Silly Season- Keeping My Eye On The Ball

I'm reading all kinds of stupid stuff candidates of both parties are saying. It's like a competition between certain members of either party trying to out crazy the other's. The important thing is to stay focused on the things that will really matter to the people themselves. Here's one of the biggies I've been focusing on....

McConnell Said Tax Cuts Won't Grow Deficit (12/04/2017)

Instead the national debt grew by 17% ($1.2 trillion) this fiscal year.

What is Mitch's solution?


What Would Ronnie Tell Him?

This is the huge difference between the Republican party we're seeing today opposed to what it once was traditionally

Everyone needs to stay focused on this issues instead of what these bat-shit-crazy candidates are saying about one another with their many false attacks. I'll give you a couple of examples. No... Democrats are not paying Honduran immigrants to attack our southern border so they can come here to vote That absolutely makes no sense. This situation can only serve to reinforce Donald's claimed need for a border wall. If any one were being paid it would make more sense for Donald's team to encourage this. Even a stupid Democrat would want to avoid confronting this issue so close to an election. They know no matter what they say it will cost them votes. Notice how most Democrats are avoiding talking about this?

Mob rule-criminal Democrats hyperbole-- I assume noisy relatively peaceful demonstrations are what is being referred to. As far as criminals. There are equal numbers from both parties who've enjoyed their stays at the greybar hotels. Neither party holds a monopoly.

All Republicans are alike.

No they are not. Neither are Democrats.

About the only thing they have in common are some loons who embarrass both parties.



Try to stay focused on the issues which actually affect us. Look behind candidates words. Will they be the kind that will try and work with other members or instead spend their term trying to trash talk their way through to the next election? We already know the problems this country faces-- infrastructure, government waste, immigration, healthcare, foreign policies, social/economic needs, education, immigration, lack of unity and all so many more. Instead of looking of whom to blame these candidates should be addressing how they intend to fix these. Right now there appears to be a lot more self focused opportunist running for office then problem solvers. Then again. It seems that's always the way it's been every election year.

Pat Paulsen.- Get Out The Vote!

WARNING If Republicans Maintain Control...

here's what you can look forward to.

Newsweek
Mitch McConnell Calls for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Cuts After Passing Tax Cuts, Massive Defense Spending"After instituting a $1.5 trillion tax cut and signing off on a $675 billion budget for the Department of Defense, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that the only way to lower the record-high federal deficit would be to cut entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security."

Note: Medicare is not premium free. When you get SS, they deduct about $125 a month from it for Medicare. Then you pay another $100-$135 for Part B to a private insurance company.

Nation Would Be Better Off Based On Atheism Then Religion

Atheists/agnostics don't believe in God's promise of an afterlife in heaven. Since they believe this is as good as it gets and only have one shot at life they are less likely to risk their freedom or their lives by taking foolish chances.

Atheists/agnostics are absent the religious convictions that lead to wars and hatred so many other nations' governments are founded on.

Atheists/agnostics aren't expecting God to bail them out or others (including other species). Thus their inclination towards taking action isn't dependant on prayer to some guy in the sky. Rather dependency within themselves to do what needs to be done.

Atheists/agnostics feel the same passions and compassions as all other humans do. However their moral compass isn't guided by threats from God. They suffer or are rewarded for their actions the same as believers. Difference is believers are left racked by guilt and fear over some future punishment or reward by their God. (Wait till your father gets home!).

Atheists/agnostics don't believe there's a God who favors a country, sports team or sits around all day taking millions of requests by the second.

It's been said-- if there were no God humans would surely invent one to conform to their various ideologies. Let us all visualize for one moment being all alone on this rock called Earth. How would each of us behave towards other species and humans each of us came across knowing our time was limited and there was no life beyond this one? Would we savior those we come across befriending them or instead choose to make them subjugated to us?

Look I don't know what the end game is, but if I were God and there was such a thing as hell-- for many on Earth this is it. Being imprisoned in physical bodies with a limited lifespan and suffering is abundant. If this were to be the only life for many of those who suffer, nonexistence would come as a blessing. All I'm saying is whether one believes in an afterlife or not, everyone would be far better off if we wouldn't impose ourselves on others. Instead help one another get through this with little pain as possible. So far throughout Earth's history it isn't looking so good. God or no God.

West Virginia Courts In Chaos

Alternet
West Virginia Courts in Chaos After GOP Impeachment of Chief Justice Is Ruled Illegal


"The problem for the GOP started when Workman sued, alleging her impeachment was illegal because the legislature did not actually specify any misconduct and violated her due process... There was no valid state supreme court that could hear the case — all the justices were either suspended or had been replaced with acting justices who then recused themselves"

Subprime Lending With Zero Down. Will It Work This Time?

CNBC
1,000's line up for
zero-down-payment,
subprime mortgages"The loans are 15- or 30-year fixed with interest rates below market, about 4.5 percent."

All of us remember what happened the last time banks tried this. This time it's quite different and may actually work. Gleaning over the article I see a few things that stand out. Unlike last time these loans will receive $10 billion in backing from banks in the event things start heading South. There's a lot more documentation required to receive approval. Plus applicants would have to go through financial counseling before being considered and have to actually reside in the home. None of which was required when things turned sour ten years ago. Not being forced to buy mortgage insurance should also help as well.

For consumers I would think this would be a better deal then trying to keep up with ever increasing rents. Some which will be higher then these mortgages a few years from now. Sounds like a win for everyone all the way around. Check out the article for more details.

Tribal Politics Continues

Blacks Underrepresented In Ohio SNAP Program

Community Solutions.com: "Ohio counties exempt from SNAP work requirements are disproportionately white. Ohio’s minority populations are much more concentrated in urban areas that are not granted this hardship exemption, despite municipal unemployment rates that are equally high or higher than those in the exempt counties."

Is This Election Rigging?
The Washington Post: Republicans may be about to steal an election in Georgia-- "Brian Kemp the Republican nominee for governor, is locked in an extremely tight race with Democrat Stacey Abrams. He also happens to be the secretary of state, the official in charge of all elections in Georgia... Georgia’s population is approximately 32 percent black, according to the U.S. Census, but the list of voter registrations on hold with Kemp’s office is nearly 70 percent black."

Judicial Branch Could Become Politically Biased
San Francisco Chronicle: Feinstein, Harris to try to block Trump nominees to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Trump is nominating only conservative judges to this district which has ruled against him in the past. This (like just about everything he does) is unlike how this was done in the past. I'm certain this is also Trump's payback to these two Democratic Senators who opposed his supreme court nomination.

Republicans Have a Secret Weapon in the Midterms: Voter Suppression
THE DAILY BEAST-- "Many Republicans furious over the treatment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the 2018 elections are likely to see the highest turnout of midterm voters in recent history. But those voters will be confronted by a byzantine array of voter restrictions...

COMMENTARY
There's a good argument against gridlock. On the other hand it's far worse when we have either party singularly in control. I've used these stories regarding Republicans because they are in the drivers seat for now. However I have no doubt Democrats are just as capable of trying to pull these shenanigans.

Hence why I urge people to continue voting for whatever party is not in complete control. Republicans in congress mostly kept Clinton and Obama in check. Same went with Democrats in congress under past Republican presidents. When either party in history controlled the whole shooting match things didn't turn out well. Mankind has always been tribal in nature. We can't allow either party to exploit this completely. We've always been a nation of bickering. This is what separates the United States from China, N. Korea, Iran and other nations whose people are far less fortunate because of it.

So go out and vote. Do your duty. Keep either party from becoming too monolithic. Whether be in your town, state or at the federal level everyone needs to elect members whose positions differ from the tribalistic tendencies of those in the party which they claim to belong. Most importantly in this election it's vital we don't allow one single party to remain in control of Washington. Come 2020 who knows. Maybe it will be the other way around and we will have to take a look at what Democrats did in the house if they should gain control.

Social Security Benefits Will Rise 2.8% In 2019

(COLA) Information for 2019"Social Security and SSI beneficiaries are normally notified by mail in early December about their new benefit amount. This year, for the first time, most people who receive Social Security payments will be able to view their COLA notice online through their my Social Security account. "

The maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $132,900.

Before you get too excited remember Medicare premiums will also rise. Depending on the amount of your monthly SS income your mileage will also vary. Last year I ended up with a $3.70 increase.

I shared a happy meal with my wife to celebrate the occasion