30 days hath September.
Cute point
It's the same argument that some disingenuously use about air pollution: "If you don't like it, why don't you stop driving?" Because one person giving up a car is a futile gesture that doesn't solve the problem.
Warren Buffett pointed out that he and other rich people pay far too few taxes for the benefits they receive, and that all rich people paying more could indeed contribute to a solution. But asking that only volunteers close the deficit is like sending a Boy Scout to fight Hitler. It just wouldn't be enough.
The deficit threatens all of us (it always does when it's a Democratic deficit — not so much when it's Republicans racking up the numbers) — and it's not fair to put the burden of solution on the backs of the poor and middle class.
Warren Buffett is smart enough and honest enough to understand.
REBECCA MINOR
Winston-Salem
We must help ourselves
In response to your editorial "Lead, Mr. President" (Aug. 24), it made me so sad to read that you have chosen to be part of the problem instead of the solution.
Each one of us needs to take a look around us, encourage each other and share with each other, instead of perpetuating this incessant dialogue of doom and gloom.
We are the richest land in the world. Even the poorest of the poor of us cannot compare with the rest of our world. What is wrong with us, when we have so much at our disposal?
Please everyone stop the complaining and look around. Even Barack Obama, president of our country, cannot stop our downward spiral unless we help ourselves. Nobody can help us if we can't help ourselves and others as well.
MARY ALICE BAKER
Lewisville
Sum It Up
The Sum It Up question from Sunday was: Are you satisfied with the work of the state legislature's new Republican majority?
* * * * *
No! They have intruded more on our personal rights, pushed the Christian-right agenda, been totally partisan, and demolished our education system, meanwhile not doing anything to solve our problems. May the Republicans stay out of control for another 100 years.
AL BAKER
* * * * *
I applaud the GOP-majority legislature for balancing the budget without raising taxes. I especially commend their legislation addressing the federal E-Verify program, tort reform, the future solvency of teachers' and state employees' retirement system, the requirement to teach the founding principles in American history, the Woman's Right to Know Act and the Voter ID bill (even though Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed it). At long last, we have a majority of legislators who are reigning in spending and rejecting so-called "progressive" ideology.
DEBORAH S. "DEB" PHILLIPS
If the North Carolina Republican majority continues at its current pace, N.C.'s progressive spirit will soon be snuffed out. Heartbreaking.
ANNE GRIFFIS WILSON
* * * * *
Am I satisfied with the work of the state legislature's new Republican majority? Only time will tell.
ELIZABETH R. ERVIN
* * * * *
No, I am not satisfied. Instead of creating jobs they have destroyed jobs, and of those some of the most important jobs in our society, teaching. To save each person a few dollars and satisfy the radical right they have done great damage to education, among other very important services.
Children are our future. Education is our future. I have to wonder what these people who support all these cuts really care about.
CYNTHIA GOUGH NANCE
* * * * *
Instead of taking Carolinians' interest to heart and banging heads with the Democrats to find creative solutions to the budgetary crisis and high unemployment rate, the GOP resorted to its ideological orthodoxy by cutting taxes and spending on education, health care and a host of other services. It makes matters worse. The GOP is penny-wise and pound-foolish.
BOON T. LEE
I am very dissatisfied with the work of the state's new majority. Most of the bills they have introduced have been the one-size-fits-all legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council. Perhaps we would save even more money if we let all of the representatives go and let ALEC make our legislation.
DOROTHY MATHEWS
When I saw that the writer of the letter "Voluntary contributions" (Aug. 24) once worked for Jesse Helms, it made perfect sense that he would try to obfuscate the issue by soliciting volunteers to solve a problem — the deficit — that affects everyone. His point is cute — those who don't like the deficit can pay more taxes — but it doesn't solve anything.
Warren Buffett pointed out that he and other rich people pay far too few taxes for the benefits they receive, and that all rich people paying more could indeed contribute to a solution. But asking that only volunteers close the deficit is like sending a Boy Scout to fight Hitler. It just wouldn't be enough.
The deficit threatens all of us (it always does when it's a Democratic deficit — not so much when it's Republicans racking up the numbers) — and it's not fair to put the burden of solution on the backs of the poor and middle class.
Warren Buffett is smart enough and honest enough to understand.
REBECCA MINOR
Winston-Salem
We must help ourselves
In response to your editorial "Lead, Mr. President" (Aug. 24), it made me so sad to read that you have chosen to be part of the problem instead of the solution.
Each one of us needs to take a look around us, encourage each other and share with each other, instead of perpetuating this incessant dialogue of doom and gloom.
We are the richest land in the world. Even the poorest of the poor of us cannot compare with the rest of our world. What is wrong with us, when we have so much at our disposal?
Please everyone stop the complaining and look around. Even Barack Obama, president of our country, cannot stop our downward spiral unless we help ourselves. Nobody can help us if we can't help ourselves and others as well.
MARY ALICE BAKER
Lewisville
Sum It Up
The Sum It Up question from Sunday was: Are you satisfied with the work of the state legislature's new Republican majority?
No! They have intruded more on our personal rights, pushed the Christian-right agenda, been totally partisan, and demolished our education system, meanwhile not doing anything to solve our problems. May the Republicans stay out of control for another 100 years.
AL BAKER
I applaud the GOP-majority legislature for balancing the budget without raising taxes. I especially commend their legislation addressing the federal E-Verify program, tort reform, the future solvency of teachers' and state employees' retirement system, the requirement to teach the founding principles in American history, the Woman's Right to Know Act and the Voter ID bill (even though Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed it). At long last, we have a majority of legislators who are reigning in spending and rejecting so-called "progressive" ideology.
DEBORAH S. "DEB" PHILLIPS
If the North Carolina Republican majority continues at its current pace, N.C.'s progressive spirit will soon be snuffed out. Heartbreaking.
ANNE GRIFFIS WILSON
Am I satisfied with the work of the state legislature's new Republican majority? Only time will tell.
ELIZABETH R. ERVIN
No, I am not satisfied. Instead of creating jobs they have destroyed jobs, and of those some of the most important jobs in our society, teaching. To save each person a few dollars and satisfy the radical right they have done great damage to education, among other very important services.
Children are our future. Education is our future. I have to wonder what these people who support all these cuts really care about.
CYNTHIA GOUGH NANCE
Instead of taking Carolinians' interest to heart and banging heads with the Democrats to find creative solutions to the budgetary crisis and high unemployment rate, the GOP resorted to its ideological orthodoxy by cutting taxes and spending on education, health care and a host of other services. It makes matters worse. The GOP is penny-wise and pound-foolish.
BOON T. LEE
I am very dissatisfied with the work of the state's new majority. Most of the bills they have introduced have been the one-size-fits-all legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council. Perhaps we would save even more money if we let all of the representatives go and let ALEC make our legislation.
DOROTHY MATHEWS
LTE1: Jobs must come before directly addressing the deficit, but Buffett is right: the super-rich can pay a bit more. A lot of their incomes does not go toward creating demand, instead simply being moved from one investment vehicle to another (though that does furnish capital for lending). Some of their income can be ducted away to create a demand, for replaced/refurbished infrastructure for example, that being a prime example of neglect and need. But, we mustn't rush into that. We must spend the money wisely, so the price for that should be goodbye Davis-Bacon, and goodbye project labor agreements.
ReplyDeleteLTE2: I agree with this LTE writer's cheerleading, and have suggested in the past, both here and in the occasionally maligned Branch Office, that we of different political stances look for areas of agreement and cooperation. In further response to the LTE writer, though, I note that most of us at the "working stiff" level are doing what we can to help ourselves, and many of us are also doing what we can to help others.
Sum It Up: I'll meet Mr. Baker halfway. May the Dems stay out of power for 100 years, also. To Ms. Wilson, we can do without the misnamed "progressive spirit," which is simply sheep's clothing for certain special interest wolves. I don't normally agree with serial LTE writer Boon T. Lee, but this time he and I align, in the case of his last sentence.
Morning Stab. I like Sept so well that I have always wanted it to have more days. October even more so.
ReplyDeleteGood AM, WW!
ReplyDeleteI agree. I like November and December, too.
BTW, I have pasted your and AJV's comments re Hillary in today's Leopard's Limb.
:) I like any day I wake up. Good morning all.
ReplyDeleteStab thanks for the relocate!
ReplyDeleteHey Bob. I have always been fond of waking up too. It allows me to anticipate coffee.
ReplyDeleteAnd much later in the day, beer :)
ReplyDeleteGood AM, Bob! Mrs. Stab and I frequently comment on your commendable EARN outlook.
Even the dumbest of the dumb are starting to wake up. Perry now leads Obama 44% to 41% in the latest Rasmussen Report.
ReplyDeleteYes, but the RCP average of polls shows
ReplyDeleteObama 45.5% Perry 44%, only polls can't vote.
I wouldn't be placing my bets on that pony. Once Elmer gets into the thick of the campaign and people start paying attention, he'll blow away like that Texas sagebrush.
ReplyDeleteGood AM, AJV and Bucky!
ReplyDeleteI agree re "Elmer." I think luster will dim after a while.
Morning Stab, hope you're having a good one.
ReplyDeletePolls are only going to get worse for Obama. And the election will be Titanic.
ReplyDeleteHistory will read: First African American president elected in 2008, voted out in 2012.
Mean eyed juiced up brillitene honkytonk cowboy
ReplyDelete“And we still have racism, God knows, but it's so different now and so much better." -Al Gore
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love how Democrats think?
Thank you, AJV, same to you. The day gets better as folks post. We had a pretty good discussion yesterday.
ReplyDeleteBob, did you mean "brilliantine"?
ReplyDeleteno, it's a quote from Texas Has a Whorehouse in it.
ReplyDeleteJust one Whorehouse?
ReplyDeleteprobably "poetic license"
ReplyDeleteBrilliantine is a perfumy pomade used to make hair slick and shiny.
ReplyDeleteyep, or a glossy fabric made from cotton and worsted
ReplyDeleteUltimately, it will be Romney because the Repubs like to have affairs with the wild-eyed crazies but eventually come home to their mainstream, if somewhat boring, candidates. Read: Romney. So when he is nominated they will be trying to fend off the Romneycare and Morman voter misgivings which will give Obama a leg up. And he will have one bad-ass selling point: Obama got Osama and all of the republican hawks preceding him and trying to replace him didn't.
ReplyDeleteRebecca Minor..Mr Buffet and those like him are speaking from the guilt that comes with exhorbitant wealth, much like an actor raised in lower middle class circumstances who makes it big and earns unbelievable wealth and fame. Same effect. The "tax me more" is just cover for the ginned up anger from the usual sources. Mr Buffet and his ilk control their legal and tax depts and can override them with a signed directive on company letter head. This phony "please do to me what I can't make myself do" rings hollow. None of the dollars gained from the Buffets of the world will reduce one dollar of deficit. These dollars will simply be spent by Congress as always. The attraction to "tax the super rich" plays well in tough times, because that is where the politics is. The most dollars for the Treasury, however, are to be found in the center because that is where the greatest mass of people are found. But that is not politically sellable out loud anyway.
ReplyDeleteSmear tactics by Democrats continue with black Congressional Representatives Andre Carson, Frederica Wilson, and Maxine Waters yelling racist remarks about the Tea Party.
ReplyDeleteThe lone black Republican Congressman, Allen West, is fearful of what might happen next, and may step down.
Democrats are such classy people, don't you think?
No AJV....you don't get to pick who Obama runs against.....true Republicans do. Hee Hee....and you won't be happy when 2012 rolls around.
ReplyDeleteAJV, I agree with your analysis as far as it goes. But, items like Osama, Mormonism, and Romneycare will be secondary, perhaps tertiary, to the economy and other issues.
ReplyDeleteLess secondary will be Romney's choice of VP candidate. Presumably, he will find someone who can claim foreign policy credentials based on more than seeing Big Diomede Island, you betcha.
Mary Alice Baker...we look like a nation that has undergone a financial-economic collapse. That is what began slowly four years ago and blew open in late 2008. It is continuing, albeit more slowly, today. Regulatory and legislative "remedies" have made things more uncertain. Our Central Bank has stepped in with monetary easing, thereby flooding the economy with ever decreasing in value dollars. Are you sure this current weakness is not the "opportunity of a lifetime" for some in Washington? A leader can lead in different ways toward different outcomes. The public senses this and will not risk any new money or effort right now. Who can blame us?
ReplyDeleteObama appointee Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor, a daughter of immigrant parents (Mexico and Nicaragua), pushes illegal immigrants to assert their 'rights' in the workplace.
ReplyDeleteOnly under Obama does breaking the law become fashionable.
Famous Clintonite phrase....it's time for 'them' to GOOOOOOOOOOO!
"It's going to take a lot to convince me that the president's people did not know there was a Republican date on the night that the president wanted to make that speech," Schieffer said this morning. "If they didn't know -- the president's people didn't know -- then I think it might be time for the president to get some new people."
ReplyDelete_________________
Mr. Schieffer.......Obama's Chicago Style politics is ugly business, and the Democrats love it.
Stab, have you read this:
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/impossible-star-defies-astronomers-theories-171002834.html
'Outserve Magazine' is set to hit the news stands September 20.
ReplyDeleteIt's being written by current secretely serving gay service members of the U.S. Military.
I can't wait to read the follow-up magazine that will inevitably be written by heterosexuals.
http://outserve.org/
ReplyDeletehere's there website, bucky, if you would like to make a donation
Somehow, I figured you'd already know about it.
ReplyDeleteHey, Bob,
ReplyDeleteNo, I had not seen that article. Interesting. I can see a few ways that the star could have formed: an extra dose of dark matter in the area of its formation; shock waves from supernova explosions compress the gases; the star may have formed later than thought; the gravitational wake of a passing black hole caused the gases to coalesce.
Good afternoon folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: Some valid points made by Ms. Minor. As has been mentioned, the emphasis should be on the economy and generating jobs rather than focusing on the deficit. As the late '90's demonstrated, a strong economy with full employment results in budget surpluses.
LTE 2: Compared to many parts of the world where people are living on < $2 / day, even the poorest amongst us are doing ok. Unfortunately, we also live in a materialistic, celebrity-obsessed culture where the life styles of the rich and famous are constantly thrown in our face as some sort of measuring stick for "success". As powerful a position as the POTUS is, he still cannot simply snap his fingers and make the economy stronger despite the comments of some. While Reagan, being an actor, was able to play the part of "Soothing Father" quite well, Obama is sticking with his professorial persona which doesn't often play well with the right-brain, emotionally oriented type.
Sum it up: well..the dropping of the penny sales tax at this time was stupid. The emphasis on social re-engineering was unnecessary govt intrusion that served no purpose. As Mr. Lee stated, there were a lot of penny-wise, pound-foolish decisions made that may very well come back to bite us.
President Obama hasn't even said the first word of his 'jobs' speech, and there are already mutterings that it's going to be the same old, same old. During my lifetime, which includes over 100 years, I've never experienced such an ineffectual leader as president. If the late night comics weren't afraid of being called racists by the liberal news media, they'd be yukking it up every night about Obama's screw-ups. Bashing Obama has become shamefully too easy.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad day in America.
Bucky, you old geezer. You're over a 100? You once said you and your young son were dismayed when two athletic types tore down a bathroom stall. This during the Depression, right?
ReplyDeleteBucky, the R's will fall back on Romney. Just like they did on McCain who they knew would be a charisma liability so they forced him to swallow Palin as a running mate to jazz up the ticket. So will it be Mr. Stiff and Crazy-Eyes to get as much of the tea-bag crowd as possible? Knowledgeable R's are still mumbling prayers that Mr. All Round Governor will change his mind and run since they understand their risk with the current circus roster.
ReplyDeleteAJV, I would think a Romney-Round One ticket would be very worrisome to you "progressive"/lib types.
ReplyDeleteR insiders might well work hard to persuade the NJ gov. Romney-Bachmann would be a repeat of McCain's error, as people wince at the gaffes and ponder her being "a heartbeat away." And Romney-Perry? I not sure Romney would think the country is ready for another TX accent to be that close to the White House.
The country may well not be ready for another Clinton/Chicagoan, either, something that HR Clinton fans might ponder.
Only if Obama really screws the pooch on the economy/jobs between now and then. Don't think that the TB's will be mollified by the Round One running with Romney though. Would lead to much rancor in the base.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't get it either Stab. Romney, too liberal for many Republicans, would attract a lot of left-wing, liberal wackos. It sounds strange coming from a Democratic supporter that Romney would be pushed so hard.
ReplyDeleteIt's not going to matter much who the Republicans put up. I think a ham sandwich could beat Obama at this juncture. But things could change.
I heard Kay Hagan might be Obama's VP choice next time around. She would make Sarah Palin look like Marilyn vos Savant.
Yeah, a Mid-Atlantic/New England ticket, you may be right.
ReplyDeleteAs for screwing the pooch, the poor critter is yelping now, but 14 months is an electoral eternity.
Obama has already screwed the country, I'm not too worried about him screwing my pooch.
ReplyDeleteYeeeelp! Yeeelp! Dang it, I guess Obama has gotten into my dog's cage.
ReplyDeletePooches huh? This is where cats are lucky over dogs?
ReplyDeleteMy cats want nothing to do with pols. They are well-raised kitties.
ReplyDelete:) meow
ReplyDeleteHere's an article by CNN that indicates the news organization has become a clear advocate for illegal immigrants.
ReplyDelete________________
One of five children, Dang was born in Kamput refugee camp in Thailand, after his parents escaped the "killing fields" in the Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia, where at least 1.7 million people died under the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime.
Shortly after Dang was born, his father separated from his mother while awaiting sponsorship. His family entered the United States in 1983 and settled in crime-ridden North Philadelphia, where his mother remarried and gave birth to her youngest son.
____________
While awaiting sponsorship, the family entered the United States, the CNN article says. How did he get here? In the back of a truck....
Then, once Dang got here, he started a life of criminality, and we're suppose to feel sorry for him?
Here's the link:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/09/01/philadelphia.cambodia.deportation/index.html?
Dear Pima County Republicans, the ones auctioning off in a fundraiser the same type of gun used in the shooting in Tucson. A city in your own county.
ReplyDeleteGuess what? You're classless a**holes.
Sincerely,
America
I agree. It was terribly insensitive. I'll just call them pinheads, instead of the other word.
ReplyDeleteYeah, they're real pinholes
ReplyDeleteWell, Pima County is a really classy place to live, if your name is Sarah Palin.
ReplyDeleteThis spring, in a "drug raid", the cops there shot an Iraq war veteran Marine 60 times, just to make sure he was dead. Their excuse was that he was holding an assault rifle, which it later turned out was still on safety and never fired once.
They didn't find any drugs, either.
If Ricky Perry gets his way, and Texas secedes, let's hope they take Arizona with them. Phoenix is the most soulless city I have ever been in, even worse than Dallas. Mostly thousands of acres of ugly tract housing, all sucking up water that isn't there.
If they add South Carolina, they could become the North American Nazi Confederation, reinstitute slavery, and prosper.
So Kit/Rush ....did you just get in from 'Happy Hour'? There's nothing like a few drinks to get your irrational thoughts going, huh?
ReplyDelete"Their excuse was that he was holding an assault rifle, which it later turned out was still on safety and never fired once."
ReplyDeleteKit/Rush
____________
So now cops have to make sure an assailant's gun has its safety turned off, and it has been fired at least once before they can defend themselves? Oh, Jeez.... and Kit/Rush professes to know the law on everything.
Re: cats
ReplyDeleteIt is not only politicians that cats want nothing to do with. It is actually all humans.
Several recent studies have shown that cats are far superior to humans intellectually. So why do they put up with us? Because we provide them with luxury accommodations and gourmet food, almost for free. The only price that they have to pay is to sort of pretend to like us and try to avoid throwing up every five minutes as a result.
They have even discovered that they can throw up fairly often, particularly if that produces a hair ball, because they have been able to train us to accept that.
DebkaFile reports that cats are working with the Chinese on automation. There is hope that they will be able to develop an automated system that will produce luxury accommodations and gourmet food for cats without the necessity of human intervention.
The day that that is perfected, the human race will be doomed. And soon afterward, cats will abolish all formal government and begin the final dynasty of anarchy, which suits them to a tee.
Anyone who doubts this should be aware of one Alfred Hitchcock. In the late '60s he discovered the cat/Chinese plot and set out to make a movie, to be called "The Cats" to warn humans of the danger. But since he had several cats, all of them rat-finks, they enlisted help from their pals and rewrote the script into a different movie called "The Birds".
That served a dual purpose, at once concealing the cat/Chinese plot and also allowing cats to continue to kill all the birds that wanted to without being carped at by little old ladies.
From that moment, the cats realized that they were in a propaganda war. Since no cat had ever written a book or play, it took them awhile to get going, but they soon developed a Broadway musical called "Cats", which became one of the most successful ever on Broadway, not to mention a significant propaganda victory for catdom.
Today, it is all but over. Sometime in the next few months, the Chinese production lines will begin grinding out pre-packaged luxury accommodations with gourmet food for cats. That will be the death knell for all of us humans.
And it will provide further proof of Darwin's theory of evolution.