqueville, that first and truly prescient chronicler of the American experiment, noted in 1835 in his seminal work American Democracy, “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”
It’s hard to pin point exactly when the first self-inflicted cut of a thousand cuts at the American Dream took place. Many on the right fear, with ample justification, that President Obama seems determined to deliver the coup de grace to the founders’ vision of America. We should, however, recognize that the process of self destruction, that is (to use Toquieville’s definition) when Congress first discovered it could bribe us with our own money, commenced a very long time ago and can be laid at the feet of a wide variety of special interests, and their political enablers of all stripes and from all parties. We are not the first generation to have abused, bent and corrupted the governing model that made America great, but we very well may be the last generation that can right America’s course.
And if we are losing our way, perhaps, we should revisit from whence we came.
We find among the founders, men with very different visions of what America might become as it grew and established a firm footing in the world. What we don’t find, however, is a plan for dictating what America might become. To the contrary, America was, at its birth, a nation deliberately turned loose with no plan, but that which the people individually crafted as they pursued their own best interests within a free society predicated on the rule of law. The national government would, by and large, provide for the common defense, assure orderly commerce between the states, raise revenue (primarily through the levying of tariffs), and establish a means of exchange predicated on the intrinsic value of the silver it coined. They provided for a bi-cameral legislature, a chief executive and a supreme court to assure that the laws produced by the federal and state legislatures were consistent with the governing document, which every significant office holder was sworn to uphold and protect.
CONT.
Alexis de Tocqueville, that first and truly prescient chronicler of the American experiment, noted in 1835 in his seminal work American Democracy, “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”
It’s hard to pin point exactly when the first self-inflicted cut of a thousand cuts at the American Dream took place. Many on the right fear, with ample justification, that President Obama seems determined to deliver the coup de grace to the founders’ vision of America. We should, however, recognize that the process of self destruction, that is (to use Toquieville’s definition) when Congress first discovered it could bribe us with our own money, commenced a very long time ago and can be laid at the feet of a wide variety of special interests, and their political enablers of all stripes and from all parties. We are not the first generation to have abused, bent and corrupted the governing model that made America great, but we very well may be the last generation that can right America’s course.
And if we are losing our way, perhaps, we should revisit from whence we came.
We find among the founders, men with very different visions of what America might become as it grew and established a firm footing in the world. What we don’t find, however, is a plan for dictating what America might become. To the contrary, America was, at its birth, a nation deliberately turned loose with no plan, but that which the people individually crafted as they pursued their own best interests within a free society predicated on the rule of law. The national government would, by and large, provide for the common defense, assure orderly commerce between the states, raise revenue (primarily through the levying of tariffs), and establish a means of exchange predicated on the intrinsic value of the silver it coined. They provided for a bi-cameral legislature, a chief executive and a supreme court to assure that the laws produced by the federal and state legislatures were consistent with the governing document, which every significant office holder was sworn to uphold and protect.
CONT.
CONT.
The very limited role of the new central government was not an oversight but, rather, a reflection of the genius of the founders. They had created the world’s first meritocracy and a citizenry free to choose the path they would travel.
The first to seek self-serving succor at the public trough were not individuals in search of entitlements, but rather pre-civil war industrialists vying for favor or competitive advantage through the offices of obliging government functionaries or elected representatives. That is when, and how, the entitlement chase started. It has never stopped or paused. The handout or entitlement mentality, once born, became a national meme, almost a contagion. In its first incarnations it merely compromised the American Dream, but as the entitlement craze has grown, it has infected every strata of American society. Farmers large and small, industrialists and bankers, the wealthy and the poor among us, those who own homes (compared to those who don’t), those who buy certain products, those who make certain investments, those who put certain crops into production and those who withhold other crops from production, those who are married compared to those who are not, those who have children compared to those who do not and on and on. The challenge is not finding someone who partakes of the dole in one form or another, but, rather, someone who doesn’t.
President Obama, in his April 13th speech on the deficit, referred to efforts (Republican or Democrat) to reform (think save) the most pervasive and unsustainable of our entitlements, those that deal with Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Unemployment Compensation as an attempt to change America’s basic social compact. One must wonder what President Obama knows that Tocqueville failed to understand, for it seems to us that as we continue to raise the largess that we distribute from the income the people earn, we are, to paraphrase Hamlet, hoisting ourselves on our own petard.
The Heritage Foundation, analyzing Congressional Budget Office data, projects that at the rate Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security costs are rising (these being the big three of all our accumulated entitlements), paying for this spending solely through federal income tax increases would require more than a twofold increase of current tax rates, even for the lowest tax bracket.
As we pointed out in last week’s essay (June 6, 2010) the ratio of workers to every retiree is currently 3.3 to one. To break even Social Security requires a minimum of 2.9 workers paying into the system for every retiree receiving benefits. We will reach that ratio in just five years according to the Office of Budget and Management. This is a precipitous (and irreversible) drop in the ratio of workers to retirees caused by the looming retirement of baby boomers and the fact that these baby boomers produced fewer children than were produced in prior generations. The ratio of workers to retirees is expected to further drop to 2 workers to every retiree beginning around 2030.
Cont.
The very limited role of the new central government was not an oversight but, rather, a reflection of the genius of the founders. They had created the world’s first meritocracy and a citizenry free to choose the path they would travel.
The first to seek self-serving succor at the public trough were not individuals in search of entitlements, but rather pre-civil war industrialists vying for favor or competitive advantage through the offices of obliging government functionaries or elected representatives. That is when, and how, the entitlement chase started. It has never stopped or paused. The handout or entitlement mentality, once born, became a national meme, almost a contagion. In its first incarnations it merely compromised the American Dream, but as the entitlement craze has grown, it has infected every strata of American society. Farmers large and small, industrialists and bankers, the wealthy and the poor among us, those who own homes (compared to those who don’t), those who buy certain products, those who make certain investments, those who put certain crops into production and those who withhold other crops from production, those who are married compared to those who are not, those who have children compared to those who do not and on and on. The challenge is not finding someone who partakes of the dole in one form or another, but, rather, someone who doesn’t.
President Obama, in his April 13th speech on the deficit, referred to efforts (Republican or Democrat) to reform (think save) the most pervasive and unsustainable of our entitlements, those that deal with Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Unemployment Compensation as an attempt to change America’s basic social compact. One must wonder what President Obama knows that Tocqueville failed to understand, for it seems to us that as we continue to raise the largess that we distribute from the income the people earn, we are, to paraphrase Hamlet, hoisting ourselves on our own petard.
The Heritage Foundation, analyzing Congressional Budget Office data, projects that at the rate Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security costs are rising (these being the big three of all our accumulated entitlements), paying for this spending solely through federal income tax increases would require more than a twofold increase of current tax rates, even for the lowest tax bracket.
As we pointed out in last week’s essay (June 6, 2010) the ratio of workers to every retiree is currently 3.3 to one. To break even Social Security requires a minimum of 2.9 workers paying into the system for every retiree receiving benefits. We will reach that ratio in just five years according to the Office of Budget and Management. This is a precipitous (and irreversible) drop in the ratio of workers to retirees caused by the looming retirement of baby boomers and the fact that these baby boomers produced fewer children than were produced in prior generations. The ratio of workers to retirees is expected to further drop to 2 workers to every retiree beginning around 2030.
Cont.
Cont.
Prior to reaching this sad state of affairs more money was being paid into Social Security than the system required to pay current benefits. This surplus was supposed to accumulate in the Social Security Trust Fund to help fund the benefits that would soon be demanded by the retiring baby boomers. However, as we have reported in past essays, no such fund of excess taxes exists. The excess funds have been swept into the treasury to help pay the country’s current expenses. Every time these funds were lifted from the Trust Fund, the government deposited special issue Treasury bonds that the Social Security Administration will soon start redeeming to replace the missing funds. So, no problem, right? Wrong! Given that we are in deep deficit territory, the federal government will have to substantially raise taxes or substantially increase borrowings or, perhaps worst of all, simply print the money to meet its liability to retirees.
Currently, these benefits account for over 40% of our non-interest spending and that is about to ratchet up to nearly 62 percent of non-interest spending as 10,000 baby boomers per day retire (of the 80 million total) and begin to collect benefits.
Keep in mind retirement and health and welfare entitlements are not the only entitlements in the government’s bag of goodies. Massive entitlement funds, tax incentives and subsidies are also dispersed throughout our society engulfing areas as diverse as housing, farming, education, oil exploration, plant expansions, investment in bio-fuel, wind energy, and solar energy and rural development services, and we’ve barely scratched the surface.
Sadly, many of these entitlements and special purpose programs are not need based. This is particularly troubling because so many of the beneficiaries of these programs (think crop subsidy recipients and ethanol producers, to name a few) are middle-class to upper class Americans or corporations with strong earnings. When government grants subsidies to citizens (private and corporate) that are not need based it, by definition, creates dependency on government by those who are capable of otherwise being quite self-sufficient. Why does the government continue to do this and to borrow, print money and tax its citizens in order to perpetuate the practice? Because the beneficiaries of this, often absurd largess, are both voters and donors. It is that simple.
As we have stated in prior essays everyone knows that these entitlements are unsustainable. The Congressional Budget Office knows it. The President’s own Debt and Deficit Reduction Commission knows it, the entire US Congress knows it (the Senate having voted 97 to 0 against the President’s own 2012 budget bill) and, of course, the White House knows it. This debate over the budget is not really about constructive federal policy or about the President’s so-called basic American Social Compact, but, rather, about election posturing.
So is Tocqueville’s implied warning that American democracy will self-destruct when the government begins bribing voters with their own money about to come true? Are we slowly dying the death of a thousand cuts? We think that depends on whether the grass-roots movement growing in America today prevails in bringing common sense to the Congress of the United States.
Perhaps, H. L. Mencken summed it up best when he quipped over seventy years ago; “Federal policy is dividing society between “those who work for a living and those who vote for a living.”
By Hal Gershowitz and Stephen Porter
Prior to reaching this sad state of affairs more money was being paid into Social Security than the system required to pay current benefits. This surplus was supposed to accumulate in the Social Security Trust Fund to help fund the benefits that would soon be demanded by the retiring baby boomers. However, as we have reported in past essays, no such fund of excess taxes exists. The excess funds have been swept into the treasury to help pay the country’s current expenses. Every time these funds were lifted from the Trust Fund, the government deposited special issue Treasury bonds that the Social Security Administration will soon start redeeming to replace the missing funds. So, no problem, right? Wrong! Given that we are in deep deficit territory, the federal government will have to substantially raise taxes or substantially increase borrowings or, perhaps worst of all, simply print the money to meet its liability to retirees.
Currently, these benefits account for over 40% of our non-interest spending and that is about to ratchet up to nearly 62 percent of non-interest spending as 10,000 baby boomers per day retire (of the 80 million total) and begin to collect benefits.
Keep in mind retirement and health and welfare entitlements are not the only entitlements in the government’s bag of goodies. Massive entitlement funds, tax incentives and subsidies are also dispersed throughout our society engulfing areas as diverse as housing, farming, education, oil exploration, plant expansions, investment in bio-fuel, wind energy, and solar energy and rural development services, and we’ve barely scratched the surface.
Sadly, many of these entitlements and special purpose programs are not need based. This is particularly troubling because so many of the beneficiaries of these programs (think crop subsidy recipients and ethanol producers, to name a few) are middle-class to upper class Americans or corporations with strong earnings. When government grants subsidies to citizens (private and corporate) that are not need based it, by definition, creates dependency on government by those who are capable of otherwise being quite self-sufficient. Why does the government continue to do this and to borrow, print money and tax its citizens in order to perpetuate the practice? Because the beneficiaries of this, often absurd largess, are both voters and donors. It is that simple.
As we have stated in prior essays everyone knows that these entitlements are unsustainable. The Congressional Budget Office knows it. The President’s own Debt and Deficit Reduction Commission knows it, the entire US Congress knows it (the Senate having voted 97 to 0 against the President’s own 2012 budget bill) and, of course, the White House knows it. This debate over the budget is not really about constructive federal policy or about the President’s so-called basic American Social Compact, but, rather, about election posturing.
So is Tocqueville’s implied warning that American democracy will self-destruct when the government begins bribing voters with their own money about to come true? Are we slowly dying the death of a thousand cuts? We think that depends on whether the grass-roots movement growing in America today prevails in bringing common sense to the Congress of the United States.
Perhaps, H. L. Mencken summed it up best when he quipped over seventy years ago; “Federal policy is dividing society between “those who work for a living and those who vote for a living.”
By Hal Gershowitz and Stephen Porter
katt1017: "Spinteresting"
Quite a word play for someone who claims English is his second language.
At least you've laid off the homophobic nonsense for the night.
Facts are facts Dude. High-speed rail will be every bit as big of a boondoggle as Amtrack is.
Why?
Because any Government run organization has a goal that is contrary to good business. They NEED to spend every penny of their operating budget and more to keep the taxpayers money rolling into their pockets. Should they not spend their full budget that would result in their dole being cut for the next fiscal year.
Should they not run over the budget, they would not get an increase the following fiscal year.
In the United States it is what is called, "Suckling at the public teat". The Democrats have perfected this art form. When they are in power they create a great deal of busy work. They try to bury problems under mountains of money.
That money is used for creating useless boondoggles and an illusion of prosperity and wealth. Building dams where there are no rivers as one of your heroes said.
The problem is that it is an illusion. The money needed to create the illusion is borrowed adding to the countries debt load. The boondoggles don't provide any real jobs (we will exclude make work jobs that continue the lie that something useful has been done). Because they are without use there is no income generated, only expense.
Just like the dam where there is no river the Dem's darling 'doggles hold no water.
To say anyone that would pull crime like that against the American public is acting in our best interest is exactly like saying a mugger is increasing the wealth of the person he assaults and robs.
Quite a word play for someone who claims English is his second language.
At least you've laid off the homophobic nonsense for the night.
Facts are facts Dude. High-speed rail will be every bit as big of a boondoggle as Amtrack is.
Why?
Because any Government run organization has a goal that is contrary to good business. They NEED to spend every penny of their operating budget and more to keep the taxpayers money rolling into their pockets. Should they not spend their full budget that would result in their dole being cut for the next fiscal year.
Should they not run over the budget, they would not get an increase the following fiscal year.
In the United States it is what is called, "Suckling at the public teat". The Democrats have perfected this art form. When they are in power they create a great deal of busy work. They try to bury problems under mountains of money.
That money is used for creating useless boondoggles and an illusion of prosperity and wealth. Building dams where there are no rivers as one of your heroes said.
The problem is that it is an illusion. The money needed to create the illusion is borrowed adding to the countries debt load. The boondoggles don't provide any real jobs (we will exclude make work jobs that continue the lie that something useful has been done). Because they are without use there is no income generated, only expense.
Just like the dam where there is no river the Dem's darling 'doggles hold no water.
To say anyone that would pull crime like that against the American public is acting in our best interest is exactly like saying a mugger is increasing the wealth of the person he assaults and robs.
What can done instead Katt? American infrastructur and american rail roads and americna trains are absolutely behind and not ready for the global economy and it,s huge challenges what so ever.
Spinteresting... a new word I figured out for describing what a Spin doctor of Republicans would say in order to keep people denying the absolute neccessary investments on moderniation of americna rail roads. What does this word have with Homophobic stuff Kattsky? Another world like Stugopublicans for example you see? Like Bushney,s,like Repubheads,like Teapublicans and other Fabulous words of mione used in these Fabulous threads for showing how Pathetic and absolutely irresponsible and agaisnt american benefits the Republican party of America is. A wrod game and not a Homophobic thing you love to claim when reading my posts... BUT! if it sutis you keep making Spinteresting traslations of my words then go a head... who gives a dang any way
Hot_Single_Dude: What can done instead Katt? American infrastructur and american rail roads and americna trains are absolutely behind and not ready for the global economy and it,s huge challenges what so ever.
Spinteresting... a new word I figured out for describing what a Spin doctor of Republicans would say in order to keep people denying the absolute neccessary investments on moderniation of americna rail roads. What does this word have with Homophobic stuff Kattsky? Another world like Stugopublicans for example you see? Like Bushney,s,like Repubheads,like Teapublicans and other Fabulous words of mione used in these Fabulous threads for showing how Pathetic and absolutely irresponsible and agaisnt american benefits the Republican party of America is. A wrod game and not a Homophobic thing you love to claim when reading my posts... BUT! if it sutis you keep making Spinteresting traslations of my words then go a head... who gives a dang any way
Interesting wordplay indeed for someone with your level of English!Spinteresting... a new word I figured out for describing what a Spin doctor of Republicans would say in order to keep people denying the absolute neccessary investments on moderniation of americna rail roads. What does this word have with Homophobic stuff Kattsky? Another world like Stugopublicans for example you see? Like Bushney,s,like Repubheads,like Teapublicans and other Fabulous words of mione used in these Fabulous threads for showing how Pathetic and absolutely irresponsible and agaisnt american benefits the Republican party of America is. A wrod game and not a Homophobic thing you love to claim when reading my posts... BUT! if it sutis you keep making Spinteresting traslations of my words then go a head... who gives a dang any way
But we all know why!
Conrad73: http://www.fortliberty.org/how-the-mass-media-failed-in-2009.html
How the Mass Media Failed in 2009
The “American” mass media failed miserably to execute their duties as ethical and responsible journalists in 2009.
They filled the their airtime with stories about The Baloon Boy, Tiger Woods, and the deaths of Teddy Kennedy and Michael Jackson. They has a lot of air time to fill, because they self-censored news reporting about a large number of stories which were far more important to the average American.
FoxNews highlighted this failure in Nine Big Stories the Mainstream Media Missed in 2009:
* Van Jones
* Acorn
* John Holdren (Science Czar)
* ClimateGate
* Politicizing the NEA
* Chas Freeman
* Tea Party Protests
* Kevin Jennings (Safe Schools Czar)
* Democratic Stimulus
BigGovernment covered the same story in Its a Wrap: The Most Underreported Stories of 2009:
* ClimateGate
* The Tea Party Movement
* Fort Hood and Islamic Extremism in the U.S.
* Acorn and SEIU
* HCR Cover-Up
* NEA
* DHS, Napolitano, and Target Dissent
* Kevin Jennings – FistGate
* Van Jones
* Obama’s Lack of Success
If you look at the two lists, you will see a lot of similarities. Van Jones, Acorn, ClimateGate, Kevin Jennings, and the tea party movement appear on both lists. These are stories which are interesting, and important, to Americans. These are stories which the target audience of ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN would want to know more about — if they knew about them at all.
Instead, the lefist self-identified “elite” believe in treating their viewers like mushrooms — leaving them in the dark and piling fertilizer on top of them.
How the Mass Media Failed in 2009
The “American” mass media failed miserably to execute their duties as ethical and responsible journalists in 2009.
They filled the their airtime with stories about The Baloon Boy, Tiger Woods, and the deaths of Teddy Kennedy and Michael Jackson. They has a lot of air time to fill, because they self-censored news reporting about a large number of stories which were far more important to the average American.
FoxNews highlighted this failure in Nine Big Stories the Mainstream Media Missed in 2009:
* Van Jones
* Acorn
* John Holdren (Science Czar)
* ClimateGate
* Politicizing the NEA
* Chas Freeman
* Tea Party Protests
* Kevin Jennings (Safe Schools Czar)
* Democratic Stimulus
BigGovernment covered the same story in Its a Wrap: The Most Underreported Stories of 2009:
* ClimateGate
* The Tea Party Movement
* Fort Hood and Islamic Extremism in the U.S.
* Acorn and SEIU
* HCR Cover-Up
* NEA
* DHS, Napolitano, and Target Dissent
* Kevin Jennings – FistGate
* Van Jones
* Obama’s Lack of Success
If you look at the two lists, you will see a lot of similarities. Van Jones, Acorn, ClimateGate, Kevin Jennings, and the tea party movement appear on both lists. These are stories which are interesting, and important, to Americans. These are stories which the target audience of ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN would want to know more about — if they knew about them at all.
Instead, the lefist self-identified “elite” believe in treating their viewers like mushrooms — leaving them in the dark and piling fertilizer on top of them.
jvaski: Is it possible to start a reply to Dude or anyone without accusing them of being homophobic or lesbian haters ?
She can,t... this is one of her ways of trying to get advantage in these discussions...
Hot_Single_Dude: I know JV! stincky fact not possible to deny and proofs are many and Republicans do not give a shi* a bout creating new jobs for the common folks in America.There is not as big profit for employers creating american jobs, as there is creating Chineese and indian jobs by outsourcing american jobs through lobbyists and chamber of commerce BS and so on. More american jobs means stronger Unions and stronger Unions mean that those employers got to be more fair on american workers and respecting their rights and making sure they got a propper health care coverage due to their jobs... american jobs shipped to China and eastern Europe or India and so on is more profitable for Republican styled employers and others even who have allowed them selves forgetting all a boout their own country and what is good for the country.
There is big cold war going on all over the country against rights and well beings of american workers, and Republican endorsers specially doing what ever possible to make the president Fail.
The problem is money tanks of major right winger employers are really huge and they can afford with holding american economy from development in positive direction until the next presidential election at least.
These guys know that if millions of new ameircan jobs which are really possible to create in no time if necessary investments on american infrastructur is allowed and decided by politicians and not fillibustered by Damn Republicans... then recovery of the american economy will become easy and faster and then presindet Obama will the one taking the credit.
No countries got the necessary huge investments modernising it,s rail roads and trains and all countries taking loans in order to make these necessary investments reality because countries know that these loans will be paid back faster than other development loans... now Republicans trying to fool America again and claim that no other countries making modernisation attempts are taking loans acheiving this and then a lot "not willing to know" americans with lack of interest in politcs or internatioanl studies and economical studies and just follwing the mad wagon of Republicans of America and spreding BS based on lack of knowledge or for the heck of excitement even! It is freaking Funny to think the same guys who had America under their bloody claws a freaking eight years and destroyed american economy beyond recognition and have done the exact shi* any time they had America for them selves now expecting that America got to rely on them recovering the economy
A dirty political game with tens of millions of americans being hold as hostiges of the dang GOP is going on and GOP is doing it,s best not allowing new jobs becoming aviable and their huge money tanks enabling these guys keep holding hostiges and not even needing a pay off releasing America and american interests for now and money tanks of these guys are well feeded until november 2012 and even beyond... just imagine having freak Saudies behind them ... gosh! This battle is rather hard to win even I am definate WE will win any way... some too many Dems are still disapointed and wanting fast results too early and demanding really progressiv acheivments here and now and are not participating whole heartedly in this political battle but soon... things will get running smoothly because GOP really got not a damn thing good in certain benefits of at least a 95 procent of all americans... a horrible fact and scarey fact even but a fact!
It would be easier of these american Talibanee hostige takers were poor... because sticky rich hostige takers are deifinately NOT easy to deal with...
There is big cold war going on all over the country against rights and well beings of american workers, and Republican endorsers specially doing what ever possible to make the president Fail.
The problem is money tanks of major right winger employers are really huge and they can afford with holding american economy from development in positive direction until the next presidential election at least.
These guys know that if millions of new ameircan jobs which are really possible to create in no time if necessary investments on american infrastructur is allowed and decided by politicians and not fillibustered by Damn Republicans... then recovery of the american economy will become easy and faster and then presindet Obama will the one taking the credit.
No countries got the necessary huge investments modernising it,s rail roads and trains and all countries taking loans in order to make these necessary investments reality because countries know that these loans will be paid back faster than other development loans... now Republicans trying to fool America again and claim that no other countries making modernisation attempts are taking loans acheiving this and then a lot "not willing to know" americans with lack of interest in politcs or internatioanl studies and economical studies and just follwing the mad wagon of Republicans of America and spreding BS based on lack of knowledge or for the heck of excitement even! It is freaking Funny to think the same guys who had America under their bloody claws a freaking eight years and destroyed american economy beyond recognition and have done the exact shi* any time they had America for them selves now expecting that America got to rely on them recovering the economy
A dirty political game with tens of millions of americans being hold as hostiges of the dang GOP is going on and GOP is doing it,s best not allowing new jobs becoming aviable and their huge money tanks enabling these guys keep holding hostiges and not even needing a pay off releasing America and american interests for now and money tanks of these guys are well feeded until november 2012 and even beyond... just imagine having freak Saudies behind them ... gosh! This battle is rather hard to win even I am definate WE will win any way... some too many Dems are still disapointed and wanting fast results too early and demanding really progressiv acheivments here and now and are not participating whole heartedly in this political battle but soon... things will get running smoothly because GOP really got not a damn thing good in certain benefits of at least a 95 procent of all americans... a horrible fact and scarey fact even but a fact!
It would be easier of these american Talibanee hostige takers were poor... because sticky rich hostige takers are deifinately NOT easy to deal with...
romanticman4u: Just wanted to stay on track of what the conersation should be about, I disagree with those who say trains won't work, look at the inner city subway systems who have been working for years. Can you imagine what the roadways would look like without them? The Northstar rail system must be working because they had planned on expanding, I am for anything that would reduce congestion on highways and cut back on road construction , it should be endorsed by both parties.
Absolutely agree
Employee Free Choice Act
The “Employee Free Choice Act” is another weasel-worded bit of newspeak from the Obama administration and their sycophants in the U.S. Congress.
As per usual, the act contains a lot of provisions written in language that seems specifically designed to obfuscate it’s true meaning. But one thing about this bill is clear — it is designed to prevent employees from making free choices.
This bill removes the protection employees currently receive from the right to the secret ballot — one of the most important rights developed by western civilization. As Congressman John Kline has stated, “It is beyond me how one can possibly claim that a system whereby everyone — your employer, your union organizer, and your co-workers — knows exactly how you vote on the issue of unionization gives an employee ‘free choice’ … It seems pretty clear to me that the only way to ensure that a worker is ‘free to choose’ is to ensure that there’s a private ballot, so that no one know how you voted. I cannot fathom how we were about to sit there today and debate a proposal to take away a worker’s democratic right to vote in a secret-ballot election and call it ‘Employee Free Choice.’”
If the leftists are able to railroad this bill into law, Americans will no longer have the right to vote privately for or against union control of their workplaces. Instead, union bosses will be given free reign to pressure and terrorize individual employees into voting for unionization.
Labor unions and big government have almost killed the ability of Americans to compete in the global economy. This bill could give them the power to finish that task. Gangs of union bosses would be able to harass each individual worker until they got a “card check” approving unionization.
Frankly, I think it’s too late for America. A majority of Americans has abandoned “responsibility” for “entitlement”. The last election showed clearly that America doesn’t deserve to be the freest and most prosperous nation on Earth. But, if you’re not ready to give up the fight, join the folks at the Workforce Fairness Institute in fighting this latest assault on your rights.
The “Employee Free Choice Act” is another weasel-worded bit of newspeak from the Obama administration and their sycophants in the U.S. Congress.
As per usual, the act contains a lot of provisions written in language that seems specifically designed to obfuscate it’s true meaning. But one thing about this bill is clear — it is designed to prevent employees from making free choices.
This bill removes the protection employees currently receive from the right to the secret ballot — one of the most important rights developed by western civilization. As Congressman John Kline has stated, “It is beyond me how one can possibly claim that a system whereby everyone — your employer, your union organizer, and your co-workers — knows exactly how you vote on the issue of unionization gives an employee ‘free choice’ … It seems pretty clear to me that the only way to ensure that a worker is ‘free to choose’ is to ensure that there’s a private ballot, so that no one know how you voted. I cannot fathom how we were about to sit there today and debate a proposal to take away a worker’s democratic right to vote in a secret-ballot election and call it ‘Employee Free Choice.’”
If the leftists are able to railroad this bill into law, Americans will no longer have the right to vote privately for or against union control of their workplaces. Instead, union bosses will be given free reign to pressure and terrorize individual employees into voting for unionization.
Labor unions and big government have almost killed the ability of Americans to compete in the global economy. This bill could give them the power to finish that task. Gangs of union bosses would be able to harass each individual worker until they got a “card check” approving unionization.
Frankly, I think it’s too late for America. A majority of Americans has abandoned “responsibility” for “entitlement”. The last election showed clearly that America doesn’t deserve to be the freest and most prosperous nation on Earth. But, if you’re not ready to give up the fight, join the folks at the Workforce Fairness Institute in fighting this latest assault on your rights.
The Right to Work is the Right to Be Free
In 28 out of 50 American states, you can be denied a job if you refuse to join a labor union and share a portion of your salary with your union bosses. Only 22 states currently have what are known as “right to work” laws which protect hard working Americans from rapacious unions.
If a person cannot work, they cannot feed themselves and their family members. These 28 states have no protection for Americans who want to work, but are morally opposed to labor unions and to having their wages subject to legalized extortion.
Legislators in several states are currently working to pass right to work laws to protect American workers. Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina introduced the National Right to Work Act on Tuesday. This act would protect Americans from any state against predatory union practices.
Senator DeMint stated “No American should be forced to join a union and pay dues to get a job in this country. Many Americans are already struggling just to put food on the table, and they shouldn’t have to fear losing their jobs or face discrimination if they don’t want to join a union. Forced-unionism shields unions from member accountability and has a detrimental effect on the economy.”
Co-sponsors of the National Right to Work Act are Tom Coburn (R-OK), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY), James Risch (R-ID), Pat Toomey (R-PA) and David Vitter (R-LA).
Laborunions are as straight as ten Barrels of Fishhinghooks!
In 28 out of 50 American states, you can be denied a job if you refuse to join a labor union and share a portion of your salary with your union bosses. Only 22 states currently have what are known as “right to work” laws which protect hard working Americans from rapacious unions.
If a person cannot work, they cannot feed themselves and their family members. These 28 states have no protection for Americans who want to work, but are morally opposed to labor unions and to having their wages subject to legalized extortion.
Legislators in several states are currently working to pass right to work laws to protect American workers. Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina introduced the National Right to Work Act on Tuesday. This act would protect Americans from any state against predatory union practices.
Senator DeMint stated “No American should be forced to join a union and pay dues to get a job in this country. Many Americans are already struggling just to put food on the table, and they shouldn’t have to fear losing their jobs or face discrimination if they don’t want to join a union. Forced-unionism shields unions from member accountability and has a detrimental effect on the economy.”
Co-sponsors of the National Right to Work Act are Tom Coburn (R-OK), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY), James Risch (R-ID), Pat Toomey (R-PA) and David Vitter (R-LA).
Laborunions are as straight as ten Barrels of Fishhinghooks!
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Modern railways = more people moving faster and not driving cars
Less car driving = less gasoline used
Less gasoline used = less profits for the oil corporations
Less profits for the oil corporations = Pissed-off Republicans who are in bed with them ......