Neighbors helping neighbors
Much has been printed, in both letters to the editor and news articles, about the upcoming reduction in the federal government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Indeed, this funding reduction will hurt many Mainers of moderate and low incomes. The state may try to help, but it is trying to balance its own budget and therefore may not be of much help. In the end, the funding will fall on local people helping other local people.
In Surry, as in many other towns in Maine, we have such a local program, the Surry Fuel Assistance Program. This program helps folks stay warm in the winter. This program is administered by the town’s selectmen but is funded entirely by donations from residents and businesses. There is no local, state or federal tax money supporting this program.
Given that other government programs are being cut and the poor economy, the need for fuel assistance is growing. I encourage readers to find out if their community has a fuel assistance program and if they do, support it. And if you live in Surry our program can always use your donations.
It’s easy to donate, just send a check or stop by the town office and give what you can. In addition to knowing you are helping folks in your community, your donation is also tax deductible. Remember, all of the money you give to the Surry Fuel Assistance program will keep your friends and neighbors warm this winter
William Matlock, selectman
Stephen Bemiss, selectman
Surry
Stand up to FDA
In the excellent article on the state’s lawsuit against farmer Dan Brown for selling unlicensed raw milk, Agriculture Commissioner Walter Whitcomb is quoted as saying that this was a “response to what the [Department of Agriculture] felt was a potentially dangerous situation.” He has got to be kidding.
No one has ever gotten sick from Dan’s milk, not even between July, when his milk was tested, and November, when the report of that test was given to Dan.
There are about 40 million reported cases of food-borne illness every year in the United States, and several thousand deaths. A vanishingly small number of these illnesses, and no deaths, are caused by drinking raw milk, while pasteurized milk has caused from dozens to thousands of illnesses and a few deaths annually.
Virtually all food-borne disease is a result of the industrialized food system, combining food from hundreds or even thousands of sources into huge processing plants and distributing the result around the country to places like Hannaford’s, which recently had to recall ground beef.
The licensing and inspection system clearly does not prevent food-borne illness; it only allows it, after people have sickened and died, to be traced to the source, which can take months. This is not called a “dangerous situation,” it is business as usual.
It is outrageous that the state is criminalizing small farmers. Whitcomb should stand up to the FDA and its misguided campaign against raw milk, and stand with the small farmers of Maine.
Bonnie Preston
Blue Hill
Join the science fair
The BDN’s recent article on STEM education in Maine pointed out both the national challenge of developing a competitive work force in science, technology, engineering and math and the efforts Maine is undertaking to meet the need. We’d like to add mention of the Maine State Science Fair.
In the same year we learned that only 21 percent of high school seniors nationally tested scored “proficient” in science, the MSSF was slated to vanish. The Jackson Laboratory took on the challenge of organizing and hosting the 2011 fair to give talented Maine students an outlet for their creativity.
It’s our belief that students who discover the fun and excitement of doing science will be more interested in careers in science. Talk to many of the world’s top scientists and they’ll tell you stories of how participating in science fairs transformed them by showing them they enjoyed science and were good at it.
This year the prestigious INTEL International Science Fair named the MSSF an affiliated fair for the first time. Donors have come forward to make sure that the top two winners at this year’s MSSF and their mentors will have an all-expenses-paid trip to compete at the international level for millions of dollars in scholarships and prizes.
If you’re a high school teacher or student in Maine, please consider participating in the 2012 Maine State Science Fair. Visit www.jax.org/mssf for details. Applications are due Feb. 1 and the fair will be held at The Jackson Laboratory on March 24.
Robert E. Braun, Ph.D.
Associate director and chair of research
The Jackson Laboratory
Romney’s shadow boxing
It has been said that a phony patriotism is often the last refuge of a scoundrel. Mitt Romney has redefined that notion with his not-so-subtle suggestions that President Obama is not a real American.
The insinuations of this line of attack include racist, xenophobic and elitist elements that reveal their originator as a pathetic political hack lacking the confidence to engage his opponent in the open arena of reasonable political discourse.
David Calder
Canaan
Misleading story
This letter intends to provide readers clarification regarding a misleading sentence in the BDN’s Jan. 4’s article, “Loophole allowed state to pay $235 million to organizations run by lawmakers and their spouses.” The article, after listing powerful Maine legislators who simultaneously served their terms while holding private nonprofit leadership positions, stated “other legislators who worked for organizations that have gotten millions in state money, including Spurwink.”
The legislator they identified as Spurwink’s employee worked five-and-a-half months in 2005, served in an entry-level part-time direct care position and worked an average of less than 8 hours per week for those months. This person had no role on or with the organization’s leadership before, during or after her employment and in no way was part of a conscious effort to divert state funds to Spurwink.
The mention of Spurwink in this article was unfortunate, misleading and paints an inaccurate cloud over an organization that has, for 50-plus years, held itself to the highest levels of integrity, demonstrated in part by its repeated national re-accreditations.
Spurwink is an organization known for its excellence, expertise and hard work serving Maine families at their most vulnerable moments. I am proud that I’ve served on Spurwink’s senior team for more than 16 years. To have connected Spurwink with the gist of the article making the case for stricter disclosure requirements is both a disappointment and a distraction to the point the article attempted to make.
Sonia Garcia
Director, Clinical Business Development & Marketing
Spurwink
WILLIAM & STEPHEN,
HIP, HIP, HORRAY, Finally someone who gets it. It’s always been about people caring for people, and then comes the government trying to convince us it’s about government caring for people.
DAVID,
Though I will not vote for Romney in the Republican primary, and feel he is at best a moderate, his adjectives describing the current standing commander and chief is accurate.
amconservative…..give it a rest. he provided his birth certificate….try focusing on some real issues
He should lighten up for sure. After all, there is a circus coming to Maine next month, Feb 4-11.
“Send in the clowns, don’t bother they’re here”
A ROBthePUBLICAN focusing on real issues? Oh come on now…Never happen.
Hey Bill & Steve – it kind of helps that Surry is a coastal community inhabited by people with incomes that are unusually high and a population far more educated that a typical Maine town. I’m a fan of people helping themselves, but government has to play a role when that isn’t enough.
I like the idea of local assistance rather than a cumbersome state or federal bureaucracy. Maybe a block grant to each community based on population, assessment value, etc.
A block grant from what agency? Who would administer such a grant?
Who would see to it that the selectmen/women distributed the money honestly and fairly. From personal experience I know some selectmen/women will favor relatives and friends.
Won’t all this administration and overseeing cost money. What’s wrong with the system we already have?
Understood, but surely local administration and accountability is preferable to a vast and inherently inefficient central bureaucracy.
I don’t really know but it’s worth thinking about, Anne. Perhaps the town office could administer.
Bonnie Preston–I agree–
“It is outrageous that the state is criminalizing small farmers. Whitcomb should stand up to the FDA and its misguided campaign against raw milk, and stand with the small farmers of Maine.”
Governor LePage should also shed his corporate persona for a moment and admit that Maine’s local farms, particularly organic farms, are one of the fastest growing businesses and best jobs producers in the state and perhaps throw his weight into fostering, not penalizing these entrepreneurs. People before politics, y’know?
Umm…FDA stands for Federal Department of Agriculture. And these same farmers are the ones that were cited as the reason the inheritance tax was raised to 2 million dollars as they are property rich and income poor. Exactly how many jobs does dairy farming create?
FDA stands for Food and Drug Administration. The department of agriculture is the US Department of Agriculture-USDA- as in USDA grade beef, etc.
You’re right. Still the FDA is not a responsibility of the state.
You can eat a lot of dirt as long as it is local dirt that you grew up with. It is when you bring in strange dirt that you get sick. We all know some people who amaze us with lack of cleanliness. But they are never in a hospital or even have a sniffle. Our immune systems are incredible things which need exercize just like our muscles.
Matlock/Bemiss, Robert Braun, David Calder: good letters.
David, the glaring difference between Mr. Romney and Obama happens to be Mitt is a proven great leader within several arenas whereas “teleprompter man” has proven to be quite the non-leader, and actually seems to shun the role.
Romney installed a health insurance plan in Mass. that worked so well that Obama proposed it for the whole US. Isn’t it great to have two such intelligent leaders?
Why is getting your farm and animals inspected when selling to the public such an invasion of everybody’s rights. It seems like something a responsible person would do. What exactly is wrong with licensing? If a farmer finds the licensing precess costly, invasive and onerous: don’t do it. But then don’t sell to the public against the law.
When I was a child everyone bought their milk from local farmers. Better milk, no additives and it actually still had cream in it. We all seemed to live through it ok . If you would rater buy from the store no one is telling anyone they can or cant. The choice is up to the purchaser
The choice is still available if a farmer is licensed. All other food products have to be licensed. Why exempt farmers selling to the public.
As I understand it the sticking point is that the farmer can’t be licensed unless he pasteurizes the milk.
From the Maine Organic Farmers Association website.
Maine is one of the states that allows the sale of unpasteurized “raw” milk. Maine is one of only 28 states that does not prohibit the sale of unpasteurized products, and farms can produce raw milk if they follow specific guidelines. The sale of raw milk is regulated by licensing, inspecting, labeling, and sampling processes. Contact the Maine Department of Agriculture Milk Commission and the Division of Animal Health for rules on milk production and distribution in Maine, package labeling, and sales.
Thanks for posting that and clearing that up. I went back to the original article and it seems that the issue is that the state is violating a local ordinance, and that the state would “prefer” the milk be pasteurized. The headline is also misleading: http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2011/11/16/news/hancock/blue-hill-farmer-cited-for-violating-state-law/
No, not all food products have to be licensed. I can sell eggs, unlicensed at the farmers market or from my home. Ditto for vegetables, fruits… nuts, I suppose. But NOT milk or meat products. Those have to be licensed and “inspected”. Hmm….why is that?
You’re right fruits, vegetables and eggs can be sold without the farm being licensed. I’m guessing that milk and meat have the potential to carry more serious diseases and parasites and warrant the extra precautions. Perhaps.
Consider the reference to Michelle Obama, “For the first time in my life, I am proud of my country.” Our president has made demeaning remarks about America in his many trips to other countries. Does that make him a proud American?
Michelle Obama is not the president. Her remark was unfortunate, however as an African-American woman she has experienced double discrimination and may have a very different perspective than you. President Obama has never made demeaning remarks about America, neither here or abroad.
Double discrimination. I wish worked at a university and had a 300k per year job that was specially made for me because of who I am.
As far as BHO and his demeaning remarks about America, I guess it’s all in the way one interprets them.
4lifeandfreedom, The Blacks in this country, have been given very little to be proud of. In fact none of us should be proud, of how they have been treated, by the Government, or some of the people of this country. Also where does it say you always have to be PROUD of this country, or it’s government to prove you love it. I’m not always proud of my kids, but I love them with all my heart, as I do this country. I also have no doubt, that Barack, and Michelle Obama, love this country as much as you, or I do. Also pretending we are perfect when we are not, makes us look like fool, and makes others hate us. What good is that. besides there’s no such thing as perfect!
Blacks have nothing to be proud of?!? Tell that to Walter E. Williams, Thomas Sowell, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Alan West, General Colin Powell, Condelesa Rice, Morgan Freeman, Mr. T, Jerry Rice, Michael Vick, Shak, etc., etc., etc.
Get out of the past. It’s over and done with, and there’s no way to go back and change anything. Blacks in America have unlimited opportunities to excel in any way they want. It’s all in the path that is chosen.
EJ don’t twist my words, there are many Blacks that we all could aspire to. You know as well as I do, that this country and a lot of it’s people have done shameful things. To say it’s time for them to put in the past is wrong, it’s part of history, it’s hurtful, and no different, them then your history is to you.
You say the Blacks have unlimited opportunities, yes that maybe true, but I’ll bet the white, man won’t get knocked down nearly as many times, with people praying he won’t get up.
Barack and Michelle Obama, are the ultimate, American dream, they work their way out of poverty, and in to the, White House. The only trouble is some can’t stand, they’re using the front stairs. I say ain’t life grand. I for one am PROUD! of out 1st family
I’m proud of our first family too searoses! Solid like Barack!
I was proud of GWB – a solid guy like Barack.
Now that’s just crazy talk.
Fools are proud of the guy who put our economy in the toilet…GWB.
Michelle Obama 2020!
Where did I say they have nothing to be proud of, don’t put words in my mouth!
”
The Blacks in this country, have been given very little to be proud of.”
The operative word is “given.” You’re disgusting.
I still don’t see the word NOTHING!
EJ you might be able to, twist your Bible around, to suit, yourself, because those who wrote the word are dead and gone. Bye the way there are a few things you need to put behind you, but that will be left for another day.
It’s over and done with!? Explain that to the parents in Norcroft, Georgia, who found the following questions on their 3rd grade students math tests;
Each tree has 56 oranges. If 8 slaves pick them equally, then how many would each slave pick?
and
If Frederick got 2 beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in 1 week? 2 weeks?
Before you spout that this is some liberal BS, look up ‘Math homework references slavery’ and view the videos.
You might also look into the settlement North Carolina is formulating for the illegal forced sterilization of blacks and poor people in the 1940s and 50s.
David Calder, I guess that would depend on your definition of an American. My definition is someone who supports all of the things that have made this country great. Someone who believes in our constitution and rights without trying to twist them around such as some have tried with the 2nd amendmentSomeone who believes in the people and does not want government to run our lives and create dependency on the government. In my own definition Obama is not american reguardless of race and religious beliefs.Opinions will vary that is mine
Was your total federal tax rate (FICA and income tax) on all income lower under Bush or Obama?
Bush of course, but I cant blame Obama for that there are certain changes in tax codes that he is not directly responsible for
Lower under Bush? $1.5 trillion in war debt is cheaper?
Overtaxed, assuming you have any income from employment or self-employment (that you work like the rest of us), your tax rate under President Obama has been less. Income tax rates are identical to what they were when Bush left office (Actually each marginal rate kicks in at higher income levels, thanks to inflation adjustment, so they are technically lower.) and the Making Work Pay tax cut of 2009 and the 2011 and 2012 FICA tax cut of 2% of earned income (Which will expire at the end of February if the Republican House does not get its act together.) lowered your tax rate under President Obama. Any accountant will verify this for you.
I suggest you change your posting name to Overtaxed Under Bush But Undertaxed Under Obama. I suggest any person responding to your future posts refer to you by that same moniker.
Educate yourself. Obviously, Faux News has failed in that task.
i would be willing to bet i pay much more than you,which accounting office do you work in or are you just a self proclaimed geneius
The logic of this comment escapes me entirely. How does paying more taxes than Chenard have any bearing on the argument of whether taxes were lower with Bush or Obama. Or have you lost the argument and are essentially saying “Nyah, nyah, I’m better than you”
thank you so much for your unwanted opinion I dont recall addressing the comment to you but thanks anyway, obviously better I am not a liberal
Dear Overtaxed Under Bush But Undertaxed Under Obama, thank you for conceding that President Obama has lowered your tax rate.
Genius is misspelled in your post.
I rather doubt that you had more withheld in taxes last year than I, as I had an exceptional year in my business. That is irrelevant to the point I raised: that your tax rates under President Obama have been lowered but you are so filled with Faux News propaganda that you didn’t realize it. It is a sad commentary on your party and yourself.
by the way FOX news is misspelled in your response unless that is an off topic childish slanderous remark exceptional year for myself also
And we can thank Obama for tripling our deficit. Ya I know like all liberals blame it on Bush.
for alot of people Obama. more people are living off from welfare now so they pay no taxes.. so yes alot lower.
We are talking about individual FICA and income tax rates for various income levels. That is independent of whether incomes have gone up, as they have for the 1%, or down, as they have for the 99% ever since Bush took office. Someone making $150,000 in earned income last year paid less in federal taxes than he did during any year of the Bush presidency. This is indisputable, yet Faux News-informed posters such as Overtaxed Under Bush But Undertaxed Under Obama cannot understand that or refuse to admit it.
Nobody is trying to twist your Second Amendment rights away from you. The Supreme Court has assured your right to buy, sell, own, carry guns. Stop scaring yourself with silly stuff nobody is proposing.
dont be blind just because its not in the headlines
Ummm, perhaps they are not in the headlines because there is no news about taking away your Second Amendment rights. The gun magazines, however, are full of silly articles spewing misinformation and made up “facts” about how President Obama’s planning to destroy your rights, your guns your country and your moral fiber. Not one single one of these rumor mongering publications made one protest about the Patriot Act, which actually did curtail your rights.
It’s all just partisan and racial politics. It’s too bad that you’ve gotten sucked into it. It’s not very honest or noble. And it certainly doesn’t pass the straight face test.
Are you serious???
I take it that you are not too proud of our country now and then either?
always proud of my country,just have issues with its so called leaders
David– Romney has no orginal ideas of his own so the only thing left is to discredit the other. Romney is just another blow hard Republican who will say anything to get elected but will forget everything he said after elected. It is the same old thing cut taxes to the rich. When will the public wake up? The Bush tax cuts are still in effect which has helped tank the country but now we need more cuts. Oh Romney says Obama gets no credit for the jobs created, I guess it must be Romney that has created the jobs even before he gets into office. I sure hope the country is smart enough not to elect Mitt.
Obama has no original ideas himself, he is just trying to implement the Ideas that socialist and communist countrys have tried and proven unsuccessful
Here are a few of the orginal ideas–
1. provided stimulas for private firms to boost private sector space flights
2.set up a consumer protection bureau to oversee banks, etc. (I know the R’s feel no need for this but I think the banks need a little more supervisions after the last go around)
3. requiring lenders to verify all information on borrowers. (another thing the banks and mortgage brokers were not very truthful about)
4.extended benefits to same sex partners in the federal gov.
5. nuclear treaty with Russia, to delete nuclear arms
1. Virtually killing NASA was a mistake. Now we have to hitch a ride with the Soviets who tend to lose supply ships, and have a terrible space record.
2. The banks are already over-regulated, and the regulators are unfit and under trained when it comes to enforcing the regulations. Is will do more harm than good.
3. For years, the banks were forced to make loans to people that could not pay them back. And now he introduces legislation to fix that problem? This is just a ploy to cover Freddie and Fannie, Dodd, Watters, and Frank.
4. Special favors for special interests. Seems he pledged that he wasn’t going to do that.
5. Just more weakening of the US. No true Commander-in-Chief would voluntarily lay down his arms when there is still an enemy that would rather see us dead.
By the way, I doubt any of these things were his “original ideas”.
1. NASA started getting downsized under Bush, he stated that we should go to Mars but at the same time cut NASA’s budget.
2. Banks got deregulated in 1999 allowing investment banks and commercial banks to merge causing the 2006 banking crisis. That deregulation needs to be reversed.
3. NO bank has ever been forced to loan to people that could not pay them back. Sub-prime loans were forced on minorities that would have qualified for regular mortgages thus avoiding having to pay higher interest on loans or having adjustable interest rates that exploded their monthly payments.
4. Ending discrimination of gays is not special favors for special interests. Invading a country with 25% of the worlds known oil reserves and then carving up those oil reserves for multi-national companies and codifying it in their new constitution is giving special favors to special interests.
5. Pulling out of Iraq is not weakening the US. Repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is not weakening the US. Tell me how he is weakening the US?
1. Went to NASA last spring and got a full briefing. The Bush NASA cuts were primarily administrative and had already been budgeted for. Obama’s shut-down cost 8,000 jobs in Florida alone, and put untold millions into the Soviet’s pockets.
2 & 3. This proves you have swallowed the left-wing hogwash about the banking industry. My wife has been in banking for over 20 years, and she would tell you otherwise.
4. Discrimination cannot be used for those that choose their lifestyle. It is a special interest issue.
5. Obama kept to the Bush strategy in Iraq. Repealing DADT will damage the internal structure and strength of the military. In some cases it already has.
1. It would be the Republicans who are trying to cut the budget of NASA even more than it has been.
http://www.space.com/13967-nasa-faces-budget-cuts.html
“A disaster relief bill the House approved Dec. 16 along with the 2012 Final Consolidated Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2055) includes a 1.83 percent across-the-board cut for all nondefense related discretionary spending, including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a number of other federal agencies previously funded in theso-called minibus spending bill Congress enacted in November. The across-the-board cut, or rescission, is crafted to pay for some $8 billion in disaster relief spending.”
2. & 3. Banks got a massive deregulation bill in 1999, the Gramm-Rudman bill.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1999-07-02/news/9907020342_1_glass-steagall-act-banking-business-bank-accounts
“The new law would repeal parts of the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act, which prevented
banks from moving into the securities business.”
http://www.federalreserve.gov/communitydev/cra_about.htm
“The Community Reinvestment Act is intended to encourage depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound operations.”
4. Your assumption predisposes that being gay is a lifestyle choice but modern science would disagree with you. From your statement I assume that you are against protecting people from discrimination based on religion (a lifestyle choice) or marital status (a lifestyle choice) as well.
5. The repeal of DADT has not and will not damage the internal structure and strength of the military asking people to lie about who they are would do that. That same old tired argument was used when the military was desegregated to allow black to serve with whites unless you think that did weaken the internal strength and structure of the military. My military friends would not agree with you in either case.
E.J. has his own set of (facts?) at least that is what he calls them, any resemblance to the truth is purely coincidental.
Please, let your wife tell me how the repeal of parts of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999 did not change banking.
Even Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said that many of his current colleagues erred when they voted to repeal the 1932 act that mandated, among other things, the separation of commercial and investment banking.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/94281-top-republican-says-1999-glass-steagall-repeal-went-too-far
Obama has overhauled the food safety system
Advanced women’s rights in the work place
Ended Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) in our military
Stopped defending DOMA in court.
Passed the Hate Crimes bill.
Appointed two pro-choice women to the Supreme Court.
Expanded access to medical care and provided subsidies for people who can’t afford it.
Expanded the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Fixed the preexisting conditions travesty [and rescissions] in health insurance.
Invested in clean energy.
Overhauled the credit card industry, making it much more consumer-friendly.
While Dodd-Frank bill was weak in many respects, it was still an extremely worthwhile start at re-regulating the financial sector.
He created a Elizabeth Warren’s dream agency: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
He’s done a lot for veterans
He got help for people whose health was injured during the clean-up after the 9/11 attacks.
Overhauled the food safety sytem so it does what better now than it did before?
Advanced women’s rights in the workplace how?
He has passed legislation to provide subsidies for those who can’t afford it—but those subsidies are not in effect yet–although the taxes to pay for them are being collected now.
Invested in clean energy…*cough* Solyndra, anyone??
I take issue that the credit card industry overhaul was truly “consumer friendly”. The result of the overhaul was that credit card companies upped interest rates and cut credit lines in anticipation of the bill taking effect. So the consumer got screwed over big time—but at least now they can’t get screwed again, right?? Does anyone believe this? I am withholding judgment.
Dodd Frank was….just ineffectual period.
The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau….another tax-payer funded monstrosity designed to “help” all the consumers who couldn’t learn basic reading, math and logic in the tax-payer funded educational system. Throw more money at the problem. It will probably work this time….
What has he done for veterans?
Obama’s record is so easy to attack, if only the Republicans would get with it. Who is running these capaigns!?
So what ever accomplishments a president makes unless he has perfectly addressed every one of your issues he’s accomplished nothing worthwhile. How come the bar wasn’t this high when Bush was president.
I will grant you Solyndra was a mess and it’s all Obama’s mess to own. Keep in mind though it pales in comparison to Bush’s war mess.
”
So what ever accomplishments a president makes unless he has perfectly addressed every one of your issues he’s accomplished nothing worthwhile. How come the bar wasn’t this high when Bush was president.”
You must have slept through the Bush administration. By the way, President Bush had a laundry list of great accomplishments during his time in office. I suppose they’re not good enough for you because his accomplishments didn’t perfectly address every one of your issues.
Your partisanship is getting rather old. It takes two to tango.
I ‘m trying to think what might be on that laundry list of great accomplishments in the Bush presidency. It’s really hard. On the bright side he didn’t sleep around. He didn’t abuse his wife or daughters, even though the daughters were in desperate need of parental guidance. Grandma Bush took care of that. He was affable and laughable. He obeyed orders. His wife didn’t redecorate the White House.
Abetter Republican candidate for great accomplishments is Nixon. Unfortunately his fatal flaw will always overshadow his many really great accomplishments, which is too bad.
Eisenhower also comes to mind. Poor old stupid Bush, not so much.
This is a giant leap in logic to get from my questions and comments to such a general statement. Right now, I can’t think of an issue that is important to me that Obama has addressed in an adequate manner. I really can’t think of one that Bush managed to address adequately either. There may have been one—hmmm…Bush did cut my taxes which was nice. Obama extended the cuts which was nice.
I’d love to see immigration reform. I’d love to see Afghanistan ended. I’d love to see military actions by the US at a standstill–no more bombing Libya-type nations.
a-Ha–Obama got the troops out of Iraq. That makes me happy.
Obama assassinated a US citizen using our military prowess. That should frighten the heck out of every poster on here, radical bunch that we all are.
I listened to Obama’s speech in Iowa 4 years ago. He is a great campaigner and a charismatic speaker. He has not been an effective president because he has no real experience in the real world where ideas and actions have real consequences to real people. He has spent so much time in the hypothetical and theoretical world–he needs to wake up. Remember he said if he didn’t turn the economy around in three years, he should not serve another term? I say we hold him to that.
Here’s an interesting thought. You say background and experience matters. President Obama’s back ground as a kid that that pulled himself up by boot straps with jobs later in universities, law offices and community organization does not prepare him for the being president. But, Romney’s back ground as the child in a very wealthy family and later job experience, buying companies, taking them apart, sending the work to China and leaving American workers without jobs with the Bain Corporation gives him more credibility for the job as president.
I guess I’d have to disagree.
Answer to your Veterans question–provided additional $1.4 billion to Dept. of Veteran Affairs for improvements for Veterans services.
You mean he approved the money. It was already in the system before he showed up. By the way, when he was a Senator, he opposed additional VA spending.
That was the 2009 budget, in 2010 he requested and received approximately 14% which amounts to over 15 billion.
There was no 2009 budget, no 2010 budget or 2011 budget. Since Obama took office, there have been no budgets passed, just continuing resolutions.
This was in the presidents budget and was one of the portions which passed. Michellle Bachmann was opposed but changed her mind and voted for it. FYI
Solyndra’s financing was started under Bush and allowed to continue under Obama following the recommendation of a Bush appointee
Regarding the letter about Romney, it is more often said that religion is the last refuge of a scoundrel. But then again, that and phoney patriotism do tend to go hand in hand. Just listen to the republican candidates pandering to their base…especially the most dangerous of what remains, Santorum. Let’s just hope his 15 minutes are over.
Four of the republican candidates claimed their god told them to run for president. Two have dropped out, and Perry will soon. I posted awhile back that I thought their god must have a sense of humor, and now it seems he thinks his little joke has run its course. Perhaps he’ll tell Palin to join the race for some more good laughs.
Bonnie Preston – Why would anyone want to drink raw milk? Are you on this bandwagon for a reason or just to complain about a government entity – any government entity – for any reason.
Because it is milk in an unprocessed, natural state. Raw milk from a local farmer is the best. The cream rises thick to the top of the bottle and is delicious over oatmeal with maple syrup– or in your coffee.
And it is a safe product to consume. The government has no business to be interfering. If Farmer Brown has a little milk to sell to his neighbor, that’s between him and his neighbor. Once again, the only reason Brown is being brought to court is because he took money for his milk. If he had given it away, there would be no violation. Why is it okay to give raw milk to your neighbor, but not to sell it to said neighbor? How does the transfer of money change the safey of the product in the eyes of the law?
“Why is it okay to give raw milk to your neighbor, but not to sell it to said neighbor?” I would guess because there is 1. an element of commerce in selling a product and 2. because reliable research has shown there is an element of danger is selling unprocessed milk, unlike your pollyanna description of the subject, and the public needs to be protected. After all, that’s what we pay them for.
David Calder,
What insinuations?
If you want to see wholesale racism just look at the black democrats. 95% approve the Obama’s performance. Doesn’t that seem racist to the umpteenth degree? Seems very prejudiced and looking at a man’s color.
No that is not racism. Racism is treating a person of a different race differently, usually with force or fear of force, not allowing a different race the same privileges that your race has.
Approving of someone’s performance is not racist.
Racism is finding an excuse to call African/Americans racist for supporting President Obama.
You are as blind as Obama. Correct me if I am wrong but you are saying that race has no bearing in blacks approving Obama’s performance by 95% to 5%. That race in no way comes into play
You have to remember that progressives believe that only white people can be racist. And that all conservatives are racist and no progressives are EVER racist.
You need to look up the definition of racism.. Better yet I will give the definition.
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.
Now blacks may think he is doing a better job for them based on their race or they may not but that is still not racism.
they are just smarter than white people since most of them have figured out that the Republicans only work for the top 1% and the Dems at least make many efforts to help the rest. white people are still lagging behind on figuring it out so far, but lately the GOP are sure making no bones about what they are all about, helping the super rich get super richer.
1. NASA was not killed, Constellation, trip to moon was canceled and instead private companies are being used for development.
2. I noticed how all the banks were over-regulated when the big bust occured in 2008, this would be a great idea to stop all regulation. NOT
3. Were these people named holding guns to the bankers heads, believe me if the banks didn’t think they could make bags full of money they would not have bought all the crap they did.
4. Other than Solyndra I don’t know of any others, but this deal has been going on since 2008, I might suggest you read the following article http://firststreetresearch.cqpress.com/2011/09/09/research-report-the-lobbying-activity-of-solyndra-inc/
5. The defense dept has increased it budget 70% since 2001, even if we cut what the Pres. has proposed our defense dept will be spending more than the following 10 countries combined. When is it time to slow the spending?
Romney is just as bad as Obama
Who do you favor?
Ron Paul’s thoughts on foreign policy are scary
Newt is too much of the old school
Rick Perry has a real temper problem
Huntsman isnt bad
Santorum is totally against RomneyCare, and he is very pro 2nd Amendment
I would like to see Santorum, but will settle on Huntsman or Perry as 2nd choices
I’d also like to see Santorum, be the GOP leader, but for way different reason then you. He’s nuts, and sometimes I think he’s more nuts then any of them. He couldn’t even win PA the last he ran. So the way I see things, he’ll lead to a 2nd term for Bama
just as long as its not Romney
All Republicans and their only work for the rich radical agenda are bad for America as proven by how they governed last time when their policies put our economy in the toilet. Vote for the only guy trying to and actually making progress towards recovery, Obama. Almost three million jobs created in past year and a half, despite GOP jobkilling demands for government cuts.
Obama creating jobs…? Thats like saying Obama has solved the debt crises
Really, your that misinformed, really? or maybe your deep cult loyalty make it impossible to believe ANYTHING in the news that’s positive about Obama. Almost 3 million jobs created in the past 16 months, just google it……or perhaps it’s just another example of GOP cheerleaders being imtentionally dishonesthoping to fool the fools, sadly a daily occurrence.
No, your that uneducated if you think things have gotten better since Obama has took office….
Are you really that delusional? I didn’t make up the jobs numbers like your side does everyday. We have IN FACT gained almost 3 million jobs in the past 18 months. Instead of just “saying’ it’s not true, why don’t you just look it up. GEEZ.