Political Roundtable Quasar of Mayhem part III

[Nivek]

Rule of three holds up, I guess. Andy Rooney, Joe Frazier, Heavy D.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Kevin, Andy Rooney's death really was sad to me as well. Rule of three.

[dobrojim]

the father-in-law of a dear friend just passed last night

rule of IV?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Not long ago, Steve Jobs and Amy Winehouse...

Add to that a guy from one of my favorite movies back in the day, "Porkys".

Two more famous athletes, in addition to Smokin' Joe have passed this week: NBA Hall of Famer Ed Macauley and MLB great Matty Alou.

A friend of mine lost her 24 year-old niece to a hit-and-run a couple weeks ago.

Don't know what the rule is, but a lot of folks are dying recently.

[popper]

The following essay is interesting although I hesitate to post it. Last time I introduced information like this there were one or two members of this board that wanted to have me flogged.


Freedom Watch
Economic Freedom for Black Americans
By Allen B. West from the November 2011 issue

When will black Americans finally be "free at last"?

The word "freedom" for many black Americans is inextricably linked with the word "slavery." While it has been 148 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, and 47 years since the landmark Civil Rights Act, for many, the words of Martin Luther King in his famous speech still ring true: "The Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity." Many black Americans still find themselves spiritually and economically enslaved on the figurative 21st-century plantation.

Why is that still so? After all, for the last 47 years, our leaders have passed bill after bill ostensibly to free black Americans from the manacles of poverty and provide ever-stronger safety nets for those disadvantaged.

But two very formidable forces have conspired over these last 47 years -- almost the span of my entire life--to shackle the economic freedoms and aspirations of the black community: liberal progressive policies, generally supported by Democrats, and the socialist ideology espoused by prominent blacks such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

It is always curious to me that black Americans typically vote Democrat, when it was a Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and a Republican from Ohio, Representative James Mitchell Ashley, who brought forth the bill to support an amendment to end slavery throughout the United States.

Nearly 100 years later, when the initial Civil Rights Bill came before the full Senate in 1964, it was a group of 18 Southern Democrats who argued most fervently against its passage. While the Civil Rights Act passed, finally ending the reprehensible practices of segregation, the liberal progressive policies passed during these last nearly five decades have perhaps done more damage to black Americans' prospects than the racial policies of the past. Unemployment in the black community stands at 16.7 percent, food stamp enrollment is up, and nearly three-quarters of all black children do not live with their biological fathers.

Welfare policies devised by the left to aid single mothers have instead worked perversely to incentivize more young women to have children out of wedlock. High minimum wages advocated by labor unions-- from whom Democrats receive tremendous financial support -- mean employers are less apt to hire unskilled black youths, or any youths for that matter. For the left, "spending on education" generally means job protection and preserving benefits for teachers, rather than actually improving education for students in public schools, where black students can build a foundation for economic advancement.

But the effects of these so-called well-intentioned policies, while damaging, are certainly not as toxic as the socialist orientation and noxious rhetoric of "leaders" such as Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Words do indeed have meaning, and the defeatist and demoralizing screeds of these prominent speakers do not inspire, but instead reinforce the victim mentality, and generate class hatred and jealousy -- further cultivated by our own President Barack Obama.

Since the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's founding in 1909, socialism has been, unfortunately, deeply ingrained in the black community. In fact, NAACP founder W. E. B. DuBois received the 1959 "Lenin Peace Prize" and formally joined the Communist Party USA two years later.

One of the primary tenets of socialist ideology is the creation of a welfare state, which is precisely what has happened in the black community. It is, in effect, a virtual plantation, where black Americans remain enslaved to damaging economic policies and poisonous attitudes of the rhetorical "overseers" who continue to reinforce exploitive, negative mindsets.

The only way for black Americans -- and all Americans for that matter -- to enjoy the full fruits of economic freedom is by once again embracing the spirit of individualism and self-determination laid out in our Constitution and exemplified by true black leaders such as Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. It is only by abandoning the damaging liberal progressive policies and throwing off the shackles of the victim mentality can black Americans finally be "free at last."

[hands11]

Hands - Your comment below.

In closing

OH Issue 2 to break the unions rights to collectively bargain - failed. It will be repealed.
Maine Question 1 - end of same day voter registration bill has been defeated.
Mississippi Initiative 26 - Personhood Amendment - a fertilized egg is a person yes 43% no 57 % with 19% of the vote in. This one hasnt been called yet but it is looking like it will fail.

My response - In a democracy, voters get what they deserve. Ohio had just begun to create jobs again and now the moving trucks will start to move in just as they have in CA and IL. Any business that can will migrate south to more hospitable climes. It is not a victory for Ohio, it is a death knell for suffering families who desperately need work.

There we agree. Voters do get what they deserve. So when lots of voters show up and over turn legislation that would strip collective bargaining rights, they do get what that desire. That is democracy at work.

And you are also right, it is not a victory for Ohio, it is a victory for our country.

Lets get this straight. This was note a vote for a specific pay scale or benefits. I was for worker to have to right to collectively bargain for those things. Just like the NBA players are doing with the owners and lots on this board support the players right to do that. Me included. I may not have supported their position, but I support their right have their position heard and collectively leverage that position against people with a lot more power, money and influence than any of them individually.

That my friend is America.

And it is nice to know that even a place like Mississippi - which is usually a little more backwards then most of the rest of the country - wouldn't vote in something as stupid as ... a fertilized egg is a person.

Some upper rich people and corporations have way over reached. They did this through the R party. Well people are pushing back.

Like I said, the pendulum is swinging the other way. It went as far to the right as it is going to. Personally, I would happy to see it spending some time in the middle for a while.

[hands11]

I haven't personally met any Repub that is racist. Not saying they don't exist but in my adult life I have never met one. Sure, I've heard jokes and stereotypical comments about every ethnicity, as I'm sure you have as well, but I never got the impression that the comments were anything more than macho banter.

I have no doubt there are racist in this country but I can assure you that they don't all reside in the Repub party nor are they all white. I can also assure you that the vast majority of Repubs that I kwow would condemn such behavior in the strongest terms. Prejudice is ugly but will always be with us. I grew up poor in the south and the wealthy whites called us "white trash." It hurt but what are you going to do. They call me white trash and I call them silver spoons. Life goes on and so must we. Prejudice is ignorance and everyone I hang out with and have befriended over the years understand this.

Once again, I don't want Obama, Reid, Pelosi, etc. to succeed because I think our country would be worse off, not because of their race, sexual proclivity or any other irrelavent differentiator.

No one's calling you racist. You're simply blind, though, if you've never met a racist Republican. I'm from KY, and am still involved in KY politics. Dime a dozen -- racist Democrats too, for that matter.

These are the actual bills you posted, by the way:

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-hr72/show

H.Res.72 - Directing certain standing committees to inventory and review existing, pending, and proposed regulations and orders from agencies of the Federal Government, particularly with respect to their effect on jobs and economic growth.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h872/show

H.R.872 - Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011

To amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify Congressional intent regarding the regulation of the use of pesticides in or near navigable waters, and for other purposes.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h910/show

H.R.910 - Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011

To amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from promulgating any regulation concerning, taking action relating to, or taking into consideration the emission of a greenhouse gas to address climate change, and for other purposes.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-hj37/show

H.J.Res.37 - Disapproving the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission with respect to regulating the Internet and broadband industry practices.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h2018/show

H.R.2018 - Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to preserve the authority of each State to make determinations relating to the State's water quality standards, and for other purposes.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h1315/show

H.R.1315 - Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act of 2011

To amend the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to strengthen the review authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council of regulations issued by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h2587/show

H.R.2587 - Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act

To prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any employer to close, relocate, or transfer employment under any circumstance.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h2401/show

H.R.2401 - Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011

To require analyses of the cumulative and incremental impacts of certain rules and actions of the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other purposes.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h2681/show

H.R.2681 - Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011

To provide additional time for the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to issue achievable standards for cement manufacturing facilities, and for other purposes.

That's a joke. Menial efforts to undo some decent environmental protections, a couple of attempts to bog administrative agencies down in paperwork, unfettering finance and kneecapping worker protections. Awesome.

The Koch brother hard at work is what I see.

But of course one side considers that a jobs bill.

These regulation are to protect our resources. Our country. Our planent...against any one group of people rapping it. You want free markets. Lets cost account products by production, pollution and disposal. Then lets see how products compete.

I encourage everyone to watch this episode.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episod ... ll-clinton

John Corzine resigns as MF Global's CEO, and Bill Clinton discusses the U.S. economy and provides a detailed plan for its recovery in "Back to Work."

[hands11]

BTW, pass Obama's jobs plan and there are more, not less, jobs in Ohio and other states.

Yeah, let's ramp up the debt even more. What could possibly go wrong?

It is paid for Nate.

[hands11]

Obama's handpicked White House Council of Economic Advisors calculates that his last stimulus plan cost $278,000 per job "saved".

And that's using the White House's wildly optimistic numbers on the amount of jobs actually saved. When the Stimulus Plan was first debated, unemployment was 7.3%. After the Stimulus, it was 9.1%.

Sorry, with that track record, I'm not interested in more of his jobs plans. An estimate of his new plan has a cost of $312,000 per job created.

When the stimulus plan was passed, the CBO calculated we lost about 3.0 of GDP. When they later revised the number given better information, we had lost like 7.5 percent of GDP.

The stimulus package was effective. But 800 billion was not big enough to fill a 3 trillion dollar hole.
It was effective. It just wasn't big enough to cause a recovery. How can you not know this by now ?

Personally, I am glad they didn't make it bigger via using debt. It stopped the collapse which was good enough for the moment. That was good enough while the equity bubble unravels. I am sorry people are feeling pain but taking on rick you can't afford does have a cost. Now we need paid for stimulus. That would be the smart thing to do if you want to lower unemployment and shrink our debt to GDP percentage.

That Nate is what happened and what is on the table.

[hands11]

Not long ago, Steve Jobs and Amy Winehouse...

Add to that a guy from one of my favorite movies back in the day, "Porkys".

Two more famous athletes, in addition to Smokin' Joe have passed this week: NBA Hall of Famer Ed Macauley and MLB great Matty Alou.

A friend of mine lost her 24 year-old niece to a hit-and-run a couple weeks ago.

Don't know what the rule is, but a lot of folks are dying recently.

We are getting old. I am sure we will hear of a lot more people we know dieing.

Also, it is the information age.

[hands11]

It is always curious to me that black Americans typically vote Democrat, when it was a Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and a Republican from Ohio, Representative James Mitchell Ashley, who brought forth the bill to support an amendment to end slavery throughout the United States.

Nearly 100 years later, when the initial Civil Rights Bill came before the full Senate in 1964, it was a group of 18 Southern Democrats who argued most fervently against its passage.

pop

Instead of attacking you, I will just assume you are missing some information. I encourage you to study the subject more. Find the alternative factual information regarding what you posted. Actually, much of it has already been posted on this board.


#1

"It is always curious to me that black Americans typically vote Democrat, when it was a Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and a Republican from Ohio, Representative James Mitchell Ashley, who brought forth the bill to support an amendment to end slavery throughout the United States."

So what Lincoln was a Republican. The parties have changed over time regarding who supports them and what they are about. Lincoln has nothing in common with the party that is the Republican party today. Hell, even Reagan would be considered a Dem by todays Republican standards. Oh wait, he was a Dem.


#2

Nearly 100 years later, when the initial Civil Rights Bill came before the full Senate in 1964, it was a group of 18 Southern Democrats who argued most fervently against its passage."

Those southern democrats were called the Dixiecrates. They are now called Republicans.
The Democratic and Republican parties went through a huge shift over this. The Dems backing the equal right movement at the cost of losing the South for a generation and the Republicans picking up the mantel of those racists with the Southern strategy.

This is how things are today, not back in 1964 or 1776.

The Democratic Party is represented by a large majority of Black people for a damn good reason. It isnt because they are to stupid to know why.

pop, you seem like a good person and a nice guy. You are just misinformed and that is no crime. You also seem like someone who is willing to learn. So if what I said about you in true, I encourage you to do more research. Talk to some old timers black people that were around back then. Read some books on the topic. Real history, not some blog talking points crap. I think if we do these things you will find a very different history then what you posted and you will be a better person for having found it.

[popper]

Here is a novel idea. The US govt. borrows approx. 40% of its expenditures from China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, etc. ----------- I think we can all agree that this is not a healthy, prudent way to manage our affairs. Wouldn't it make sense to cut all non-essential federal spending to move toward a more balanced budget.

What in your opinion is non-essential? I agree with previous posters that garrisoning troops all over the globe should be tempered where possible and will result in savings. Is public broadcasting essential to our survival? Dems believe it is. Is the Education Dept. essential to our survival? Dems believe it is? Is Planned Parenthood essential to our survival? Dem say yes. Is the convoluted 75,000 page tax system essential to our survival? Dems say yes.

Please tell me. What you are willing to cut to achieve a balanced budget? If we continue on this course we will inevitabley become Greece. If you can't, or won't, answer this question then we are headed for certain economic collapse.

Feel free to tax the rich in the above scenario - maybe you can squeeze out 100 Billion a year but with some risk that they move their assets offshore.

[popper]

Hands - I'm glad you believe that I might be a nice guy (I am). You also believe that I'm misguided or uneducated in certain respects. No doubt I am.

I'm 55 and retired 10 yrs. ago after having built / contributed to the success of a number of companies. Since then I have played a lot of golf, however I was able to squeeze in 3 or 4 newspapers a day and one or two books a week to try to catch up with the rest of the educated world.

Here is the interesting part. Beginning about a year ago I started receiving phone calls from companies I used to be associated with and business colleagues that I knew over the years. They wanted me to come back to work, or short of that, consult for them. I declined but they kept harrasssing me. Finally I took on several companies in a consuting capacity. My phone literally rings off the hook and I can't handle any more work. More than anything else they tell me they value my experience and realism. They are growing now where before they were shrinking. Last week one owner said Popper, I am so glad God brought you back into our lives. Go back 2 or 3 months on this thread and look at the economic forecast I posted. It's all coming true and you could have made a nice profit had you followed my advice.

No doubt I have gaps in my knowledge and education. I will continue to work hard to improve myself. Our country is in trouble and we will all need to somehow pull together as best we can if we want to live in a country worthy of our ideals.

[DCZards]

The following essay is interesting although I hesitate to post it. Last time I introduced information like this there were one or two members of this board that wanted to have me flogged.


Freedom Watch
Economic Freedom for Black Americans
By Allen B. West from the November 2011 issue

When will black Americans finally be "free at last"?

I've heard Cong. West speak and, although I disagree with his politics, he seems like a pretty smart guy. But he says some incredibly stupid things here. In fact, he sounds like someone who is stuck in the distant past.

Exhibit A: West seems surprised that black Americans don't support the Repub Party given that it was Abe Lincoln who issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Say what!! That was over a century ago and today's Repub party is far different than the one that Lincoln headed up. You would think that a smart guy like West could figure that out on his own.

Exhibit B: West claims that labor unions are the problem for black folks. News flash Cong. West: Labor unions of the 21st century are increasingly black, Latino and female. And, while it's true that organized labor was once the selfish bastion of white males, today's labor movement is a far different and more diverse animal, with minorities holding key offices. Is Cong. West not paying attention? And even the "high minimum wage" that West complains is holding black kids and other youth down, is not even a "liveable wage" in many sections of America.

As far as the left advocating for "spending on education" that preserves jobs and benefits teachers, well from what I can tell the left--and teachers unions--want to use that money to repair crumbling schools, expand access to early childhood education, create community schools where low-income kids and their families have access to healthcare and other social services, etc. I don't see a problem with any of those "investments" in our kids and their future....and I don't think Cong. West should either.

The nonsense West spouts about Jesse Jackson, Sharpton and other black leaders espousing socialism is not worthy of me commenting on. And, if West believes the country needs "true black leaders" like Frederick Douglass, he should hear what Douglass had to say in a speech he gave in 1886:

"Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is in an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe."

Sounds to me like Douglass, if he were alive today, would be down with unions, civil rights groups and the Occupy Wall Street folks. He certainly wouldn't be in the camp of Rep. Boehner, Mitch McConnell, the Koch Bros. and others on the right.

[popper]

Like AG Holder's admission today that he was mistaken/lied earlier to congress when he stated under oath that he learned of fast and furious only a couple of weeks ago (when in reality it was months previous ago) the following emails regarding Solyndra have emerged.

November 9, 2011 1:43pm

Emails show Obama donor discussed Solyndra with WH by Philip Klein Senior Editorial WriterFollow on Twitter:@PhilipAKlein

Newly obtained emails released by House investigators suggest that George Kaiser, a billionaire Obama donor and chief investor in bankrupt solar panel manufacturer Solyndra, discussed the company with White House officials, directly contradicting earlier accounts.

In a letter to the White House, House Energy and Commerce committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich, and oversight panel chair Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., disclosed the emails including one from March 5, 2010 between Kaiser and Steve Mitchell, Kaiser’s venture capital firm Argonaut.

"BTW, a couple of weeks ago, when Ken and I were visiting with a group of Administration folks in DC who are in charge of the stimulus process (White House, not DOE) and Solyndra came up, every one of them responded simultaneously about their thorough knowledge of the Solyndra story, suggesting it was one of their prime poster children."

Yet both Kaiser and the White House previously denied Solyndra was ever discussed in any of his 17 visits to the White House.

[Zonkerbl]

OMG their poster child turned out to be a bad loan. Impeach Obama! Much worse than dragging us into a war on false pretenses that cost us a trillion dollars and is one of the main reasons we're in a big budget mess now! Much worse than illegally wiretapping U.S. citizens! It's much worse because he's a Democrat!

I mean wow. Solyndra is the worst mistake Obama has made so far? Give him a fricking medal!

[hands11]

Here is a novel idea. The US govt. borrows approx. 40% of its expenditures from China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, etc. ----------- I think we can all agree that this is not a healthy, prudent way to manage our affairs. Wouldn't it make sense to cut all non-essential federal spending to move toward a more balanced budget.

What in your opinion is non-essential? I agree with previous posters that garrisoning troops all over the globe should be tempered where possible and will result in savings. Is public broadcasting essential to our survival? Dems believe it is. Is the Education Dept. essential to our survival? Dems believe it is? Is Planned Parenthood essential to our survival? Dem say yes. Is the convoluted 75,000 page tax system essential to our survival? Dems say yes.

Please tell me. What you are willing to cut to achieve a balanced budget? If we continue on this course we will inevitabley become Greece. If you can't, or won't, answer this question then we are headed for certain economic collapse.

Feel free to tax the rich in the above scenario - maybe you can squeeze out 100 Billion a year but with some risk that they move their assets offshore.

Is the convoluted 75,000 page tax system essential to our survival? Dems say yes.
No, Dems to do not say yes.

Is public broadcasting essential to our survival? Dems believe it is.
Fair and balanced news is a key to our democracy. For what this cost the government, it would be way down on my list of things to cut. With the way our news agencies have been so politically polarized, this is more important now then ever. What needs to be done way ahead of cutting funding to these people is to break up the mega conglomerates media companies that exist today. More, smaller media outlets would create more jobs and a better product. That right along with breaking up these to big to fail banks. Those two things are tops on my list of things to do to save this country. Next, change the tax code to stop rewarding people for shipping manufacturing overseas. I'm not saying they can't but lets not reward them for doing it.

http://www.freepress.net/node/37318

How many people watch PBS?
In an average week, some 80 million people in almost 50 million households watch public television. Most American households (67%) and more than 133 million people tune into public television each month.

Sounds like a good ROI to me. Much the same as our highways are. I don't want to see the roads privatized either.

How many people listen to NPR?
NPR has an audience of more than 26 million Americans each week in partnership with more than 860 independently operated, noncommercial public radio stations.

Planned Parenthood essential to our survival? Dem say yes.
wow, you must be really drinking the R koolaid by listing these three things. Why does affordable health care to women bother you so much ? Women with and without healthcare use this organization to keep there women part healthy and avoid pregnancies.

These three things are a drop in the buck compared to how much the government gives away to oil, nuclear, wall street banks, the military industrial complex, prisons and tax breaks for the top 1%.

Besides, you want a depression, cut 40% of the spending all at once. Yes, we need to spend less. We need to cut government spending. But it has to be a transition. Spending less and grow GDP more. That means investing on jobs to grow the tax base. And in evaluation the cost per job you can't just look at it as the pure cost per job because at a certain point enough jobs being added will kick start the economy created a multiplier effect. So this idea that if it cost $75K per job, we should just give them the money is silly. The two things are nothing alike. One simply transfers money. The second, lowers the unemployment number, produces something, grows the GDP, gives someone a job and a life, and builds economic confidence while lowering their drag on the economy.


Well here is some good news.

http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2 ... akota-town

Between gas and wind, ND is going to be the next Texas. Now we just need to build out out power grid which has been talked about since Clinton. Then we can do wind, solar, gas, oil, coal, etc where it is and move the energy where it needs to go. Where we have failed is we stopped doing what we did in the past which is invest in this country. Instead we became and military empire. This started back with Reagan. We stopped investing in the future and started to focus to much on maximizing profit for just today. Review history. Land grants for Universities. When did we do that. The highways. How did that happen ? Power to rural America. When and how did that happen ?

Infrastructure and the Infrastructure bank. Bridges, roads, power grid, download speeds.
Break up the big banks. We are very vulnerable until we do this.
Break up the big media companies
Reform citizens united.
Ends the senseless war and downsize the military.
Increase revenues by fixing the tax code starting with the jobs bill by taxing the top 1% by .1% more on over a million dollars in profit.

That should be enough to keep us busy without being distracted by things like PBS and planned parenthood and the endowment for the arts which are red herring.

[Zonkerbl]

That convoluted tax system is riddled with tax breaks for rich people. Democrats didn't put them there. And yeah, how can you, with a straight face, put NPR on a list of things that, if cut, will end our budgetary woes? Really? That's in the top three?

[hands11]

Hands - I'm glad you believe that I might be a nice guy (I am). You also believe that I'm misguided or uneducated in certain respects. No doubt I am.

I'm 55 and retired 10 yrs. ago after having built / contributed to the success of a number of companies. Since then I have played a lot of golf, however I was able to squeeze in 3 or 4 newspapers a day and one or two books a week to try to catch up with the rest of the educated world.

Here is the interesting part. Beginning about a year ago I started receiving phone calls from companies I used to be associated with and business colleagues that I knew over the years. They wanted me to come back to work, or short of that, consult for them. I declined but they kept harassing me. Finally I took on several companies in a consulting capacity. My phone literally rings off the hook and I can't handle any more work. More than anything else they tell me they value my experience and realism. They are growing now where before they were shrinking. Last week one owner said Popper, I am so glad God brought you back into our lives. Go back 2 or 3 months on this thread and look at the economic forecast I posted. It's all coming true and you could have made a nice profit had you followed my advice.

No doubt I have gaps in my knowledge and education. I will continue to work hard to improve myself. Our country is in trouble and we will all need to somehow pull together as best we can if we want to live in a country worthy of our ideals.

No doubt you have experience and value and connections. And of all those things, connections are probably the most important. Sales 101 - people do business with people they like and trust.

Just so I understand your experience base better, where are you from? What did you do ? We all have blind spots in our knowledge based on our experience. And excelling at one set of knowledge doesn't necessary expand to other areas. For example. This idea that we need a private business person in the government is silly to me. The government is not a private business. Government mostly does the things that would not work as a private business or as a for profit model and in doing so, it lowers the overhead for private business to success. Its law enforcement. Its building out the energy grid, roads and bridges. Its protecting our environment. Its making sure there is a level playing field so smaller companies can get started up and compete. Its things like this that allow people like you and me to succeed in the private sector and it is how we are failing at these things that is causing the problem. We let the banks get to big and to unregulated so their drive to make profits at all cost of hosed everyone. Its the polluting by farmers and over fishing that almost killed the Chesapeake bay. You know how much it has cost to try to fit the Bay once it was messed up ? It cost multiple times more to fix then to prevent. Who got the profits and who pays the cost the fix it.

Profits are now privatize and loses are socialized. That is what needs fixed.

But from what little I know of you, again, I challenge you to expand your exposure of people outside you comfort level. Golf courses and consulting with business owners sounds to me like you are in a bubble regarding what you see and hear. Go visit Occupy DC and listen with an open mind. Bring some food with you. See how you are welcomed. Talk with a homeless person. I did that and they embarrassed me and wanted to learn from things I have experienced in the 20 plus years on this earth they didn't experience. They want to learn and so did I. I wanted to understand them better. They have grown up in a world that looked different then the one I grow up in. Go seek out a racist since you haven't found one. Listen to what they have to say. Try living a day of your life like you didnt have savings and connections and your back was up against the wall. Force yourself to see the world as a women for a day. Or a gay person. Get out of your comfort zone.

[nate33]

That convoluted tax system is riddled with tax breaks for rich people. Democrats didn't put them there. And yeah, how can you, with a straight face, put NPR on a list of things that, if cut, will end our budgetary woes? Really? That's in the top three?

Yes, they most certainly did. Democrats and Republicans are equally responsible for the rampant corruption in the tax code.