THE GUARDIAN has watched with interest all of the Republican bluster about taxation destroying our economy when by any measure real taxation is at an all time low since WW2. Most people are for limited government and low taxes but the Republicans in both houses of Congress are trying to tell the Baby Boomers and the elderly that Social Security and Medicare are "entitlements" that will have to be cut.
These are the same people who signed onto an unfunded prescription drug plan without funding it. The same people who signed the American people up for two wars without funding them (they did borrow the money from China). The same people who encouraged banks to loan people with low paying jobs and lousy credit money to buy a home.... the "OWNERSHIP SOCIETY" were the words used by then President George W. Bush.
We now have mega billionaire Warren Buffet telling us he pays a lower percentage of taxation than his secretary. The Republicans in both houses of Congress fail to see a problem with this difference of higher tax rates on the Middle Class while those in the highest income brackets pay a much lower tax rate. In addition, they manage to get a lot of their pay in the form of stock options and when the stock is sold it falls into the category of capital gains tax with a maximum rate of 15%. They continue to demand and press their Republican Congressional people for even lower taxes at the expense of the elderly, the middle class and call something most people have paid into for a lifetime "ENTITLEMENTS". ( I will gladly trade my social security payments for a congressional retirement package, I will even throw in the gold watch.)
We have witnessed nothing less than war on the middle class in this country for the last 30 years to pay homage to globalization. We have to consider Ross Perot may have had it right with his vehement opposition to NAFTA. We may not have heard that "sucking sound of jobs leaving this country" he predicted but I think most of us have borne witness to the results and economic pain we are all feeling these days.
THE GUARDIAN is constantly listening to our CONGRESSIONAL POLITICOS and those who call Social Security and Medicare "entitlements" may have stirred up a hornets nest come election time. The party of Lincoln is doing little to get us out of this economic mess while at the same time stepping up the warfare on the middle class in this country. When Senator Mitch McConnel of Kentucky says his number one job is to make President Obama a one term president is this showing any concern whatsoever for the millions of Americans who are out of work, losing their homes, can't pay their taxes and trying to keep the bills paid? I always thought and was taught it is the duty of Congress to conduct the business of the people. What is currently going on in Congress is nothing less than shameful in reflects the 82% disapproval ratings of Congress in most of the polls.
G
ReplyDeleteG.A. says...
We have stood by and watched American jobs sent off shore to the point a living wage job for a great number of people is no longer a reality in this country. We now make very little of what is purchased by consumers. I am a Vietnam Vet and have shirts made in Vietnam hanging in my closet and that makes me fell like I am part of the problem. This country has an educated workforce and no jobs. I can only wonder how much longer this can go on without a social backlash.
I think the only reason we continue the war in Afghanistan is....what would all the discharged Veterans do to the unemployment numbers. Republicans in Congress are starting to look like the party of the elite and they will do anything necessary to maintain status quo for the rich at the expense of the middle class.
Our trade policies allow other countries to have non-tariff barriers to trade via the practice of more restrictive standards for American goods than are used on the same items produced in the countries we are trying to export goods. And when American companies figure out how to comply with these restrictions they quickly change the rules to an even more restrictive barrier to trade.
Obama,Pelosi,and Reid pasted legislation in 2009 and 2010 that was triple any previous spending. The waste we are now seeing, $535,000,000.00, in the Solyndra failure is probably the tip of the iceberg of money wasted by the so called "stimulus". If you have been to a doctor lately, or received medication, and actually paid for it yourself, you know the costs on medical are skyrocketing, because of Obamacare.
ReplyDeleteU.S. should declare victory in Afghanistan and Iraq and get out, leaving the war on terror to the drones and special operation's people. Stop "nation building" and let these people revert to the seventh century existence they seem to want. After 65 years, pull the troops out of Germany and Japan and let them defend themselves. The U.S. needs to send the military to the US Mexican border and put a stop to the illegal immigration, gang killings and drug running. If the U.S. isn't going to enforce the law down there, repeal the laws.
One more thing, vote the current Caldwell City Council, Mayors Nancolas and Dale, and Commissioner Rule, out of office, if not for the sake of your kids, but for your own peace of mind!
Have a Happy Day! :)
Many people forget that what is happening at any given time in government is usually something that was started a couple of terms ago. Forcasters conviniently forget that statistics are not always the best thing nor is history. A good example is unemployment. The unemployment number can be (somewhat) skewed depending on who you are calling unemployed (there is more than 1 type of unemployed)and who is not "unemployed." I can use myself as a case in point: I was laid off and, therefore a dislocated worker. Through various funds I was allowed to go back to school. That's good but, I was still laid off non the less and the root cause of my company's lay off was never addressed. Needless to say I was not jobless by definition because I was not actively seeking employment. I realize this is splitting hairs and convoluted with a bunch of Economics but still stuff to think about. I was laid off the beginning of 2009; can we blame a president that had been in office for 3 months?
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point with the Vets, I don't see anywhere for them to work either. On one hand, if they had a job when they got called they may be able to get that job back, the law, and my knowledge of it, is very clouded. On the other hand, where would the people filling in go?
Food for thought,
Jerry Kilbourne
I keep trying to figure out what "RIGHT TO WORK" has done for Idaho. My assessment is ...not much. Cheap housing, cheap labor, and poor job prospects. Most of our children have to move out of state to find work.
ReplyDeleteFor years and years I could not understand how kids in high school and other young adults could afford to be driving new cars, have new clothes, and hew everything on a constant basis. Then came the bigger houses with hot tubs, swimming pools, granite everywhere. It was lifestyles of the rich and famous for everyone. It just did not add up no matter how I tired to figure it out. Well here we are in probably the first really big bust cycle in my lifetime. People treated their homes like ATM cards and housing prices kept going up and up beyond all reason and affordability for what people's jobs were paying. Any sane person could see it was all headed for a brick wall and it did. Now we are all having to suffer the pain of all the excesses of the past 20 years.
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