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Tag Archives: As I see It

Fiscal Shift


All of the individual and collective issuance from various Legislative and economic sources are at wide variance to the real issue. The bottom line issue is that tax cuts and  increases are not the whole answer. The current tax code is so convoluted that almost all of the proposed changes to the budget could be corrected by a competent revision of the tax code. As an example many of us would find it hard to believe how long the human intestine (large and small) really is. We do not know because it  is in a side to side pattern to fit. This is similar to the tax code as it is also folded to fit. The changes made over the years are made to fit the current code and there have been no real changes  made toward improvement. Many “new” parts do not mesh well with the old ones and create a situation of  ambiguity in interpretation. The IRS interprets each return according to the numbers matching using the total income and the deductions associated with it. There will always be errors due to a misplaced number, lack of a form or  some other mistake. We need a fiscal shift that will revamp the tax code to modern standards, this will create a better revenue flow and possibly eliminate the need for tax increases.

Ultimate Insult


The Springfield Urban League has committed a seemingly planned slap in the face of its area of service and its Head Start employees. The annual Gala (now called anniversary) has as guest speaker the U.S. Attorney of the Central District of Illinois. The speaker is Mr. Jim Lewis who in his career has been a civil rights advocate and Head Start worker with a grand reputation for fighting for the rights of minorities. They (The Springfield Urban League), in my view, have contrived to smear a coat of fresh paint on their faces to hide the evil deeds they have heaped on the community and its residents.  Mr. Lewis’ background would make him an excellent choice for the speaker if the League were a better community based organization. Mr. Lewis’ appearance, while not mitigating his accomplishments, adds an air of approval for the “League’s actions” of the past few years. I am sure if Mr. Lewis knew the poor track record of the Springfield Urban League, especially as it relates to the Head Start Program, he would surely have declined this invitation

Glocal Warming.Or?


The developed and developing nations are all concerned with the carbon outputs which have and apparently continue to raise the earth’s temperature (global warming). I wonder if these country’s and their environmental scientists have calculated in the historic earth shifts which tend to alter the weather patterns also. There is possibly prehistoric weather patterns which we have yet to experience or discover through geological records. Wouldn’t it be prudent to temper the global warming discussion with more facts from earth’s history than to make preemptive decisions which could have a worse outcome. This is not to say that our modern day style of living does not have an effect on the weather but how much is still speculative.

More Political Wool


Recently  two (2)Dupublican Senators have taken up the lead on the Benghazi embassy deaths. It is clear that something went terribly wrong as far as security and protection. It is unfortunate that erroneous information was first issued making subsequent information shaky and seemingly untrue. Even with these facts and the need for an investigation, the fiscal issue takes precedence. It appears to me that the Dupublicans are settling into the same old rut and avoiding doing what needs to be done as far as the economy. Wouldn’t these two “senior” Senators understand that the Libyan situation is important but not as important at this time as the fiscal issue. The attention to the Libyan issue has taken center stage to lead  up to the objection to appointing Susan Rice to the post to be vacated by Hillary Clinton. Gentlemen (if you deserve the title) take first things first, Economic stability then the appointment.

Not All Americans


Not all Americans are in step with the so called “White Majority”. Most of us (all color shades and ethnicities) believe in the America envisioned by the founders and further advanced after a wasteful civil war. There will always be the bigoted, small minded minority across the face of our country however the majority of us just want live the best lives we can and provide for our families. We are all subject to the results of bigotry from that recently emboldened  anti anyone not white and not ethnically correct minority. Those groups bolstered by radio and TV personalities who are supported by wealthy folks and companies who in the search for validation assume the mantle of radicalism. These are  promoters of the new wave of secession petitions in various states. What if they were able to secede? Would the loss of connection to the government be a hardship for those who are not in tune with these radical views? How would  these states deal with the loss of interaction and connections to financial and commercial sources they currently enjoy? Would they then be considered a foreign country? No matter how imperfect the U.S. appears to be in the eyes of  these malcontents, there is no country better as proven by the many residents of other countries have determined by their efforts to get here, raise families and do not forget the original settlers who are the ancestors of many of these anti everyones. The four (4) years of devastation  and loss of life in  the 1860’s should be a reminder that this is America and possibly the only country that allows fringe groups to express themselves without repression unless that expression undermines the freedom of the populace and government. Try that in Russia, Iran or some far eastern nations. I say to these people-“suck it up and get over it, this is America, home of the free” Read More »

Kathleen Parker opinion-with My Comment


“Republicans plan to commence focus groups and voter-based polls to discover the mystery behind their loss. Having sat staring into space the past couple of days, they now want to get to the bottom of it. The bubble in which most politicians and their staffs live is not just a metaphor, apparently. The answer has been so obvious for so long and in so many ways, one has to wonder what these people read in their spare time. Old issues of Boys’ Life? If nothing else, one had to look only at the two political conventions. One was colorful, vibrant, excited and happy. The other was pale, moribund, staid and restrained. If the latter sounds like something in the final stages of life, you’re not far off. A couple of weeks before the election, I spoke to an audience of about 450 in Florida, the demographics of which were about 80 percent male, 90 percent Republican and, oh, about 99.9 percent white. What could be more fun than that! Alas, the bulk of my talk was criticism of the Republican Party. If Mitt Romney loses, I told them, it will be largely the fault of the party. As I spelled out the details, nary a creature was stirring. It was painfully quiet. Even my best jokes fell flat. Hey, guys, that was funny!  It was hard to tell whether they resented the messenger or were trying to digest the unpalatable truth. Truth is often painful, and the days since President Obama’s reelection have been a salted slugfest. Amid the writhing, I rest my case. Some Republicans stubbornly insist, of course, that the problem was that Romney wasn’t conservative enough. Really? In his heart, this may be true. I never believed Romney was passionate about social issues. He embraced them because he had to, but he had no intention of pursuing a socially conservative agenda. But the real problem is the Republican Party, which would not be recognizable to its patron saint, Ronald Reagan. The party doesn’t need a poll or a focus group. It needs a mirror. The truth is, Romney was better than the GOP deserved. Party nitwits undermined him, and the self-righteous tried to bring him down. The nitwits are well-enough known at this point — those farthest-right social conservatives who couldn’t find it in their hearts to keep their traps shut. No abortion for rape or incest? Sit down. Legitimate rape? Put on your clown suit and go play in the street. Equally damaging were the primary leeches who embarrassed the party and wouldn’t leave the stage. Nine-nine-nine, we’re talking about you, Herman Cain. And Gov. Oops? You, too. And then there were Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann, who never had a real shot at the nomination and certainly could never win a national election, yet they refused to surrender to the certain nominee. Did they have a right to persist in their own fantasies? Sure. But not if they were serious about getting a Republican in the White House. Thus, for months and months, Romney had to spend his energy and, as important, his money to prevail in the primaries against opponents who had no chance and who ultimately hurt him. During that same precious time, Obama’s campaign was busy pinpointing specific voters, practically learning the names of their dogs, and buying ads in niche markets. More to the point, the GOP seems willfully clueless. There’s a reason there are so few minorities in the party. There’s a reason women scrambled to the other side. There’s a reason Hispanics, including even Cuban Americans this time, went for Obama. The way forward is about love, not war, baby. Women’s reproductive rights need to come off the table. As Haley Barbour suggested long ago, agree to disagree. Compassionate immigration reform, including a path to citizenship, should be the centerpiece of a conservative party’s agenda. Marginalize or banish those who in any way make African Americans, gays, single women or any other human being feel unwelcome in a party that cherishes the values of limited government, low taxes and freedom. A large swath of conservative-minded Americans are Democrats and independents by default. Mitt Romney would have been a fine president and might have won the day but for the party he had to please.”kathleenparker@washpost.com This opinion explains a lot but the real problem is still in the Senate. Mitch McConnell has outlived his usefulness, his shoot from the hip approach which appears to be blatantly biased is not in the best interests of the country and possibly never has been. This is a very good example of having term limits on Congress no matter what party they are associated with. To advance the UNITED STATES we must decrease the long term influence of power mad national representatives who have no agenda beyond their own welfare.

What A Load of C_ _ p!


ST. LOUIS (AP) – A coal producer owned by a longtime critic of President Barack Obama’s energy policies will lay off nearly 160 workers at Illinois and Utah mines, blaming the freshly re-elected president for a “war on coal.’Ohio-based Murray Energy Corp. said in a statement supplied Friday to The Associated Press that it would give pink slips to 102 workers at its West Ridge Mine in Utah and 54 at its underground mine in the southern Illinois town of Galatia. Both mines are run by Murray Energy.

The above excerpt indicates the racism in America. This mine owner would rather lay off workers and devastate families than make an effort to produce coal. The president has never said “stop using coal”! The Presidents aim is to use renewable or green sources of energy. At this time we are years away from the everyday use of these sources, meanwhile it would be prudent for this mine owner to keep mining coal and possible looking into more efficient production. It is not a stretch to think that this owner is probably anti union and would if possible remove all safety measures to save money.  This is the type of business man who would blame a mining accident on the workers. If Mr. Romney had won the Presidency would he have fired his workers? If not then his actions are racist.

 

How We Are Handled.


A recent story about the upswing in firearms and ammunition sales is pure manipulation by any one of several factions in the firearms industry. There has been no talk of the President doing anything to curtail, change or  alter current firearms and ammunition laws. When the President first ran for office there were factions asserting that the current firearms laws were going to be altered. these alterations ranged from restrictions on purchasing firearms and ammo to high-priced licensing. Many of the restrictive laws having to do with firearms are mandated by individual states and municipalities. As an example Kennesaw , Georgia has a law mandating that residents have firearms while NYC has a strict ban on ownership. The surge of sales and subsequent price raises in firearms and ammunition has nothing to do with the President but more to do with the manufacturers taking advantage of  long time low prices and slow sales. There certainly are proponents and anti’s for  firearms and ammunition  ownership, yet some folks cannot get beyond the issue of Race and politics to see the full picture. We are handled by using our  personal biases and misinformation to skew the truth. There is no specific truth in what a political party thinks about the control or regulation firearms and ammunition beyond the available public (and private) support from being pro or con. How do we avoid being handled? We all need to read more and not rely on well known talking heads in  the media who often run with an idea without determining its merits or lack of.

Buskers In Congress


The big push against the millionaires tax has been a big deal in Congress possible because many members are millionaires. The people we have elected to protect and serve are doing just that but not for us . This tax  cut would affect people making over 250,000 annually but it would also affect many in the Congress providing an incentive to keep it in effect. There are many in the lower level of these cuts who would be affected but in order for Congress to maintain theirs they put the onus on the people on the lower end. This also covers the major contributors to many Congressional campaigns. Now that this election season is over what will we think of the also rans who so prominently entertained us with the shouts of eliminating the “Affordable healthcare Act”? Congressman Ryan who was featured  publicly in the run for the office now has to decide what he needs to do, should he do what should have been done such as make the Affordable healthcare better instead of starting from scratch? Will the other participants in the Congressional play do what is right instead of appearing in and on the media as opponents of everything? What will Mr. Romney do now, I am sure with his wealth he has no reason to be unhappy except for possibly  having let his backers down. The last word on this election was had by the voters, who recognized the misinformation and sometimes lies put out by the Party. Everyone enjoys Buskers except when they are Congressional members.

How To


I recently made some repairs on my microwave, I had to replace the latching mechanism and waited several months for the part. Having replaced it and had all parts working again, I thought about the “public” and “work” microwaves I have encountered. The common factor in these units is that no one takes responsibility for the cleaning of these units. Occasionally someone will attempt the cleanup but more often than not they go uncleaned after spills. While I do speculate on the folks who do not do any cleanup after themselves in this instance, I am more concerned with the life of the unit and the inconvenience of its demise to others. Basic maintenance of a microwave is this: After use wipe the side walls, top and bottom and the plate. Use a mild soap solution but be sure to follow  with a clear rinse to remove ant sops film. The final stage is to wipe the door, the door ledge and door gasket. Doing this will extend the life of the unit and prevent an early demise. Two last but important points are to insure the vent (s) are not blocked by being placed near a wall or in some cases a cabinet (if the cabinet has an open back, it is usually OK) and cover what you cook or heat, I use a wax paper under a lid if available for the cooking utensil. Microwaves are not tremendously expensive any  more but why buy one when you can extend the life of the one you have.