Flap Your Lips Friday
Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 14th, 2011
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Good morning!
Readers: This backs what I was telling you the yesterday about the lying sack of shit.
Soaring Suburban Poverty Catches Communities Unprepared
EDGEWATER, Colo. — Before the unraveling, Selena Blanco and her family felt secure in their hold on middle class life in this bedroom community just west of Denver. She and her husband both held professional jobs in industries that seemed sheltered from trouble, his in technology, hers in health care. Together they brought home $100,000 a year, enough to allay concerns about paying the bills, let alone having to ask for help.
But over the last two years, both have lost their jobs. Her unemployment check ran out in the spring, leaving them to subsist on his jobless benefits alone, about $1,500 a month.
The Blanco’s shattered fortunes have supplied them an unwanted new status, one they share with millions of suburban households in a nation previously accustomed to thinking of suburbia in upwardly mobile terms: They are poor.
They are officially so according to the federal government’s definition, which sets the poverty linefor a family of five at an annual income of $26,023 or less. It is viscerally true when one sees how Blanco, 28, now spends her day. She takes her four-year-old son to a county-operated Headstart program, free preschool for the poor. She forages for clothes at thrift stores. She scrounges for coupons to keep her family fed.
“We were doing well,” Blanco says, dabbing at reddening eyes with a tissue, trying to make sense of events that contradict her understanding of what is supposed to happen to people who work, save and provide for their children. “My husband and I would go out to eat without even thinking about it. We bought shoes. When I needed a bra, I went to Victoria’s Secret. Now we’re like, ‘Which Goodwill is having a sale?’”
They have applied for food stamps and the cash assistance program familiarly known as welfare, crossing a previously unimaginable threshold: For the first time in her life, Blanco — a self-possessed, confident, intelligent woman who still carries herself like someone who used to work in an office — has entered the ranks of those in need of public assistance.
“It’s a horrible feeling,” she says, tears staining her face. “There’s pride. I don’t show my kids that we’re hurting, but it hurts me. It makes me feel like I’m failing as a parent. It’s embarrassing.”
Despite the typically urban associations evoked by talk of poverty in America, Blanco is the face of an emerging segment of the nation’s poor now growing faster than any other. Though cities still have nearly double the rate of poverty as suburban areas, the number of people living in poverty in the suburbs of major metropolitan areas increased by 53 percent between 2000 and 2010, as compared to an increase of 23 percent among city-dwellers, according to a Brookings Institution analysis of recently released census data. In 16 metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Dallas and Milwaukee, the suburban poor has more than doubled over the last decade.
The swift growth of suburban poverty is reshaping the sociological landscape, while leaving millions of struggling households without the support that might ameliorate their plight: Compared to cities, suburban communities lack facilities and programs to help the poor, owing to a lag in awareness that large numbers of indigent people are in their midst. Some communities are wary of providing services out of fear they will make themselves magnets for the poor.
In the suburbs, getting to county offices to apply for aid or to food banks generally requires a car or reliance on a typically minimal public transportation network. The same transportation constraints limit working opportunities, with many jobs potentially beyond reach and would-be employers reluctant to hire people who lack their own vehicles.
These basic difficulties are now exacerbated as states and local governments cut services and lay off staff in the face of budget shortfalls. Growing numbers of the new suburban poor face the risk of slipping through the cracks, sinking into a state of dependence on public assistance just as aid is diminishing.
“You’re seeing communities that have seen really rapid increases in their poor populations, and they don’t have the infrastructure to deal with it,” says Elizabeth Kneebone, a senior research associate at the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution. “The safety net is already stretched really thin, and it’s patchier in the suburbs. These providers are dealing with incredible increases in demand at the same time they are seeing their funding cut.”
POVERTY EXPANDS
The growth of the suburban poor was underway before the Great Recession, a reflection of how increasing numbers of Americans from across the socioeconomic spectrum have been gravitating to suburban communities: first, in search of better schools and remove from urban life; more recently, because jobs have been shifting there, attracting the affluent and the working poor alike.
By 2000, some 49 percent of the American poor already lived in suburban communities, according to work by Alan Berube and William Frey at the Brookings Institution.
But the recession substantially accelerated this trend in some suburban communities by assailing the incomes of previously middle class households, significantly elevating rates of joblessness, delinquency and foreclosure.
In the Chicago and Detroit metropolitan areas, their suburbs last year claimed the distinction of holding more poor residents than the cities, according to Berube and Kneebone’s analysis of census data. In both cities, the percentage of suburbanites living in poverty now exceeds 13 percent.
In the Las Vegas area, where a housing boom gave way to a bust, eliminating thousands of jobs in real estate and construction, nearly 15 percent of suburban residents were poor last year, up from about 10 percent in 2007 when the recession began. In southern California, 17 percent of suburban residents in Riverside, San Bernadino and Ontario were impoverished, a jump from about 12 percent in 2007.
Suburban-based social service agencies have been swamped. A survey of non-profit social service providers in suburban communities in the Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles metropolitan areas, conducted in 2009 and 2010 by researchers at Brookings, found that roughly nine in ten were seeing increased numbers of people seeking help compared to the previous year. Many had suffered cuts in financial support, prompting them to lay off staff and place needy people on wait-lists.
“In many communities, there just aren’t the organizations needed to provide job training, counseling or emergency assistance,” said Scott Allard, a political scientist at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and the lead author of the survey. “Poverty is a recent phenomenon.”
One key piece of data from the survey underscores the corrosive effects of suburban poverty on the American identity: Nearly three-fourths of the suburban non-profits were seeing significant numbers of people turning up who had never previously sought help.
“Growing up here, things were good,” says Blanco. “Now, you talk to people at the PTA, in the school cafeteria, and people are struggling. At the grocery store, people are going in only for what they need and not for what they want. You see people driving Lexuses and BMWs, and now they are in line at the food bank. Everyone is hurting. Everyone is looking for a job. We’re middle class in the suburbs, and now we’re hurting.”
*******
Anna Of Guam: Wonderful news. I can’t believe that if anyone really loved their child that they would continue to smoke in their car. It is disgusting and so inconsiderate, not to mention, that the cigarette smoking adults are stealing years off of their child’s life.
Robert: The pharmaceutical industry absolutely abhors anything to do with keeping us healthy through supplements, and refuses to acknowledge that they do. Hence these rigged studies. They only care about selling their drugs, and keeping us needing them for the rest of our lives. When ever I read a study on any supplements, herbs or anything natural, I always look to see who is doing the study. If the research and/or study is done by the pharmaceutical industry, and the outcome is negative, I know that it is probably a lie.
DSCC: We need to keep a close eye out on this. This could be disastrous for Obama.
Janet: Unfortunately people do believe. Which s why we have to continue to deflect the lying sacks of shit.
Justin: From what I read, it looks like you got your wish.
Time to sign out. Happy Friday Everyone! Start flapping…blog me.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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October 14th, 2011 at 9:35 am
JC Penney CEO commits to not selling sexist merchandise in the future.
Dear Michelle,
When JC Penney and Forever 21 began selling sexist shirts marketed to young girls with slogans like “Allergic to Algebra” and “I’m too pretty do to homework,” we asked you to call on the corporations to make a public commitment against selling sexist merchandise in the future.
In response, JC Penney CEO Myron Ullman wrote a personal note to CREDO and our members stating that:
“[JC Penney] used this incident as a ‘teachable moment’ for our buying teams. I can assure you and your petitioners that our teams fully understand their responsibility in upholding the integrity of our company and share with you their commitment to ensuring better merchandise decisions in the future.”
While not quite the strong public commitment we would like to see from JC Penney, it is clear that our petition reached the highest levels of management at the corporation and they know that we will continue to hold them accountable for the merchandise they sell.
Without the activism of over 120,000 CREDO Action members like you, it wouldn’t have been possible for us to force JC Penney to take this concrete step of committing to make better merchandise decisions in the future.
At CREDO, we believe that activism by our members has the potential to make change — and this response by JC Penney’s CEO is an example that our activism can make a difference.
We will continue to work to ensure that JC Penney upholds its commitment to us and to hold other corporations to the same standard of merchandise.
And we are still urging Forever 21 to make this right. We hope that you will join us as we continue to fight against sexism at the public and corporate levels.
Thank you for speaking out and joining us in this fight. Your activism matters.
Ali Rozell,
Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets
October 14th, 2011 at 10:27 am
Michelle, this proves your point. O’Reilly’s lies are totally revealed by this article. When will America wake up and respond to the needs of its citizens?
I believe it is going to take more people like you calling the liars liars and asking the rest of us who are not suffering to help those who are.
Helen
October 14th, 2011 at 10:27 am
Though cities still have nearly double the rate of poverty as suburban areas, the number of people living in poverty in the suburbs of major metropolitan areas increased by 53 percent between 2000 and 2010.”
Thank you Conservatives – you have successfully destroyed America.
October 14th, 2011 at 10:31 am
“Homosexuality is a perverted spirit… I know sin and it breeds like a cancer.”
That’s just a snippet of the frightening comments New Jersey teacher Viki Knox posted on her public Facebook wall this week – just two days after National Coming Out Day!
So what’s got her so enraged? A small bulletin board at her school recognizing LGBT History Month.
Her whole tirade is outrageous – and way over the line. We’re calling on school administrators to treat this incident very seriously, and we need your help.
Our teachers should be standing up for students – not denigrating them on Facebook.
The more letters he receives, the quicker he’ll move on this issue, so tell your friends to take action, too!
These hateful posts have since been removed from Facebook, but before they were taken down, Garden State Equality got a copy, and the New Jersey Star-Ledger picked up the story.
Here’s another excerpt from Knox’s horrific rant – posted publicly on Facebook, where it was visible to many others in the school community, not just her friends:
Why parade your unnatural immoral behaviors before the rest of us? AND YOU ARE WRONG! I/WE DO NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT ANYTHING, ANYONE.
ANY BEHAVIOR OR ANY CHOICES! I DO NOT HAVE TO TOLERATE ANYTHING OTHERS WISH TO DO.
And here’s the simple display that set off this firestorm:
https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1264&autologin=true&utm_source=Convio&utm_medium=email&utm_term=image&utm_campaign=NJ-teacher-tears-into-gays-on-fb&JServSessionIdr004=h9lv1i8bz6.app305a
Dr. Patrick Martin has said the school system is investigating the incident. By sending your letter right now, you can ensure that he gives this incident the full attention it deserves.
We’re also working hard in Congress this week on legislation that would help stop bullying and ensure equal treatment for LGBT students. We’ll keep you posted as that work and our effort in New Jersey progress.
Thank you for standing against hate in all its forms.
I’m sending my letter now, Joe Solmonese President, HRC
October 14th, 2011 at 10:32 am
Hmmm, your timing is uncanny.
Two days ago, I had a long phone convo with a pal who was fired from her very well paying series of jobs over the past 20 years, now there’s nothing in the industry except low level commission only positions. She knew nothing of the changing landscape of the job situation, really(?) and your hubby is a career counselor amongst other things…you could say oblivious but it’s more the cocoon factor to me, as long as YOU are insulated from what’s going on out there, it’s not really happening or is it? Or you don’t have to acknowledge it with your own wallet.
The woman above stated ‘we used to go out to dinner without thinking about it’ – yes, too much of that went on, and yes, people bought into that ‘american dream’ – home ownership – since when is home owning a dream? All I’m ever doing is cleaning/fixing/and lately working on termite suppression, I’d rather rent and call someone else and say, bugs are munching your house, come fix it!
This beach area has a MBZ, BMW or a hummer in every other driveway, so having the best without really owning it has been prevalent for a while. There’s a lot of living large done here that has resulted in empty foreclosed homes and/or people/mostly parents looking a bit shell shocked. It’s tough living paycheck to paycheck even if the paychecks are large…
Al, just kidding about 70′s show, I knew a Kelso back in the day, gorgie but dumber than a box of rocks, luckily I also had already had a smexy boyfriend so there was no temptation. I’ll watch twilight zone the show anytime…glad you’re back!
Howie, I admire your zen-ness in addressing Raymond, as if he deserves a response…maybe he needs another ass kicking…and I don’t care what race/creed does it either.
Luv, Zen Lill
October 14th, 2011 at 10:36 am
Asian Vegetables With Exceptional Health Benefits
Steven V. Joyal, MD
Life Extension Foundation
I stood in the supermarket produce aisle, admiring the lush array of fresh vegetables of all colors, shapes and sizes. But I noticed that most shoppers were picking up the same old stuff—carrots, celery, iceberg lettuce.
There is nothing wrong with those, of course. But there’s a lot to be gained by adding variety to your veggie selection—because different vegetables provide different nutrients, each of which has its own beneficial effects on the body.
For inspiration, I called Steven V. Joyal, MD, vice president of scientific and medical affairs for Life Extension Foundation, a Fort Lauderdale–based research organization.
He told me that many Asian vegetables are loaded with healthful nutrients and unique flavors, yet they are not commonly seen on American tables.
Want to expand your veggie repertoire? Dr. Joyal suggested checking Asian markets and health-food stores for the following…
Seabeans. Despite the name, these aren’t really beans but rather seaweedlike green stalks that grow in marshlands and near coastlines.
Also known as glasswort, seabeans have a spiny, spiky appearance (like skinny cactus arms).
They are a good source of vitamin A, which is beneficial for the eyes… B vitamins, which promote the health of skin and hair…
vitamin C, which supports the immune system… and iron, which red blood cells use to carry oxygen throughout the body.
When shopping, choose seabeans in the darkest shade of green you can find.
To prepare: Blanch whole seabean stalks in boiling water for 30 seconds (they’ll be very crisp), then drain and add to salad… or boil or steam uncut stalks to desired tenderness, drain, drizzle with sesame oil and rice wine vinegar and serve as a side dish.
Some people strip the edible outer flesh from the stringy core before eating. Seabeans taste somewhat like asparagus, Dr. Joyal said, but they have a naturally salty flavor—so do not add salt.
Gai lan (also known as kai lan). This is sometimes called “Chinese broccoli”—and with good reason.
It is a cruciferous vegetable, as is broccoli, though it has slimmer stalks, smaller florets and a much leafier appearance (similar to broccoli rabe).
In addition to vitamin A, vitamin C and iron, gai lan provides calcium (a bone builder) and potassium (which helps regulate muscle contractions, heartbeat and blood pressure).
Add gai lan to a stir-fry, soup or salad… or steam or sauté it as you would broccoli. My coworker, a gai lan fan, described the taste as “pleasantly, mildly bitter.”
Kombu. A form of seaweed from the kelp family, kombu that has been pickled is a popular snack in Japan.
Kombu also is sold shredded, to be boiled and mixed with beans, since it is thought to make beans easier to digest… or it can be purchased in sheets to be cut up and added to soups or stews.
Kombu has a gray-green color, chewy texture and a taste sometimes likened to mushrooms. Along with protein, calcium, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C, kombu provides iodine, which promotes thyroid health.
Natto. This is made from soybeans fermented with beneficial bacteria called Bacillus natto. It looks like shiny brown orbs (similar to baked beans) covered with a sticky, stringy sauce.
Some people are put off by its gooey texture or pungent earthy aroma (Dr. Joyal said that it is “definitely an acquired taste for most Western palates”)—but many people love natto’s flavor, which is described as nutty, cheesy or beanlike.
An exceptional source of protein, natto also is rich in vitamin K-2, which is critical for bone and vascular health. Try it in salads or served over cooked rice—you just might find it to be a delicacy.
Steven V. Joyal, MD, is vice president of scientific and medical affairs for Life Extension Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that supports research related to the prevention of degenerative diseases. http://www.lef.org
October 14th, 2011 at 10:39 am
How can there be solidarity when Repubs EXCLUDE so many Americans from their notion of what a ‘real’ American is?
Repubs criticize/ostracize minorities, gays & lesbians, the unemployed, the employed union member, the employed public employee, immigrants, Liberals, Progressives, Socialists/Communists/Marxists, the Non-religious,
anyone who is too poor to have an income tax liability, and anyone who receives government checks like Social Security, S.S. Disability, or Welfare/Food Stamps/Heating Aid/school lunches.
I apologize if I inadvertently omitted tens of thousands of other people from this list.
October 14th, 2011 at 10:46 am
What I am sick of is republicans claim to have discovered a anti-corporate leader in their mist. Namely Ron Paul.
If this guy were a man we would be laughing at him as we do Sarah Palin or Michelle Bacchmann. But because he is a man the press and it seems everyone else is giving this male dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks a pass.
What he understands about finance one can print on the head of a pin. The only people he can appeal to are desperate white bigots like my uncles who want to appear that they are not against Obama because of the color of his skin but because the genuinely believe that he is bad for the country.
When pressed to explain Ron Paul’s fiscal policies they resort to the talking points given to them via Fox bullshit.
Pei
October 14th, 2011 at 10:53 am
We are in 1887.
OBITUARY
John Henry “Doc” Holliday
(1852 – 1887)
Died of consumption 8 November, in a Glenwood Colorado, sanatorium. He had already lived twelve years longer than expected when he left Georgia to give his tubercular lungs the advantage of the southwest.
Trained as a dentist, Doc Holliday preferred life as a gambling gunslinger. His last (and possibly accurate) words, as he drained his last whisky and looked down at his unshod feet, were; “Well I’m damned!” For he had fully expected to die in his boots.
AH
October 14th, 2011 at 10:58 am
Ditto Zen Lill here in Petah Tiqwa we read Howie’s column with delight. We don’t ask others to like him as we do, but we do expect the same respect be given him as we give their pundits.
Ernie
October 14th, 2011 at 11:00 am
287
No. 287 of 365
Joke time:
A biker is riding by the zoo, when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion’s cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her before the eyes of her screaming parents.
The biker jumps off his bike, runs to the cage, and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain, the lion jumps back, letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly.
A New York Times reporter has witnessed the whole scene, and addressing the biker, says, “Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I saw a man do in my whole life.”
“Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger, and acted as I felt right.”
“Well, I’ll make sure this won’t go unnoticed. I’m a journalist from the New York Times, you know, and tomorrow’s paper will have this on the front page. What motorcycle do you ride and what political affiliation do you have?”
“A Harley Davidson, and I am a Republican.”
The journalist leaves.
The following morning the biker buys the New York Times and reads, on the front page:
*REPUBLICAN BIKER GANG MEMBER ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH*
October 14th, 2011 at 11:11 am
Michelle that’s the kind of shit that pisses me off. I know that you are being fair by allowing those republican bigots post uncensored to your blog but stuff like their #11 post is infuriating.
They use derogatory references to OTWs to claim that good white people are being maligned and the rank and file eat it up.
*REPUBLICAN BIKER GANG MEMBER ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH*
How sick is that?
Those are the same people who portray Obama in demeaning fashion with racist overtones.
One third of white america is so racist as to be un american. They are only interested in promoting white supremacy.
Floyd
October 14th, 2011 at 11:18 am
Pie, you have always been a bitch. Why do you think we are republicans?
Because we came to this country with a dream and realizing that dream was made possible by the policies advocated by the Republican Party.
What part of oppressive regulations don’t you get? That is what Ron Paul is about.
Let someone who claims to know better explain why laissez- faire doesn’t work by allowing competition to police the market place as opposed to cumbersome government regulations?
That is Ron Paul’s philosophy.
Ling
October 14th, 2011 at 11:31 am
A class of 10 year olds were asked to write about a bird and a beast. My favorite was this one.
===========================
The bird that I am going to write about is the Owl. The Owl cannot see at all by day and at night is as blind as a bat.
I do not know much about the Owl, so I will go on to the beast which I am going to choose. It is the Cow. The Cow is a mammal. It has six sides-right, left, upper and below.
At the back it has a tail on which hangs a brush. With this it sends the flies away so that they do not fall into the milk.
The head is for the purpose of growing horns and so that the mouth can be somewhere.
The horns are to butt with, and the mouth is to moo with. Under the cow hangs the milk. It is arranged for milking. When people milk, the milk comes and there is never an end to the supply.
How the cow does it I have not yet realized, but it makes more and more. The cow has a fine sense of smell; one can smell it far away.
This is the reason for the fresh air in the country. The man cow is call an ox. It is not a mammal. The cow does not eat much, but what it eats it eats twice,so that it gets enough.
When it is hungry it moos, and when it says nothing it is because its inside is all full up with grass.
October 14th, 2011 at 11:32 am
Truly amazing.
Early this morning in New York, faced with the threat of eviction, the protesters at Occupy Wall Street were joined by union members, by community organizers, and by thousands of other New Yorkers standing in solidarity with them.
And because they refused to back down, the park’s owners had to. Brookfield Properties, the “global asset manager” that owns Liberty Plaza, withdrew their request to clear the park.1
This victory in New York shows how powerful we can be when we all stand together—the 99% occupying Wall Street, the other occupations that have sprung up across the country, and the hundreds of thousands of members of the American Dream Movement standing in solidarity with them.
Now Occupy Wall Street is calling for a huge day of action tomorrow to protest Wall Street greed, with events all across the country and the world.2 If you haven’t been down to show your support for your local occupation, tomorrow is the day to do it.
October 14th, 2011 at 11:35 am
Do we see an emerging trend here???
First we have poor-then desperate poor-next the middle class-definitely going the way of the dinosaurs and small business owners you are next-
(why should the corporation buy you out when they can starve you out) then finally back to the days of the company stores. (..”St. Peter dontcha call me cause i can’t go, i owe my soul to the company store.”)
October 14th, 2011 at 11:38 am
Pineapple Pills Help Healing
Tieraona Low Dog, MD
University of Arizona, Tucson
The compound bromelain, found in the stem and juice of the pineapple plant and taken in pill form, helps acute injuries, such as cuts and bruises, heal quickly.
It improves circulation at the injured site by halting the production of prostaglandins, by-products of inflammation.
Bromelain takes one to two days to work. Use only enteric-coated pills to be sure that the bromelain is not degraded by stomach acid.
Caution: Bromelain thins the blood—talk to your doctor before using it if you are taking a blood thinner.
Personal interviewed Tieraona Low Dog, MD, director of the fellowship for the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson. http://www.DrLowDog.com
October 14th, 2011 at 11:46 am
I live in the stressful environment of Ramallah. It is nice to read a blog where corporation is urged for all peoples. I like Howie because he is a champion of what is right.
I also enjoy his input about aliens. Who cares if there are aliens or not, his stories lighten up a scary day here on the West Bank.
When I go to Jerusalem to meet with friends and soldiers on R&R, we have something pleasant to talk about besides the constant threat all this violence presents us on a daily basis, thanks to Howie.
So it would be nice if visitors remembered that it is not polite to be rude especially in an environment of almost constant hostility.
Gardez
October 14th, 2011 at 11:49 am
There seems to be little ground to share with the rag tag group of communists, hippies, and hipsters occupying Zuccotti Park in New York City.
But, I am told by people who’ve been out surveying the crowds in other parts of the country—occupying Chicago to Atlanta—that there are some poor souls shivering and smelly that conservatives should not turn their backs on.
In fact, a number of conservative thinkers are concerned that maybe, just maybe, we might be engaged in reaction instead of apologetics and are losing people to the left that we need not lose.
I think most of the ground we could share with the occupy movement is superficial ground.
Most of those on Wall Street want retribution and punishment of the rich. They’ve cast out greed, but are filled up with envy and jealousy.
Elsewhere, there may be some common ground. Some of the protestors are just tired that they can’t find a job and no one seems to want to help them.
The issue, then, is not punishing the rich, but helping these people. And many conservatives agree that the deck has been stacked in favor of big corporations too.
We’re all opposed to TARP and bailouts and special tax loopholes that only benefit one company.
We’re all opposed to companies that have found it more useful to spend money on lobbyists to get a competitive advantage through law than to innovate and compete with upstart entrepreneurs.
The solution then, it seems, is not more regulation and not to punish the successful. The solution is to actually level the playing field.
Simplify the tax code. Deregulate. Make it easy for entrepreneurs to get started. Reduce the nanny-state, not expand it.
The time is right for a conservative, populist anti-Wall Street movement. Most Americans do think the deck is stacked against them.
But unlike the hipsters, hippies, and communists, most Americans do not want to punish the successful. They just want a level playing field.
— Erick Erickson
October 14th, 2011 at 11:52 am
“shivering and smelly,” listen to that pompous ass. He has a job because he can parrot the talking points his bosses wishes to convey to the flock.
Those “shivering and smelly” people you are referring to Erick Erickson are out of work Americans.
Lacy
October 14th, 2011 at 11:59 am
Thank you Michelle for helping to get the word out. The turn out was amazing! Of course they will probably start jamming your blog again.
Or have that inane bunch of bigots at Human Events jam your post with their ridiculous Joke posts.
I am glad you are giving them the rope to hang themselves on. The more people see how far they will stoop to gain political control of this country the more they will realize they have to get serious to stop these manics.
Tim
October 14th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
My atheism, like that of Spinoza, is true piety towards the universe and denies only gods fashioned by men in their own image to be servants of their human interests.
George Santayana, Soliloquies in England
October 14th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Hi Michelle, Great series on them bush league bandits, “The Bushwackers”(great moniker). In just some three, maybe four generations, this family’s lineage did more damage to this Nations health, wealth, and worldwide reputation than I thought possible. This family klan has run the US like it was their own personal monarchy.
Every single one of them is guilty of crimes against humanity, graft, treason, bribery, theft, you name it, some of them of war crimes and trading with the enemy. Just this one family has come close to completely ruining this country. As a whole they have committed crimes against the American people that would be impossible to ever compile or list. Not to mention the civil rights stolen from the American People.
I am so angry that they were allowed to commit and get away with all these crimes that my blood could boil. Because this could not have happened without the collusion of many thousands of other Americans.
Greed and lust for power is the root cause of all the world’s problems. Whatever happened to INTEGRITY and concern for ones neighbor? This truly is a world gone mad.
Our politics are too slow. It takes an act of Congress to decide how to make the coffee, the rethugs are blocking every move. Meanwhile, nothing has been done in this time of crisis to correct some of the problems the bushwackers have caused or allowed to happen.
The unemployed cannot pay taxes, the 1% won’t. Nobody wants to. Our infrastructure is degrading at a rapid pace. The 1% wants the money needed to run this country for themselves.
What about the future? The 1% would prefer that today’s children have nothing left for them.
Thanks for your hard work and diligence.
Al
October 14th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
Those of you who sit at home judging Anonz should know he is in a battle for his life along the South Sudan’s border with Uganda. He is holding off the invaders to enable many of us to flee to Juda and Nimule.
I hope someone comes to his aid. Islamic regimes are uniting to force black africans from their homelands.
Cherika
October 14th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
The stories of Anonz yesterday and today please me, he’s a perfect storm of bils gone rogue – in a good way. I don’t pray but I will keep his safety in my thoughts. I’m grateful he’s there to do the deeds that need doing, that no one else is stepping up to do. He’s saved many, more than can be said about ‘marrying and working beside new relatives’ and snagging oil rights when you’e not busy doing that. – ZL
October 15th, 2011 at 6:30 am
Republican leaders in the House of Representatives are tripling the amount of taxpayer money they’ll spend to protect the Defense of Marriage Act, pouring in an additional $1 million to defend this outdated, discriminatory law in front of a judge.
Just how much more of our money are they willing to spend fighting to keep legally married same-sex couples as second-class citizens?
Their move is just wrong. For same-sex couples, DOMA means no way to file taxes together, no medical leave to tend to an ill spouse, and no way to stay in the U.S. if one partner is from a different country. It’s tragic, and far too real for too many of us.
But all of this can change, bill. Stand with Sens. Patrick Leahy and Dianne Feinstein and urge them to do what it takes to pass this bill. Send your message right away to show how important this fight is.
October 15th, 2011 at 6:52 am
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