Friday, March 11, 2011

Oil is more important than education......... evidently.

While Republicans work tirelessly to slash the budget with cuts to government programs such as the EPA, NOAA, Education, Endowment for the Arts and Amtrak, they simultaneously opt to extend/renew tax breaks for Big Oil.  Yes, I'll say it again, they want to bolster Big Oil and cripple the EPA.  If that doesn't send a clear signal to BP and the like, I'm not sure what does.

I know we're all heard it, maybe even said it, what's wrong with kids these day and what is this world coming to?  I think I've found the answer.  When you decide to invest in Big Oil, the same ones that supply fuel that pollutes our air, water and marshes and spend less and less on education, what do you expect?

I for one agree that we need to cut spending.  We need to spend less than we tax, that is smart economics in its simplest form.  But we need smart cuts.  With profits in the 10's of billions for Big Oil companies, I'm sure they have no problem paying their taxes.  Tax money that our education system, among other programs, desperately need.

So my question is when we elected these Republicans to office with the expectation that they would get government spending under control, are these the programs we thought they would cut?

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Jobfair, not Warfare!

So how many of you have been seeing these slogans posted all around?  I hadn't paid much mind to them to be honest, I know what they mean and I agree, but for the most part they are just as useless as the bumper stickers the other side uses, so I don't make much time for them.

That was until I read the headlines yesterday, McCain and the rest of the GOP want to send troops to Lybia.  Now, as far as GOP goes, I like McCain.  I liked Obama better, but that's not to say I disliked McCain at all.  I think he is an upstanding gentleman, one that has paid the price for America on several occasions.  That being said, the reason most people I know refused to vote for him was because he wasn't being himself when he was running for President, well, that the the whole Sarah Pain fiasco.  Anyway, here he goes again.  You can't possibly agree with sending more troops out of this country, away from their families, to spend more money we don't have, to fight for someone else.  If for no other reason, the GOP has been screaming to spend less, spend less, yet they want to send us into yet another battle?

This makes no sense to me.  Then again, maybe it does.  I mean, it is in the best interest of the oil companies for us to restore order there, under a dictator or not.  And we all know that the GOP is the first in line to do what's best for Big Oil.

So let's tally up the GOP's progress since they took over the House.

1. Voted to repeal the health-care bill. (Waste of time and money, it went nowhere after that.)
2. Placed bills on the floor to redefine the definition of rape. (Do you just hate women?)
3. Placed bill on the floor to remove funding from PBS. (Are you kidding me?)
4. Spent way too much time trying to tear apart marriage equality.

My question is, what progress have you made in creating jobs?  Why are the above bullet points somehow more important than our economy?  I know some will say that a couple of the above statements are geared towards reducing the budget, but really, how much?  Or is it all just lip-service?

Those of you that voted "Red" in the past election, I understand why.  I really do.  Spending is out of control and that is the main reason that those polled said they voted Republican/TeaBagger in the last election.  Something has to be done about the insane spending in our government.

But I ask you this, what have they done?  How has anything that the GOP has done since gaining control of the House helped in your daily life?

I know that many folks are/were against the Affordable Health Care Act and I understand that it is not flawless.  But the Democrats did make progress with that bill, however flawed you may think it is, it is progress.  Whether you agree with it or not, they made something happen, something they were elected to do. (Everybody likes to say that the American people didn't want it, but that statement is simply not true.)  What progress has the GOP made in anything, good, bad or indifferent?  How different are they then any lame-duck official? 

It seems to me they will continue to spin their wheels until the next election.

Once again, America is in a stall.  Let's hope we don't crash and burn before the next election when we can fix this debacle.