28th Amendment



It was meant to be about us.

 Courtesy of an unknown poster.


The 26th amendment ( granting the right to vote for 18
year-old ) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified!  Why? Simple! The people demanded it.  That was in 1971... before computers, before
e-mail, before cell phones, etc.


Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1
year or less to become the law of the land... all because of public
pressure. 



I'm asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum
of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do
likewise. 


In three days, most people in The United States of America
will have the message.  This is one idea
that really should be passed around.


Congressional Reform Act of 2011

 
1.    No Tenure / No
Pension.

A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives
no pay when they are out of office. 

2.   Congress ( past,
present & future ) participates in Social Security.

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. 

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.


6.  Congress must
equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 

7.  All contracts with
past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12.

The American people did not make this contract with
Congressmen.  Congressmen 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.  Maybe it is time. 






Pass it on.

If you agree with the above,
 pass it on.


Pass it on....... and on..... again.




ickenittle

Some Folks Call It A Game Of Chicken.



"My Cock is Bigger than Yours."

Lately you may have heard the term Brinkmanship thrown around lately by the talking heads of the bought and paid for media.

Fox News knows it's viewers aren't smart enough to understand such a big word - so they refer to brinkmanship as " playing a game of chicken."

The definition of brinkmanship as follows:

The practice of pushing dangerous events to the edge of disaster in order to achieve the advantage over an opponent. It occurs in politics, foreign policy, labor relations and military strategy involving the threatened use of nuclear weapons.

In other words it is pushing your opponent to the very brink in order to force him to back down. We are currently being forced to endure this tactic by Republicans who are willing to allow America's default if they don't get their own way.

They refuse to back-down and President Obama ( for the first time-maybe ) appears to be standing up with the help of Harry Reid who is acting as his temporary spine. It seems to take two Democrats to stand up to one Republican because the Democrats really aren't very good in a street fight - where your opponent doesn't fight fair and will kick you in the balls even after he said he wouldn't.

Brinkmanship can backfire however, and in this debt ceiling nonsense, the repercussions ( we are told ) will result in the annihilation of America as the " nuclear bomb" this time around is one made out of the economy.

The sky will fall - the markets will crash - government will shutdown, and worse - grandma won't get her Social Security check. Or so the press-titutes declare- posing as journalists in this mockery formerly known as the news.

As a political tool brinkmanship can be a dangerous game- because in order for it to be really effective the threats used by both parties have to be continuously raised. The term to " raise the bar " comes to mind.

The chance of things sliding out of control ( slippery slope ) is also often used as a tool of brinkmanship, because it can provide credibility to an otherwise incredible threat.

Brinkmanship is a game theory technique to make giant threats more credible. You do not threaten the certainty of nuclear war, ( or an economic crisis ) but the possibility of one.

As more and more people become involved in the crisis, it takes on a momentum of its own.




Is This A REAL Cock fight?

If the threat isn't really there then brinkmanship can be nothing more than hot air and bluster and could be a sneaky way for both sides to scare citizens into thinking there really is a crisis - and fool people into believing there are actually two opposing forces - in our case Republicans and Democrats.

If however both sides are really in cahoots, and are indeed serving a higher authority - say the financial elites -  then it's all just a ruse.

If this be the case then both President Obama and Speaker Boehner can both look forward to pursuing acting careers after they retire from politics.

Obama would be a great Denzel Washington type of guy because Denzel - like Obama has an incredible range playing both the brave social changer as in Denzel's incredible performance as Malcolm X, and Obama's incredible performance as the progressive hero of... Change We Can Believe In.

John Boehner - though not as gifted an actor as Barack Obama could easily fit into the category of "Character Actor " as in the real life character actor Kevin Costner - who didn't start out as a character actor but can't seem to move past playing " Kevin Costner "  in every role he plays.

Both Kevin and John seem very capable of playing a drunken golfing pro- turned politician - who cries very realistically on cue.

When it comes to Academy Award quality performances, President Obama would beat John Boehner hands down. As he has proven he has the gift of suspended disbelief - where the audience is so taken by the actor's ability to make the character appear real that the viewers forget they're watching a movie and for a time -  actually believe what they are seeing is real.

As far as performances go President Obama seems to be pretty convincing as " The adult in the room,"
Where Speaker Boehner seems to be the " stubborn , rebellious , teenager " who when things don't go his way stomps out of the room- then blames his parent for his own bad behavior.

" Obama made me do it ! "


Now the Actors kiss and make up.





And The Oscar for best performance

goes to..........?





ickenittle.

Homeowners in Denial



Even the poor house has lost value

It's a sad reality these days that homeowners who bought houses after the bubble are having a tough time accepting the fact that their homes are worth far less than they paid for them.

According to Zillow a real estate web site - homeowners still seem to think their homes are worth what they paid for them, and many refuse to take into account the fact that the housing market crashed for everyone else including them.

This rabid denial has too many people over-pricing their homes when they put them up for sale leaving many frustrated real estate agents pulling their hair out.

Current sellers who bought houses in 2007 or later are overpricing their homes by an average of 14%. Which seems pretty crazy since many of these homes have lost as much as 30% value.

People caught in the buying frenzy - where house prices were sky rocketing either bought for one of two reasons;

(1) Get rich quick or;

(2) Afraid they would never be able to afford a home at the gouging- rate.

The people behind door number one -  took a risk gambling at the real estate Casino and quite frankly deserve little sympathy.

Whereas the people behind door number two -  really believed the American Dream was slipping through their fingers and were just blinded by the idea that home ownership was actually a ship that was passing them in the night.

These are the poor suckers who honestly believed there was such a thing as the "American Dream."

Sellers who bought their houses before the bubble, and those who bought during the big run-up in home values, also are overpricing their homes, but not by as much. Those who bought before 2002 are pricing their homes roughly 12 percent over market value, while those who bought from 2002-06 price them about 9 percent over market value.

Still both don't seem to accept they are in denial.

According to  Zillow's chief economist, those who bought post-bubble, in 2008, 2009 or later, seem to think they escaped the worse of the housing market debacle and tend to price their homes too high as a result. But 2006 was just the start of the housing recession, which continues today; home values are now down nearly 30 percent from the market's peak. And, values have fallen about 12 percent from January 2009 through May of this year.

That means, that even people who bought after the bubble burst need to take a hard look at what has happened in their local market since they bought their home. Traditionally, people tend to overprice their homes a bit anyway, to allow room for negotiation. But unrealistic overpricing in the current environment means houses sit and stagnate.

Too many people get caught up with the fact that they aren't going to make a killing, or even much of a  modest profit - if any, and can't reconcile that the buyer doesn't care how much you paid for your house in the first place.

Of course, some sellers who owe more than their house is worth are limited in how low they can price their home because selling for less than their mortgage means they'll have to negotiate a short-sale with their bank.

Still sellers hope against hope that their house will be the one that's different and they will find that perfect buyer who will be willing to pay too much because they love the house as much as you do.


It's kind of like those really fat people who think they look really great in spandex.

Zillow estimates home values will continue to fall at least through next year for a variety of reasons - like high unemployment, lots of houses with negative equity and the glut of foreclosures clogging up the pipeline.

So how do people snap out of denial?

For one -  Americans should stop looking at their homes as investments rather as their home. Buy what you need and choose and live in it, be happy, quit worrying what it's worth. If you are comfortable in your home who cares what anyone else thinks what it is or isn't worth



"My House Is Worth What I Paid- And Unicorns
 Are Real"

Sadly, we Americans are in denial about a lot of things right now.


I hate to see the day when everyone wakes up all at once.


Things might get pretty ugly...


and noisy.. as the death cry of the "American Dream." echoes around the land.


ickenittle

Cut the Crap, and Balance the Damned Thing.



If not now when?

 House GOP are plotting to hold a vote on their latest scheme called "cut, cap, and balance" plan, which among other things stipulates that the federal debt ceiling only be raised if a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution is sent to the states for ratification- which BTW would take a r-e-a-l-l-y long time.

In their own "special" way Republicans are once again attempting to ruin the economy just to make sure Obama has no chance for a second term.

This new version of the old scheme ramps up the damage republicans would love to inflict on "big-bad-government" and inflict as much pain to government workers as possible.

This new amendment would cap federal spending at 18% of GDP-which means it would effectively gut Medicare and Medicaid and everything in between. This plan makes Paul Ryan's plan seem generous in comparison.

According to the Center for American Progress getting spending down to this "starvation" level would mean cutting all government programs 25% including Social Security.(and of  course, other programs would suffer deeper cuts for those programs favored by republicans.)

Think about it- imagine a 25% cut to Social Security- to veterans benefits- to education.

Cuts like these would result in a budget like the one in 1966.- Talk about going backwards.

Back in 1966 there were 100 million fewer people living in the United States, the median age was nearly eight years younger, and the average cost of health care was one-fifth of what it is now.

This asinine plan put forth by treasonous republicans would destroy the safety net leaving millions of people out in the cold. The GOP is willing to let the country default if Congress won't accept this form of extortion.

It all boils down to two dreadful choices if republicans get their way- go bankrupt-or starve the poor and make thousands of government employees lose their jobs.

The Constitution is very clear on this issue. It does not allow for the government to default on its debts. It is the sole responsibility of Congress to make sure our debts are paid, so in effect anyone playing this game of chicken should be thrown over the same cliff that our economy is headed.


If only we could impeach them.

Sadly we can't impeach them (sigh), can't even recall them (double sigh).  They either have to get voted out or expelled.  The former may happen in swing districts, but not in the rotten boroughs that so many of our congressional districts have become. In other words - don't hold your breath - we are stuck with these dirty rotten bastards.

Have Republicans cut their own throats-by creating a bill in such a timely fashion? 


They are proving just how fast they COULD HAVE acted on any legislation over the previous 31 months.


Jobs, Infrastructure, Stimulus.


But as usual the republicans didn't lift a finger to help the middle-class. Instead they give average Americans the middle finger.


“Memo to House GOP: passing a plan that will never become law is almost as irresponsible as passing no plan at all.”


"Born stupid and never improved on it" could be a republican bumper-sticker.

Until this manufactured crisis blows over all we can do is watch and,

Bring out the popcorn.

ickenittle

Ugly in America

Last week over 5,000 residents of Dallas, Texas raced to be the first in line to apply for 100 housing assistance vouchers.

Some people camped out over night and in the morning the line stretched for over a mile as everyone hoped to be one of the lucky few to get what republicans call a " government handout."

At 6 a.m. the doors were opened and the crowd rushed forward trampling at least eight people.

The county's director of health and human services said the massive turnout just proves the need for Housing Choice Vouchers, also known as section 8.

At the day's end over 5,000 people singed up for 100 vouchers which come with a two year waiting list.

Tea-Party Republicans and many Libertarians refer to people in need as FSA- which stands for the insulting and deeply cynical " Free-Shit-Army."

This is hard-core conservative "governance" in full swing. Texas hasn't allowed section 8 housing vouchers since 2006, and even though Texas has high unemployment, Republicans would rather give tax-breaks to millionaires rather than help the needy- which is pretty much everyone these days.


The Ugly Rich.

Billionaire Lloyd Blankfein's (Goldman Sachs) wife Laura caused quite scene at Super Saturday in the Hamptons when they arrived at the event before the noon start time and took issue with having to wait in line with lowly "ticket holders."

"Their behavior was obnoxious. They were screaming," said one witness. Blankfein said she wouldn't wait with "people who spend less money than me."

Another observer said the women were so impatient, it was as if they were waiting on line for a kidney transplant instead of a charitable designer clothing sale.


Blankfien shouted at the event organizer, "You have lost so much money because of this . . . Why should we be treated like the $650 donors?"

Lloyd Blankfein -- wary of bad publicity over the big bonuses he and his colleagues expect to collect at year's end -- has called for an end to conspicuous consumption.

Pity the poor rich - being forced to conceal their conspicuous consumption and unbridled greed.





"I got mine"





It makes you wonder if somewhere deep in their shriveled

hearts there lurks a tiny grain of guilt.

Probably not.

ickenittle

Just Pray Away the Gay

Yet another unknown Republican presidential candidate named Fred Karger has thrown his hat into the ring - and taken offense to rival candidate Michelle Bachman's anti-gay Christian craziness concerning Bachmann & Associates the family's Minnesota clinic that professes to "cure" homosexuality through prayer and therapy.

Karger - an openly gay republican blasts Bachmann and hubby for the outlandish practice of "reparative therapy" which promises to turn straight any gay who submits willingly to Christian brain washing.

Just last week The Nation reported that the clinic treats being gay as a treatable disorder.


Conversion therapy, sometimes called reparative therapy or reorientation therapy, is one type of sexual orientation change effort that tries to change a homosexual into a heterosexual with prayer and counseling. The term reparative has been stylized to sound more welcoming when it is in fact what used to be called de-programing. The most high-profile contemporary advocates of conversion therapy tend to be conservative christian groups such as Marcus and Michelle Bauchmanns' counseling center that espouses the theory that prayer and Bible study can turn a gay person straight.

Since religious organizations are staunchly resistant to accepting homosexualality as being -  part of god's plan -  this dilemma has caused many a Christian to suffer sleepless nights trying to find a way to fix what appears to them to be -  god's giant blunder.

Bachmann is currently trying to walk-back her previous anti-gay statements of the past that have re-surfaced to be thrown in her hypocritical face. She is especially trying to re-sell her comment which equates homosexuality to be aligned with Satan - but so far no one is buying.

This isn't the only controversy surrounding Bachmann & Associates Snake Oil clinics.



Bachmann & Associates

Just last month, NBC News revealed that Bachmann's clinic banked more than $130,000 in government assistance checks, just the the kind of spending Tea-Party Crazy Bachmann vilifies on the campaign trail.

"She's a liar and now that she's been busted, she's trying to divert attention away from her lies," Karger said of Bachmann to the Messenger in speaking out on the matter. "She is just another hypocrite and bigot."
Bachmann has been clear about her opposition to marriage equality - as well as her disdain for homosexuality altogether.

Last week, the conservative congresswoman was the first to sign The Family Leader's "Marriage Vow" pledge, which entails supporting a "federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which protects the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman."

"What I signed was a statement that affirms marriage as an important part of our nation," said Bachmann during an appearance on Fox News' "Hannity". "I think that marriage is very important. It is the fundamental unit of our government. And I think it is important that we do uphold marriage and also the family."


Since when did marriage become a unit of our government? Which branch would that be in; the executive, the legislative or the judicial? And does taxpayer money such as Medicaid and Medicare pay for what amounts to Bachmann's Christian homosexorcisms?

What exactly are Marcus Bachmann's credentials to run a counseling service anyway?

If he's a doctor, Michelle is a rocket scientist.

Marcus earned his masters from Pat Robertson's funny farm in Virginia and his doctorate from the now defunct Internet-based Union Institute in Ohio which was cited  for it's lack of rigor by the Ohio Board of Regents and subsequently dissolved. 

Although he claims to be a "clinical psychologist" the only doctoral program available at this sheepskin factory was in Arts and Sciences when he attended.

He has no license with the Minnesota Board of Psychology or the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy but Minnesota is one of the few states that doesn't require one for mental health practice.

Now, how in the hell can this corn flake qualify for provider reimbursement through any government program?

Maybe it was an act of god - or it could be a simple case of fraud from these Snake Oil Christians.

BTW- Michelle once belonged to a church that believes the Pope is the Antichrist -


You just can't make this stuff up.



Tell it like it is Mohandas



One of the wisest men to ever walk this planet had this to say of Christianity.

" I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians­.

Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."


Mohandas Gandhi

As true today as it was in his time.

ickenittle

The Pledge of Anti Gay Allegiance




Take the Pledge or burn in hell.

The Family Leader, a prominent group of Iowa Christians have come up with a pledge they expect all presidential candidates to sign if they want the group's support.
Any presidential candidate must sign the "pledge" to prove they hold the same Christian extremist values that the Family Leader holds regarding their own person values and convictions on traditional marriage - with a little homophobia thrown in for good measure. The pledge is entitled, "The Marriage Vow - A Declaration of Dependence upon Marriage and Family." Here


Presidential candidates who sign the pledge must agree to personal fidelity to his or her spouse, the appointment of “faithful constitutionalists” as judges, opposition to any redefinition of marriage, and prompt reform of uneconomic and anti-marriage aspects of welfare policy, tax policy and divorce law.

The Marriage Vow also outlines support for the legal advocacy for the federal Defense of Marriage Act, humane efforts to protect women and children, rejection of Sharia Islam, safeguards for all married and unmarried U.S. military service members, and commitment to downsizing government and the burden upon American families.

In addition, candidates are asked to recognize that “robust child rearing and reproduction is beneficial to U.S. demographic, economic, strategic and actuarial health and security.”

The organization's CEO is Bob Vander Plaats, a conservative evangelical leader who says the Family Leader won't support any candidate who declines to sign the pledge - -which so far is all of them but two.


“If you are looking at being a leader of our great country….we would like to have you pledge personal fidelity to your own spouse and a respect for the marital bonds of others,” Vander Plaats said to reporters.

So which virtuous Republican presidential candidates have put down their bibles and stepped up to sign the pledge thus far?

Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, and Rick Santorum (R) of Pennsylvania.

All of the others have so far declined. An aide to former Utah Gov.Jon Huntsman said he never signs pledges.(even the Republican Pledge to America) A spokesman for Ron Paul said he has reservations, while a representative of Obama said "no comment." Tim Pawlenty is reviewing the pledge and the rest of the GOP presidential candidates didn't respond at all. Newt didn't, Mitt Romney didn't and neither did Herman Caine -- All conservative.


A Michelle Bachmann aide said the congresswoman had no qualms about signing the Family Leader’s pledge. “She has been married for over 30 years and has a strong marriage and faith.”

Vander Plaats said the decision to seek pledges came in response to some recent events. This included the New York Legislature’s approval of same-sex marriage, as well as sex scandals involving former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Michelle Bachmann seems the only candidate unafraid to sign a pledge that is homophobic, sexist, and so full of theocratic extremism it appears to have been written by the Christian Taliban.


Family Leader is affiliated with the Iowa Policy Center and has a long rather ugly history of gay bigotry. The Iowa Family Policy Center president Chuck Hurley called a group of pastor's who supported same-sex marriage as "confused at best and blatantly evil at worst." The group also believes same sex marriage leads to polygamy, and compares gay unions to incest.

They have even gone so far as equating homosexuality to being as dangerous as "second- hand smoke."


Here are some highlights of this ludicrous hate filled document.

– HOMOSEXUALITY IS A CHOICE: The preface to the pledge reads, “Social protections…have been evaporating as we have collectively ‘debased the currency’ of marriage…in complete absence of empirical proof, that non-heterosexual inclination are genetically determined, irresistible and akin to innate traits like race, gender and eye color; as well as anti-scientific bias which holds, against all empirical evidence, that homosexual behavior in particular, and sexual promiscuity in general, optimizes individual or public health.” Footnote 8 reiterates this notion.

– HOMOSEXUALITY IS LIKE POLYGAMY, ADULTERY, POLYANDRY: Vow 4 requires the candidate to pledge “Vigorous opposition to any redefinition of the Institution of Marriage…through statutory, bureaucratic, or court-imposed recognition of intimate unions which are bigamous, polygamous, polyandrous, same-sex.”

– HOMOSEXUALITY IS A PUBLIC HEALTH RISK: Footnote 4 claims that homosexuality causes shorter life expectancy and a higher probability of a long list of sexually transmitted diseases. The Leader has previously compared same-sex marriage to second-hand smoking.

– SEX IS BETTER AFTER MARRIAGE: Vow 5 requires the candidate to support the notion that “married people enjoy better health, better sex.”

– PORNOGRAPHY SHOULD BE BANNED: Vow 9 stipulates that the candidate must “support human protection of women and the innocent fruit of conjugal intimacy” and protect them from “seduction into promiscuity and all forms of pornography…and other types of coercion or stolen innocence.”

– REJECT SHARIA ISLAM: Vow 11 requires the candidate to reject Sharia law.

That "Family Leader" pledge may have won the enthusiastic endorsement of Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum, but former New Mexico Governor and long-shot presidential hopeful Gary Johnson is having an equally enthusiastic reaction in the opposite direction. On the Johnson campaign Johnson calls the pledge "offensive and unrepublican," an "[attempt] to prevent and eliminate personal freedom," and finally, the "type of rhetoric" that "gives Republicans a bad name":

This "pledge" is nothing short of a promise to discriminate against everyone who makes a personal choice that doesn’t fit into a particular definition of "virtue."



"Won't anyone sign my pledge?"

So what does evangelical Christianity and Islam's Shariah law have in common?

fanaticism.

Evangelicalism and Sharia Islam are two sides of the same coin.


Behold, the Republican Taliban.


Republicans have until Aug. 1 to sign otherwise they won't get any support from the "Family Leader" and  only Bachmann and Santorum will be guaranteed a blessing (with a cash donation) and probably a first class ticket on board of the Rapture Express.  


Which for the rest of us would be enough for a cause of celebration.


ickenittle

Alto Texas is a Free Crime Zone



Live in Alto? Get a gun.

In the little town of  Alto Texas population 1,200 there is no longer a police department or even a single cop on the beat. 
Due to draconian budget cuts the entire police force has been laid off for six months. If you have an emergency and need to call a cop - well too bad -- just leave a message.

Without enough cash to run the police department the police chief and four officers were furloughed for six months -- and if Alto's finances don't improve maybe longer -- or forever.

In the meantime, the county sheriff's department is doing double duty trying to provide some sort of law enforcement to the vulnerable people of Alto.

With the sheriff's department stretched thin trying to cover not only Alto but other nearby towns like the city of Wells- (which laid off its sole police officer last year), people in these remote areas of Texas are feeling  particularly vulnerable to crime.

The good people of Alto fear crime will rise in the absence of a local police force and the town's crime rate is already above the state average, there were 66 crimes in Alto last year -- compared to 51 the year before.

It may not sound like much crime if you live in a larger city but for a small remote town with a 1,200 population it can add up. Besides how would you feel if you heard  someone breaking into your house and when you called for help all you got was a recorded message.


The Mayor of Alto, Monty Collins said of the situation."Every body's talking about 'bolt your doors, buy a gun." Which by now-- everyone has already done.

All over America, cash-strapped cities like Alto are making public safety cuts in the face of revenue losses and growing personnel costs. Small towns are stretching law enforcement by passing the cost onto county and state agencies. The local small town cop is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

In Alto, reduced sales and property tax revenue, have tightened the city's budget. City officials project a budget deficit of about $185,000 for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. The City Council was forced to choose between funding the police department and making much needed repairs on the city-owned natural gas distribution system, which generates most of the city's revenue.

Alto has had so far an attempted bank robbery and a rash of burglaries.

The department's furlough has gained media attention from organizations as far away as New York.

That may be part of the problem.. it's as if Alto is announcing to criminals nationwide,

"Alto's open, y'all come rob us -- y'hear."

Some of that good ole Texas hospitality of the worst kind.

To close the $27 billion budget money hole --Gov. Rick (good hair) Perry (R) and the Republican controlled legislature have made draconian cuts to state services and handily passed the buck to city governments across the state to make tough decisions on which services to keep - and which to cut. Public safety is one of the last things they want to cut.

Alto only needs $185,00 dollars and since Gov. Perry- a wealthy Republican finds it more advantageous to give tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires like himself, and create deficits that leave the public sector in starvation mode - maybe Alto's residents should pay him a visit with pitchforks in tow.

The Wall Street Journal has noted that the closure of small-town police forces is part of a larger plan to consolidate services in communities across the U.S. (which means they will be ripe for plunder by corporate vultures )

Since keeping the peace is not a money making enterprise- we will see Republicans attempt to starve essential services like police and fire departments in order to open the door -  wide for privatization.

Imagine a future where a call to police comes with a quick credit check for approval before services will be rendered, where greedy for-profit companies denying life saving help due to a bad credit score.

Imagine still an entire new branch of the for- profit insurance industry - where like life, health, home, and car insurance, an emergency services policy is created to guarantee police will come when you call 911.

After Alto's cop furloughs, Cherokee County Sheriff James Campbell said that in 24 hours since the mass layoff, his staff have answered 18 calls in the county; seven of them were in Alto.

Maybe Alto residents ought to get together and take out an ad on Craig's list that says;


"Attention, criminals, all the houses of the rich Republicans are now unguarded, 

Tiny snake declares war on big snake.

"Happy thieving to all!"


And remember Republicans are still trying to sell the lie that it's the poor who have declared war on the rich.


Maybe it's time to make their lie become a reality.

http://october2011.org/node


Will you be there?


ickenittle

Minnesota - Closed Until Further Notice

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is battling republican hooligans in a fight to keep Minnesota open for business.

Republicans refuse to negotiate on tax increases for Minnesota's wealthy residents that would help close the over $5 billion budget short fall left by former Governor and presidential wanna be Tim (T-Paw) Pawlenty.

The fiasco in Minnesota is being applauded by Republicans and is similar to what's happening on a national level... as democrats are fighting tooth and nail against Tea-Party Republicans over the issue of raising the debt ceiling.

Unconcerned that they are risking a financial catastrophe that could cause a global financial crisis, these Republicans would rather see the country fail than raise taxes on their employers --the uber rich.

Minnesota is a miniature version of what America would look like if Republicans were in charge. If you don't like what is happening there then don't vote republican. If you do like the idea of a financial collapse then by all means support these republican financial terrorists.

The Republican plan is to gut Medicare and Medicaid thus saving necessary billions for the wealthy corporations who still mouth the words to the tired old song about " Job creation and trickle down " even though no one is listening. Republicans believe if you tell a lie long enough it will stick in people heads like an annoying jingle from a really bad TV commercial.

The Democrats plan is to tax the rich just a bit more, and eliminate the loop holes that have let many of the largest corporations effectively get away with not paying their share- or any tax at all -  which to the criminal class currently corrupting this country is tantamount to treason. With Republicans acting as the guard dogs of the ultra rich they expect to be rewarded for their betrayal in obscene campaign contributions which guarantees to keep the corruption flowing.

T-Paw Pawlenty himself is urging republicans in Minnesota to stand firm on this scorched earth approach to governing. Budget talks between republicans and democrats broke down last Thursday and everyone went home(including all 23,000 state employees) which has led to a Minnesota shutdown.

Pawlenty said in a statement that he felt a shutdown in the state was a " good thing ". Which makes sense in republican doublespeak -- Where something "good" in reality means something " bad ". Republican doublespeak is the code used by liars and frauds to deceive Fox viewers into believing that these deceivers are actually doing something for the good of the country. Hence terms like "Medicare vouchers"  become -"Premium support". 

Although thousands of public employees in Minnesota are feeling real pain. Pawlenty and the Republican lawmakers who support him believe the shutdown needs to drag out as long as possible, longer than the time when he was Governor and he had his own little shutdown party in 2005.

"The longer term goal is important here" He said," we would have gotten more if the 2005 shutdown would have lasted longer".

Current Governor Mark Dayton on the other hand said, " I really believe I've done everything I could possibly think of " and "this is a night of deep sorrow for me because I don't want to see this shutdown occur".

Dayton's proposal to raise taxes on those few earning more than 1 million dollars a year has earned the ire of the GOP. So to keep the rich happy the republicans have allowed over 23 thousand workers to be laid off and parks, offices, and even the 4th of July celebrations wereclosed and canceled.

The shutdown can continue for 60 days if the republicans get their way--meaning Minnesota gets to pay the price for republican ideology - and the would make their goddess of " the free market" system, Ayn Rand a very proud sociopath indeed.

Ayn Rand's philosophy was one of greed and selfishness- which fits right into the Republican "me first agenda ". Rand believed  " Money is the barometer of a society's virtue " and " Money is the root of all good ". And this sums it all up -  and explains why Tea Party Republicans refuse to negotiate, "There are two sides to every issue : one is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is evil. "

Well most people live somewhere in the middle because we understand you have to take into account the lives and circumstances of other Americans who might not think like you. In Ayn Rand's world there was only black and white - right and wrong, and even though she was dead against entitlements like Social Security- she sure went straight to the government trough when she was down and out.


It seems T-Paw Pawlenty is encouraging republicans to stick it to the workers of the state to avoid the 2% or Minnesota's 7,700 Millionaires from paying one more dime in taxes. Most of whom by the way are are his campaign backers. It is just another attempt to protect the richest 1% of the U.S. population.

Of course Pawlenty looks the other way when it comes to laying blame for this whole budget mess. It was his creation when he was governor and he single handily created the $5 billion budget hole in the first place.

Now T-Paw wants to paint himself as fiscally responsible presidential candidate.


It might be wise for Pawlenty to take another look at his presidential aspirations-because he ain't looking too hot in the eyes of many Americans -- especially those in Minnesota. He blew up their state and now blames the new guy in charge for wanting to fix it.

Typical Republican. During the last election campaigns Republican­s repeatedly insisted that they'd focus like a laser on jobs.

But they forget on purpose to say that they mean to destroy government jobs  ....  23,000 on hold -  so far in Minnesota.

In addition to refusing to agree to tax increases, Republicans put abortion, stem cell research, and voter ID on the table. In budget negotiations.

 But wait - that can't possibly be right! Why, just last fall, Republicans made a pledge to us, a promise which they loudly and vigorously promoted, that they would not do that sort of thing, and the GOP always keeps its promises:

We will end the practice of packaging unpopular bills with “must-pass” legislation to circumvent the will of the American people. Instead, we will advance major legislation one issue at a time.

Republican Pledge to America, p 33 (p 35 in the pdf version)  Promises..lies and deception.

As to republican behavior while Gov. Dayton was speaking last Thursday night many called it boorish in an unprecedented way. Members of the House and Senate caucuses hooted and jeered when Dayton, who was holding a news conference, said things they didn't like. (everything)

Longtime Capitol reporters said they'd never heard a governor receive the sort of disrespectful treatment Dayton received.

That behavior says a lot about the quality of many Republican legislators, who apparently haven't yet learned basic manners and political civility.

They must have been really offended when Governor Dayton had this to say;

"I cannot accept a Minnesota where people with disabilities lose part of the time they are cared for by personal care attendants so that millionaires do not have to pay $1 more in taxes," he said. "I cannot accept a Minnesota where young people cannot afford the rising tuition's at the University of Minnesota or a MNSCU campus so that millionaires do not have to pay $1 more in taxes. … That is not Minnesota.''

Republicans at one point were said to be floating a $1 billion revenue plan. But nearly $800 million of that would have actually just kicked the state debt can down the road. Included in it was a scheme to re- float a 2009 idea of former Gov. Tim Pawlenty that even Republicans found absurd. Under that plan, the state would sell tobacco settlement money in a bond to a purchaser who would pay pennies on the dollar for rights to the tobacco cash. Additionally, Republicans were willing to "shift" another $400 million away from money owed to K-12 education.

Dayton was unimpressed but Ayn Rand would have been impressed.

Meantime, Dayton was reducing the size of his fourth-tier income tax from the wealthiest 2 percent of Minnesotans, to the wealthiest 0.03 percent.

Republicans channeling Ayn Rand were unimpressed.



Money is the root of all good.

Because after all money is the root of all good- So all of those - too cheap to pay more taxes millionaires and billionaires are really good people and the rest of us are worthless scum.


If Republican double-speak means the opposite of what is said and "good" really means "bad" ,

then Ayn Rand is probably burning in Heaven right now.



ickenittle