America was and should be the land of opportunity. Yet increasingly we are becoming a nation of cynical opportunists.The cynical use of these kinds of opportunities can’t sit well with true conservatives. They wreak of fiscal irresponsibility. This kind of behavior grows the influence of government while reducing the rights and freedoms of our citizens. These kinds of policies weaken the nation now and unless reversed, cripple the nation in the future.
We’ve been hearing about trickle down for decades. No matter the problem, no matter the circumstance the right argues that the answer is to concentrate more wealth in the hands of the wealthy. They argue that when the wealthy have money it will trickle down.
Unfortunately, the facts of the last 30 years don’t support our national experiment with trickle down economics.
Yesterday Eric Cantor when speaking about the Payroll Tax Cut Extension said "People across America are scratching their heads, wondering what Washington is doing." This is just the latest example of what is arguably the historically greatest do nothing congress we have ever seen. In the middle of the greatest economic downturn since the great depression the GOP / Tea Party response has been to do nothing. Their response time and again has simply been "no".
Why We Should Be Doing More Than Police Crackdowns
Much has been made and said about the Occupy movement in the last two months, but not much has been done. Our media and our government have largely feigned ignorance as to the source or cause of the Occupy movement. Increasingly we find a more determined dialog, but the real question is why has it taken so long and why did it have to come to occupation to start the conversation?
A Convenient Excuse To Avoid Confronting The Realities Of Modern American Society
Lazy is the insult heaped upon so many other injuries Americans endure on a daily basis. Lazy is the convenient excuse used by the right to belittle those they oppose and to mitigate the guilt of defending the wealthy few. Lazy is the laziest possible approach to solving our problems.
The description and goal of Bank Transfer Day is straightforward: If you currently have checking and savings accounts (deposit accounts) with a big bank, the organizers encourage you to remove all of your funds, close your accounts, and place your money in a new deposit account with a not-for-profit credit union or local bank.
With Life So Good, Who Needs the American Jobs Act?
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal today, "From 2000 to 2010, median income in the U.S. declined 7% after adjusting for inflation, according to Census data. That marks the worst 10-year performance in records going back to 1967." The Walt Street Journal goes on to say that they don't expect incomes to recover until 2021, even then only about 5% will be regained. This announcement comes on top of our 9.1% unemployment with actual unemployment more like 20%. Welcome to the Republican JobTopia.
The Republican Party Has Done Nothing, Nothing, Nothing...And Worse
"Jobs, Jobs, Jobs" it's what House Speaker John Boehner said was the number one issue of the 2010 election. It's the one thing I can confidently say that I agree with John Boehner on, jobs, American jobs are the number one issue facing us as a nation. This fact begs the question, why haven't the Republicans done anything to promote job growth since the 2010 midterm elections? Why if the election was about "jobs, jobs, jobs", have the Republicans done nothing, nothing, nothing?
Worse than nothing, the republican party has actively sought to undermine American jobs, American wages, American workers and the American economy.
Early yesterday morning the final Space Shuttle mission concluded with a textbook landing in the early morning. This event marked the end of an era, the end of a program, and a major turning point for NASA. But I can't help but find myself wondering is it the end of America’s dreams?
On Sunday an energized group of 15 citizens from Bay Ridge and Brooklyn joined with over 25,000 other Americans at over 1,500 Rebuild the Dream events nationwide. We spent about two hours getting to know and understand each other’s perspective on the American Dream and then we got down to the business of discussing and debating the key issues of our day.
