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2011 What Goes Up, Must Come Down Eventually

  • Posted on January 4, 2011 at 7:40 pm

President "Republican Lite" Obama Making Nice With Senator Boehner and Representative Canter, Republican Hatchet Men

You may still be on that holiday high, hung over from the good eats and drinks.  However, it’s time to sober everyone up with the reality that is coming.  You may be feeling pretty fine right now because your tax cut was saved.  Oh, well, you gave in on that tax cut deal for the wealthy thing because well, you got yours!  Of course we all know that the status quo is unsustainable for Republicans, unless they’re talking about tax cuts for the wealthy.  So, you might be wondering what I could possibly be worried about.  The answer is, plenty!  As the tax cuts may be giving many people a bit of sugar high right now, those same people will soon be feeling that sugar candy low you get when that sugar rush is gone!

First of all you need to understand that the Republicans feel they can make the most gains by making life as difficult as possible for the Democrats.  The Republicans are putting forth a new rule that will make it harder to raise the debt ceiling, something they didn’t mind doing under the Bush administration as I recall.  http://thehill.com/homenews/house/134799-new-gop-rules-will-make-it-tougher-for-house-to-raise-debt-ceiling

Furthermore, now that the Republicans got that big tax cut they wanted they are ready to take a hammer to everything else because after all, we are broke.  Just listen to Senator Boehner talking about our country being broke and then turning around and pushing for the massive tax cut for the WEALTHY! What a trooper!

That means there is only one way to go and that’s with cuts and I don’t mean tax cuts.  We know they are not going to “raise” taxes as they have pushed through the continuation of the Bush tax cuts, even for the wealthy.  So just what is discretionary spending any way?  Part of the discretionary spending is the defense but we all know that it will not be cut and in fact is going to see a budgetary increase in 2011.  That leaves all of the other types of special programs like education and of course that pesky money that goes back to individual states.  The states are already hurting and they are probably going to hurt even more!  You can read about the discretionary spending in the articles I site and also in the letter sent to the President by the Republicans in 2009. With extending the Bush tax cuts both parties have intentionally painted themselves into a corner.  They are going to have to find a way to get out of the room without messing up the paint.  It’s not going to happen because once again both parties are going to lay all the ugliness at the feet of the American people.  Instead of having the wealthy top two percent step up and do more to help this country, we can all expect that the middle class and the poor will once again absorb these burdens.

In 2009 the head Republicans, Senator John Boehner and Representative Eric Cantor sent President Obama a letter.  In it they outlined the cuts they wanted to make to reduce the deficit.  These Republicans look at any change to the Bush tax cuts as being a tax increase unless of course it betters the wealthy.  We all know that they upped the death tax to favor the very rich!  Even though the Bush tax cuts were set to expire and the country would go back to the previous tax code, it is now looked at as being a substantial increase in taxes if they were allowed to expire.  It’s really fascinating when you start getting into the mindset of how the Republicans really think about these issues.  Much of what they want to do is to push everything back to the states.  Of course this has been going on for years already and many states are in a heap of trouble but if you read things through carefully, it is exactly what these guys want to do.  They want to eliminate many programs.  I think this 2009 letter is a big hint as to what the political fights will be coming down the road in 2011.  Remember the budget is only good until March 4th.  So, what can we expect?  http://republicanleader.house.gov/UploadedFiles/06-04-09_Savings_Proposals_For_President.pdf

This is something everyone should read as it is a real eye opener.  There are many programs in education they want to cut or eliminate completely, even my own “art education” gets the whack!  So much of what they want to do they deem in their infinite wisdom as not a “federal” role.

In regards to the issue of Social Security I think this is interesting.  This is directly from About.com.  http://useconomy.about.com/od/fiscalpolicy/p/Mandatory.htm

The first Baby-Boomer turned 62 in 2008, becoming eligible to retire on Social Security benefits. By 2025, those aged 65+ will comprise 20% of the population. As Boomers leave the work-force and apply for benefits, three things happen:

  1. The percentage of the labor force under 55 stagnates, providing less payroll taxes to fund Social Security.
  2. GDP growth declines remains flat thanks to fewer workers.
  3. By 2040, the Social Security Trust Fund goes bankrupt.

Choices for FY 2012 and Beyond:

As a result, the U.S. Federal Budget in 2012 and beyond will have to choose among the lesser of three evils, none of which are good for the economy:

  1. Devote more of the budget to pay Social Security benefits. However, to maintain current benefits, the federal budget will have to increase to 25% of GDP by 2045.
  2. To fund this increased budget, taxes would have to increase, further slowing the economy.
  3. Decrease the benefit amount paid to retirees. This is the most likely scenario. This would force able-bodied Boomers to continue working. Those who couldn’t work would provide a further drain on the economy.

What I find as the interesting part is the fact that both parties are aware of this and they still decided to reduce the payroll taxes recently.  It makes me wonder if they want to cause a catastrophic failure so they can say, “I told you so.”  I guess the idea is we pay 2% less into Social Security and that will leave us more money to spend on junk to stimulate the economy.  What kills me is what I just read over at About.com.  About claims we will have to choose amongst the lesser of three evils, so why did we make it worse by partially defunding Social Security?  Maybe greater minds than mind can answer that question.  Of course my suspicious mind makes me think that we are being set up for failure so that once again we will accept less. We will accept less in benefits when we retire and we will work longer to get to retirement.  Life is over as most of us have figured for our retirements.  The state of Michigan already is taxing me higher by making me pay more into my retirement without any additional benefit.  I’m sure the Federal government is getting ready to do the same.

There is an agenda out their folks.  It seems like all the things that were created under FDR, which were sacred cows at one time, are now going to be fodder for the Republicans and our Republican “lite” President to dismantle.  Politicians that might have fought this have been systematically taken out.  Two come to my mind that won’t be back after the New Year, Representative Alan Grayson and Senator Russ Feingold.  I mean if Democrats had to go, why couldn’t it have been more of those Blue Dogs?

http://useconomy.about.com/od/fiscalpolicy/p/Budget_Spending.htm

I’m a humanist! What are the Democrats and Republicans? Oh, yeah Corporatist!

  • Posted on November 10, 2010 at 9:26 pm

Most wars look a lot like this to me! If it isn't religion, it's oil or some other mineral.

It’s a week after the midterm elections and after hearing all of the Monday morning quarterbacks tell us play by play how the Democrats got it wrong and some how magically the Republicans got it right, I feel a need to express myself.  I heard for the umpteenth time today Joe Scarborough proclaim on “Morning Joe” that we are a center, right nation and Barack Obama doesn’t understand that.  He went on and on today about how so many Democratic senators have come to him and expressed their displeasure with Barack Obama.  The part that I am frustrated about is that center, right nation proclamation.  I, for one, have never had any real political representation in my entire life.  That’s hard to believe since I am fifty five years old, but it is true!  I have never had the real opportunity to vote in any election other than a primary for the person that I truly think will best represent me, my beliefs and values and, who for that matter, be best for the country.

I think conservatives have been over represented all of my life and in recent years the far right has had the ability to control much that goes on in politics.  I’m tired of the politics of fear and control.  I’m tired of politicians that talk about gays and lesbian as though they are some crazy creature from some netherworld.  I’m tired of politicians that talk religion and spew all kinds of morality issues and then run off to Argentina to have an affair like Governor Mark Sanford.  I’m tired of politicians that claim to follow the constitution but do everything they can to inhibit it by stomping on the rights of others.

I used to say I am a yellow dog Democrat.  I have also said I’m liberal.  However I am liberal only to a point, as I am liberal on issues but personally quite conservative.  These are labels that we assign to ourselves.  I really think I’m what I would refer to as a humanist.  I really believe in an education for everyone that includes free college to all that qualify and want to go.  I believe in the humanities and an approach in life that includes studying the human condition and the arts.  I am a woman and because of it I feel woefully underrepresented in politics.  We, as women, are a bit more than half of the population but we virtually run nothing when it comes to our national politics.  I am religious, but I don’t want religion to be mixed with politics.  I don’t believe in my tax dollars going to “faith” based initiatives.  I don’t believe in my tax dollars going to any form of private education either.  I definitely want less money going to defense and more money going to education.  I believe that in the pursuit of happiness we all should have health care, not health insurance, but health care.  No one should lose their home over an illness.  I believe in the common good of all, not the common good of the corporations or the rich and powerful.  I believe if you are at the top you owe it to your country to put your hand out and lift up those that are at the bottom!

Some may think I am an idealist but I am not.  I am a realist that believes in humans, not things!  I believe in kindness, not hatred.  I believe in the power of love and what it can do to transform people and even a nation.  It seems to me that there isn’t much real love going on in Washington D.C.  The two parties cannot even have a civil discussion unless it’s after hours.  From all appearances they don’t look like they care too much for each other.  However, I think that is a scam played out on the American people, so they don’t have to really get much done.  They can scream and holler and roll their eyes at each other for the cameras and never accomplish much of anything for the people.  It’s exhausting how little for the people, the masses, is really accomplished by either party.

I do understand the frustration people have and the many reasons they don’t vote.  Many don’t feel it really matters.  I’m starting to feel much the same way.  Why does it matter who we vote for when the new stuff smells and looks a lot like the old stuff?

As I said the new boss is much like the old boss.  President Obama decided to pursue much of the same policies of President Bush which is kind of mind boggling.  We are still involved in two wars, one of which was totally a war of choice and there will be no way we will pursue anyone in the past administration for any kind of crime or misconduct.  Oh, no we’re better than that.  Hearing President Bush recently explaining himself has left me breathless.  I feel like Ricky Ricardo when he’d say to Lucy, “Lucy, you got a lot explaining to do!”  President Bush continues to spread his lies about the war and he is treated with such respect about it all that it’s hard to understand where that line is between Democrats and Republicans and truth telling and lies.  The American people are expected to listen to his lies and take them as truth.  This is his truth which is water boarding is okay because some lawyer told him it was okay.  Could this have been his appointed friend, John Ashcroft?

http://news.findlaw.com/wp/docs/torture/jash20102ltr.html

In this letter I find an awful lot of that squirm test.  We will wiggle here and there and frankly do whatever the hell we want to do because we are the United States of America.  We aren’t bound by any Geneva Convention are we?  Aren’t we better than this?  Aren’t we part of the human race?  What about President Obama?  He ignores all of this.  Even though the Republicans will be dragging out a daily hearing on everything from Obama’s birth certificate to Nancy’s plane, rest assured he will do nothing.

However, he has brought out his “Deficit Panel” and surprise, surprise, the cuts are coming and their not for the wealthy!  Could this be the “Death” panel Sarah Palin kept talking about?  Oh, dear me, they will cut social security, Medicare, Pentagon (which has so much waste who cares) and Middle-class tax breaks.  Imagine that!  You know when Obama appointed Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson as co-chairmen on the deficit commission we shouldn’t be surprised.  Here is a direct quote from Simpson, “And yes, I’ve made some plenty smart cracks about people on Social Security who milk it to the last degree. You know ’em too. It’s the same with any system in America. We’ve reached a point now where it’s like a milk cow with 310 million tits! Call when you get honest work!” His response was to a Huffington Post blogger.  This was made this August.  Personally, I don’t think this man should have anything to do with the future of Social Security.  President Obama let him stay on because this is part of the plan.

Remember when Representative Alan Grayson said that Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick?  That was his response to the health care debate.  It seems like the same thing could be said of social security.  They want you to pay into it all of your life and die before you can use it!  None of this will concern the wealthy.  They don’t even need Social Security.  However, most people in the United States count on their Social Security.  For some people, that is all they have to look forward to with low paying jobs.

I said earlier that I have never truly been represented in my entire life by any politician.  The truth is that none of us have been represented.  Lobbyists and corporations are the only ones that get representation.  Back in the seventies when I was a young woman I really thought we had come a long way, but of course now I know that was all bullshit.  We are like an under developed nation when it comes to women in politics at the national level.  We may have some women governors and their may be state representatives but anyone would be hard pressed to name ten women at the national level in politics.  That is just unbelievable.  We have made a giant leap backwards with politics in its current state.  Women have suffered the most losses but the American people are the real losers.  We have no choice in our politics and we are told constantly what we believe.  However, the media doesn’t know me or you.  They feed us the lines they want us to talk to our friends about.  We are played constantly and most people are too stupid to even feel that voice of propaganda.  Our election system is messed up with these two corrupt parties and it looks like I’ll never get the representation I desire and deserve and you won’t either!

My American Pledge: “Hell No!”

  • Posted on September 24, 2010 at 8:09 pm

The Three Stooges and Their Pledge to America

I, being of sound mind and body, born into freedom, and tethered to a corrupt two party system, soundly reject the fantasy induced Republican pledge.  Sometimes I wonder what these guys have been drinking or smoking.  Do they really believe we have no memory whatsoever of the past?  You can read and download the pledge here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/37958976/GOP-Pledge-to-America

John Boehner doesn’t have all the solutions but wants to have an “adult“ conversation with the American people.  Please, he cannot even do that with the Democratic Party.  He has been absolutely saying, “No!” to everything that has been put before him while offering nothing in return.  This pledge for America is a scare tactic on taxes.  If you read through the plan, they give all kinds of scenarios meant to target the middle class voter and families to vote for the Republicans, because the Democrats are going to raise your taxes on January 11th 2011.  In reality the Democrats have talked about leaving in place those tax cuts for those making under $250,000.  These are the very people targeted in this so called plan.  In the plan you don’t read anything about the tax cuts for the “wealthy” because the wealthy are lumped into everyone else.  If you want to have some fun, play around with this program.    http://www.moneychimp.com/features/tax_brackets.htm

Put  the year 2000 and then go back to 2010, put in your marital status and then look at your income and then look at the top incomes and tax amounts.  The Democrats have talked about leaving in place the tax cuts for people making $250,000 and less.  Do you really think this is unreasonable given the current national debt, our deficit spending, and the fact that we are still involved in two wars?

This ad for John Boehner is worth showing again.

This man is so out of touch with the rest of us that we need to be constantly reminded of what an absolute sham he is trying to pull over on the American people.

Yes, I also am unhappy with the problems in government and the lack luster economy.  I just don’t want to go back to an even bigger nightmare of deficit spending by Republicans that want to control my liberties as well. The Republicans talk big on how they are conservative and they don’t spend money like the Democrats.  It’s all a lie.  The only thing they are conservative on are those “wedge” issues like gays in the military, or abortion.  Truthfully, they like to control our freedoms.  As much as they talk about the “pursuit of happiness”, they do everything they can to curtail the rights of many people so they, the Republicans, can feel safe in their “lily white world”.  Don’t be fooled about how Republicans value your tax dollars.  I’m going to repost this chart.

Republican Pledge, More Red Bars!Look at it closely under Republican rule.  President Obama inherited this mess.  Just like an out of control credit card, when you’re constantly paying that old debt off, they keep charging more interest on top of the old interest.  You cannot seem to ever get out of the hole you have dug yourself into.  The only way this is going to change is by more tax money coming in.  It would be nice if more jobs could magically be created.  However, until that is a reality the wealthy need to step up and do their part for America.  I think they should take the pledge to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!”  John Kennedy drummed that into me when I was a kid.  The wealthy people need to step up and help our country get back on its feet.  It’s a simple idea.  Just go back to the Clinton years of taxes for the wealthy.  As I recall, those wealthy people made plenty of money under Clinton.  I’m sure they can afford it.  If John Boehner can afford those exorbitant golfing fees, I’m sure he’d be just fine with a tax change.

If you read farther into the plan, you will notice that they also want to spend more on a missile defense system to protect us and our allies from Iran.  Yes, we tax payers, can pay for taking care of the rest of the world but we can’t take care of our own.  I would like to know where that “Star Wars” money to pay for this is going to come from.  Once again they want to spend more on defense which is already way over bloated, and less on PEOPLE.  Hey guys, you have to wait until you’re 70 to get Social Security under these guys.  That may be fine for the wealthy but come on for the rest of us, it is painful.  Many of the unemployed are in their fifties.  About the only thing an unemployed fifty something has to look forward to is that magic day when they can at least collect their Social Security because jobs are scarce.

This Republican pledge is really about getting the “common” people to think that the Democrats are going to take away your meager tax break.  It’s just another scare tactic to try and get votes.  They have done nothing to earn a vote and talk is cheap.  They want us all to get on board so we can actually help them help their rich buddies.  The tax cuts they’re really worried about are the ones for the wealthy and the corporations.  Do they care about the unemployed?  Hell no!  Do they care about health care for everyone?  Hell no!  Do they care about privatizing your Social Security?  Hell yes!  Do they care about cutting Medicare?  Hell yes!  Do they want to keep their rich golf outings?  Hell yes!  Do I want to reward them for their spineless behavior?  Hell no!  This is really the “Hell No” plan.  Vote for them and you’ll be saying, “Hell no!”

Here is a link to John Stewart, just because it’s funny!

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-23-2010/postcards-from-the-pledge

The Economy of Fear and Scare

  • Posted on September 9, 2010 at 10:26 pm

I’m tired of the same old recycled scare tactics I keep reading and hearing about.  Under President George W. Bush we all had to worry about our neighbors, who could be terrorists.  We spent many years wondering how we might possibly be blown up by some half crazed terrorists that hate us for what we stand for.  If you are a teacher you even helped in this mass indoctrination by jumping through hoops at your school to assure school safety.  You may have had to listen to police officers explain to you how easy it is for a terrorist to enter your school even if you live in the middle of no where land.  In fact you were probably told they like those places the best because it would be so unexpected.  We have been wrapped up in this fear for almost ten years.  In those years we have agreed to be checked and prodded in lines like cattle, scanned like a piece of meat at the grocery store, and put under the watchful eye of “Big Brother” through numerous well placed videos all in an attempt to keep our “freedoms”.

When Bush was in office we all heard about the many color coded terrorist threats.  I cannot even remember what they all mean any more but much like a thermometer as the color went up so did the threat of a terrorist attack.  For as many “second in command” for Osama Bin Laden that we have killed in these two wars, there were always more we were supposed to worry about.  They were like a never ending supply of rats.  Where there was one, there must be many more.

Today we don’t hear so much about this threat.  Now we have new threats, usually related to our health and well being, to worry about.  If we aren’t hearing about eggs and salmonella, Swine flu, or some other disease then we are worrying about bed bugs and other insect carrying diseases.  It’s a good thing they passed the health care bill because by the sounds of it, we should all be ready for an epidemic of mass proportions.  We were all encouraged to get our flu shots, the H1N1 and the regular one because we were all going to be falling down in the streets dying like flies.  A few years ago we were even worrying about “SARS”.

This all makes me think about fear.  FDR always said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”  The truth is we have everything to fear in a society filled with fear mongering.  The government has tried everything they could to keep the masses under control.  They did a pretty good job using the churches for this for many years, but since most people don’t go to church on a regular basis any more, the churches haven’t been doing the best job of keeping us compliant and complacent.  In comes mass media to make sure we are kept on our toes about the next big thing to fear.  If we are kept fearful we are less apt to make any waves.  It just makes sense that we aren’t going to rock any boats about much of anything, if we fear everything.

Today I would have to say most people are fearful about the economy and what the future holds for them.  This type of fear is really powerful because it can even get normally powerful unions to bow to the acceptance of nothingness.  No, don’t make any waves because the next wave could be the loss of your job.  We will be compliant little workers doing what we’re told and jumping through hoops to do the best darn job we can do.  We will make ourselves irreplaceable, even though that just isn’t possible, by working harder for less and pretending to love every minute of our self proclaimed diet of hard work.  We will be compliant and complacent because we saw what happened to the last guy that opened his mouth and said something.  This economy is good for business because it makes sheep out of workers.  George Bush always had the philosophy that expected more but paid less.  This is what has happened in our society.

With so many people out of work or working at a job that is beneath their skill set, many are left just hanging on and working hard to be productive workers.  This is good for business.  Business gets far more from their workers when the workers are afraid of losing their jobs.  No one wants to be the last one, because the future is so unsure.  It also helps if you have friends in high places.  This is a good time to “know someone” on the inside.  Nepotism is the wave for any job opening today.  It can get your foot in the door even if you aren’t the most qualified person for the position.  However, you will usually still have to do the job once you get it.  None of this sounds fair and of course it’s not good for the worker because the worker is stuck just taking what he can get.  It makes it a tough time to ask for a raise or any increased benefits because you’re going to hear that old line about how times are tough.  You know they’re tough as you’ve been living those tough times.

This is the state of our economy.  It is the economy of fear.  The government wants to keep us compliant and complacent.  We can’t mass protest anything that really matters these days because what really matters is putting food on the table for your family.  No one wants to draw attention to themselves to the point where they may lose their job, so any real protests are going to have to be done by the unemployed.

While all of this is happening, the government continues to tell us our children are not educated.  Our children won’t be able to compete in the future because they don’t know enough science and math.  We are living in a global economy, so our technology jobs have to go to India where they are so much more educated.  This once again is                  indoctrination.  Our children have to stay in school because there are no jobs for them.  When they graduate from college they usually have to take a job that is beneath their ability, so they can pay for their student loans.  They may go to grad school because they can’t find adequate work.  They may go work in the family business because face it, that family business is going to take care of their own first.  It is difficult for young people today.  If they go to college, they may not find adequate work and if they don’t go to college they obviously won’t find adequate work.

So what is the answer to all of this gloom and doom about the economy and fear of everything?  I admit I don’t necessarily know the answers.  However, I do know when something smells foul, it probably is spoiled.  When the government and the mass media continually beat that dead horse about young people being uneducated, I will continue to put on my thinking cap and think about what might really be happening.  There is a shortage of jobs right now and every year young people are graduating from high school and college looking for work.  If the old were to retire earlier then there would be more jobs.  That was part of the philosophy here in Michigan when incentives were made for early retirement for teachers this past year.  Of course the government ended up putting the cost of this onto the backs of employed teachers by requiring them to pay 3% more into their retirement without any included benefit for that “tax”.

Many economists have falsely claimed that social security is broken, needs fixing, etc.  They of course want to privatize it.  There are easy fixes involved for this by taking the cap off social security but also instead of requiring workers to work longer, there could be incentives made to retire earlier.  If that happened, maybe there would be more work for young people.  Now, I’m just throwing this stuff out there because the mass media seems to do a good job of throwing enough crap at us until something sticks, so I thought I’d play that game as well.

The government hasn’t been able to find a way to solve this economic problem that we are facing.  We need to think about other alternatives to getting our economy moving again.  If people retired earlier, they would spend some of that retirement money and get it back into the economy.  They’d take trips, maybe buy a second home and of course have to furnish that home.  All of this would tie into getting this economy moving again.  The young people would also be spending money and buying homes and having families because they have a JOB and can now be productive citizens of society.  Too often the government is worried about giving anything to the masses, so they probably won’t consider my plan.  They’d rather spend all the money on bailouts for banks and corporations; you know their “peeps”.  However, if you took that money that was used to bailout the banks and had given it back to the people, I bet there would have been more movement with the economy.  My son bought a place because of the tax incentive.  His dad bought a car because of the tax incentive.  Those were incentives that helped some people but of course not those without jobs.

I think we need to look at this picture a whole different way.  We must find a way to get out of this recession, depression or whatever the government chooses to label it.  All I know is this is a bad time for our country and we need to find answers that work.  Some will say my idea is crazy but at least it’s an idea.  Lately, it seems like those in government just aren’t doing anything at all and hoping the problem will heal itself or will simply go away.  I don’t think that is going to happen.  One thing the government needs to stop is all of the fear mongering.  I’m tired of being told to fear everything from my neighbors to the food I eat to even my job.  If we are to solve our economic problems we are going to have to work together for the good of all.  That means Democrats and Republicans need to quit playing these “fear” games and start pushing programs that will benefit the economy.  This doesn’t mean tax cuts for the wealthy either.  We have to pay for these two wars that have been unfunded and we have to boost the economy.  That isn’t going to happen with cutting those taxes.

So my basic idea is to give incentives for early retirement for Social Security.  It is the opposite of course from what we are being programmed to think!  This is plain and simple enough in its concept, but of course we would have to remove the cap on Social Security so those making much more money would be expected to pay more into it.  When Social Security was originally developed it was used to help take care of the elderly and of course provide more jobs for the young through the retirement of the elderly and the administration of the program.  This would be the same concept as before.  We are at a time in our history when people are struggling.  Some people that are unemployed are very close to retirement age, but not close enough.  We could lower the age for those people or we could give incentives for people that are older, so they don’t have to wait until they’re 70, to get enough money to live on.  We have been bleeding jobs out of our country for years.  If people are expected to work longer and longer until they’re 70 or so, how on earth can we, as a country, make up the jobs that need to be replaced?  If the old are expected to keep working, we will continue to struggle with providing enough jobs for everyone.  In a perfect world the same amount of people that retire are replaced with new workers.  In our world, we are expected to work longer for less.  Young people are magically expected to find some new job that probably doesn’t exist in our country.  If we had a growing economy, this might be possible, but as it is right now we are not creating enough jobs to fill these needs and of course many of our jobs have gone overseas.  I personally think this could help a lot of people from the young to the old.  Of course the people making the big salaries will have to pay more for this to happen.  I think it’s time for the wealthy of this country to ask not what this country can do for them, but what they can do for our country!

http://www.ssa.gov/history/briefhistory3.html

A Puppy Called “Congress”

  • Posted on August 8, 2010 at 2:18 pm

Brodie and Snow Bella, A Peaceful Moment

This morning I decided to give my ten month old Australian Shepherd, Brodie, a shower.  Giving Brodie a shower is not an easy task as he just hates it.  I tricked him and picked him up and put him in the bathroom and quickly shut the door.  I felt victorious at this accomplishment.  I know he felt tricked but I had won!  After I was done and dried him off with a couple of towels I let Brodie loose and he went hog wild running around the house.  I took a shower myself and went back out to see Brodie only to find him contently licking his paws and happy as can be.  Now you’re probably wondering what the point of all of this is but I am getting to it.  When I thought about Brodie another thought came to my mind.  I thought Congress is just like Brodie, my puppy!

Now you’re probably wondering what on earth I could be referring to so I’ll get right to it.  When you have a new puppy, it is all cute and wonderful.  There’s nothing that puppy could do that is going to really irritate you because you know it’s a puppy and it’s oh so cute.  A new congress is pretty much like a new puppy.  I remember when we were all very hopeful about the new congress that came in with President Obama.  Many of us decided to give them some leeway as we knew they had to figure things out and get used to the job.

There are other ways that congress is like a new puppy as well.  Puppies are pretty destructive.  They go on search and destroy missions where they might eat your shoes, bras, remote controls, you know, anything plastic.  Congress goes on these same missions trying to decide how they can tinker with some of our favorite government programs like public education, Social Security, and Medicare.  You name it, they’ll find a way to chew it up and make it worse.

Puppies are pretty unmanageable just like congress.  When Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid try to assert themselves and take control, they usually find out how hard it is to tame that little beast especially when he might have just peed on your leg.  Sometimes you love the congressman’s unruly moments like Representative Alan Grayson when he pissed on the Republican’s collective leg.

It’s okay as long as it’s their leg and not mine.  He was such a stubborn little puppy when some Republicans asked him to apologize for his outburst the previous day.  Here is his response to that, ever the cute little frisky puppy! 

Senator Reid couldn’t even get the senate to work on an energy bill.  He can’t get those unruly puppies to pass even a weak energy bill.  http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2010/08/07/even_facing_an_emergency_the_gop_fizzles_on_energy/

They just won’t listen to him much, like your puppy when he is distracted by something outside and you’re calling him back!

Congress also seems to have to be nurtured just like a puppy.  They need lots of perks from lobbyist to keep them contented.  They need lots of money and pats on the back from their constituents to keep them in office.  They also seem to like to run in packs and play with the “big dogs”.  You know those people that hold so much power and wealth.  Those puppies love to be entertained so they hang out with Hollywood hounds as well.  They really need a special amount of care much more than you and I do as they are quite temperamental just like a puppy.  While middle class household pay has stayed stagnant, congressional pay just gets better and better.  http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/payandperqs.htm

If you read through the link closely you will discover the untold perks available though staffing and pension as well.  This puppy is getting the royal treatment.

Sometimes when you are expecting your puppy to be up to something because it’s too quiet in the house, you only discover that your puppy is dog tired and sleeping.  Congress has those days too when you think they are up to something and they end up doing much of nothing.  I felt like this during the whole health care debate.  It seemed like a lot of fuss and much ado over nothing.  They’re bark was much bigger than their bite on that one.  Many of us out here that are more progressive were expecting so much more from this puppy than what we got!

This puppy called “Congress” never met a defense bill they didn’t like.  Just like my puppy dog they are always willing to go to battle for some stupid idea they sink their teeth into.  My puppy dog battles with the cat, which is hilarious, because she is smarter and quicker than him in many ways.  Snow Bella, my cat, actually loves Brodie.  They’re crazy about each other just like the special relationship the Department of Defense has with Congress.  Much like Snow Bella, the D.O.D. always gets their way and Congress ever the stupid puppy pays for it!  The one left out of this puppy and cat game is the American people.  Congress gives us those puppy dog eyes and we fall for it every time.

I know it’s tough to say, “No!” to a puppy as I have had to do it many times and it’s not an easy task with my puppy dog, Brodie.  He looks so cute and innocent most of the time!  Congress can look that way too.  However, it’s time we tamed this puppy called “Congress” before they get so out of control that they destroy some of our favorite things.   This puppy called “Congress” is going to be a two year old pretty soon, so it’s time for them to grow up.  They may have a rude awakening come November when some of us decide to turn this puppy back into the pound and try out a new puppy.  I’m ever hopeful that all of us working together can teach this puppy dog some new tricks.  I continue to email and call my representative and senators eagerly waiting for them to jump at my command.  It hasn’t worked too well so far but I am determined to get some results so I will keep on training this puppy and hoping for the best!  I encourage all of you to join me to put the pressure on Congress.  The only way I think we are ever going to get a different result is to keep in “training” mode.  I don’t feel I can let up for a minute with Brodie because as soon as I do there goes another pair of new shoes.  With Congress it is the same way.  We must be diligent with our training.  We must let Congress know who the boss is and who is paying their bills!  Our collective forces have to be much greater than his pack animal mentality.  They may be running with the pack of power and money but we are running with a pack of potential voters.  Without us there is no other pack for Congress to run to, so let’s take control of this beast and show him who is boss!