George decided not to run for Central Committee chairman after all. That was nice, it allowed Gene Shelby to be nominated to that position. I hope everybody votes for him as I'm sure they will. Gene is a real progressive Democrat that was unfortunately a victim of the Garland County purge.
I think someone on the committee doesn't like Claudia Reynolds-LaBlanc and me as he/she /it sent an anonymous email saying something to the effect that it was better to be wise and think you're stupid than to think you're wise and be stupid. I figure since she and I were the only one's targeted with the message the point was that we 1) were either stupid or 2) wise.
When people lack the balls or the conviction of their opinion to express it openly and must display it in an anonymous email, it convinces me more than ever that the Democratic party is the party of wimps and dweebs. Even President Obama is being accused of not standing firm against a Republican agenda that is standing solidly against any compromise with the Democrats.
In this last Congress , we had a majority in both the House and the Senate. We also had a Democrat in the White House. Did we get anything other than a watered down health bill passed? Not much more than that. Obama was stuck with the fiasco left by the previous idiot savant vacating the White House so he was pretty well occupied with cleaning up his mess. Did he stand up for the people getting the shaft? No, he's giving the gold and all the rewards to the wealthiest Americans that donated the most cash to his election. Nothing to the people whose votes actually got him into the White House.
If we can't get anything done when we are in the majority it's damn well certain nothing is going to get done with a Republican majority in the House. We can expect Mike Ross to support their agenda as he openly and proudly proclaims he will not follow the Democratic platform agenda.
Until we get someone to stand up to the right-wing neocons and their efforts to turn us into a 3rd world economy, we are all in deep doodoo. People are now just beginning to go to the streets. I'm hoping that it catches hold here in Arkansas before it's too late or we'll all be going through x-ray machines and getting patted down to buy groceries, if we can afford them.
The Republicans want to stop 'earmarks'. That's a big PR piece of crap to keep everybody believing (except those who know what they're pulling) that they are working to keep fiscal spending under control and to bring down the national debt. The earmarks are already allocated in the budget. The 'earmarks' are for the separate Representatives' to determine where the individual monies will go and to whose state. It will have no bearing on the national debt. If Congress doesn't allocate the 'earmarks' then President Obama will. That will happen when pigs fly.
The Republicans already stopped the passage of equal pay for equal time in this lame-duck Congress. Women will just have to wait until 1) these old fogies die or 2) they get mad enough to quit buying into the Tea Party crap that undermines and devalues them at every turn of the screw and demand they get fair treatment and not a seat at the back of the bus. The last time I checked, the grocery store did not cut the price of my grocery bill because I'm a woman, the utility companies haven't given me a break because I earn less than the average man yet Congress aka the Republicans and our fair haired Blue Dogs believe we deserve less money for our labor.
As the Republicans push for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, Arizona's governor is refusing to pay for the transplants mandated under Medicaid and Medicare for patients that will die without them. The proof is in the pudding, dear ones, death panels are with us and it ain't Health Care Reform. Blame it all you want to on 'Obamacare' but this is just greed determining who lives and who dies. If you're unable to work because of a heart condition or other pre-existing disease, you're SOL.
The Republicans will stall the funding of Medicare and Medicaid to the states making them take the brunt of the costs. Taxes will have to go up since God doesn't really give a damn whether you're rich or poor. He/she isn't going to keep the heat on and the toilet flushing when you can't pay for it. I just hope people wake up and start putting pressure on this Congress to get real. There is no free ride. The only ones that believe it currently are the ones getting it, the rich and like everyone knows, no-one wants to give up power and money if they don't have to. Make them have to. Quit cutting their lawns and cleaning their houses.
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Saturday, November 20, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Oh Boy Is It Hot or Is It Me?
Politics will be heating up very soon in Hot Springs especially in the Garland County Democratic Central Committee. Elections are coming up and our 'fearless' leader George Hozendorf as I understand, wants to run again. Considering the beating the local Democrats took in the November 2 election, I would think his best move would be to move to Alaska (I say that because they obviously tolerate anything or anyone).
The scuttlebutt is a lot of us want him out. A lot of us want to return to the Democratic values that define us as Democrats. When the one 'Democrat' that won sells himself as having voted against everything President Obama pushed through this convoluted, discombobulated, backstabbing, heel dragging Congress, it makes you wonder why he even casts himself as a Democrat. I was on a call-in talk show and someone asked Ross why he didn't run as a Republican. He said it was because he was a "Blue Dog" Democrat. Well, Mr. Ross, it looks like your little tea party is over. You Blue Dogs got trounced. Don't you think that the days of calling yourself one thing while practicing another are over?
The Republicans ran a strong Republican against Lincoln and she lost. They worked really hard to get her a win in the primary because they knew she was an easy candidate to beat. Bill Halter would have eaten John Boozman's lunch with the people of Arkansas. He's everything that we look for in a candidate; honest, hardworking, straight-shooting, roll-up-your-sleeves and dig in with the guy on the street kind of solid American. His goal has been and always will be to help Arkansans dig their way out of the miasma of poverty and social prejudice.
Now that the Republicans got their wish and have control of the House, we will see an all out attack on the social services that keep Arkansas families afloat. Medicaid and ARKids will become harder and harder to fund. Social Security and Medicare will struggle to keep the little benefits and payments to those receiving them. It won't matter that those services were over-funded by the Baby-boomers and the funds stripped by Congress to make it look like the deficit wasn't as bad as it was. The IOU left in its place is coming do so the next best thing is to shut it down completely or by privatizing and linking it to Wall Street which in essence is the same thing.
"Obamacare" will not be safe because the assault is already in the implementation stages. When they finally overturn Health Care Reform anyone with a pre-existing disease can be refused insurance again, anyone without insurance can be refused care at any hospital or medical facility, and anyone that thinks that their health insurance rates went up because of the Health Care Reform package passed and signed into law by President Obama, will find that their premiums are still going to go up because the cap that the Health Care Reform bill put in place will no longer apply. Being poor and working at a minimum wage job where you are dependent on social services to care for your children will find all of that gone. Companies like WalMart will either have to start covering all employees with health insurance or people will just die from lack of medical care.
The rich wanted their tax cuts made permanent and the people believed them. They believed it was to keep and make jobs. Small businesses making under $250 million a year usually don't hire people. They are hedgefund operators, lawyers, CPAs or other one owner businesses. Guess what? The rich don't buy from WalMart or KMart or Target. So those jobs will disappear as people are no longer able to afford even the 'stuff' made in China. The rich like paying less than the average American in taxes because it gives them more free time and money to enjoy their island resorts and private cruises. If you want a job they will always need gardeners, maids, servants, chauffeurs and nannies. College education will be available only to those whose families can afford the high cost of tuition. It will be another form of indentureship when the college graduate is forced to work for any company that gives him enough money to pay back all the loans his parents couldn't cover.
Welcome to the new America. If you don't like this scenario then I suggest you get active and start going to the streets and letting your representatives know how you feel about this country. It is ours not a corporation's. We don't have much time left. 2012 is just around the corner and the big boys that didn't play in this election are already gearing up to buy the next one. As long as we have the right to demand redress against our government we better take advantage of it. It may be the next liberty taken away.
The scuttlebutt is a lot of us want him out. A lot of us want to return to the Democratic values that define us as Democrats. When the one 'Democrat' that won sells himself as having voted against everything President Obama pushed through this convoluted, discombobulated, backstabbing, heel dragging Congress, it makes you wonder why he even casts himself as a Democrat. I was on a call-in talk show and someone asked Ross why he didn't run as a Republican. He said it was because he was a "Blue Dog" Democrat. Well, Mr. Ross, it looks like your little tea party is over. You Blue Dogs got trounced. Don't you think that the days of calling yourself one thing while practicing another are over?
The Republicans ran a strong Republican against Lincoln and she lost. They worked really hard to get her a win in the primary because they knew she was an easy candidate to beat. Bill Halter would have eaten John Boozman's lunch with the people of Arkansas. He's everything that we look for in a candidate; honest, hardworking, straight-shooting, roll-up-your-sleeves and dig in with the guy on the street kind of solid American. His goal has been and always will be to help Arkansans dig their way out of the miasma of poverty and social prejudice.
Now that the Republicans got their wish and have control of the House, we will see an all out attack on the social services that keep Arkansas families afloat. Medicaid and ARKids will become harder and harder to fund. Social Security and Medicare will struggle to keep the little benefits and payments to those receiving them. It won't matter that those services were over-funded by the Baby-boomers and the funds stripped by Congress to make it look like the deficit wasn't as bad as it was. The IOU left in its place is coming do so the next best thing is to shut it down completely or by privatizing and linking it to Wall Street which in essence is the same thing.
"Obamacare" will not be safe because the assault is already in the implementation stages. When they finally overturn Health Care Reform anyone with a pre-existing disease can be refused insurance again, anyone without insurance can be refused care at any hospital or medical facility, and anyone that thinks that their health insurance rates went up because of the Health Care Reform package passed and signed into law by President Obama, will find that their premiums are still going to go up because the cap that the Health Care Reform bill put in place will no longer apply. Being poor and working at a minimum wage job where you are dependent on social services to care for your children will find all of that gone. Companies like WalMart will either have to start covering all employees with health insurance or people will just die from lack of medical care.
The rich wanted their tax cuts made permanent and the people believed them. They believed it was to keep and make jobs. Small businesses making under $250 million a year usually don't hire people. They are hedgefund operators, lawyers, CPAs or other one owner businesses. Guess what? The rich don't buy from WalMart or KMart or Target. So those jobs will disappear as people are no longer able to afford even the 'stuff' made in China. The rich like paying less than the average American in taxes because it gives them more free time and money to enjoy their island resorts and private cruises. If you want a job they will always need gardeners, maids, servants, chauffeurs and nannies. College education will be available only to those whose families can afford the high cost of tuition. It will be another form of indentureship when the college graduate is forced to work for any company that gives him enough money to pay back all the loans his parents couldn't cover.
Welcome to the new America. If you don't like this scenario then I suggest you get active and start going to the streets and letting your representatives know how you feel about this country. It is ours not a corporation's. We don't have much time left. 2012 is just around the corner and the big boys that didn't play in this election are already gearing up to buy the next one. As long as we have the right to demand redress against our government we better take advantage of it. It may be the next liberty taken away.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Picketing the Debate
Friday morning, a group of YOUNG people from Fayatteville and other parts of Arkansas converged on the Convention Center to protest the exclusivity of the 'scheduled' debate. It turned out to be a 'canned' interview of the Republican candidate John Boozman and the incumbent Democratic senator Blanche Lincoln. The sponsors were the Association of Arkansas Counties. It was their 42nd annual conference. According to the Sentinel Record, "it was not a debate". Since the questions were pre-selected and had to be 'county-related' so the information given by the candidates must have been extremely informative. The reader can consult the Sentinel Record for all the details concerning the 'non-debate'.
There were about 50 people that felt strongly enough, including the Green candidate John Gray and Independent Trevor Down that picketed for the right of redress according to the First Amendment. Arriving at 8am to let the press and the attendees see how much it means to all of Arkansas to have an open debate, we were too late to see anyone arrive. Having been told the 'debate' would start at 8:30am it seems we were hornswoggled by the media. Everyone behaved civilly even though we were disillusioned by the lack of concern by the media for all persons running for the office of U.S. Senate. The fact that John Gray represents the values that used to be the foundation of the Democratic Party, he was excluded from the discussion.
When the right to know is controlled by the media or a group of elected officials enjoying a conference at Arkansas taxpayers expense, it seems the voters are the losers.
Channel 4 (NBC) and Fox news in Little Rock interviewed the candidates for their opinion on the picketing. Only one was included in the evening news sound bites. The voters of Arkansas need to get off their couches and ask the media to give them the information or allow the people with the information to give them access through the public airwaves. Censorship by omission is still censorship.
The bright spot on the whole affair was the turnout of young voters. Our country may be saved yet. They will not buy into the negative ads concerning "gay marriage" or "abortion" or "racism". They were all born after the law was passed requiring seatbelts in every vehicle, Title VII giving girls the same access to funds as the boys' football teams, Voter rights and desegregation. Their best friends may be gay, black, Latino or old or infirm. They aren't concerned by those issues as having any real bearing on what impacts them directly. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan that worries them. The cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that worries them. Health care concerns them because they have family members that are denied health care just because the company they work for does not supply it. They understand that we cannot continue to fund a military establishment as a means of employing young people in America. It is counter-intuitive and counterproductive.
Pretending that we are fighting a war against terrorists that only feeds into the paranoia such as that surrounding the building of a mosque in New York City, is counterproductive. We have an infrastructure that is falling apart before our eyes and yet Washington blindly signs away our youth and our society with its needs, social and physical, to feed a Pentagon gone nuts with money. They are like a kid in a candy store, their eyes are bigger than their stomach as they hemorrhage our youth out on the fields of battle in places that are only necessary to 'test' new war toys. The machines that are too dated or impractical, they sell to other war torn countries to up the ante and feed our paranoia. Do we see any of the profits from the sale of these war toys returned to us as the primary investor as would be the case with Wall Street? No, a resounding NO. Congress just writes them a bigger check.
We need to hear from all candidates that feel Washington is out of control. We need to hear that there are alternatives to the same ol' same ol'.
We do not have to keep sending the" best of the worst" back to Washington year after year. We need to let the voters know there are alternatives out there.
There were about 50 people that felt strongly enough, including the Green candidate John Gray and Independent Trevor Down that picketed for the right of redress according to the First Amendment. Arriving at 8am to let the press and the attendees see how much it means to all of Arkansas to have an open debate, we were too late to see anyone arrive. Having been told the 'debate' would start at 8:30am it seems we were hornswoggled by the media. Everyone behaved civilly even though we were disillusioned by the lack of concern by the media for all persons running for the office of U.S. Senate. The fact that John Gray represents the values that used to be the foundation of the Democratic Party, he was excluded from the discussion.
When the right to know is controlled by the media or a group of elected officials enjoying a conference at Arkansas taxpayers expense, it seems the voters are the losers.
Channel 4 (NBC) and Fox news in Little Rock interviewed the candidates for their opinion on the picketing. Only one was included in the evening news sound bites. The voters of Arkansas need to get off their couches and ask the media to give them the information or allow the people with the information to give them access through the public airwaves. Censorship by omission is still censorship.
The bright spot on the whole affair was the turnout of young voters. Our country may be saved yet. They will not buy into the negative ads concerning "gay marriage" or "abortion" or "racism". They were all born after the law was passed requiring seatbelts in every vehicle, Title VII giving girls the same access to funds as the boys' football teams, Voter rights and desegregation. Their best friends may be gay, black, Latino or old or infirm. They aren't concerned by those issues as having any real bearing on what impacts them directly. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan that worries them. The cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that worries them. Health care concerns them because they have family members that are denied health care just because the company they work for does not supply it. They understand that we cannot continue to fund a military establishment as a means of employing young people in America. It is counter-intuitive and counterproductive.
Pretending that we are fighting a war against terrorists that only feeds into the paranoia such as that surrounding the building of a mosque in New York City, is counterproductive. We have an infrastructure that is falling apart before our eyes and yet Washington blindly signs away our youth and our society with its needs, social and physical, to feed a Pentagon gone nuts with money. They are like a kid in a candy store, their eyes are bigger than their stomach as they hemorrhage our youth out on the fields of battle in places that are only necessary to 'test' new war toys. The machines that are too dated or impractical, they sell to other war torn countries to up the ante and feed our paranoia. Do we see any of the profits from the sale of these war toys returned to us as the primary investor as would be the case with Wall Street? No, a resounding NO. Congress just writes them a bigger check.
We need to hear from all candidates that feel Washington is out of control. We need to hear that there are alternatives to the same ol' same ol'.
We do not have to keep sending the" best of the worst" back to Washington year after year. We need to let the voters know there are alternatives out there.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Debate Convention Center Between 2 Conservatives
This morning a debate is scheduled between Democratic Senator candidate incumbent Blanche Lincoln and Republican candidate John Boozman to start at 8:30am at the Hot Springs Convention Center. Apparently the debate is to be between 2 conservatives that you can only tell apart by their clothing. Ideologically and in principle they are the Bobbsy Twins. The one candidate that could give Arkansans a choice at the polls is not included and that is Mayor John Gray running on the Green Party ticket. The Blue Dogs (Mike Ross, our Representative from the 4th District included) do NOT support President Obama's agenda. If we have a Democratic President where is the support that is promised by voting for a Democrat? The current representatives will not support the President and the goals he is trying to achieve for all Americans. How can we ever get out of the quagmire the Bush years put us in if we keep sending the same people back that got us in this mess in the first place?
This debate will be picketed by many that believe in America we have a right to know what all the candidates stand for. Letting a vested interest determine the knowledge people have access to is stacking the deck in their favor. It is not Democracy in action, its fascism.
This debate will be picketed by many that believe in America we have a right to know what all the candidates stand for. Letting a vested interest determine the knowledge people have access to is stacking the deck in their favor. It is not Democracy in action, its fascism.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Town Hall meeting 3rd JP District
Councilwoman Cathy Kehely called a town hall meeting last night at Jones Hall that was lightly attended. It was to get input from the citizenry what they wanted or expected from a new police chief. Judging from the turnout, not much. The City Manager and other city departments were represented as well as the fire department and the sanitation department. I commended the sanitation department for doing an outstanding job of making sure our streets were clear of trash. If you ask they will respond. I called them continuously about the nasty neighbors I had that thought the city dump was right in front of their house. The City brought them more trash barrels and left notes telling them that was against the law and then sent a crew out to handpick the litter left on the street by these miscreants. These people finally got the message and my street is relatively clean. Ask and you shall receive. Great job by the city sanitation department.
Back to the meeting, surveys were passed out to all attendees to rate the importance of what they felt the new chief should exemplify. The questionnaire included amount of experience, education, civic involvement, racial diversity and fair treatment, managerial skills and ability to promote good will among the troops. It will be interesting to see what the majority of Hot Springs residents value in the chief of police.
The subject of a new jail was addressed as well. Since the county owns the jail and the city just rents space, it isn't up to the residents of the city to decide where and when a new jail will be built. The county residents like it just where it is and the residents of Hot Springs want it out in the county away from the historical Prospect/Quapaw district.
The city residents voted for a new jail but lost to the majority of the county voting the bond down due to the fact there was now sunset clause on the tax. In the meantime, Cathy told about visiting the jail that was built to house 80 and has over 200 inmates waiting to go to trial. A disgrace in a society that propounds to be so enlightened. A new jail will be built and there are those with interests in the land around the current courthouse expansion and county jail that want to build a complex right next to the historic district. The area has been fighting crime waves for years from people getting out of jail and walking into the neighborhood and stealing whatever is handy. I was robbed twice while sitting in my living room when I lived on Prospect. I never heard the guy enter my house on crepe soled shoes.
I just hope that the 'people's will' prevails and the vested interests in Hot Springs lose the battle to build next to the current jail.
Back to the meeting, surveys were passed out to all attendees to rate the importance of what they felt the new chief should exemplify. The questionnaire included amount of experience, education, civic involvement, racial diversity and fair treatment, managerial skills and ability to promote good will among the troops. It will be interesting to see what the majority of Hot Springs residents value in the chief of police.
The subject of a new jail was addressed as well. Since the county owns the jail and the city just rents space, it isn't up to the residents of the city to decide where and when a new jail will be built. The county residents like it just where it is and the residents of Hot Springs want it out in the county away from the historical Prospect/Quapaw district.
The city residents voted for a new jail but lost to the majority of the county voting the bond down due to the fact there was now sunset clause on the tax. In the meantime, Cathy told about visiting the jail that was built to house 80 and has over 200 inmates waiting to go to trial. A disgrace in a society that propounds to be so enlightened. A new jail will be built and there are those with interests in the land around the current courthouse expansion and county jail that want to build a complex right next to the historic district. The area has been fighting crime waves for years from people getting out of jail and walking into the neighborhood and stealing whatever is handy. I was robbed twice while sitting in my living room when I lived on Prospect. I never heard the guy enter my house on crepe soled shoes.
I just hope that the 'people's will' prevails and the vested interests in Hot Springs lose the battle to build next to the current jail.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Progressives and Fighting Back
It is heartwarming to read someone else 'get it'. The following article should give everyone that believes we're under attack by the right wing nuts should understand and approve of the following article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/25/AR2010072502756.html?wpisrc=nl_pmopinions
If that doesn't drive you off the couch, nothing will.
With the release of the papers on Afghanistan and Iraq in Wikileaks to the public, it should help cement the knowledge that we need to quit waiting for the elections to do our civic duty. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Constant vigilance is the only way we will ever retain our country.
Right now its controlled by corporations as a totalitarian government in which we are the suppliers of the funds to wars we cannot win and lifestyles we can only watch on HGtv. Taking Social Security to fund wars because they are too expensive to fund with just taxes is criminal and larcenous. Saying that Social Security is broke is like saying Fort Knox is a myth. Social Security was funded by the largest working group of people in the history of the US; the Baby Boomers. They paid more money into Social Security than was being utilized by the retirees on SS. That was the money that built the Middle Class. Congress had never seen so much money just sitting there waiting for the Baby Boomers to retire. Congress took it and paid down the national debt and left IOUs in its place. Now the debt is so huge, Social Security taxes can't make a dent in it so they are going after pension funds next. If your fund is in stock, have a happy life living under a bridge or with your kids, if they will let you.
Anyone that supports the Republican agenda better not be relying on Social Security to get them through to the end. The Democrats are as big a part of this scam as the Right Wing. They know what side their bread is buttered on. The war machine needs money, lots of money. They are taking it away from the old, the indigent, the disabled and the infrastructure of the united States. The dam that broke in Iowa was just a shot across the bow.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/25/AR2010072502756.html?wpisrc=nl_pmopinions
If that doesn't drive you off the couch, nothing will.
With the release of the papers on Afghanistan and Iraq in Wikileaks to the public, it should help cement the knowledge that we need to quit waiting for the elections to do our civic duty. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Constant vigilance is the only way we will ever retain our country.
Right now its controlled by corporations as a totalitarian government in which we are the suppliers of the funds to wars we cannot win and lifestyles we can only watch on HGtv. Taking Social Security to fund wars because they are too expensive to fund with just taxes is criminal and larcenous. Saying that Social Security is broke is like saying Fort Knox is a myth. Social Security was funded by the largest working group of people in the history of the US; the Baby Boomers. They paid more money into Social Security than was being utilized by the retirees on SS. That was the money that built the Middle Class. Congress had never seen so much money just sitting there waiting for the Baby Boomers to retire. Congress took it and paid down the national debt and left IOUs in its place. Now the debt is so huge, Social Security taxes can't make a dent in it so they are going after pension funds next. If your fund is in stock, have a happy life living under a bridge or with your kids, if they will let you.
Anyone that supports the Republican agenda better not be relying on Social Security to get them through to the end. The Democrats are as big a part of this scam as the Right Wing. They know what side their bread is buttered on. The war machine needs money, lots of money. They are taking it away from the old, the indigent, the disabled and the infrastructure of the united States. The dam that broke in Iowa was just a shot across the bow.
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