Campaign Spending Cap

There should be a monetary cap on how much a candidate can spend on a campaign. Now it seems that an obscene amount of money are raised on political advertising. Also, there should be a time  limit set on campaigning -- say, six weeks. Candidates should be held to advocating their past records and concrete plans concerning his/her plans for the future. National standards be set for voting, with states operating on their individual issues within that framework; unified language, voting houses, registration laws.




~ Comments by Skazski

Happy New Year GOP

As I see it......with the GOP running the Legislative branch and doing only what the top 1% ordain and the Judiciary solidly on the side of the Right wing, this country is heading straight to being a Fascist Nation.  From cutting social programs to voting restrictions to undermining education we are becoming more like a third world state where the ruling class has all the wealth and advantages and the common people have little or nothing! Have a Happy New Year.....it may be our last. ~ Comments by Skazski

Tea Party and Repubs: Keeping the Lower Class in their Place

Gee, how naive I was in believing that the Republican promise of " Jobs! Jobs and more Jobs" was the objective in the last election! Now it seems that the "Jobs" mantra was a smokescreen for putting an end to social issues that go against their ideology i.e.,Social Security, Healthcare the EPA and all the other programs that make up the fabric of our society! I pray that when the next elections roll around the voters remember the political blackmail that the Tea Partyers used and the disaster they caused in 2011 and vote these terrorists out of office!

Keeping the lower classes in their place...........The President, and most politicians claim that "Education" is the Path to the Future for our children. Yet all over the country one of the first things cut from all budgets are funds for schools, the reduction of teaching staff to schools and repairs to those schools that have not been closed.......all of which continue the "dumbing down" of our country.After all,people who are uninformed and semi-literate are more easily manipulated.....this seems to be the mind-set of the Tea Partiers and the Far Right

It seems that the Tea Party's concerns about the government being "too big" and Sarah Palin's worries that President Obama is leading us away from what the "founders of our country had in mind for us" are so far from reality that it boggles the mind.Don't these folks realize that our country, today, is vastly different than it was when the Constitution was first drafted?For one thing the physical size of the nation.....we now have 50 states...and several territories....each with their own geographical,economical and social problems. that the Federal government must oversee......not to mention the international trade agreements,treaties and global affairs that concern us all! We have problems today that didn't exist in those days, for example ,the Atomic bomb,terrorists, global warming and diseases....get a grip on reality folks!!!









~ Comments by Skazski

Tea Party Madness: Lies and Cluelessness

Gee, how naive I was in believing that the Republican promise of " Jobs! Jobs and more Jobs" was the objective in the last election! Now it seems that the "Jobs" mantra was a smokescreen for putting an end to social issues that go against their ideology i.e., Social Security, Healthcare the EPA and all the other programs that make up the fabric of our society.! I pray that when the next elections roll around the voters remember the political blackmail that the Tea Partyers used and the disaster they caused in 2011 and vote these terrorists out of office!

---

Keeping the lower classes in their place...........The President, and most politicians claim that "Education" is the Path to the Future for our children. Yet all over the country one of the first things cut from all budgets are funds for schools, the reduction of teaching staff to schools and repairs to those schools that have not been closed.......all of which continue the "dumbing down" of our country. After all,people who are uninformed and semi-literate are more easily manipulated.....this seems to be the mind-set of the Tea Partiers and the Far Right

---

It seems that the Tea Party's concerns about the government being "too big" and Sarah Palin's worries that President Obama is leading us away from what the "founders of our country had in mind for us" are so far from reality that it boggles the mind. Don't these folks realize that our country, today, is vastly different than it was when the Constitution was first drafted? For one thing the physical size of the nation.....we now have 50 states...and several territories....each with their own geographical,economical and social problems. that the Federal government must oversee......not to mention the international trade agreements, treaties and global affairs that concern us all! We have problems today that didn't exist in those days, for example ,the Atomic bomb,terrorists, global warming and diseases....get a grip on reality folks!!!

Tea Party Taxes

Cut the Fat at the Top, Layabouts!
Here's a suggestion for cutting the budget....how about decreasing those congressmen's salaries? God knows they do little or nothing do deserve the obscene amount they are paid......and they don't even work full-time! They are eligible for the best of healthcare, a housing allowance plus the perks from lobbyists and other interests.....if we all should have to "tighten our belts", why the hell shouldn't those layabouts!!!!!!

---

We Need a REAL Tax Revolution!

What with the impending shut-down of the Government due to the Tea Party's stance on budget cuts......and its disregard for the citizens of our country (their salaries will continue to get paid) ....again I say cut those incompetent SOB's wages and benefits.. And as for that top 1% that pay little or no taxes....change the tax laws to a more equitable level....including those corporations that ship production overseas. What we need in this country is a REAL tax revolution!! Not an ideology that wants to include Planned Parenthood, NPR, and abortion related items that have no impact on fiscal responsibility. I wonder if those voters who elected these no-nothings now realize what a mistake that was!

Tea Party's "Moral Compass": Chaos, Not Progress

Granted, I am not an expert on many things,but neither are those fiscally ignorant members of Congress who dreamt up this recent solution to the deficit problem. It seems to me that in order to achieve economic stability we must create a more healthy job market and increase the tax base....neither of which the Tea Party is willing to consider.I t seems the "moral compass" of said Tea Party is set at chaos not progress..Their mantra of "not putting a tax burden on our grandchildren" is just a tad ingenuous.....if those grandchildren won't be able to breathe9 due to the slashing of funding to the EPA) or have safe drinking water(same as above),if they will be working in unsafe conditions and for minimum wage( due to the elimination of labor laws and unions) and if those sainted grand kids continue to fall behind the rest of the world academically and cannot compete for any type of job or leadership role (thanks to cutting funds for education) and of course, the country will be overrun with many,many more people all competing for the necessities of life(health care, food shelter etc.( thanks to the elimination of such organizations like Planned Parenthood)........would you want YOUR grandchildren to have to exist in such a world? I don't think so.

Layabouts in Congress

Here's a suggestion for cutting the budget....how about decreasing those congressmen's salaries? God knows they do little or nothing do deserve the obscene amount they are paid......and they don't even work full-time! They are eligible for the best of healthcare, a housing allowance plus the perks from lobbyists and other interests.....if we all should have to "tighten our belts", why the hell shouldn't those layabouts!!!!!!

Availibility of Deadly Weapons Deranged

Putting aside for the moment the horrific cause of Saturday's tragic events in Arizona, one basic premise STILL exists....the availability of deadly weapons to those who are truly deranged..Current gun laws are too lax and are too often circumvented..A simple criminal background check is obviously not enough, some sort of psychological test should be included (like in the armed forces) before any gun permit/sale is issued..When one considers the fact that we are the most heavily, privately armed nation in the world it should come as no surprise when something like the Arizona massacre occurs. . .

Guns in Bars

Oh,Goody! Now there are some who want to not only allow guns in bars and college campuses but to allow them in Congress! Just what we need.....solve the gun problems with more guns! Can you imagine the outcome of the often nasty and heated arguments if those members were to be armed?!

Remedy is the Vote, not Bloodshed

I'm no Constitutional scholar but isn't it an act of sedition to advocate the use of arms to overthrow a tyrannical government if some think that is our own? I always thought that the 2nd.Amendment meant that we had the right to form a militia against a foreign, invading body. Our nation/government is formed by all of the people and if there is dissension the remedy is the vote. Not bloodshed.

Giant Step Backwards

The results are in....and we have taken a giant step backwards. The "Tea-Partiers" will have their say, the Democrats will remain indecisive, and every politician will now be focusing on the 2012 elections....therefore, nothing of any importance, nothing will be done. Anything that Pres. Obama has accomplished will be either undone or overlooked by the Republicans in the hope that they will return to power.......its all downhill from now on, folks. This has become too disturbing for me, a world where blatant lies count as truth,ignoring those who need help in order to protect megacorporations,supporting wars that drain us monetarily as well as morally and ,instead of encouraging proper education for our youngsters we fill their heads with utter crap and give them no chance against the rest of the world to flourish.. So, I say....Finito, and God bless you.
       

The Silly Season

Well, after a summer of escaping into the world of Tennis it is time to get back into the "real world"......and what a mess it is! I really didn't think that matters could get much worse but when I see and hear some of the candidates for the U.S. Senate it is clear that the inmates have taken over the asylum! 

We are now entering the silly season, AKA pre-election campaigning. We must go through a daily barrage of political half-truths and some downright lies by those who want our votes. Every hour of every day these ads are in our face and there seemed to be no escape but one......our Churches. However, now thanks to the Alliance Defence Group even that last refuge from all that blather, would vanish! This misbegotten group would have it that Pastors and other clergymen could not only campaign for candidates but allow them to be guest speakers to their congregations all the while maintaining the Churches' tax exempt status! This is so wrong,on so many levels that I hope and pray it gets the fate it deserves!! The purpose of a Church is to offer solace in times of despair and to offer hope by the words of The Almighty.!

~ Comments by Skazski

A Republican Myth

The greatest myth of all.....the Republicans Pledge to America....they claim that thousands of jobs will be saved by cutting taxes and by cutting spending.

Statistics show otherwise. Their tax cuts would only benefit about 4% of the population,who pay the same taxes on millions of dollars as those who earn less than a quarter of that amount... and by cutting spending on such items as repairing /expanding our infrastucture, health care and the environment jobs will be sharply decreased....a situation that we cannot afford in this difficult economic climate.

~ Comments by Skazski

Bechtel, Just a Small Mom n' Pop Store

A finding in a recent investigative report on Tax Law and the definition of a "small business" was a shocker! One would think that a small business was the Mom N' Pop store in the neighborhood,or the family run hardware store...but, no....it refers to the least number of owners, even if it is a megacorporation (i.e.Bechtel) and rakes in profits of millions of dollars a year ! Equality under the law? I think not! And we have the audacity to call ourselves a "democratic" country....Ha!

~ Comments by Skazski

 New Grandchild!

note from a very happy old woman; Congratulations to Kelly and Mark for bringing a brand new baby girl into our family.. 

Rafa Did It!

At last! Rafa has completed the Grand Slam!...and he is only 24 years old! I can't think of a more deserving champion. He will be tested in the coming year but let'ssee if he can repeat by winning all four majors in one year.  Tennis Rants

Thoughts while watching the U.S.Open. If a player intentionally smashes/breaks his racket during a match he is given a warning and if he does it again he gets a point reduction......but, if a player berates and demeans an official,i.e. a linesperson nothing is said or done! Does the Tennis Association consider an inanimate object( racket) more valuable than a human being? This is not only unsportsman like it sets a very bad example for young players.

Intentional advantage???? The last 3 players that Federer met were "lefties"....in anticipation of a Nadal-Federer Final?Too bad RF met Djokavic in the semis!Who decides the match-ups?on what basis do they make their decisions? By comparison Nadal faced much tougher opponents in his early round matches......is bias afoot here?   Tea Party In The Garden: Wrong Path

In a weird way I understand the Tea Party's frustrations, but I think that their aim is misdirected. They should be angry with the members of Congress and Senate who have constantly blocked almost every action of the President to improve our financial situation. Cutting taxes is only going to make matters worse....it is a pity that they (Tea Partiers) are being led down the garden path and would take the rest of us with them. The Republican Party has a history of backing "Big Business" and the wealthy elite and to hell with the underdogs(us)....seems like sour grapes to me.

Pray For Sarah

 As to Keith Olbermann's remarks about Sarah Palin being an "idiot".....in my opinion she is just ignorant and is too stupid to realize it. We should pray for her and God will heal her....just as she recommends for the oil disaster in the Gulf.

~ Comments by Skazski

Racism in the Republican Party

Is former Congressman(R) Tancredo a Native American? Unless his ancestors were here to greet the Pilgrims, what language did his forefathers speak when they arrived on our shores?...and just how perfectly did they speak or write English? More appalling than Tancredo's remarks was the applause he got for making them! It is obvious that racist attitudes are still thriving in the Republican Party.

Bet on Health Care

 As unpleasant as taxes are they are a necessary part of life......no money in, no money out....this is how our government gets funds for projects that provide services and jobs..Sometimes it takes money to make money......you will never win the lottery if you never buy a ticket..We are a Nation of gamblers....whether it is space exploration, planting crops, having a family, buying a new car, playing the Stock Market,...it is all a risk that we take every day......so why not bet on health care? The odds of a universal health care system are in our favor over the long run....if we get rid of the Health Care monopolies, their lobbyists and Senators who are on the take.....level the playing field,so to speak.


~ Comments by Skazski

Tea Baggers, the Other Meaning

There is a lot of anger out here against those who have, time and again, been elected to represent us in the Federal Government and who have, year after year, served their own political interests/gains......and now there is a faction who has seized on this anger to build a political platform that goes far beyond all reason....the Tea Baggers. I wonder how many of them are aware of the other meaning of that phrase? The real issue is not too much government but the incompetence and corruption of those IN government.

~ Comments by Skazski

Rush and Health Care: Get Real!

Health Care at its best!!! So Rush Limbaugh says that our health care system "is just fine" and that he wasn't given any special treatment...really? Not to belittle the health care in Hawaii, which is about as good as it gets in this country, but I worked as a health care professional in hospitals for many years and know how the system works...when a wealthy celebrity is admitted, for care, you can bet your bottom dollar that no time, or effort is spared seeing to his every needs.....and the fact that Limbaugh said he didn't get special treatment shows how delusional he is.....he didn't have to worry about seeking medical attention when he felt ill, because he knew he could afford it....unlike thousands of his fellow Americans who aren"t millionaires! Get real,Rush!

Time to Change The Way We War

Modern warfare has changed...why haven't we? Somehow the idea of using large armies to invade other countries in order to vanquish small, mobile terrorist groups seems like a waste of lives and funds. Wouldn't those resourses be better used by overhauling, and improving,"intelligence"? Establishing a world-wide network of "police forces" in one unified system, and maintaining smaller more mobile task forces whose sole agenda would be the eradication of terrorist cells all over the world rather than occuping sovereign nations seems more plausible....fight the terrorists with their own tactics.

~ Comments by Skazski