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Homeless: Streets of Santa Barbara
Saturday October 25, 2008
Puppy Economics - Wealth Redistribution or Where's the Rest of the Gravy Train?
I hear the candidates talking about 'wealth redistribution' lately. Sounds like they'll take your money and "spread it all around" or give it to somebody else. Let's take a close look at this.
But let's use a puppy as the image of a healthy economy - Would anyone like to volunteer?
Oh, thank you, thank you!
Alright, in our puppy there are muscles and cells, fur and nails, and other body tissue and whatever else makes up a puppy.
The heart pumps the blood evenly out to all the different areas of the body, ensuring that the oxygen necessary for growth and life reaches each and every cell.
As the puppy grows, all the parts look normal and grow in proportion. The puppy has plenty of energy to grow, as well as play and heal, when needed.
That's a fine looking puppy, don't you think?
If the part of the body that regulates growth goes off kilter, nasty things can happen. Let's say that all of a sudden the ears start getting much more of the nutrients and oxygen needed for growth:
Awww. Cute!
Or let's say the fur cells and surrounding skin get all the nutrients and oxygen:
BOO!
But if one part of the body starts taking the oxygen and nutrients intended for the legs or fur, what will happen? Eventually the legs will grow weak and stop growing. Gangrene or starvation set in to the legs. The fur will all fall out!
A healthy economy is just like a puppy, or any other body. For it to function optimally, a little bit should go all over. That way you would get a healthy economy and a healthy society of puppies ... or people.
If each part gets it share of the nutrients or money, it will grow - do what is in it's best interest and thereby in the best interest of the whole animal.
Reagan told us that if the wealthy got the tax cuts, they'd have more money to use to buy, build, and employ. But what happened? They sent a good proportion of their money overseas - or to another whole species - where it did our society no good. And our jobs were shipped overseas to have them done cheaper. No regulations were maintained to encourage those jobs to stay here, or encourage buying goods that were made within our country. George W. Bush continued Reagan's policy but on steroids!
Wealth redistribution (spreading it around) has been taking place. The dollar has lost value enabling us to buy less and less. The money was redistributed from you and me up to the wealthy elite. There was no regulation and it was very unfair. I would call it a process where most of the body was starved and perhaps 1% got the share that was required over-all in order to be healthy.
McCain and Palin are using these words to make you afraid of having your money taken away. Makes good sense. But they don't tell you that McCain will whole-heartedly maintain Bush's policies of deregulation and tax cuts (more?!) for the very wealthy, or their friends. McCain supported Bush in 9 out of 10 instances when his voice was heard to decide with Bush's policies or against those policies.
The Republicans (the new ones) have been using the wording of these issues in a very clever manner. The Clean Air Act actually enabled corporations to pollute more. The Help America Vote Act has made it harder for many Americans to vote, a constitutional right.
Don't be fooled. It is in your favor to see Obama's economic and tax plans. If you earn less than $250,000 per year, you will get a tax cut. If you earn more, you are fairly wealthy and probably won't mind paying more because our healthy economy in America is worth it. You know that when most Americans have more spending money, they will buy your product and you'll do fine even if they don't.
Taking money from our economy and sending it overseas (like Halliburton) to avoid paying any tax at all seems downright destructive. The legs will shrivel and die if we don't take it to the veterinarian (you and me) for a bail-out, which is actually socialism. When government takes tax money and gives it to corporate interests (for their 4 million dollar retirement for CEOs) it is not a fair system. It is not a democracy. When your money (tax) is sent, without your approval by way of vote due to election fraud, overseas for an unnecessary war, that is not a fair democratic system. The surplus that Clinton left us when he left the office of president went to Iraq instead of the US, thanks to Bush. Millions of dollars were 'lost'. Millions went to Halliburton (Cheney) and others who would profit from the war.
Demand fairness. Demand your voice. Don't settle for less.
| | Posted by Lulublue at 8:34 PM - | |
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Friday October 24, 2008
Maybe this is a trial balloon for a new weekly show on Fox. It will star mom Sarah and the Palin daughters, Bristol, Willow, and Piper. Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? We've all heard about the $150,000 wardrobe, make-up, and hair spree generously paid for by the Republican Party. I wonder if the wardrobe would have gone to charity if this had never come up? I wonder how much Hillary Clinton will have to spend while she campaigns for her presidency? Hillary has been in the public eye since before 1992, and will probably not require any wardrobe enhancements. Now, we hear that a whopping $22,800.00 was spent on the make-up artist for Sarah Palin, for just the 1st two weeks of October! Yikes!!! Trick or Treat!$! According to Wall Street Journal blog, Amy Strozzi has been hired by McCain's campaign to 'do' Sarah Palin. Perhaps Bristol, Willow, and Piper might even get some special touches. Who knows? Talk about being in the right spot at the right time, eh? I think this is just perfect for a teaser for the new show, "So You Think You Can Shop"! I'm sure we'll all tune in!! | | Posted by Lulublue at 3:15 PM - | |
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Thursday October 23, 2008
The Theft of 2008
A Warning from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Voter suppression is real. It’s a crime. And it’s happening to YOU.
But
there’s something that you can do to prevent it. That’s what this guide
is about. Start with page 19: ‘7 Easy Steps to Steal Back Your Vote.’
For many years, top investigative reporter Greg Palast and I have been exposing voter suppression.
This
is a deliberate strategy to keep minorities from voting, senior
citizens from voting, young people from voting in an effort to suppress
the vote and maintain their hold on power.
Our concern is
not partisan. We need every American to vote: Democrats and
Republicans. You can do all the campaigning you want in a battleground
state like Ohio or New Mexico, but if your voters aren’t counted,
you’re going to lose the Presidency–and our democracy.
Pass on this link: www.stealbackyourvote.org. Go to the site. Download copies of this comic book, buy copies in bulk and watch Greg's BBC Newsnight film. Get out the word! There’s still time to steal back your vote!
| | Posted by Lulublue at 9:55 PM - | |
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Monday October 20, 2008
Lawyers get knocked around quite often. There are many jokes about bottom-feeding and sharks and everything else. But like anyone else, there are good and a few bad.
Guess how many of the Founders were lawyers?
Out of the 55, a whopping 35 were lawyers or had benefitted from legal education! Lawyers are the most represented profession among our dear Founding Fathers. There were many diverse occupations among the group and some of them had 2 professions, ex. a lawyer and a soldier. Some lawyers moved on to judges.
I worked in a law office years ago. I grew up watching Perry Mason. I thought his secretary was the ultimate respectable female. And so I pursued the dream.
In that particular law office, there were 4 attorneys. They did not weigh heavier as conservative or liberal. Two of each. One of the conservatives came from a wealthy family and fought in the Vietnam war. He was later busted for forgery due to faking a client's (a family member of his) signature who never showed up for court after getting arrested for DUI. He did a bit of time at the honor farm. He was also investigated for fraudulently representing to clients that their DUI cases were more complicated than they were and, because of it, asking for more of a retainer fee than was reasonable or necessary. He was a good guy, a fine father, and was fun to work for. He just did that little bending of the truth when it suited him or a situation. At another legal assistant's birthday party, he toasted, "Here's to rape, robbery, and restitution." Needless to say, everyone else was speechless. Bad case of foot-in-mouth...and he felt he was entitled to extra breaks because of his family name, and a very conservative family, indeed.
About taxes: I don't mind paying taxes. I think it's worth it, and it's a bargain for the privileges and benefits I receive as an American. At least, that's my opinion.
In my own family, a brother and sister are conservative as my father was, and another sister is slightly progressive/liberal from moderate, like my mother. These people have all done very well, too. The 2 conservatives are the ones always complaining about taxes. It seems to be the most important thing in their lives - money and taxes. Each is married - one couple works with things on the earth, one couple works with things in the sky or on the road. I'm certain they are both millionaires. The other is very, very wealthy, her husband worked with things pertaining to water and rubber. Both are very kind, generous people. They admit that they have benefitted from Bush, but they could easily pay more taxes. This is just an interesting study in types of personalities, priorities, and money, which includes taxes.
Taxation in America is very complicated and it really should be simplified and fair. As far as other countries, America is 36th on a list of 39 countries, ahead of only Chile, Mexico, and South Korea. If you feel American taxes are out of your range, try moving to Mexico. They're much lower there.
Anyway, until next time... Why not appreciate what you do have. If it's broken, fix it.
| | Posted by Lulublue at 11:28 PM - | |
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