I am a citizen whose taxes pay DPW salaries and I am concerned and would like to have their names revealed. Names are published for DWI, lawsuits, and unpaid debts or unpaid taxes, which I feel is no one else's business, so why shouldn't the city expose thieves that could have cost the city over $10,000?
If the DPW employees want to borrow tools, there are businesses like U-Haul and Taylor Rental that honest citizens have to pay to borrow. To borrow is to ask and in this case if the tools were borrowed, it should have been documented.
Wanted: All the people who thought Vargason was arrogant. Get a load of our current DA who wants to determine if the citizens are entitled to legal representation and if so, who it should be.
Why does Chief Giannotta need two more police cars? He always tells us there are only five patrol officers on a shift.
Just think, if all these "powers that be" in government paid their taxes like the rest of us people, the county probably wouldn't end up being broke.
I'm a thief, I like to steal stuff. Can I please apply for a job with the city of Auburn?
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Post your comment - click hereThere are 106 comment(s)
cm wrote on Feb 17, 2009 7:53 AM:
when I applied for electric bill help a few months ago, needed 650.00
(Ex took all our money & moved out)
I first had to sign a written statement with a letter from my workers compensation attorney, to put a Lien onto my future settlement to pay the money back.
I then showed bank statements,
1. monthly statement out had 600.00 in the account two weeks prior.
2. new print out (from bank) showed negative 384.00
DENIED!
even though they had a guarantee of repayment, what was 2 wks ago showed income IN..they said to apply in 30 days after a NEW bank statement came!
instead of wasting all my time, gas, and mega paperwork---I just called my sis and got a 'Bank of Shell' loan!
she charges me no interest either!!! lol. "
cm wrote on Feb 17, 2009 7:38 AM:
PROVIDING they are to LEGAL citizens!
and THEY can pass a drug test, like I have to take when applying for a job,
along with lets not be popping out more kids that they CANT afford or to use to stay on the system longer! "
daydreamer wrote on Feb 17, 2009 7:03 AM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 17, 2009 4:58 AM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 17, 2009 4:55 AM:
Don't be so sure, scouty. No one has an effective, much less cost-effective way to preserve electronic data across any significant span of time, like centuries. Yet it is not hard to preserve print that long -- and longer -- not at all.
By and large, people still prefer to read print in hand than electronic, even with hand-held readers like Amazon's Kindle.
In Third World countries, where the infrastructure for electronic communications and access is still lacking, print is still the medium of currency.
There will always be an important place for more portable, more durable print alongside the more flexible, searchable and remotely-accessible electronic resources.
As an electronic resources librarian, currently teaching a grad course at Syracuse U. on the subject of managing electronic resources, I would know. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 17, 2009 4:54 AM:
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 16, 2009 11:16 PM:
We want to hold dumb clucks like you to admit that Bush and his criminal cabal hold the responsibility for the treasonous act of selling out the United States of America to corporate interests and Conservative Liars and Thieves, and ruining America and the world's economy.
Ditto that for the war crimes and Crimes Against Humanity of starting an illegal, war-for profit.
Two--Homeless people "choose" to be homeless in the same way that you choose to be ignorant, bigoted, and stupid. If you can admit that, then I'll give ya the points on the homeless thing--got it, Queenie?
I wish I believed in "karma"--you would be a ripe candidate for a serious reckoning. "
scouty wrote on Feb 16, 2009 9:49 PM:
brew1234 wrote on Feb 16, 2009 8:11 PM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 16, 2009 6:21 PM:
hadenough wrote on Feb 16, 2009 6:11 PM:
I cant believe you would even dare to use the word responsibility.After 8 years of nothing, but arrogance and irresponsibility that let the economy get where it is today, its a joke,Yeah I know I heard it all before, Clinton inherited all the good things and all the bad things were because of him.I will say the trickle down effect did work for REAGAN and the first Bush,but for the last 8 years the greed of the top corperate CEO and shareholders never let anything go farther then their massive bonuses.Im not a big fan of government intervention, but at times like this its a must.All blame must be put on those in charge. "
theking wrote on Feb 16, 2009 5:11 PM:
theking wrote on Feb 16, 2009 5:09 PM:
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 16, 2009 4:42 PM:
Those were the days, huh?
Damned Liberals!
(sigh!) "
Unknown... wrote on Feb 16, 2009 3:47 PM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 16, 2009 1:56 PM:
bassistlearningdrums wrote on Feb 16, 2009 1:27 PM:
theking wrote on Feb 16, 2009 1:22 PM:
The Liberal Welfare State
The 1996 welfare reform bill changed the way government treated welfare. But last week the Left reverted back to the liberal welfare state in the “stimulus” bill. Hidden in the bill was a massive increase in welfare spending. While the 1996 reforms gave states more money if they moved people OFF welfare, the new policy gives states more money if more people stay ON welfare.
Here are the facts on the new welfare policies in this bill:
• Total welfare spending in the bill for programs providing cash, food, housing, and medical care to the poor is over $260 billion or roughly one third the cost of the bill. This represents about $6,700 in new welfare spending for every poor person in the United States.
• But that is just the cost for the first two years. The "stimulus" bill hides the real cost behind a budgetary gimmick that pretends all the new welfare spending will end in two years, even though clearly much of the new welfare spending is intended and designed to be permanent.
• The added cost is another half trillion dollars. The overall 10 year cost of the "stimulus" bill in welfare spending alone will be nearly $800 billion. This new spending amounts to around $22,000 for every poor person in the U.S
This bill has so much welfare money in it, it’s no wonder they had to give an incentive to states to keep people on welfare—that’s the only way they could spend all the money!
The bill contains expansions to food stamps, the earned income tax credit, the refundable child credit, Medicaid eligibility standards, Pell grants, and Title I education grants. But probably most disconcerting is President Obama's "Make Work Pay" refundable tax credit, which will provide up to $500 in cash to low income adults who pay no income taxes, including able-bodied adults without dependent children. This policy is designed solely to redistribute wealth from taxpayers (middle and upper class individuals) to low-income individuals.
It seems some bad ideas never die, and the welfare state is certainly one of them. Before 1996 the government heaped benefits on low-income individuals, crippling them in a cycle of dependency, and providing no incentives for state and local governments to help their citizens get jobs. And with last week’s bill, it seems we are turning back the clock and reinstating these failed policies again. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 16, 2009 12:41 PM:
Not a fan of High Fructose Corn Syrup anyway (I don't trust anything so ueber-processed, and especially not SUGAR), but someone forwarded me info on a couple recent studies in which they found mercury (poisonous in any form) in 1/3 of products with HFCS as the first ingredient, and in 1/2 of the plain HFCS they tested. They call for more tests and wonder why this isn't making the media -- as that stuff is in SO MANY products. Some of those tested and foudn positive included Hershey's chocolate syrup, Blueberry Pop-Tarts, Smucker's strawberry jam, and at least a couple barbeque sauces.
I've been trying to avoid the stuff for a couple years now.
Having just a little mercury in your system can lead to all kinds of health problems, but the cause is often missed or misdiagnosed. Testing is expensive and not common.
But think more than twice before giving children anything with HFCS in it -- even without the mercury, that super-processed sugar stuff just cannot be good for them. Read your labels and look for 100% fruit juice, no additives. "
bassistlearningdrums wrote on Feb 16, 2009 11:50 AM:
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 16, 2009 11:41 AM:
Contradictions, mistakes, historical errors, translation errors--all from a supposedly "infallible" source?
You obviously have never really read it?
WIth all due respect to your obvious religious upbringing, there is no God. That's why "faith" is so important--you must believe in things UNPROVEN--the very definition of "Faith". If it was "proven", there would be no NEED for "Faith"--there would only be the recognition of a fact--and in that case, even I would then worship and praise "God".
But until you or any one of the other millions who choose to believe in the unproven anthropomorphic equivalent of a centaur or unicorn can prove it to me with irrefutable, quantifiable empirical evidence, I'll take reality and Logic over Faith any day. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 16, 2009 11:18 AM:
I appreciate what you are saying about The Final Cut, and I can remember writing to a boyfriend back home when I was in college all the reasons why I liked The Final Cut better than The Wall -- because the message in the content of the lyrics was more political and less personal, hence more universal and more, well, USEFUL, as an anti-war piece.
But still, I don't think it stands up musically to their previous works. But you are the musician, and I most certainly am not.
My ex was in theatre. He was a stage technician and Technical Director, and occasional set designer, not an actor, but we were around performers a lot. Personally, I think there is something unhealthy about disemboweling your deepest and most personal, private emotions in public for what ultimately is financial gain, but also even just for a better artistic performance. For example, I think of the manipulation of Kim Basinger by the director of 9 1/2 Weeks to put her into as close a mental/emotional state in real life as her character was supposed to be in the film to get a better performance out of her was really sick, both on the Director's part for putting someone through that, and on the actress' part for letting someone do that to her. It's like prostituting your own deepest, private emotions, and to me it seems very crass and sordid.
But at the same time, I can see putting something of yourself into a performance, tapping into that deep, private place to give emotion and intensity to the performance. I guess I just think that should be something you do inside yourself and externalize only the performance, not the the personal, if you follow.
I have been on the stage, but not in front of thousands of jeeped up fans, tuned in to music -- just parts in local and college theater, with the largest crowd being a few hundred, and no stomping and yelling and cheering, so on that score, I just have nothing in my personal experience to compare. It's hard to imagine, despite the many songs written on the subject, from Turn the Page to Limelight.
So, Waters turned himself inside out to show his grief and pain and use it to drive the intensity of the perfomances, and it worked in The Wall, but was worn out by the time it came for The Final Cut. It was like they were shooting for the same "magical meld" but with a nobler purpose, but the dynamics had shifted and it didn't come out that way at all. It just felt jaded and stale, which is a shame, because you are right -- the political message is more important than the more personal message in The Wall. It just didn't gel the way the previous one had As you say, woe to the band to try to top their previous blockbuster.... "
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 16, 2009 10:45 AM:
Farmer's Gal--can't stand Pink Floyd now? I WILL PRAY FOR YOU, LOL! (Don't have a heart attack, B0NER; surely I'm joking!)
I have to say that "The Final Cut" is my second favorite album after the "The Wall"--in fact, my room in my parent;s house in Pennsylvania is painted on 3 sides like the album art inside the album cover of the Wall--the white bricks, the "schoolmaster", the big, mantis-like "girlfriend/wife", "Mother"---all there, painted by me when I was 14.
The Final Cut was a masterpiece, in my opinion! The lament for the wad dead, and for the hopelessness and emptiness of returning, shellshocked veterans--plus THE CONDEMNATION OF WAR AS A POLICY(!!!)--was brilliantly expressed. Not as expansive as The Wall, but that wasn't its intention--woe to the band that tries to remake an already successful album. The Final Cut was about War; The Wall was about Roger's dad and his musings on the world around him as a rock star--in fact, there are several significant sub-themes in The Wall that weave through it.
I disagree with FG's characterization of Pink Floyd and Roger Water's music--the most that an artist can do for himself and his audience is to reveal himself through his music. Music is cathartic, and the problem with today's music is that too many "artists" are singing songs written by OTHER songwriters--and there's no authenticity behind their efforts. Cookie-cutter songs and themes quickly get old. I want to know that an artist has indeed lived through the pain he's singing about. You never have a doubt about that with Roger Waters!
And if you want to judge it as a measure of success, it has paid in gold for Roger and the Floyd.
"Wish YOu Were Here"--written for Syd Barret, who destroyed his life with drugs, was a lament for a friend lost and dying. These are the things that are deeply emotional to a person, and that's what I want to hear about--not "Shiny Happy People". "
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 16, 2009 10:16 AM:
My understanding has always been that Faith is what is needed to believe in God, because God's existance can't be proven logically or empirically (despite attempts by Rene Descartes, whose Meditations on the subject I tore apart for a faulty premise in an A+ paper for a philosophy class when I was a college freshwoman). If you don't have Faith, you aren't likely to believe.
You do know the famous Descartes joke, right? Descartes walks into a bar and sits down. The baretender asks, "Would you like a beer?" Descartes responds, "I think not" -- and disappears. ("I think, therefore I am" -- Rene Descartes). "
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 16, 2009 10:06 AM:
The Dark Side of the Moon struck a chord which still reverberates, and it still sells -- Time, Money -- universal themes of angst, and some haunting and memorable tunes.
The Wall -- well, I don't go for that juvenile rebellion stuff like Alice Cooper's School's Out Forever -- We Don't Need No Education is along the same lines, and for a long time seemed like the cut from that album which got the most airtime. Maybe it was the novelty of dealing with the messed up minds of drugged out rock performers in an opera-story-like arrangement which worked when it was something new, but is now pretty cliche.
I will say I always found something mesmerizing about Comfortably Numb (though how they manage to squeeze out a 4-syllable word in only 2-syllables is beyond me) -- something in the combination of sounds which snaps something in the mind so that it's like you are tripping without imbibing any foreign substances at all. Is that possible, Karl, do you know? For a combination of sounds to have a literally hypnotic effect? I know I always feel a bit of a shock when the song ends and I come back to reality.
So, you see, it's not like I haven't thought about these things, but I;ve lost the taste for self-indulgent wailing about poor emotionally disturbed me -- Roger, go see a therapist and be done with your past, because you've had all the mileage you're going to get out of it commercially and it's time to move on to something fresh.
My opinions only, and I totally respect that it is all a matter of taste when it comes to music. Disagree all day and I will not be offended or try to argue you out of your own feelings on the subject. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 16, 2009 9:57 AM:
Pink Floyd have a lot of interesting music, but I must have had a surfeit because it irritates me now.
But I enjoy Jefferson Airplane/Starship, and I really like Led Zeppelin a lot, and same-era-different-sound-entirely groups like the Stones and the Who (lukewarm on the Beatles) -- maybe it's like my aversion to fish -- no particular logic, but strong nonetheless. "
Unknown... wrote on Feb 16, 2009 9:06 AM:
bassistlearningdrums wrote on Feb 16, 2009 8:38 AM:
the bone wrote on Feb 16, 2009 7:34 AM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 16, 2009 4:57 AM:
I had a Pink Floyd phase but I outgrew it. Now for some inexplicable reason, I can't tolerate them -- my hand goes to the knob and turns off the radio the second I hear the notes. Of course, the same goes for Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, and I am sure people will bust on me for that, but those are three artists/groups who just irritate me beyond measure.
Go figure. "
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 15, 2009 10:54 PM:
You may not believe me, but back when I used to sing in a local band, I sang a few of his songs from Pink Floyd--nailed his voice, by all accounts.
I love "The Pro's and Cons of Hitchhiking"!
The second song--we were moving away from the border, looking for somewhere to eat.." is almost as brilliant as E.E.Cumming's "She Being Brand New"! "
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 15, 2009 9:16 PM:
"The Graveyard of Empires"--too "BETA male" for ya? "
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 15, 2009 9:12 PM:
Comrade Chris's new source of inspiration is a former head of the Communist KGB---freakin' PRICELESS!!!!!
LOL!
Chris, really--dig that hole, buddy, dig that hole. "
Unknown... wrote on Feb 15, 2009 6:22 PM:
chris van note wrote on Feb 15, 2009 3:04 PM:
Russian Prime Minister Vladamir Putin has said the US should take a lesson from the pages of Russian history and not exercise “excessive intervention in economic activity and blind faith in the state’s omnipotence”.
“In the 20th century, the Soviet Union made the state’s role absolute,” Putin said during a speech at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “In the long run, this made the Soviet economy totally uncompetitive. This lesson cost us dearly. I am sure nobody wants to see it repeated.”
Sounding more like Barry Goldwater than the former head of the KGB, Putin said, “Nor should we turn a blind eye to the fact that the spirit of free enterprise, including the principle of personal responsibility of businesspeople, investors, and shareholders for their decisions, is being eroded in the last few months. There is no reason to believe that we can achieve better results by shifting responsibility onto the state.”
Putin also cautioned the US against using military Keynesianism to lift its economy out of recession, saying, “in the longer run, militarization won’t solve the problem but will rather quell it temporarily. What it will do is squeeze huge financial and other resources from the economy instead of finding better and wiser uses for them.” Putin’s comments come in sharp contrast to Russia’s own military buildup and expansion.
Putin also echoed the words of conservative maverick Ron Paul when he said, “we must assess the real situation and write off all hopeless debts and ‘bad’ assets. True, this will be an extremely painful and unpleasant process. Far from everyone can accept such measures, fearing for their capitalization, bonuses, or reputation. However, we would ‘conserve’ and prolong the crisis, unless we clean up our balance sheets.”
“The time for enlightenment has come. We must calmly, and without gloating, assess the root causes of this situation and try to peek into the future.” "
AJ wrote on Feb 15, 2009 12:36 PM:
AJ wrote on Feb 15, 2009 12:28 PM:
Just wondering... "
AJ wrote on Feb 15, 2009 12:20 PM:
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 15, 2009 12:16 PM:
Anyone who believes otherwise is simply delusional. "
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 15, 2009 12:15 PM:
"These are the days of the open hand
They will not be the last
Look around now
These are the days of the beggars
And the choosers
This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand with ignorance
And legitimate excuses
The rich declare themselves poor
And most of us are not sure
If we have too much
But well take our chances
Because God stopped keeping score
I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
Turned his back and all gods children
Crept out the back door
And its hard to love,
There's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above
Say its much too late
Well maybe we should all be
Praying for time
These are the days of the empty hand
Oh you hold on to what you can
And charity is a coat you wear
Twice a year
This is the year of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find that what was over there
Is over here
So you scream from behind your door
Say whats mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much
But I'll take my chances
Because God stopped keeping score
And you cling to the things
They sold you
Did you cover your eyes when
They told you
That he cant come back
Because he has no children
To come back for?..."
"Praying for Time"--George Michaels, hero of BETA males worldwide.
"...So you cling to the things they sold you..."--how many Repubs supporters are still doing that today?
How many times do the Repubs have to ruin America before people finally see that they simply DON'T CARE about America?
(In the above post, the allusion to "praying for time" is entirely metaphorical; author does not endorse praying, nor any other sort of time-wasting folly))
("Well maybe we should all, be voting for Change") "
movedsouth wrote on Feb 15, 2009 11:51 AM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 15, 2009 11:28 AM:
The sufferings of one child are not worth it, as readers of Doestoevsky will understand. "
AJ wrote on Feb 15, 2009 10:42 AM:
It was Einstein's passion, as I understand it... Quite intriging to say the least..
If there is a God that is righteous that rules over us, why then do we see this:
1. hunger
2. famine
3. violence
4. war "
movedsouth wrote on Feb 15, 2009 10:24 AM:
" Let;s see, Chris--simple mathematics--13 X 52 = $672.00--same as President Bush's gimmicky "Stimulus". So quityerbitchin about it, hypocrite---I didn't hear you complaining about Bush's kickback, now did I? It just further underscores your lack of credibility. Credibility karl? The 13/wk starts in June, therefore not 672. Some genius said karl doesn't have to prove anything because he knows. Another one that doesn't know. "
AJ wrote on Feb 15, 2009 10:13 AM:
" Sorry fg, KEIth Olberman a fair and balanced commentator from MSNBC. "
This can't be real can it???
Congratulations if so, MS, but something tells me that things are not what they appear to be.... "
AJ wrote on Feb 15, 2009 10:11 AM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 15, 2009 6:20 AM:
MSNBC - that would explain why it meant nothing to me -- I don't have TV, and since football is over, I don't go even watch it at someone else's house.
I did see where Tudy Kenyon of Aurora passed away yesterday. I knew her some -- a unique individual, tough as nails, with a feisty passion for life and a deep love for animals. You'd see her barefoot in all weather, driving her jeep with the dogs, (for years she drove a mail jeep with the steering on the right, so when seen in traffic, it looked like one of the dogs was driving). She was a longtime fixture in Aurora since graduating with the Wells class of 1952 -- the same year as Pleasant Rowland, and you couldn't have two more opposite women on the planet. Tudy lived a simple life and had a big heart. Yesterday, Aurora lost one of the people who made it a special place. "
bassistlearningdrums wrote on Feb 15, 2009 12:50 AM:
" thanks gator!
FG: frustrating going up against so many walls..
wow, did I ever look like crap today, no amount of make-up was helpful...lol.
BLD: I spent V-day first at a parenting class (FL law to take when divorcing with minors)...then visited with an elderly couple..then back to the sons house (my temp.home) and played with the grandkids!
did you eat dinner via webcam??? lol..
Normally the son kept moving back home, this time I am at HIS apartment! lol "
No web cam. We talked for like 5 1/2 hrs on the phone. Dinner was good!!! We did wedding planning stuff and had a blast!!! We have a little over 4 weeks between us!! Very excited about when I get there!! I wonder how the dog is going to adjust. Her being an APBT, I know the cold isn't her style, but she will be warm inside! "
cm wrote on Feb 14, 2009 9:18 PM:
FG: frustrating going up against so many walls..
wow, did I ever look like crap today, no amount of make-up was helpful...lol.
BLD: I spent V-day first at a parenting class (FL law to take when divorcing with minors)...then visited with an elderly couple..then back to the sons house (my temp.home) and played with the grandkids!
did you eat dinner via webcam??? lol..
Normally the son kept moving back home, this time I am at HIS apartment! lol "
movedsouth wrote on Feb 14, 2009 6:21 PM:
bassistlearningdrums wrote on Feb 14, 2009 6:01 PM:
My fiancee and I are having a candlelight dinner tonight, 2,288 miles away! Thanks to Verizon for free long distance......... details at 10. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 14, 2009 5:37 PM:
By and large, people still prefer to read print in hand than electronic, even with hand-held readers like Amazon's Kindle.
In Third World countries, where the infrastructure for electronic communications and access is still lacking, print is still the medium of currency.
There will always be an important place for more portable, more durable print alongside the more flexible, searchable and remotely-accessible electronic resources.
As an electronic resources librarian, currently teaching a grad course at Syracuse U. on the subject of managing electronic resources, I would know. "
scouty wrote on Feb 14, 2009 4:17 PM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 14, 2009 4:10 PM:
movedsouth wrote on Feb 14, 2009 2:01 PM:
" Karl doesn't need to prove it. We all know it is true. You have a lot spewing from your mouth but no facts to back it up. When you try to use facts they are fiction. When you fight the battle of wits you are unarmed. " karl CANNOT prove it. AP is a reliable source, certainly better than Kieth. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 14, 2009 1:05 PM:
Here's the thing -- it's scary times when those highly qualified workers are out of work along with the unskilled laborers. I am chairing a job search right now, and have 31 qualified applicants for one job. I know at least 4 of them personally, which will get them exactly nothing -- I make a point of being fair when hiring. We'll be going through and selecting the 5-6 best qualified starting this coming week, and will do 2 rounds of interviews AND have the finalists give a presentation to the whole Library before choosing that one. We can be that picky because there are so many highly qualified people out of work. (BTW, the job requires at least one master's degree (in Library Science) and a working knowledge of the management of electronic resources, at the bare minimum. That's fairly specialized work.
So -- I don't doubt for a minute that it will not take long to fill those design, concrete and other special trade licensed openings for just about as many positions as can be created. I just hope they are making jobs to accomplish something useful, not just throwing our money away on make-work. "
Gator wrote on Feb 14, 2009 11:38 AM:
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 14, 2009 11:30 AM:
How did we GET here?
Bush never met a spending bill he didn't like! He and Cheney spent ALMOST A TRILLION DOLLARS so far on their profit-making war for all their buddies--where was the "No" Party then?!?
Where were YOU, worrying about how we'd pay for it?
Here's the real truth, ms.
Bush and his ideological allies are the worst kind of "Conservative"--the kind that talk the talk about "compassion" and being charitable, but as long as it's OTHER people's money.
The Conservative Party under Bush wanted to let the market run free to bolster the idea for privatizing Social Programs. It's all very much in line with the hatred that the Republicans have for Social Security, Medicaid, etc--these programs were high on the list for privatization by Conservatives who saw not the caring for of fellow Humanity, but the opportunity for Profit!
That's why they looked at Clinton's huge surplus and said--if we don't convince people of the wis-dumb of the privatization of SocSec, maybe we can FORCE it through by destroying it; ie, by destroying the very means of its funding, ie, the Treasury's funds. If they bankrupted the Treasury, there would then have to be a new "new Deal", but this time with Profit underwriting it.
Of course, we NOW SEE how misguided, dangerous, and just witless of an idea this would have been, with the stock market crash.
But now, when Obama and the Dems are trying to once again HELP PEOPLE, the "No" Party is once again opposed to that idea.
It's un-American, inhumane, and frankly, disgustingly hypocritical for a party that bankrupted Americans. "
brew1234 wrote on Feb 14, 2009 11:21 AM:
movedsouth wrote on Feb 14, 2009 9:18 AM:
movedsouth wrote on Feb 14, 2009 9:15 AM:
movedsouth wrote on Feb 14, 2009 8:27 AM:
Eager to lower the price of the stimulus package, congressional negotiators working on the final bill made the pay cap disappear" "
cm wrote on Feb 14, 2009 6:11 AM:
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 14, 2009 1:18 AM:
The hypocrisy of the No Party and pathetic sycophants like you is on display for the world to see--how many pages of Bush's BLOATED budgets and plans did the NO Party read when they were running up the biggest deficit in world history?!
The hypocrisy is do thick you could cut it with a knife! "
cm wrote on Feb 13, 2009 11:43 PM:
I wondered why Obama is wasting monies on visiting FL for a 'town meeting' to get REPs on his side?
I personally see no point in his rambling on about MORE JOBS, he is only talking infrastructure..How many people hold a design, concrete pouring, highly skilled trade licenses?
I don't think the homeless man at the Hess station has one?!!
I dont think the many single moms have one?!!
pretty positive NO recent graduate of high school have one??!
so who will be making the millions/billions off all this???
PS..its been near 80 here, and I dont have enough rat traps for the 330 lb rat that that is turning the 'D' into a daily battle instead of just accepting,
'I dont love you, you dont love me,goodbye!
I hope he enjoyed destroying my diamonds, my 22 yrs of journals, and MY family heirlooms from those that have deceased! "
movedsouth wrote on Feb 13, 2009 9:21 PM:
movedsouth wrote on Feb 13, 2009 9:09 PM:
theking wrote on Feb 13, 2009 8:34 PM:
movedsouth wrote on Feb 13, 2009 6:12 PM:
movedsouth wrote on Feb 13, 2009 5:45 PM:
Gator wrote on Feb 13, 2009 5:04 PM:
bassistlearningdrums wrote on Feb 13, 2009 4:21 PM:
We are getting quite a good windstorm right now!!! Possible rain, and maybe snow. Weather in Socal!!! "
FREBUS49 wrote on Feb 13, 2009 3:51 PM:
The Germans do not have to wait for anything. After surgery they are sent to the mountains for a cure, they spend 4 to 6 weeks all paid for by the government. When you go to an old age home it is like going to a resort here. The government pays for that too.
The workers start a job and receive 4 weeks vacation, plus 15 holidays, and a bunch of sick days. They can afford it because they are not a super power and the worlds police force.
Theif corporations do well and there is a lot less greed there. "
theking wrote on Feb 13, 2009 3:15 PM:
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 13, 2009 3:08 PM:
It doesn't change the fact that YOU and your pipers were wrong on the whole issue.
Kieth tells all. Seriously--put aside your ideology for a second and look at this--you really should see this to see how badly you are being mislead once again by the biased, lying idiots you follow.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/29170167#29170167 "
excnyer wrote on Feb 13, 2009 12:05 PM:
" "There are waits, etc. But the personal attention is great. Most importantly - it's all free! " Wait long enough and you won't need the care, but it's free. I would rather pay and get the care when I NEED it. Doesn't sound good to me.
I agree. If you have to have heart bypass surgery, you can either wait your turn (and possibly die), or pay out-of-pocket to save your life. You'd better be dying before going to urgent care! "
movedsouth wrote on Feb 13, 2009 9:12 AM:
movedsouth wrote on Feb 13, 2009 9:07 AM:
-Bipartisanship. So much for all that talk. Obama wanted broad support from members of both political parties. But House Democrats shut out the GOP as the original bill was written, and no House Republicans voted for the measure. Only three Republicans voted with Democrats in the Senate. A largely party line vote was expected on final passage.
-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She struggled to control liberals who demanded more spending, and didn't include Republicans in the process from the start, undercutting Obama's calls for bipartisanship. Her strained relationship with Reid also may have worsened. How do the Democrats expect bipartisanship support on a plan that they were locked out of constructing? More and more, Obama is going against everything he campaigned for. More government control over our lives is not what we need. "
carlred wrote on Feb 13, 2009 8:18 AM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 13, 2009 8:03 AM:
It would not hurt out world to dump all that stuff, but it's going to put A LOT of people out of work. "
irritated wrote on Feb 13, 2009 7:03 AM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 13, 2009 5:02 AM:
It's one thing to just make a typo or make some minor mistakes and still be understood, and I should lay off that -- but it's another when the inability to articulate a clear thought is so bad that the person makes no sense, or can't even get the meaning across. Good grammar really is something worthwhile if you want to be understood.
But apologies for my recent grammar grumpiness. "
chris van note wrote on Feb 12, 2009 10:40 PM:
Her name is Betsy McCaughey Ross.
Couldn't find a thing about her being a lobbyist. Did find this though:
In 2005, she founded the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths and serves as its chairman. The organization is, according to its website, "a non-profit organization devoted solely to providing safer, cleaner, hospital care." Innovation in technologies is, she believes, a key element in lowering infectious disease transmission within hospital environments. Four years of the Committee's efforts induced Medicare to refuse to cover the extra costs of treating certain preventable hospital-acquired infections and medical errors, as of 1 November 2008. Medicare's policy bars hospitals from billing patients for such treatment. "Hospitals should have to absorb the cost of treating errors and infections they caused," she asserted in a news release.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsy_McCaughey_Ross
Here's a snipped from Dashle himself:
"Through Medicaid, Medicare, and its other health programs, the federal government is responsible for a huge proportion of total health-care spending," Daschle writes. If it were to create a national insurance pool, he argues, "[t]he federal government could exert tremendous leverage with its decisions on covered benefits and payment incentives. In choosing what it will cover and how much it will pay, it could steer providers to the services that are the most clinically valuable and cost effective, and dissuade them from wasting time and money on those that are neither."
I don't know about you, but I'd rather leave the medical decisions to the doctors, not the government who would decide what is a viable treatment.
Look at Canada and the UK, longer waiting periods for appointments, less access to specialists, lesser qualified medical personnel, no continuity of care, less breakthrough medicines and less access to those already invented. "
movedsouth wrote on Feb 12, 2009 10:36 PM:
chris van note wrote on Feb 12, 2009 10:10 PM:
" Let;s see, Chris--simple mathematics--13 X 52 = $672.00--same as President Bush's gimmicky "Stimulus". So quityerbitchin about it, hypocrite---I didn't hear you complaining about Bush's kickback, now did I? It just further underscores your lack of credibility.
Besides, your whiny-crybaby act is getting SO old--YOU--YES, YOU--SUPPORTED the criminals and scum who got us un this MESS, and now you're complaining about not getting your piece of the pie?
I didn't support the "criminals" like Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Franklin Raines...
I thought Bush's stimulus was a silly idea and it didn't do much if anything.
Bush and co, although they spent way too much, we at least knew where most of the money was going (whether or not you agreed). Obama is ramming this thing down our throat without the much touted transparency he preached about.
This is interesting:
Congressional Offices Don't Have the Stimulus Bill, Lobbyists Do
February 12, 2009 04:14 PM ET
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
We're receiving E-mails from Capitol Hill staffers expressing frustration that they can't get a copy of the stimulus bill agreed to last night at a price of $789 billion. What's more, staffers are complaining about who does have a copy: K Street lobbyists. E-mails one key Democratic staffer: "K Street has the bill, or chunks of it, already, and the congressional offices don't. So, the Hill is getting calls from the press (because it's leaking out) asking us to confirm or talk about what we know—but we can't do that because we haven't seen the bill. Anyway, peeps up here are sort of a combo of confused and like, 'Is this really happening?'" Reporters pressing for details, meanwhile, are getting different numbers from different offices, especially when seeking the details of specific programs.
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2009/2/12/congressional-offices-dont-have-the-stimulus-bill-lobbyists-do.html "
movedsouth wrote on Feb 12, 2009 10:08 PM:
FS II wrote on Feb 12, 2009 10:07 PM:
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 12, 2009 8:47 PM:
Ok, so, remember when Chris Van Note was on here, spreading the fear that the new Stimulus Plan was supposed to take away your rights to choose medical care and treatments in old age?!?
IT WAS ALL WWRRRRROONG!!!
THrough the sneaky Conservative tactic of "selective quoting", Betsy McCoy wrote an editorial suggesting the nonsense that the government (note the spelling, Chris) would be choosing the care that people get near the end of their life. She DELIBERATELY MISQUOTED parts of the bill to spread this BS.
The Drudge Report gleefully picked it up and ran with it.
Comedian Rush Limpbaaaaa gleefully picked it up and ran with it.
Faux "News" gleefully picked it up and ran with it.
Even CNN was duped.
However, she basically misconstrued the whole import of the bill, which simply stated that provisions in the new bill would assure that doctors had the information necessary TO HELP GUIDE treatments available to people--and NOT INSURANCE CARRIERS AND OTHER OVERSEERS!
Guess who the hillbilly Betsy McCoy is?
A PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY INSIDER AND LOBBYIST!!
This lie is being deliberately promulgated in order to stop any cost regulation of the Pharmaceutical Industry, which would prefer to squeeze every last penny out of a dying American's pockets!
But the Truth has once again, been exposed BY THE LIBERALS!!
Wrong again, Chris! "
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 12, 2009 7:26 PM:
I mean, come on--the WALL ST JOURNAL?! The National Review Online?!?!
Please--he might as well cite Rush Limpbaaah! "
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 12, 2009 7:25 PM:
Senator Judd Gregg withdrew his nomination for Commerce Secretary!!
ALL TOGETHER NOW--HURRRAAAAAHH!
This guy lobbied Obama for the position on the cynical idea that he could engineer a re-redistricting of the Ststes to try to offset the losses that Republicans have suffered in the elections by controlling the census department--JUST LIKE THE CRIMINAL DELAY DID IN TEXAS AND ELSEWHERE!
Obama was too smart for that though, and when Gregg found out that he wouldn't be able to fudge that, he packed up his ball and went home! WAAAA!!
This is GREAT because he was fundamentally WRONG on economic issues from the start!
Sometimes things just happen serendipitously. The whole country is sighing with relief!
Except of course, the crybabies.... "
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 12, 2009 7:19 PM:
Besides, your whiny-crybaby act is getting SO old--YOU--YES, YOU--SUPPORTED the criminals and scum who got us un this MESS, and now you're complaining about not getting your piece of the pie?
I'll tell you what I would like to see happen--all you Bushies and Conservatives be taxed DOUBLE the average American who voted for Change! It's called "ACCOUNTABILITY"!!!
SUCK IT UP!!! "
Unknown... wrote on Feb 12, 2009 6:48 PM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 12, 2009 6:31 PM:
chris van note wrote on Feb 12, 2009 4:07 PM:
I'm going to get here a box of 30/30 shells she can use for hunting wolves.
And she's so hot, she can jump out of her own birthday cake! Ha!!! "
LuvRetirement wrote on Feb 12, 2009 3:10 PM:
"59% favor the Stimulus Plan now, by the way. And the numbers are on their way UP"
Where did you come up with that phony number? At least movedsouth posted a website that puts the approval percentage at 37%.... NOT 59%. Quite a difference there.... "
chris van note wrote on Feb 12, 2009 2:59 PM:
This is the tax cut 95% of us were promised? An increase that won't even cover the loss of revenue we're going to face when the Bush tax cuts are repealed?
Do you remember when Bush sent us 600 bucks? You know what the annointed one's wifey had to say about it?
Michelle Obama says:
"You’re getting $600. What can you do with that? Not to be ungrateful or anything. But maybe it pays down a bill, but it doesn’t pay down every bill every month..
Barack’s approach is that the short-term quick fix kinda stuff sounds good. And it may even feel good that first month when you get that check. And then you go out and you buy a pair of earrings.”
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/a-week-of-malaise-and-many-gaffes/ "
the bone wrote on Feb 12, 2009 2:33 PM:
I did not write this paragraph--- So is it true the Pharmaceutical companies "give" doctors experimental drugs to "test" on patients? Doctors receive money for prescribing these?
My understanding is Government to Pharmaceutical to doctor to patient = $$ ". I work for one of the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world.After 30 years I took early retirement---Thank God "
movedsouth wrote on Feb 12, 2009 2:23 PM:
movedsouth wrote on Feb 12, 2009 1:58 PM:
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 12, 2009 1:16 PM:
It's you Conservatives who have dubbed Obama "The Messiah", "The Anointed One", etc--something Freudian about that, wouldn't you agree?
Perhaps your side really KNOWS how bad your pathetic leaders were, and just can't admit how nice it is to actually have a leader in office who is both competent AND chosen and liked by the People.
59% favor the Stimulus Plan now, by the way. And the numbers are on their way UP.
You lose. Again. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on Feb 12, 2009 1:11 PM:
chris van note wrote on Feb 12, 2009 12:53 PM:
I'm going to spend my windfall on sunglasses so I can bask in the ginormous glow of the annointed one's greatness. "
karl the 2nd wrote on Feb 12, 2009 12:25 PM:
What "extra" money do you think a lousy "extra' $100.00 would add to that "$13.00/week" figure if it were added in?
Maybe an "extra" $2-3.00?! Oh SURE! THAT would make all the difference in the world, HUH?! LOL!
Seriously--couldn't you find anything more interesting from the Al Gore interwebs to google?
Pretty Lame.
Better yet--why don'tcha talk about all the good money for the Poor and our children's E-D-U-C-A-T-I-O-N (you seem to have a problem spelling that word) hat the "No Party" (The Republiscums) have insisted on slashing in lieu of nice fat tax credits to their Rich friends?
Yeah, I'm sure THEY need the "extra" couple hundred thousand a year in their pockets--oh yeah, that's right; it will all "trickle down", just like it did the last eight years, right?
(voice of that guy from "Office Space") Uhhh,..Yyyyyeaahhhh, OK..... "
excnyer wrote on Feb 12, 2009 12:01 PM:
" the bone wrote on Feb 11, 2009 5:58 PM:
" Who really knows about the pharmaceutical industry.Or is it just what you read.I was in Pharmaceutical for over 30 years.Ask me and I will let you know.I am not to happy with them. "
So is it true the Pharmaceutical companies "give" doctors experimental drugs to "test" on patients? Doctors receive money for prescribing these?
My understanding is Government to Pharmaceutical to doctor to patient = $$ "
BLD
The pharmaceutical companies have "drug" reps that regularly visit doctor's offices. That "drug" rep brings in coffee, donuts, bagels, chocolates, cookies for the doctors and their staff (office) along with a variety of pens, post-it note pads, clocks, etc. At times, they will also cater lunches for the whole office and it's not McD's. The reps give samples to the doctors. If you are prescribed a new drug and the doc has samples, he will give them to you. This is good because with the cost of drugs, it is better to know if a drug will help you without laying out a lot of money for a prescription. This is good for the patient.
However, the downside of the pharmaceutical companies is the fact that they wine and dine the doctors, sending them to seminars that are held in close proximity to golf courses.
The pharmaceutical companies should cut out these "perks" for the doctors and their staff so that drug costs could be reduced.
I speak from experience! "
theking wrote on Feb 12, 2009 11:13 AM:
chris van note wrote on Feb 12, 2009 10:38 AM:
The $500-per-worker credit for lower- and middle-income taxpayers that Obama outlined during his presidential campaign was scaled back to $400 during bargaining by the Democratic-controlled Congress and White House. Couples would receive $800 instead of $1,000. Over two years, that move would pump about $25 billion less into the economy than had been previously planned.
Officials estimated it would mean about $13 a week more in people's paychecks when withholding tables are adjusted in late spring. Critics say that's unlikely to do much to boost consumption.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090212/D96A0AGO0.html
Wow, thanks so much President Hopey Changy! I'll try not to spend the extra 13 bucks all in one place.
President Government and his liberal lap dogs have now doubled the national debt and the average working person gets an extra 13 dollars.
How awsome is that! "