April 23, 2012

Here's a pretty good article about Romney's budget plans for the USA!

Just a quick summary:

"There's good reason why Ryan's budget and the Romney budget don't have details," said Jim Horney, a budget analyst with the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy priorities think tank. "If people knew what it would actually have to be done to accomplish what they're saying should be done, it's hard to imagine there would be widespread support for it."

http://news.yahoo.com/romney-spending-guns-triumph-over-butter-120715130.html


Another quote from the article:

"At issue are these programs, just to name a few: health research; NASA; transportation; homeland security; education; food inspection; housing and heating subsidies for the poor; food aid for pregnant women; the FBI; grants to local governments; national parks; and veterans' health care.

Romney promises to immediately cut them by 5 percent. But they would have to be cut more than 20 percent to meet his overall budget goals, assuming veterans' health care is exempted. It's almost unthinkable that lawmakers would go along with cuts of such magnitude for air traffic control and food inspection or to agencies like NASA, the FBI, Border Patrol and the Centers for Disease Control.

"It's just not sustainable," said GOP lobbyist Jim Dyer, a former staff director for the House Appropriations Committee. "What do you want to do with the national parks? Which ones do you want to close? ...The only way it adds up is if you go after the big, popular stuff, and nobody talks about that now."

April 23, 2012

RE; Trayvon Martin/George Zimmermann...Have we made any progress since 1931?

Here's a little story about the NRA board member, Harlon Carter, who took over the organization in 1977.

•On March 3, 1931, in Laredo, Texas, Carter, who was 17, shot and killed 15-year-old Ramón Casiano. After returning home from school that day, Carter was told by his mother that there were three Hispanic youths loitering near their family’s property. Carter left his house, shotgun in tow, to confront the alleged loiterers. After finding Casiano and his two companions, Carter pointed his shotgun at them and ordered them to come with him. Casiano refused and pulled out a knife and asked Carter if he would like to fight. Carter then pointed the shotgun at Casiano’s chest. Casiano pushed the gun aside and asked Carter not to shoot while taking a step back. He was then shot and killed. Carter claimed self-defense, but the presiding judge instructed the jury, “There is no evidence that defendant had any lawful authority to require deceased to go to his house for questioning, and if defendant was trying to make deceased go there for that purpose at the time of the killing, he was acting without authority of law, and the law of self-defense does not apply.” Carter was convicted of murder without malice aforethought (a crime similar to second-degree murder) and sentenced to three years in prison. Subsequently, Carter successfully appealed his conviction with the appeals court, holding that the trial court failed “to submit to the jury appropriate instructions upon the law of self-defense.” When the shooting incident was reported in media in 1981, Carter initially denied that he had killed Casiano before falsely claiming that the shooting took place on his property.

3 years for second degree murder in Texas? "Got out on a technicality" as they say.

http://meetthenra.org/nra-member/Harlon%20Carter

April 22, 2012

New Yorker magazine has an interesting article about history of 2nd amendment, NRA and gun control

Lots of interesting history about gun control and 2nd amendment in this article. I recommend reading it. Gun nuts please respond with a little personal history about when you got worked up about right to "Bear Arms" and where did that concealed carry thing start up from?

Really interested and hearing about your personal history with guns and the NRA. Does anyone remember the Cincinnati thing?

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/04/23/120423fa_fact_lepore

Thanks for a little thoughtfulness. Please read the article before going off on me.

April 12, 2012

Where does Rmoney pay his state taxes?

With 6 places to live is he actually choosing Massachusetts, with a 5.25% tax rate to pay his taxes or No Tax New hampshire?

Anyone know? It will be fun to see his Birth Certificate...I mean Tax records.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11387487/1/mitt-romneys-6-homes.html

April 4, 2012

How does the "Stand your Ground" law handle this:

1. Guy goes to local park with daughter to check out a small "Occupy" event. Guy as usual is packing as he has his cc permit. They are standing on the sidewalk watching the peaceful protestors do their thing. Cops show up and start taking down the tents and telling everyone to go home. Officer in white shirt heads over towards guy's daughter and her friend and pulls out some pepper spray and let's her have it right in the face. Guy, afraid for her life, knowing that what the cop was doing was not authorized, pulls his gun and shoots the officer.

2. Same story only this time it's with his son who wants to get involved by videoing the event. This time the cop rips the camera from the kid, grabs him and throws him to the ground and pounds on him like you've seen in the various tapes of the Occupy events last fall. Guy, afraid for his son's life, pulls his gun and shoots the officer.


3. Same story only the guy is there by himself. Guy is watching things, is on the sidewalk, not really participating when suddenly a cop comes at him with his club yelling at the guy to get out of there. Guy, afraid that he about to get hit, pulls his gun and shoots the officer.

4. Same story only the guy is standing with a flag, not bothering anyone. Cops start throwing grenades, guy watches friend get hit and afraid for his life, pulls his gun and starts shooting the cops.

Just wondering.

April 3, 2012

Here's a nice bedtime story.

Not.

http://theamericanscholar.org/a-gathering-menace/

Sick Americans put in a bad position. An evening in Afghanistan with the US Army.

April 3, 2012

Hard number to find.

So with all the talk about how we need to reject Obamacare along with the Heritage Foundation that dragged it in, I decided to try and find out just how much a guy like me would have to pay to get Single Payer health insurance. Truth is, I’m an old boomer (about to be able to start in with Medicare, assuming Paul Ryan doesn’t end it) and not the best googler but I was only able to find a wide range of numbers and most were from the Hilary health care fights of the 1990s.

I’m starting this thread with the hope that people will find some meaningful links that will give the average guy like me something to figure on.

Obamacare expects a hard working guy like me to pay about 8.5% (at the most) of my income on Health insurance. Alternatively, I could opt for the “Penalty” which would run me 2.5% but gets me no insurance. The sites I did find show a range of 7% to 9% payroll tax on top of the medicare tax for single payer. That seems like a deal, especially if there are no co-pays, deductibles or bull shit. But is this 7-9% dependent on everyone paying that much? What about those earning less than the 133% of poverty level that will get Obamacare for free (Medicaid)? I totally support single payer and look forward to Medicare but I’m wondering about the numbers.

The 7-9% numbers are nothing to hang a hat on much less suggest to my Republican friends at the water cooler. (Truth is I have no Republican friends, just a tea party sister). So I’m hoping the DU gurus will help me out. Seriously, if the SCOTUS is about to throw Obamacare out because of the “Mandate” and DU is going to shift its support to Single Payer, having good numbers is essential. I thought this was all settled and really sort of forgot about worrying about healthcare, but listening to Scalia, Roberts and Alito has got me going. Please keep the ranting and insults to a minimum and just put up some numbers with a link.

Thanks for your help.

April 1, 2012

It time to put an end to the GOP talking point repeated here on DU again and again.

Obamacare does not require you to buy health insurance. No one is now or will be required to write a check to Blue Cross or any other insurance company. Nor will you be required to give anybody any money to have them buy insurance for you. You do and will have total freedom to not buy insurance from anyone. The tea party GOP and even some on the Supreme Court would have you believe otherwise because it advances their cause of total repression of the middle class and poor of America.

Obamacare DOES allow the IRS to collect a tax penalty from anyone who can afford insurance but who does not get that coverage and from those who could sign up for free or subsidized insurance but does not do so. The IRS has no way, method or plan to get you insurance if you don’t want it. They are totally powerless to do anything to get any insurance company to insure you unless you buy the insurance as your choice. You are the only one who can make sure you have insurance and you have total freedom to not get health insurance. The tax penalty is 2.5% of your taxable income at the most. The IRS will not and cannot use that money to buy from a private insurance company insurance for you or anyone else. Not only are you not required to send a check to any insurance company, the IRS is not required or even allowed to send a check to an insurance company. There is no commerce being created, mandated, required or otherwise commanded. Yes, Obamacare encourages, stimulates, even provides an incentive for people to get insured but that has nothing to do with your freedom to not buy insurance. You will have total freedom to not participate in the commerce of health insurance. (Incidentally your employer, as now, may have the power to require you to buy insurance if you choose to work for him. But that’s subjecting yourself to the capitalist, not the government. The GOP loves that!)

That the Tea Party has convinced anyone here on DU otherwise shows the power they have to control the dialog. Please correct any comments you hear and remind them that no where in the Affordable Healthcare Act does the government have the power to make you as an individual buy insurance from anyone, any company, public or private.

Note: I would prefer a Single Payer Healthcare system like Medicare for everyone but right now, Obamacare is all we have to defend. Your kids will be grown and out of the house before we see any healthcare reform if Obamacare is thrown out by this Supreme Court. Complain about it all you want, but stop repeating GOP talking points and explain to me where in the act it says to write out a check to anybody for health insurance. If it does, tell me which company, I have my check book ready and I need the coverage.