SoCalDem
SoCalDem's JournalNumbers...we love numbers
BREAKING: Mitt lost an event at the Romney Olympics (photo of contestant who beat him)
Mittens' nail pounding skills were not good enough.
Mittens refused to give him the gold medal.. He did get a souvenir though...
Romney & Crew has come up with a new & clever defense
"Yer-honor...I was not stalking <insert name here> , following them around spying on them, and then trash talking them to people after they left"..
I was just "bracketing".
Romneys do not take "vacations".
The word "vacation" implies that it's a respite from WORK
Example: "We get two weeks of vacation every summer"
They do not WORK..
Their money comes from decades of bilking other people.
Their "vacations" are just plain ole travel.. first class/private plane , but still just travel.
They roam from mansion to mansion, and of course the occasional Olympics to watch Anne's pet horsie dance,,(who knew that MS treatments included watching expensive horses dance?)
They make money..they do not work
they travel..they do not vacation
Someone who busts their ass working at a job they loathe, kissing asses day in and out, and who manage to scrape together a few bucks to roadtrip it to a Budget 8 somewhere for a few days.. they vacation
Dinner vs a dinner invitation
I am endlessly peeved as I watch so-called "news" people wonder endlessly about the popularity of ACA, and about why people don't seem so excited about the benefits they will get.
It's like getting an invitation to a fancy dinner, months away. There is a small fee, but it sounds like a really great dinner for the price, so you sign up.
If that meal gets cancelled, you might be a little bummed, but you would surely not miss a meal because you would have months to plan for that individual evening's meal.
but
If you are sitting down to eat, today..right now..and you are famished, and after a few bites, someone comes along and takes your plate, and you have no other options for a meal, you are going to be pissed.
Not enough people (people who have been polled) have sat down to the meal, so their future plans are still somewhat "fuzzy".
The polls also do not poll correctly.
The "against" answers do not discriminate between the "We hate everything Obama touches" , and the "Dammit, we wanted Medicare for all" people.
If media started doing proper polls with only 3 possible answers, the truth would be inescapable.
Correct question:
Choose ONE
1) health care we had before Obama changed it
2) Medicare for all
3) Obamacare as it evolves over time.
2 and 3 combined would be the important number, as #1 would probably NEVER go beyond 20%
A better poll on health care would be
Which do you prefer?
1. What we have now
2. Obamacare
3. Medicare for all
EVERYONE has an opinion, so NO option for "no opinion"
That poll could easily deliver a TRUE public reaction
2 & 3 added together would show that people really think, since we pretty much know that the "dirty-thirty" ALWAYS votes against anything that would benefit the un-rich.
What benefit, citizenship?
Citizenship, in actuality carries more of a burden than benefit. At least in the USA, it seems to be that way.
Citizenship in many other advanced countries has some pretty decent benefits attached to it.
Voting seems to be the Numero Uno benefit here. I searched many websites for naturalization and it was always at the top.
It's odd indeed, to note that in America, just BEING a citizen will not get you far when you plan to vote. Here, you must jump through many flaming hoops, and fill out paperwork, and then hope and pray that IF you get to vote, it will be counted, and that the results can be trusted.
Right wingers rant & rave about Socialism, but in Europe what they have is Socialism-Lite, and it looks pretty darned good from across the pond.
Parental leave
True universal health care
Educational assistance that does not bankrupt students/families
Old Age pensions that are not necessarily tied to a particular job/company
Unionized labor that has decent wages
Public amenities like libraries/museums that are not threatened with closure every few months..rail/subway service that is truly a service, and seems affordable to most people
Unemployment benefits that are more tied to need, than a timer ticking down
It's true that these things "cost money", but we seem to be paying MORE for a LOT less of the above, and while doing it, are constantly told that we don't deserve what little we GET from our citizenship..
Some literati once described America as a beautiful young woman, who when studied up close, is wearing a tattered garment & has a dirty neck.
We have an elevated opinion of ourselves, and refuse to look inward at all when it comes to trying to truly better ourselves.
.........................
http://resources.marshalladulteducation.org/citizenship.htm
Every year many people become naturalized, or are given rights, as U.S citizens
What Are The Benefits of Citizenship?
The most important benefit is the right to vote in elections.
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Having a U.S. passport allows citizens the freedom to travel. You can travel for long periods of time. You can also live outside of the United States. In addition, citizens receive U.S. Government protection and assistance when abroad.
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Citizenship Includes Some Responsibilities
Support and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States;
Swear allegiance to the United States; and
Serve the country when required
Citizens have many responsibilities other than the ones mentioned in the oath. Some of the key points of good citizenship are summarized on back. This is not a definitive list, but if citizens pledge themselves to doing each of them, this generation and generations that follow will continue to enjoy the American heritage of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Serving Jury Duty
The obligation to serve on a jury is the other side of the right of trial by jury, one of our most powerful freedoms.
Respecting others
Tolerance is not only "putting up" with other people who are different from ourselves, it's the spirit of trying to understand them. It is the judgment of people as individuals rather than of classes. The best advice for living peacefully with our fellow citizens is: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Supporting education and schools
A Massachusetts law enacted in 1647 founded the first system of public education in the American colonies. Today every stated has a compulsory education law and publicly controlled schools that, are free and open to the public. Our nation's future depends on educated citizens who acquire skills to enhance our economy and who keep themselves informed so leaders will not influence them or philosophies that weaken rather than strengthen our nation.
Giving Back To Your Community
Working together as a community cue can accomplish much more than we can ever hope to achieve alone. As citizens each of us has an obligation to make our community a little better place. Giving back means giving of your time and ability rather than money. Another word for this is volunteering.
Paying Taxes
If you work, you pay taxes. Taxes provide highways, police and fire protection, military forces, clean water, and safe food. They make possible the public schools, libraries, parks, and everything public (Streetlights etc.). You pay city, state and federal taxes. Taxes represent the cost of our government doing business. As unpleasant as paying taxes may be, taxation with, representation is a vast improvement over a government that taxes and takes your assets without you having a say about it. It is very important that you pay your taxes. Many of the financial benefits people receive come from taxpayer's money. It is a law that you file income taxes!
"Here’s your check, go away.’
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-27/u-dot-s-dot-automakers-cut-retirees-loose#r=elsewhere-img
Patricia Roberts, GM retiree, age 63
U.S. Automakers Cut Retirees Loose
By Keith Naughton on June 27, 2012
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GM is offering buyouts to 42,000 pensioners, or about 36 percent of its salaried retirees, who left from Oct. 1, 1997, to Dec. 1, 2011. Those who refuse the lump-sum buyouts will find their pension plan shifted to a unit of Prudential Financial (PRU) along with those of other retired U.S. salaried workers. GM will spend $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion to create a group annuity at Prudential and to offer the buyouts. The moves will excise its 118,000 salaried retirees from its books, though the company will continue to cover the pensions of about 400,000 hourly retirees. GM says the lump-sum payments and annuity will together cut $26 billion from its pension load.
“The market is willing to give a very positive reaction to pension-risk reduction,” says Mick Moloney, a partner in the insurance practice of consultant Oliver Wyman, which advised GM on its plan. “As soon as the press release came out, the share price went up,” he says. Some retirees, though, feel betrayed. “GM is simply abdicating its promise to salaried retirees for a lifetime pension to balance the books by unloading the obligation,” Jim Shepherd, president of the GM Retirees Association, said in a June 21 letter to a GM executive. “They’re throwing everybody under the bus,” says Vern Henderson, 79, a 1987 GM retiree not offered the buyout. “They’re targeting people who are the biggest liability to General Motors because they’ll live longer.” (GM says it will still offer retirees life-insurance benefits, discounts on cars, and regular updates on its business plans.)
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