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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

420

Hope everyone is enjoying a true 420 celebration. I'm envious...

Unfortunately today is the anniversary of largest oil spill in the Gulf in recent history.
200 million gallons of oil and 2 million gallons of Corexit, the Gulf never had a chance.
It is also hard to believe there hasn't been more problems in the Gulf with some 27,000 oil & gas wells haunting the seafloor. BP has been reported to be dragging their feet in settling the claims of victims.
The seafloor is dead, the seafood is poisoned and there is a mountain of dead birds, fish, turtles, whales and lately even baby dolphins. When will they learn?
More info @the Center for Biological Diversity.


The last note is that it is also the anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School.
Crazy stuff, hard to wrap your head around.

Kinda makes you want to burn one and savor the moment... I only wish that I could...
Peace...

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Budget vs the Deficit

There seems to be a problem getting a budget approved and yes I mean this years budget. You need a budget or the government will shutdown.
That would mean no government or military paychecks, tax refunds, etc... Well of course everybody paid by the government except congress. They never miss a paycheck, never miss a raise, always have health care and never go to bed hungry.
If things were run more smoothly, you know like a business, that would have been on last years calendar. Oh yeah, the dems controlled things last year.
Add one more missed opportunity to the score board.
Man do we need more choices other than this broke ass two party system?

Back in February the Republicans set the stage demanding $32 billion in spending cuts.
The media had a countdown to a shutdown in the crazy 24 hour what passes for news cycle.
Friday night; rather than have to come back and work the weekend; the Democrats caved to $38.5 billion in spending cuts. That's right; in February the Republicans wanted $32b but when they whined, changed their mind and upped the amount; the democrats had to do what they do best and that is to cave.

Here comes Paul Ryan with his Austerity Budget Plan for 2012... Oy! The MSM is embracing Paul Ryan's budget with hugs & kisses. Some go as far as calling Ryan courageous, other say "it may be genius" and the "adult plan"...
It is truly amazing the ignorance displayed by media pundits. Like so many of the Republican efforts this plan cuts taxes for the wealthy & corporations and puts all the sacrifice on a vanishing middle class and those that are already poor.
Ryan's plan will not reduce the deficit, it would add to it. His plan also include measures to "transform"(privatize) Medicare into a voucher program that will surely cost more in the long run. They can't really sell this crap when there are no facts to back up their predictions.
Medicare like Social Security is an insurance plan that is paid into with each paycheck and those that try repeal these social programs usually refer to them as "entitlements".
Although Medicare is ripe with fraud & abuse and in need of a serious overhaul it would NOT be better if it was turned into a voucher program with insurance coming from the private sector.

What we really need is some progressive policy changes and a budget that levels the playing field with equal taxation across the board. No special interest exemptions to big oil & gas and no loopholes. Oh wait, here's something... A progressive caucus, what's up with that and why isn't the media getting behind this kind of stuff?

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