" Thanks for the math, AJ -- I knew it in a gestalt way, but never could have given you the figures -- I gave up on math after the 10th grade.

So, the rich have used the influence of their money to manipulate the tax laws so as to protect their "opulence" (a la James Madison) while the poor remain at the mercy of those same laws. Sadly, this is nothing new since the Middle Ages. The only difference is the current level of hypocrisy among Americans who like to believe we live in a fair and democratic society where we care for those less fortunate than we are.

And the working and middle classes bust their humps to give us productivity upon which all the rest is built while slowly having their dream of simple financial stability pulled further and further from their reach.

Yes, we have it better in this country than in many others -- scary, isn't it? "

" AJ,
Seems like you're hung up on money and the fact maybe that you don't have enough. "From each according to his ability, to each everywhere to his need" was said by Marx and has failed miserably everytime it's been tried. Capitalism has WORKED everywhere it has been tried. I have read if all the money were taken from the wealthy and distributed so that every person in the world had the same amount, withing 20 years the difference in wealth would roughly be the same as before. "

" The top 1% of Americans who make more than 10 million earn 49447.36% more than their proportional value to population and pay 81665.9% of the tax burden relative to their population yet pay only 60.55% of their proportional value of tax relative to income compared to the poor under $5000 per year who pay 5224.56% of their tax burden relative to their income.

Source: IRS, Statistics of Income Division, July 2007 "

" in response to "miracato" 's remarks about Ira Fire Chief...perhaps you should take some time to talk to the many homeowners and citizens of the Town of Ira who have had their homes or lives saved by the actions of this VOLUNTEER.....I, for one, know first hand of Mr. Lalone's committment to his community and feel fortunate to have such an individual looking out for our best interests. Judging from your comments, you must be a Plainville Fire Department Member who has a little grudge against the Ira Fire Department... "

" Auburn4, Do you receive a raise in your contract every year? I would have to say yes! TG4 !!! "

" i am glad to see oprah has led black power. that's all we need. "

" I just heard that the city missed its deadline to negotiate with the city unions, who does that benefit? I hope that after all of that complaining about the fire dept. that the city isn't giving them any more of our money.. "

" You know, this is exactly what scares me about our elections -- people voting who can't (or can't be bothered to) focus long enough to follow a chain of reasoning only 6 paragraphs long; people who can't think through even such a short synopsis of an issue still go out and vote. I wouldn't deny them their voting rights, but geez....

People who DON'T read are no better off than those who CAN'T.

Some people seem proud of this sad disability. "

" That's because you have an obstruction in your ear, Steve -- trying removing your thumbs and maybe it will open your mind. "

" http://www.gangsofamerica.com/gangsofamerica.pdf "

" hear is what i here from farmer gal... blah blah blah times about 1000. "

" Take a walk on the Seward fields when the temperature consistently rises above 40 degrees. "

" I think the board of education needs to buy books so students in the high school each have a book. Or if an IEP says that they should have books at home then there should be enough books for them. Students are sharing books. I know this to be true. LET'S VOTE THE PROPOSAL DOWN AND USE THAT MONEY FOR THE STUDENTS OF OUR DISTRICT. "

" I'm not much of one for labels, GiveMeLiberty, but at least I don't find "libertarian" insulting. Hopefully I am a realtively free thinker, and I make up my mind on each issue individually, and resist being put in anyone's pigeon hole.

I know how you feel, AJ -- it's very well entrenched. I've traced the history of the formal, legal consolidation of the power of the wealthy elite from the time of John I, right through our Founding Fathers who wrote laws to strictly control corporations at the same time they were strengthening their own power as the propertied elite, down to the present times.

The hopeful points are peoples' movements against this trend which were successful -- Abolition, Women's Suffrage, the early labor Unions and Civil Rights. Not all of them have remained truly people's movements, nor remained entirely successful, but in their times, they were each a strong set-back to "The Machine."

If you really look closely at Santa Clara County vs. Southern Pacific Railroad in 1886, where a Supreme Court Justice declared that corporations are persons with the same rights as natural persons -- that (according to him) this was an indisputable fact and they would not allow it to be discussed -- that is a root of much evil in our world today. Take away that obscene misinterpretation of our Constitution and Bill of Rights and you take away the shield which allows corporations to do what they want with impunity and without regard to the effects and consequences on natural living persons and our environment. ("Regulations" are a joke).

The CELDF has a plan for communities to get the ball rolling on that change, and already, as you know, some hundred or more in Pennsylvania and a few other states have begun. When the snowball gets big enough, the Supreme Court will have to reconsider -- and that's the time to press for a return to justice.

Can it work? Probably only an outside chance. But it's the best plan anyone has so far. "

" After the applause: No Funds in Bush Budget For Troop-Benefits Plan.

President Bush drew great applause during his State of the Union address last month when he called on Congress to allow U.S. troops to transfer their unused education benefits to family members. A week later, however, when Bush submitted his $3.1 trillion federal budget to Congress, he included no funding for such an initiative.

Gee, who woulda thunk it?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020804136.html "

" I care because it'll eventually fall back on us. You know it will. And besides...all these sports have been getting along just fine up to this point..the football program even won the states. So now all of a sudden we got to have turf?? Just because a salesman pitched a good sales talk?? I say put the money toward college costs where it'll do more good, for more people. Not just a chosen few. And I think it's pretty bold of the school board to package it into an entire budget. They know it'll get shot down, we already said no once. One more thing - I live near Seward School, and the fields out in back of there are fine for a lot of things, and that has been tiled for a number of years, it was done when it was Mt. Carmel High School. "

" So what you are saying AJ is that you'd accept a position for more than $100k from a republican? "

" Where does most of the federal tax dollars come from? The wealthy. "

" "unknown" so what you are saying is for $2000 a contractor can add drainage tile and improve Holland's turf? Please. You also think only one field is adequate for Boys JV and Varsity Lacrosse, Girls JV and Varsity Lacrosse, Boys Baseball, Girls Softball. That includes 30 plus practices per week and come the start of the seasons an additional 10-12 games. That would be impossible in upstate NY, in Spring, on anything but a synthetic turf field.In Spring not every team can practice on one field. Thats why you see kids practicing in parking lots. You think that there is only a handful of people that are affected by Athletics and care about the project.I beg to differ.There are several thousand voters that are for the project, in addition to the student athletes that are unable to vote. These students do count even though they do not pay taxes. I am not talking about taking up a collection in church for the project. I am talking about Business and Foundation contributions as well as State Gov't grants. These monies contributed by people who are actually positive about our community and feel we can improve our community facilities which is exactly what Holland Stadium is. If we can cover the costs for this project with private contributions what do you care? "

" You right FG, but I really think we have gone beyond the point of no return. Their power is way too deep and entrenched. Who knows though, I suppose stranger things have happened, but I am beginning to feel it's hopeless. The whole system has been so corrupted by these scumbags I don't know what it will take to turn things around. Maybe I should just drink the kool aid that the likes of CV Coulter drinks so I'll at least feel better. On second thought, I don't want to be an ignoramous either...

"

" Wow, Chris van Coulter, tha was a really funny retort. Hahaha.

Anyhow, I've been comfortably self-employed for the last 10 years so I don't need any job offers. Unless you have one for me that pays 100,000+ a year. You're a real generous republican type right? "

" tlb4: You should get your thoughts straight - who said anything about doing all the fields in the district?? Everybody is worried about worried about where the high school is practicing, and I'm talking about just that. Don't be putting words into my mouth. Laying drainage tile doesn't cost that much. As for people moving to go where the turf is, how many people we talking about here?? A handful??? If we have the turf, how many people benefit from it? Not many. How many people will have to shoulder the tax increase?? If you think that taking up collections will cover the cost & maintainence of the turf, then YOU'RE the one that's talking insane!! It has to be REPLACED ever 8-10 yrs. You're ideas are nothing but pie in the sky. "

" Farmer's Gal,

The more I read from you, the more convinced I become that you are a fellow (small L) libertarian.

"

" "Unknown" So you think two thousand dollars will adequately do the job of placing drainage tiles on all the fields in the district.You need some reality training. That amount would not even begin to fix Holland's field alone. Again take a walk around all the district's athletic fields next month and let me know whether you think some drainage tiles will do the trick. Yes I do feel that contributions set aside would help take care of any synthetic turf maintenance if managed properly. You need to get your thoughts straight. On the one hand you complain about an "unbelievable tax burden chasing our young people out", then in the next line you write that young families should "move to where these surfaces are" if they want their children to play on them. So rather than be a positive progressive community you would advocate Auburn turn young educated families away further shrinking our tax base. That's so negative it's insane!!!! "

" Gene Lalone "chief" of Ira Fire Department should be lifted of his duties due to the recent danger and accusations in the news (oh wait, they dont have anyone capable of performing such duties). What a dirty rotten call you made. Never contacting anyone about the burn down? Are you kidding me. That is just amazing you put peoples lives in danger by not notifying proper authorities. It may sound minor to most people but this is a major deal. Gene got lucky by having been only fined $3000. I bet the fire department paid it for you though, right? Makes me wonder what "under the radar" moves you are mking at the town barn.....HMMMMMMM??? Plainville should go right after you full force!! "

" To continue yesterdays turf trials here, I agree with u, Unknown. Its utterly ridiculous to even be considering putting this on the ballot again. Its a two letter word, pretty easy and it was a resounding NO. And hey Brew, get with the program and stop defending what we as actual citizens, who fork out the cash to pay the taxes in this rinkey dink town have said and turf is NO. The school board will add turf pork to the budget and the entire thing will be voted as no. So who benefits from that? I agree w/a poster a couple weeks ago, u r silly, to sleep on it!, lmao. "

" The puppeteer that pulls Bush's strings, Dick Cheney is a neo conservative. I would be ashamed to admit he is a republican. Democrats do a lot of stupid things but they can't match the evil and greed and selfishness of the republican party. "

" To tlb777: Ever hear of putting in drainage tiles?? It would only take a couple of thousand dollars to do something like that, but people like you would rather throw a couple of million at it. And as for your "private investment group", are they prepared to take up the collection every 10 yrs to replace the turf?? Or will it then fall into the tax payers laps?? We are not a big time city in Auburn, and we should learn to live within our means, instead of creating an unbelievable tax burden that chases our young people out, and creates hardships on the elderly. If people want their kids to be playing on these kinds of surfaces, they should move to where they are, instead of trying to force it down the our throats. And I'm sure that this movement was started by a handful of people who's kids play on these fields. "

" I like that, AJ -- Big Business (and in our region, it's corporate agribusiness) gets the most federal hand-outs. Federal money for "farmers" doesn't go to the little struggling family farms, it goes to corporate agribusiness which makes plenty of money without help and which is already too big and destructive. As usual, our monies which we think are going to good and healthy causes gets sucks up by corporations to use against us.

Time for change indeed -- and well overdue for a change for the better. Put a lid on corporate control of our government and let's get back to the good of the people. "

" We do? Interesting AJ..next time a poor person offers you a job you should take it. "

" As a proud Republican, you should be ashamed of the fact that Republicans and big business get most welfare.


And FYI, Bush is not a conservative at all. He's an extreme radical pro-corporatist and warmonger. You could also ascribe the word "heartless" to him. "