Seems to me that the "American Dream" is fast becoming the "American Nightmare" (unless your lucky enough to be in the top 1%).

the middle class of America(the engine of the train, that kept everything moving), has been collapsed by taxes, low wages, medical costs,insurance,student loans, while the poor on welfare KEPT MOVING ALONG FOR FREE, AND THE VERY RICH, COULD CARE LESS; OUR GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOWED OUTSOURCING, WITH TAX BREAKS FOR OUR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WITHOUT A SINGLE THOUGHT OF WHERE IT WAS GOING TO LEAD ; WE ALLOWED POLITICS TO COLLAPSE OUR NATION.

How come the banks and Wall Street get all the socialism and the middle class gets stuck with free market capitalism? Just asking..

One of the biggest problems is these free trade agreements our government keeps signing. This has resulted in massive losses of American jobs. To make matters worse, our government allows China to manipulate their currency valuation to effectively subsidize every company in the country while granting them most favored nation trade status. The Chinese government artificially depressed the value of the yuan in order to keep Chinese goods cheaper on the export market. This makes it impossible for US manufacturers to compete. In addition, by keeping their currency valuation low they reduce the purchasing power of their own people making it impossible for other countries to sell goods in China. Our government needs to revoke China's most favored nation trade status and place a tariff on all goods imported from China until the Chinese government allows the value of the yuan to float on international monetary exchanges the same way every other major currency in the world does. In addition, the most favored nation trade status should not be reinstated until China improves it's human rights record and puts in place at least basic protections for workers to ensure that they are being paid a fair wage and treated fairly by their employers. Many workers in China today are little more than slaves who work for next to nothing and can not complain because they rely on the corporations for everything. Many towns in China are under the complete control and ownership of corporations with everything in the town owned by the companies from housing to the local grocery store. Anyone who even thinks about complaining quickly finds themselves unemployed and homeless. Forcing China to allow it's currency valuation to float and institute basic rights for workers will end up bringing a huge number of manufacturing jobs back from China as the playing field for American companies is at least partially leveled.

The other thing we need to do is for our government to start seizing any US company that knowingly employs illegals. These companies should be viewed as criminal enterprises and taken over by the government and auctioned off. What people do not realize is that the problem of illegals taking jobs goes beyond just the loss of those specific jobs. The employment of these illegals also depresses the wages of all other workers in the area. Wages for different jobs in a given area tend to maintain a certain relative level to each other. This means that if you lower the wages at the bottom end of the scale through the employment of illegals, often paying them at below minimum wage and providing no benefits, it ends up decreasing the wages and benefits for everyone in that labor market. The best way to stop the influx of illegals and even drive many of them into returning home is to remove the jobs. The current practice where the government simply fines a company that is caught employing illegals does not work. This is because the fines are less than the money the company saves through their illegal practices. However, if the management and ownership of the company knows that their entire company will be subject to seizure if they get caught employing illegals it will no longer be worth it for them to take the risk.

Right, Mark. Now if we just had the moral courage to let these people starve there'd be more left for the rest of us.

hushed conversation about food stamps and Medicaid, depleted bank accounts and 401K’s,

Private union workers have been giving back their pensions for over 30 years now. You think we have a mess now, (healthcare) just wait few more years...omg. I wish the PUBLIC unions would stand up and support their union cousins !

And JS ?? the government endorses the lower pay for illegals. By giving (I think its 11-13) SW states, and exemption, to the federal min. wage, for "farm workers". Hell, I have lots of farmer friends here in Ohio who wish they could have that also..lol.

No single magic pill will fix this mess. Took decades to get here. And until we get a potus that ACTUALLY addresses REAL jobs, all this other posturing, is for naught :(

No amount of printing and throwing money out, will fix this.

@Never Stop Asking Questions.........well said

Too many Mark type people - no clue, uninformed etc.

Maybe, just maybe it is because people keep voting Conservatives who use the Anti-gay, or Anti-abortion issues to bamboozle normally intelligent people into voting for them. While they don't actually do anything to outlaw either action, what they do vote on is more tax breaks for Banking (14 BILLION just for JPMorgan), more tax breaks for those "Job Creators" (Which the American public is the actual creator of jobs, through demand of products when shopping) and like Scott Walker of Wisconsin said, divide and Conquer the public.

For the first time in my life, I really don't care who is elected for President, it won't matter one way or another. On one hand we have Bush/ Obama who talks big, but does nothing. And on the other, we have Mr. Flip-flop who has yet to even say anything except for, "Economies bad". I got a survey from the Obama campaign yesterday, and I said in it, "I would like for you too use your new NDAA law and just fu@king murder me already, I'm tired of ALL the political bullsh!t and lies from both parties."

It just seems there isn't anyone who gives a crap about ALL Americans, not just the ones who's side wins. While I lean left, I vote for whom I think would be the best overall for all Americans, and yes I have voted for a few Republicans, on the State and local levels. Someone give me a Bernie Sanders to run in my state, please.

The American version of "middle class" was an aberration f the post WW2 era. After the war if it had to be invented, designed, made and bought, it had to be here. The rest of the world was under the thumb or threat of communism or throwing off the shackles of colonialism. A strong union mentality and frankly the threat of socialism/communism in this country together with a need to make sure consumers could afford what American business produced resulted in our version of the middle class. Moreover, you didn't need much education to get there.

The world has changed. The smartest Russian kid or Chinese kid that was helping design nuclear bombs to blow us up 40 years ago is now available to Google and MIcrosoft. That just pushes down the next smartest American kid (that as me by BTW).

The new America will be concentrated in key Metropolitan cities, where all the "brains" are and that are connected to the global market place (Boulder is no longer one of those place). Think New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami...you get my drift. If you don't have the education or the academic smarts, you are still better off going to those cities and being the most skillful plumber, electrician, hairdresser, chef that those folks will need. Staying in your highs school home town will be the kiss of death.

It was the fall of Communism that opened up the labor market. Over time the top 1% will looks the same globally as will the bottom 99%. Take a look at how your counterparts live in Europe and Asian and you will see where you are going, like it or not.

This is not a Republican or Democrat problem. No one can really stop the changes. They can cushion some of the blow. National healthcare is one safety net as is access to education. In exchange consider reducing/re-engineering social security and medicare for the aged. Eliminate minimum wage--Its the only way you will get low-skill manufacturing jobs back to the U.S, if that is what you want.

How come the banks and Wall Street get all the socialism and the middle class gets stuck with free market capitalism? Just asking..

Because they keep getting duped into voting for the ultra-rightwing.

In a way, they're getting what they deserve - too bad it's screwing the rest of us. But hey, not teaching evolution in our schools is a far more pressing issue than having food on the table. Good game.

And l.o.l. at all the red states in that map with a larger "circle" than many of the dark blue states.

trust2112 wrote...

For the first time in my life, I really don't care who is elected for President, it won't matter one way or another. On one hand we have Bush/ Obama who talks big, but does nothing.

You need to not be so let down about Obama. Did you know he's considered one of the most successful first term presidents?

Probably not, because all the 24/7 news media does is cover his challenges and set backs (again, by the GOP) and none of the multitude of the things he's gotten done.

I know "bailouts" is a dirty word for a lot of you, but take a look over in the UK and other parts of Europe who did not give out bailouts (refer to "austerity") and see what happened to their economies.

I'm not going to give total credit to Obama on this matter because a lot of the bailouts were set into plan by Bush, and we really do need to drop the party bickering for a moment and thank both of them for that. It could've been pretty ugly, IMHO, otherwise.

What would be the first thing I would do in order to restore faith in DC and our economy? Abolish 24/7 news media.

Actually, we ALL have a part in the huge disparity between the rich and the poor, the "HAVES" and the "HAVE NOTS". And it was a very simple matter of not paying attention to the ideological BS being subtly infused into our brains: That wealth is an entitlement of the few. Show me where in the Constitution is states this. Now, show me where in the Constitution it states that a US CEO must, must, must earn the highest salary in the world or for that matter, earn 500 times more than his employees. Don't bother...there is no such entitlement and the BS 500 times higher salaries were entirely a fabrication of men who rammed that idea down their intimidated employees throats for 4 or more decades.

When an ideology...ANY ideology seeks to create a huge disparity for self-promotion and self-aggrandizment...that's wrong. When an ideology stresses that some may not have to pay what all others do...that's wrong. When an ideology cause one single American to struggle for no reason other than grabbing wealth...that's wrong.

Wealth that causes mass suffering isn't wealth...it's evil. It's wrong and it has to be stopped. No man in the US deserves to earn an obscene salary if that salary demolishes, dismantles and degrades any other American or their government. So ....if you want more struggle...keep falling for the BS of the right. Keep believing that an employer is the only God to whom you owe your lives. Keep believing that money, not people is all that matter....see how far that gets the civilization in which you live.

Oh and don't expect the ritzy titzies to agree that their selfish, naricissism and greed is evil. They can't "afford" to admit the truth.

Layoffs and Corporate restructuring, financial weapons of mass destruction. If each of those circles were nuclear detonations, the results would be the same, except instead of charred and shadowed bodies, you have the slow and miserable economic strangulation of a population. How will you maintain your edge in a post-Armageddon economy?,...

In a democratic republic a republican democracy, when the people grow the country grows.

trust,

You said: “For the first time in my life, I really don't care who is elected for President, it won't matter one way or another. On one hand we have Bush/ Obama who talks big, but does nothing.”

Are you serious? One passed the healthcare act, the other wants to allow insurance companies to decide that people can’t have insurance because they have pre-existing conditions (he said this last week, ABCNews).

The list of differences go on. Check out the accomplishments (yes, there are many) of Obama and what he would do if allowed to by Congress. Then check out what Romney stands for (if you can)—such as allowing insurance to help create financial ruin for working families (who might have to sell their house or worse if they lose job-related insurance) due to lack of affordable insurance.

There are very clear differences between Obama and Romney, although Congress is kind of the elephant in the room here too (how you vote for them changes what actually happens in the country to a huge extent). Vote for the best individual, based on what they’ve done (or tried to do) in their past term and/or what they say they’ll try to do in the future.

BXURZ...It's not the poor who will suffer from this ever growing disparity...It's those who worked all their lives to earn a living wage that is not longer a living wage...the Middle Class. People living in Appalachia never know there's a recession. People who have worked 3 or more decades of their lives, earned the homes they now own, educated their kids and managed to eke out a tiny pittance of a retirement are the ones who are being dragged down further and further by the insatiable greed of the 1%.

Anyone who cannot figure out that an HMO CEO who is earning $10 million a year gets that salary from the premiums they increase every 12 months, the copays they juice and the growing number of claims they reject is blind. Does any HMO CEO NEED to earn $10 million a year if the only way he can do that is to perpetrate massive swindling? Those premiums we pay are not to lavish multi-million dollars on CEOs...they are for OUR healthcare insurance.

The first economic plan from the republicans ...was to blow up the economy so president Obama would not have a second term. Newt said it was the first seed sown for the 2012 election. 14-15 republicans secretly met to pledge to vote against every bill that would help the economy recover. They pledged this saying they wanted him to be a one term president. They pledged to take the economy down just to destroy the presidents plans for recovery. Bin Laden wrote down the same plan and executed 911 to take the economy down to destroy the nation. These repubs, Ryan, Cantor, DeMint, and Gingrich pledged to act like the Taliban, to act like the insurgents do,(their own actual words) to prevent President Obama from a second term. Acting like the supreme terrorist of all time Bin Laden. Traitors. Deliberately sabotaging the recovery. Ref Richard draper new book.

@Frogmorton! Hit the nail right on the head! In our worst times since the Great Depression, all the Republican't Party can do is attack and restrict the Democrats from getting something done. In spite of their negative effort, it has become a little better; NO thanks to the GOP. I don't like using the "GD" words but I read them aloud from your post. Thank you, Frogmorton! How many of those middle classes who have been driven to poverty will vote for Mittens Romney if they look at the truth. Blame has no place in our current state of ecomomy; only help, REAL help! G.T.H. - "GD" GOP!

to Mark Taft :"Obama gives out food stamps like water."

.....must be his racist WHITE side coming out in him, since most people who are food stamps are white.

Too, most red states receive more money back from the government than they put in in taxes.

Let's not forget that some of the current economic problems arose from circumstances beyond anyone's control. Market globaliztion was inevitable, and the reality is that when your workers make more than any other country's, there's gonna be some hard times while the system adjusts. Other losses have been brought about due to technological advancement and innovation. Again, short-term pain but in the long run, good for everybody.

But for those issues where there was the ability to exercise control, the blame lies squarey at the feet of BOTH political parties, which ranks are filled with various bought attorneys and sycophants whose only job is to further the agenda of the plutocrats. I'm not talking the "1%" here; that's a bogus statistic used to rile up the pitchfork-wielding masses. It's more like the 0.0001%, and their goal is subservience through subsistence. There's a reason the Middle Ages lasted so long; the Feudal System is extremely stable, and very, very good for those who occupy the upper-most echelons. It just sucks to be everyone else.

jjhooey: Thanks for providing some of those useless statistics. Of course more white people are on food stamps: There's more of them...

You are right, but I dont see anything changing. The two parties that have run this country into the toilet are not going anywhere. The one that ran our debt thru the ceiling and allowed banks to destroy our economy is going to be reelected by the voting populace that has forgotten their mess in less than 3 years. News services, justices, and politicians are bought and paid for by the ultrarich, who are getting wealthier as the middle class crashes into financial oblivion. Once we achieve the status of the Mexican economy, where the one percent own virtually everything, and the 99% own nothing, including any rights, the voters will wake up and realize they let their country slip away. But, by then it will be too late. Adios America!

@jjhooey

Too, most red states receive more money back from the government than they put in in taxes.

And why is that? Have you actually looked to see the reasons for this or do you just parrot whatever rhetoric fits your agenda?

Damn backcountry, your stupid. I almost mirror you,except I am older and smarter. I am 66 years old and retired, but made a plan back in my late 30's to pay off my debts and not incur any more. I was successful and now living on S.S. and a small pension is within my reach. I live in a small house and drive a 11 year old truck. When it dies I'll buy another that I can pay cash for and the only bills I have are the household and taxes.

This is why I think you are dumb. I have had help along the way. Help from unions that kept my wages high even though I didn't belong. Help from Bill Clinton for building the best econonomic situation in my lifetime contrasted by the republican presidents that only made me strugle to find work. When I am reduced to ashes I hope to have left this place a better place then when I came in. Your way will never accomplish this. Your way is a failure and has been since Reagan. The job makers are smarter then you think. They are not going to produce a product that no one can buy because of economic stress. They set on the money as they are now. 3 trillion dollars not in use, at least some of that should be taken away and passed down to the lower class by way of jobs so in turn products can be bought and produced in this country.

Republicans only support those that support them. This does not include many hard working people only those that are dumb as you to buy into their divide and conquer politics. You want to see America reach its potential we have to lift from the bottom not the top and that will require a resounding defeat to the republican political machine. Make it emphatic, vote straight democratic.

to Dumba** Fils d'Artemis

So your argument is it's ok...because there are more whites , percentage wise , in the populace than blacks ?

Typical republican logic. ......Let me see now, I have a $100.00 and I'm paying out $75.00 that is going to 65% of the population and $25.00 going to 35% of the population. You are still spending the $100.00 and despite how you want to spin it, MORON.....the majority of recipients are WHITE !

to Backcountry164......I think your handle says more about you than I ever could, but for your information, I happen to live and work in one of those red states and receive $1.66 back for every dollar paid in. As far as parroting one's agenda.....uhhh, I believe your Bright red feathers are showing from under your dunce hat !

John in Battle Creek

Damn backcountry, your stupid.

Says the guy without an original thought. Do you just cut and paste your talking points from some liberal website or do you actually have to think hard enough to do the typing yourself?

Joe B., Americans screwed up, if we wouldn't have listened to the Rightwing and left President Carter in we would of only suffer for a short period of time. Thing would have turned around as they did with Reagan and we would not be in the situation we are in NOW!! First, Carter would have increased NUKE POWER being a nuke engineer. Second, we would be a not dependent on OIL, as NOW!! Third, We would have HIGH SPEED RAIL which is long over due in this Country. Forth, our National Debt would be 15 Trillion Dollars less. We let Corporate GREED convince us of our own STUPIDITY. We are a VERY STUPID people!!!!!!

Again, I keep seeing comments about how "both parties" are to blame. OK...But the blame, arguably, is not equal (it can't be, given that on many subjects the parties want close to or the exact opposite from what the other party wants), and besides, we vote for individuals. Again, Obama wants health care for those with pre-existing conditions, while Romney doesn't care if those Americans have health care or not, or at what expense. These are stark differences. There are other differences, as highlighted by this exempt from Bloomberg Businessweek:

"Mitt Romney's criticism of President Barack Obama for promoting green-energy subsidies may keep the former Massachusetts governor from boasting about his own contribution to his state's expanding clean-energy industry."

-June 11 2012

This looks like another great place to post the words of a wise man...

---

George Carlin
(May 12, 1937 - June 22, 2008)

"The American Dream"
Theres a reason why education sucks and its the same reason it will never ever ever be fixed. Its never gonna get any better, dont look for it, be happy with what you got. Because the OWNERS of this country dont want that. Im talking about the real owners now. the REAL owners. The big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You dont. You have no choice. You have owners. They OWN you. They own everything. They own all the important land, they own and control the corporations theyve long since bought and paid for the Senate the Congress the State Houses the City Halls they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies so they control just about all the news and information you get to hear. THEY GOT YOU BY THE BALLS! They spend BILLIONS of dollars every year lobbying, lobbying to get what they want. Well we KNOW what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else. But I'll tell you what they DONT want. They dont want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They dont want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. Theyre not interested in that. That doesnt help them. Thats against their interests. They dont want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table and figure out how badly theyre getting f***ed by a system that threw them overboard thirty f***ing years ago, they dont want that. You know what they want? They want obedient workers. Obedient workers. People who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork, and just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly sh***ier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime, and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it. And NOW theyre comin' for your social security money. They want your f***ing retirement money. They want it back so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street. And you know something? They'll get it! Theyll get it all from you sooner or later because they OWN this f***ing place. Its a big club... and YOU AINT IN IT. You and I are not in the big club. By the way, its the same big club they use to beat you over the head all day long when they tell you what to believe. All day long beating you over the head in their media telling you what to believe what to think and what to buy. The table is tilted, folks. The game is rigged. And nobody seems to notice.. nobody seems to care... Good honest hard-working people. White-collar, blue-collar, it doesnt matter what color shirt you have on, good honest hard-working people continue - these people of modest means - continue to elect these rich c**k suckers who dont give a F*** about them. They dont give a F*** about you, they dont GIVE a F*** about you. They dont CARE about you. At ALL, at ALL, at ALL! Man...You know? And nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care... Thats what the owners count on - the fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red white and blue d**k thats being jammed up their a**holes everyday because the owners of this country know the truth... Its called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it.

----

You can see him deliver this in person over at Youtube. Just search for Carlin American Dream

Many of these formerly middle-class families, Nelson said, have struggled under the radar and have not accessed public assistance programs: "Their resources are drained. They've utilized all of their savings, all of their retirement funds. Their unemployment's run out.

The plunging of America's middle-class into poverty is a calamity caused by the right.

Historical data demonstrates for a nation to be economically sound, it must have a viable middle class.

How has the GOP responded to the country's "manufactured" and damaged financial situation?

The GOP has blocked multiple jobs' bills put forth by the Obama administration, eliminated job training programs, reduced unemployment benefits; reduced food stamps; reduced Medicaid; reduced funding for community health care programs and slashed assistance for students seeking higher education. The party is also seeking to balance our nation's budget by making cuts only from programs that assist the middle class and the poor.

At the same time, the GOP has fought against regulations for Wall Street and the Big Banks; sat silently on home of foreclosure robberies' fiercely fought to further decrease taxes for the wealthy; continued its support of the outsourcing of American jobs and has packed the court with the right.

The right-wing has spearheaded America's economic "list."

About whom to vote for on November 6, the decision is clear:

Obama/Biden 2012!

@jjhooey

to Backcountry164......I think your handle says more about you than I ever could, but for your information, I happen to live and work in one of those red states and receive $1.66 back for every dollar paid in. As far as parroting one's agenda.....uhhh, I believe your Bright red feathers are showing from under your dunce hat !

First off I'm not a republican, I bitch about their stupidity almost as much as I do the democrats. Second, if you'd pull your dunce hat up off your eyes you'd see that I'm not wearing one. So where is the answer to my question? You live in a red state so I'm supposed to just assume you have a friggin clue?

Well let me give you a couple examples since you seem incapable of finding out any facts for yourself. First ag subsidies, a big ag dependent state with small population gets a more money per capita in ag subsidies but what do these subsidies do? They reduce the cost of food and fuel all across the nation. When the guy in a blue state saves 2-3 bucks filling up his car with an ethanol blend it's because Fed money went to those "red states". Money goes to the red state but everyone benefits from it.

Now lets compare SD, ninth from the top of the fed money received vs paid list to NY, ninth from the bottom, in terms of money spend on Fed infrastructure. Again you've got a big state with a small population vs a smaller state with a huge population. In SD there are 1,200 taxpayers supporting each mile of Interstate highway, in NY there are 14,000 taxpayers per mile of Interstate. Surely even a "rocket scientist" like you can see how such simple numbers are easily skewed.

The whole "red states get more than they pay" list falls apart entirely when you actually take the time to look into the various reasons behind the disparagy. But for many it is easier to just say "Polly want a cracker" and keep on believing any nonsense they want to.

backcountry - your reference to your grandmother, and then expressing disdain for people who lost jobs "bitching" about not being able to buy new cars, is just sad. People who lose their jobs, have NOTHING backcountry. When you lose your income, guess what. zero from zero equals ZERO!!!

People are LOSING their used cars, and their small homes. This B.S. about the McMansion people - yes, theyre out there. But theres a WHOLE lot more people who were just starting out, and tried to buy within their limited means, who lost jobs, and cant afford even 150 bucks on their used car loan... because, backcountry - ZERO OF ZERO IS STILL ZERO!!!!

Thank you Backcountry for the first good comment of the discussion. The reason recession adds to income gaps is because conservative thinkers protect their money & invest in things that make money, while everyone else spends on toys. Recession is nothing new, and good business owners know it. It happens every other decade or so, some obviously worse than others. The fact is that the economy was so good for so long that everyone got lazy including the government. If you handed out cash to everyone in the country right now, 99% of the people would still go buy a new x-box or a new car that they don't need, while the 1% would invest it. People who take their income and their jobs for granted are the ones now asking for food stamps.

The fact is the world and economics are changing because business and exporting gets easier every year due to technology. If we can't compete with other countries, then we are doomed. We have to outsource and have free trade, otherwise we would either be decades behind the rest of the world be paying $5,000 for an iphone. We can't avoid the fact that we have to be part of the world economy and we have to compete.

Also funny is the same people who gripe about sweatshops in other countries and outsourcing are the same ones standing behind immigrants. Have you ever seen an immigrant labor camp in the States? They're in every big orchard or farming community! These people are working in our country for pennies and living in poverty so that the farmers can compete oversees and avoid paying taxes. But the truth is, if it wasn't this way, our farmers would be bankrupt. If farming turned into a union activity, our farm ground would look like all the empty factories in this country, empty and bankrupt because they can't compete with the world! It's a very sad truth, but something we as a country have to deal with or we are not going to make it.

Obama could make a law forcing all business owners to give everyone in the country a raise, or tax all the business owners and hand it all out to the poor, but all that will do is raise the price of everything you buy. I don't have any problem if raise taxes on movie stars or baseball players, but if you screw with business owners, you screw the country!

backcountry: ive me a @!$%#ing break. CEO's are like pro athletes, they get paid the big bucks because they bring in the big bucks. I'm sure the janitor at the ball park works a hell of a lot harder than the star pitcher but are you really dumb enough to believe they deserve comparable salaries? When a CEO does a good job the entire company benefits; successful companies hire more people, pay better wages and offer better benefits.

Baloney. Most people don't even understand where the majority of the money comes from in banking, for one example. It's from the middle class money -- and the way they leverage that money. There are sources of banking income that most don't understand - i didn't know about it until I ventured into ownign a good-sized, regional mortgage company. Unfortunately, we started that venture right before Dumbya Bush took office, but that's a whole different story.

Fact is, most people will never be able to tell you who the Chiefs are at any bank -- until they screw something up so incredibly -- like Fuld, for example, at Lehman Bros. And when they screw up -- they STILL take home truckloads of cash and bonuses. Win or lose, it doesn't matter. These guys take home BANK no matter what their quarterly returns look like. Fuld gutted Lehman Brothers, and the resulting losses of that company alone, during the Bush Recession, cost middle Americans BILLIONS -- and he walked away with a golden parachute that would make Odin look like a pauper.

Sorry backcountry -- but anyone with a significant background knowledge of how things work in that industry know you are full of it.

I'm betting, right now, that you have no idea what a large bank's most significant source of direct interest income is derived from (and by large bank, I'm talking Chase, BofA, Wells, Citi... LARGE) You BLAB your typical conervaRepublican BLAB, but you really don't know what the hell you are talking about.

Backcountry, the difference is your damn grandmother lived in a time when statistically MOST people COULD achieve things if they put in the time and effort in the right areas.

YOU my 'friend' live in a time when most people statistically have as much chance of being struck by lightning as they do of attaining a good education, finding a stable long term job, and retiring before they are stuck in a hospital bed at a cost of $5,000 a day. At least they know ways to increase their odds of the lightning, with the rich it is pure luck and who you blow.

Your silly false equivalencies are the reason we are in this predicament, you right wing sheep all buy the lies and base your future and that of everyone around you on statistical anomalies that have no real meaning in today's world. You are willing to screw over your kids and anybody around you because your stupid grandma happened to muddle through a time that was easier on everybody.

watajoke -

so... what youre saying here, is Americans who are losing everything, and seeing their standard of living plummet precipitously, after THIRTY YEARS of a downward drift in salaries, working conditions, and living standards, are just supposed to quietly resign themselves to this, because of the lowest common denominator in a communist country with an abominable human rights record..?

Way to tell us all to "let them eat cake"!

So.. sounds like you are just fine with sweatshops here, an increasing poppulation of working poor, the destruction of the middle class, increasing homelessness, the collateral damage of mental illness (depression and anxiety), broken families, and the increase of urban slums and a life of misery and drudgery. All this to protect the 1% capitalists doing God's work, huh..?

Bet you can't wait to see those company stores return, and the building of factory dorms with netting under the windows to catch the jumpers.

@StrengthInNumbers

backcountry - your reference to your grandmother, and then expressing disdain for people who lost jobs "bitching" about not being able to buy new cars, is just sad. People who lose their jobs, have NOTHING backcountry. When you lose your income, guess what. zero from zero equals ZERO!!!

So did you skip over the part where I've explained the recession has hit me harder than most but am still doing ok? Eventually people get new jobs, the question is what sort of position they've put themselves in before they lost that first job. That's what determines how well they weather the storm. My grandmother got by on less than what these people will make on unemployment and mortgage relief (no, zero does NOT equal zero). Sorry if my frame of reference is different than yours; if more people knew my grandmother or people like her fewer would have made the choices they did and would be better off for it.

@knightofdespair

Backcountry, the difference is your damn grandmother lived in a time when statistically MOST people COULD achieve things if they put in the time and effort in the right areas.

YOU my 'friend' live in a time when most people statistically have as much chance of being struck by lightning as they do of attaining a good education, finding a stable long term job, and retiring before they are stuck in a hospital bed at a cost of $5,000 a day. At least they know ways to increase their odds of the lightning, with the rich it is pure luck and who you blow.

Yawn. Popular theory amongst liberals but total BS- http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/tax-policy/Documents/incomemobilitystudy03-08revise.pdf

• There was considerable income mobility of individuals in the U.S. economy during the 1996 through 2005 period as over half of taxpayers moved to a different income quintile over this period.
• Roughly half of taxpayers who began in the bottom income quintile in 1996 moved up to a higher income group by 2005.
• Among those with the very highest incomes in 1996 – the top 1/100 of 1 percent – only 25 percent remained in this group in 2005. Moreover, the median real income of these taxpayers declined over this period.
• The degree of mobility among income groups is unchanged from the prior decade (1987 through 1996).
• Economic growth resulted in rising incomes for most taxpayers over the period from 1996 to 2005. Median incomes of all taxpayers increased by 24 percent after adjusting for inflation. The real incomes of two-thirds of all taxpayers increased over this period. In addition, the median incomes of those initially in the lower income groups increased more than the median incomes of those initially in the higher income groups.

Strengthinnumbers... I am not okay with sweatshops and low incomes, I'm just trying to say that it's something America has to work through right now. I'm saying that we have to compete with other countries, and I don't know how else to do it. I'm saying if you force businesses to pay good wages, deal with the regulation that is 100 times that of other countries, and then raise their taxes on top of it, they won't be able to compete. We have to be able to compete and you can't hit businesses from every side and expect to grow our country and economy.

P.S. I'm talking about business here, not bankers, stockbrokers or movie stars. I'm trying to promote business... and please don't forget that most business owners are not in the 1%, they are struggling to get by right now just like everyone else.

My grandmother got by on less than what these people will make on unemployment and mortgage relief

Here is a hint though, the world is vastly different now. When she was a kid 60% of the country were farmers, today that is 3%. You say people eventually get jobs - there ARE NO JOBS for many, these are people that are halfway through a career, have 2 or 3 decades of experience in a field that will never expand again. Their out of pocket cost of starting over is $40,000 - $100,000 that they simply do not have, therefore expecting them to somehow pull that out of their ass is simply ridiculous. At some point it is the governments responsibility to step in and take control when the future of our entire population is in trouble with no tools they can use to pull themselves out of it. It is not John Q Public's fault that he went to school for construction back in 1980 and can't find a job now after 30 years of productivity and hard work.

@Frogmorton!

Sorry backcountry -- but anyone with a significant background knowledge of how things work in that industry know you are full of it.

I wasn't talking about the banking industry but I'm glad I could be an excuse for you to rant and rave about it. Hope you feel better getting that off your chest.

and I don't know how else to do it. I'm saying if you force businesses to pay good wages, deal with the regulation that is 100 times that of other countries, and then raise their taxes on top of it, they won't be able to compete

Forcing them to get a job paying $8/hr or less is not going to work either, at some point we need tariffs or other trade barriers to restore some balance, otherwise you end up with what we have now, a huge swath who cannot afford basic goods and vital infrastructure (which is hugely important if we are ever to grow again) crumbling beneath our feet. It costs 10x more to rebuilt an entire freeway than to do some preventative maintenance and repair at the first signs of damage.

There was considerable income mobility of individuals in the U.S. economy during the 1996 through 2005 period as over half of taxpayers moved to a different income quintile over this period.

And that reversed itself completely from 2005 to the present, more recent studies show we have far less mobility than most other first world countries now.

So did you skip over the part where I've explained the recession has hit me harder than most but am still doing ok?

No -- but you clearly missed something if you're doing OK and you think the recession has hit you harder than most. You live in a goddam fantasy land!! jesus h nipple, it's no wonder you're a republican, you only see what you want to see...

backwoods...i mean backcountry....Your argument is that South Dakota , let me see, as you put it is a small state with a HUGE population, versus New York , a big state with a SMALL population....I'll pause right there...really ? What alternate universe do you reside ?

I can only assume, (which we all really know what that accomplishes), what you mean is , to synopsize, a Small state population deserves more money per capita than a large one....so they can join the 21st century ? I live in Alabama (almost) 5 million, right next door to Mississippi (almost 3 million)....South Dakota (that really Big state of 850,000) vs New York (you know...that really small state of 8.2 million). Really ?

By AG subsidies, could you possibly mean like monies given to people like Michelle Bachman and farms NOT to grow crops or that only small states (oh excuse me , HUGE states , like South Dakota) are the largest source of our crops and fuel, therefore deserve the subsidies because there are only 2 log cabins per every 1000 miles. Sort of like the electoral college to assist the disadvantaged "backwooders " versus the popular vote. I suggest you go back in the the hill from whence you cometh !

backcountry: I wasn't talking about the banking industry but I'm glad I could be an excuse for you to rant and rave about it. Hope you feel better getting that off your chest.

I know you werent specifically talking about the banking industry...but your comments about high-paid CEO's (which can be easily illustrated discussing bank CEO's as one example) was simply the one example I used to illustrate, since your comment was completely bogus. I also didn't feel i needed to address every single industry, but the one that I not only have a significant background in, but an industry (banking) that has had a most severe effect on our country as a result of poor republican policy.

As far as your answer here, thanks for showing you were too much of a coward to answer with any susbstance, beyond that of a whiney, petulant little girl who just got her piggy-tails yanked at recess. It's pretty much what I expected from you.

knightofdispair... if we tariff imports, then they will tariff our exports. All that does for now is cause immediate inflation on electronics and products that we can't make here for even a fraction of the cost and makes other countries quit buying from us, which hurts business and therefore hurts our workers.

P.s. my point about immigrant labor was that our number one export is agriculture, and that is only due to immigrant labor keeping our prices competitive. Welcome to world economics... we have to compete or change the world. I would love to change the world, but it's gonna take some time.

How about a bit of reality here. The woman in this article has 3 children on one salary. That is not good planning. Even in the Scandinavian countries with high taxes and many things paid for by those taxes, do not have 3 children because they cannot afford it. Both parents work over there and the birth rate isn't even replacing the parents. So this woman erred when she chose to have 3 children. I wanted more children, but 1 was all we could afford and that one was very sick for many years. So I know all about medical bills, etc.

Back about 20 years ago, I moved to the northside of Chicago. We bought a small, cheap home that frankly friends, and relatives made fun of. That is because at that time people were building mega homes in the suburbs. Over the years I found out a very dirty secret as I walked around all the new fabulous neighborhoods that boasted huge homes for the MIDDLE CLASS. Yes, these were engineers as well. What I found out quite by accident was how delinquent many were on their property taxes which were horrendous IMO. The avg was around 10,000 yearly. I became friends with the mayor and that is how I found out that many of the owners didn't even have furniture and they couldn't pay their property taxes. When things finally got so bad, they had to sell. Sometimes they made money but they at least broken even. Housing was flying at that time.

That is not the case today and I suspect the reason so many in the suburbs are in bad shape. They can't get out and start over. Partly they can't because of pride, but mostly they can't sell what they have. The housing freeze is what has really jammed up the economy.

After I found out that dirty secret, I knew then that at some point we were going to hit the wall. There was simply too many families living off credit and racking up debt they could never pay back.

Heard this yesterday and food for thought.

Houston TX has seen about a 6 percent increase in their economy. The reason. Loose regulations. The tighter the regulations, like Boulder, the harder it is to create jobs. BTW, I am a business owner. it is really tough out there because local, state and federal governments are all looking to increase revenue by taxing businesses more with fees, assessments, license changes, etc. It is said that with all these new regulations the economic growth rate lost about 2 percentage pts a year. So instead of growing now around 1.5 percent it could be 3.5 percent instead. Taxing at all levels is killing jobs.

When elites are held in check, typically by effective legal mechanisms, everyone else in society does much better and sustained economic growth becomes possible. But powerful people - kings, barons, industrialists, bankers - work long and hard to relax the constraints on their actions. And when they succeed, the effects are not just redistribution toward themselves but also an undermining of economic growth and often a tearing at the fabric of society.

Please sign the petition to the U.S. Senate Banking and House Financial Services Committee asking for improved oversight of federal banking and market regulators.

To read more about what we’re trying to do and to sign the petition, click here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/u-s-senate-banking-and-u-s-house-financial-services-committees-use-technology-to-provide-oversight-of-u-s-banking-and-market-regulators?share_id=HTpDoOQNJgpe=d2e

It'll just take a minute!

Backcountry and watajoke-

The system is broken, and major change is coming. This isn't some kind of blip on the screen where people just need to put on their big boy undies and muddle through. This is society-changing crisis, and you BOTH fail to see that it IS a crisis, and that it is GLOBAL. You are witnessing the failure of capitalism. It will be written about in history books.

Heres the reality. A critical mass of people are getting very upset. Not just in the USA, but around the world. China is about to hit the skids too. Mexico is in utter chaos. Greece is on the edge of collapse. Ireland, Spain, Portugal... All of Eastern Europe is in trouble. This is THE MARKET. This is ultra-capitalism and the Walmartification of the world finally collapsing in upon itself.

Social unrest WILL force a change. And the more the pushback from those attempting to preserve the status quo, the more vicious the struggle will be. I would hate to see us devolve into something pretty ugly - but if you push people against a wall hard enough, sooner or later, they start pushing back.

Backcountry and watajoke - you both seem to be expressing the sentiment that people have gotten what they deserve, and seem to think that things are just fine this way - its not the economy thats broken, its the people. Watajoke, you actually go so far as to say conditions need to deteriorate FURTHER! There is real suffering going on in this country. Both of you are clearly doing fine because you have the luxury of blaming the victims in this crisis. Backcountry, you have not been hit "harder than most" for this one simple reason.

When a person goes through a certain kind of hardship, they develop empathy for others experiencing that hardship. That empathy rarely leaves them, even when their own struggles have passed. You lack empathy for people going through life-changing economic losses, and you fail to realize that MOST are people of simple means, who have (or had) late-model cars and small homes. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that you suffered serious setbacks of the kind being suffered by thousands, if not millions of middle-class families.

strengthinnumbers... you are so wrong. I grew up poor, worked hard, and am still barely in the middle class. I'm a business owner who is just barely breaking even every year due to this economy. The people that work for me drive nicer cars than I do, so please don't tell me what I am about.

And again, I am not trying to promote low wages, I'm trying to figure out ways to keep us competitive as a country. I'm saying the world gets smaller everyday, because communication and transportation and so on are easier to access. I'm saying we can't have the highest taxes, highest regulations and highest incomes and survive in the world. And I'm saying that if you give everyone everything they need in the form of hand-outs, the majority will take advantage of that and quit being any kind of productive members of our society. In other words, your socialist thinking is going to doom us, not capitalism.

REITERATING The words of George Carlin said way back in 2004 regarding education. Yep, talk about forwarning unheeded!! The owners (the Koch bros just one of them)have bee aligning themselves with the right wing party for over a decade because their base are gullible and buys into Cheney's and Rove's fearmongering.

Politicians know that word; they use it on you. Politicians have traditionally hidden behind three things: the flag,the Bible and children. 'No Child Left Behind! No Child Left Behind!' 'Oh really, well it wasn't long ago you were talking about giving kids a HeadStart! Head Start, Left Behind, someone's losing @!$%#ing ground here!' But there's a reason. There's a reason. There's a reason for this. There's a reason education sucks and it's the same reason it will never, ever, ever be fixed. It's never going to get any better, don't look for it, be happy with what you got. Because the owners of this country don't want that.

I'm talking about the real owners now. The big, wealthy...The real owners, the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they're an irrelevancy. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control thecorporations. They've long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress,the statehouses, the city halls. They've got the judges in their back pockets, and they own all the big media companies, so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear. They've got you by the balls! They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying – lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want; they want more for themselves and less foreverybody else.

But I'll tell you what they don't want. They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well-informed,well-educated people capable of critical thinking.
They're not interested in that! That doesn't help them. That's against their interests. That's right! You know something? They don't want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table and figure out how badly they're getting @!$%#ed by a system that threw them overboard 30 @!$%#ing years ago. They don't want that! You know what they want? They want Obedient Workers –Obedient Workers. People who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork but just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly @!$%#tier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it. And, now, they're coming for your Social Security money. They want your @!$%#ing retirement money. They want it back, so they cangive it to their criminal friends on Wall Street. And you know something? They'll get it. They'll get it all from you, sooner or later, because they own this @!$%#ing place. It's a big club - and you ain't in it! You and I are notin the big club.

By the way, it's the same big club they use to beat you over the head with all day long and they tell you what to believe...All day long, beating you over the head in the media, what to believe, what to think and what to buy...The table is tilted, folks! The game is rigged! And nobody seems to notice, and nobody seems to care! Good honest, hard-working people! White collar, blue collar...Doesn't matter what color shirt you have on! Good honest, hard-working people continue...These are people of modest means!...continue to elect these rich @!$%#s who don't give a @!$%# about them! They don't give a @!$%# about you!They don't give a @!$%# about you! They don't care about you! At all! At all! At all! Yeah! You know? And nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care. That's what the owners count on. The fact that Americans probably will remain willfully ignorant of the big red white and blue dickthat's being jammed up their @!$%#s every day! Because the owners of this country know the truth - it's called the American Dream: because you have to beasleep to believe it."

theboys: Houston TX has seen about a 6 percent increase in their economy. The reason. Loose regulations. The tighter the regulations, like Boulder, the harder it is to create jobs. BTW, I am a business owner. it is really tough out there because local, state and federal governments are all looking to increase revenue by taxing businesses more with fees, assessments, license changes, etc. It is said that with all these new regulations the economic growth rate lost about 2 percentage pts a year. So instead of growing now around 1.5 percent it could be 3.5 percent instead. Taxing at all levels is killing jobs.

Um, newsflash: their "economy" and employment look good in some Texas cities because the state of Texas is operating at HUGE deficit levels, and can pump money into gov't jobs and the private sector, and hire more workers in that kind of circumstance. And, though republicans in Texas scream about the federal bailouts, TEXAS was the state that depended the most on those very stimulus funds to plug nearly 97% of its shortfall for fiscal 2010, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Texas was also facing a $6.6 billion shortfall for its 2010-2011 fiscal years. It plugged nearly all of that deficit with $6.4 billion in Recovery Act money, allowing it to leave its $9.1 billion rainy day fund untouched. In FY 2012, Texas' deficit is projected to come in at $12 billion, more than 30 percent of its budget -- the third highest rate in the country. Texas' total Debt is approaching $40 Billion.

So, it's easy to look good, when you are overspending like that.

And guess who slammed the Recovery Act as a wasteful and ineffective government bailout - so he could look good to his conservative GOP constituency? Texas Gov Perry. Another conservative, two-faced GOP lowlife.

And, by the way, "the boys" -- your anecdotal story about why the housing and mortgage markets collapsed was interesting, but it's pretty far from what actually brought banking & housing to its knees in this country. You need to go back and do your research, beyond just talking to a buddy who is a city mayor.

Almost 20 years ago, I was standing on a hilltop in the mountains behind Port Au Prince, Haiti, watching a young girl hobble up to me. I could smell the gangrene in her leg before I could clearly make out her features. When she came up to me, she kept pointing to her leg with tears in her eyes while trying to communicate to me in French Creole. I knew a total of about ten words of this language but painfully knew what this young girl was trying to tell me. Her armpit was a bloody infected mess because all she had was a tree limb with a dirty rag tied on top for a crutch. To top it off, this young lady was also suffering the effects of starvation.

It makes me sick to hear you people talk about poverty. You're on this website talking about 99% and 1% and how many dollars earned define the poverty class. What you don't talk about is the 99% of you who have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.

Poverty is when you have absolutely no wherewithall whatsoever. Poverty is when you hurt yourself and watch that hurt fester into a life-threatening injury...and the nearest hospital is 50 walking miles and four major mountain passes away. Poverty is when you can make that distance and the hospital turns you away because, well, you have no money. Poverty is smelling the gangrene on a young girl who is desperately trying to get you to fly her to a hospital and influence the staff to let her stay so she may live.

A nightmare for life is when you have to fly away while watching this young girl crumple to the ground because she knows her very last chance at life just departed.

Most of you people can spell poverty...but that's about the extent of it.

earth. I appreciate and respect your perspective.

I don't know how many times i've had a crappy day, or suffered a loss to my investments due to hideous republican policy -- and then, yes, I see the guy in a wheelchair or visit a children's hospital full of young kids dying from cancer. Yeah -- there is always someone who has it way worse off. No doubt.

But again, this is relative. It doesn't make our problems and less real or painful. Or, that guy who is doing much worse.

I know your perspective, perhaps a little differently. I "Make-a-Wish" come true for a child dying from cancer every year. Minimum of one per year, even tho it costs a lot, and I can barely afford it. So, make no mistake, I'm not disagreeing, I'm just saying it's relative.

The pain and loss is still there for those in the middle class who have worked all their lives to simply enjoy a decent retirement, then to have it all raped by the GOP and their disgusting favor-the-rich policy management. And that's a fact -- again -- yes, there are people who have it worse off. I can tell you stories. But it doesn't lessen the WRONG that's happening to our country -- WRONG done at the hands of the "right"...

@knightofdespair

And that reversed itself completely from 2005 to the present, more recent studies show we have far less mobility than most other first world countries now.

And you've decided not to share those studies why? Please excuse me for not just taking your word on it since much of what you've said to this point is wrong. Also the most recent figures from the Dept of Treasury are from 2005 which totally negates your notion that things have changed since was grandma was a kid. Now you're claiming it's only changed in the last few years? Please make up your mind.

watajoke - You got my soft side. You sound like my father. Now I want you to see the light.

Big corporate businesses and their board of directors are not YOU. YOU are one of US (the 99%). These Boards of Directors, THEY are the ones - 15 or so for every corporation - they are the real 1%, guys. These are the jerks that set CEO salaries at 300x the rate of an employee. Thats because they are sitting on mountains of money. Their profits have been skyrocketing since the 1970s. They dont even know what to DO with that money. But one thing they WON'T do - is use that money to pay better salaries. Simply because they don't have to. But it would be the right thing to do. The workers should be getting that profit. But they dont. And so it sits in the bank accounts of the richest twits in this country. Who are NOT working as hard as many of the rest of the employees in these corporations.

These corporations - they are NOT like small businesses, but they pay bundles for lobbyists to get as many business owners as possible to vote in ways that favor the continued dominance of the large corporate entity. They scare you, tell you tax increases for them, mean tax increases for you. Not the case.

Ultimately, this crisis is about wage disparity. We went from being the most egalitarian western society in 1970, to the least egalitarian today. SOMETHING IS BROKE. That statistic alone is proof of that, and maintaining the status quo or doing ANYthing that enriches the 1% or large corporations further, is going to worsen this problem.

We have a fundamental problem. You ARE witnessing the failure of capitalism! We have deified capitalism and it has become practically sacrilege to say anything bad about an economic system. We will not be able to look subjectively on this time period until it is written about in the history books. But it will be seen for what it is, and the people at the top are pulling out all the stops to prop this mess of a system up. But we need to go back to the drawing board, because what we got, aint workin', folks! And that is obvious for anyone with eyes to see.

I strongly suggest people wander over to youtube and look for lectures by Dr. Richard Wolff. The guy lays it out straight.

earthpig - are you trying to shame people into acceptance of deteriorating conditions for themselves, because of the suffering of others...? Smooth move, ex-lax.

NOBODY can get sick enough - or poor enough - to help others.

How is increasing poverty going to help those suffering from ABJECT poverty elsewhere? This is a GLOBAL problem, earthpig. The same factors now hitting us have long been affecting Haiti.

And how is humbly accepting our plight with resignation because someone else somewhere else has it worse than us, going to help others with even less voice? If anything, this crisis is increasing compassion for the poor, because experiencing it is a great way to build empathy.

For every situation of suffering, we can come up with an example where there is greater suffering. If we use these examples as a whip to beat others into silence, all you can be assured of doing, is ensuring that the suffering of everyone remains the same, or worse, increases.

You cannot get sick enough to help another person, and you cannot impoverish a country enough to reduce poverty.

Thank you earthpig for shining a little light on the realities of true poverty in this world. Sadly, most Americans define poverty as not being able to eat at McDonald's once a week.

Backcountry, there is a reason why your grandmother's generation was called the Greatest Generation. Don't let the whining, selfish, self-defeating socialists drown your message out. There are a lot of us out there that think just like you do.

Post #1,

You think the gov't is doing nothing?

Actually they've been very busy; busy working on the Dream Act for illegals and the children of illegals.

And then there's all the running around campaigning that's got to be done.

What do you mean they do nothing.

Well people You've all been had and bought into that American Dream BS, for one thing how many still think this all happened by accident while the income of the RICH has increased over 15% some as much as 25% and do you really think they give a SH_T that you now need food stamps to survive, tell you what lets just all vote REPUBLICAN and finish the job then we all can go back to making a buck sixty an hour like back in the early Sixties because that is exactly where they want this country to be, cheap labor maximum profits.

earthpig - are you trying to shame people into acceptance of deteriorating conditions for themselves, because of the suffering of others...? Smooth move, ex-lax.

No...trying to shame someone like you is a task that no level-headed or intelligent person would undertake. I learned a long time ago that you can't make a person see what's right in front of them, especially while they're standing on a soapbox.

Recently there was an egg farm that was cited by the DOJ for demanding TOO much ID from illegals. The state they were in demanded the ID and the DOJ came down on them for following state requirements.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

You can't go back and rewrite what has been done, but what you can do is learn from it and try to come up with some viable solutions. So far all I have seen on here is name calling and trashing other people. We all have an opinion about how and why this came about, but that is all it is folks an opinion. Please sit back and take a deep breath and try to talk to each other instead of the snarky yelling and name calling.

Oh and his name was George W Bush, not Dumbya. Just like the current POTUS' name is Barrack H Obama, no obummer. If you want to be taken seriously then try to remember to have some respect. It really does not reflect well on you and it's the first thing that will make other people dismiss what you have to say.

We are all in this boat and we all need to figure out how to fix it before we all drown!

Rose Acre Farms, headquartered in Indiana, was the company being sued by the DOJ for IDing 'immigrants.' Now, does anyone see a serious flaw here? Blame business for hiring illegals and the DOJ punishes businesses for not hiring illegals, or rather, immigrants.

As to the poverty afflicting the middle class? This was expected and it should come as no surprise. Trillions of dollars going into shoring up banks and insurance companies at the expense of the rest of the country tends to create these kinds of inequality. Next on the horizon is inflation, possibly hyper-inflation. Cost of living goes up while income remains stagnant or diminishes. Blame both parties for this, both parties are guilty of allowing deregulation (Barney Franks is a democrat, ditto Clinton) and derivatives and not one group kept an eye on what all the global corporations were up to.

Look to Greece, they are what is coming here. The middle class? The middle class was the goose that laid the golden egg and it is being killed off. Squeezed between the entitlement spending (goodies like free cell phones, etc)vote buyers and the oligarchs and their panderers.

As to real poverty, we don't understand what that means. There is still food, healthcare and subsidies available. As some posters have stated, they learned to live within their means by NOT keeping up with the Joneses and they will do fine. Learning to cook, learning to do for oneself, buy used rather than new and living within one's means is the only real answer at present.

Things are going to get worse and it won't matter who is in office at this time. Fiat currency, fractional banking and automation along with government regulations (at all levels) are destroying the entrepenurial class and those were the people who drove the machine. Spain requires a two year waiting period to open a business and the fees and regulations cost so much that most people don't even bother to break thru the red tape.

don't ya'll argue with Backcountry... after all, she has it figured out. Get 2 or 3 minimum wage jobs, do meth and let your parents raise your kids. Anyone can survive a tough economy... why take it out on the bankers and 1%? They're the job creators who allow us to work around the clock. And with meth, who needs sleep more than once a week?

It seems America is getting a dose of reality. The middle class looked down on the poor for so long. Now they get to see how it feels. Perhaps middle class and poor will unite in solidarity now against the fat cats.

backcountry: And you've decided not to share those studies why? Please excuse me for not just taking your word on it since much of what you've said to this point is wrong.

ROFL... he's wrong because YOU say so, backcountry? that's rich...

hearing you say that is like listening to Ted Bundy criticize someone's humanity.

Earthpig...so you flew away 20 years ago...and did nothing!.Typical republican response. That little girl just should have done surgery on herself and pulled herself up by the bootstrap...(yeah just needing one now). When I was laid off due to age discrimination I looked around and saw neighbors worse than I was . I paid rent for one for several months, replaced the bald tires on her car, etc. Exmarine walking 4 miles to library to use comp for job search. I gave him rides and let him use computer. I could see he was skin and bones so I would stop and buy us lunch when I didn't need it, but he sure did. 2 months ago, an old disabled guy starved in his apt. Had food stamp card, but could not get to store. No family support because he had no job and that embarrasses the family...etc. .......Food banks.....Ya sure...come and pray in our church and be a member, they will help you a little. Food stampers buy milk, bread, cheese, eggs, and cheap lunch meats to survive on , food banks have dry goods.

Earhtpig...and repubs piss and moan about people needing food stamps after those people voted for repubs who cause people to need food stamps......And you flew away doing NOTHING!.

Backcountry164

...When the guy in a blue state saves 2-3 bucks filling up his car with an ethanol blend it's because Fed money went to those "red states". Money goes to the red state but everyone benefits from it.

Backcountry164,

Backcountry, against yourself you seem to argue.

You are championing how the red states are "saving the nation money."

You are incorrect.

It is because of the substantial federal tax dollars that the blue states send to Washington, D.C., that many of the red states are barely surviving There is an inverse relations between the blue and red states, their tax federal contributions and the federal subsidies that these states receive.

Short and simple...in terms of percentage, the blue states send the federal government more tax dollars, than they receive back in the form of government subsidies. The red states send the federal government far fewer tax dollars, but receive a substantially higher percentage of federal subsidies.

The irony of the above facts is that it is the "conservative" elected officials and the residents of the red states that are hollering the loudest to "cut taxes."

Without the tax dollars from the more liberal blue states, it would be extraordinarily difficult for the red states to survive.

To vent a little. My husband and I are what I suppose we can say is the lower-middle class. We own a 157k home, we have two cars (one of which is paid for), we both work and work hard for our money and we do pretty ok. We can't afford the really nice things but in all honesty we don't really 'need' the really nice things. It's a very bitter pill to swallow though when I see a person who is on food stamps and receiving government assistance have better things then we do. I personally have an acquaintance who is on Social security (at the ripe old age of 24) and refuses to work because florescent lights "hurts his eyes", he spends more time making excuses as to why the government should pay him for existing then he does actually trying to find a job. He owns 3 computers, all of which are better then most out there, he has a state of the art sound system, and he owns the newest iwhatever is out there. And I'm seeing more people like him every day. Meanwhile I work with a completely blind man who works 40 hours, reads in braille and walks with a cane. The system is broken and until it's fixed I don't see much happening to help the American citizens who actually do and want to work for a living.

Those that sit in Congress and make laws shouldn't have the ability to vote for their own pay raises, they shouldn't have the ability to ride in fancy cars and have multi-million dollar homes, not when the people they are supposed to be representing and protecting go hungry and lose their homes. There needs to be a way to bring jobs back to the American people, possibly by adding incentives and benefits to companies and corporations who 'open shop' on American soil instead of giving jobs to the foreign economies.

End rant.

Let's all be honest here and look towards the UK to see what would happen if Mittens policies were enacted. Back in 2010 the Conservatives (for that read GOP) came to power and slashed ALL entitlements by 50%, then raised tuition fees which are set by the state in the UK 300%. Of course they followed the policy of "trickle down" economics by cutting the tax rates of the rich and corporations by 25%!

Guess what, they are now in a worse mess than ever as the rich and corporations just pocketed the cash and never even tried to repay the people!! Their policies just created more unemployment and is costing them more than ever.

The true way to cut government spending is by creating jobs for all not by giving more to those that already have more than they could ever need. This could have been achieved here if the "do nothing" congress had actually put people before party politics.

We are well on the way to becoming a feudal economy the way China was 10 years ago and the GOP wants it that way as those now in power foresee greater wealth becoming theirs! It's taken us 250 years but we are well on the road to scrapping everything our founding fathers worked so hard to get rid of. ie: no rule by religion, no king, and more importantly the right of EVERY individual to speak freely without fear of retribution.

Ranting is good. Gets stuff off your chest. The great problem in this country is that the entitlement class (those capable of working taking government monies that should be going to those really needing government help) and the uber wealthy oligarchs harm the middle class. Until the Middle Class wakes up and refused to pander and work for the oligarchs and welfare cheats, they will continue to go downhill.

Frog and Earth....you're both correct. There are always people less fortunate than Americans who may consider themselves as destitute. However, we have the unique chance, by being in this great country, of learning from the mistakes of the countries who allow the elite few to reap all the wealth, while the vast majority of the population starves to death through no fault of their own.

Whether or not the wealthy care to acknowledge that there is, indeed, a finite amount of wealth that creates the border between being greedy and well off, it still doesn't make it not so. Once a business owner reaches that point in his personal wealth, the "patriotic American" thing to do would be to reward the people who were directly responsible for his/her wealthy status....his employees. Instead, the business owner doles out his/her profits in this order....his/her 10% salary raise plus year-end bonus, stockholders' dividends, pay down his capital debt some to please the stock market, and sock the rest away instead of investing in America's future by creating jobs (because of their fear of the illusion of increased regulations "to come" from a Democratic president)....let's see, did I miss anyone who deserves a slice of the corporate profits? Well, hell yeah you missed a buttload of them....you neglected to reward your employees!!! The very people responsible for your wealth!

And when that issue comes up, the business owner tells the rank and file that their wages are "on par" with others in similar businesses in the area! They will say this, even if their profits far exceed those similar businesses!! The conservatives see nothing wrong with this mentality. They say "I got mine....shame about yours"

And another thing....why is it okay for a person to amass so much personal wealth that they, themselves, cannot spend it all in twenty lifetimes? Don't these people feel any compassion at all for those less fortunate than they are? This point just boggles my mind. Why have the wealth if you can't use it? It's like being a billionaire on a desert island....all that money, and you can't benefit from any of it. Pass it on to my kids, they will say. Why?? Don't they have to "earn" it like you claim you did? That's why I'm in favor of taxing the $hit out of inheritances. It's really the only way, legally, those who should have gotten that slice of the profit pie will see any of those profits....by letting the government dole it out. It's a shame that it has to be done this way, when all the right-wingers need to do it share the wealth themselves....no need for the government to do it for them!

JS in SD "One of the biggest problems is these free trade agreements our government keeps signing. This has resulted in massive losses of American jobs. Our government needs to revoke China's most favored nation trade status and place a tariff on all goods imported from China until the Chinese government allows the value of the yuan to float on international monetary exchanges the same way every other major currency in the world does. In addition, the most favored nation trade status should not be reinstated until China improves it's human rights record and puts in place at least basic protections for workers to ensure that they are being paid a fair wage and treated fairly by their employers."

Agreed. Allowing the Chinese to take advantage of our 'generosity' is costing us millions of jobs - I don't begrudge competing with them on a 'level playing field', but it is currently excessively slanted in favor of China - but of course, it may be difficult to make demands of our biggest creditor.

For all of those who like to 'blame the rich' - buying right into Obama's 'Class Warfare' rhetoric, perhaps it should be pointed out that the disparity between the rich and poor has become far worse under Obama's policies.

Perhaps it's time to try something different.

GrahamW....you said it all, brother! If Romney is elected and does even half of what he says he will do in his first 100 days, I just have this vision of 1870's France, when Marie Antoinette said what the 1% say nowadays...."let them eat cake"....it's gonna get ugly, and the conservatives will have nobody to blame for it but themselves and their anti-American views.

jjhooey: What an appropriate handle, since that's all you seem to be able to spew.

First, I'm not a Republican; in fact, I've never been registered/aligned with any political party, since they seem to serve themselves and their own needs better than those of their members. I have a fiscal conservative side, but it's oddly amalgamated to social pragmatism. You, on the other hand, turn to the left so much you should be a NASCAR driver.

Second, you ironically refer to me as a 'dumba**', when it's readily apparent that you lack even a rudimentary grasp of how one validly interpets data. Briefly: Raw data rarely has import on its own. It needs to be controlled so that like comparisons can be made. The most common way this is done is to normalize the magnitude of a value (welfare dollars, e.g.) with respect to some other value. In this case that would be a 'per capita' value. Rates (value per unit time) are another common expression.

Third, rather than being your argumentive mode of choice, ad hominem seems to be your ONLY option. I find that interesting, since name-calling is usually the bastion of the slow-witted, the uneducated and the easy to anger. You, sir, manage to pull off the trifecta of ignorance. Congratulations.

Lyrica........the Dems just tried passing bills to give tax breaks to the companies bringing jobs back, and breaks for companies in America. They also tried taking away the tax breaks from those jobs being outsourced to foreign countries. Dems tried to remove the Big oil subsidies because Big Oil testified they did not need them. Republicons stopped all three actions. Repubs are against exactly what you said. They want to bring the economy down hoping it will make Obama a one term president.

14-15 republicans secretly met to pledge to vote against every bill that would help the economy recover. They pledged this saying they wanted him to be a one term president. They pledged to take the economy down just to destroy the presidents plans for recovery. Bin Laden wrote down the same plan and executed 911 to take the economy down to destroy the nation. These repubs, Ryan, Cantor, DeMint, and Gingrich pledged to act like the Taliban, to act like the insurgents do,(their own actual words) to prevent President Obama from a second term. Acting like the supreme terrorist of all time Bin Laden. Traitors. Deliberately sabotaging the recovery. Ref Richard draper new book.

I see the liberal propaganda machine is running on all cylinders today. Too bad they are so inbred that their IQ's can't reach room temperature.

It's amazing how they complain the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer and blame it on republicans when democrats have owned government for almost six years. When they took over congress they inherited 4.6% unemployment yet it's not their fault we are in the shape we are in.

Just think, less than six years ago we were at 4.6% unemployment with the exact same trade deals and tax structure yet somehow magically it's now trade deals and tax structure that are our problems.

Newsflash, it's the socialist war on capitalism that is destroying our economy. It is not free market capitalism that got us into this mess, it's socialist crony capitalism that has, picking winners and losers, rewarding friends, punishing enemies.

It's also amazing how Bush and republicans averaged 5% unemployment and Obama and democrats are averaging 9% yet electing Romney will finish us off. Get real.

Finally, to show their stupidity is terminal, they blame republicans being in bed with the 1% yet the real oligarchs are the 0.1%! Buffet, Gates, Soros, Inmelt, Gore, wall street, Hollywood, etc. are all liberal, all Obama supporters. Obama is holding multiple $40k/$50K fundraisers a day, including the homes of Hollywood elite yet it is republicans protecting them?????

Sorry, facts trump liberal lies every time.

The American Dream is based on endless consumption, bigness, having too many kids, shopping addiction, debt, keeping up with the Joneses, shopping mall culture, television, mindlessness and paving the earth for the sake of empty pleasures. I have no sympathy for the overconsuming, obese, advertising-addled folks who bought the myth and lived like gluttons beyond their means. Not to deny that the 1% elites have gamed all of us, but the wealthy suburbanites who can no longer afford their 5000 square foot houses and Hummers, it's about time they learned to live with less.

The American dream is work hard, save, invest and live within your means. Always has been, always will be. Your version is so screwed up it must be the liberal translation.

And another thing, if the red states are getting $1.38 back for every $1 paid, it isn't they that are dumb! :<)

Karl..maybe you forgot....Bush gave tax credit for the 1% to buy Hummers and the like and they were able to write it off. Meanwhile middle class and poor American got nothing to write off as they repair their used cars.

Philly...There are just as many rich repub actors in Hollwood as Dems...the difference is...you whine about that as if it is one sided...Boo.....HOO!

The rich dems in Hollywood don't get favors back for their donations, while the rich 1% get more tax breaks and more tax loop holes for themselves. SEE the DIFFERENCE? We do!

You guys keep making this a partisan issue...but when all of the new laws and deregulation of markets were occurring...you know, the ones that made it possible for wall street to screw us all... you know who wasn't raising holy hell? Everyone. Republicans and Democrats just quietly did nothing. You want an enemy to go after? Try the banks. Let your congress people know that wall street needs to be put back on its leash. Because folks...unbridled big business is not the answer...they are clearly out there to take as much of your money as possible before people stop falling for whatever scam-of-the-year they're running. They want the fast buck, then they bail out and hope someone else takes the blame if everything goes to hell.

starsailing...

Wherever we landed, we would have several hundred people massing around the helicopters. These people were desperate. Our mission was to transport and provide security for Red Cross personnel who were surveying how much help was needed and where. The whole island and it's people were in horrible shape. If one of us would have 'helped' one of these many people on these first missions, we would have been swamped by the masses trying to get whatever aid there was. It's quite obvious you know nothing about these things. It's equally disgusting that you would comment in such a manner about a matter which you know very little or nothing about.

I've been on more than a few humanitarian missions starsailing and I have saved a few lives.

But hey, don't let me stop you. Keep up the spirited but incoherent rants starsailing. They provide a little humor in a really sucky time.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

im gopnna tell you what you have been telling us working poor for the past 20 years-

work harder, your just lazy

get a better job, if you dont have one your not trying hard enough

your degree must be in something worthless like liberal arts, get a better degree- but dont ask for financial aid- we cut that out 10 years ago

live within your means, i see you still have clothes and a phone, try selling those or doing without or sell body parts

Seems like there is a lot of confusion here. The President promised a new tone in DC, and did not deliver, but instead inflamed and divided. The President has been telling us for 2 years now that the recession is over, and we are recovering. The President has promised to veto every single Republican bill passed in the House and King Harry continues to obstruct 100% of Republican attempts to spur the jobs.

The President's JOBS CZAR is building a new factory (GE) in CHINA!

The President keeps telling us the only solution is more government, more borrowing, more bailouts, more people dependent on the government and that is exactly the job he has done - more people than ever are dependent on the government, 15 million more people are on foodstamps than 3.5 years ago. The shovel-ready jobs and the $800 billion he was given for them did not materialize, and he JOKED about it a year later. The summer of recovery wasn't.

Sorry folks, Obama is an abject failure as a leader. He is a great orator, a phenomenal community agitator, great name-caller, excellent at spending millions each week to fly around the nation telling us all to do what he says, and a horrible leader - he does not practice a single leadership principle in his daily life and his job as President.

It's time for a grown up to be elected President and actually stay in DC and do the job.

Welcome to yester-year wrt the article... And as to the politicians, both parties have duped the people, while serving the lobbyists and the PACs in the process. It's sad in a way, but I don't think this entire situation is what our fore fathers (aka the ones who fought the revolutionary war, and helped create this nation) would have intended...

It's not always that easy to find a new job with all of the candidates out there that have been looking for jobs longer. But this is a problem that I have been commenting on for years. I could see the writing on the wall as soon as all of the .com's started collapsing. It would have a domino effect that would soon be turning the middle class into the poor class and the poor into poverty level of a new proportion. I've been where these people are for a lot of my life. Praise God that with my husband getting more education in a field that will always need workers, I have been able to go back to school to get a business degree and have started 3 different businesses from home due to my poor physical condition from working so many hard jobs on an already bad skeletal structure. I feel bad for those having to go through this for the first time in their lives. It will change their attitudes about the poor. But I don't see this changing any time soon when the only candidates that we have for the office of the presidency are billionaires and have no way to relate to the people's needs. Our representatives in Congress and the Senate and the Presidency should have to live like this for a 6 month period and turn their wages over to charities that will help those in need and not themselves so they can start to understand what Americans are truly going through.

It's a very bitter pill to swallow though when I see a person who is on food stamps and receiving government assistance have better things then we do. I personally have an acquaintance who is on Social security (at the ripe old age of 24) and refuses to work because florescent lights "hurts his eyes", he spends more time making excuses as to why the government should pay him for existing then he does actually trying to find a job. He owns 3 computers, all of which are better then most out there, he has a state of the art sound system, and he owns the newest iwhatever is out there.

O, please. Obviously you know nothing about how Social Security's disability system works.

I've never known anyone who wasn't terminally ill who was approved as disabled in under 3-6 yrs. Most ppl have to wait until their 2nd appeal & the avg wait time for an appeal hearing is slightly more than 2 yrs. Then SS gets to take as long as they please to make a decision & that could be another 6 mos-1 yr.

In the meantime, they're withholding the $ you pd into SS & leaving you w/ nothing on which to live. Once approved, they say *ooops* & dump several thousand of *back pay* into your bank acct all at once (& the local dept of social services can lay claim to SSI for providing you with something on which to live while waiting on approval; not everyone has limitless savings that will get them by for half a decade or more) & then tell you you have to spend it within 9 mos or they will cut you off & you will have to start the process all over again. And they demand receipts (b/c otherwise ppl would stuff it under their mattress & save it, like any normal person would).

B/c you have to be rendered destitute in order to receive any type of govt assistance, even one you pd into your whole working life. You're not allowed to own reliable transportation; any vehicle w/ a Blue Book of more than $4200 in your name & you will lose disability benefits incl Medicare, Medicaid, & SNAP (AKA food stamps). $4200 is a POS elderly vehicle these days. You're not allowed to have more than $2000 in assets. You become the govt's bitch & you have to prove that you are spending....not saving....your *allowance* from them. B/c if you're not spending it all, then they determine you don't really need it.

So there's where your acquaintance's gadgets come from. He was forced to prove he had spent the $. And seriously, is this the 80s that you think 3 computers cost all that much? I pd $350 for my HP 5 yrs ago. What's *state of the art* to you may just be generic crap to everyone else. I've seen ppl refurnish their entire apt, not b/c it needed to be, but b/c they couldn't think of anything else to spend that $ on so fast. Better to spend it on gadgets & flash the receipts at SS than start all over again, b/c that *back pay* isn't going to last as long as re-applying will take.

Now SS is even screwing disabled ppl out of that by not giving them what's owed from date of disability onset, but only to date of their last denial. At which they insisted you weren't disabled, but now you magically really were. So instead of getting 6 yrs' worth of pymts, they're only getting 2 yrs' worth. There's no respect for the disabled in this country, as your *rant* amply demonstrated.

Social Security does not approve ppl simply b/c their eyes hurt from lights. You have to prove to them that you can work at nothing. Not just the job you worked prior to become disabled, but at nothing else.

And that's not EZ to do. Can't walk? Get a desk job. Can't think? Get a factory job. Can't see? There's Braille for that. Can't afford retraining? Tough, take a loan (as if anyone w/ no income & no way to generate income would qualify).

Once approved, no one has to look for work b/c they have proven they cannot work. If they do try to work, they're only allowed to earn $800/mo anyway, which isn't even FT min wage. That's the cash pt at which they lose disability. It's all about the $ & not about the degree of disability.

Unless you read every pg of his phone-book sized SS file, you have no clue what's wrong w/ him & he doesn't have to tell you the real reason he's disabled. It's none of your business. But rest assured he went thru an onerous vetting process to get that label.

Earthpig wrote......." makes me sick to hear you people talk about poverty. You're on this website talking about 99% and 1% and how many dollars earned define the poverty class. What you don't talk about is the 99% of you who have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.

Apparantly you think what you saw does not go on in America. Smart off about the middle class and poor complaining on this blog expressing their views and coming up with solutions. Your rant about Hati means nothing to the middle class and poor on this blog because the SAME thing is happening to them. A poor guy just died in my Apt Building because of a disability and there was no more family help. He had food stamp card but was too proud to use it because his rich family looked down on him for needing it. His rich family dumped him, no more rides anywhere. He gave up and died. They threw all his possessions in the dumpster. They drove over in a new SUV! Help starts at home. There are now Millions of the same kind of people that can't afford meds and food, and are going homeless.

I was an EVAC Med....I've saved a few lives myself. Your incoherant rant on the people writing on this blog, telling them their suffering is meaningless to you, that the suffering you endured helping others , is above their sorrow, ......Boo...Hooo! Great job in Haiti, ...now do a great job in America.

GrahamW,

Great post. Unfortunately, you are right...we seem to be on our way to a feudal society.

Devils Advo..

Correction,

Alone, the Conservatives did not cause our economic implosion.

By voting for politicians who openly do not have our best interests at heart, we caused our own demise.

Starsailing...

It's your lie. Tell it however you want. By the way, glad you were there in the apartment complex to help the guy. With friends like you, who needs enemies?

Lyrica,

The U.S. has a greater revenue problem, than a spending issue.

The Social Welfare budget of this country overwhelmingly goes to support Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Due to our increasing senior citizen population and the rising costs of medical care, the expenses for Social Security and Medicare have risen dramatically. It is good that drug companies have profit incentives for research and development. However, many of the drug companies' price markups are exorbitant. In the states, these pharmaceutical companies double or triple the price of a medicine that Canada sells the same drug for, to its residents. Only God knows how much of the rising cost of medical care is due to price gouging.

Due to many elderly people living in nursing homes, the costs of Medicaid has risen.

Surely, because they have become costly, we cannot rid the country of the elderly.

Our treasury has literally lost trillions of dollars.

Because of wealthy corporations and rich individuals who refuse to pay taxes, who outsource our jobs and who have gambled away the investment and retirement funds of many of our citizens, country has been substantially financially drained of critically needed dollars.

Controlling the revenue aspect of our budget is more addressable and more humane.

Attempting to cut funding that is mainly utilized for many people who are elderly and who truly need assistance is not the answer to America's financial woes.

Earthpig...thought you were going to fly in and watch him and fly away then tell everyone your sorrow is above theirs once again.......And the guys wife said Peter was in the hospital, when he was at home. We did notify the caretaker that his wife moved out, who notified the county, who notified his wife, who said she would move back...she didn't. The caretaker said the county was going to send a caseworker over.They didn't because...the wife..Diane said she would move back in. Again she didn't.

I buy clothes, food, car parts, repair cars, drive poor people when needed, etc. Now I am close to broke...but I find there is always someone else who has it worse.

Thanks for that hope and change republibums you worthless piles of heaping..

Why cant you just give in and help us.

Tell me, gullible Christian consumers, when the whole thing does finally collapse for the middle class, will you sleep soundly knowing that you saved stem cells, or fetuses, or that you pushed for creationism in school, or trickle-down economics, or fought the godless democrats all for baby Jesus, or stood hand in hand against the dire threat of gay marriage?

PeteMT: Do you really think this is our fault? You cannot blame christians for this, since a LARGE number of the wealthy are ATHEISTS. If you blame someone, make sure you blame yourself since greed and atheism tend to go together. How much do the Kardashians make per year? Christians, right? How about Hollywood? More christians, right? In fact, tell me how many rich christian corporations there are? Not that many, right?

Just because we vote Republican doesn't mean anything. If you get screwed by greed, it is your own fault. That's why a majority of christians laugh at the mess you guys made!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then you have the nerve to blame God.......

Scar Tissue....I hear ya.....you called it exactly correct. ........they whine about disabilities when they do not know the facts....personal experience here.

Unhappy....Gallop Poll 6/14/12 68% of all Americans blame Bush for the economy mess!....who is laughing at whom?

Starsailing: Democrats will always blame a Republican president, whether he is in office at the time or whether he's been out of office for decades. This is not news. We republicans are different. We tend to put the blame where the blame should go; on the CURRENT PRESIDENT.

The reason why people voted for Obama is because he thought he could change the system. If he had done nothing, then we would of still at least had a 5% Unemployment rate. So why the increase now to 8 or 9%?But he didn't do just nothing. He implemented strategies that wanted to turn the US into a socialist society.

Of course, that is going to change the outlook. Because of that don't you think he deserves some of the blame?

Time for the goper's to fall in line behind the leaser of the free world. Cutting SSI medicare-caid and food stamps as well as UN employment is more then asinine it is wilful in its negligence. ; ] Dems used to fall in line when it counted behind The Bush Man J. R. and goper's USED to fall in line when it mattered behind Clinton yet not now. We all know why because tea bagging republican extremist in the government just hate. They are all about hate no matter what they are hating. They hate the government its programs its spending the opposition the President Gays Abortion government jobs women equal pay and all the rest this country entails.

Lucky for us all it has already been decided that they are mostly ALL going to go in the election. Dems back in both houses and the President is President once more. ;] For all those inclined to STILL doubt facts relevance and reality what bills have the congress put fourth that pertain to jobs? Why only anti gay anti abortion and women hating measures? Why the absent minded need to CUT everything? Hmm. It is the congress ALONE who holds the power to put spending and fiscal bills up for votes and NO ONE else. The gopers control the congress do they not? Not the President. He has proposed many bills in particular jobs bills yet the goper's do not like them. They simply wish to lie and then say he has never created one bill to be introduced. But the elaboration is not one THEY like. ; ]

Simply because the filibuster exists does not mean it must be used in record number in the senate as well. Part politics all the time gets you kicked out for 63 years never to return. We need Obama and a Dem house and a Dem senate. To actually make things progress and work and move this country forward. It is easy to see even on the posts and threads how inept an ridiculous the gopers are. This is a reflection of the tea bagging republican extremist in the government because lets face it, this is who they are getting there info from . ;]

Cheers

The strength of our country and economy comes from the middle class. Without a strong middle class, this country is doomed.

Don't vote based on political party, vote to remove New World Order and systematic dismantling of the middle class.

Its time for the Middle Class to shut up!!!!!!

I Make less than HALF of the income thats considered the BOTTOM limit of "Middle Class" follow that , less than HALF of the BOTTOM of the income bracket thats considered "Middle Class".

I do NOT qualify for Medical assistance, i do NOT qualify for Food Stamps, i do NOT qualify for Heating Assistance. if ANYONE THATS MIDDLE CLASS is getting those things THEY ARE LYING about something.

PLEASE, make me middle class. make me have it as bad as the Middle Class.

All the whining and crying from the Middle Class is embarrassing.

Are you'll forgetting that you elected all those crooks in Washington. And I mean ALL of them regradless of their party affiliations.

Your government is not working, has not been working for a long time. And yet you stick to the 2 party system that does not work. Throw in that the top 1%, Wall Street and the corporations realy want to you all to go back to the indentured servant level. i.e. sold your soul to the company store. Until then they will not be happy.

Better realize that this story aint over yet. The companies sold you out by moving manufacturing over seas. The government sold you out because they are owned lock stock and barrel by the large companies. And wall Street has only one interrest and that is making money at all cost, regardless of the damage that they inflict because they want to have those multi million bonussus and on top of their multi million salaries.

Revolt? Sorry wait until stay take all your guns away they know that you have.

Hear that drone buzzing over your back yard, courtesy of homeland security? Sure aint for your safty.

Here's truly hoping that the clueless wonders who pronounced that the recession had ended in the Summer of '09 are currently among the unemployed and that all their benefits have run out!!

One of the bigger disappointments of the Obama Administration, is that after TeamObama ran such a well organized and refreshing campaign in '08 - once elected - proceeded to stuff all the Cabinet Posts and surround himself with stale Clinton-era advisors ... who obviously didn't have an original thought in their collective heads since the late '90s!!

So much for the hope of bright nondementia grown-ups minding the store for a change.

Whether or not the Twit would do any better, depends on whether or not one believes that they can withstand another four years of the current office holder. Much reminiscent of Carter and Bush Sr.

And no, don't bash me for being a hard-righter or a far-leftie, depending upon your own political persuasion. There is still such a thing as a MODERATE American, although unfortunately, we are fast becoming unwelcome in either POLITICAL party's ever more fractured agendas! The TWO party stranglehold is killing America!!

Alas, why is there not a true viable INDEPENDENT PARTY to represent everyone in the MIDDLE?!

(sorry Libertarians, Ron Paul supporters, and former Perot voters, although many of your stances are definitely commendable, you are still too over-the-top for many Mainstreamers - Who are neither looking for a "Crusader nor a Savior" - We just want someone who "leans" fiscally conservative and socially progressive OR is at the very least *OPEN TO COMPROMISE)

*and when Obama tells the Republicans (during the CNN televised meeting) that "yes, he read every one of THEIR suggestions for the Healthcare Bill ... and didn't like ANY of them ... and is NOT going to incorporate a one" - then goes on to proclaim that "HE WON and they lost, so get over it" - well, first off, the public was being told that the GOP did NOT offer ANY IDEAS for the Healthcare Bill ... nope nary a one good or bad ... when it turns out hey they did ... then he turns around and essentially declares that "things are going to be done HIS WAY or the highway" in complete disregard for his campaign promises. So when he cries foul because the GOP (instead of the Democrats) are now playing the part of being obstructionists - yeah right, we've all been there before. NOTHING NEW HERE folks.

AND Americans are still struggling in the web of BOTH party's politically motivated bone-crushing games. Will we never learn ...

Unhappy...that is the laziest, lame repub spin on here....no facts and more socialist name calling. Everyone knows repub crash was causing hundreds of thousands of jobs gone because of repub crash. Dems and President Obama stopped the bleeding of jobs. Re read the post again I posted. REPUBS BLOCK ALL bills to help recovery.

The first economic plan from the republicans ...was to blow up the economy so president Obama would not have a second term. Newt said it was the first seed sown for the 2012 election. 14-15 republicans secretly met the day after Obama became president to pledge to vote against every bill that would help the economy recover. They pledged this saying they wanted him to be a one term president. They pledged to take the economy down just to destroy the presidents plans for recovery. Bin Laden wrote down the same plan and executed 911 to take the economy down to destroy the nation. These repubs, Ryan, Cantor, DeMint, and Gingrich pledged to act like the Taliban, to act like the insurgents do,(their own actual words) to prevent President Obama from a second term. Acting like the supreme terrorist of all time Bin Laden. Traitors. Deliberately sabotaging the recovery. Ref Richard draper new book.

Do not be reluctant or remiss to name the imbecile Mr. Perry. Stating that " fast and furious" besides being a cool movies series is WORSE, again WORSE then Watergate.

No jobs simply enthralled with misnomers and idiocy in thought. Actual crimes proven all in the name of Nixon's power hungry greed, [plus in his released papers he conspired with Murdoch about a republican news channel to sway voters into republican thinking AND he was an anti Semite] and a Bush Man J. R. started epic. Which Holder ended. Were the Bush Man J.R.'s administration called to testify? Hmm.; ]

Does this create jobs? Hmm. Indeed. ; ]

Cheers

I hate it when they use possibly misleading statistics. They claim that assistance has "doubled". Does that mean it went from 2 families to 4 families that now get food stamps?

Why not frame the statistics in a way we can visualize? Use percent of population. Break it down by income (or previous income).

I feel for the families, I really do. I just have a problem when these articles are presented as % growth and not based on anchored data like population.

@knightofdespair

And that reversed itself completely from 2005 to the present, more recent studies show we have far less mobility than most other first world countries now.

And you've decided not to share those studies why? Please excuse me for not just taking your word on it since much of what you've said to this point is wrong.

I've already posted it at least 3-4 times in the past. I know what the research says and don't feel like posting it yet again is going to change someone's mind who is obviously running the spin machine at 6000 RPMs to keep right wing land from going topsy turvy. Perhaps you stopped at 2005 because you already knew the true answer and it didn't mesh with what you felt was the truth. As for most of what else I posted, it is also completely accurate, but if you choose to always use faux news for your source I can see why you would think that.

Scar-Tissue-I hate to tell you but people are working the disability scam like there's no tomorrow, they don't want food stamps and welfare temporarily, they want a lifetime of doing NOTHING and getting paid for it. I personally know people who are now on disablilty that could work. The people I know who needed it, for real, could barely get it, but the drug addicts who claimed they were suicidal and "bipolar", who were teaching each other how to get into the system, seemed to breeze through with no problem. It' broken and it's messed up. So get angy and bitter, but people are complaing about things for a reason.

This is what we all get because you people vote for elitists to hold public offices, remain ignorant about the truth, and let the government get away with murder. Am I the only sane person supporting Ron Paul on this thread? Most likely, yes!!

It really doesn't matter who is in office, it's all a facade to lead us to believe we have a choice and there is a difference between the two parties.

Bottom line is that the domestic and foreign policies of the United States federal government roll along, generally against the best interests of the American people, no matter what person or party is in office. BOTH parties work and vote in the interest of the highest bidder, corporations, banks, special interests, etc.

Until we're actually given a choice and a level playing field for all candidates and the American people, I recommend we stop voting and paying federal income tax.

I see the liberal propaganda machine is running on all cylinders today. Too bad they are so inbred that their IQ's can't reach room temperature.

It's amazing how they complain the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer and blame it on republicans when democrats have owned government for almost six years. When they took over congress they inherited 4.6% unemployment yet it's not their fault we are in the shape we are in.

Valhalla Phil - the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer has being going on for much longer than the last 6 years. It's been 30/40 years of "trickle down" economic theory, during which time wages for the average person have stagnated. If you cannot see that CEO's making 500 times what their workers make, and concentrating all the wealth in the country amongst a small percentage, is a big problem then I worry for our futures.

Whether there has been right wing control of congress or left wing control of congress, that trickle down theory has been a constant. It hasn't worked.

Scar-Tissue-I hate to tell you but people are working the disability scam like there's no tomorrow, they don't want food stamps and welfare temporarily, they want a lifetime of doing NOTHING and getting paid for it.

Yeah, there's always an anecdote, isn't there?

I personally know people who are now on disablilty that could work.

You're like the ppl who yell at my dad for parking in a handicapped space w/ his valid tag b/c they can't *see* what's wrong w/ him & *think* he's doing it illegally b/c he's lazy. He has congestive heart failure & if he walks long distances he can't catch his breath & will sometimes keel right over in a faint. There's no *sign* for that.

No, you don't know that ppl on disability could work. You haven't digested their medical files. They don't have to broadcast what's wrong w/ them & what qualified them for SSD/SSI. They don't have to have an outward sign to show you & satisfy your curiosity.

The people I know who needed it, for real, could barely get it,

And did I not say it generally takes 3-6 yrs to get thru the process? Some even longer. Some less. B/c SSAs job is to stall as many ppl as they can in the hopes that they'll give it up & go back to work, whether they can honestly do a decent job of it or not. It's how they weed out the *deadbeats*.

but the drug addicts who claimed they were suicidal and "bipolar", who were teaching each other how to get into the system, seemed to breeze through with no problem.

You don't know what really was wrong w/ them to make the judgment on if they should've gotten approved or how fast the approval went. Bipolar syndrome is nothing to scoff at when it's a bad case of it. Neither is depression or anxiety. And SSA looks at *mental cases* the hardest b/c they are the easiest to *fake*. Medical evidence must've been overwhelming for your anecdotes to *breeze thru* b/c SSA puts your ass under a microscope when making a disability determination.

It' broken and it's messed up.

Sure is. It shouldn't take as long as it does to get approval to get your own $ back.

So get angy and bitter, but people are complaing about things for a reason.

Yes, b/c they're jealous that they have to work while someone else can't. Pffft.

why does it take so long for the numbers to come out?? the damage has been done, and yes, it IS partisan, thank a republican, any republican you see, for this. they drank the kool aid the rich they worship gave them, that if they voted republican, they'd be rich like them.... reaganomics and eight years of bush cheney regime destroyed the middle class. fact, not fiction.

vote OBAMA 2012. for keeping food on the table of the poor these past four years.

you think romney will do anything to change this? you're crazy.

I agree. The world is changing and we have to adapt. Business will make the transition, but as for our political leaders, they couldn't manage a bowling alley, much less a leading society on the world stage.

Have you ever considered this "trying to adapt" mentality HAS been going on and that possibly is the reason we're seeing a permanent collapse into economic and social doom? Some things are best left alone such as the family and it's values system, conservatism, frugality, self worth and local community help vs. big central planning.

The schools are another example of how change only serves to degrade the system ... the more money we throw at schools and their "problems", the worst they get. Ever consider that it is massive government involvement from much higher levels [as a requirement for the money] that is causing them to fail at delivering a good, BASIC education foundation to build on?

Back to the basics people and stop letting and wanting the government to micro-manage every aspect of your life because they will [can] ONLY run it into the ground. They need to create problems so they can have problems to "fix", so it's a never-ending, ever worsening state of affairs.

"Give me control of a nations money supply, and I care not who makes its laws". - Mayer Rothschild

End the Federal Reserve now before there is no middle class left in America!

It's those that support concentrating wealth to the rich that are the problem here. It's not the fed, and I really hate "except local charity" and "your neighbors will take care of you" lets not have welfare or food stamps.

Republicans have proven that they won't help take care of anyone but themselves. More money and more greed, that's how you get to be Mitt Romney. I hear that car elevator is really cool. Meanwhile families are sharing a can of beans.

Yes, the world has been changing and it's called globalization. I wish the #1 platform this November would be outsourcing. I would like to hear every single Congressional incumbent and challenger's postion on what they would do about it so we could all vote accordingly.

That $12 billion the Republicans all voted to hand over to Big Oil? How many more men and women would those tax dollars have put back to work? Get your values back in order. People in this country come first. Because it's the individuals in this country who pay 99% of the taxes.

When, not if, President Obama is re-elected, we have no choice but to put a stop to the engorgement of the 1% and Corporate America Welfare state from helping themselves to more and more of our taxes. They have a choice....Pay their taxes at the rate of income they earn or forfeit every dime in tax credits and breaks they get from the rest of us.

If they can afford to put $500 million into Romney's campaign...how many jobs would that $500 million have created or saved? How many Americans could be back to work? Ironic isn't it? We help them earn their wealth and they use it against us to keep us in a constant state of struggle and economic hardship only they are entirely immune to. Sorry, that kind of wealth has a penalty...Pay the taxes you owe like the rest of us do or you don't get a dime more of our tax revenue for your tax cuts, breaks, exemptions or subsidies. You got $500 million to throw into a campaign? You got the moolah to pay your fair share. No more excuses!

Romney was caught with hired illegals....As rich as he is, he needed to have a Mex work for him for lower wages. Instead of hiring an AMERICAN, Romney outsourced the job. Multimillionaire and he wants even more pennies from an AMERICAN worker.

well, it has finally happened !!! I wonder if the middle class remembers when they voted to have poor mother's with children, whos's husband ran out on them, or some other horrible thing. middle class wanted these dead beat people off of any safety net.....and the middle class was calling for the blood of these innocent people..yes, susan..that was in the early 90's..I don't wish harm on anyone, but...it just proves plain ol logic...the wealthy 1% were not for you middle class..and just about all of you screamed that food stamp citizens should have to have a urine test, and that they had to pay for it from their pocket...and you middle class, you thought you were better than the poor...well, you got your wishes..thousands of poor mothers and their innocent children got thrown out of their homes when all of you were screaming for their blood in about 1994, there about..and their lives were destroyed because of you...NOW YOU FEEL THEIR PAIN....and it can get worse for you...being homeless like you made them, do you remember middle class??...when you all hated the poor people because you said your tax dollars was going to feed and assist the poor? shame on all of you...who were partakers of that inhuman treatment of the poor...and yes, i have my facts correct....thousands of innocent people were hurt because of all of your big mouths yelling for social services to be cut....WHO IS CRYING NOW? let us all have compassion and love for all humanity...sorry, middle class...but, the rich do not love you any more than they loved the poor.....just my opinion..I think it will get worse before it gets better...yes, i'm poor too...but, poverty is nothing to be ashamed of...all of my male ancestors fought for this country...and they died, leaving the females to fend for themselves with many children...the world keeps turning....good luck..

Living History: Sen. Mike Lee says Mormons have ‘extra chromosome’ for American exceptionalism. Salt Lake Tribune - www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54359356-78/mormons-god-american-exceptionalism.html.csp

But God has sent Romney and all of his top 1% to save our measly, poor little behinds. Romney is going to promise that we little widgets are finally going to get our fair share. The top 1% didn’t get that way by sharing and paying higher wages.

@Eric-913730

Republicans have proven that they won't help take care of anyone but themselves. More money and more greed, that's how you get to be Mitt Romney. I hear that car elevator is really cool. Meanwhile families are sharing a can of beans.

It's a little debated fact that conservatives give more to charity than any other group. You are confusing their desire to "take care of anyone" with their opposition to having the government TAKE money from everyone, waste half of it and then dole out whatever is left to those that fit some bureaucratic model.

btw, more people get food from food banks than do from food stamps, (though that may have changed recently) so the idea that "your neighbors" will take care of you isn't as far fetched as you wish it was. The difference between a food bank and a food stamp is that with the food bank 100% of the donations go to the people who need the food. With food stamps, billions go to bureaucrats long before any food gets to those who need it. How anyone on Earth can believe that is a better system is beyond me.

There will always be a need for a gov sponsored saftey net for those who fall through the cracks but the reality is that if the money the gov spent on such programs was giving to local charities instead the benefit would be substantially greater.

@ewent

That $12 billion the Republicans all voted to hand over to Big Oil? How many more men and women would those tax dollars have put back to work?

Gee I don't know, probably about as many as it put to work in the oil industry, durrrr. You do realize hundreds of thousands of people work for the oil companies right? You think giving it to some other sort of industry would be any different? Well actually I guess it could be different, we could give the $12 billion to green energy industries in which case it would have created about 30% as many jobs as it did by giving it to oil.

You must have somehow gotten oil in your eyes because you've been blinded to logic and rational thought by your hatred of that industry.

It's a little debated fact that conservatives give more to charity than any other group.

Actually that is only because conservatives give large donations to their churches which counts as "charity." Per an article in the New York Times, if church donation figures are excluded from charity statistics, liberals donate more to charity than any other group. Secular conservatives give the least:

"It’s true that religion is the essential reason conservatives give more, and religious liberals are as generous as religious conservatives. Among the stingiest of the stingy are secular conservatives.

According to Google’s figures, if donations to all religious organizations are excluded, liberals give slightly more to charity than conservatives do."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/opinion/21kristof.html

You know......to argue on here, is like pointing fingers and trying to figure out whomever that was that put that bag of dog defecation on your doorstep. It's all irrelevant when you've just stepped in it and have to sit down to clean out from between your toes. To quote , probably the truest truism, "What goes around....comes around", and someday, somehow, someway you WILL be cleaning out from between your toes.

@NickiDrea

Actually that is only because conservatives give large donations to their churches which counts as "charity." Per an article in the New York Times, if church donation figures are excluded from charity statistics, liberals donate more to charity than any other group. Secular conservatives give the least:

Oh, so you're saying that if you only include the things you want then you can come up with whatever answer you were looking for. Gee, who would have thought.

Every food bank I'm personally aware of is run by a church or a coalition of churches. Not to mention churches sponsor a whole host of mission trips across the country and the world. So why on Earth would you exclude those donations?

Wonder what who would give more if you excluded donations that did not help the poor? A quote from the article you posted-

"In any case, if conservative donations often end up building extravagant churches, liberal donations frequently sustain art museums, symphonies, schools and universities that cater to the well-off"

A least poor people would be welcomed in the "extravagant churches" whereas they would often be turned away from the "art museums, symphonies, schools and universities".

For future reference, if you're going to try to skew the facts to support your argument try not to post a link that flushes your point down the toilet.

A least poor people would be welcomed in the "extravagant churches"

LMFAO! Right...

Like my grandfather used to say -- "if you house burns down and you need help, walk past the church and down to the town tavern..."

I swear, backcountry, you never get tired of patting yourself on the back... the reason right-wingers are seen as "giving more" is because they give to their goddam cults. Take away the cult donations...and the picture doesn't look so great... THAT's the FACTS. they have a twisted, vested interest in continuing the brainwashed their cults do, especially to kids. And, frankly, with tens of thousands of children in the US who have been raped and abused by clergy and church officials, NO AMOUNT of church services, soup kitchens, overseas missions (which frequently also rape and abuse children), and other cult chrities will EVER balance out the amount of child rape and child abuse done in the churches at the hands of churchs officials and clergy. So, stuff a sock in it. One raped child is too many!

The rarest creature on earth is a christian who Lives His Values Every Day. In fact, that one's extinct.

@Frogmorton!

I swear, backcountry, you never get tired of patting yourself on the back... the reason right-wingers are seen as "giving more" is because they give to their goddam cults. Take away the cult donations...and the picture doesn't look so great... THAT's the FACTS.

I'm a libertarian and agnostic so I'm hardly "patting myself on the back" My statements are completely unbiased unlike yours. Take off the partisan blinders and you'd see that steaming load you've dropped has nothing to do with "facts".

right. sure you are. (eye roll)

And what I said is entirely factual. You know it -- stop being a coward AND a liar. I love how some of you right-wingers are so ashamed of your real values, that you claim to be libertarians -- but always somehow manage to lick the butt of every republican candidate within reach. Wow...talk about a steaming load!

you are SUCH a joke...

hahahahahahahahahah...yeah...and I'm a Hasidic ,black ,Jew with a mormon father and catholic mother (mothers) and have absolutely no bias what-so-ever ! Oh, I get it...you're pissed 'cause Ron Paul, father of Rand Paul (Ayn Rand's theoretical demon seed) won't be making those drugs you've been smoking legal anytime soon.

Frogmorton!

right. sure you are. (eye roll)

And what I said is entirely factual. You know it -- stop being a coward AND a liar

Hate to burst your bubble but just because someone isn't lockstep in line with your blind liberal ideology doesn't mean the must be in lockstep with the blind conservative ideology. But it is so much easier for simpltons to just stick their fingers in their ears and call everyone a lair than it is to look at facts isn't it?

btw Polly, do you want a cracker?

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

Hate to burst your bubble but just because someone isn't lockstep in line with your blind liberal ideology doesn't mean the must be in lockstep with the blind conservative ideology...

Correct -- it's all your comments that are in lockstep with the conservatives that give you away. You can only lick the GOP butt so much before people start noticing.

Cheers!

Well said Ewent.

Here in Clarkston WA I was labelled a "bleeding heart liberal" when as revenues from my companies business fell and I held a meeting with my staff to explain that we ALL had to take a 10% pay cut me included so that no-one had to lose their job.

Now I pay myself just 2% more than my staff as I believe that it's unfair for me to be taking more than that out of the company that provides work for 6 people. I can't see it happening but if these CEO's were willing to take just 100% more than their workers then we would have a way out of this mess.

The reichwing are the goose stepping left. OWS, SEIU, New Black Panthers, Acorn, etc. are their Gestapo storm troopers.

And your racist charge falls on deaf ears, we have no racial guilt you do. With democrat heroes like Robert "sheets" Byrd and George Wallace, it's no wonder. Meanwhile ultra conservative Charlton Heston marched with MLK.

We want the president to fail because he is destroying this country. Do want him to succeed in destroying it? LOL. Yes we are patriotic, thank you!

btw, more people get food from food banks than do from food stamps,

You say that like it's a good thing. Clearly you have never set foot in a food pantry.

It's just like applying for SNAP (not food stamps; that's an antiquated term & has been for nearly 20 yrs). Means-tested. Income & assets & resources are looked at. Too much, c ya.

If you qualify, you 1st have to sign a contract that you will not go to any other food pantry. This is of course to cut down on ppl *shopping around*. Can't have charity every day. Just once per mo. B/c that is how often you are allowed to visit the food pantry. Once per mo.

It's not like going to the supermarket. You don't get to *shop* & fill a cart w/ stuff you might actually eat. You get random bags handed to you based upon your household size.

Don't like wax beans or know how to cook liver or feel like risking eating corn flakes or soup or Beefaroni that expired last yr? Tough. That's what you get. Should've thought about that b4 becoming poor, I guess.

And food pantries will only distribute what they determine is an adequate 3-day supply of food at ea visit. Which, I would remind you, is once per mo. OK, so now what do you eat for the other 27 days?

Well, you could get probably another 2 wks' worth out of the avg SNAP benefit. 3 wks if you really know how to stretch it. That still leaves another wk unaccounted for.

the reality is that if the money the gov spent on such programs was giving to local charities instead the benefit would be substantially greater.

Nope. Really wouldn't.

B/c the reality is that food pantries are overwhelmed w/ guilt-driven donations in Nov & Dec, & ppl starve the other 10 mos of the yr. Their budgets don't incl buying food; they rely upon donations. If no one is able to donate except for supermarkets tossing old expired groceries, then there's very little to give out.

And you're dreaming if you think there isn't a pd bureaucracy running them. Ppl are too busy working to have volunteering time. Someone has to get pd to run the joint. Monetary donations go toward that. Don't donate $. Donate food. And decent food. Not crap that's been languishing in the back of your cupboards for that last cpl yrs.

Like my grandfather used to say -- "if you house burns down and you need help, walk past the church and down to the town tavern..."

At least the corner ginmill isn't going to demand mandatory attendance at services in exchange for the help like *faith-based* organizations do.

Scar ...GREAT reality posts........THANKS....people...that is the reality.......then repubs shame people who need to eat. People who lost their jobs, people who became sick and spent every dime they had trying to get well, or had relatives that had illnesses that took every penny. Repubs shame them for having bad genes from their parents, or work injuries that insurance does not cover. Repubs just shame anyone who isnt as rich as they are.

They look down on the poor, in reality...it is the repubs that are below the poor.

Liberal chics are so pretty and beautiful.

Philly writes..."We want the president to fail because he is destroying this country."

Guess that says it all, he wants the president to fail!! Which means the country fails . 1% can't stand to have to pay their fair share. The greedy rt wingers want all the money they didn'y get the first crash they caused. Dems and President Obama stopped them.

The first economic plan from the republicans ...was to blow up the economy so president Obama would not have a second term. Newt said it was the first seed sown for the 2012 election. 14-15 republicans secretly met the day after Obama became president to pledge to vote against every bill that would help the economy recover. They pledged this saying they wanted him to be a one term president. They pledged to take the economy down just to destroy the presidents plans for recovery. Bin Laden wrote down the same plan and executed 911 to take the economy down to destroy the nation. These repubs, Ryan, Cantor, DeMint, and Gingrich pledged to act like the Taliban, to act like the insurgents do,(their own actual words) to prevent President Obama from a second term. Acting like the supreme terrorist of all time Bin Laden. Traitors. Deliberately sabotaging the recovery. Ref Richard draper new book. Phil wants the country to fail like Bin Laden did.

@Frogmorton!

Correct -- it's all your comments that are in lockstep with the conservatives that give you away. You can only lick the GOP butt so much before people start noticing.

Yeah well maybe you should look a little harder at my post history because you won't find too many Bible thumping conservatives who are opposed to the discrimination against gays or the war on drug users. But wait, what am I thinking. For you to do that you'd need the ability and desrie to think for yourself. Clearly that is something you have no interest in. Much easier to just make up some lame assed excuses in you head why you should just ignore someone than it is to actually listen to them.

@scar_tissue

You say that like it's a good thing. Clearly you have never set foot in a food pantry.

Actually I've been in several and it is a good thing. I don't know where the hell you live but they don't work like that here. Maybe you should stop for a moment and consider that your limited experience doesn't apply everywhere.

Word to the wise...........

Work harder.
Have fewer kids.

@starsailing

Guess that says it all, he wants the president to fail!! Which means the country fails .

Wake the @!$%# up. The President and the country are failing without any effort on the part of the republicans. That is a lamed assed, failed excuse. The President got basically anything he wanted his first two years and he choose to focus his efforts on a "stimulus" that didn't stimulate anything other than his cronies and a health care law that no one wants and has killed the ability or desire of small businesses to expand. Both epic failures with no one to blame other than the President and the democrats. This @!$%#ing ridiculous "they want him to fail" excuse is beyond laughable. It's like bitching about your your favorite pitcher being pulled from the game after he gives up 8 runs in 3 innings. Any sane person wouldn't want him to throw another pitch just like any sane person wouldn't want Obama to try any more of his epically failed policies. But that's the problem with our current political system, the dems will support the dem, sanity be damned and the republicans will support the republican just the same. And of course both parties will ignore their own insanity as they point their fingers at the other side pretending it's all their fault.

Actually I've been in several and it is a good thing. I don't know where the hell you live but they don't work like that here.

I don't see you telling ppl how they work where you live. Just glossing over facts for superlatives.

Maybe you should stop for a moment and consider that your limited experience doesn't apply everywhere.

Wow, what a great idea. Why don't you start applying it?

Don't forget the biggest issue regarding a shrinking middle class, stagnant wages, and growing poor...the War on Labor and Unions.

The republicans have won, they defeated organized labor...happy now anyone?

The government mistake was "trickle down economics" and the "starve the beast policies" that got us into this financial mess starting with Reagan.

Eric-----Remember "trickle down economics" was a Regan-Bush brainchild. Too many still think that pair was a governmental "wonder fix".

Ironically, the last 40 years have been good to me. Immigrant parents from war torn Europe. Federal educational grants and loans for college Access to unemployment insurance when I needed it. Low taxes when I finally had the money. Retired early. Now, I am being asked to pull up the ladder behind me.

Welcome to the Second Coming of the Confederate States where free slave labor or as near to free as it gets, is the way rich "plantation owners" get to chomp on their stogies on their verandas, sip their Mint Juleps and entertain each other while the Magnolias pretty up the plantation to hide the dirt and filth of the near to free slave laborers.

b70 well said but I doubt those on the right will get it. The truth is, not one person in this or any other country achieved success without that help of both the government and other people. Pulling up the ladder is a powerful statement. My parents wanted to leave the world a better place then when they came in. (depression era) They succeeded. That will not be the case for the next generation because of those righty's that are only in it for themselves. They too will suffer if they are not in the 1% whether they realize it or not.

Yep, there are still those that buys into the lies of their Rethug overlords.

“The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told National Journal‘s Major Garrett in October.

Source: Raw Story (http://s.tt/1d82i)

The GOPer's - Party of NO who are obstructionists have filibustered and block EVERY attempt by Obama and the Democrats to help the middle class and our economy - because they don't care that they TANK this country like the TITANIC, so they will regain the WT for their party and 1% owners. And the right wing lemmings are still wiling to give their vote to these heartless goons who don't care about them. Voting for the lying swindler Romney is a vote against your best interest and well being.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

You know, no matter how many times you repeat a lie, it still doesn't make it true. Sorry.

Republicans averaged 5% unemployment, democrats are averaging 9%. If democrats are so incompetent they are still letting republicans run the show they deserve to b tossed out on their ears.

Again, the real oligarchs are Buffet, Soros, Gates, Inmelt, wall street, Hollywood, etc., all liberal, all Obama supporters, it's not republicans defending them. Obama's own aids say he had a choice of fixing the economy or Obamacare, he chose Obamacare. Remember "the private sector is doing fine!", he was talking about his donors.

MJ so true. I wondered why she didn't get a job also. Even with limited skills some income is better than none and can ease the financial burden. Moving would also help. For most of us it takes two incomes to get by and we still don't get new cars when needed.

They should move? I doubt they can sell the house. Where should they move? Where is it better? She should get a job? Her husband can't get a job. She should get a limited skills job? She wouldn't be paid enough to afford someone else to take care of the kids.

If Mr. Welch can't find a job as a mechanical engineer somewhere in the United States this family has bigger issues.

No, this family doesn't have bigger issues - this country has bigger issues - bigger than the social issues that politicians like to pontificate about.

Ah, and you see what you get from articles on the growing poor and middle class?

You get, "they aren't trying hard enough", "they should move", "the mom should get a job".......the mantra of the 1%.

Instead of focusing on the policies that have redistributed and concentrated the wealth at the top.

Although I agree that the middle class is becoming poorer and it's a huge problem, I also agree that some people resorting to government benefits could make familial changes to reduce the need for welfare. This family in the article can surely move to a more affordable area in the Midwest and Southeast with good schools and opportunities but has lower cost of living. Mom can go to work at least part time and dad can find an engineering job elsewhere. It's not impossible to work with. Go where the jobs are and where middle class dollars can live comfortably again. Also, they had my heart until they said, "we should be able to buy the new cars and the new house." My husband and I have graduate degrees but live in a little 3 bedroom house and drive paid for affordable cars. We are definitely not the 1% as Eric above thinks we should be. We live very frugally.

BUT-but-----isn't it the 1% that feels mom should stay at home with the kids?

CONGRESS remember them-----we the PEOPLE hired them and yet we the PEOPLE CANNOT fire them without a whole lot of hoop jumping.

HOWEVER----our jobs are no where as secure----What happens if you sleep on the job?-----What happens if you no-show at work or walkout because you don't like what your co-worker is saying?

THINK about it and THINK seriously about where changes MUST start.

MJ: It's really difficult to sell the house. It might be their last resources, and to move to another city can be very expensive. Maybe Mr Welch is expecting rehiring and Mrs Welch may face issue on kids' care, health ($30,000 medical bills?) & age discrimination. My prayer to Welch family.

mj...She'd have a job if $12 billion of our taxes hadn't helped Big Oil Big Daddies become richer than God. What's with the Smug Righties who cause the problems and then slink off with smug remarks they know prove what Biggie Piggies they really are?

No American CEO needs to earn a billion a year. He can only get that wealth from the rest of us and damn time he learned to live within HIS means. Why should he lavish himself with luxuries that he can only afford by juicing the rest of the people in this country? If he can't earn that billion without help from taxpayers, consumers or employees...too damn bad. Otherwise...HE OWES.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

Never Stop......will you ever stop?

Poverty and the perception of poverty is subjective.

Judging people... not so much.

This country will look just like a third world country by the time the GOP get done with it.

tangeant...So people of the Middle Class haven't had salaries stagnated by employers whose salaries haven't? So people of the Middle Class still employed aren't pay through payroll deductions to fund employers businesses with tax cuts and subsidies? Nice try at that gloss job. Not working.

The Middle Class used to be able to afford to make house repairs...to go to a doctor or dentist...now that greedy employers are grabbing the lions' share of corporate profits for themselves, that's all gone.

You have some nerve expecting people whose salaries are stagnated back 2 decades to be able to afford the ever burgeoning cost of living that is upped every time a greedy pig CEO thinks he needs to buy himself 10 more homes.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

The numbers don't take into consideration all the 1099 folks who are still in business but not doing much work - contractors, builders, Realtors, mortgage brokers, sub-contractors, etc. Add those into unemployment numbers and the numbers would probably double, if not triple.

Good point, ToriS--and it also doesn't take into consideration those who have scrolled off the list because their unemployment ran out, or those who are underemployed. I lost my job in 2008 due to loss of funding (I am a Substance Abuse Counselor.) I am 61 years old, and finding a job at my age is difficult--if it weren't for the fact that I have a retirement income unrelated to my being a Substance Abuse Counselor, and if it weren't for the fact that my boyfriend married me and moved in with me and we are now sharing the bills--well, I would have lost my house. We live as frugally as possible, and grow a lot of our own food (we have a fairly decently sized back yard). And quite honestly, I think this economic catastrophe that is unfolding before our very eyes has been building for decades, and both the Repub and Demo are responsible--I'm looking for 1.) A third person/party to vote fore, and 2.) Ways to NOT play 'their' game anymore ('their' being the many 'clowns' and 'jokers' who caused this mess!).

ToriS...That's what really fries my brain...That many small businesses are suffering while the Republicans lavish one after another tax break on corporations. Look at it this way. Small businesses are what this country started their business communities with. Not corporations, right? So, now ask yourself how many of those corporations we keep stuffing our tax dollars into would 4 decades ago have failed? Of course they are "Too Big To Fail". It's our tax dollars and more of more of it paying their business bills. 90% of these businesses charged obscene interest rates and their entire business lives off the interest they are collecting. The rest of their incoming revenue is called "profit" because they get enough tax breaks to nullify their business expenses. No small business gets this kind of advantage, do they?

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

No matter what the unemployed rate is...it was caused by the greed of the 1%. Going up or down....the crash was caused by repub greed. Gallop poll 6/14/2012. 68% of all Amercians blame Bush for the economy mess. 50% of all repubs blame Bush...so spin as much as you want rt wingers...Americans say B.S.

Voting republican will not help.

@Two-Faced Tea Bagger........also very well said

Ways to defeat an economic recovery:

• Push through socialized medicine and create uncertainty as to future costs.
• Load the NLRB with pro-labor board members to ease union organizing.
• Encourage the EPA to restrict domestic energy development while funding the efforts of foreign nations, e.g., Brazil.
• Pass financial regulations that inhibit lending to small business.
• Print paper money to cause international monetary funds to doubt the dollar.
• Vilify those who create wealth and employment.
• Push for tax increases and fight budget cuts.
• Block the Keystone pipeline
• Ad nauseam.

This country can't stand four years of a candidate who is basically a Bush II. Romney doesn't have a clue on how to fix the economy - he just pretends he does. Unemployment? Does Romney think he can control that in the face of structural labor issues, greater productivity that lessens the need for more employees, applicants that don't have the right jobs skills, employer health costs twice what they are in other developed countries making the US less competitive, the impact from the Europe recession, the impact from China slowing down, low demand from the middle class which means employers don't need to add jobs, etc.

Romney prances around as the "business candidate" who can fix most or all of these issues but of course he doesn't give specifics because there are no easy answers regardless of who is in the WH. Romney implied that he could create 500K jobs per month - what a crock. A vote for Romney is a vote for the Bush failed policies, i.e. more tax cuts for the rich, a widening wealth gap and jobs at places like Tiffanys and yacht dealers (that's the real Romney job creation plan).

Procrustes...So Romney's answer is more oil drilling? He hasn't a prayer of winning in the northeast if he thinks he'll do what he's planning...open up more drilling off the Atlantic Coast. If the only way he can win an election is to kiss GOP Big Oil ass, he hasn't a prayer. No way anyone living on the Atlantic Coast wants a bunch of slime balls of Big Oil filthying up our coastlines.

yup i work at a yaucht, comp. the wages for a jorneyman painter have been 13.60 an hour for 7 yrs now. they declair bankrupcy every two years, the venders are left holding the bag, then lay offs to kill what little bennifits you accrue, how they stay in business ? there in wisconson i wont say more, but a new car plant just opeaned at the same wages and small bennifits but dont worry their going to pass the savings on to you when you buy a car, i wont be be buying one at 13.60 an hour.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

Procrustes -

• Push through socialized medicine and create uncertainty as to future costs.

The uncertainty is there now. It's just being born by different people.

• Load the NLRB with pro-labor board members to ease union organizing.

You'd have to be much more specific about this to turn it into a meaningful argument. There's good and bad on both sides of the bargaining table. Selfish, short-sighted people find jobs in labor and management. I'm not a fan of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

• Encourage the EPA to restrict domestic energy development while funding the efforts of foreign nations, e.g., Brazil.

The EPA's job is to safeguard certain non-replaceable resources (clean air, drinking water, etc.) Sometimes, capitalists, answering to their stockholder's agenda undervalue the risk of their actions, often because they would not bear the brunt of the devastation in a catastrophic scenario. That interested parties with other agendas latch on to both sides of environmental issues doesn't invalidate legitimate concerns.

• Pass financial regulations that inhibit lending to small business.

The money afforded to business interests has been enormous. If your complaint is that it's all been granted to people at the largest companies at the top of the economic food chain rather than individual entrepreneurs whose new business ventures would potentially stem the tide of wealth redistribution to those who already have the most, I would agree with you. If, instead, you think that letting bankers take whatever risks they want with the economy in which all of us have an interest (which I suspect is your point) because they can be trusted to want to make money, I would argue that it would be illegal for them to put the interests of the country over their fiduciary relationship with their stockholders, and the only way to align that fiduciary interest with those of the rest of country is to make certain practices required as a matter of law, so that no bank is put at a competitive disadvantage by working for the common good, and in fact would be risking money in fines if they were to do otherwise.

• Print paper money to cause international monetary funds to doubt the dollar.

Despite the odd headline about the ascendency of the Euro a few months back, I think you'll find most international trades are still denominated in dollars, and the recent stresses in Europe, combined with China's need to maintain the value of our IOU's that they hold, the dollar is going to continue to be the dominant currency in the world for the time being.

• Vilify those who create wealth and employment.

Creating wealth is not a passive activity that consists of investing, or even managing. Real wealth is created by the designers and engineers who lay out a plan for taking raw materials and workers (or worker equivalents) turning them into finished products. Funding is the easy part.

Unfortunately, many mistake commandeering cash flow for creating wealth. Maximizing profits actually is the antithesis of creating employment, in the current world. Profits come from efficiency, which comes from using less of expensive resources. Headcount tends to be the most flexible resource to eliminate. Much easier to lay people off than to sell a factory. The argument that the wealthy create employment

• Push for tax increases and fight budget cuts.

See above argument. We have more people than we need to do the work we have set for ourselves relative to GDP. The current paradigm of distributing resources based on private employment does not allow for the wealth our country produces to be disbursed sufficiently broadly to prevent civil unrest over the long term. If you tell a man or woman that society has determined that their continued health, safety and happiness are of no concern, eventually some will decide that they are no longer going to support that society or it's laws. The specter of Marie Antoinette should loom large for the so-called job creators. Until another viable distribution system is proposed, tax increases that have the effect of reclaiming wealth that could not have been created without our national infrastructure and using it to make sure that the basic needs of the entire citizenry are met is our only choice.

• Block the Keystone pipeline

Water supply for millions of people deserves every effort to be certain that no contamination will occur. If that concern is met, then proceed. I don't think I'm alone in this attitude among people who want to slow down the project, but not necessarily defeat it.

Perhaps if you expanded your discussion to include your reasoning, rather than just quote conservative punchlines policy, your arguments would be more persuasive.

What the Tea Party is really hiding is their long time desire to return the country to a Confederate State. Not going to happen but they keep trying. Not a single one of their pretty bois like Cantor, Walker, Ryan, Cronyn or Boehner have ever had to break a sweat in any job...Most of them are rich men who now want to take every dime we earn and hand it to their Wall Street fund managers to risk.

Their hatred for President Obama is based upon their ideas that they are actually "entitled to wealth". No. They are not. If the only people in this country who have not felt a single pinch on those rich asses are the 1% and the Corporate Welfare state, why then are we still their safety net for tax cuts?

So community organizer is a job? Obama never ran a business in his life.

EXACTLY Bill! It really makes me wonder what it will take for the right wing lemmings to regain their senses that they are doing themselves a disservice.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

You can not sell to people who do not have money to buy. Just saying you know.

The Republican base will suffer too; they just don't realize yet that they've been duped to vote against their own economic interest.

Very correct, and when seniors on fixed incomes begin paying more for medical and drugs many of those people will be forced out of their homes.

This is not just a Republican caused problem or a Democrat caused problem. The middle class has lost 40% of their wealth because of the collapse of the housing market. People typically have their house as their primary asset and the bases for retirement. In the past, when you were ready to retire, you would sell your paid off house and downsize and live off your savings and a pension. Now, thanks to the Democrats who pushed the "give a loan to everyone even if you can't afford one" and the horrible economy caused by both parties failure to act on what the banks were doing that caused the collapse, we have lost at least 40% of our wealth. The finger pointing on this blog is exactly what's wrong with our government. We can affix blame later. Right now, it needs to be fixed by both parties coming together. But given the attitude of our country, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

RD-They will be forced from their homes OR they won't take their meds or get medical care and they will die. Maybe that is the republicans grand plan, kill off the social security sucking elderly to save a few bucks.

@ Bernie, here you are wrong. It wasn't the Democrats "give a loan to everyone even if you can't afford one". It was the CROOKS in the housing & banking industry, that preyed on people. Sold them over inflated houses, with the understanding the banks would get them back . They can then resale these homes again. the problem started when the practice out paced the banks, leaving communities with multiple homes on the block, then bringing the the overall prices of that market. when they realized this they bundled all these toxic mortgages and sold them causing the domino effect from the housing bubble into the banking market and onto wall street. Bernie please stop spreading republican lies.

Now, thanks to the Democrats who pushed the "give a loan to everyone even if you can't afford one"

Actually, that was Bush JRs reelection platform. He was determined to make the down payments for 5.5 million minorities to the tune of 200 million tax payers dollars per year.

Here's a snippet of his speech. You can do a search to hear or read the whole thing.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the federal Home Loan Banks -- the government-sponsored corporations that handle home mortgages -- will increase their commitment to minority markets by more than $440 billion, Bush said.

Anything for a vote, correct?

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

aprophet, you are wrong. Barnie Frank and Chris Dodd continually refuted calls for addressing the obvious problem both stating on congressional record that there was no problem. Whenever someone questioned the practice Barnie belittled anyone who challenged or questioned the practice of lending to unqualified buyers. That's a fact. The crooks in the evil banking community were given a blank check with no over-site from both the Bush administration and the Democratic majority congress and the Democratic majority senate. Please stop spreading Democratic lies. While both parties have blame, Democrats have the majority of the blame.

Why do you think both Barny and Dodd have "decided" not to run this fall? It's because they both took a plea to accept retirement instead of prosecution for their involvement in the mortgage fiasco that they fed and profited from.

Bernie: Please provide links to confirm your accusations. Thank you

Check out youtube. They have quite a few videos from 2008-2009+ that show Franks belittling anyone who questioned the practice of giving loans to unqualified buyers at congressional hearings.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

If you say the same thing over and over it is because you want to believe it but don't. Just saying you know.

No, Jabba, it is because my comments were censored by the Reichwing.

I will post 1000 times, if necessary, to make sure that my 1st Amendment rights are upheld, Party of No and fascist Reichwingers be damned.

Well good luck with that.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

Erik you are right...40 years of corporate welfare and welfare for the 1%, removal of Glass/ Stiegall, Lied into Iraq war wastefull spending and the thousands of deaths repubs caused with the lies, yep, just what the repubs expected from greed, more profits for them.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

Fool! The GOP in congress won't pass Obama's jobs bills and the GOP senators filibustered them so they could blame the bad economy on him.

Political partisans or so embarrassingly stupid.

Simple minded fool.

Think you for passing all those regulations that drove all those businesses overseas costin America hundreds of thousands of job.

The terrifying part is that you believe this and will vote based off of that.

Companies have been paid incentives to outsource long before Obama even entered politics.

Also, if it only cost a few hundred thousand jobs, what's the big problem? We were shedding over 700K jobs a month at the beginning of this economic downturn in 2007-2008.

Admit it. You have no idea what you're talking about.

Good troll though.

Rebel1884 - you are another one that has no clue. Keep listing to your Right Wing Nutters right off the cliff.

rebel, your ingorance is perplexing.

Rebel, you are exactly what your Rethug overlords want. Uneducated and gullible enough to be their lackey and used like a serf. You CAN'T EVEN SPELL "THANK". Why don't you smack your head on the wall and break away from the brainwashing hypnosis of lies you hear from FAUX and all other right wing ilk.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

Too bad that the Party of No does not care.

All they care about is making the President fail...because he is a Democrat and because he is black.

How patriotic.

Heck of a job, Reichwing.

A big help would be the 1% giving up some of their tax cuts because they care so much about the deficit. There is such a lack of urgency there.

If you are on a fixed income and have been able to save money to invest, you get almost nothing from owning a Certificate of Deposit. The government is shafting retired people who are trying to keep their lifetime saving and earn enough money to keep up with inflation.

In the 1950s a person could buy a new Mercedes car for $4500. Now $45,000 is what you need for a new Mercedes. My salary never increased ten times over my working career but maybe yours did.

My employer is looking at solving the health insurance increase problem - he is going to drop it all together. Unfortunately we are all over 45, all have some pre-existing condition. None of us will be able to afford health insurance on our own.

Health insurance was all FOOBAR when it was first connected with a persons' employment. If you have an extended illness the company will eventually fire you and you will end up with private insurance with a high cost.

If you are employed let your company pay for your national health insurance. If you can't work then the government should put everyone either on Medicare or Medicaid or Obamacare.

I am in a similar position, retired and on a fixed income. Recently I learned that the cost of one of my medications (through my BCBS mail-in program) had risen to $90.00. Fortunately, I was able to find a generic for $15.00. Not every medication has a generic, and not all seniors can afford the price of the name brand drugs. Soon they will be forced to chose between medications and keeping their lights on, or medications and buying groceries. On top of that, the premiums keep rising every year and chipping away at what disposable income we do have. I pay my taxes and I have a small garden to off-set the cost of food, but I don't know what other steps I can take. I don't live in a new house or drive a new car, and entertainment is watching a movie on tv. I simply don't know what else I can do to make ends meet.

RD-NYC: And who is going to force them? Remove and Replace means Remove and Forget.

Never...I am with ya!...

14-15 republicans secretly met to pledge to vote against every bill that would help the economy recover. They pledged this saying they wanted him to be a one term president. They pledged to take the economy down just to destroy the presidents plans for recovery. Bin Laden wrote down the same plan and executed 911 to take the economy down to destroy the nation. These repubs, Ryan, Cantor, DeMint, and Gingrich pledged to act like the Taliban, to act like the insurgents do,(their own actual words) to prevent President Obama from a second term. Acting like the supreme terrorist of all time Bin Laden. Traitors. Deliberately sabotaging the recovery. Ref Richard draper new book.

I'm afraid you might turn out to be right. It's as though my entire existence ocurred during a great abrration in history.Now it back to nature, red of tooth and claw.

The primary reason small business owners are suffering is because the middle class, the people most likely to patronize these businesses, don't have the disposable income to buy their products/services.

And yeah, I'm sure the local businesses like plumbers, neighborhood bookstores, etc. are champing at the bit to move their businesss overseas.

You are one dumb a@s men Jamie Alvarez

And your one dumb ass black.

Vote them in at your peril!

Call me crazy but sounds like she is already in peril! Sounds like she was doing alot better when the Republicans were in charge -- she wasn't on any public assistance. I know alot of people that were doing much better when the Republicans were in the White House plain and simple. I think you can say all you want (talk is cheep) about Romney, but people are going to vote based on how they are doing financially today, and the stats and the misery of our middle class are indicators that Obama is not the best choice for the future of our country.

With 700,000 people losing their jobs when Obama took office, he should have focused on the economy but he chose to focus on his agenda of Obamacare to his political PERIL.

I think that Positive123 is a little misguided. But, either way, we should all be considering the candidate, not the party. Some people would vote for a german shepherd if it ran for their party. Wise up folks.

Positive....You do know that it was the Dems and President Obama that stopped the 700, 000 job loss per month don't you?............Everyone else does.....

A little reminder ....once more......who wants to lose more jobs.....and why.

The first economic plan from the republicans ...was to blow up the economy so president Obama would not have a second term. Newt said it was the first seed sown for the 2012 election. 14-15 republicans secretly met the day after Obama became president to pledge to vote against every bill that would help the economy recover. They pledged this saying they wanted him to be a one term president. They pledged to take the economy down just to destroy the presidents plans for recovery. Bin Laden wrote down the same plan and executed 911 to take the economy down to destroy the nation. These repubs, Ryan, Cantor, DeMint, and Gingrich pledged to act like the Taliban, to act like the insurgents do,(their own actual words) to prevent President Obama from a second term. Acting like the supreme terrorist of all time Bin Laden. Traitors. Deliberately sabotaging the recovery. Ref Richard draper new book. Phil wants the country to fail like Bin Laden did.

Don't forget to DRUG TEST these sleeze bags! Like everyone on food stamps is on drugs, and use the cash for beer and liquor! VOTE GOP Mitt is going to turn thid GOOD ole USA back to Heaven....or what ever the Mor mans call it! Rove and the Koch Bros....are the puppet masters and are meeting with him now to drum in the talking points so he won't screw up anymore.....

Stay where you are, citizen.

The "proletarii" of Roman times are probably much closer to the ultimate objective than the "Proles" of George Orwell. The mind control activies contemplated in Orwell's book are pretty expensive and presume government control that is pretty much over the top for those various groups expressing an interest in minimal government bureaucracy and interferance; those same mind control activities obviously can be used against any one in either the upper or lower tier who steps out of line and so defeats the purpose. The idea of "Bread and Circuses" is probably much closer to the ideal enforcement in a 2 tier society: it's probably much cheaper to provide than the ultimate government mind control activitity contemplated in the Orwell book and there is less opportunity to disturb the upper tier who are set in place.

Hmmm...and who controlled congress and the senate during those years? Hint: DemoRats.

And who pressured fannie mae and other financial institutions to provide home loans to those who could afford them with creative financing?...hmmm...the demorats

Number one,.. fannie mae didn't write home loans,.. they bought them. From independent sources.. Banks and specialty mortgage institutions..

Tony, are you saying the Demorats should have obstructed the way the GOP has? I wish they had too.

I remember Kevin Phillips wrote about these people in " The Emerging Republican Majority". He described them as being " unpoor, and unblack" indicated that they would be unsympathetic to the plight of those groups. Suburbia. The Republican bastion. And to think the Republicans are now disowning and eating their own.