Anyone but Obama

Are you celebrating that the riots were only at SIU?

 

Hum?

 

I'm sure by now you've read Coin's comments. He may be a stinking anti-socialist, but he understood how it could make sense, and got a few things right. The computer part is easy... they are cheap, sometimes free, when they are old and obsolete. The current one I'm using is over 10 years old and had a bad hard-drive. I was able to purchase a new hard-drive for about $15 (counting shipping and handling). I had to splurge on an operating system, and it had other issues, that cost me about $90 to straighten out. Total cost was just over $100.

I'm not living alone, there are 3 other adults here, so we scrape our money together and purchase what we agree on. In this case, my gf's daughter required the use of the internet for one of her jobs. I have the computer knowledge necessary to get the cheap computer's functional for cheap (see above) so we agreed to purchase access. If we hadn't, I could always use the library's internet... if I had a functional vehicle. Mine brioke down at work, so my boss is letting me use his '93 PU. I pay for the fuel. I've been working on my vehicle, attempting to repair it, but so far I haven't been able to get it running. Newer vehicles have too many useless pieces of crap in them, like computers, which means I'd need expensive tools to diagnose most problems. I can't afford that so I'm working somewhat blind here lol

I'm sure you are correct when you say there are some that don't want to work. The flip-side is that there are some who DO want to work but no one wants to hire them. Then there's all those shades of gray I mentioned...

 

It's not much, but I live with three other people, it's kinda Socialist... ...I'd like to work more, but I never get called back for interviews, neither has my son who has been trying ever since he graduated last year. They don't want to hire us lol

We once owned about a dozen computers and monitors , some were the old black & white screens. I keep a few for their operating systems (Microsoft's 3.1, '95, etc.) but they are obsolete systems and essentually useless. The computer I'm using now had a bad hard-drive and was free. I bought a new hard-drive and operating system, and a few other parts for about $100 and got it internet-capable. We agreed as a group to purchase access to the internet. It's all very Socialistic

Sounds like you want more info, so later on don't whine that I'm giving you my life story LOL

I have chronic medical issues that have certainly interfered with my ability to find work in the past, and are getting worse as I age. But I have been working since I was 10, with the first of several paper routes (with several different papers). When I get hired and compared to others, I stand out as the most capable person, despite my limitations. My first serious job was a Summer gig at a County Arena. The boss there appreciated my hard work and skills... and was devastated when I found a year-long job working for a state-park after two Summers there (Winter I did odd jobs). Again, I out-shined the rest of the workers. The boss there recognized that and even asked me for retirement advice, which I gave him, and he followed.

The shift work was intended to point out the working conditions I had for 7 years. I've never been a morning person, so 5am's were not fun. The 9 pm to 5am shift is to show how the job required me to change my sleeping patterns in order to conform to what the job required. It was also not fun. But, I did that for 7 years. The point is to show that I wasn't abusing the system or asking for an easy-out... I was doing what it took, still am... if I could find a better job I'll take it. My boss knows that and has asked me to stick it out for another year or two 'till he retires. Once that happens, he'll need me to work for him a lot more often.

I have a big issue with car insurance. I don't undrstand how people can accept paying tens of thousands of dollars in a decade for something they don't need. Yes, some people get in accidents and have expensive repair bills, but most people are accident-free. If I get in one accident in 30 years, and it costs me $3,500 to repair the damage, fine... I'll pay it. I DON'T want to have to pay $50,000+ for the same thing, and don't see why other people do. Not what you asked, but that's what you get...

Wearing people should be illegal...

 

I was wondering if you'd do the math and come to those conclusions.

This was nearly a decade ago, with lower wages. Also, the department I led had a limit on hours available. That limit meant I had to structure my hours, and the 3 other people working under me, in a way that was most efficient. The most efficient way was to limit my hours to 32, in order to have more people working the part-time shifts (5am to 9am). Over the years, the number of hours allotted to my department was decreased, eventually becoming about half of the original hours. We compensated that by working in other departments. I worked a lot of shifts in the Price Management department (and others). Michigan requires all products to be priced, and prices change constantly. When they anticipated a need for more people to do the job, I was always called on to help out, so I did. That evened my wages out a bit, but I rarely was able to get enough work for a full 40 hour week. Eventually, the Maintenance Department was dropped in favor of out-sourcing. I worked early mornings, late nights, every holiday (except they closed on Christmas), sometimes being the only person available for work for weeks at a time, meaning I had few days off...

 

This country has no shortage of working poor or underemployed people. I believe that people gain a sense of self-esteem when they work and earn pay check. More than anything, this country is made up of people that want to work and lead productive lives. Even those that are forced to or choose to live by the good graces of others for the most part do not feel good about their situation. That is how I see people.

When you have an economic situation like we have currently coupled with flat wages over a long period of time at the same time the price of everything from gasoline to food to health care has skyrocketed, you simply can’t assume that people are out of work because they have suddenly decided life would be easier if they just lived off the system and expect have any credibility for that opinion. The idea that the first conclusion one should draw from this dynamic is that there are just so many people that are unwilling to work is just ludicrous.

 

All I can say is that I now know you are feed us a crock. 10 years ago, Bush inherited a booming economy (I learned that here). If all you could manage was minimum wage, even Walmart would have been better - and they hire the disabled.

 

I'm going to assume you don't believe me, and are somewhat flustered ...fine, but consider this: What would my motives be? I consider a lot of the stuff I said to be personally embarassing to state (my wages for the year as an example).

BTW, I worked at Wally-World during the Christmas season one year. The experience was enlightening, I'd suggest you try it out. I have to warn you though, I can only think of one good thing about Wal-Mart, and that was their system of keeping track of a person's hours. They had a punch clock

For the record though: I worked at the job you're questioning from July of 1997 to October of 2004... in case you wish to sputter on and debunk my comments some more.

 

It was much more like a bunch of drunk college kids getting into fights when the power went out during their dorm parties. The police had most all of them tucked back into their beds by midnight. Higher eduction, ya know.

 

This should make StuJoe happy.

Spain to Tax the Rich to Reduce Debt

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Artic...ain-to-Tax-the-Rich-to-Reduce-Debt.aspx#page1

This sentence should make Moen happy.

Spain's debt-laden Socialist government voted Friday to reintroduce a wealth tax it had suspended just three years ago, arguing now that it is only fair for richer people to chip in more in times of crisis.

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Artic...ain-to-Tax-the-Rich-to-Reduce-Debt.aspx#page1

 

I am not for singling out a certain segment to bail us out the mess we have ourselves in. Targeting just the 'rich' really doesn't do much good for our debt - certain politicians and party members would like to make you think it does because it is politically more palatable and makes for good election rhetoric.

But all you have to do is look at the Bush nee Obama tax cuts for the uncomfortable reality...eliminating them for just the 'rich' generates 700 billion over 10 years. Eliminating them for everyone generates 3.7 trillion over 10 years. The former is not very significant when we are 14 trillion in debt and running trillion dollar deficits, the latter is quite significant.

Keep that in mind when looking at the ever popular CBO 10 year budget projections. They are all based upon the Bush/Obama tax cuts expiring for everyone (current legislation) next year. If that doesn't happen (and it probably won't), the projections are off by about 3 to 4 trillion dollars (300 to 400 billion a year).

They are just playing a shell game and pretending we can survive without everyone pitching in to pay for the mess we have gotten ourselves into. If they tell the truth, they won't get re-elected. We need about 400 billion a year in cuts and 400 billion a year in revenue just to get our deficits to a manageable level otherwise we are just prolonging the agony and eventual crash and burn.

 

Even if taxing the wealthiest among us doesn't solve every fiscal problem we have, and you'd be a fool to believe that it would, it is certainly a step in the right direction and causes the least amount of pain to the least amount of people. That alone is a good enough reason to follow Spain's example.

 

I actually agree with Stu with what he stated in his other posts regarding cutting spending and taxes and I think most people would if they believed it was done fairly, objectively and across the boards what was best for this nation. This nation really needs one person to rally around to figure head the change that we need. Do not think it would be from the current leadership of either party and please no one bring up the name Trump who legally stole life savings from the middle class years ago in one of the biggest junk bond scandels ever.

 

It isn't murder because embryos are not babies. Most people who are anti-abortion, sorry, pro-life, base their view on a religious belief that life begins with conception. I don't often agree with Moen the nutcase, but on this subject, he is absolutely right. Abortions are safe, legal, and the Roe vs Wade decision was a well thought out case by the Supreme Court which was based upon viability rather than some Pagan religious belief.

Equating an embryo to a baby in order to call it murder is the age old trick employed by right wing Republican propagandists. Every time you make statements like that, you embolden like Moen, and hurt the credibility of all Republicans, including myself. From one Republican to another, STOP IT!

 

It is a cop out. Political drivel of the worst kind. And I think it does more harm than good because it is delusional. It's like taking a walk to Alaska and saying your first half mile is a 'step in the right direction. We'll get there no problem.' Those of us making 1, 2, 3, 4 , 5 times the median income aren't going to feel real pain either and we should pay for the mess too. If you think that would be pain, I would have to question if know what pain is.

 

I didn't say people making lower amounts shouldn't also contribute. I think we need to spread the pain around but there are many forms of income that are taxed at 15% that could certainly be taxed much higher. Pain is relative. If I have to wait until next year to put a new roof on my house because I've had to kick a little more into the collective pot, that is my pain. If Thurston Howell has to have one less car in his drive way at his home in the Bahamas because he had to kick a little more into the collective pot, that is his pain. If Shatiqua down in the hood has to send her son to school with no coat because she was made to pay more into the collective pot, that is her pain. Some pain comes with a little umbrella in your drink and some pain comes with a sick kid missing school. It's all relative.

 

Go back to the Eisenhower rates.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html

 

Funny thing is that I so very rarely hear anything about any spreading around plans but taxing the 'rich' and how people making a quarter million a year need to be the protected as the 'middle class'. It so often seems most people want 'someone else' to bail us out. We, as a nation, are so rarely asked to sacrifice anything any more that I am not sure we still know how...which, I think, could explain a lot about where we are and how we got here.

And we will just have to disagree on what actual economic pain is. I don't believe keeping my camera for another year or buying a 50 inch tv instead of a 65 inch is any kind of real pain. I might be able to stretch it to an 'inconvenience' but a short drive around here even makes 'inconvenience' seem a bit of a stretch. But that also probably explains why I have such a hard time with the liberal ideas of what a 'safety net' should be and where we should concentrate our resources.