Forgive them Lord for they.........

For the past week I’ve spent way too much time watching and listening to the goings-on in Washington over the subject of the national debt ceiling. There’s no question in my mind that the country and its government is being held hostage by a handful of over zealous and narrow minded political extremists. History will reveal whether these political purists are a gift from heaven as some of them proclaim to be, or a bunch of narrow minded and simplistic morons from hell. The unfortunate byproduct of this pathetic display of bully politics is that, it further fans the fire that’s consuming the American middle class. The dismantling of the middle class began over thirty years ago, but has gone into high gear over the past five to ten years. I believe that, it’s the negative economic impact on the middle class that has given birth to the Tea Party and its followers. What is really ironic is the fact that, the Tea Party movement has chosen to cozy up to the right wing of our society, those very people who have played a key role in bringing us the demise of the middle class. Nobody has benefited more from the various entitlement programs than the middle class, Social Security, Medicare and many of the social grant programs. So why do the Tea Party followers support reducing these programs and remain silent about the billions and trillions in tax loopholes for the millionaires and out of control military spending? I wish I had a definite answer to that question, but my guess is that most Tea Party supporters have not taken the time to really study why their middle class world is crumbling before their eyes. These folks just know that what’s happening to them is bad, they want to stop it and they’re angry. If they did a bit of research they would soon discover that while all these negative events have devastated their lives, their so called conservative friends have been doing quite well. Corporate profits are up, dividends are up, the stock market is doing ok and none of them are unemployed or in need of medical attention, life is good for the wealthy! Yes, their corporate friends have created jobs, thousands of jobs, most of them in China, South Korea and India. So why are the Tea Party folks attacking their peers and the programs that help the middle class? For one thing many of the Tea Party leaders are wolves in sheep’s clothing. College educated and independently wealthy they stand there in favor of dismantling our safety nets and standard of living.  The reason they’re silent about the tax loopholes and the job creation in China is because they belong to that well-to do crowd and keep quiet about it, they just talk the talk. Others have been duped in believing that the simplistic solutions will bring back those “good old days”. Haven’t we seen that latter process up close and personal here in Berlin with the Laidlaw project? Our political leadership is encouraging us to view as success replacing over a thousand jobs at the Mills with 40. There’s an old saying that goes; “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. The Tea Party may have good intentions, I’m just afraid that they’re pointing in the direction of hell.

Comments

[toonist]

I go with the simplistic morons from hell.

[Antonio Andolini]

The "handful of over zealous and narrow minded political extremists" holding government hostage are in the White House and Congressional leadership. It's not that Tea Party supporters and candidates "cozy up to the right wing of our society"; the left wing does not believe in limited government. How many of your fellow Democrats voted for any so-called Tea Party candidates? Tea Party folks that I know of support cutting the size of government across the board, including the military. Too much spending equals too much taxation. That is what Taxed Enough Already is all about.
Sadly, Rocky, you would rather spout about Tea Party folks and Sarah Palin, than admit that the Pelosi-Reid Congress and Obama administration spent way beyond our means.

[toonist]

...and not a mention of W!

[Rocky]

Yeah, what about "W"? When he went into office didn't Clinton hand him a surplus? How many times has the debt ceiling been raised since Reagan? Didn't Reagan raise it 20+ times? G'me a break Tony! My fellow Democrats are too....(well informed) to vote for Tea Baggers. I'm just a spoutin', just a spoutin'! Sorry to confuse you with the "simple" facts.

[Antonio Andolini]

Ah yes, the call of the liberal. Blame it on Bush! Along with a "surplus" we also got the ante upped on the terrorism front, due in no small part to the Clinton administration approach, thank you President Clinton. The war on terror got a lot more expensive. True, on President Bush's watch, we got Medicare Part D. Entitlements got more expensive. As for President Reagan, divide 18 (or 20+) by 8. Democrats, led by Senator Harry Reid, want to push this out to after the next election.
At least there is plenty of discussion about the issue this time around. There has also been way too much demagoguery, on both sides of the aisle. Leadership in both parties continue to try to be deaf to the word from those of us who work for a living. The mid-term elections were meant to be a wake-up call. The idea that the government cannot have a blank check anymore is catching on. That's progress, that's moving on, that's What The Future holds.

[Antonio Andolini]

The heart of the matter:
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20110801/OPINION01/708019997

[Antonio Andolini]

My view:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903341404576480653492061150.html

Rocky's view (?):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/from-the-debt-debate-to-the-coming-hostage-revolt/2011/07/30/gIQAZrDclI_story.html?hpid=z3

The beat goes on.

[toonist]

Didn't 9-11 happen on W's watch? Yes! Weren't most of those terrorists Saudis? Yes! Didn't W attack Iraq? Yes! Why? And who killed Osama? It took more than 2 1/2 years to throw this country into the economic turmoil it's in now. And Gumba keep giving the rich their tax breaks so they can continue to create jobs....in other countries!

[warren,]

GE contributed a lot of Money to Gumba's Election Campaigne...CEO Jeff Immelt was rewarded with the Position of "Jobs Czar". Now He comes through with those Jobs, For China! Whats up Rocky? Does this not Fit your Marxist World View? -Just keep raising taxes on the rich, Scrap NASA, leave America with No effective Defense and Carry on Spending the Trillion$ as usual ?

GE's Jeff Immelt - US Jobs Czar

Credits:

Reuters.

Jobs Czar Moves US Jobs to China
By Mark Wachtler, Independent Examiner

July 27, 2011. Beijing. In an attempt to capture a larger share of the booming Chinese market, General Electric announced that it was moving its X-Ray technology headquarters from Wisconsin to China. While GE is one of the largest military suppliers in the world, it is also the parent of the NBC broadcasting group of companies. Ironically enough, GE’s CEO is Jeff Immelt, the same man President Obama anointed as America’s Jobs Czar.

Both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal both confirmed the announcement. Currently, the X-Ray division of GE is headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin and employs 120 people there. The X-Ray division has been located in the US its entire 115 year history. With China representing an ever-growing segment of GE’s customer base however, company executives felt they could improve sales to the giant nation if their headquarters was located there.

"As the company grows more global, it's increasingly important for us to become close to our customers" Anne LeGrand, vice president and general manager of GE’s Healthcare and X-Ray division, told the Wall Street Journal. She added that she expects 20 percent to 25 percent of GE Healthcare's X-Ray products to be developed in China during the next three to five years for sale around the world.

The WSJ also quotes General Electric’ CEO Jeff Immelt back in 2008 calling China GE’s “second home”. According to Bloomberg, GE will immediately hire 65 new engineers plus support staff at its new Chengdu facility. “Over the next five years, China will be GE Healthcare’s most important growth market,” Rachel Duan, the China unit’s president and chief executive officer, said in Beijing.

Advertisement

With GE’s CEO Jeff Immelt also serving as President Obama’s ‘Jobs Czar’, American workers are outraged by the action. They cite the US’s 9.2 percent unemployment rate and wonder how the nation’s Jobs Czar could choose corporate profits over his accepted responsibility to help the country’s floundering economy. An article in Economix earlier this year asked the question, “Is a Multinational CEO the Best Jobs Czar?”

It appears we have our answer. Here’s what Economix warned America back in January 2011 regarding the choice of GE’s CEO Jeff Immelt as America’s Jobs Czar:

As Mr. Sullivan of Tax Analysts writes, “Citizens have a right to be concerned the President’s new adviser will give priority to promoting the competitiveness of U.S. multinationals rather than the competitiveness of the overall U.S. economy. And why shouldn’t he? He has a fiduciary responsibility to his shareholders to do exactly that.”

Mark Wachtler
Independent Examiner
July 27, 2011

[Antonio Andolini]

toonist, I was referring to the September 11 attacks when I wrote, "we also got the ante upped on the terrorism front". Sorry for the subtlety. Sure, those particular members of Al-Quaeda were from Saudi Arabia. We're heading off-topic to get into the WMD myth issue. Like I said, the war with terrorists got more expensive under President Bush's watch. The US Navy SEALS killed Osama, of course. Sure, the POTUS signs off on any such mission, but not much more than that.
While the runaway spending train had left the station during the previous administration, it sure picked up steam under the Reid-Pelosi Congress and under the current administration. It will take more than 2 1/2 years to get out of the economic turmoil this country is in, but at least we are started down the road to recovery (and not to Hell, Rocky.)
What was I reading recently about shipping jobs overseas? Oh yeah, President Obama's jobs czar...

[toonist]

@ A.A. Back to the spending issue: We must put the blame squarely on the idiots in Washington, D.C.! Both parties! They both tapped into our Social Security money and that really, really pisses me off!!!!

[Antonio Andolini]

Me too, tonnist, me too. Current Social Security beneficiaries are "safe" and Baby Boomers will reap (most of) benefits due, but the following generations are / will be victims in this Ponzi scheme. Our "contributions" are taken by law, through the magic of payroll withholding. We cannot even get a straight answer as to whether the so-called Social Security trust fund is solvent.
Time to keep these issues in the public discussion; to let Washington know we are watching; to say we have had enough already.

[warren,]

Correct. The Heart of the Matter is too much Spending(.) This has been out of control for years, whether it be Utopian Social Programs that do not work, see human condition/ nature or Foriegn Wars that we are not allowed to win, see United Nations - Membership In. Both have bled U.S. Dry and Both GOP and DEMs are at Fault, hence the TEA party movement. There was past understanding of Our Plight with Barry Goldwater, and maybe George Wallace, then Ross Perot and Today with TEA. Will this awakening be sidetracked and derailed ( again ) by the establishment? The DEMs especially would L O V E to get a "Daisey Commercial" moment on the TEA movement, and its driving them insane that They have not, yet. Keep up the Pressure and steer clear of "Tangents".

[toonist]

"Ponzi scheme" I like that! Class Action lawsuit against this f'n govt?

[Antonio Andolini]

Problem is, who pays if you win against the government?

[toonist]

Ah...either way we're screwed!We can always call in the uncle with the violin case.

[warren,]

From the Mayor's Report:

I was very pleased this past week to roll out the PIL T (payment in lieu of tax) agreement between the city of BerHn and Berlin Station. The benefits for both parties are so significant, there really was no acrimony during the year-long negotiations. The folks at Cate Street Capital, led by John Halle, Alexandra Ritchie, and Chuck Grecco are so paternal and professional, it reminds me of a bygone era. When we sat over a year ago to discuss the concept of a PILT, there
was never an atmosphere of mistrust, posturing, or any other impure motives. We
both wanted to insure certainty, for Berlin Station a fixed cost over the life of
the project that could be built in their business plan. For the city, it surely is
advantageous that we will know how much tax revenue we will get from our soon
to be largest taxpayer (cross our fingers). No more legal fights over tax value, no
more re-appraising the site every five years as currently required by state law. And
the potential of $44,000,000 of tax revenue for 22+ years will go along way to
stabilize our tax base. The citizens of Berlin are the real winners, however. You
stuck by me as your mayor, kept encouraging me to push forward. It will be the
beginning of the redevelopment of Berlin's blue collar population, always the
backbone of our proud city.
Finally, to John Halle, Alex Ritchie, and Chuck Grecco, from the bottom of
my heart, thank you for never giving up on Berlin. Together, Cate Street Capital
and Lynn Tilton have generated an excitement and opportunities for success that
the Androscoggin Valley hasn't witnessed in generations. We will be on your side,
shoulder to shoulder, for your success is also our success.

I've been wondering what has been going on "Behind the Scenes" lately. The Employee's at Isaacson's know of something "In the Works", Our blue collar Mayor is Confident of Our future...and as we enter the lazy days of August, The full Details are obviously "Hush hush, verry quiet and strictly on the QT".

[Antonio Andolini]

Unsustainable spending spree goes on.
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20110802/OPINION01/708029995

[Antonio Andolini]

Bingo, Dr. Sowell!
"It is true that President George W. Bush had a record amount of deficit spending. But what is also true is that President Obama's deficit spending has broken Bush's record.

While Obama seldom misses an opportunity to blame his problems on the situation he inherited from President Bush, he says nothing about all the hundreds of billions of dollars in stimulus money he inherited from the Bush administration. Incidentally, this “stimulus” money did not do any more stimulating under George W. Bush than under Barack H. Obama."
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20110731/OPINION02/707319987/-1/opinion

[Antonio Andolini]

The heart of the matter:
"So, who’s the fool: The Tea Party people, who say we must do much more now to avert the coming debt and statism disaster, or members of the status-quo establishment, who say not to rock the fiscal, debt-ceiling boat - we’ll get to fixing the future in … the future?"
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/1/status-quo-shrugs-off-urgency-again/

[warren,]

Bush II outspent LBJ in His first Term. Barry Outspent Bush.
The Future? Maybe this Debt will all go away if Our Solons just keep Spending as usual, after all; Tomorrow Never Knows.

Food, Shelter, Personal Protection....Batten Down the Hatches America.

[Rocky]

I believe I'm repeating myself when I say that I agree with 90% of the issues the Tea Party supporters point to, it's their simplistic so called solutions that trouble me. They need to learn that you "first do no harm" and keep an eye out for unforeseeable consequences.

[warren,]

Well, you're 90% there. It's the gibberish that follows that you need to work on.
So have you heard any News from Cate St?

[toonist]

Ouch! And Warren smacks Rocky with an open keyboard (hand)!

[warren,]

Antonio? and toonist... Ever Notice how Liberals NEVER do well in EXACT Science? Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics...Yes the BIG THREE! These are known as "Exact" Sciences because Equations within their realm will always produce the same answer/result ( Very Simplistic, Eh? ). Balancing a Chemistry Equation, and accounting for EVERY gram from start to finish must be the Very Definition of Torture for a Liberal! They tend to Gravitate to the "Soft Sciences", eg Sociology, Economics and Culinary Arts. A perfect example from My lifetime was Margaret Thatcher. Her Degree was in Chemistry.
Her Opposite #, Neil Kinnock's was in Economics. They Love to Waffle like a little Kid desperately trying to explain away a Bad Report Card.