Well the 12 member team is in place to tighten up the chin straps and start the cutting....Cutting that is of our national debt, or so we are being told once again. Each party has their sacred cows that are off limits and will cry to heavens to keep them untouched. One example I have pulled off the internet is the military. Through my keen sense of astute observation :roll: I have noticed that whenever anyone dares think to make a cut to shrink the budget of our military the war drums sound, the press releases pour out that "YOU DO NOT LOVE AMERICA BECAUSE YOU WANT TO CUT ITS DEFENSE" can I get an Amen! Honestly it gets ugly and comes in fast and hard to preempt anyone from even thinking of this deadly sin. I have always heard that the pentagon budget is higher than the GNP of the top 10 nations in the world combined. I cannot prove this but since we are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan and Lebanon plus maintaining 207 military bases the money being spent is beyond my scope of understanding. This one topic alone can inflame tempers and cause family members to kick each others dogs off the porch but something has to give, change or be fixed in order for us to curtail our debt crisis. I have always wondered on a personal note how we can "come in peace" but be a nation of war without end.... http://news.yahoo.com/doomsday-defense-cuts-loom-large-select-12-085458548.html
1st cut should be to special retirement and health care for congress. Let them fund 401k's and rely on Social Security like the rest of us.
Let's stop foreign aid. How does someone like Arafat or Mubarek have millions in Swiss banks? Many of the countries we give millions to wouldn't spit on us if we were on fire. Next no free cell phones. I don't see the need for school lunches either.
:idea: I see the need for school lunches. I once had a student who was falling asleep in class. A little investigation showed that he was starving to death. When the police went to his house, they found his 86 year-old grandmother who was also starving to death. Nobody knew where the parents had gone and neighbors hadn't seen them in two weeks. The grandmother only spoke Chinese, so she didn't know that she and her grandson could get a meal at the school. This isn't the 1960's. These kids don't have parents. Here's the way it looks at my school in a typical year: Kids with both parents, one in ten. Kids with one parent, seven out of ten. Kids with zero parents, one out of five. Many of the kids are brothers and sisters with different fathers. Some of the kids with parents wish they didn't. I've called home before, only to discover that the kids are home alone with their truck driver parents out of town and on the road as far away as Arkansas. I generally agree with cutting off these welfare benefits, but what do we do with the kids when they get hungry?
I wonder if Dave will read Jim's post above. Based on what he's been saying, he'd be hard pressed to acknowledge that a conservative Republican has compassion for the kids to whom life has dealt a tough hand. Thanks for that post, Jim.
First, how do these kids survive the summer? How come when teachers go on strike, no one accuses them of trying to starve kids?
Great post Ralph.....and I agree 110%. Also......great post Jim. You prove that when you switched from Dem to GOP that you did not lose your humanity.....unlike some others on the right who seem to triumphantly exhibit that harsh outlookat times.
I agree with all of you but think we need to bring the troops home and shore up our borders for the resultant fall out from the new world order we would create. 207 bases on foreign soil! I would think we could do without 75% of them at least.
My understanding is that they no longer have "special" packages other than the special package that all Federal employees get...still pretty inflated, I think. http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/health-care-for-members-of-congress/ http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blcongress.htm What's worse is states like Ohio and Wisconsin are trying to cut back the huge state workers benefits just to the level of the already inflated Federal benefits...and get demagogued for "attacking the middle class" (or as Dave would put it...losing our humanity. :cry: )
:evil: Dave WHAT THE >>>>>> My husbands "humanity" has nothing to do what party he belongs to .. he was raise to be compassionate to care for those who have not have how dare you tie it to a Political party...... and yes you have pissed me off big time. Jim has always been a caring person and even maybe more so since we have had the kids or he now that he has become a teacher and has seen for himself the horrible things some kids have to endure. both in the home and at school. One of the girls last year sd she wished he could be her grandfather. what a compliment. but bu no means did this have anything to do with his political views. Jim hasnt been a democrat since his early 30's that was 30 years ago. You make me just want to scream since when does a party tell you or teaach you how to be compassionate tolds a fellow human being. I think that had to do w. his parents and teachings at an early age. not when he is in his 20's and decides on a political path. Both us were raised in the Catholic faith and both have strong convictions as to charity and caring for those who dont have even when we dont have alot. we still find time to share. PS Mke: the schools hve a backback prgram where they send food home for the kids. and they are refillable during summer school. not much but it is stuff like fruit cups granola bars fruit bars. juice.
And there you have it fans... Diane joins the ranks to make it unanimous. Everyone's been pissed at Dave during one period of time or another. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
PS: My parents have always been republicans and they have always been charitiable and as kids. we were always told it was out responsiblility to share w/ less fortunate in fact it was a way of life for us.
Stu, It is my belief that if Congress members were affected by the decisions they make, we would all be better off. It is too easy for them to screw us if in fact they are not screwed themselves.
:lol: Love you Tom sounds like you are feeling better... (should we tell Dave that I grew up what you would call priviledge. maybe even what Jim would called spoiled ) :wink:
I am much better. I can stand up and not detect the spinning of the globe! 8) 8) 8) In all of my youthful drinking like a fish, I don't ever remember being as dizzy as often as I was in the past week... and that was without the advantage of alcohol.
Dianne it sounds like Jim is not the only kind generous soul in the family, he is lucky to have you as a wife.