Friday, February 24, 2012

The Circus Is In Town

It's been quite a while since I wrote a blog. But I just can't resist after listening to the Republicans the last few days. Don't they know that what they are doing, i.e. contraception is only going to alienate women. (I'll write about the others later.)

In Virginia Gov. McDonnell had planned to require a very invasive procedure for women - all women who are pregnant and want an abortion. On the other hand Rick Santorum doesn't want any contraception at all.. Romney is against all birth control as is Ron Paul and the ex-Speaker of the House. Yet they want to stop all abortions and they want a smaller government. And they want women out of the workplace.

What's wrong with this picture! Stopping all contraception will increase the need for abortions. I guess we'll have to return to the back alley abortionists. A woman will not be in charge of her own body but will have to become in essence a 2nd class citizen, looking to her husband or a man for what she should do. But contraception isn't only for the woman who doesn't want a child at that time. It's also for medical reasons as Miss Fluke told the panel recently. And it certainly wouldn't make for smaller government. We'd have to put someone in almost every bedroom to make sure we are having sex only for procreation. And women would be controlled by men.

My thoughts are a little jumbled as I've not written a column of this type before, but I'll get better.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Where are the Jobs?

Some of my friends are disappointed in President Obama because he didn't solve our problems, that is our country's problems in two years. Jobs haven't come back, the budget isn't balanced, the medical bill doesn't have a public option, etc. On the other hand he did get DADT passed the right way which was slow but steady, he did get a medical bill passed, he is winding down two wars, etc.

Maybe he should have concentrated on jobs, but he didn't. The Republicans said they were only interested in jobs. What did they do? More government in the bedroom with stricter abortion laws, abolishing unions, and now failing to pass a bill to ward off default.

The President didn't bargain with freshmen Congressmen in the House who want everything their way or there is no way. Maybe he should have been more far sighted and tried to accomplish everything in the first year and a half, even during the deepest recession since the big depression. I believe he has had a plan and he did not allow for a totally intractable group with whom their is no reasoning.

The Republicans were ready to cut Social Security and Medicare and Medicade to ribbons. Some recipients only receive $400 to $500 a month and they must live on that. I hope we remember that he stopped the gutting of Social Security when it is time to vote again.

Monday, July 18, 2011

The Debt Crisis, etc.

The debt ceiling is still there. Republicans want cuts; Democrats want revenue with their cuts.

Senator McConnell had suggested that the ceiling be raised by President Obama and then he can take the blame for all the debt. Considering the senator stated at the beginning of the presidency that his primary purpose was to see that President Obama was a one term president, this deal is suspect. Now it is the Reid-McConnell bill. About two thirds of the country say the Bush is primarily responsible for the debt.

What happened to the good of the country? What happened to the jobs the Republicans promised? Why are they preoccupied with Abortion? Why are they rigid about cuts but no revenue? Why do the big oil companies deserve big subsidies?

Those who say we can't tax the wealthiest 1 percent because it will mean jobs are forgetting the facts. They were taxed during the Clinton years and jobs soared.

The Republicans seem to think the general population will believe their lies if they say them often enough. Unfortunately some will. I used to be a registered Republican. That was the old Republican party. I am now an Independent leaning toward the Democrats.

McConnell is at it again. He won't confirm Elizabeth Warren for the Consumer Bureau. He won't confirm anyone. He doesn't want it. BiG Business doesn't want it.

What happened to the good of the country?

The Republicans want to protect big business not the country.

Monday, July 11, 2011

What's the Real Issue

Senator Bernie Sanders seems to be one of the few fighting for the middle class and the poor. The Republicans would like to see Social Security privatized or cut. How, I ask, can you cut the people that get $3oo or $400 or even $500? These are the people who made the low wages and now we ask that they take a cut? If it is privatized, when the stock market drops, they lose. On the other hand, the mega rich don't need social security. Shouldn't there be a means test for them. Should we consign those who are poor to starvation so the rich can own 4 homes, 6 cars, etc. I want to know how you can live in 4 homes anyway.

This is just a sample of the way many of our representatives think. They are bought by the big industries and the big banks and big oil to name just a few. Isn't it time that we think of a way to keep big money out of the elections. I don't know how we can do it. But we need to try. Maybe it we each give a dollar to support elections - or two - we can have a fair election of the president and Congress. The people in Washington would work for us.

I think the real issue is this.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Don't Blame the Teachers

It's fashionable to blame the teachers today for all our ills. But stop and think. These people are well educated and are the guardians of our children today. Shouldn't we be paying them more rather than less? Shouldn't we be paying them more than athletes? I want my children and grandchildren to have the best and this way we are assuring that they get the worst. What is wrong with us.

We give the top two percent the tax breaks they want. What do they do for us.

This is not to say that all teachers are perfect. But do we really want to blame all teachers for a few that don't come up to standards. The teachers unions are finding new ways to test the teachers and have the best left.