I think it is funny that so many people think Ronald Reagan was such a good President. Did you know that when he was President od the Screen Actors Guild he was also an FBI informant. He and his wife turned over names of union members that they though had Communist leaning . The acepted money fron union members ant in turn ruined some careers. 

As President this ,so called great President, really did his damage to the American dream.
Reagan took a lot of the tax money we used for our benefit and dumped it in to investment opportunities for the wealthy . A la "Star Wars" etc .
The funding we agreed to spend on our "not-for-profit health care facilities" and the "national education systems" was blatantly taken away and used in his "trickle down" wealth enhancements for the wealthy .
That put millions of Americans from mental institutions on the streets homeless and without a means to earn a living . American were eating out of garbage cans and sleeping on park and other public benches . To hide what he had done to the most needy he had the benches removed and had the media harass the local governments for allowing poverty to be seen .

Our economy has been on a downhill slide since Reagan as more and more of our tax dollars have been used for "wars on" and other programs to enhance the wealthy .
Reagan introduced disdain and cruelty toward the needy and the conservatives have perpetuated it .
We now have the most expensive government to operate in our history .as the wealthy get wealthier .

It’s only welfare if others are getting it.

It’s only welfare if others are getting it. It is only called a freebie if someone else gets it. This attitude seems to tumble off the lips of a lot of Republicans today. I would like to tell you a couple of true stories about some people I know. One man served his country for 20 years and retired at half pay. He retired at the age of 39 or 40. His government pension is not vested. He did not contribute any money toward it. He will receive this money for the rest of his life. He lives in a military town because he got a job as a civilian contractor for the Government. He has held this job for the last 25 yrs. He will receive Social Security when he retires plus another private pension from his contractor. All these years he has received Tri-Care medical coverage for his family plus rations and housing while on active duty. He still shops at the local PX and commissary for food and cloths. He worries that the Government will cut some of his Social Security even though he votes for Republicans all the time. He does not see his military pension as welfare because he says he earned it. When I point out that is all tax money that we borrow to add to our debt total he just laughs at me. I know another married couple who were both teachers. They both lived off of tax payers’ money for over 35 yrs. each. They were vested in their retirement and contributed 12% of their income toward it while their schools gave another 14 %. They both receive subsidized, 75%, health care and vote Republican all the time. I do not begrudge either one of them any of their retirement benefits but do find it hard to take when they call the Affordable Care Act a socialist idea. They confuse me because they are for small Government and budget cuts just as long as they are not affected. When I try to tell my military family member that the Ryan budget will try and take money from his retirement he gets mad. How dare they! It’s only welfare or a freebie if someone else gets it. When I remind my teacher friends that they owe their life and retirement they just tell me they earned it. They do not see public education as a little bit of Socialism. All three view any Government health care plan as socialism. I guess as long as they are unaffected they could give a shit. Oh! Did I mention how holy they all are? They send me Christian e-mails all the time along with ones that make fun of President Obama. I am not sure that they have any empathy towards people of other faiths. I do not think they approve of mixed marriages or any tolerance of gay rights. It safe to say that when we meet at functions I usually find an excuse not to go or to leave early. There are just some people I can not suffer. I am ashamed of myself at times. Oh well

I am proud to be an American

I am a Democrat. I guess I was just born into a working class family that voted for Democrats and I just continued the tradition. When I was young almost all working people were Democrats while most rich people were Republican. That is just the way it was when I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s. That did not mean that my parents did not vote for Republicans. My mother and father usually voted for the candidate that had their interest as his main goal or one who seemed best suited for the job. I registered as a Democrat when I became of voting age. That was a big deal for me because in a lot of ways I am a very conservative person. I never took drugs or burned my draft card. In fact I joined the service in 1966. I never even had long hair in my life. When I found the woman I loved we waited until our marriage to have relations because we wanted to do what we thought was right. We raised our children very conservative. My wife was a stay at home mother and we lived within our means. We went to church every Sunday. My children were expected to carry a GPA of at least a 3.5 at all times or their free time was taken away from them. There was a saying in our house, 3.5 or you don’t drive. My children were never allowed to wear tennis shoes to school during the winter months and I had strict guidelines on dress and hair. I never hit them but made then toe the line. When the each turned 16 I made then apply for 10 jobs with a Resume’ in hand. They were both required to take the hardest subjects, work, join band and keep that 3.5 GPA. When I taught school I kept my hair short and wore a tie each and every day. My shoes were always shined. While my children lived under my roof I never kept or drank any adult beverage around them. The question many people would ask me is with that strict conservative attitude why would I support or vote for Democrats most of the time? I have a set of core principles. I believe in a Progressive income tax instead of a regressive one. I am against tax breaks for large oil and gas corporations. I am against tax loop holes for the wealthy. I am against foreign tax havens. I am against tax abatements for companies to move around in order to escape paying local taxes. I am a big believer in the Public School system because it offers a fair chance to all students. I am against private religious schools that at times are used by the wealthy to promote segregation in certain parts of our country. Public schools have been the backbone of this country and along with the GI Bill and student loans have helped create the middle class. I am a great fan of Social Security. Unlike the 20’s and early 30’s old people have a chance at some independence at the end of a long and sometimes hard working career? This program also protects a workers family in case of a premature death. I like the fact that workers are paying 50% of their Social security tax along with an employee match. I do not like the fact that both Democrats and Republicans have borrowed almost 3 trillion dollars from this fund for their budget shortfalls. I hope that for the first time in the history of this nation Congress does not default on this debt. By law they must pay it back. I do not like the Republican attempt to persuade Americans that they must accept cuts in this, non budget, program. It is obvious that they are looking for a way not to have to honor their debt. I like the fact that we have a Medicare program that helps the elderly to pay their medical bills. I do not like the Republican attempt to cut back on payments instead of trying to fix the underlying problem. Wages have become stagnant since Medicare was instituted compared to the rise of Health care costs. We still have the same 1.45% employee and employer deduction as when it started .There has been no attempt to slow down or even cap the rising costs of health care for the elderly. A $2,000 CAT Scan costs $120 in England.. I know that people could not afford to pay their medical costs in the 60’s how can we expect them to use a voucher system and buy medical Ins.today. Who would sell it to them and for how much? This program can be fixed but all I hear from the republicans is cut,cut,cut. I do not like a Republican Party that will not take care of the poor but have no trouble attacking programs that help the poor and elderly but protect the wealthy. I detest their attacks on teachers and union workers while citing Wal-Mart as a great American success story. I guess I hate to see the class warfare practiced by the wealthy all my life. I worry about people who worry about their illness and their high medical bills. I am a great supporter of unions for hard working men and women. Unions helped create the middle class. I guess I am trying to say is that I am a conservative Progressive. I hate seeing bumper stickers every time the Republicans lose an election. I hate how they try to paint people like me as Socialists or Communists. I hate all the Supreme Court decisions that favor the corporations and pour tons of money at opposition attacks. I want shorter and government financed elections with a longer voting period. I I hate the way the Republicans make themselves out to be Christian while the rest of us are labeled as evil. I hate the way they yell about the Constitution when it is clear most never read it. I believe in every Americans right to be heard and their right to fair representation. Polls tell us that 70%or even 80% of Americans are for an issue and still they vote against it. I hate the fact that when Clinton and Obama won their races as Presidents they were attacked the next day. Republicans love to use slogans like “Don’t blame me I voted for Bush” Or” Nobama”. I am not really proud to be a Democrat or a Progressive or white or Italian but I am proud as hell not to be a Republican. I am proud to be a Christian,a child of God and an American.

The New Civil War ?

Southern politicians have been secretly waging economic warfare against Northern states. NAFTA and global trade agreements have virtually killed northern manufacturing and Northeastern textiling. These trade agreements have been primarily enacted and implemented by Presidents who come from the south; ie Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II. At the same time, Southern states have virtually monopolized the distribution of cheap product imports via southern based companies like Home Depot, Lowes, CVS, Dollar stores, Sams Club, Walmart, Bank of America; etc. Throughout this country, you see development of very similar cookie cutter strip malls containing the same southern companies that are destroying northern small business operations. Moreover, because of the vast amount of undeveloped land in the South, the region has been able to attract foreign manufacturers like Hyundai, BMW, Kia Moters, Mercedes Benz, etc, by offering attractive tax free incentives and condemning unionized labor. For example, Alabama offered Goodyear 20 years of tax incentives to invest in Alabama. Tax incentives are now the norm in all Southern states and in order to compete, Northern states and cities are now compelled to offer similar tax incentives. In the end however, public school financing and virtually all public services suffer. Long term, as people are forced to move away from northern cities, the north will continue to lose political seats to the detriment of increasing political power in the south. So I ask the question: Will the Southern economic model sustain the long term economic and security interest of this country? I was stationed in the South and never liked it. Sometimes I wished we had lost the Civil War. Some of those states remind me of a foreign country anyway.

What the heck is she saying ?

Some people are good at writing their thoughts down while others are good at public speaking and conveying their points of view on issues. I am not a very good writer. I am great at speaking and presenting oral arguments but writing-----not so good. That is one reason I started this blog. I was trying to take one of my weaknesses and turn it into, if not a strength, at least an asset. I usually try to comment on issues or positions politicians take. I try not to get personal with my posts. I realize not everyone thinks or looks at issues the same way I do. I do have to make a comment on a position Sara Palin took the other day on FOX news. I would like someone else to read her remarks and please please try and make some sense of it. "Well check this out, bodyguard, you're fired," Palin said. "I hope his wife ... sends him to the doghouse -- as long as he's not eating the dog, along with his former boss." She goes on and it only gets worse. I invite you to go to the Huffington Post and read it. I will put a link on my Facebook page. I just find it hard to believe that anyone takes her seriously.

State of the Union.

I'm a progressive, I always have been, but some of my progressive brethren are beginning to annoy. The country has been moving to the right for the past 30 years. It's so far to the right now that Barry Goldwater would be considered a card carrying Communist. Given that situation up front, just what would you have President Obama do? It's our fault. We allowed this state of affairs to happen, and were too d*** lazy to get involved and prevent it. As an aggregate we voted in the current absolutely awful congress. We were cowardly after 911, and traded Constitutional principles for safety, and allowed our civil liberties to be taken away by the most UN American gang of thugs and third raters ever to govern. Instead of looking for a man on a horse, and throwing the President under the bus for trying to get SOMETHING done, direct your anger and frustration at the conservative movement in the United States, where it belongs. That will require solidarity, and a shared vision. So far it's been like herding cats. Time to get real, or it won't matter how principled and correct you are.
"The USA will move so far to the right you won't recognize it"- Ed Meese, former US Atty. Gen for and career-long confidante to Ronald Reagan, front man for the cabal that mainstreamed fascism in America. Meese, tragically, was entirely correct. In this context, we can see that the "ultra-liberal" or "socialist" current president is actually a Nixon Republican. Remember Nixon? The guy who founded the EPA, opened relations with China.
This is no longer about left versus right. It's obvious that all we have is right wing, whether it is far far right wing as represented in the GOP or center right as represented by the Democratic Party. We no longer have real choice. While Obama will be a better president than Romney due to the fact that the Democratic Party isn't off the cliff into crazy right wing land, both parties are owned by Wall Street and the banking and military industrial complex. That is clearly why it is no longer left versus right. It is Wall Street versus the people of the United States. What choice do we have? How far can we swing to the Right before it is too late?
As I listen to all the disinformation we are fed every day I just shake my head. As I listen to other people retell and respreads these half-truths and lies I just cry.

Budgets of the last Presidents.

Reagan:
• The first budget — passed by all Republicans and a few conservative Southern Democrats. ◦ This increased the debt by $144 Billion.

• The next 5 budgets — passed by the Republican Senate and signed by Reagan.
• The last 2 budgets — passed by a Democratic Congress ◦ Totalled slightly less than Reagan requested.

•G. W. H. Bush:
• Democratic Congresses under Bush passed smaller budgets than he requested in 3 out of 4 years.
• These four Democratic budgets totalled $14.6 Billion less than Bush requested.
•G. W. Bush:
• The first two budgets — Senate was split 50/50 and the House was Democratic. ◦ Bipartisan and totalled $20 Billion less than Bush requested.
◦ The biggest cause of deficits was Bush's enormous tax cut, mainly for the rich.

• The next 4 budgets — the Congress was solid Republican.
• The last 2 budgets — Bush vetoed modest Democratic attempts at spending.

In summary: Democrats controled Congress during 8 out the 20 years. During 4 of those years, Democrats decreased the budgets proposed by the Republican presidents. Their total effect during those 8 years was to reduce Republican budgets by $17 Billion (which is only 0.2%

Why they hate us.

Why do wealthy people hate Social Security so much? They don’t have to pay it for all of their income because it is capped. They still are allowed to collect it when they retire and believe me they do. So why do they hate it so much?
They hate it because it has helped millions escape destitute poverty in their old age. What is the fun of being filthy rich if you can't watch old people dying? They hate to see us going on cruises and flying to Europe and beyond. That stuff is for THEM! We should be working 3 jobs and getting 4 hours of sleep, dying in our 50s. THEY are the ones who are entitled, not us. How dare we think we should be comfortable and have fun in life! Outrageous. They are the feudal lords and we are the peasants. Who cares what we need or want? Certainly not them and by them I mean the republicans. Any person who is a republican and isn't filthy rich is a dupe. A pawn, and May I say, not a very bright pawn.
I have watched this attitude for years in my town. Even the town has only 12,000 people in it you never he rich. They spend their time at their private Golf club where they eat, play tennis, golf, cards and generally keep to themselves.
Social Security is an "entitlement" because workers have earned their benefits by paying into the system throughout their careers; it is clearly either welfare or "the dole." Also, Social Security could be simply and painlessly funded into the indefinite future by raising the upper threshold on which a wage earner's payroll tax is imposed. Financial elites hate the fact that to date they have not been granted access to these funds to gamble with in the Wall St. casino.
It really doesn’t matter though because the Republicans have been able to convince a whole group of middle class and poor people that their Republican Party will take care of them. In the end they will steal Social Security from the hard workers of this country. In a way we will deserve what is coming. Back to the good old days (1929).

We are lazy and just a little uninformed.

Bend over America. You have sat back in your EZ chairs for too long and your country has been sold and bought by the politicians and the banks. Any rule passed will be a watered down, "we're doing it for the people" bill that will have no other purpose than to give politicians a talking point about what they are doing to protect us while they and their owners screw us royally. I'm afraid the occupy movement is already too late. Short of a major revolution, I don't see it changing much. The banks and corporations cover their bets by contributing to BOTH parties, insuring that no matter what, they will have a friend in office. They keep us divided on silly, idiotic social issues while they rob us blind and slowly take our rights away from us. If the people don't rise up and take their country back this noble experiment of a government Of the People, By the People, and For the People will fall into history's trash can and become a memory as the rich and powerful consolidate their control of the planet, using our failure as an example of why the people need to be controlled.
I'm trying to figure out why the media, including the internet media haven't found it important enough to warn Americans that their old democracy has become a new plutocracy. How can citizen groups compete with lobbyists armed with 1/2 a billion dollars from financial institutions in campaign re-election funding for the professional politicians in our congress. It's the same losing battle against any other lobbyist groups. They own the congress of America. The politicians are not going to vote to lose their campaign funding. CAMPAIGN FUNDING WINS ELECTIONS IN OVER (100) % OF ELECTIONS.
The Democrats are bad and the Republicans are just pure evil.

Happy Easter !

I wonder if most people really know how wealth is distributed in this county. If not, there are two sites that contain some depressing pie charts.
http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/
Click on "Wealth, Income, and Power" and page down to the pie charts. In terms of net worth, the wealthiest 1% had 35% of the net worth; the next 4% had 27%; the next 5% had 11%; the next 10% had 12%. The poorest 80% of people had only 15% of the net worth. The values are from 2007. Since most of the increase in wealth in the last few years has gone to the already wealthy, it is probably more skewed now.
http://www.extremeinequality.org/
Go to "Data & Statistics" and click on "Wealth Inequality". Page down to the pie charts. The values are similar to those at the other site. However, stock market ownership is also included. It is more depressing.I know and accept the fact that there are always rich and poor, but the vast accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few people is very disturbing.
It bothers me that wealthy people can go to church, look down their noses at the dirty poor and still claim the moral authority. How can they go to church and still support policies that favor the rich over the poor. Would Jesus agree with this?

Why I hate the Yankees.

I hate the Yankees. I hate them for a couple of reasons. They do generate the most revenue in the league but that is not why I hate them. I hate them for the cheating stealing talent crooks they are.
It started years ago when they had the Kansas City A’s as one of their minor league teams. They actually helped Kansas City get a Major league team. The only problem was because of the money they had they still treated and used Kansas City as one of their minor league teams. The Cleveland Indians had a great young player named Roger Maris. The Yankees coveted him but the Indians would not trade him because they were always in a fight with the Yankees for the pennant. Unfortunately both Kansas City and Cleveland needed money so the Yankees made a secret deal with Kansas City to acquire Roger from Cleveland in a trade for money and players. Kansas City turned around and gave him to the Yankees for more money. The Yankees got their way in the end.
This practice continued throughout the years. Other teams, like Cleveland, had better baseball operations. They scouted better than the Yankees. They taught and trained their players better than the Yankees. They actually had better minor league teams than the Yankees.
The Yankees had something that Cleveland and other small market teams did not have. Money and plenty of it. The Yankees would just wait for Cleveland to develop, train, and season their talent and when that talent starts to produce the Yankees would just buy them.
I have seen Yankee fans come to Cleveland and act like ass holes because they thought they were so much better than the Indians. In many cases they were and are insufferable. As far as I am concerned the Indians have the better franchise and fans. The Yankees just cheat and still they do not win every year. I would never be friends with a person from Ohio that was a Yankee fan. As far as I am concerned they are mentally deficient. Go Tribe. You develop the best players and have the best and most loyal fans. Watching the pre-game ceremonies on opening day brings moisture to my eyes. I would always rather be an Indians fan. The Yankees and their fans suck and that includes a basketball player from Miami named turncoat James. Sorry but that is being kind.

Paper Tigers !

I have been receiving Emails from friends, relitives, and acquaintances that question the patriotism of President Obama. They say he keeps apologizing to our enemies. These emails are all centered on the premise of being a proud American while the President is not.
Sometimes I get sick of people and their dumb ideas. Normally I would never question another’s patriotism. I am reminded of people like Teddy Roosevelt who was very sick most of his life. The man could hardly even see because of his poor eyesight. He not only worked out and made himself stronger but served his country during a time of war. He was a half-blind sick man and yet he did his duty. The man even suffered from asthma. Now he was proud to be an American!
I think of JFK who suffered from Addison’s disease. He also had a very bad back and yet he still found time to do his duty and serve his country. Both Presidents were very rich men.
On a much less important note I myself suffered Polio at a young age and was forced to endure the pain of physical therapy for years. I could never really touch my toes due to my stiff back. I could touch about two inches beneath my knees.
During my draft physical I was pulled aside by a military Doctor. He told me I would have a very hard time in the Army and wanted to offer me a medical deferment. I told him to please hold off because I would join the USAF because most of their jobs were more technical and there was no need for any combat training. He said ok and sent me to an Air Force recruiter that contacted me at home. After a series of tests I was accepted in the field of Electronics. I did still have trouble in Basic Training trying to fake touching my toes. Thankfully there were 60 of us and I could bend my knees a little and fake it most of the time.
I only tell these stories because most of the Conservatives that are sending me this crap never spent a day in the service of their country. On air jerks like Rush Limblah blah, Sean Hannity, and others all had deferments for one reason or another.
For the record President Bush, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton all loved and were proud of their country. For the record President Obama is a proud American. This man is not a Socialist but more of a moderate. He has never done anything wrong while President. When we drop a bomb or kill civilians by accident an apology is sometimes needed. This speaks to the Character of the man not to any disloyalty to his country. For the record President Obama took over a country rub into the ground by the previous three Presidents and is doing the best he can. The opposition never, never gives him credit for anything and they lie about his record every day.
For the record President Bush did attack the wrong country and President Obama did select and approve the mission to finally kill O.B.L. Oh and yes my friends I am proud of my country. I just usually do not have to talk or send emails to others because I stood up and did my duty. The people who like to talk and accuse outers I say, unless you served shut your mouth when you are around me or I will be glad to shut it for you! That’s a fact Jack!

Fact check !

Generally old people make me sick. I know that I am getting old but I try to remind myself that once I was young. My mother lives in a sprawling complex for the elderly. She has a condo in a retirement development that has a club house and wide sidewalks for walking. Once in a while I will bring her great granddaughters over for a visit, and being only three blocks away we ride our bikes and trikes. The kids love to ride on the sidewalks because they are so many and they are safe. I follow them and keep an eye out for them.
My mother informs me that as of this spring no children are allowed to ride their bikes and trikes in the development. They also are not allowed to go there on Halloween. What the hell is wrong with people? One would think they would like to see young kids having fun. No, not the case.
Last week one of my elderly relatives told me that If Obamacare passes they will have to spend $285 dollars a month more in premiums. I asked where they got that information then it hit me FOX or the RNC and their lying email to the elderly. I looked it up and I was right the formula for determine the cost of Medicare had not changed.

Our ruling

The chain e-mail claimed that Medicare Part B premiums would increase dramatically in future years because of the health care law supported by President Barack Obama. We couldn’t find evidence to support the e-mail’s numbers. And in fact, most Medicare beneficiaries will only pay $3.50 more a month in 2012. The e-mail’s projection for 2014 seems entirely fabricated. The health care law leaves in place the long-established methods for calculating Medicare Part B premiums. The chain e-mail makes .the additional unproved claim that its allegations -- which are false anyway -- were accomplished nefariously and delayed for political purposes. We rate its claims Pants on Fire.
I can’t tell her the truth because she only listens to FOX and RUSH. Here are the facts the ACA will correct to make lives better: I can’ find one thing that does not make your health care better. Not one thing. Name one I dare you.
As for the mandate, I see no reason why my premiums should be higher because others won’t buy INS.
As a final point I would like to mention my favorite mandate under the A.C.A. All INS Companies must spend 80% of every dollar on health care. That is the reason I never retired to Florida. There are too many old people.