Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

SHRED

SHRED's Journal
SHRED's Journal
October 4, 2013

What is going to happen as Republicans enroll via the ACA exchanges...

...find comprehensive insurance at affordable rates and way better terms than they've ever had?

What happens when they realize their party has lied and fearmongered them and tried to keep them from this?

September 6, 2013

'We Like War'

September 2, 2013

Covered California's new calculator


Here's what I put in. This will be an approximate retirement income for us.
The ACA is allowing me to retire and get out of the way for younger workers!


Number in Household: 2
Household Income: $45,000
Region: 19

Age: 57 and 54

Enhanced Silver 70 Plans vary from $231 to $473 per month (my cost).

More:
http://www.coveredca.com/fieldcalc/

Here's a good site for Q&A:
http://www.cahba.com/advice/



---
July 29, 2013

"If we paid farm laborers a living wage..."

"...then lettuce would be $12 per head."

Have you heard this argument?

I heard a similar claim last night on this show:
http://insideman.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/11/morgan-spurlock-struggles-to-meet-orange-tub-quota/

Morgan said that US citizens would do this job for maybe $30 per hour but then orange juice would be $20 a carton (or something like that).

The point is that every time I hear this claim I NEVER, and I mean NEVER hear about the profit margins the agi-corporations are pulling in.

Does it ever occur to anyone who repeats this oft repeated claim that maybe, just maybe, that profits paying multi-millionaire'd CEO's in agribusiness could be paired back instead of raising food prices?

Just asking.



July 15, 2013

From the "Comments"

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/07/15-0#comment-962695942

The corporate take over the state is complete. It has been for some time. Elections are all prepackaged show biz glitz without any substance whatsoever. Congress spends all their time raising money for re-election, so legislation is written by corporate lobbyists. The news media has become a cheerleader for wealth, greed, and corporate control. The police have become tools of the military. The Pentagon spends millions every year on developing weapons to crush "urban unrest." It is not just the government that needs to protested against, it is an entire society. The "Greed is Good" culture needs to be overthrown. It cannot be done without massive numbers of people willing to put everything on the line. And so, in the US, it cannot be done.
July 7, 2013

If Snowden had only...

...alerted the USA citizens that they were being intensely spied on without divulging foreign affairs to other countries would that have made any difference?

If he would have done just that and stayed and faced the justice system I think the support for him would be overwhelming.
He wouldn't be labeled a traitor and the public outpouring would be intense I think.

When he went overseas and divulged to other countries I think that is where the line was crossed.

July 6, 2013

Corporations portrayed as "victims" of our government

This is a universal theme among the Reichwing.
They even have working-class CONs believing this nonsense.

If there is one constant in the right side of the political spectrum then this would be it, IMHO.

June 22, 2013

Rooftop PV

Our privatized energy grid gatekeepers are fighting rooftop solar via building codes and influencing politicians at local, state, and federal levels.

They prefer coal, nuke, gas fired, or massive "green" projects. Projects like towering solar collection plants, geothermal, or big windmill farms. All of these serve their interest...the interest of centralization of their profits. These also use huge amounts of water.

A change in thinking is needed for a true green revolution in energy to take place.
Away from the centralized electricity production model.
One where the public owns the electricity grid and rooftop solar installation and maintenance is done by many people creating hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs. One where "traditional" electricity production plants are relegated to emergency standby status as we make the transition.

my two cents

ADDED:

Costly Boondoggles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blythe_Solar_Power_Project
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunrise_Powerlink

June 17, 2013

The rightwing protests the government...

...while the Leftwing protests what has happened to our government ...for example the corporate takeover of it.

Is that too simplified?

I think the tea party types completely ignore the takeover by the private sector.

June 15, 2013

Cooperative, Worker Cooperative, Co-Op

The top-down tyranny that exists today in the business world fails the workers and therefore the dwindling middle-class.

This is the business model the USA needs IMHO.
http://www.alvaradostreetbakery.com/cooperative.php

---

A cooperative is a business. Co-ops range in size from small store-fronts to large Fortune 500 companies. In many ways, they're like any other business, but differ in several important ways.

Cooperatives

*Are owned and democratically controlled by their members-the people who use the co-op’s services or buy its goods-not by outside investors; Co-op members elect their board of directors from within the membership.

*Return surplus revenues (income over expenses and investment) to members proportionate to their use of the cooperative, not proportionate to their “investment” or ownership share.

*Are motivated not by profit, but by service-to meet their members’ needs or affordable and high quality goods or services; Exist solely to serve their members.

*Pay taxes on income kept within the co-op for investment and reserves. Surplus revenues from the co-op are returned to individual members who pay taxes on that income.

http://www.ncba.coop/ncba/about-co-ops


Here's an APP to support CO-OPS: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.reasondigital.uscooperate

Profile Information

Gender: Do not display
Current location: Encinitas, CA
Member since: Sat Nov 22, 2003, 01:17 AM
Number of posts: 28,136
Latest Discussions»SHRED's Journal