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Obama sees 'make or break' time for middle class

He is right-it is during tough times like these that the middle class (which is dying thanks to the rightwingers) are what save this damn country. Time and time again! The middle class is what keeps this damn country flowing and why you do not have riots in the streets. They along with the poor are this countrys saving grace. It is damn sure not that of those on the Hill and/or the rich.


The middle class in this country is struggling for more than just an easy rally cry of progressive anarchists. And it starts with all of the hidden slap downs to entrepreneurship that this administration has projected through their rhetoric. See, there is too much double talk for even the middle class to feel secure that their taxes won't go up due to the enormous amount of hidden taxation, fees, and uncertainty unleashed by this administration.

2000 ++ page bills that only reveal whacks to average people when they are unleashed. Unchecked regulation imposed when this administration can't get its way through the legislation system that strangles industries, who then in turn pass along costs to us through prices at the pump, or higher energy bills for just living, higher grocery costs, etc...

Wake up. It isn't only the rich Obama has his eyes on, progressives have everyone in mind.


j-mac
 
Because there are such things as tax write-offs, deductions etc. If you own a house, have kids etc. you get deductions. Have you ever filed for taxes before?

Not to mention the fact that the rate on long-term capital gains is 15%.
 
Not to mention the fact that the rate on long-term capital gains is 15%.

So what? You do realize that money invested has already been taxed once already when it was made right?

j-mac
 
He is right-it is during tough times like these that the middle class (which is dying thanks to the rightwingers) are what save this damn country. Time and time again! The middle class is what keeps this damn country flowing and why you do not have riots in the streets. They along with the poor are this countrys saving grace. It is damn sure not that of those on the Hill and/or the rich.

Right Wingers?

Look here Kali, which Party launched TRILLIONS of dollars in wealth redistribution vote bribing schemes in the name of "Fairness". Yeah, Liberal ****ing Democrats. FDR and his "New Deal", LBJ and his "Great Society". You think the "RICH" paid most of that? HAHAHAHAHA. I mock you. It came from the bulk of middle class wealth. And what do we get in return?

People like you claiming it's the Right Wing that harms the Middle Class! This is just one sure sign our Education System really HAS failed miserably.
 
Because there are such things as tax write-offs, deductions etc. If you own a house, have kids etc. you get deductions. Have you ever filed for taxes before?

The $1.7 million was hist net income...after deductions. Do you now what "net" income is?

He should have paid 35% and he didn't, which kills the claim that he is willing to pay more taxes.
 
He is right-it is during tough times like these that the middle class (which is dying thanks to the rightwingers) are what save this damn country. Time and time again! The middle class is what keeps this damn country flowing and why you do not have riots in the streets. They along with the poor are this countrys saving grace. It is damn sure not that of those on the Hill and/or the rich.

Maybe he should stop discouraging, or killing out creation of all those damn middle class jobs.
 
The remarks of President Obama were 100% spot on. I dearly hope we see that theme play a major role in the campaign. Working people in America have to be aware of what is on the line for them at this pivotal point in history. We are perched on the edge of a knife and if we allow the right wing to take over the White House and the Senate it will be a major disaster that will take decades to recover from. We are seeing the rape of democracy and the middle class in several such states now. Here in Michigan, we are approaching half of all African Americans being stripped of their right to vote for their local government by Republicans.
 
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:lamo + :doh = :bs

No no it doesnt. It doesnt even come close to "controlling our lives".

Also on the Canada note how many people actually die from these horrendous, just have to be awful "waiting times"? Studies have found 45,000 people in the US die from just having lack of health care... Now how many die in Canada from these "waiting times"?

Also if UHC is sooo terrible why are people all over Europe fighting for it to stay around whenever a conservative politician comes around and tries to get rid of it or make huge drastic cuts?
TRick questions! lol. 45k... there aren't that many people in canada lol. Seriously though, so many canadians cross the border for HC and that IS the truth. IF their HC was superior, we'd be crossing the border to get HC from them, not the other way around. As for UHC in Europe and why many people are still clamoring to it, there really isn't much in the way of private practice in most major European coutries and most Europeans just don't make anywhere near enough to afford any type of HC at all.
 
The middle class in this country is struggling for more than just an easy rally cry of progressive anarchists. And it starts with all of the hidden slap downs to entrepreneurship that this administration has projected through their rhetoric. See, there is too much double talk for even the middle class to feel secure that their taxes won't go up due to the enormous amount of hidden taxation, fees, and uncertainty unleashed by this administration.

2000 ++ page bills that only reveal whacks to average people when they are unleashed. Unchecked regulation imposed when this administration can't get its way through the legislation system that strangles industries, who then in turn pass along costs to us through prices at the pump, or higher energy bills for just living, higher grocery costs, etc...

Wake up. It isn't only the rich Obama has his eyes on, progressives have everyone in mind.


j-mac

They're coming to GET you! Trust me!
 
The remarks of President Obama were 100% spot on. I dearly hope we see that theme play a major role in the campaign. Working people in America have to be aware of what is on the line for them at this pivotal point in history. We are perched on the edge of a knife and if we allow the right wing to take over the White House and the Senate it will be a major disaster that will take decades to recover from. We are seeing the rape of democracy and the middle class in several such states now. Here in Michigan, we are approaching half of all African Americans being stripped of their right to vote for their local government by Republicans.

half huh? Do you make this up or do others tell you to say things like this?
 
half huh? Do you make this up or do others tell you to say things like this?

Right now, the cities of Benton Harbor, Ecorse, Flint and Pontiac have had their elected officials deposed and stripped of power by Emergency Managers under the Republican sponsored Bill #4 passed earlier this year. Detroit has a similar arrangement for their schools stripping the people of the power to have a school board with any power and the first steps have been taken in an official financial review to impose a financial manager on Detroit and strip them of elected officials. The first steps have also been taken against Inkster.

All six of those municipalities have a majority African American population. Together, they total 51% of African Americans in Michigan. That will end up being a majority of Michigan African American citizens who have been stripped of their right to vote for their local government and instead have one dictatorially imposed upon them by the State.

http://www.freep.com/article/20111209/NEWS06/112090451/Emergency-manager-law-being-revamped


So I am NOT making this up.

Does this usurpation of basic citizen rights upset you at all or do you merely wish to make another smart aleck remark directed at me?

A great American President, Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, said that we had a "government of the people, by the people and for the people." In those named communities they only have government for the people. The by the people part has been flushed and the of the people part has been trashed. I cannot even use the Meat Loaf song "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" because they are only left with one out of three.

Does this frighten you or, like the rural and suburban Republicans who passed this law, do you sit smug and content in the confidence that it only 'those other people' who have to suffer under this usurpation of their most important of citizenship rights?
 
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Right now, the cities of Benton Harbor, Ecorse, Flint and Pontiac have had their elected officials deposed and stripped of power by Emergency Managers under the Republican sponsored Bill #4 pass earlier this year. Detroit has a similar arrangement for their schools stripping the people of the power to have a school board with any power and the first steps have been taken in an official financial review to impose a financial manager on Detroit and strip them of elected officials. The first steps have also been taken against Inkster.

All six of those municipalities have a majority African American population. Together, they total 51% of African Americans in Michigan. That will end up being a majority of Michigan African American citizens who have been stripped of their right to vote for their local government and instead have one dictatorially imposed upon them by the State.

Emergency manager law being revamped | Detroit Free Press | freep.com


So I am NOT making this up.

Does this usurpation of basic citizen rights upset you at all or do you merely wish to make another smart aleck remark directed at me?

link?.......

edit.. nevermind , you added a link.... thanks
 
whew.. for a minute I thought you were being accurate in your assessment of what's happening in Michigan.

i'm relieved to find out that is not the case.
 
whew.. for a minute I thought you were being accurate in your assessment of what's happening in Michigan.

i'm relieved to find out that is not the case.

what in blazes are you talking about?

All you have to do is take the four cities now under EFM, add in Detroit and Inkster which are under review in the first step to an EFM, then look at the Michigan population of just under 10 million, calculate the 14% of the population which is African American, look up the population and demographics of those six cities and you get a figure of just under 700, African Americans who are now or soon will be stripped of their right to elect city officials under the republican proposals Bill #4.

Detroit 714,000 - 83% AA
Pontiac 59,000 - 52% AA
Benton Harbor 10,000 92% AA
Flint 102,000 54% AA
Ecorse 9,500 41% AA
Inkster 25,000 75% AA

that gets you to the total of just over half of all African American citizens in Michigan who are now or will be stripped of their voting rights to elect their own city government.

And you would not care about this.................... why exactly? Perhaps you need to read this from Martin Niemoller

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
 
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In the above post I meant to say 700 THOUSAND African Americans or people of color..... not 700.
 
no one is stripped of their right to vote for local elected officials...

emergency managers are not some form of "dicatatorship".

this is not a race issue, no matter how much you want to make it one... it's entirely fiscal.

I shutter to think people that can mangle an issue so thoroughly work in government....
 
no one is stripped of their right to vote for local elected officials...

emergency managers are not some form of "dicatatorship".

this is not a race issue, no matter how much you want to make it one... it's entirely fiscal.

I shutter to think people that can mangle an issue so thoroughly work in government....

You are either lying or are ignorant of the conditions.

Under this new extreme broadening of a 20 year old law which was rather benign , local citizens lose the right to vote for their local government as the mayor and council no longer have any powers and the city is run by a financial manager who has ALL powers that the elected government would have. The imposition of the manager is up to the Treasurer and Governor of the State and the local people have no say. The manager is indeed a dictator imposed upon them against their will.

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(bl...2011&query=on&highlight=emergency AND manager

Since the communities so far have been communities of people of color, it is hard to say that race plays no role in this. It is interesting to note that when this new law was passed earlier this year in Michigan ALL 100% of the votes came from Republicans - every single one of them representing communities where people of color only make up a tiny number. This is a perfect example of Ronald Reagans' nine most dangerous words in the English language "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".

The new city officials become the emergency manager. And the people have no right to vote for them or any voice in retaining them.
 
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The remarks of President Obama were 100% spot on. I dearly hope we see that theme play a major role in the campaign. Working people in America have to be aware of what is on the line for them at this pivotal point in history. We are perched on the edge of a knife and if we allow the right wing to take over the White House and the Senate it will be a major disaster that will take decades to recover from. We are seeing the rape of democracy and the middle class in several such states now. Here in Michigan, we are approaching half of all African Americans being stripped of their right to vote for their local government by Republicans.

Don't worry. Working people all over the country have seen that Obama is willing to put his agenda ahead of the well-being of the working class.
 
You are either lying or are ignorant of the conditions.

Under this law, local citizens lose the right to vote for their local government as the mayor and council no longer have any powers and the city is run by a financial manager who has ALL powers that the elected government would have. The imposition of the manager is up to the Treasurer and Governor of the State and the local people have no say. The manager is indeed a dictator imposed upon them against their will.

Since the communities so far have been communities of people of color, it is hard to say that race plays no role in this. It is interesting to note that when this law was passed earlier this year in Michigan ALL 100% of the votes came from Republicans - every single one of them representing communities where people of color only make up a tiny number. This is a perfect example of Ronald Reagans' nine most dangerous words in the English language "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".

Aren't you a big gubmint guy? Just wondering.
 
Don't worry. Working people all over the country have seen that Obama is willing to put his agenda ahead of the well-being of the working class.

That does not even make an iota of sense.
 
That does not even make an iota of sense.

Of course it doesn't, to you. :lamo

You still refuse to accept the fact that Obama has knowingly and intentionally killed millions of jobs in this country.

Enjoy all that Cuban oil that your tax dollars are paying to produce.
 
read this section of the law - it is clear and direct.... the financial emergency manager has ALL power to order a mayor and council to do anything they want them to do and they have NO power to do anything but obey or risk being dismissed and sent home.

141.1517 Issuance of orders.Sec. 17.
(1) The emergency manager shall issue to the appropriate local elected and appointed officials and employees, agents, and contractors of the local government the orders the manager considers necessary to accomplish the purposes of this act, including, but not limited to, orders for the timely and satisfactory implementation of a financial and operating plan developed pursuant to section 18, including an academic and educational plan for a school district, or to take actions, or refrain from taking actions, to enable the orderly accomplishment of the financial and operating plan. An order issued under this section is binding on the local elected and appointed officials and employees, agents, and contractors of the local government to whom it is issued. Local elected and appointed officials and employees, agents, and contractors of the local government shall take and direct those actions that are necessary and advisable to maintain compliance with the financial and operating plan.
(2) If an order of the emergency manager under subsection (1) is not reasonably carried out and the failure to carry out an order is disrupting the emergency manager's ability to manage the local government, the emergency manager, in addition to other remedies provided in this act, may prohibit the local elected or appointed official or employee, agent, or contractor of the local government from access to the local government's office facilities, electronic mail, and internal information systems.

The elected representatives of the people are now powerless and impotent. The actual and real power - all 100% of it - is in the hands of a non elected official who is responsible to not one member of that community. The people are stripped of their power to vote for those running their local government.


Not only that, but the impotent and powerless officials that had been elected previously can be sent home and denied any access to anything having to do with their elected jobs and duties. In effect, they are officials on paper only with no power of any kind no matter how insignificant or tiny.

The result is that people live in a community and pay taxes in that community and are bound by the laws of that community but the government of that community is IMPOSED upon them and they have no vote, no voice and no power to do anything about it. That is a direct and complete betrayal of the words of Abraham Lincoln - "a government of the people, by the people and for the people".
 
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read this section of the law - it is clear and direct.... the financial emergency manager has ALL power to order a mayor and council to do anything they want them to do and they have NO power to do anything but obey or risk being dismissed and sent home.



The elected representatives of the people are now powerless and impotent. The actual and real power - all 100% of it - is in the hands of a non elected official who is responsible to not one member of that community. The people are stripped of their power to vote for those running their local government.


Not only that, but the impotent and powerless officials that had been elected previously can be sent home and denied any access to anything having to do with their elected jobs and duties. In effect, they are officials on paper only with no power of any kind no matter how insignificant or tiny.

The result is that people live in a community and pay taxes in that community and are bound by the laws of that community but the government of that community is IMPOSED upon them and they have no vote, no voice and no power to do anything about it. That is a direct and complete betrayal of the words of Abraham Lincoln - "a government of the people, by the people and for the people".

Seeing how well things are going in those minority communities, that doesn't sound like a bad thing.
 
read this section of the law - it is clear and direct.... the financial emergency manager has ALL power to order a mayor and council to do anything they want them to do and they have NO power to do anything but obey or risk being dismissed and sent home.



The elected representatives of the people are now powerless and impotent. The actual and real power - all 100% of it - is in the hands of a non elected official who is responsible to not one member of that community. The people are stripped of their power to vote for those running their local government.


Not only that, but the impotent and powerless officials that had been elected previously can be sent home and denied any access to anything having to do with their elected jobs and duties. In effect, they are officials on paper only with no power of any kind no matter how insignificant or tiny.

The result is that people live in a community and pay taxes in that community and are bound by the laws of that community but the government of that community is IMPOSED upon them and they have no vote, no voice and no power to do anything about it. That is a direct and complete betrayal of the words of Abraham Lincoln - "a government of the people, by the people and for the people".

your hyperbole gets old real fast....

next time, include a link to your sources so we can all view the law in it's entirety.

you have still not proven that people are having their voting rights stripped... or any of the other rhetoric you spew.

what you are saying is akin to saying impeaching and removing an elected official is stripping the rights of voters.. which is entirely false.

an emergency manager is tasked with the emergency fiscal management of a local government unit... and saying the local elected official can get the boot if he is not compliant with the superior authority is not imposing a dictatorship of any kind... it's giving the emergency manager teeth... teeth given by consent of the citizens of the state through their elected state officials.
" either you work with me, or you'll get out of the way".. which makes perfect sense.
saying " you'll work with me, or i'll just have to sit in the corner while you continue to **** up" doesn't.
some problem are outside of the scope of local officials to handle.. or the local officials are handling the fiscal problems improperly

i've found the law in it's entirely... and I'm glad i did... taking your word for anything has proven to be ... less than productive.

it'll take some time to get through, but i'll comment further when I get done.....

right off the bat, i see you ignore that in order for a emergency manager to exist, the local government has to call on the state government to intervene in it's finances ... but that wouldn't sit well with your rhetoric about stripping voting rights and dictatorships ans such, so i would see why you would ignore it.

you are confusing constraints put upon elected officials with constraints put on voters... they are not the same.
 
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