Hmmm, foreign policy, the war on drugs, and civil liberties; the issues that the president has unilateral control over (Very real issues that effect my future, as well as future generations). Yes I would vote for Ron Paul rather than the corporate owned Democratic-Republican establishment. (Keep in mind that there is not a member of the progressive caucus running for president). None the less, the political establishment dictates our choices, be it republican or democrat, it's all the same. They will never allow a candidate who challenges the status quo to ever be presented as a choice.
I was going to send a 1 pound package to the UK. UPS wanted $95, and my customer said she couldn't afford it. I checked USPS and they charge only $11.39. How is killing the post office going to help business? Thanks a lot Republicans.
Thom, I know as Canadians we seem to apologize a lot.. bumping into mannequins.. stepping on empty shoes..
Today we have something to apologize for. We have a Neo-Con government here that took power with 40 percent of the vote, unfortunately giving them a Majority Government for four years. When someone praises a third party remember that we have four and the vote splitting, in this case between the Liberals and more progressive NDP, can yield un-planned circumstances.
The Conservatives under Steven Harper have dragged their feet for years on Climate Change with the excuse that we can't do anything until the US decides.. other lame reasons.. now they have pulled out of Kyoto with the lame excuse that China et al aren't included.. Basically they are idealogues and take on the causes of the oil companies.
We are witness to the loss of ice volume. This government is pleased with the opening of access for resources and shipping. Of course we will be bullied by our neighbours for jurisdiction over the north, just like with softwood lumber. Speaking of wood, the pine beetle will continue marching north and east now that there aren't enough cold snaps to keep them controlled as they used to be. This is killing huge swaths of forest and fires are inevitable, of course feeding the system.
We have lots of water. The US tried under NAFTA to say that if bottled water was free trade, what's different in diverting a few rivers..? This government is in a quandry. They were thrilled to cooperate with Bush. Harper has adopted lots of his ideas. With President Obama in power, hopefully for a second term, they will be gritting their teeth.. If by chance you manage to do something on Climate Change I bet Harper will have some other excuse to fuddle-duddle around..
I am sorry and ashamed of my country for this. 60% of our people did not vote for these guys. You were only off by a few percent with Bush.
Here we go with two wrongs not making a right. I would like my home back, but I can't make myself into a squatter or a trespasser. Why give the police a chance to spray your face? The banks are not going to forgive those who trespass against them.
This movement needs a Think Tank of passive resistance strategies which are not illegal and do not violate any municipal codes, but really mess up bank business. They should have to beg us on their hands and knees to stop, AND deliver a whole new day in banking and insurance which helps American families grow.
For example, banks themselves could be occupied with thousands of customers daily beyond their capacity to deal with. They want to give us the business, so let's give it back-
1. Go to your bank and ask to see a copy of its FDIC Certificate. It is supposed to be in the same file as the copy of the Charter of every bank, but it isn't. (Find out from a bank officer how to get a copy of a bank charter). The card or decal in the window that says "FDIC INSURED" does not count. If your bank is Wells Fargo FDIC Cert.#3511 then there has to be a certificate, or a copy of something torn off the receipt book that says #3511 on it. Go through the levels of management and ask them to tell you why there is no certificate and how can you get one for a court case to establish a federal jurisdiction.
2. Fill out loan applications and account applications that require the time of a desk clerk. Spend as much time as possible getting the clerk to explain every service the bank offers, as well as its Green Policy. Take extra time deciding which style of checks you want and how they should be printed.
3. Cash very small checks frequently (if you have free checking).
4. Deposit very small amounts of cash frequently. Or, deposit one check at a time if you get payments in checks.
5. Get in long lines at the drive -through and start socializing and also honking to open all the lanes.
6. Do not allow your bank to collect an ATM fee.
7. When you run bank errands, bring plenty of children with you who are old enough be on their own in the lobby, and one crying baby.
8. Don't use banks at all.
Or, be like we who dedicate our lives to gathering proof certain First American families, and I don't mean Indian, have a means to rob the populace generation to generation, in a mob-like fashion, as an inside job. It's always been known, at least since 1904, they have something going on, but how they do it has eluded Scotland Yard and all the rest all this time, many to their graves.
They have no intention of easing off or pulling in their horns now, because they are totally in - there are no Attorney Generals or Law Enforcers they fear. Instead, they can turn the police against us for breaking laws that they made to keep themselves protected from being overrun by angry Commoners.
I completely agree with Thom's opening statement. However, in his examples of a common man committing a crime such as killing his neighbor because the neighbor killed his dog will be put in jail, Thom neglected to say "as well he should be". I know this is a minor point, but to the uncritical ear, one might think Thom is actually trying to say committing a crime if you're in the 99% is OK if its OK for the 1%, and I'm pretty sure that isn't the meme Thom is trying to convey.
Here is the Email message that I sent to Senator Carl Levin, Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Representive John Dingell tonight, all from my home state of Michigan and the Downriver District:
Stop! The Poison-Pill that is Killing the Post Office...
In 2006 the House passed a bill with the approval of the Senate, and signed by President Bush requiring the Post Office to fully fund 75 years of benefits, unheard of in all of any industry. What are we doing to save our Postal Service?
The U.S. Postal Service should thoughtfully consider how much money to put into pensions based on reasonable projections, and conclude that since the current conditions will cause it to cease to exist within the next 75 years, there is no need to put any money into pensions for that time.
All of the recent Postmaster Generals have went into high paying consultant jobs with companies directly related to the mailing industry. This along with outsourcing work for many years....."piece- meal privatization".....and the poison-pill legislation all add up to another fine example of crony capitalism. It's the same old grasping and avaricious 1%ers lining their own pockets....and as usual at the 99%ers expense.
In my opinion the Post Office is too big to fail, so let's socialize the losses and continue to refuse to let 1%ers privatize and profit at an increased expense and reduced service to the rest of us.
By the way, Article 1, section 8, paragraph 7 of The Constitution mentions creation of the Post office, nothing about Federal Express though!
Power to the People of Greece....fight on brothers and sisters!
I had heard this on Keith Olbermann as well, but I thought it was 5 states and also on 60 minutes last night they interviewed the DOJ and he was perspiring, but indicated that the investigation is lengthy, etc, etc., so we'll see if anything comes of it. 60 Minutes interviewed a previous VP of Citi Group and he had a lot of very incriminating evidence and he has submitted 1,000's of pages of proof to the SEC and they've done nothing. These guys who make documentaries and TV shows can get all sorts of info, yet our DOJ is having a problem? The SEC is having a problem? Do I smell something very, very dirty here? At least there are a few brave souls in the states who are going after some of them.
Inefficiency often is a result of insufficient funding. If we made the wealthy pay back, say by increasing their taxes, some of that loot they stole from the American worker over the past 30 years by avoiding paying their fair share of taxes and by other corrupt means, we would not have the problems that result from insufficient funding.
The only reason why the Post Office, or any other government run institution, would be "inefficient", as some right wingers claim, is because they are being subverted by right wingers. It also wouldn't be too hard to subvert them by bribery of top Postal Officials...just like in Russia...top officials and their family members benefited from a mad fire-sale of their infrastructure, urged on by the likes of Goldman Sachs, on how to convert from communism to capitalism.
All a top postal official would have to do is work to undermine and make the postal system seem to be inefficient and this would make more people empathetic to the right-wing position. The top postal officials may be thinking he/she would rather be making a CEOs salary, with bonuses, rather than the lowly government workers salary.
In Russia, it was a mad grab for control over previous government run organizations and businesses by those ruthless enough, or lucky enough, to be in the right place at the right time. It made a few people extremely wealthy and left the majority of the people very much worse off than they were under communism.
We have a government that is controlled by the ruling elite through revolving door bribery...government officials know that if they do the bidding of the ruling elite they will have a nice cushy and extremely well paying position when they leave government. And if they don't do the bidding of the ruling elite..and if they can't be threatened or blackmailed, they will likely be assassinated.
Finally. Someone stating that it is the liberal democrats fault as well. Why do all the libs think Obama is so great? Talk about cronie capitalism. He likes giving money to all his buddies in the green energy arena, hanging out with the CEO of G.E., etc. They are all ignorant, corrupt people so quit just saying it is all conservatives. 99 percent of the republicans are not even conservative or care about the Constitution. Love all the headlinefathom about how the repubs are making people chose between heat and food. Like it is all the repubs fault. Give me a break. Besides, what is your solution? We as a society have become lazy and think we are entitled to everything. I am not saying there are not poor people who have just been beaten down by life and had bad luck, but many people are just plain lazy because they get entitlements.
"The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." --V.I.Lenin
But it looks like the capitalists ended up hanging the Russians...all they had to do is so some presto-chango hocus pocus with some gold bonds, and other things, to outspend the Russians, and then try to cover it up later by electronically hijacking airliners and remote guiding them into the $480 billion bonds that were to come due on the very day after 911.
The other consequence is the subsequent trashing of not only US economy but also that of the world economy. In trying to spread the Chicago Style Capitalism by the Neo-liberals around the world (Chile, Russia,Greece, etc), Goldman Sachs style..they managed to trash the economies everywhere they went.
But "He who laughs last, laughs best"...even the angry hordes that descended upon the Roman Empire and their slaves eventually got the last laugh.
Of course, the banksters and Wall Streetsters are laughing now...but wait till this thing blossoms into a full scale revolution..guillotines, or hangman's nooses, or pitch forks and all by irate masses of citizens who know where all the culprits live and frequent. These twitsters will have no where to run...except maybe their penthouse sized fall out shelters!
The are-will get away with fraud -cheating-corruption with a measley fine. . Golden Rule - Those who own the GOLD RULE ! but we can hope for a Xmas / New year miracle !!
She is absolutely correct. The reason why drugs are illegal in this country is precisely what she said. Just think about the billions of untaxed dollars that float the waves of many people in many walks of life to include politics. Why on earth would they want to make it legal?
OH HERE'S ANOTHER SIDEBAR TO THE GREAT STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND ITS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Today my daughter who has worked for a very prestigious health care institution for many years in the State of New Hampshire, who receives obscene amounts of money in endowments, laid her off today. They gave her less than two weeks notice. I wonder how that will affect the unemployment rate?
Merry Christmas, Happy Haunnakah, and Have a Great New Year!
Thanks for your reply! That really is very fascinating! I will certainly be spending more time at your web site to try to understand it all. The more we learn, the more we realize that our world is not what we were led to believe.
WHAT IS YOUR STATE DOING TO HELP THE POOR EITHER STAY WARM OR PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE?
I am writing to you as one of the "poor" in America today. I live in New Hampshire, a State that boasts its economy is doing well and only has a 5.3% unemployment rate. Yet the Government of New Hampshire and its citizens could care less about those that are less fortunate. I question its impressive unemployment rate as I know many people out of work or have had to take poorer paying jobs because outsourcing to India.
I am one of the Poor in New Hampshire. I am one of the "unable to work" people who Republicans look at in digust, I am one of the people that is raining on their great parade.
My story is simple. I'm a cancer survivor with many health problems. I am still married to a guy who made enough money where we could live comfortably, except after 36 years of marriage he decided he needed to do a Gingrich. Abandon the old lady of 36 years with cancer and go for the one that is 20 years younger. So he left me, took all the money, the valuables, left me with no heating fuel, money or food, just left.
I thought the Courts will surely be fair. After all they can't let me just die or can they? The court awarded me a whole $750 per month to live on. At that time heating fuel was 2.89 per gallon and our marital home used about 180 gallons per month so that doesn't leave me with much now does it?
So I received a Food Stamp Stipend of $200 per month and a medicaid card for my health needs.
I applied to the Community Fuel Assistance Program which gets money from the Federal Government to help keep the poor warm...yeah right. At my appointment, I was told that the application would go to a central office where an agent would reveiw my application and depending upon the way that particular agent felt on that day would determine whether I received any fuel allotment. I couldn' t believe my ears, but this is a true story.
From the date of the court order for my husband to pay me my $750 dollars per month. He did not. Instead he woowed his newly found lover, took her to expensive dinners, bought her flowers, etc and every month I might get $400 or maybe even a whole $600. Still not enought to pay for fuel or necessary prescription drugs, or other necessities like gas for a car since there is no public transportation.
Also through all of this I applied for Social Security Disability Benefits....You know you pay for them threw your paycheck. I applied online and two days later (No Lie) I received a letter telling me I was denied. I'd have to reapply.
I called my attorney several times in January and told her of the dire straits I was in. She said she'd ask for a hearing which means it takes weeks. She didn't seem to care one way or another.
So I tried to endure and in February I ran out of heating fuel and the temperature was to go below zero that evening. New Hampshire is so cutting edge...it has this hotline to help people like me....its called the New Hampshire 211. I knew they weren't going to let me Live FREEZE and DIE or would they? Well apparently they would. When I called the line the person on the other end told me to get a hold of the Town Hall where I live and that they should be able to give me some fuel as they also get Federal Money for just this situation. So I called the Town Hall and spoke to an ever so unfriendly person who flatly informed me that "The State Can't Tell Us What to Do" "We don't give out heating oil to anybody" "Sorry but you are out of luck". Oh well Okay. So I'm going to go to bed tonight and freeze to death.
I think people have the wrong idea about freezing to death. I think people who haven't experienced it think you just fall asleep and its not painful or anything. WRONG! Its very painful. In fact its so painful, if you had a gun you'd probably want to put the gun to your head and blow your brains out before you "Fall Asleep Freezing to Death".
I again called the people from the Community Fuel Assistant Center and got a recording. I left my name on the emergency line, the emergency line said they would get back to you within 24 hours, they finally got back to me 5 days later and informed me my application had been denied and no I wasn't getting any fuel from them either.
You might ask where was your family? Couldn't they help you? Divorce does really weird things to family. Especially when the marriage has been a long one and the family was at one time a tight one. Its like a Nuclear Holocost, everything blows up, everyone is upset, no one wants to speak to one another and the entire family unit no longer exists.
So....I looked around the house, with tears in my eyes...a cancer survivor, a wife of 36 years, a mother who took very good care of her children, a person who worked for most of her life, and I said to myself, no one gives a damn. Itsn't it funny? When I had cancer everyone did everything they could to save me....save me for what? Being thrown away and freezing to death in my own home.
So I tried to commit suicide and botched the job. I didn't take enough pills and it looked like yep it was going to be freezing to death. Then I called my doctor and told him what I had done and all of a sudden I had an ambulance at my door, along with the police department. Because in New Hampshire its against the law to commit suicide, but its not against the law to freeze to death. I ended up in a place for people like me, at the end of their rope. They kept me for 5 days and let me go and in the interim I got 100 gallons of fuel oil. Not from the State, or the Town or the Community Heating Oil outreach, but from my 85 year old mother who only lives on Social Security. I was thankful, but how pitiful. She only gets 1,000 per month but has a place to live in Florida.
The next month I went back to court and even though my husband didn't pay the amounts the court had ordered him to pay me, the Judge (male), decided that my husband wasn't really in contempt of court....he just needed a stern warning. UNBELIEVEABLE.
I'm still married to this wonderful man who lives in bliss with his newly found partner. He does pay me the 750 per month because that is all I am worth to a court in the State of New Hampshire. I'm waiting to be rid of him.....In a state that says its the fastest and easiest place to get a divorce, I beg to differ with them. It will be over a year and in that time I have not been given an increase in my alimony. What has happened is that my Food Stamp Stipend has been cut by $50 per month. So now I can buy 2.5 weeks of food instead of 4 weeks of food because the price of food has also gone up. And whereas the price of heating fuel at the beginning of the heating season last year was only 2.89 per gallon, it is $3.80 per gallon at the beginning of this year so my money goes to pay the heating bill. My car's registration will expire at the end of this month, another $116, and of course the all encompassing New Hampshire Vehicle Inspection which costs if your lucky a minimum of $43, but since you have to take your car to a guy who repairs cars to get the inspection done, they always seem to find a way to have to make a very expensive repair to your car before you get the coveted sticker. And if you don't pay you have no other form of transportation, so basically you are screwed.
Oh and I want everyone to know that I tried to find another place to live. I tried HUD housing, but they said I was too low income....and my wait time to get into the much too low income housing would be 3 yo 5 years....so I asked what do I do when the mortgage people come to take the house away. They just looked at me like a deer in the headlights with no recommendations. Oh well, you know Sh*t happens.
So here I am still in the house, no money for anything but heating fuel, with my food stamps cut and I forgot my medicaid taken away, if you make $750 a month in income in New Hampshire you can get a medicaide card it will just cost you $146 per month to maintain it.
This is how the poor live and die in New Hampshire.
When I worked, I figured I would give back to my community, I didn't live in New Hampshire then, I lived in Vermont. I would go shopping once a week at the grocery store and buy nutrious food for the food bank in my community. I use to spend around $100 a week for the food bank (If my husband knew of this he would have had my head then). I would also donate new items like flannel shirts, jeans, blankets, because I thought Its hard enough being poor but it must be worse to have no self esteem. I knew there were people having a hard time, but I never experienced it. And until you experience it, you can't comment on it. Its obscene what our Federal State and Local Government is doing to the citizens of this country. You get sick, you can't work, let's save you, then let's throw you away. Why on earth did I move to New Hampshire.... God Bless America! and Live Freeze and Die!
WHILE YOUR CALLING/CONTACTING YOUR CONGRESSMEN ASK about this as well:
"According to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Tuesday, the U.S. sent abroad 753.4 million barrels of everything from gasoline to jet fuel in the first nine months of this year, while it imported 689.4 million barrels."
Why the hell do we export our precious resources... because there are no US oil companies! EVERYTHING WE HOLD DEAR IS UP FOR SALE.
Hmmm, foreign policy, the war on drugs, and civil liberties; the issues that the president has unilateral control over (Very real issues that effect my future, as well as future generations). Yes I would vote for Ron Paul rather than the corporate owned Democratic-Republican establishment. (Keep in mind that there is not a member of the progressive caucus running for president). None the less, the political establishment dictates our choices, be it republican or democrat, it's all the same. They will never allow a candidate who challenges the status quo to ever be presented as a choice.
I was going to send a 1 pound package to the UK. UPS wanted $95, and my customer said she couldn't afford it. I checked USPS and they charge only $11.39. How is killing the post office going to help business? Thanks a lot Republicans.
There not only will be a backlash the backlash has already started...it's called Occupy Wallstreet
Apology from Canada.
Thom, I know as Canadians we seem to apologize a lot.. bumping into mannequins.. stepping on empty shoes..
Today we have something to apologize for. We have a Neo-Con government here that took power with 40 percent of the vote, unfortunately giving them a Majority Government for four years. When someone praises a third party remember that we have four and the vote splitting, in this case between the Liberals and more progressive NDP, can yield un-planned circumstances.
The Conservatives under Steven Harper have dragged their feet for years on Climate Change with the excuse that we can't do anything until the US decides.. other lame reasons.. now they have pulled out of Kyoto with the lame excuse that China et al aren't included.. Basically they are idealogues and take on the causes of the oil companies.
We are witness to the loss of ice volume. This government is pleased with the opening of access for resources and shipping. Of course we will be bullied by our neighbours for jurisdiction over the north, just like with softwood lumber. Speaking of wood, the pine beetle will continue marching north and east now that there aren't enough cold snaps to keep them controlled as they used to be. This is killing huge swaths of forest and fires are inevitable, of course feeding the system.
We have lots of water. The US tried under NAFTA to say that if bottled water was free trade, what's different in diverting a few rivers..? This government is in a quandry. They were thrilled to cooperate with Bush. Harper has adopted lots of his ideas. With President Obama in power, hopefully for a second term, they will be gritting their teeth.. If by chance you manage to do something on Climate Change I bet Harper will have some other excuse to fuddle-duddle around..
I am sorry and ashamed of my country for this. 60% of our people did not vote for these guys. You were only off by a few percent with Bush.
Rick
Eliminate that stupid requirement and fold that money back into the operating budget.
Re: Hour 2, Why Young Voters Love Ron Paul
I would like to throw out a couple of questions for debate.
Is Ron Paul a Jeffersonian? If Thomas Jefferson was alive today, would Jefferson be a Libertarian?
Here we go with two wrongs not making a right. I would like my home back, but I can't make myself into a squatter or a trespasser. Why give the police a chance to spray your face? The banks are not going to forgive those who trespass against them.
This movement needs a Think Tank of passive resistance strategies which are not illegal and do not violate any municipal codes, but really mess up bank business. They should have to beg us on their hands and knees to stop, AND deliver a whole new day in banking and insurance which helps American families grow.
For example, banks themselves could be occupied with thousands of customers daily beyond their capacity to deal with. They want to give us the business, so let's give it back-
1. Go to your bank and ask to see a copy of its FDIC Certificate. It is supposed to be in the same file as the copy of the Charter of every bank, but it isn't. (Find out from a bank officer how to get a copy of a bank charter). The card or decal in the window that says "FDIC INSURED" does not count. If your bank is Wells Fargo FDIC Cert.#3511 then there has to be a certificate, or a copy of something torn off the receipt book that says #3511 on it. Go through the levels of management and ask them to tell you why there is no certificate and how can you get one for a court case to establish a federal jurisdiction.
2. Fill out loan applications and account applications that require the time of a desk clerk. Spend as much time as possible getting the clerk to explain every service the bank offers, as well as its Green Policy. Take extra time deciding which style of checks you want and how they should be printed.
3. Cash very small checks frequently (if you have free checking).
4. Deposit very small amounts of cash frequently. Or, deposit one check at a time if you get payments in checks.
5. Get in long lines at the drive -through and start socializing and also honking to open all the lanes.
6. Do not allow your bank to collect an ATM fee.
7. When you run bank errands, bring plenty of children with you who are old enough be on their own in the lobby, and one crying baby.
8. Don't use banks at all.
Or, be like we who dedicate our lives to gathering proof certain First American families, and I don't mean Indian, have a means to rob the populace generation to generation, in a mob-like fashion, as an inside job. It's always been known, at least since 1904, they have something going on, but how they do it has eluded Scotland Yard and all the rest all this time, many to their graves.
They have no intention of easing off or pulling in their horns now, because they are totally in - there are no Attorney Generals or Law Enforcers they fear. Instead, they can turn the police against us for breaking laws that they made to keep themselves protected from being overrun by angry Commoners.
I completely agree with Thom's opening statement. However, in his examples of a common man committing a crime such as killing his neighbor because the neighbor killed his dog will be put in jail, Thom neglected to say "as well he should be". I know this is a minor point, but to the uncritical ear, one might think Thom is actually trying to say committing a crime if you're in the 99% is OK if its OK for the 1%, and I'm pretty sure that isn't the meme Thom is trying to convey.
N
liked the content on this site. Would like to visit again. Visit shilpbazaar dot com
Here is the Email message that I sent to Senator Carl Levin, Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Representive John Dingell tonight, all from my home state of Michigan and the Downriver District:
Stop! The Poison-Pill that is Killing the Post Office...
In 2006 the House passed a bill with the approval of the Senate, and signed by President Bush requiring the Post Office to fully fund 75 years of benefits, unheard of in all of any industry. What are we doing to save our Postal Service?
Respectfully,
The U.S. Postal Service should thoughtfully consider how much money to put into pensions based on reasonable projections, and conclude that since the current conditions will cause it to cease to exist within the next 75 years, there is no need to put any money into pensions for that time.
I love technicalities.
All of the recent Postmaster Generals have went into high paying consultant jobs with companies directly related to the mailing industry. This along with outsourcing work for many years....."piece- meal privatization".....and the poison-pill legislation all add up to another fine example of crony capitalism. It's the same old grasping and avaricious 1%ers lining their own pockets....and as usual at the 99%ers expense.
In my opinion the Post Office is too big to fail, so let's socialize the losses and continue to refuse to let 1%ers privatize and profit at an increased expense and reduced service to the rest of us.
By the way, Article 1, section 8, paragraph 7 of The Constitution mentions creation of the Post office, nothing about Federal Express though!
Power to the People of Greece....fight on brothers and sisters!
I had heard this on Keith Olbermann as well, but I thought it was 5 states and also on 60 minutes last night they interviewed the DOJ and he was perspiring, but indicated that the investigation is lengthy, etc, etc., so we'll see if anything comes of it. 60 Minutes interviewed a previous VP of Citi Group and he had a lot of very incriminating evidence and he has submitted 1,000's of pages of proof to the SEC and they've done nothing. These guys who make documentaries and TV shows can get all sorts of info, yet our DOJ is having a problem? The SEC is having a problem? Do I smell something very, very dirty here? At least there are a few brave souls in the states who are going after some of them.
http://FreethoughtNation.com good web site. I have read several of Acharya's books and watched interviews and documentaries on this.
Inefficiency often is a result of insufficient funding. If we made the wealthy pay back, say by increasing their taxes, some of that loot they stole from the American worker over the past 30 years by avoiding paying their fair share of taxes and by other corrupt means, we would not have the problems that result from insufficient funding.
The only reason why the Post Office, or any other government run institution, would be "inefficient", as some right wingers claim, is because they are being subverted by right wingers. It also wouldn't be too hard to subvert them by bribery of top Postal Officials...just like in Russia...top officials and their family members benefited from a mad fire-sale of their infrastructure, urged on by the likes of Goldman Sachs, on how to convert from communism to capitalism.
All a top postal official would have to do is work to undermine and make the postal system seem to be inefficient and this would make more people empathetic to the right-wing position. The top postal officials may be thinking he/she would rather be making a CEOs salary, with bonuses, rather than the lowly government workers salary.
In Russia, it was a mad grab for control over previous government run organizations and businesses by those ruthless enough, or lucky enough, to be in the right place at the right time. It made a few people extremely wealthy and left the majority of the people very much worse off than they were under communism.
We have a government that is controlled by the ruling elite through revolving door bribery...government officials know that if they do the bidding of the ruling elite they will have a nice cushy and extremely well paying position when they leave government. And if they don't do the bidding of the ruling elite..and if they can't be threatened or blackmailed, they will likely be assassinated.
Finally. Someone stating that it is the liberal democrats fault as well. Why do all the libs think Obama is so great? Talk about cronie capitalism. He likes giving money to all his buddies in the green energy arena, hanging out with the CEO of G.E., etc. They are all ignorant, corrupt people so quit just saying it is all conservatives. 99 percent of the republicans are not even conservative or care about the Constitution. Love all the headlinefathom about how the repubs are making people chose between heat and food. Like it is all the repubs fault. Give me a break. Besides, what is your solution? We as a society have become lazy and think we are entitled to everything. I am not saying there are not poor people who have just been beaten down by life and had bad luck, but many people are just plain lazy because they get entitlements.
"The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." --V.I.Lenin
But it looks like the capitalists ended up hanging the Russians...all they had to do is so some presto-chango hocus pocus with some gold bonds, and other things, to outspend the Russians, and then try to cover it up later by electronically hijacking airliners and remote guiding them into the $480 billion bonds that were to come due on the very day after 911.
The other consequence is the subsequent trashing of not only US economy but also that of the world economy. In trying to spread the Chicago Style Capitalism by the Neo-liberals around the world (Chile, Russia,Greece, etc), Goldman Sachs style..they managed to trash the economies everywhere they went.
But "He who laughs last, laughs best"...even the angry hordes that descended upon the Roman Empire and their slaves eventually got the last laugh.
Of course, the banksters and Wall Streetsters are laughing now...but wait till this thing blossoms into a full scale revolution..guillotines, or hangman's nooses, or pitch forks and all by irate masses of citizens who know where all the culprits live and frequent. These twitsters will have no where to run...except maybe their penthouse sized fall out shelters!
The are-will get away with fraud -cheating-corruption with a measley fine. . Golden Rule - Those who own the GOLD RULE ! but we can hope for a Xmas / New year miracle !!
She is absolutely correct. The reason why drugs are illegal in this country is precisely what she said. Just think about the billions of untaxed dollars that float the waves of many people in many walks of life to include politics. Why on earth would they want to make it legal?
OH HERE'S ANOTHER SIDEBAR TO THE GREAT STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND ITS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Today my daughter who has worked for a very prestigious health care institution for many years in the State of New Hampshire, who receives obscene amounts of money in endowments, laid her off today. They gave her less than two weeks notice. I wonder how that will affect the unemployment rate?
Merry Christmas, Happy Haunnakah, and Have a Great New Year!
Thanks for your reply! That really is very fascinating! I will certainly be spending more time at your web site to try to understand it all. The more we learn, the more we realize that our world is not what we were led to believe.
WHAT IS YOUR STATE DOING TO HELP THE POOR EITHER STAY WARM OR PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE?
I am writing to you as one of the "poor" in America today. I live in New Hampshire, a State that boasts its economy is doing well and only has a 5.3% unemployment rate. Yet the Government of New Hampshire and its citizens could care less about those that are less fortunate. I question its impressive unemployment rate as I know many people out of work or have had to take poorer paying jobs because outsourcing to India.
I am one of the Poor in New Hampshire. I am one of the "unable to work" people who Republicans look at in digust, I am one of the people that is raining on their great parade.
My story is simple. I'm a cancer survivor with many health problems. I am still married to a guy who made enough money where we could live comfortably, except after 36 years of marriage he decided he needed to do a Gingrich. Abandon the old lady of 36 years with cancer and go for the one that is 20 years younger. So he left me, took all the money, the valuables, left me with no heating fuel, money or food, just left.
I thought the Courts will surely be fair. After all they can't let me just die or can they? The court awarded me a whole $750 per month to live on. At that time heating fuel was 2.89 per gallon and our marital home used about 180 gallons per month so that doesn't leave me with much now does it?
So I received a Food Stamp Stipend of $200 per month and a medicaid card for my health needs.
I applied to the Community Fuel Assistance Program which gets money from the Federal Government to help keep the poor warm...yeah right. At my appointment, I was told that the application would go to a central office where an agent would reveiw my application and depending upon the way that particular agent felt on that day would determine whether I received any fuel allotment. I couldn' t believe my ears, but this is a true story.
From the date of the court order for my husband to pay me my $750 dollars per month. He did not. Instead he woowed his newly found lover, took her to expensive dinners, bought her flowers, etc and every month I might get $400 or maybe even a whole $600. Still not enought to pay for fuel or necessary prescription drugs, or other necessities like gas for a car since there is no public transportation.
Also through all of this I applied for Social Security Disability Benefits....You know you pay for them threw your paycheck. I applied online and two days later (No Lie) I received a letter telling me I was denied. I'd have to reapply.
I called my attorney several times in January and told her of the dire straits I was in. She said she'd ask for a hearing which means it takes weeks. She didn't seem to care one way or another.
So I tried to endure and in February I ran out of heating fuel and the temperature was to go below zero that evening. New Hampshire is so cutting edge...it has this hotline to help people like me....its called the New Hampshire 211. I knew they weren't going to let me Live FREEZE and DIE or would they? Well apparently they would. When I called the line the person on the other end told me to get a hold of the Town Hall where I live and that they should be able to give me some fuel as they also get Federal Money for just this situation. So I called the Town Hall and spoke to an ever so unfriendly person who flatly informed me that "The State Can't Tell Us What to Do" "We don't give out heating oil to anybody" "Sorry but you are out of luck". Oh well Okay. So I'm going to go to bed tonight and freeze to death.
I think people have the wrong idea about freezing to death. I think people who haven't experienced it think you just fall asleep and its not painful or anything. WRONG! Its very painful. In fact its so painful, if you had a gun you'd probably want to put the gun to your head and blow your brains out before you "Fall Asleep Freezing to Death".
I again called the people from the Community Fuel Assistant Center and got a recording. I left my name on the emergency line, the emergency line said they would get back to you within 24 hours, they finally got back to me 5 days later and informed me my application had been denied and no I wasn't getting any fuel from them either.
You might ask where was your family? Couldn't they help you? Divorce does really weird things to family. Especially when the marriage has been a long one and the family was at one time a tight one. Its like a Nuclear Holocost, everything blows up, everyone is upset, no one wants to speak to one another and the entire family unit no longer exists.
So....I looked around the house, with tears in my eyes...a cancer survivor, a wife of 36 years, a mother who took very good care of her children, a person who worked for most of her life, and I said to myself, no one gives a damn. Itsn't it funny? When I had cancer everyone did everything they could to save me....save me for what? Being thrown away and freezing to death in my own home.
So I tried to commit suicide and botched the job. I didn't take enough pills and it looked like yep it was going to be freezing to death. Then I called my doctor and told him what I had done and all of a sudden I had an ambulance at my door, along with the police department. Because in New Hampshire its against the law to commit suicide, but its not against the law to freeze to death. I ended up in a place for people like me, at the end of their rope. They kept me for 5 days and let me go and in the interim I got 100 gallons of fuel oil. Not from the State, or the Town or the Community Heating Oil outreach, but from my 85 year old mother who only lives on Social Security. I was thankful, but how pitiful. She only gets 1,000 per month but has a place to live in Florida.
The next month I went back to court and even though my husband didn't pay the amounts the court had ordered him to pay me, the Judge (male), decided that my husband wasn't really in contempt of court....he just needed a stern warning. UNBELIEVEABLE.
I'm still married to this wonderful man who lives in bliss with his newly found partner. He does pay me the 750 per month because that is all I am worth to a court in the State of New Hampshire. I'm waiting to be rid of him.....In a state that says its the fastest and easiest place to get a divorce, I beg to differ with them. It will be over a year and in that time I have not been given an increase in my alimony. What has happened is that my Food Stamp Stipend has been cut by $50 per month. So now I can buy 2.5 weeks of food instead of 4 weeks of food because the price of food has also gone up. And whereas the price of heating fuel at the beginning of the heating season last year was only 2.89 per gallon, it is $3.80 per gallon at the beginning of this year so my money goes to pay the heating bill. My car's registration will expire at the end of this month, another $116, and of course the all encompassing New Hampshire Vehicle Inspection which costs if your lucky a minimum of $43, but since you have to take your car to a guy who repairs cars to get the inspection done, they always seem to find a way to have to make a very expensive repair to your car before you get the coveted sticker. And if you don't pay you have no other form of transportation, so basically you are screwed.
Oh and I want everyone to know that I tried to find another place to live. I tried HUD housing, but they said I was too low income....and my wait time to get into the much too low income housing would be 3 yo 5 years....so I asked what do I do when the mortgage people come to take the house away. They just looked at me like a deer in the headlights with no recommendations. Oh well, you know Sh*t happens.
So here I am still in the house, no money for anything but heating fuel, with my food stamps cut and I forgot my medicaid taken away, if you make $750 a month in income in New Hampshire you can get a medicaide card it will just cost you $146 per month to maintain it.
This is how the poor live and die in New Hampshire.
When I worked, I figured I would give back to my community, I didn't live in New Hampshire then, I lived in Vermont. I would go shopping once a week at the grocery store and buy nutrious food for the food bank in my community. I use to spend around $100 a week for the food bank (If my husband knew of this he would have had my head then). I would also donate new items like flannel shirts, jeans, blankets, because I thought Its hard enough being poor but it must be worse to have no self esteem. I knew there were people having a hard time, but I never experienced it. And until you experience it, you can't comment on it. Its obscene what our Federal State and Local Government is doing to the citizens of this country. You get sick, you can't work, let's save you, then let's throw you away. Why on earth did I move to New Hampshire.... God Bless America! and Live Freeze and Die!
WHILE YOUR CALLING/CONTACTING YOUR CONGRESSMEN ASK about this as well:
"According to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Tuesday, the U.S. sent abroad 753.4 million barrels of everything from gasoline to jet fuel in the first nine months of this year, while it imported 689.4 million barrels."
Why the hell do we export our precious resources... because there are no US oil companies! EVERYTHING WE HOLD DEAR IS UP FOR SALE.
How much was that 75-year advance to pay employee benefits? I have never heard.