Open Letter to the Honorable President Barack Obama:

Dear Honorable President Obama:

For eight years, the Republicans could have cared less about reforming the health care system of our nation. As long as they could line their pockets on the misery of those needing health care services, they were content and happy to be in control of a failing system. So why now are we bending over backwards to support their ability to pro-offer opinions/solutions to solve the health care crisis when it is their failed policies that were in existence for eight years that caused much of our nation's financial problems and deficits?

If we, the voters, wanted the Republican's solutions/opinions, we as a public would have voted for that. We didn't. We voted for the change you promised. Now, respectfully sir, we will know you by what you do, not what you say. Although what you say sounds like it tastes good, we can't eat words. We need real jobs, real shelter, real health care and real food. We are watching your actions to match your words.

While you are bending to meet the Republican agenda half way, we on the bottom have not even been given the time to stand up straight after spending eight (8) long years bent over. It would appear your compromises and attempts at bi-partisanship just allow us to move 1/4 up from the ground, still bent over to serve as sex slaves for the wealthy and the corporations of the world. We didn't vote for that.

Where is the change you promised?

Justice, Ohio Style - Is Justice Moyer's proprosed reform, reform at all?

POST-SCRIPT:
SissCoKids has been informed that Ohio's Chief Justice Thomas Moyer has been appointed to an eleven member advisory committee that is part of a new national effort aimed at assisting state-based efforts to end the election of judges entitled the O'Connor Judicial Selection Initiative as reported in the Republican leaning corporate newspaper, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio in Editorials Christmas Cheer(s) published on Christmas Day, 2009. The below article stands corrected that this initiative to take away your vote is not merely Ohio based and is now a national effort and the prescription below still stands.

Don't be fooled. This push to take away your vote is not to ensure integrity in the judicial system. It is to cover up the money trail that leads right to the top!

Appearances of Impropriety! Republished, January 3, 2010!

Chief Justice Thomas Moyer wants to change the way justices are selected for the Ohio Supreme Court. He is concerned about the amount of fund raising and campaign donations needed to secure this high office, opting instead for a structural change in which the Governor and a review panel (no doubt comprised of lawyers) would select Supreme Court Justices, or in the alternative, a system of public financing of judicial election campaigns! (see The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, November 17, 2009, Page B2.

In plain words, Chief Justice Moyer wants to take away your vote.

It would appear now for reasons protected by confidentiality clauses that are imposed on parties and citizens (complaining), constructed by the judges and lawyers themselves, and written into the Ohio Administrative Code, the Ohio Revised Code, as well as the Rules of the Court and the Disciplinary Counsel Rules, that the Chief Justice is suddenly concerned that the money trail so prevalent in the lower courts just might be traceable to one or more Supreme Court Justices or candidates thereof, demonstrating major appearances of impropriety.

Doesn't it make one wonder what is occurring behind these moves? And if Chief Justice Moyer is successful in his campaign, will it actually rid the courts of these major improprieties, OR will it just destroy the money trail that is easily traceable and trackable through campaign finance disclosure laws?

Right now under the present system, you can trace the money from the lawyers, firms and/or businesses hands directly to the judge at the local court, the county court, the court of appeals, the campaign caucus(es), clear up to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Should the system change, do you really believe or think that lawyers and judges will stop doing their dirt, OR is the real goal to get rid of the money trail that proves their dirt with motivation?

Appearances of propriety are just that -- an appearance. My solution: Get rid of the confidentiality clauses and start holding these lawyers, judges and justices to a higher standard as leaders of the community and officers of the court and have a rotating public citizens panel (whose members are publicly randomly selected) review the complaints filed against offending officers of the court for their misconduct, with their infractions being sternly dealt with, instead of the present review in secrecy by their potentially equally infracting peers, creating a quid pro quo environment. Limit all donations to these campaigns to $25 per individual and/or corporation with full disclosure codified (written into law) and free and equal public service air time. Prevent judges from ever presiding over any case where they have received any gift and/or contribution from any party, forcing them to take cases where they have no vested interest.

The current system by which attorneys and judges are reviewed is a joke and rarely holds accountable the offending party (ies), despite what you see on the carefully scripted public television display (Channel 25.2 Cleveland). The decisions rendered by the courts of Ohio are all too often made in the back rooms of the court houses and area taverns with the courtroom just being the theater where the actors play out what is already decided in secrecy. One would be hard pressed to find integrity and honor in Ohio, although it may exist somewhere within. You can bet the recent high jacking of our country's financial system had attorneys at the root of the rotten vine, engineering and protecting the greedy at the expense of the masses. Let us not forget that most of our legislators that helped to codify these confidentiality laws are attorneys themselves. For the most part, they are the only ones that could afford to buy these offices. You can bet in most instances, you don't become a legislator without being an attorney, unless you have sold your sole to the caucus (also staffed by attorneys) for money to do their biding.

Should I have an inkling of what is really going on behind the scenes to initiate such a conference to change Ohio's Legal System (and I may very well), I would be prevented by law from telling you. So much for free speech and whistle blower laws! Under the present system, it is more important to the lawyers and judges to protect the appearance of integrity with secrecy in the midst of corruption, rather than revealing the truth! Their much aligned reputation, in my opinion and experience, is often well deserved.

Happy New Year Ohioians and Citizens of the United States!

MESSAGE FROM SENATOR SHERROD BROWN

An Important Message from
Senator Sherrod Brown about
Health Care Reform

Dear Friend,

You may have seen a lot of me lately. I've been speaking out and setting the record straight on why it's critical that health care reform legislation includes a public option. And now that the House has passed it, it's now up to the Senate to act.


I refuse to sit by watching families struggle to make ends meet while political pundits, ultra-conservative media talking heads, and the Republican Party blatantly spout misinformation and resort to fear-mongering. It's not only ludicrous -- it's dangerous and will end up costing our nation dearly.


As one of my most steadfast supporters, you know how important it is that we pass meaningful health insurance reforms -- which will provide each and every American with quality, affordable coverage.


We all know how difficult enacting these important changes is proving to be. At every turn, big pharma and big insurance -- along with their cronies in Washington -- are throwing up roadblocks and undermining our Democratic reform efforts.

I recently spoke about this very issue on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Watch it here:

http://www.democratsenators.org/o/9/t/13/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=347 .


Including a strong public option in the Senate health care reform bill would be a major victory for taxpayers, middle-class families, and American businesses.

It will inject much-needed competition into the insurance marketplace, keep HMOs honest, and ensure that families across the country have their choice of affordable, quality health plans.


Meanwhile, the GOP is doing everything possible to derail a strong public option and cling to the status quo. They're bending over backwards trying to protect their big-money supporters in the insurance industry, who are only concerned about their bottom line -- while my Democratic colleagues and I are looking out for the best interests of our citizens.


We must deliver reform for all Americans, many of whom have lost so much already as a result of the housing crisis, the financial meltdown, and the recession in the last year.


You can help spread the word by forwarding this email to as many people as possible; just click here:

http://www.democratsenators.org/o/9/t/13/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=347 .

Thank you again for your support. Together we will finally put middle-class families ahead of the insurance industry.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown
U.S. Senator, Ohio


P.S. Time is running out to ensure a public option is part of health care reform legislation. Help me get the word out by clicking here:
http://www.democratsenators.org/o/9/t/13/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=347 .
Set the record straight about the public option -- please forward this email to everyone you know. Thanks for doing your part.

HAS AMERICA LOST ITS LEADERSHIP?

As we wait for word on what our elected officials will decide concerning matters of health care, the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, the economy, etc., we seem to be losing our hope and our steam for change.

The spirit of hope and enthusiasm for change exhibited during the election is dissipating, if not already dissipated. What happened to our majority vote? What happened to enacting the changes that were promised if we elected the present leadership? How did we go from a majority country that wanted change to a country paralyzed by division? Why did the majority party decide not to implement the changes the masses voted for? Why did the majority party decide to placate the minority party and allow the minority party to frame the argument? Is there any way to restore the hope of change that we all had. It would seem by indecision that the status quo of corruption and greed has prevailed once again.

The real question, "Where is our leadership and guidance in all of this?"

We, as a country, are desperately looking for leadership and guidance. Where is it?

When Is It NOT Okay To Scream Fire?

HAS SARAH PALIN GONE TOO FAR?



Over and over again, Sarah Palin has made these outlandish, irresponsible statements regarding the proposed health care reform of the new administration. She has alleged that there will be death squads to decide who lives and who dies:

http://www.apnews.myway.com/article/20090808/D99Uj4B00.html


Sarah Palin claims there will be rationing. What does she think we have now?

Right now, under the present system, we have families that have no health care (Isn't that a form of rationing?). Right now, under the present system, we have families struggling to scrape up enough money to make their high cost health insurance premiums, often times having to take high deductible, catastrophic plans, because they can't afford the high premiums (Isn't that a form of rationing?). Right now, families that are able to pay the health insurance premiums to the already wealthy insurance companies, can't afford to use their health insurance due to the high deductibles and the high co-payments (Isn't that a form of rationing?). Both Medicaid and Medicare have limits (rationing) right now on benefits and services. It is ONLY the wealthy that enjoy FULL QUALITY HEALTH CARE, not the average Joe, the middle class, the elderly, the poor or disabled. These folks are already rationed!

What Sarah Palin really means to say is that the very wealthy who pay premiums, and can easily afford the deductibles and co-payments, who enjoy services, benefits and testing galore, whether it is necessary or not, may have provided to them ONLY the necessary services, as opposed to the Cadillac plans that are provided at the expense of the masses (the poor, elderly, the middle class and/or the disabled).

If you or I stand up in a crowded theater and shout fire, we can be held both civilly and criminally responsible for our actions and the results of those actions. If there is no fire and someone is damaged, either physically, financially or otherwise, you can bet we would be held accountable.

Why then, is Sarah Palin allowed to pray on the fears of the middle class, the poor, the elderly and/or the disabled and make outlandish statements to the point of inciting violence at the town hall meetings? There is not one shred of truth in Sarah Palin's claims. And make no mistake about it. She represents the wealthy.

To our senior citizens, the middle class, the poor and/or the disabled: For heaven's sake, use your mind. Sarah and Todd Palin are secessionists. They want Alaska to pull away from the United States. How can you even begin to think anything seriously about what this woman says. She has NEVER had the welfare or best interests of the citizens of the United States. She and her husband ADVOCATE the State of Alaska to secede from the Union so that they can keep their oil profits. Use your head and think. Universal health care available to all, minus the profits paid to insurance companies, will allow standard, affordable health care for all, not just the greedy and wealthy. And if the greedy and wealthy have to live on just a little bit less, then so be it. They will always have enough money to buy their Cadillac needs.

Where is our humanity?

We need our government representatives now to hold Sarah Palin personally accountable for her outlandish screams of "fire" in the theater of "health care." She is intentionally causing needless division among our citizens and needlessly scaring the hell out of our senior citizens, our poor, our middle class and our disabled with false statements advocated by our wealthiest of citizens. Sarah Palin should be held both civilly and criminally responsible for every act of violence she has perpetrated. If Charles Manson can spend life in jail and never actually kill someone, then she certainly has to be held accountable for her incendiary comments.


Sarah Palin deems herself and her family to be a better class of people than the rest and doesn't think that the poor, the elderly, the middle class and/or the disabled should be provided health care, or only minimal health care. The wealthy think the poor, the elderly, the middle class and/or disabled are not worthy. See Bill Kristol's interview with Jon Stewart of the Daily Show broadcast on July 27, 2009 (these are their words, not mine):



http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/239178/mon-july-27=2009-bill-kristol

Call and email your senators at http://www.senate.gov/ and your representatives at http://www.house.gov/ . Let them know you support a universal, single payer health care, or at the very least a "public option." Don't let fear rule your better judgment.

What has Sarah Palin done for you lately? George Bush and his party left this country in a mess. Let's work together to try and solve these problems.

A house divided cannot stand!

Health Care News from President Barack Obama - The Real Truth the Republicans Don't Want You To Know!

Health Care News from President Barack Obama:

Dear Friend,

If you’re like most Americans, there’s nothing more important to you about health care than peace of mind.

Given the status quo, that’s understandable. The current system often denies insurance due to pre-existing conditions, charges steep out-of-pocket fees – and sometimes isn’t there at all if you become seriously ill.

It’s time to fix our unsustainable insurance system and create a new foundation for health care security. That means guaranteeing your health care security and stability with eight basic consumer protections:

No discrimination for pre-existing conditions
No exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays
No cost-sharing for preventive care
No dropping of coverage if you become seriously ill
No gender discrimination
No annual or lifetime caps on coverage
Extended coverage for young adults
Guaranteed insurance renewal so long as premiums are paid
Learn more about these consumer protections at Whitehouse.gov.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Over the next month there is going to be an avalanche of misinformation and scare tactics from those seeking to perpetuate the status quo. But we know the cost of doing nothing is too high. Health care costs will double over the next decade, millions more will become uninsured, and state and local governments will go bankrupt.

It’s time to act and reform health insurance, drive down costs and guarantee the health care security and stability of every American family. You can help by putting these core principles of reform in the hands of your friends, your family, and the rest of your social network.

Thank you,
Barack Obama


Editor Side Note: On the Daily Show broadcast on Monday, July 27, 2009, conservative columnist, Bill Kristol, that was credited with stopping Hilliary Clinton from passing universal health care during the Clinton Administration, admitted that the govenment supplies and administers the best quality health care available. He stated with agreement that the common or poor folk don't deserve quality, affordable health care. Hear for yourself, the Republicans admitting that Barack Obama's plan is the best quality, affordable health care for all: http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/239178/mon-july-27-2009-bill-kristol


Next Week: ?

JUST MAYBE WHY SARAH PALIN LEFT!

Some things are just more important than country and world events!

I have watched and listened for the past few days to commentaries from all the major networks theorizing why Sarah Palin quit her job as Governor of Alaska before the end of her term. Everything from aspirations for the Presidency, state and federal investigations, legal fees, and so on. I, also, listened to Sarah Palin's press conference and I have to admit, it first seemed bizarre at best, but her words stuck in my mind.

I'm no Sarah Palin fan, but I marginally sympathized with her watching the Republican Party use her during the campaign to bolster the old, tired image, honorable as he may be, of John McCain. Even though I supported Obama during the campaign, and still do, I often felt that she was being treated unfairly by a press ready to destroy anything in its' path for the sake of the sale of magazines and newspapers or to increase viewership. She seemed so naive.

As a parent of a severely disabled or Differently Abled Adult, I would cringe every time she claimed to be an Advocate for the Disabled, knowing full well that she represented a party that represents the wealthy. The same party that has demonstrated time and time again, that it cares nothing for the elderly and poor, let alone the disabled. The same party that nullified the American With Disabilities Act by exempting all of the small business and governments, while at the same time standing up and stating that 95% of all the new jobs were going to be created by the small businesses. They knew full well that 95% of America was not going to be accessible to the disabled. They stood up and touted that George H. W. Bush, Sr. passed the American With Disabilities Act, while at the same time failed to provide proper funding for it. All the disabled represented to most Republicans were dollar signs and a burden on the budget. That statement may, in part, be true for both parties today as States struggle to meet their budgets.

Often during the campaign, I would see Sarah Palin traveling about without her "severely" disabled son, with a whole entourage of people ready to deal with him. She often would grab him for a photo opportunity as she spoke of her advocacy and then handed him right back to the nearest person, pretending that she really knew what it was like to raise a severely disabled child in America on limited funds.

Well it now occurs to me that after being beat up by members of the press and her own party and after careful consideration of her circumstances and as her child grows and she begins to realize that he is not progressing the way a typical child does, that, perhaps, just maybe, the real reason Sarah Palin has decided to quit politics, at least for now, is that God has placed into her arms her greatest and most important challenge to date.....her "special" needs son. Being the dedicated, and what seems to be honorable person that she is, maybe she has finally decided her true calling and realized the real work that lies ahead for her! Her place may be with her family for now.

If that's the case, God bless Sarah Palin in her new endeavors. She is in for much work, heartache, joy, blessings and challenges as this unique individual that God has placed in her life reveals himself to the world. Sarah Palin will need all of our prayers and support and maybe, now, with her financial troubles, Universal Health Care with a single payer option. Godspeed Sarah Palin.

SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE PLAN NOW

REAL CHANGE IS SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE



Please call your Representatives and Senators now and tell them we need real change, the real change we voted for in November, 2008.



We need to take the profit out of health care. We need to make sure that all citizens have access to quality, affordable health care. If everyone is not included in the plan, we will have nothing more than rationed health care for America's most needy and at risk citizens. Let's not give our health care dollars to insurance companys like AIG (AIU) to party on in Las Vegas. Let's put our citizens and people first! It is the right and honorable thing to do. For what you do for the least of those, you do for the greater good. You or your family are an accident away from needing health care and or exhausting whatever coverage you may be fortunate enough to have! Health Care is a right!



Don't believe the hype that the government can't efficiently run a system. Ask any senior citizen on Medicare now if they would rather not have it and the answer more often than not is they can not do without it. It is their lifeline to quality, medical care, with their choice of doctors, hospitals and care providers preserved. The wealthy can still buy "extra" coverage for themselves and their families. We need a basic Single Payer Health Plan for all.



Please call your federal Representative and your Senators and let them know that you want them to support House Bill HR676: http://www.house.gov and http://www.senate.gov and write the White House and let President Barack Obama know that we will not settle for anything less than REAL CHANGE! http://whitehouse.gov/contact



If you're in doubt, watch the following video posted by Marcy Winograd, currently challenging

Representative Jane Harman for the House of Representatives from Southern California in 2010: http://winograd4congress.com/petitions/single_payer_video.php



There is no more important issue for America today to secure America's financial future. Please take two minutes of your time and call.

HEALTH CARE COSTS

WHY DO DEGREED PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO EARN MORE THAN THE AVERAGE WORKER?



I realize this topic is not popular. The subject is greed. When is enough, enough! If you think about the three fields of professions where people make more money in a day than most make working a month or in a year in some cases, you focus on those in the professions of finance (banking, stock broker, insurance etc.), legal (attorneys) and those in the medical professions (pharmaceuticals, doctors, researchers).

Most of these people are undoubtedly bright, and have worked hard for their degrees. There is no argument there. Many have achieved their degrees on tax payer dollars in the way of grants, scholarships and low interest or low cost loans. Many don't even bother to pay their loans back and in years past, that has been overlooked. A chosen few have achieved their degrees on generational wealth that they have had bestowed upon them; wealth that all too often has been made at the expense of others.

Let's realize that these gifted individuals show their gratitude to society by graduating and demanding salaries that are far in excess of what the average person makes. Making more than even those average people that have been in the work force for decades. On both sides of the aisle and those in the middle, they work for the glory of themselves. They have been led to believe that they somehow deserve more than the average person working decades. Worst yet, the average person working has been programmed to believe that these gifted individuals deserve to coast through college on taxpayer paid low-cost loans, scholarships, grants and gifts from their families and that they somehow deserve to make more. WHY?

Do they work any harder than someone who sweats in a welding or machine shop for eight to ten hours a day, trying to support their families and paying their taxes? Do they work any harder than the department store worker who normally gets paid nominally and has to stand on their feet on a concrete floor all day? Do they work harder than the carpenter, the electrician, the brick layer, or the concrete finisher? Anyone who thinks so has never done an honest day's work in their life. Sure they are bright, but let's not discount the knowledge and expertise gained through years of work experience.

Sure they deserve to perhaps start work at a salary commensurate with their years of seniority for time spent at educational institutions; and, perhaps, in line or slightly above the average wage earner for their given working region, but do they really deserve to earn two, five, ten, fifteen times or more than the average worker? How many houses or cars are enough?

This greed has made it unaffordable for everyday hard working people to buy their shelter, food and clothing needs. This greed has made medicine unaffordable and has caused the average hard working Americans not to seek much needed health care and has forced others to buy these high deductible health care policies that are worthless in times of real need. This greed has caused our banking institutions to fail and has allowed the rip off of billions in the way of pension dollars and life savings and investments.

These same individuals want you to believe that it's all the unions' fault. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unions have done more to lift the wages of every American over the last seven decades than anything else. Henry Ford's philosophy was to provide an affordable product, and a livable wage to every worker so that they, too, could afford his product. That philosophy did more to make other employers compete with each other for workers and to provide livable wages which lifted the standard of living for most. I might add that Ford Motor Company did not ask for or receive any bailouts and they have a union.

It was only when the greedy bankers, insurance companies, attorneys and health care professionals thought that they deserved much, much more than the average worker that caused employers to start screaming about health care costs. This is not new. Since the late 1970s and on through the 1980s, employers across America have assaulted the blue collar worker, which was the base of American manufacturing, by removing hospitalization benefits, limiting wages and threatening the American worker that they had to compete with the rice patty farmer in China. Rather than stand up in America and scream at their legislatures to stop the excessive greed, Corporations touted free market enterprise and they no longer were loyal to America or Americans. They not only threatened, but proceeded to take the jobs, technology and wealth overseas. Now they gripe why Americans are no longer loyal to them.

Why were these Corporations and their executives not charged with treason?

When we talk about containing our national budget, a large part is health care costs comprised largely of Medicaid and Medicare spending, why don't we talk about taking the PROFIT out of health care and limiting the large excessive salaries that have caused our nation such hardship. We could forgive all college loans and make education free if graduates worked for the good of the country and its' people, rather than themselves. Aren't humans valuable and deserving of the most basic of human services?

We need a universal single payer health care system for all Americans. It is the only way to ensure that the public system is not rationed health care for the poor. We need to eliminate the profit out of health care so that we can still pay our physicians a fair market rate and provide quality, affordable health care for all. How much more we would get for our premium buck if we all pulled our money to pay directly for health care services and eliminate the insurance companies and health management organizations (HMOs). Medicare manages to run an efficient system and it is only the large population of baby boomers approaching retirement that threatens it. If everyone paid into the system, the taxpayer system would reap the benefit of profits to be redistributed to the taxpayer, rather than the insurance companies and the HMOs. Those workers could be re-employed to assist health care management through a single payer Medicare system at salaries that could be sustained and supported.

Your taxpayer paid degree does not give you the right to rape the American public!


Next Week: ?

TREASON, TEXAS STYLE

CAN THE GREEDY SWIM AND FOR HOW LONG?

Well, after reviewing news reports on the net recently, it appears not long!

I just read that Governor Rick Perry of Texas is threatening to have a vote to secede from the union of the United States. Texas was admitted to the union in 1845 and did secede during the Civil War. They were only allowed to re-enter the union after they ratified the United States Constitution's Thirteenth Amendment that banned slavery.

Governor Perry is incorrect. Texas is not allowed to secede from the union, see Texas versus White, U.S. Supreme Court, 1869.

But more importantly, why would he tout this treasonous act. Governor Perry of Texas obviously feels that Texas is being treated unfairly or unequally than the other states. It appears that Texas has more than its' share of billionaires that are yelling about their taxes being raised three (3%) percent after write-offs. He and more than a few of Texas citizens are complaining about unfunded mandates. Laws that are enacted that they have to follow and fund without the help of the federal government, or that are partially funded by the federal government.

All of this complaining is for one purpose. So that they can individually keep more of their money, regardless of its' ability to serve the greater good.

Texas wants autonomy (self-control), and after their selection of former President Bush, who was elected by questionable circumstances (see death of pilot, Akron, Ohio), got us into two of the most expensive wars in history. So here is a solution: Let's let Texas solely fund the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War and use all of their own citizens as soldiers over there (It's probably a price the wealthy would be willing to pay as long as the poor are the ones serving). They can re-elect George Bush, Jr. and Dick Cheney as their leaders and reimburse us all for the WALL that was constructed with our tax dollars to keep them safe from Mexicans. They can refund the United States Treasury all the FEMA tax dollars plus interest from years of disasters from numerous tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts and floods and they can pay the United States damages for causing the price of oil to skyrocket. (Just a side note, they may want to rethink choosing Bush and Cheney, as they may have to submit their newly chosen leaders for war crimes trials before the Hague.)

My bet is that they would apply for foreign aid from the United States to subsidize their new budget.

If Texas were allowed to secede, what would happen to their more vulnerable citizens? One has to look no farther than Austin, Texas where it has been reported that wide spread abuse occurs on a regular basis against the mentally retarded across the state, see
http://www.nospank.net/n-r15r.htm ,
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/12/04/12042008wacMexiaSS.html , and http://www.texaskaos.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3645 .
These are not my stories, they come from across the nation.

Without the protection of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individual with Disabilities Act, Amendments I through XXVI of the United States Constitution, but not limited to, ALL OF THESE ARE UNFUNDED MANDATES, Texas would have the ability to re-institute slavery, institutionalize the disabled and even execute the same as non-human, if they so desired. These unfunded mandates are collectively agreed upon by representation from all fifty states and they are equally imposed on all fifty states. They are debated and instituted by our elected representatives for the good of ALL. Without them, God help the citizenry.

Why is it that when corporations take our trade secrets and jobs overseas and Governors (Governor Perry of Texas, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska) spout secession from the union, it is not considered a treasonous act? Of course it is. They only want to go steady when they benefit. As long as they are on the receiving end, it is fine, but when it comes time to contribute their fair share, they want to run and hide. Not much of a marriage is it!

President Barack Obama has been fairly elected by a majority, I repeat, a majority, of the citizens, and suddenly, Texas feels and thinks that the vote of a democratic republic people is not valid. Shame on Governor Perry. This country is in its' worse economic shape based largely upon the policies touted by the far extremist right that caused deregulation and created the climate for the "legal" looting of our financial system. If there is one state that needs to stay and work on making this country a better place, it is TEXAS, since their choice for President created the current MESS and gave us the Patriot Act that they are currently screaming about since it now is being used against them and their extremist behavior! Now suddenly the shoe is too small for the other foot.

So let's rescue Texas citizens from the far right extremism that exists and send the full force of our American Government to protect them against this new tyranny, ALL IN THE NAME OF GREED! Let's call this behavior what it really is, TREASON! Contact your United States Representatives
( http://www.house.gov/ ) and Senators ( http://www.senate.gov/ ) and let them know you want them to move for hearings on Governor Perry's statement of treason. Let them know you want them to seize the assets of any entity that takes our jobs and trade secrets overseas at the expense of the American population. Most of these corporations made their money here off the backs of hard working Americans, and when it still wasn't enough, they went overseas in their attempts to get more. They have no loyalty to America, only their greedy selves.

STOP TREASON: ( http://www.house.gov/ )
( http://www.senate.gov/ )

Next Week: ?

CURSES TO THE TAX DAY TEA PARTY

USE APRIL 15, 2009 FOR MORE PRODUCTIVE THINGS:

I debated all week long what this week's topic would be. There were so many to choose from amidst the falling economy, poverty, discrimination and the list goes on. For weeks now, we have heard about the debate concerning President Obama's budget. All the yelling going on, particularly from the far right about how unfair it is to raise taxes on the rich. Most of those yelling purport a belief in a higher power than themselves, stating they tithe to the churches they attend, and wanting to keep more for themselves. The wealthys' answer to all of this is to throw an old fashion tax day, April 15, 2009, tea party.

Apparently, this is the way it works. If you are making a net taxable income of $500,000.00 per year, that is after you have written off all of your exemptions, expenses, write-offs, business trips, mileage, and so forth, you now pay a 36% tax or $180,000.00 in taxes, leaving you with a paltry sum of $320,000.00 per year to exist on. Under President Obama's plan, the current tax breaks would cease to exist raising this tax to 39% of those individuals that make over $250,000.00 per year after write offs. On a net income of $500,000.00 a year this tax would be $195,000.00 leaving the wealthy with only $305,000.00 per year in livable income.

OH MY! HOW WILL THEY ALL CONTINUE TO EXIST! Remember, this net income is after their business reinvestment income, their donations to their own foundations, their expenses for trips abroad for business of course, and any other loophole they can find to exempt income. After exemptions, their real tax rate is more closely to 15 to 20 percent, and some are not even paying that. It is apparently enough to send Rush Limbaugh fleeing from New York for his life!

These same people yell and complain that their tax dollars are being misspent, used for Medicaid (you know, all those lazy disabled and elderly people that no one wants to hire and are expected to miraculously exist without income or job on usually less than $500.00 per month or $6,000.00 per year, some not even making that.) Their answer to that is for you to show up at their Tax Day Tea Party to protest the taxes that they pay.

First of all, don't waste your time. No one likes to pay taxes, but in truth, they are a necessary thing. Even Christ recognized that there was a need for government and stated, "to render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar." Taxes pay for useful things like the police, fire departments, city, village and township maintenance workers, schools, colleges, day care, hospitals, judges, courts, sewers, clean water, roads, and, yes, government benefits and services. Where would you be without these things? And even if you didn't have need for these things today, can you imagine the lawlessness in our society without these things!

Don't you think their time would be better spent on trying to limit the income of people that make more than ten times the average person, than trying to stage a tea party to protest what we already know is necessary. Were the poor, lower and middle class families suppose to save for their retirement by investing in wall street, insurance companies, and banks that have already proven their inability to be trusted? And what about all the corporations that have sold us worthless or dangerous products, managed by these same wealthy executives. I am not against people making more money because they have worked a little harder, or gone to school by being blessed by an education, but don't you think there is something horribly wrong when you make more than ten times the average person and it is still not enough?
Is there no limit to their greed?

These same people talk about a sense of welfare entitlement. Isn't it the same mentality to talk about corporate welfare or a sense of entitlement to exorbitant amounts of income? Do you know how hard many laborers, construction workers, tradesmen, nurses, Walmart workers, child care workers, teachers and care takers work who struggle to make barely above minimum wage to five figures, all the while paying their fair share of taxes without the benefit of the corporate loopholes? Certainly, no less hard than the wealthy!

I helped prepare taxes today for a 28 year old man who made a little over $12,000.00 in income working three different jobs, and, after deductions and exemptions allowed, this poor man had to pay almost $1,100.00 in taxes. That is criminal, yet he acknowledges he has a duty to pay. He already didn't make enough to live on. He has no hopes of immediately finding a job that will pay a livable wage in this economy, and must put off any hopes of a marriage, family, or college for the immediate future. Yet there are those that have a net income of $305,000.00 and they want you to show up at a Tax Day Tea Party!

For all of you tithing church goers, do you really believe that someone who makes $12,000.00 per year in income should pay taxes of $1,100.00 and tithe $1,200.00 with a net income of $9,700.00 per year while you have a net income of over $200,000.00 per year to live on? Which cardboard box did you want Christ to move in to and in what park is he allowed to set up a tent? What happened to, "whom much is given, much is expected?"

Don't talk to me about a Tax Day Tea Party. I am too, too busy advocating for those people that were promised jobs by the wealthy. The wealthy who promised to reinvest their bailout riches to create jobs for the mass populations and loan money to struggling home owners, while in reality the wealthy have been hiding and hoarding those riches at the expense and the tax dollars of the masses.

Maybe instead of throwing tea into the harbor on tax day, we should throw the wealthy recipients of tax bailout dollars! Now that's a real TAX DAY PARTY!

NEXT WEEK: CAN THE GREEDY SWIM IN HIGH TIDE AND FOR HOW LONG?

HIGH DEDUCTIBLE INSURANCE

IS REALLY NO INSURANCE AT ALL!

You have been told your entire life that you need insurance. Probably our first experience is car insurance. Next, you're told you have to have insurance for your possessions. Then, it's health insurance, house insurance, life insurance, health and accident insurance and so on. We all dutifully pay and pay and pay in the hopes that if disaster strikes, that there will be the protection that we all think is there.

If you think about the number of homes in your community alone and the amount of premiums that are being paid to insurance companies to protect those homes, and then measure it against the actual amount of fires, floods, thefts and personal injury damages, it is not hard to see that insurance companies pull in tremendous amounts of cash that they keep for themselves. You can say the same thing about car insurances, health insurances, home insurance, health and accident insurance, etc.

Insurance companies have led the fight to make you believe that it is your responsibility to have insurance, even having laws passed, and their responsibility to have your cash so that in the event that you would need it, that the insurance will be there to help you. Just ask the victims of Katrina who paid their premiums faithfully, only to find themselves still in litigation trying to reap the benefits.

When the greedy insurance companies didn't have enough money, they decided to raise the rates so high that they had to come out with a "new product" with higher deductibles. That means that you are so poor that you can't afford higher premiums so you scrape up the $100 to $200 per month to buy these policies that carry deductibles of $2,500 or more in order to limit your punishment for your disaster. Most likely it is $2,500 you didn't have anyway and you can bet they will look to any excuse not to make good on their policies. You would not be hard pressed to pick up a newspaper and see someone is in a struggle with their insurance company trying to make a claim. In more than a few instances, you would have been better off keeping your premiums to pay on your disaster. Remember these struggles to receive payment occur when you are at your worst time of suffering.

How many of you have been given health insurance at premiums you can't even afford, but manage to short your food budgets enough to pay them in case of disaster, only to realize that you can't afford the deductibles or co-payments to even afford to go to the doctor?

Yet through all of this, the American Insurance Group (AIG), along with the investment companies and banks want you to bail them out for a system of greed that they all created. And let's not forget the Corporate Welfare. Why do you think there is such a cry for universal health care with a single payer system? Who do you think is going to be able to keep their cash on the old system where health care use to be one of the expenses that a corporation paid as part of a benefit package when they employed you?

You see the wealthy only scream about Medicaid when the poor, elderly and disabled benefit. Notice how much press the occasional welfare fraud or cheat receives in comparison to the press that the needy poor, elderly and disabled receive as they struggle to survive. This press, controlled by the wealthy, is to make you believe that everyone on welfare is some how less than human.

Wouldn't we all do better to take a tip from the Amish Community, where when disaster or catastrophe strikes, that the community all pulls together its' cash and resources to help the victims of disasters and eliminate the middle man who could actually care less about the community or its' members.

Who are the real thieves? The person struggling to survive or the Corporate conglomerations that have conspired to steal from the masses only to leave this country near shambles! Again, this is not about Democrat versus Republican. This is about those that have and want more than they need at the expense of those that have not or fast losing what they have worked a lifetime for!

Next Week: ?