2010 Official Government Complaint Thread
For the new year, let's try to keep all the complaining in one place. My first of the year involve salaries (Jay will likely appreciate this one) ;)
"Six-Figure Federal Salary Gravy Train"
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/12/six-figure-federal-salary-gravy-train.html
and it's followup...
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/12/police-officer-responds-to-six-figure.html
justintime 
The time has never been better to be a public sector employee. And the sad thing as I don't see this trend changing in 2010 or even in the next decade.
Jay I am going to go with the current legislatation that is going to unconstitutionally MANDATE that people buy a certain product or good (health insurance). I think it is crazy to make someone spend thousands on a service that they havn't used for years and might not need for another 20 years. All a 22 year old male might need is a cheap catastrophic plan for accidents/devestating disease. Why TAX him an extra few thousand a year to buy a plan.
The IRS is who is going to enforce this. They will take a percentage of your pay if you refuse to buy insurance. I thought taxes weren't going up for those who make under $250,000? If you make $70,000 or $150,000 and don't require medical insurance your taxes are going up dramatically. I knew by hope and change he meant that he will be taking your leftover change.
BLDjustintime, I was surprised the links you provided didn't redirect me right back to the Hackettstown Life Forum.
Reggie John K how about the government foot the bill through taxes then? Estimates are an additional 5-10% in taxes to have a Canadian system. It works, I know people there. The waiting stories are BS. The issue is people making more money. Why would a person making $500k a year want to be taxed 25k to 50k more? For the rich, this plan makes no sense.
At the end of the day I see problems with doing nothing and the healthcare plan we are moving forward on. But I believe we will always find problems with such a huge plan, and it will never satisfy everyone.
Jay ...
Doesn't the pay now ...change later irritate you at all?????......After all 98% of the health care plan changes won't hit until after the 2012 election.....can you offer us a reason why or what was the big hurry?????????? .
Federal government cannot implement anything on a dime. I just hope when it is implemented it is done correctly (or correct enough)...
"MANDATE that people buy a certain product or good (health insurance). I think it is crazy to make someone spend thousands on a service that they havn't used for years and might not need for another 20 years."
John K, your employer is not withholding unemployment or social security or disability?
Dolly...No...I pay my own disability insurance, life insurance, and social security (which I would rather not because I pay for my own retirement). I am also not eligible for unemployment because I am self employed (so I pay into my own savings reserve incase something happens). I went without health insurance for a few years after I got out of the Corps becuase I didn't need it. I never get sick. If I had a catastrophic injury I had coverage for that.
But this has nothing to do with me. I understand your point that the government already mandates individuals to pay for entitlements. I don't want to see another one. Individuals who are poor already have medicaid. Now we are spending trillions more on a plan that delivers healthcare to people who can already buy a plan, but don't want to. And now we are going to mandate that they pay for it. I don't get it.
Take a look at Matt's other thread about pre-existing conditions. Healthcare must be mandated, otherwise "adverse selection" would cause the system to be unsustainable. "Adverse selection" in regards to insurance essentially means that those who need insurance the most obtain it. The costs must be spread out to make it economically viable -- thus you have the whole country on some sort of insurance plan; and no plan can deny insurance based upon a pre-existing condition. Without the mandate that all have to be part of this plan, it would fail...
Everyone is paying their own John -- you are just doing your own filing. Withholding is not paying on the behalf of. It is not a benefit.
You say we are spending millions on a plan for those who can already buy a plan but there is big difference between someone eligible for Medicaid and someone who makes $10.00 being able to buy health care.
This plan isn't perfect -- in fact I don't like it, but it's a vast improvement.
Dolly...I wish doing my own filing was the only difference between a W-2 employee and a 1099 independent contractor. Regular employees only pay 6% towards social security and their company pays over 7% towards their employment taxes. I pay 15.2% in employment taxes for social security (that will not exist when I retire) and medicare. I don't want to complain as I would rather get 1099's than be a W-2. I also don't want to hijack the thread and turn it into a anti-tax and anti-obamapelosireidcare thread. My gripe is that the current administration/congress is forcing Americans to buy a service.
I do hope you are right that this bill is an improvement. I doubt that it is though. I had a baby at Hackettstown Hospital and insurance covered it all. My wife and I never had any issues with our care nor our insurance. I think if we didn't have employer/government paid insurance (such as life and auto insurance is run) then we would all be better consumers and shop around for the best price for the level of service we desire. If this bill passes as written, I feel that my family will have sub-standard service and pay much more for it. I am all for a safety net for those who need it, but to take 1/6th of the economy and place it in the governments hands, that is scary.
"take 1/6th of the economy and place it in the governments hands, that is scary."
John K states
EXACTLY John!!! We all know what happens when we give them our money, THEY WANT MORE OF IT!!!
Christine, forgive me, but was it you who posted a few months ago that it was okay for us to give a couple of our council men $18,000 a year in free health care as a thank you for a job well done?
John, it's terrific that you and your wife were and are able to afford to purchase or otherwise secure health care for yourselves and your baby. I want no less for everyone else.
Dolly...We agree on wanting healthcare for everyone (or to those who want it in my case), but we disagree on how everyone can afford healthcare. The Dems complain about insurance company profits. I would rather be able to invest in a company and gain capital then to watch the money disappear into a large bureaucracy such as it does with the VA, DOD, FEMA or our Treasury Department that sends stimulus checks to people who have been dead for decades and those incarcerated for murder and rape.
I see many cars driving around Hackettstown. Those folks were able to afford insurance without help from their employer or the government. Same goes for homeowners, renters insurance, life insurance, etc. If the government got out of the health insurance business and let us shop over state lines, it could be much more affordable for all.
There is a large segment of the uninsured population that can afford to have health insurance but CHOOSE not to purchase it. There are folks who show up to the ER with their new $100 shoes, designer jeans, IPOD, brand new Lady GaGa ringtone, and go home and watch cable TV. If they went without some of the comforts in life, they could buy some of the necessities. If the government is going to take care of that for people, they will continue to buy crap they don't NEED and the rest of us will collectivly give up our wants for their needs.
Another 2010 complaint I have with our government happened today. We shut down our embassy in Yemen. How weak does that make us look? A guy sneaks an underwear bomb onto a plane (I could have sworn Obama was going to make Islamic Terrorists love us) and now we shut down our embassy? Marines and state department officials keep our embassies around the world safe 24/7. If we shut one down in a hellhole like Yemen, that encourages other failed states to rise up against our other embassies to get us out of their countries.
"If the government got out of the health insurance business and let us shop over state lines, it could be much more affordable for all."
I think that's a pipe dream but it's not a reality. I think the insurance companies will continue to bleed us dry.
As far as that large wealthy segment of the uninsured you speak of -- you just lost my attention and my respect.
"Christine, forgive me, but was it you who posted a few months ago that it was okay for us to give a couple of our council men $18,000 a year in free health care as a thank you for a job well done?"
Yes it was! It was offered and they have the OPTION to take it!
Keyword OPTION!!!
Dolly...Where did I say wealthy? I am saying that there are folks that spend their money on trivial electronic goods, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, expensive clothes and trinkets before they spend their money on their own health. Go to a local bar one night and see almost everything on that list conducted and then hear the same person doing all of the above complain about not having health insurance.
You say the insurance company is bleeding us dry...Just wait until health insurance is "free" from the government...Then we will see how much it costs.
Yes, Christine, it was an option and in my opinion it was wrong to take it while crying excess taxation and spending for all but themselves. If they had opted to continue to get their health care elsewhere the town budget would be decreased by $18,000. But we gave it to them. You were right in your earlier post -- you give some and they'll want more. First Wallace alone had health care -- then he added his wife. Why? Because he had the option.
Options are wonderful when someone else pays. Just be up front about it.
Talk is cheap, show by example. For example, the BID should be run by a PT position handled by a current FT position or volunteer. Instead, it is a public patronage job with good salary, benefits, and pension/pension credit.
Warren County government. What do they do to take about 25% of the property tax base?
Inside deals seem like the norm...
"The freeholders' 11 biggest contributors from 2006 through 2009 are responsible for a combined $73,000 in donations, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Those same contributors received $2 million in contracts from the freeholders during the same time period."
from http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/index.ssf/2010/01/correlation_between_political.html
I am not disagreeing with you Dolly nor do I agree with you! Its just my opinion. BUT this insurance that was offered was state mandated. The town is forced to offer this. If a council member needs it then by all means he should have it. Believe me if I was offered it for being on the BID Board member I would take it as I have no insurance right now. But if I had my own, I would no way cancel to get another! (I am sure thats not everyones option right?)
I believe the point is taking medical benefits normally associated with full time employment while employed in a part time position.
Uh Oh...Trouble in the ObamaNation. Or is it more change nobody believes in?
The point is plumping up the bottom line to benefit your own while complaining about taxes. It's not MANDATED that they take it. Crying an moaning about mandates except those that personally benefit you is pretty insincere.
Most people who complain about the health insurance reform have someone else paying for their own.
Christine, I went 13 years without health insurance so I understand what that's like. But when they start offering health insurance to BID board members I will do everything possible to make sure anyone on the board who does not reject that option is replaced -- nothing personal.
Christine and Dolly - I keep hearing about the BID program and have looked it up, but don't understand if all the businesses in Hackettstown have to pay into the BID program or is it just the businesses on Main St. that pay into this?
I'm asking because i haven't heard other businesses, (that are not on Main St.) talk about paying into the BID program. Thanks!!!
Sunshine Yes Sunshine, all businesses pay for the BID. Even those not on Main Street. And although the current town council insists the fee is not a tax the Bid's own website calls it such it's FAQ section:
Is every business owner required to participate?
Because the BID has been formally established by town ordinance, every commercial business owner is required to pay a small additional tax to help fund the BID.
If the BID offered medical to Board members and if some people acted on it, wouldn't this cost have to be passed on to the BID tax or reduce BID operating funds pool?
Dolly; (and all)
these civil health insurance plans that the council members have, (and the public school teachers have) will be considered 'cadillac' level plans under the senate bill recently passed.
that means there would be a 40% surcharge applied. So then : 18,000 thousand dollars * 40 percent = 7,200 dollar surcharge.
notice how the these big gov types talk about new taxes. 'Surcharge' ; 'Revenue Stream' ; these are new code words for 'Taxes'.
this is going to be a scream just watching these gov. lackeys and union members crying about how 'unfair' this all is!!
and Jay - the Canadian system is a tradgey, it does not work at all.
BrotherDog For the record, insurance company "profits", ie greed, are not the primary drivers of the cost of health care. Data can be found all over the internet, here for example:
http://www.ahip.org/images/uploaded/About/HealthCareDollar2008.jpg
The sum of the profits at all layers of health care may be an issue, but it's not solely the insurance companies.
Also, the term "insurance" is incorrect. Insurance is what you buy when you are betting that you won't need a service but want to protect yourself anyway. What the government is talking about is top-to-bottom health care, or a societal entitlement. It is most certainly not insurance.
So in context, government health care reform is nothing more than adding another layer of entitlements to our society. It has nothing to do with insurance reform whatsoever.
With the definition of insurance out of the way, can we agree that what the government is talking about is nothing more than providing a free "service" to all members of society, not "insurance"? If you can agree with that, how then can anyone possibly think it won't cost "us" more? If our society consisted of 100 people, and all 100 people paid in and used the services, then it's the same thing as being in an insurance pool (without the overhead of a giant government bureaucracy and without competition to drive prices down)! So why not take a good long look at the true reasons for the increased cost of health care and address those instead of relying on the government, once again, to "fix" something that it will ultimately make worse?
Moving OT for a moment, the following link demonstrates the common sense that I see lacking in many discussions (not this one per se). The article is about airline safety, but the point I hope will be understood:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1950576,00.html
"After the passengers of Flight 253 deplaned in Detroit, they were held in the baggage area for more than five hours until FBI agents interviewed them. They were not allowed to call their loved ones. They were given no food. When one of the pilots tried to use the bathroom before a bomb-sniffing dog had finished checking all the carry-on bags, an officer ordered him to sit down, according to passenger Alain Ghonda, who thought it odd. "He was the pilot. If he wanted to do anything, he could've crashed the plane." It was a metaphor for the rest of the country: Thank you for saving the day. Now go sit down."
Continuing my thoughts regarding common sense thinking in my last comment, below is a nice opinion piece that presents what is unfortunately a contrarian view these days:
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/01/02/fear/index.html
"A citizenry drowning in fear and fixated on Safety to the exclusion of other competing values can only be degraded and depraved. John Adams, in his 1776 Thoughts on Government, put it this way:
Fear is the foundation of most governments; but it is so sordid and brutal a passion, and renders men in whose breasts it predominates so stupid and miserable, that Americans will not be likely to approve of any political institution which is founded on it.
As Adams noted, political leaders possess an inherent interest in maximizing fear levels, as that is what maximizes their power."
TSA anyone???
Dolly,
Who pays David Rucki's salary, the BID? Always wanted to know this, I know there is a office on Main Street who pays for that, all business owners in town? Thanks,
pampur Brother.... If you dont like the Canadian HC System, your going to love the Harry Reid Frankenstein.
An old coworker of mine lives in Montreal and he doesn't mention that the healthcare is substandard. I will see if I can get some more information.
Pampur,
Dave's salary and the office space and the BID budget is funded by a tax levied on business owners in town. In earlier days the BID office space was provided free of charge by Centenary College but it made sense to the BID to move it to a more visible venue and fill in some empty space on Main Street -- so there it sits.
I don't dislike the BID. I was in favor of it from the start and was involved a little in the very beginning -- but it soon became clear that since I wasn't on Main Street I was not needed. That message was sent by them just ceasing to tell me when the committee I was on was meeting next. They'd change the date -- say they'd phone and not. One person had the decency to tell me the truth. She's since had the good sense to pack her store up and move to a more profitable center.
They always cashed my checks though. Even when I had to pay them for an empty building.
Here's an excellent article that pushes back against much of my reasoning regarding government involvement in the housing bubble. I understand what's being said, but am also having a hard time understanding what should be done to resolve the "bigger" problem:
http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2010/01/04/fannie-freddie-and-the-new-red-and-blue/
Dolly,
In other words you were snubbed by the BID. Why doesn't that surprise me Dolly. I am hard pressed to understand why in this economy they could substantiate their very existence and treat some business owners like that.
Here is the BID (proposed) budget http://www.hackettstownbid.com/docs/directors-report-november-2009.pdf. This is the proposed 2010 budget, I don't know where the final version is. Nice to see that the salary is stable at 60k and the cell phone expense cut (uses his own personal). See what happens when there is no union -- reality comes into the picture...
That being said, I don't see line items for medical and pension benefits. My assumption would be that these benefits (and they are not cheap) are there, just that they are paid under the town's line item for these payments?
Pampurr, this was in the very early days -- the BID tax was actually higher than it is now, and the economy was not completely in the toilet. And although it was pretty much the same group of people (I just looked at the member roaster) Grant Morgan was running it. And whereas I have long gotten over the snub and never took it personally but it did leave a bad taste in my mouth and I doubt I will attempt to be involved again -- unless of course they start doling out health care on my dime to it's volunteers.
JIT my friend, I believe you are just pissing in the wind. To hell with the world, this rot is all the world deserves. That includes the wars, the terrorists, the tyrannies , the chaos. For the wicked there is always the hope of remorse & penance. For the stupid there is no hope at all. The stupid invariably sacrifice their heroes, and raise statues to the murderers. To hell with the world & its corrupt politics & politicians, entitlements etc.
In the end it will all be left to the effervescent & enthusiastic young, who will follow any banner & die in any carefully plotted war, gladly be taxed dry for any thief & lier who tells them to follow him for he will change the world and murder any potential rescuers who sincerely try to resolve the problems. In 2010 I'm done with it all. I forfeit my misguided efforts to battle the SOB's. they can have this miserable world & run it into the ground. I am out!
justintime...The TSA is getting out of hand with the way they treat everyday Americans. In Newark just the other day they fouled up and let someone enter the wrong way without being searched...So they make up for it by taking people off planes and not letting mothers feed their babies.
I was listening to a security expert from Israel the other day. He said the one thing we don't do in the states is focus on the individual. Think about when you fly. You get your ticket and ID checked, but htey don't look you in the eye. TSA employees are great at following written instructions, but have terrible decision making ability and intuition. Look people in the eye. Trust me, you can spot the guy with the underwear bomb. I want to see the video of him entering the plane and walking around the terminal. You can spot him, and leave grandma alone.
Jay,
Insurance and Pension Benefits paid to whom? Volunteers and executive members of the BID?
What metrics are in place to measure year to year how well the BID is achieving their goals and objectives? What business model are they following? Any clue, anybody? Dolly?
Thanks!
John,
Didn't you hear? "Grandma got run over by a reindeer, walking home from our house Christmas Eve" so take it up with the damn air traffic controllers.
I would assume that the executive director is accruing years of service towards a pension like any other public position in NJ? If true, this "cost" is on top of the BID budget in some fashion...
Jay,
Does anyone know if that is correct? I don't know if a person hired to increase business in a town and be the high priced town cheerleader should be on the public pension system. Why should my taxes have to pay his pension? Is that how the position has been rigged through the town's operating budget?
Jay,
I would love to see the finalized version of the BID's budget (the real numbers). Where is that information going to be posted? On Hackettstown.net website or BID website? Still curious to know how they measure how well the BID is doing? What is the strategy in place to attract more businesses in Hackettstown? Christine do you know?
His time on the BID cannot be claimed at retirement time as service? I find this hard to believe. No medical benefits, again hard to believe but may be true.
Jay,
Where do we as tax payers get valid information and update information on the subject matter.
I recall the Mayor Mr. Lavery saying there will be more transparency in government. Where is this information posted?
Not in this case, but there is no transparency when someone works 10 PT jobs an they are aggregated towards one hefty pension.
Check out this article about the UAW at a notorious plant in Ohio. Completely different ballgame these days. If they don't build the Cruze well, the plant will close...
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/nyt-declares-uaw-free-from-lordstown-syndrome/#more-341010
You may find it hidden somewhere in the Obama CNN Health care coverage venue..... Or try the looking for it in the old Father Guido Sarducci comedy skit " Find the Pope in the pizza" & if you find it there you will probably find Ole Jimmie Hoffa....IE Good Luck!
Yes, Pampur, I was at Centenary college mayoral debate when he said that. I also recall something about not spending what we don't have. Too bad the councilmen he endorsed don't support the same.
Dolly,
In order to change the political antics in this town it needs to be pointed out to the electorate the true political landscape in Hackettstown, I don't think people who live in town know any of this because there is no true transparency. We the taxpayers are being fleeced by this town. Just look at the recreation director as an example that left town with a pot of tax payers money (retirement and vacation days) never used. he is laughing all the way to Florida. Where is the governance here?
I have been searching C-SPAN looking for the healthcare debates...I thought our President got elected and in order to get votes he said what everyone wants to hear. He said that we would see what our elected officials are discussing. Ever since he has been elected the Dems have been behind closed doors making bribes and buying votes with our money. Great stuff.
You can go to a Hackettstown meeting. You can read the minutes. Thats why governments should have more control at the local levels then at the central (federal) level. Our Democratic Senators and Congressmen are spending trillions while they lock out the Republicans and more importantly, the public.
I love how everyone makes this a democrat versus republican debate. John, I'm not sure if I want to give Hackettstown more control, as far as I'm concerned the town hasn't really improved since I moved here in 2002. In fact it may have even been a better place then at a time when just a few years later it was ranked as one of the top places to live in the country. Since then all you've seen are shops closing down, overcrowding in apartments, and a complete disconnect between the government and its people.
I understand general economic conditions contributed to this mess, but there have been some towns that are capable of weathering the economy better than others. I firmly believe one of the reasons is due to open communication between the elected officials and its people.
As for the healthcare debate, it's been a debate for a year and nothing has been done. At a certain point you've got to grab the bull by the horns and take action. Obama has given congress an opportunity to present to him a bill that he can sign and they haven't been able to come to an agreement. And unfortunately the healthcare issue is not something you can just sweep under the rug to come back to another day, at some point you've just got to put your foot down and say let's get this done already.
"I love how everyone makes this a democrat versus republican debate."
I agree. As a society we absolutely have to stop this because it does nothing except divert attention from where it needs to be. The Repubs and Dems in power are the same when it comes right down to it. It's only an illusion that they are different:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8wmN3wvhNM
Ryan, you are right. People pick their party, or at least I do, based on their basic principals and when it comes down to it we need to remember that politicians are all whores.
While John K. "Dems have been behind closed doors making bribes and buying votes with our money " he completely ignores what his own party is doing locally which was posted right here in this thread and has come up again and again at election time by the opponent of any party:
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/..._political.html
Although I am a Democrat I I don't vote for a candidate based on a consonant that follows their name on a ballot. I know who I am voting for or I don't vote for them. I have always thought it was about red, white, and blue, not just red and blue.
For example there are few NJ Senators whose opponents, regardless of party affiliation, will be getting my support based on their vote or non-vote regarding the equal marriage bill.
Dolly, your iPhone provided a bogus link. Gotta love technology!
Speaking of links, did you happen to follow the link I posted above? It works both ways, as you said. That's why when it comes right down to it party affiliation is nothing but a distraction.
Dolly ...
How are you getting on with using the iPhone for Hackettstown Life? I find it much too difficult to navigate to this page and forget even trying to actually submit something to the forum on iPhone ....
I see your point, in the end politicians will be politicians. I actually lean more republican in my core values and principles. Wouldn't we all like to be able to live our own lives, do our own thing without any government intervention? Sure but there are people that take advantage of that, both on the high spectrum (wall street bonus executives) and on the low spectrum (illegal immigrants, homeless people who bleed government services). I believe there is a time and place for government intervention and regulation. I think when the going is going good, government has to look at regulating to try and prevent corruption and when the bad is going bad, government has to intervene to help prevent the bottom from falling out from under us.
With that said, I generally lean Republican, and have voted Republican on local and state levels. However, on the presidential platform, there hasn't yet been a candidate to make it to the final stage that didn't seem either totally incompetent (Bush) or radical (McCain) compared to their opponents. If Reagan were alive today, running for president and capable of presiding the way he did back in the 80s, I probably would have voted him in.
Remember good goverment starts with you.
and works its way up each level Local town and township , to County, to State , and them to Federal level,
I vote for who i think will do the best job or at least try and if some thing is tryed and is not working we can make changes and thats better than doing nothing .
Personaly i would like to see the Presidents term of office changed to a one time 6yr term
CagedAnimal I would simply like to state that I cannot understand why this Complaint thread has 6.5x more posts than the Compliment thread.
;-)
Rebecka Dolly...So it's okay for the President to say there will be transparency, and then he has trillions of dollars spent behind closed doors?
As far as the local issue with campain contributions...Why wouldn't Mr. Palmer donate to the party that is best suited to run the county. CKC law on 517 has dems and conservatives. They are the largest firm in Warren County and have many different mindsets. Mr. Palmer and the others named are sole props or small companies. They deserve to be able to contribute to the party of their choice. That is a big difference from the government taking over 1/6th of the economy while the majority of the public is shouting NO.
Ryan, if today's Republican party were what it once was -- say that of my great grandfather (who was a Republican and Lt. Govenor of Mass.) I would be leaning more that way myself. But being able to live our own lives to a Republican these days seems to mean as long as you are white-Christian-hetero-big-business and damn all and everyone else. I can't get behind that.
Now, on to the iPhone -- maybe should have held out for the Google phone but I'll for be forever second guessing myself.
Once I got the screen resizing down I found it a huge improvement over my Blackberry Pearl for site navigation and it is way faster. And I despised that double tap keypad. I use to post under a different name using my Blackberry just so people wouldn't assume I was drunk (Dollybb).
John K -- I'm still not talking to you, just about you.
"Remember good goverment starts with you. " Cagedanimal, I agree (except for the spelling) and when I don't think that our local government is doing a good job and no one else will, and I believe I can do better, I run. If nothing else it makes the elected work for our money.
Thanks Dolly...I will continue to talk to you and not about you, because that is the only way that makes sence. The other way is kind of rude. You said that the new Republicans only want white-hetero blah blah blah to live their own lives and no one else. THat is so far from the truth. There are many African American, Hispanic, and other minority Republicans running for office in 2010, in addition to the chairman of the GOP being black.
The dems don't want you living your life the way you want, they want government intervention at every step. They do champion gay rights and are pro-abortion (the majority of the republican party turns a blind eye to those two), but in every other case the Republican party supports individual rights. Your right to keep more of your own money, to run a company, to protect yourself and your family with a firearm, to have property rights (unlike the dems in the inner cities taking property through eminent domaign. Along with the dems in NJ creating the highlands), we care more about people's rights than we do about whales, and you have the right to educate your own children.
Republicans demand that homosexuals and those who have had abortions to have the same above rights. Other than those two issues, where do the Dems stick up for individuals and family's rights?
John, so let me get this right, the GOP isn't concerned for whales rights? Thats real wrong!
John K,
I started reading your post was giving it some consideration but when I got to the "pro abortion" part -- you lose me. Yes, we are all abortionists and want all the unborn in a stainless steel pail. I would ask "are you really that stupid" but there is no need. Statements like these and what is clear by you use of the TSA targeting "everyday Americans", and "...ER with their new $100 shoes, designer jeans, IPOD, brand new Lady GaGa ringtone, and go home and watch cable TV..." tell me exactly who and what you are.
Thankfully I am at a place in my life that I can easily dissociate myself from certain elements. I do thank you for identifying yourself and your profession so I can be sure to avoid you in every way possible.
Dolly, it's really too bad that this forum doesn't have a way to filter out the posts from people you don't want to have to deal with. That would save you the aggravation of dealing with people who are intent on having an intelligent and rational discussion (like John). I realize that you prefer to use your sharp tongue to beat down opposing opinions, but that's not how people usually communicate (unless you are on a playground, of course). I'm surprised you haven't figured that out yet...
*plonk*
This isn't a playground? I know someone is using this professionally but it isn't me.
Oh, and welcome to the sharp tongue club.
Dolly...I guess you will ignore the issues and attack the individual, I am familiar with that tactic. As far as my profession, I will continue to get clients referred to me from many Hackettstown business owners (some of whom are very liberal, and we get along fine). I have been to your establisment a few times and have enjoyed the art and the one video that I saw. We are from two different ends of the spectrum when it comes to politics, but I still respect other individuals while discussing politics and try to stick with the issues.
You asked "who and what you are"? I am many things. When it comes to the issues at hand, we both want to see prosperity and equality. I am not from the religious right. I am not the guy at the abortion clinic making women feel like crap. I think the government should intrude less and we should help each other. Help those in our families, neighborhoods, and those far from us through non-profit charities. The government has its marching orders from our Constitution. The majority of the spending the government has been putting out in the past 60 years has nothing to do with its primary functions. I am someone who is trying to educate those around me that if we continue down this road we will go the way of Europe with a natural rate of unemployment around 15%, our NARU is still supposed to be 5%. If the government keeps spending the way they do we will have stagflation (high inflation and very little growth).
RyanOMac is right that this shouldn't be partisan. It should be about forcing government (elected officials from all parties) to abide by the constitution they swear to uphold.
"It should be about forcing government (elected officials from all parties) to abide by the constitution they swear to uphold."
lol, is there anyone left in the nation that actually believes that our elected leaders abide by the Constitution? I doubt it. Most comments I hear about the Constitution imply that it's "elastic" and must be interpreted for our times. However, the framers already gave us a way to amend the Constitution to allow for growth - the amendment process - and so the "elastic" argument falls apart easily. In fact, the only real reason to justify an elastic rule of law is to give yourself an easy way to break the law!
Down with the duopoly!
You know, there are sooooooo many things that I could post in this thread! Even though I've been trying to contain myself sometimes our reps make it too easy ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idz8jB-ZX2Q
Now suppose if these comments were reversed? What an uproar that would be, lol!
Do we have any representatives that can think, or are they all emotionally driven these days?
Wonder if that particular comment would have been made if Jesus, Gandhi, Lincoln, Julius Caesar & St. Paul were present. Of course Paul would probably say that prattling statements like that justify his own biblical commentary that have evoked enmity ever since. Alas!
Begin Again Finnigan justintime, after watching that clip on youtube, I had to laugh.
It is so true. So many times throughout my life, I as well as many others have made a comment when something isn't to our liking. We would say, " you can tell a woman didn't design this", knowing that it could have been made better or work better than it does. I wouldn't say it had to do with emotions. More like common sense.
I just scrolled through this topic quickly and did not read a thing. My opinion is yes, no, yes, no, no, no, sarah palin sucks, yes, no, no, yes, yes and maybe.
Reggie More fun. The House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform just released a report accusing the NY Federal Reserve Bank, run by Timothy Geithner at the time, of bailing out AIG at par (full face value, non-negotiated) using taxpayer money. The report is called "Public Disclosure As A Last Resort: How the Federal Reserve Fought to Cover Up the Details of the AIG Counterparties Bailout From the American People" and can be found here:
http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/aigstaffreportwithcover.pdf
The summary is very pointed:
"Finally, the secrecy, concealment, and lack of transparency in the conduct of the Federal Reserve have serious implications for the continued health of democracy and free markets. The Federal Reserve’s payment of par to AIG’s counterparties and the subsequent cover-up of information about these payments raise concerns about the accountability of the unelected bureaucrats within the Federal Reserve System. The fact that a quasi-government agency, unaccountable to the American people, likely wasted billions of taxpayer dollars and went to great lengths to prevent Congress and the American people from learning about these actions demonstrates the threat that the Federal Reserve poses to basic principles of American democracy."
If anyone has the stomach to read the paper, and comes to the same conclusions I have, please contact our Senators and Representatives and tell them to enact legislation to perform a full audit of the *private* Federal Reserve Bank HR1207 and S604.
Okay Dolly and cbel - How do you justify this? Where is the great change that Obama promised? He promised that his administration was going to be totally differrent than what we had - everything was going to be above board and totally transparent. Admit it - he's no better than what we had before and even worse in my opinion because he lied - http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/25/obama-administration-steers-lucrative-bid-contract-afghan-work-dem-donor/
Just saw Charlie Daniels open letter to Obama. Plain speaking, direct & no nonsense. Wonder if Obama will respond?
Open Note to the Prez
Mr. President, you have put America through a lot in the year you have been in office.
You have weakened the defenses of our nation, allowed your out of control Attorney General to endanger the lives of everybody in New York City by moving the trials of some of the most evil and dangerous people in the world from the safe confines of Guantanamo Bay to Manhattan.
You have let your Director of Homeland Security belittle the War on Terror by calling it, and the scumbags we're fighting, by silly, limp-wristed, milksop names and acting as if we were issuing a parking ticket.
You and your cohorts in the legislative branch have bribed senators and corrupted Congress beyond salvage.
You have mortgaged America's financial future by burying the foreseeable generations in crushing debt, started out to unionize the world and a thousand other things too numerous to mention.
Your arrogance is burden enough, but would you please spare us your juvenile petulance?
You're supposed to be an adult, Mr. President, you're supposed to take responsibility for your own actions, and the time for blaming George W. Bush for everything that goes wrong in your life has long been over.
I don't recall Ronald Reagan continually complaining about the mess he inherited from Jimmy Carter's Administration. He met the challenges, and dealt with them without resorting to continual finger pointing.
So far, the people you endorsed and campaigned for have lost three elections in a row. The American people have overwhelmingly rejected your health care plan and members of your political party are running like the rats that they are.
You've even lost your 60-seat filibuster proof Senate majority with the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, the most liberal state in the union.
Well, welcome to the real world, Mr. President. You may as well get used to it, the veneer of your personality is wearing thin and can't carry your socialist programs any longer. So tuck your bottom lip back in and stop acting like a sixth grader who didn't get invited to the party.
How do you think it make Americans feel to see their President pout?
How does it make us feel when you tell us that you can't do anything about the mess you inherited a year ago?
You owe us, Mr. President. You were elected to forget about your feelings and focus in on the country's problems…
Not yours.
You've got three years left, and I can only hope and pray that America can survive them.
What do you think?
Pray for our troops, and for our country.
God Bless America
Charlie Daniels
Okay Dolly and cbel - How do you justify this? Where is the great change that Obama promised? He promised that his administration was going to be totally differrent than what we had - everything was going to be above board and totally transparent. Admit it - he's no better than what we had before and even worse in my opinion because he lied -
Dolly: Do you plan to respond to Jan? I can't be bothered.
cbel Open Letter To 'The Prez':
Thank you, Pesident Barack Hussein Obama, for all the effort and thought you have put into leading our country. It has become so cliche in our rapid-fire culture to spit out sound-bite after sound-bite, and I find it so refreshing that you take time and apply intellect to the problems we face as a nation. Your love of our country is abundantly apparent, so while I may not agree with every decision you make, I feel proud every day to be an American who once again has a Commander-in-Chief who is able in mind, body, and spirit to lead our nation.
Sincerely,
realitycheck lol realitycheck, for a minute there I thought that was copied from the onion! Too funny!
Reggie is threatened by smart sexy women . Things have been going well lately. Let me see republicans in the Gov's office in Virginia and NJ, Crokly loses in Mass and Obama was given the middle finger by the olympic people. Change is looking pertygood. You betcha.
Wait a second - BLD and Jan are the same person? I thought I was Jan. So if I am Jan, and Jan is BLD, I guess we all know what my response is.
Bon appetit!
“Americans who have lost their jobs need our help, and I support extending unemployment benefits and direct assistance for health care coverage. Yet, American workers want more than unemployment checks; they want a steady paycheck. When America works, America prospers, so my economic security plan can be summed up in one word: jobs.”
--George W. Bush, 2002 SOTU
Realitycheck...I could sign that letter as well. I believe our President loves the country, I think he is very intelligent, and puts his mind, body and spirit into his work, family, and this country. That is all good, but the policies he proposes and the decisions he makes need to be questioned. You mentioned our rapid fire culture. You are absolutly correct, my generation is all about instant gratification. Many people on this forum were stating that Iraq was "another Vietnam", and that the war would never end. Well, the Marines just gave up their last command in Al Anbar after years of fierce fighting. They left it a secure place with a growing economy. The short sighted left didn't think this nation was able to defeat the insurgency in Iraq, well it looks like our military is stronger than the left thinks.
Last night during the state of the union address he openly questioned a recent supreme court decision. Did you see the looks on the faces of our supreme court justices? It is almost like intimidation. His administration had a terrorist in custody on Christmas Day and instead of finding out more about the training camps in Yemen, they let him lawyer up (and now they are admitting that was the wrong decision). He talked about transparency last night. Where the hell has the transparency been during his first year?? He said 8 TIMES that all debates would be open to the public and on C-SPAN. Why were the healthcare debates and bribes all done behind CLOSED DOORS? He also talked about "freezing" the budget next year. This is after he raised the EPA's budget (headed by NJ's former DEP Chief) by 35%. If I raised my annual spending by $200,000 and then froze it, I wouldn't be doing too well. The "freeze" is only going to account for .58% of our deficit. Not a very big step Mr. President.
I was happy to hear him say he is open to off shore drilling (we already do it in the Gulf with minimal issues). The fish actually flourish around the rigs that act like reefs. He spoke a lot about jobs (something the government can't produce), but he spoke intelligently about how to do it. He talked about cutting capital gains tax, cutting taxes for small business, and encouraging big banks to lend to small businesses. I thought it is a strange decision to steal money from big banks and give the money to small banks, and all the talk about "green" jobs is just lip service. Spain is the leading nation in Europe for "green" jobs. They have many of them, but their overall unemployment rate is amongst the highest in the EU. It is not cost affective to creat jobs that the market is not demanding.
I also like the fact that he mentioned getting more nuclear power. I don't think he will follow through though.
Dolly and cbel - Your response is exactly what I expected. You can't offer any intelligent argument so you attack me.
Spoken by someone who does not have an intelligent conversation or argument, you just cut and paste articles that no one wants to read. You don't offer any of your own opinions just try to knock down everyone else
If someone doesn't respond with an intelligent argument, it doesn't mean they can't. Maybe they choose not to answer a pot stirrer.
Attack? What attack? Boy, you've changed more than your screen name Jan. Go easy on the Retin A, it thins the skin.
But okay, you've goaded me into a response. You Kool Aid guzzlers are forever under the impression that party declaration equates pleadging unwaivering and blind support. How un American. I approve of about 70% Obama is doing.
If I want your opinion I'll post again and ask for it.
Another day, another data point: The US has now officially raised it's debt ceiling to nearly match our GDP (as in the market value of all goods and services produced in the United States in one year). 2010 projected GDP 14.3 trillion, debt ceiling 14.7 trillion.
So, what's this mean? That in the near future (this year, perhaps) the debt of the US will be equivalent to the total production output of the country in one year.
$14,000,000,000,000 ($14 million million). Whew! There's a lot of zeros there!
I for one have to applaud The President. This guy's "Jim Geraghty" a fellow fiscal conservative explains why Barack Obama is completely "Awesome"!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mN2zFgy7Qg
Solid point JIT, but did you happen to mention that every Senate Democrat voted to raise the debt limit to $14.3 trillion. The vote was 60-40 on straight partisan lines. That is $45000.00 per American. Lesson is that there is no such thing as a "Moderate Democrat" in the Senate. Remember that next time you vote!
Though all that claping and cheering was a bit much and we put those people in office sounded more like a high school pep ralley than the state of the union what were we thinking
Dolly - And if the voters of Hackettstown have any respect for your opinions they'll vote for you. Oh, I guess you're the one who better lay off the Retin A. My skin is just fine.
I forgot to mention his statement about not having "lobbyists and special interests" in his administration. He actually made that a campaign promise. He spoke to America last night and with a strait face said that Washington needs to change the way it conducts business. Yet he has 30 lobbyists in his administration. Interesting.
He laid out who the enemy is last night. Bankers, those who lend credit for others to use, Republicans, insurance companies, evil TV pundits, those who make over $250,000, and those who go to college and choose to enter the private sector. If you enter the public sector he wants to forgive your student loans after 10 years.
He made no mention of Freddie and Fannie getting us into this mess, only big banks. The government had nothing to do with it.
well said John. a few responses - i agree that the president and every elected leader needs to be questioned. i don't think 'the left' underestimated our military power, rather the problem with iraq was that it was an unnecessary distraction from fighting al qaeda. that the senate decided to meet behind closed doors and make deals to draw in senators was their decision, not the presidents. maybe he should not have made promises another branch of government wasn't interested in fulfilling.
jit - thanks! i am deeply honored you think i could write for the onion!
Realitycheck...You are right that he can't contol the Senates closed door sessions, but he invited them to the White House for discussions on health care (with no camera's allowed). He could have taken them into the woodshed last night like he did with all of his other enemies, but he didn't chastise them for the closed door deals with Nebraska and Lousiana. He also didn't mention Gitmo or the upcoming trials in NYC.
JIT, your January 26th comments on the state of affairs with Geithner & the AIG Cover-up hit home. Your 26 page attachment however was just too much to read so please find a synopsis of this below FED Cover-up scandal / (bottom line .... US taxpayers on hook for 62.1 billion dollars) :
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, then led by Timothy Geithner, told American International Group Inc. to withhold details from the public about the bailed-out insurer’s payments to banks during the depths of the financial crisis, e-mails between the company and its regulator show. AIG said in a draft of a regulatory filing that the insurer paid banks, which included Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Societe Generale SA, 100 cents on the dollar for credit-default swaps they bought from the firm. The New York Fed crossed out the reference, according to the e-mails, and AIG excluded the language when the filing was made public on Dec. 24, 2008. The e-mails were obtained by Representative Darrell Issa, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
The New York Fed took over negotiations between AIG and the banks in November 2008 as losses on the swaps, which were contracts tied to sub prime home loans, threatened to swamp the insurer weeks after its taxpayer-funded rescue. The regulator decided that Goldman Sachs and more than a dozen banks would be fully repaid for $62.1 billion of the swaps, prompting lawmakers to call the AIG rescue a “back-door bailout” of financial firms. “It appears that the New York Fed deliberately pressured AIG to restrict and delay the disclosure of important information,” said Issa, a California Republican. Taxpayers “deserve full and complete disclosure under our nation’s securities laws, not the withholding of politically inconvenient information.”
Jan, although not the majority, people did vote for me. Twice. Making the effort when no one else will so that people have a choice, even if it means subjecting myself to ridicule, is something I relish.
And pray tell, when are you running for office? Or does putting your name on things, like a ballot, much like your opinions and statements here, give you too much pause?
Cbel, I thought of you when I ordered "Living Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk" probably because of our love/hate relationship with her. You love her, I hate her. If you would like to read it when I'm through send me a message and I'll save it for you.
RealityCheck - The deal made with the unions was made at a negotiating session held at the White House. You don't think Obama had a hand in it? Can I sell you swamp land in FL?
Dolly, while I applaud you for running for office please remember that their are other ways to affect change that don't require involvement in the currently corrupt process. Belittling people for not "getting involved" won't affect positive change, but an exchange of well thought out ideas surely will.
Which is why I take the position that education is hugely important. Much more so today than in years past, what with our easy lifestyle in which we (society in general) expect that the "hard" things will be done by someone else. Real change happens when individuals allow their comfort zones to be invaded by new information, not by a politician promising the things they may or may not be able to deliver.
I don't fault people for not participating in the current game we call politics. Rather, I get excited when people "outside the system" are willing to share their knowledge for others to use in the hope that that knowledge will enhance their views of the world. So while a great many here continue to get upset by differing view points, I absolutely love them because I see that there really are others trying to make a difference.
Keep posting BLD, and keep those links coming! People here are free to ignore your posts.
JIT, I reviewed the evidence on the AIG cover-up & was struck with the idea that maybe Geithner isn't so smart & that maybe he was used as a convenient shill in all this back-door cover-up BS. Is it just me or have you also considered it plausible?
Eat Cake....lol oh BLD you are killing me LMAO.
I sense a kindred rascal at heart here! Good because rascals bring vitality to what would otherwise be a very dull place so continue with your dialog & your ideas...you have guts & imagination & you voice your concerns albeit bluntly & "In your Face"
One suggestion however, you might want to develop more of the elegance of JIT in your delivery.....might get you further IMHO.
Justin, sometimes I think you are just a guy who is passionate about your politics who detests an unfair two-party system riddled with corruption. And then I reread your post...you say you don't fault people for participating in the "current game we call politics" but in the same post you say that running for office is involvement in a corrupt process -- and a voluntary one at that. So are all would-be politicians or those running for office and even those "outside the system" corrupt or just willing?
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and enhancing my views of the world. It is so clear to me now that you are trying to make a difference.
Eloquent? How about pompous, self important, and full of cake?
oh, so the president has to play fair while the republicans sh*t on everything in congress? tough. and guess what, it looks like the president is ready to brawl after all.
no thanks on that swamp btw.
Well, Dolly, if you actually read what I wrote, "I don't fault people for *NOT* participating in the current game we call politics." then your response might have been a bit different.
"So are all would-be politicians or those running for office and even those "outside the system" corrupt or just willing?"
I think you've read enough of what I post to know that I truly believe the system itself is corrupt. People play (for the most part) within the "rules" of the game, but the underlying fundamentals supporting that game are inherently skewed and flawed towards those in power. However, I do think that most people running for office, especially on the local level, truly believe that they can make a difference and do the best job they can, all with the best of intentions.
Before your "break" from HL, my impression was that you are quite intelligent and have no problem communicating your views. So why is it, then, that you are so quick to insult people? The point of my post was to say that "running for office" is not the only way to affect change - educating others in the reality of what goes on "behind" the scenes is another. But I choose the latter method to encourage change and I'm pompous and self important? OK Dolly, whatever.
Just shoot up the place & get rid of all the .... um lets be delicate.....skunks!
For your viewing pleasure.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eo0OY8GOuc
I have no problem communicating my views, nor am I afraid to do so or stand up for myself. You on the other hand seem to have a long standing problem with people who defend themselves on this forum -- or maybe just me or the manner in which I do it -- it's my personality and I make no apologies. And just in case it isn't obvious -- I'm not looking for your or anyone else' approval. But it's pretty disingenuous to take barbs at me and go on about intelligent dialog and sign off with a cartoon and a made up name.
"You on the other hand seem to have a long standing problem with people who defend themselves on this forum -- or maybe just me or the manner in which I do it -- it's my personality and I make no apologies."
My problem isn't with people defending themselves. On the contrary, I fully expect people to be able to back up their positions. My problem is with people who can't defend themselves and resort to name calling in an attempt to make up for it. I suppose that's my personality, and I make no apologies for it either.
"But it's pretty disingenuous to take barbs at me and go on about intelligent dialog and sign off with a cartoon and a made up name."
Uh huh. 'nuff said.
The Mayor of Las Vegas Oscar Goodman (D) has an official 2010 complaint with the President. He said that the president has a psychological hangup and that he is a "slow learner".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH3hNgdFbWE
If you need President Obama to tell you that the flashing lights of Vegas are designed to separate fools and their money, you're more clueless than he is. That's not a crack on you, John K... just common sense.
The mayor of Vegas sounds like the guy in high school who gets pissed off when someone tells the freshmen that he's selling them oregano, LOL.
ianimal Not me Dolly. But I suppose you could call it a toon though, lol. It's not very funny to me, lol, but I guess you find humor in it, lol! ;)
ianimal...Last time I was in vegas I didn't even gamble that much. The fist time the President put down Las vegas he said government agencies and corporations should stop sending their good employees down there for conventions and for rewards. So some listened to the President and the city lost money. I go to a few conventions in AC every year and sometimes don't even put any money on the table. I enjoy the night life though. The Vegas experience is much better than most cities in America. To tell a business to not send their top people down there as a reward for a job well done is not very presidential of him.
I agree that the way the Mayor's message was a bit strange. His chair is a little different as well.
After all the back room politics and sweetheart deals this should come as no surprise. This could have been handled much differently and there might have been a better outcome - http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20100205/UPDATES01/100205045/Obama+admits+health+care+overhaul+may+die+on+Hill+
While not news, this opinion piece fit's with what I've been thinking for a while now. FWIW
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/02/05/will_obama_play_the_war_card_100182.html
"Harry Reid is surely aware a U.S. clash with Iran, with him at the president's side, could assure his re-election. Last week, Reid whistled through the Senate, by voice vote, a bill to put us on that escalator.
Senate bill 2799 would punish any company exporting gasoline to Iran. Though swimming in oil, Iran has a limited refining capacity and must import 40 percent of the gas to operate its cars and trucks and heat its homes.
And cutting off a country's oil or gas is a proven path to war."
Of course, the ramifications are staggering should this be the path we're on. All I know is that the feeling something big is about to happen is one I can't shake - there are just too many negatives going on right now to feel otherwise. Anyone else getting goosebumps these days?
But JIT - wasn't Obama the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize this year? Maybe that is part of the change he promised...
Dolly: "missed this. Are you calling Jesus a toon?"
In my initial response I had figured out that your gravatar was a "Jesus, LOL" cartoon (thus my repetitive lol's) but didn't understand what it meant until I just looked it up today. I must say, you certainly have a very "interesting" view on things, "lol":
http://loljesus.com/?p=38
That's a truly interesting website ;)
Dolly, try as I might, I cannot read the words in your gravatar. What is in the balloons?
Sick of it, right click the gravatar. In IE select Properties, copy the url and paste it into your address bar. Or, in Firefox, right click and select View Image. The last number in the url is the image size (50). Add a zero to make it 500 and you can see a larger size image.
Sick of it, in case you were not able to follow those instructions it's simply a knock knock joke -- Knock Knock? Who's there? Jesus -- LOL.
I did not find that at the site justin listed. I always liked that image (sans joke) but after my mother used it on my father's memorial cards it became too depressing. Then a couple of years ago my sister sent me that image with a comment about how he detested knock-knock jokes and it took on new meaning. Lol, lol, and lol again.
Thanks, Dolly and Justintime. Actually, I didn't see Justintime's post when I did the second one. It may have been held up or didn't load or some weird thing. That happens fairly often on this forum.
I'm sorry about your father, Dolly, but I'm glad the image has been redeemed, so to speak. It is funny, and sweet, indeed.
Sorry IceWater, but I've got some "snow day" homework for all of my good neighbors (ref the Humor thread). I wish it were more "happy" reading, but alas, it's not. Anyway, the following post summarizes the current state of our economy in a way that I'd have difficulty conveying:
http://fridayinvegas.blogspot.com/2010/02/partisan-economics.html
see too:
http://pragcap.com/the-problem-of-exponential-debt
Enjoy the snow tomorrow!
Another complaint...I can't stand how the current administration calls the Tea Party Movement "astroturf" instead of a grassroots movement. The Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General gives the underwear bomber an attorney and calls our returning veterans "potential terrorists". They trashed good doctors and citizens who opposed government run healthcare at town hall meetings. They "kill the messenger" instead of reply to the message.
Instead of arguing the issues, they demonize the private citizen for their thoughts. It has even trickled down to this forum. Instead of giving the opposing view to an arguement, some people make it personal. They almost have a vendetta against good people who believe in equal opportunity, but not equal results.
Tried renewing my work trailer registration online...the state wanted a 2 dollar conveinance fee ...Is it not more of a conveinance for the state then me ? I will be mailing it in now.It was probably a Corzine thing.
PREDATOR Predator, I just watched the Christie speech regarding NJ budget & now seeing this I would also conclude its a Corzine thing as you say. The good news is Christie put them on notice using expressions like "you cant in a corner because I will drag you in the center" .... Finally a Government focused on saving money vs. a Tax & Spend Wanker. Praise God & the electorate of the great state of NJ.
Two dollars? What?! That's four times the postage. The State charges a processing fee? Our taxes aren't enough to pay for some state worker to issue the registration? For crying out loud.
Predator, they starting collecting convenience fees on credit card transactions from businesses for DMV transactions in October 2001. Pop quiz -- who was Governor then?
Adding to the pile...the economic doomsayer's drums are beating louder and louder every day.
Q: Will the *entire* world have to default on their debts?
"For Greece, with on and off balance sheet liabilities at over 800%, it's game over. For the Eurozone, with the same ratio at about 500%, it is also game over. For the US, at 500%+, it is, you guessed it (sorry Joseph Stiglitz), game over, but since we have the printers, it will simply take a little longer."
"There is a ferocious debate ongoing between those who believe there needs to be a rapid reduction in these deficits to avoid some combination of insolvency/default/rapid inflation and those who believe that there should be even more fiscal stimulus. The debate is loud and opinions are tending to be polarised."
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/albert-edwards-500-net-liabilities-gdp-it-too-late-prevent-collapse-g-7-greece-irrelevant-we
Interesting times we're living in...
justintime...I am glad you post about these topics. It is difficult for people to wrap their minds around the drastic effects of deficit spending. When we are spending 10% of our GDP on government services, we will not be able to pay down the debt. The longer we wait to shrink the government, the more we will pay for interest on the debt. This vicious cycle will not end until we cut many entitlement programs.
Taxpayer-funded lobbying group? Isn't what we pay the politicians we elect to do? http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/nj_freeholder_boards_withhold.html
Why doesn't NJ hold a referendum on soaring pension debt costs? http://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshine/2010/02/why_nj_doesnt_hold_referendum.html
School Administrators and Board,Teachers,Cops,Firefighters. Anything that gets paid with taxpayer money should be frozen. No more double dipping and triple dipping, (pension). Stop pensions and health insurance for PT municipal employees. Cut back on mandated programs. Stop that crap of state approved vendors that ripoff schools and the like with school supplies. The same supplies can be purchased for alot cheaper at WalMart. Stuff like this is KILLING us. We can't pay for this anymore! Start at the municipal level, there a tremendous amount of blatant waste going on. Kim Guadano Lt. Governor is investing this as we speak and will report into Chris Christie. Can't wait to see what what will be proposed.
Pampurr, school board members get no salary, pension, or insurance to take away or freeze. They run for board on their own dime.
yes Dolly, but what is your poisiton on the rest of the freezes?
get rid of the debt by limiting these outrageous pension and medical for life plans!
why do we allow state workers to retire at age 49 with a full pension, that should be stopped!
Coincidentally, has anyone seen this Yahoo article today?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_pension_shortfall_study
"States may be forced to reduce benefits, raise taxes or slash government services to address a $1 trillion funding shortfall in public sector retirement benefits"
Yes, that's a one TRILLION dollar shortfall they are talking about for public sector retirement benefits.
Kick the can, baby. That's the motto and they're sticking with it!
BrotherDog, I think the same thing about those things now that I thought about them last fall...I think Pampur is pretty familiar with my sentiments on the issues so I felt no need to reiterate.
http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/148946#t148990
Pampurr...Larger boards still need to be looked at. They don't have a pension, but they do get perks. I remember when the Newark School Board was taking trips to the islands for "meetings" and buying fancy rims for their taxpayer provided cars.
As John K. mentioned there have been documented abuses of taxpayer funded "educational" expenses -
www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/files/opra/opera_requests.doc
John K,
Just have to ask you.......Where is the money coming from or came from to pay for the new turf field? This was a real surprise last year, as it was done very quietly. Was Nelson Hoyt involved in this decision or just the school board? I know Nelson just recently rode off into the sunset with some wonderful benefits provided by the taxpayer to a new life in Florida. Not to shabby.
John K,
No need to clarify what I wrote previously I read quite a few older posts regarding the BOE decision on the turf field and the pending lawsuit which is no longer pending. I guess us taxpayers will have to start paying that off this year along with the new property taxes heaped on us because of the reassessment on our homes and properties. I do wonder how the new field is working out for the football team? They haven't told us if it has made the football team more successful or not this year. It was the BOE decision to put new turf on the field without the typical bidding process. Hats off to them! We should all remember their antics when we vote them out of office next school board election in April.
questions re CPAC............
Who was the crazy lady who issued the statement, "hang Patty Murray", Democratic senator from Washington? Who was the weirdo who said he was going to clean his guns and get ready for the big one? Was that a threat? Who were the dudes reading from a telepromptor while criticized our President for reading from a telepromptor? And the John Birch Society is one of their co-sponsors?
pampurr...The HL mafia has told me I am not allowed to talk about "Hackettstown" issues unless I sleep in town.
Dolly -
why do you talk like a politician when you are not even an office holder?
just talk straight for once!
do you or do you not think it is time to regin in these out of control pensions and benefits that are being handed out like candy? your referenced thread is not clear on where you stand. you need to talk more plainly, (you know, kinda like sara palin does, and it's no wonder you don't like her, you don't feel the need to be simply clear in your communications like she is)
clear communications is one of the hallmark qualities in a true leader.
Look out Jay! I think the Feds are onto you! ;)
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=cb68cf9f3fa2fe18a83d1c3dee0039b2&tab=core&_cview=0
"The U.S. Department of Education (ED) intends to purchase twenty-seven (27) REMINGTON BRAND MODEL 870 POLICE 12/14P MOD" shotguns, "based on compatibility with ED existing shotgun inventory, certified armor and combat training"
Pray tell, what does the DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION need with combat weapons and training, let alone shotguns? If this is weaponry for security of the department's headquarters (the only reasonable explanation I can think of at the moment), this begs the question of why the department maintains it's own security detail in the first place. At the minimum this is simply more government bloat to be dealt with.
justintime -
there happen to be many marksmanship (rifle and shotgun training) programs and inter-scholastic teams at the highschool level arond the nation.
America has a tradition, history and a fundamental right (Constitutionaly garunteed) with firearms.
I can recall a couple of highschool rifle teams here in New Jersy and out on Long Island. Also trap shooting teams and clubs for youngsters. there was a time about 15 years ago we almost added shooting sports to our youth recreational program here in my town.
This is something I believe should be taught to every highschool student. How to handle and be proficient with firearms.
I am a huge supporter of our 2nd amendment (mainly because it is the only amendment that ensures all of the others can exist). That being said, I still don't think we should be paying for the weapons. The PTA could do a fund raiser or the booster club. The actual sport of shooting should be treated like the schools other sports.
The education on the other hand should be funded. Minnisota is the only state I know of with mandatory gun safety classes. The NRA's Eddie The Eagle program is what they use. Kids today are taught by the movies, fellow gang members, or ignorance on how to handle a firearm. Their finger seems to immediatly go onto the trigger. Gun safety basics should be taught in health class. treat every weapon as if it were loaded, Never point your weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot, keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire, keep your finger strait and off the trigger until you are ready to fire...Those words begin everyday on the rifle range in the Corps. Even though more children die form drowning in 5 gllon buckeds and by playing with handheld lighters by a scale of 5 to 1 over gun accidents, these simple steps could prevent the few accidents that happen every year.
So BD, are you saying that the Federal Department of Education is supplying actual physical goods, such as weapons, to public schools and not just providing tax payer money to the states to divvy up as they see fit?
I don't have a problem with firearms at all. It just doesn't appear to fit with any of the responsibilities of that agency. I'm sure we have plenty of other agencies that have a need for weaponry and combat training, but the Dept of Ed isn't exactly on the list. It seems very odd to me that "combat training" is something useful for an institution whos purpose is education, not law enforcement or military related.
http://www2.ed.gov/about/landing.jhtml
"ED was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. ED's 4,200 employees and $68.6 billion budget are dedicated to:
• Establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds.
• Collecting data on America's schools and disseminating research.
• Focusing national attention on key educational issues.
• Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education."
firearms education is as valid as any other school subject.
i also think we should abolish the dept of education, we have way too much gov as it is.
i don't know if they buy any books or other teaching/learning materials, and i have no idea why they are buying the weapons.
i just wanted you to know that many schools do have rifle teams and shooting clubs. there was a school in long island that had an indoor range in the basement, nothing wrong with any of that. here in nj a lot of folks are araid of weapons, and i feel that increased education in this area is a good thing.
FYI, here's another interesting financial article if anyone is interested...
"It’s Déjà Voodoo Economics... All Over Again"
http://www.industrymailout.com/Industry/View.aspx?id=194085&q=192322357&qz=567a9a
JIT.... Oh do I remember those dates. I worked in the Electrical Industry (Construction) & It was my job to call on all the Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP Engineers) and the Architects in NYC to help specify my companies products into developing projects
From Sept to December 08 they fired most of the staff of all the MEP Engineering companies that were considered as non essential ... I would watch between 40-50 ppl walk out the doors of each firm almost every Friday (That was Pink Slip Day) ..... blood has been flowing ever since.
Someone on this forum recommended that I join the Tea Party. Heck, that's me throwing the dollars and one of our illustrious educators sitting on the pavement -- wait, it can't be since they have free medical care LOL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ik4f1dRbP8
Fa la la la la la, la la la...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/7702335/Europe-prepares-nuclear-response-to-save-monetary-union.html
and
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/business/global/09ripple.html
And the common theme is...
"The U.S. is a long way from being where Greece is, but the developed world has been living beyond its means and is now being called to account."
Sigh. Big government *must* end. There is no other way.
And it keeps getting better and better....
"Only in America can you go bust for nearly two years sequentially, quarter after quarter, and still continue to operate:"
http://www.market-ticker.org/archives/2301-The-Bankrupt-Gets-More-Bankrupt-Fannie.html
lol, talking to one's self is a sign of something, not sure what though! But I came across this piece tonight and feel that it presents some facts that are not typically discussed in the major media. Take it for what it's worth ;)
http://www.chrismartenson.com/blog/financial-crisis-far-over/39379
The charts and their descriptions is what caught my eye. If even remotely close to being accurate then I'd say we have much more serious problems fundamentally than even I though.
From an article about the latest Federal Reserve meeting:
"Fed officials said they are also concerned that sluggish economic growth could prevent prices from rising at a healthy rate."
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=11691467
Why I gripe about our economic system, in one sentence! Their goal is to keep prices rising at a HEALTHY rate? WTH? PRICE STABILITY IS THEIR MANDATE!
"The FOMC holds eight regularly scheduled meetings per year. At these meetings, the Committee reviews economic and financial conditions, determines the appropriate stance of monetary policy, and assesses the risks to its long-run goals of price stability and sustainable economic growth."
http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomc.htm
Constantly devaluing our money, as is mandated in the current economic system, is nothing but a continual erosion of our wealth, forcing us to 1) continually increase our income at a rate that at least matches REAL inflation or 2) roll the dice and "invest" (term used loosely), or rather give, our existing wealth to someone else in an attempt to get a financial return for the loan, for if we don't we will lose our purchasing power surely and steadily. If I wanted to be a banker I'd be one!!!!! But don't "play the game" and our wealth is STOLEN anyway through this gosh darned mandatory inflation! Grrrrrr.
End the FED and let's get a real economic system in this country - one that doesn't constantly steal from the populace as a requirement to function!
Ok, rant over...
I think that healthy rise in prices means they are afraid of deflation probably mostly due to the deficit. Perhaps they are worried that deflation could lower your house value more, lower your salary more which could make paying the mortgage even harder (for something worth less). Then again, it may be part of that world plot to dominate so that they can keep all the treasures in a vault under a church in NYC.
I am so glad I dumped my equities a month ago and picked up Bonds. It was a good day. Wonder what to do next?
leaveittocleaver As if on cue, this morning I came across this chart of the purchasing power of the dollar.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2DePAZe2gA/TJkCZpzsA0I/AAAAAAAAOrQ/VDHTD7l7qe4/s1600/dollar_USD_Purchasing_Power-753629.gif
Unfortunately it's in a logarithmic scale which, IMHO, grossly hides the significant drop over the last 50 years.
leaveittocleaver And yet it takes two wage earners to support a typical home.
And yet we are collectively in debt more than at any other time in history.
And yet while the government provides more welfare now than at any other time in our history, the poverty level has remained at sustained levels.
Go figure.
Regardless, I don't have a solution. All I can do is point out the obvious that so many of us simply ignore.
Additional commentary regarding the Fed's QE and the insanity of increasing inflation rather than trying to balance against deflation:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ambroseevans-pritchard/100007777/shut-down-the-fed-part-ii/
"I apologise to readers around the world for having defended the emergency stimulus policies of the US Federal Reserve, and for arguing like an imbecile naif that the Fed would not succumb to drug addiction, political abuse, and mad intoxicated debauchery, once it began taking its first shots of quantitative easing.
My pathetic assumption was that Ben Bernanke would deploy further QE only to stave off DEFLATION, not to create INFLATION. If the Federal Open Market Committee cannot see the difference, God help America."
And the Public Sector just doesn't get it...
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/census_data_shows_nj_property.html
The government could care less about the people of this country as long as their pockets stay lined. They don’t care if we can live, or even have a place to live at that matter. Its all about funneling us into there little pasture to the point where they can step in and control us. The last I checked the Constitution states “We The People” not we the government, who are they to say what’s wrong and what’s right, make all these laws that spark other laws and one way or the other always allows the government immunity (who governs them). I mean you cant do anything without a permit (even on your own property) they can make you hookup to public utilities even if there is nothing wrong with your own (or you get a fine), federal mandate on ethanol being in all gas sold (they say its cheaper) yet gas prices went up 2 days after it took affect and now we need to buy more additives to counter act it in our recreational vehicles. Its all about bailout the big guys, its almost impossible to get a loan now so I guess they just take the money and run, how about bailing us out by helping prices stay lower since millions are $20.00 short of bankruptcy. Then letting the utility companies uncap their prices in the middle of all this, its time we all stand up and stop letting the government push us around.
Looks like the bailout of AIG was a good investment of the taxpayer's money - http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70J79320110120.
JIT - Should we start another thread for 2011? :):)
And yet the overall government debt is....
And there will be yet another vote shortly to raise the debt ceiling...
And yet we throw around the word "trillions" like it's nothing these days. 1000 Billion, a Million-million. No biggie.
Shell games, BLD, and mass distractions - that's all this is. It appears positive on the surface, but if you've read the reasons AIG and the others got into trouble in the first place you'd be sick to your stomach. And the system that allowed them to do it.
Yes, I think I might start another thread soon. Too bad that there are so few that want to see the mess for what it is though. :(
Yes, I think I might start another thread soon. Too bad that there are so few that want to see the mess for what it is though. :(
justintime
I've said it a gazillion times, till I'm worn out. Tell me what you plan to DO and I'll join up. Otherwise, it's just words.
cbel, I'm sorry that you don't feel like I'm "doing" anything, but as I've told you before I believe I am.
What kind of action are you looking for?
JIT: Maybe I'm misinterpreting your words, but when I read "Too bad that there are so few that want to see the mess for what it is", I assume you mean those who don't comment here don't see or care. That's just not the case.
I would love to hear about what you're doing if you'd like to share.
Firefly Inquiring minds want to know, huh?? :)
What, specifically, do you want to know? If I am going to be the leader of a revolution? Nope. If I will run for town council? Nope. If I will become a state legislator? Nope.
Why not? Well, as I discussed previously in one of the political threads (one where you asked this same question cbel) I believe that knowledge is a prerequisite to action, therefore I'd like to see at the very least a majority mindset change in this country before any thought of entering the political fray. So my strategy is one of communicating ideas, and that's been my M.O. on HL for the last several years - has no one noticed? ;) Success, in my mind, is presenting information in such a way that causes others to ask their own questions and step out of their comfort zones, because IMO that's the only way to real change. Since I can't change anyone's mind, I'll settle for presenting a viewpoint that they might not have heard before. I know that's not what you're looking for cbel, but that's 'all I got'!
My comment above about there being "so few who see the mess" wasn't directed toward anyone in particular, certainly no one here on HL. No, I meant it to mean that I still feel that the majority of citizens (I did NOT say *ALL*) in our country don't know enough of what's going on "under the covers" because our insatiable need for entertainment trumps our politically educating ourselves (and no, I don't think FOX or MSNBC count as a political education). It's things like understanding that the "mess" isn't only about big-bad businesses or strictly about that nasty thing called greed. They play a part, sure, but IMHO a great majority of our problems stem from our system of government where certain egregious behavior is not only allowed but encouraged. Agree or disagree, it doesn't matter as long as it's part of the conversation.
JIT: Thank you for your response. I guess we do what we do, in our own way, to try to make things better for those around us.
"a great majority of our problems stem from our system of government where certain egregious behavior is not only allowed but encouraged" JIT states
OMG I totally agree.
I'm more than willing to lead the Revolution. Been saying it for years. Load the guns!
Calico696 Putting proposed federal budget cuts into prospective:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk_jToBbpWU
Likely not 100% accurate, but certainly close enough to see the point.
Local County government better watch out at the end of term cause out they go by to freeholder
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