I love the majority of the bottom 47%.

I have taken all week to process the statement made by Mitt Romney on the 47% who need some help from the government. I have listened to the Republicans try and spin his comments. These were kind of funny. I have listened to the Democrats discuss all the corporate welfare and tax breaks that the wealthy receive pale in comparison.  Instead of commenting on these points I thought I would like to look at this issue from my own life experiences.

I have often said that if I counted my two paper routes I have held 17 jobs in my life.  I worked in high school and even held part time jobs while in the service. Some were easy and some were hard.  There are two that are at the bottom of the list.

One of these jobs was a four year stint in the foundry at a local pump manufacture. I started working in the Core Room where I had to bake sand cores in huge furnaces on the night shift. It was hot work. The sand often got in my eyes and the oil used to hold the sand together always stuck to your skin. The noise was deafening. When I would leave work at night and the quiet of the night hit my ears I would almost faint. One of my brothers worked with me and he had the job of working on the swing table. This table was elevated and when the hot metal was poured around the sand cores it was his job to use a jack hammer and blast the hard sand from the pump casings. He did this all night long and the vibrations almost killed him. Not too many men lasted too long on that job. Hours before work he would start to get sick just thinking of the shift he was about to work.

The second job that I remember, with dread, was a job at the local meat packing plant. Trucks would come in from Chicago, Texas, or other slaughter houses, with beef cattle cut up into four 250-300 pound pieces.  They were really ¼ of a cow. I took a year off of college because I needed transportation and money does not grow on trees. My job, along with a crew of six men, was to done two smocks and heavy gloves. These were to keep the blood off your cloths. The quarter sides of beef were hanging from the truck on large hooks. My job was to place two hands under the beef and raise my legs and toes up to unhook the beef. The beef would press against my chest and I would shuffle my feet to the end of the truck where a man with another hook attached to an overhead rail system awaited me. I had to bend my knees push forward and release the meat in order to hook it on his hook. I did this all summer and our crew usually did 6-8 trucks a day. We had to change of smocks and gloves every truck because the meat was bloody and slippery.

I ended each day with big blood blisters on my chest from the pressure. Luckily I was able to bid on another job as a selector loader. The damage to my body had been done though. The veins in my left leg started to hurt and are really bad today. If I had to do this kind of work my whole life I would have be in a wheel chair 10 years ago.

I had the GI Bill to fall back on and was able to go to school. Many people do not have these options and do hard work their whole lives. I often watch the helper on a garbage truck holding on the back as the truck rumbles down the road in the dead of winter. These kinds of men are heroes to me. Much like my father many are just trying to pay the bills and raise a family.

Not everyone reaches the age of 62 in the same physical shape. Many have had a hard life and deserve health care, disability, and a decent retirement program like Social Security. This is the reason I support the Affordable Care Act and President Obama. This is the reason I will vote for Democrats and against snobs and wealthy men who do not realize their luck in life but think their shit smells like roses.  I am proud of the majority of the 47% Mr. Romney speaks about. I look at him and a man like Newt Gingrich and see two men who never have worked a day in their lives, served their country, and generally look down their noses at the rest of us. Of all the decent people I have met in my life very few have had great wealth or had huge bank accounts. People like my Uncle Jack, my dad, George Andres, and my brother Steve are the real assets and backbones of this country not people like Mitt and his country club pals. They are just users mooching off of the hard work of others.  They are not special but the real users and cheaters in our country.

Sure there are people who are lazy and cheat the system and most of them are from the wealthy class. Remember this wealthy class of old money profited off the free labor of the backs of slaves for almost 400 years. These workers were used and thrown aside. If we don't demand better treatment or let men like Romney speak to us that way we will get the same treatment.

I was guilty of suckling at the Government teat, and I liked it!

The 1944 bill--among the most significant pieces of legislation ever passed by the U.S. Congress--included much more. Its education benefits threw open the doors of élite academies to the masses: in 1947, veterans made up almost half the nation's college students. It also offered low-interest, no-money-down mortgages, backed by the U.S. government that allowed millions of families to purchase their first homes. The move helped spark the postwar baby boom and the suburbanization of America in the 1950s: it effectively created the American middle class. With no or little education and a wish to have his own family my father was able to secure a home load for the purchase of a $13,000 ranch home in 1955 that made his simple dream come true. He then took night classes to learn a trade. He became a Hear Treater.

By 1956, when the initial program ended, close to half the nation's 16 million veterans had either gone to college or received job training. A generation flourished. The current situation presents far more difficult choices. With the U.S. military stretched thin, President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain--a veteran's veteran if ever there was one--oppose the latest version of the GI Bill over fears that its educational opportunities will reduce the number of soldiers re-enlisting for further tours of duty. But supporters of the new bill point out that duty runs both ways. As Webb puts it, "This is about taking care of the people who have taken care of us."

After months of debate, Congress finally passed a new GI Bill – the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act – which went into effect in August 2009. The new GI Bill significantly expands veterans’ education benefits, offering up to 100 percent tuition and fee coverage at institutions of higher learning, a monthly housing stipend, up to $1,000 annually for books and school supplies, and the option to transfer benefits to one or more immediate family members. And it has made the reality of higher education more attainable than ever for today’s veterans.

Without the GI Bill I would still be on the loading docks picking up ¼ sides of beef from Texas and hooking them on rails with hooks.  I did have to quit school for a year and work in order to buy a car but did finish my education in five years.  The GI Bill gave me enough money for tuition,books,1/3 of my rent and utilities. I had very little left for food but worked every summer and ate a lot of cereal. I must confess that in the winter of 1973 I was so hungry that I applied for, and received, food stamps for 20 weeks. 

I owe the Government and the American Tax payers for my schooling and career. I do not see it as a right but a gift from a grateful nation. I feel blessed. Without the GI Bill I would be a shell of the person I am today. Being able to go to college opened my eyes and made me a more rounded and compassionate person able to see all sides of an issue or problem. I am also a better person for my experiences. Thanks America and sorry Mr. Romney.

Out of Touch !

Here is a little story about a woman who gets a job at Wal-Mart. She starts out at $9.00 an hour. She is lucky and gets to work 40 hrs. a week for 50 weeks a year. That is $18,000 a year! She must pay 7.65% in FICA taxes .That amounts to $1,300. She must pay a state and local sales tax plus taxes on her car plates. I an guessing that she pays  up to or around around another 7%. That amounts to $1,260.  She must pay Ohio gas tax that will be an extra %.028 a gallon and with limited driving would add up to $500.00 a year. So far she pays taxes of $3,060.

That leaves her around $15,000 a year or around $1,250 dollars a month to live. Remember she has no health care but still must buy a car, pay rent, buy food, and pay utilities. She must also buy clothes for herself. All this and I am pretending she has no children.

Do we really want to make her pay federal taxes? If we place these taxes at only 15%, like Romney pays, that would be an extra 2,700 dollars a year.

There is no way that She can afford extra taxes and this is one of the reasons we give low income earners tax deductions that allow them to pay no federal taxes.  These are a part of the lazy, unmotivated 47% Romney attacks. Another group is the elderly but I will leave that for another time. Can anyone spell “OUT OF TOUCH”?

Obama and "Drill Baby Drill"

Darn you Barack Obama for only quadrupling the number of oil drilling rigs in the US! Yes. You heard me right.  The drilling boom is being driven by a variety of factors. New technologies have allowed companies to tap vast new oil reserves in places like North Dakota, Texas and, most recently, Ohio. High oil prices are making once-unprofitable fields more tempting.

All that drilling is helping to boost U.S. oil production. The U.S. pumped 3.9 million barrels a day from onshore fields in March, up 5.9% from a year earlier and the most in nearly a decade. Has that helped gas prices? NO ! Interesting huh.

Another interesting point is why the Bush/Cheney years were marked by ever declining oil production in the good old USA? Yea you heard me ! This happened at the same time oil companies like Exxon spent rising profits on share buyback instead of exploration causing their total oil production to decline as well.

Do big oil and their Grand Oil Party really want increased production? Or do they want increased oil profits? In the new economic world of peaking oil, increasing production isn’t the way to maximize profit margins. Scarcity is. This may confuse FOX viewers, but almost everything does. Still the Republicans are upset with the President .

 Maybe what big oil and GOBP really are upset with Obama about is that he called their bluff and is exposing the fact that increased production isn’t the solution. Gas prices falling---No,not yet.

The fact is that production is up everywhere and still I see signs that say “Drill Baby Drill”. Some Republican supporters really hate President Obama. They refuse to listen to or believe facts that go against what FOX is filling their empty heads with every day. I have even heard some say they would never buy a GM product again because of the Auto Bailout.  Although Ford did not need money from the $80 billion bailout program, Ford did receive $5.9 billion in government loans in 2009 to retool its manufacturing plants to produce more fuel-efficient cars, and the company lobbied for and benefited from the cash-for-clunkers program. Would this cause them to buy a car from China?

This makes me ask a question that I really hate to pose. Are some Republicans so full of hate that a Black man is in charge that they are willing to place bigotry and hate over their patriotism over common sense? I just find comments about buying a car the President likes or supports offensive and un-American.  I even hear Republicans pick on the Chevy Volt because the President said he would buy one.

Politics is one thing but when the election is over it is important that all Americans support the winner and move the country forward. I watched Bill Clinton treated in much the same way and I am tired of the signs, lies, and backward un-American thinking. I have had it!  To all of you with such ignorant signs and ideas I say......may God bless and help you.

A very small look at the history of Iran.

Reza Khan declares Iran a neutral power during World War II, Iran's British-controlled oil interests are largely maintained by German engineers and technicians, and Khan refuses to expel German citizens despite a request by Britain. In September 1941, following British and Soviet occupation of western Iran, Reza Shah is forced out of power. His son, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, succeeds him on the throne.

Nationalist Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq attempts to nationalize the British-owned oil industry. The shah opposes Mossadeq and removes him from power, but he regains power and the shah leaves Iran. This is a victory for the people of Iran and democracy.

The shah returns to Iran when Gen. Fazlollah Zahedi -- with backing from the Central Intelligence Agency -- overthrows Mossadeq in an August coup d'etat. This is a victory for the oil companies with help from the CIA.

In 1957, according to the Federation of American Scientists, U.S. and Israeli intelligence officer’s work with Iran to set up SAVAK, an Iranian intelligence organization later blamed for the torture and execution of thousands of political prisoners and violent suppression of dissent citizens. This is bad for the citizens of Iran.

The shah implements "The White Revolution," an aggressive campaign of social and economic Westernization that is met with intense popular opposition. Popular nationalist Ayatollah Khomeini is arrested in one of many crackdowns on the shah's opponents. By the late 1960s the shah relies regularly on SAVAK to quell dissidence.

Iranians resort to rioting, mass demonstrations and strikes to protest the shah's authoritarian rule. In response, he enforces martial law. The shah is forced to flee the country.

I could go on and on but the point I am trying to make clear is that the western governments have been interfering in this and other Islamic countries for years resulting in torture and death. All done in the name of OIL. This is why they hate us Sean Hannity and FOX news. Remember we armed both sides in the Iraq and Iran war that resulted in the loss of a Million people. When will we learn?

Even now we have attacked two countries in this region and still have boots on the ground. If I was Iran I would want a nebular bomb too. They are the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism and a lot of it is our fault. We helped create the modern Iran.

Good Luck Chicago.

I remember that when I started teaching school every shop in the city,where I lived, paid a better wage than I received. Every teacher had to have a second job. We are not paid in the summer months.  Yes we do get checks but that money is taken out of our regular pay and put into escrow to be given out to us slowly each summer. In fact that money is already earned and belongs to us.

In the beginning of my teaching career I worked for a bus company in Canfield Ohio. I fixed broken seats for school busses six days a week. After that job was completed I serviced new busses and worked painting older busses. I did that for four years.

My next summer job was as a yard labor for Deming Pumps in Salem Ohio. I did general labor for two years and then spent three more summers in assembly and the foundry. I usually worked in the core room or filling in for men on vacation.

I spent the next three years selling and installing carpet. During this whole time I never had a vacation. I remember one of my brothers telling me that no one told me to go into teaching.  During this whole time our state and local union became more powerful and we were offered better pay and better working rights. Soon we were not only at par with most shops but ahead of most. We were starting to be treated like the professionals we were. No more summer jobs !

We fought and scraped for every benefit and pay increase we were entitled to. We even had a six week strike over contract language and teacher rights.

At the end of my career I watched as new teachers took for granted all the pay and benefits we fought for. Some even abused benefits like sick days.  Many I worked with often voted against their own interest for candidates that were outwardly against public schools and teachers unions. I watched as slowly our rights and benefits were being eroded. We were forced to take attendance and use a computer for grades but were given no computer for our desk. More and more secretarial paperwork was placed on our shoulders. I was happy to retire and often wondered how long it would take for the anti-union politicians to break the strength of the union.

When Gov. Kasich was elected I knew the end was starting. Teachers in Ohio will soon lose their seniority, tenure, and the ability to strike. All of this happens while teachers sit behind their desks and watch it happen. Many will support Kasich and Romney during their next elections. The once mighty OEA also stands by and watches these erosions take place. If I was still teaching I would not belong to the OEA because of their inability to fight back for teachers and call for a complete work stoppage state wide.

In fact, the only teachers I see taking a stand are the teachers in Chicago. They are standing up for their rights with little or no support. Even President Obama is not in agreement with them. They will soon lose their fight I fear. At least they had the guts to try. Teachers in Ohio should at least unite and take a stand against these new rules. I feel that all the time and work we put into our struggle to obtain and secure teacher rights are just being pissed down the drain by the teachers of today

Union President #2

The year before I became President of our teachers union I spent two years as Vice President. My President was involved in coaching so a lot of the grievances and little problems were left for me to handle. I remember one case where a teacher from one of our four elementary schools was transferred from the one she taught at for 15 years to another one miles away.  Our contract allowed the Board of Ed. the power to make these decisions because we had no seniority rights. I met with this teacher and she informed me that the other teachers in her building did not like her because she was older and kept to herself. She told me they put pressure on the Principal to transfer her to another school and replace her someone else. She said that she lived next to her school and the transfer was to a building 10 miles away.  After talking to her I arranged a meeting with the Principal who told me that although she was a good teacher she did not blend in well with the other teachers. She did nothing wrong and he considered her a benefit to the district but felt keeping the peace among his staff was important. I met with her and told her we did not have a legal leg to stand on but were scheduled to present our case in public at the next school board meeting. I gathered parental support to speak for her. I advised her to let me do all the talking and keep her cool.

During the public meeting I felt that our side was making enough points to get the Principal's decision overturned. I became hopeful when the Principal told the board that the other teachers just did not like her and that was bad for moral. At this point she lost her composure and told the Principal to shove it and handed them her resignation and stormed out. Later she told me she just could not stand being treated in such a manner. I was shocked and really felt bad for a long time. No one else seemed to care much. Soon the incident blew over and things returned to normal. 

During a contract negotiation both sides never try to rewrite or agree on a new master contract.Every two or three years a new contract was put into place. To start from scratch would be too time consuming. Each side would usually make a list of eight to ten issues or points that were important to their side and negotiate on these issues.  We would usually start early in the spring of the contracts last year and finish up during the summer.  Many tears we would vote to accept a new contract on the first day of school.

Needless to say seniority, with bumping rights, was on our list during the next contract. In fact this section of our master contract became the backbone of teacher’s rights for years until the shit hit the fan years later. Stay tuned for the middle of my story. That will come when the mood hits me.

Obama or Romney ?

First off I should state that I believe that officials of the Bush Administration are guilty of Major war crimes.  Without going into too much detail I believe that attacking the civilian population areas of a country is a war crime. It is a crime especially if the country you attack  has not attacked you or given any reason for such attack. I also believe that any violation of treatment of prisoners is a war crime. Treatment of prisoners is outlined under the Geneva accords. The same ones our government used to convict German and Japanese after WWII. Wateboarding, sexual pictures, and killing innocent families seem to be some of the charges leveled at the Bush Administration.

President Obama promised that if elected he would put a stop to internment camps, like Abeu Grab, and assinations. He made a promise to end all wars and bring the troops home. Since he has not fulfilled these tasks I find myself wondering if he really was the man for the job. He is just as guilty on some of these charges. Why do we still have private contractors in these countries. Is it legal to send drones to assinate men without any trial?

My disappointment in his actions extended in his willingness to give in to Conservatives on issues important to me. It seems at times he still is worried what the money men think of him and if they will support him. I could list all the disappointments but what would be the point. I would have to write a book. To say I find his inability to stand up for me and the promises he made to be a disappointment .

I find myself having the distasteful task of either voting for another candidate as a protest or holding my nose and voting for him. I found myself in an argument with a friend who plans on using his vote as a protest. I explained that having the Romney, Ryan ticket in the White House could do more harm to this country.

 I told my friend that by sitting out this election or using you vote as a protest will result in the same thing that happened when others sat out the 2010 elections - Republicans will gain power, and things get worse.

If you don't think things can be worse, you're deluding yourself. Complete dismantling of the Dept. of Energy, the Dept. of Education, the FDA, the EPA, a significantly Conservative Supreme Court for the next 30+ years, the re-introduction of anti-homosexual policies in all aspects of life, the decision to go to war with Iran, Syria and any other country the right thinks is in their way.

Our government has stalled for the last 2 years. It's because of people like you and your decision to "vote your conscience" or even worse, to not vote at all, so you want to prove a point to yourself so you can "sleep better at night” be my guest.

Except, what ramifications did your selfishness create? Your desire for a clean conscience is just as self-indulgent and greedy as any hardcore right-wingers vote to cut all taxes so their pockets can get fatter. When you choose to vote in a way that you know will emphatically, without doubt or question, cause damage to other Americans, you're as guilty as the side you oppose.

You want it better? Vote down-ballot. Vote Green or Independent or whatever the hell in local, state, regional elections - so that you change the shape of congress. A strong third or fourth party starts at the grass roots level, but cannot and will not ever start at the top. Because the stakes are simply too high and the money required simply too large.

A vote for Obama is a vote against Romney - it's a vote against Plutocracy, against Corporatism, a vote in favor of recognizing the concept of human civil liberties, workers’ rights, progressive taxation, and a government which is here to help the people of this nation, not simply those who have made the most money.

Don't fool yourself into thinking you're doing something right & good by sitting this one out or voting for a lesser candidate as a protest. That foolishness has nearly destroyed our country for the last 2 years. If it happens again, you will be responsible for finishing the job. Damn you for it.

I find myself looking at the platform of the two parties and voting for the one that helps keep America the free and safe country I grew up in.