Here Is Obama’s Plan – What Is Yours?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on March 5th, 2009
Good Morning All!
I wanted to post this list that one of my resources sent me. This is Obama’s plan. You may or may not know all of the below, but you should. Why? Because this is the change we voted for.
President President Obama has done his part, put his plan in place; and as I have said time and time again here, now it is time to do our part.
“THE PLAN”
1. Makes a $634 billion down payment on fixing health care that will go a long way toward paying for a more efficient, more affordable health care system that covers every single American.
2. Reduces taxes for 95% of working Americans. And if your family makes less than $250,000, your taxes won’t go up one dime.
3. Invests more than $100 billion in clean energy technology, creating millions of green jobs that can never be outsourced.
4. Brings our troops home from Iraq on a firm timetable, finally bringing the war to a close—and freeing up almost ten billion dollars a month for domestic priorities.
5. Reverses growing income inequality. The plan lets the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire and focuses on strengthening the middle class.
6. Closes multi-billion-dollar tax loopholes for big oil companies.
7. Increases grants to help families pay for college—the largest increase ever.
8. Halves the deficit by 2013. President Obama inherited a legacy of huge deficits and an economy in shambles, but his plan brings the deficit under control as soon as the economy begins to recover.
9. Dramatically increases funding for the SEC and the CFTC—the agencies that police Wall Street.
10. Tells it straight. For years, budgets have used accounting tricks to hide the real costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush tax cuts, and too many other programs. Obama’s budget gets rid of the smokescreens and lays out what America’s priorities are, what they cost, and how we’re going to pay for them.
If you are a regular reader, as many of you are, you will notice that there is a wide range of commentators that comment. It is quite apparant that readers of my blog are pretty darn savvy. I am constantly amazed.
So…Let’s help each other out. It is obvious from our recent past history that the people of the U.S. need to bet more involved and be a louder voice. We have been informed of some pretty ugly stuff and we all know that we can’t continue to just expect change to happen without doing our part. Zen Lill and I have a plan to draft up a few letters in regards to the many issues that we are all concerned about: Women’s Rights, Health Care, The Environment, etc. We plan to post them here as examples, that people can copy or change to make it personal, etc., so that they can send them to their senators.
But what about you? As I have said, there are many savvy people out there. If you have written a letter that you feel proud of, one that you would like to share…either to inspire us or give us permission to use and change as we feel fit…please blog it.
Zen Lill: I’m sorry our schedules have conflicted. I am already running late for work and I am working all day today and tomorrow. Perhaps we should pick an issue and start these letters on our own? Let’s can chat over the weekend. I will be around.
Robert: Oh, how I have said those same words over and over. Yes where was all the brilliance during the Bush years? All of a sudden…Voila! Instant wisdom! In regards to my article today, you seem like a good writer – how about a sample of a letter that you have written to your senators in regards to an issue you are concerned about?
You too Anon#5. I think it is great that you too are suggesting that we contact our representatives. The SEC seems to be on your mind. What kind of letter would you write?
Readers: This is an open invitation for you to share your writing talents and help those of us that may not be able to articulate as well as you. Blog me with your letters if you have written any and if not, how about doing one this weekend and sharing it with us? If you are having a difficult time posting here feel free to email me too. I know email is challenging also, but if I receive it, I will post it for you.
Hint: Your letters need not be long. In fact the shorter, the simpler, and the more personal, the better. The point is to get involved and write your representatives. The power is in the numbers :)
I wish I had time to say more but I am off to work. I look forward to reading some examples – Thank you!
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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March 5th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Hi Mischa, just thought of conflicting schedules after I posted that : ) ah well, over the weekend is fine.
there are numerous sites/samples if you ‘googy’ – ‘sample letters to congress’ why reinvent the wheel there are plenty of letters to tweak and make your own right there. If you don’t want to go that far but are willing to take up this challenge with Mischa and I, here’s the 3 top tips: 1. put your name/address at end of your letter and on the envelope (who deoesn’t do this anyway?) 2. Ask for a specific action on a specific tyopic from Congress and 3. give a reason…commmon sense, no?
Ok, we’ll see what comes of this on Monday bc with you or without you I will continue to post my 09 ‘predictions’ these letters to congress and whatever else strikes my fancy ; )
Anonz, you OK out there??
Have a groovin’ Zen day : ) it’s gorgeous here today, Zen Lilly
March 5th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
you bastards are keeping us white people out because you are communists.
March 6th, 2009 at 6:11 am
Anon,
You have given such an educated response to many delicate and necessary issues that were outlined in the blog. It may take us all some time to ponder your response for an appropriate rebuttal.
March 6th, 2009 at 6:30 am
The New World of Bartering
Natalie Ladd
The Trade Exchange
Barter — the cashless exchange of goods and services — is enjoying new popularity. Hundreds of Internet sites and barter exchanges around the country let you swap for everything from travel accommodations to dental care. Even people who think they don’t have anything worth bartering might be surprised to find their skills — perhaps a knack for gardening or interior decorating — in demand.
Here’s how to get started…
ONE-ON-ONE BARTER
How it works: You join a low-cost online barter service, where you can list or respond to offers. Or you can barter on your own by personally contacting people whose goods or services you need.
Best for: Individuals who want to trade occasionally for a specific item or service, such as trading babysitting for lawn services.
Sample savings: A high school tennis coach needed to pay for his daughter’s wedding. The coach went around to local businesses and offered to trade tennis lessons for goods and services. In this way, he was able to get all the flowers for his daughter’s wedding and the alterations to her wedding dress.
Important: Make sure you and your trading partner are bartering at the same value level. You don’t want to trade your goods at wholesale, while he/she is charging you retail prices.
Also, many professionals are willing to barter their labor, but they still might need to charge you in cash for certain fixed costs, such as paying their staff or buying raw materials.
My favorite sites: http://www.craigslist.org, click on your state, then “Barter” under “For Sale” (free)… http://www.web-barter.com ($2 to answer a listing/free to place a listing)… http://www.targetbarter.com ($2.50/transaction for items presumed to be valued under $25… 10% of the transaction for trades valued over $25… free to place a listing).
Drawbacks: You’re limited to trading with people who live nearby — an optician in New York has little to offer a landscaper in California.
You do all the leg work — evaluating the quality of goods and services.
There is no governing body with a code of standards or ethics and little recourse, other than small-claims court, if something goes wrong.
TRADE EXCHANGE BARTER
How it works: A barter exchange acts as a broker, a third-party record keeper and, in cases of disputes, a mediator for your transaction.
People who use the service are called “exchange members” and trade in “credits.” (One credit typically equals $1.) Members receive statements monthly. Traders (referred to as “brokers”) who work for an exchange can tap into an international network and put together deals for almost anything.
There are barter exchanges nationwide. You can research them as you would any business. Check the Better Business Bureau for complaints. Make sure the exchange has been in business for at least three years and belongs to a governing body, such as the International Reciprocal Trade Association (585-424-2940, http://www.irta.com), which has a code of ethics, a peer review board and a certification program for traders.
Resource: To get a state-by-state listing of exchanges, go to http://www.barternews.com and click on “Barter Contacts.”
Best for: Small-business owners or people looking to trade regularly and save cash for non-tradable items and overhead.
Sample savings: A New England radio station wanted to do an on-air promotion for which it needed 2,000 pairs of socks. The station was willing to barter $1,000 worth of advertising airtime. A trade broker for a national exchange found a local barter exchange in Kansas that had a sock manufacturer among its members. That manufacturer didn’t need radio ad time in New England, so he traded him the socks for a white-water rafting trip offered by one of the exchange’s other members, a travel company in Maine. The travel company used its exchange credits from the deal to purchase the advertising airtime from the radio station.
Drawbacks: Higher costs, including annual dues of $120 and up, and transaction fees (for example, a fee of 6% of the transaction value) each time you buy or sell. You generally need to offer at least $500 worth of goods or services to open a barter account.
TAXES
According to the IRS, barter “income” is treated the same as cash income. You must list the fair market value of goods or services received through barter on your federal tax return, Form 1040, Schedule C.
For federal rules on barter income, call 800-829-1040 or go to http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc420.html.