By cranky yankee, unverified — Mon, 01/31/2011 - 07:50
Peggy, the issue wasn't that Governor LePage was busy or otherwise engaged. The issue is that he said he wasn't going to attend the NAACP event because they are a special interest group, but rather the fact that he did attend the NAACP event to attended the Maine Right To Life rally. The last time I checked, Maine Right To Life qualifies as a special interest group as well. It's one thing to have to make choices with a busy schedule, it's quite another to lie about the reasoning behind those choices. LePage made the decision he did because he felt he could get the most political mileage out of attending the Maine Right To Life event than the NAACP event. Then to add insult to injury, he decided to respond to a question with a stupid retort.
By cranky yankee, unverified — Thu, 01/27/2011 - 08:18
John Berry, I guess the concept of checking your facts before spewing the Republican talking points is lost on you. While I'm no fan of Maine's concept of public education, Maine ranked 25th-not last-on the SAT and ACT score averages. Maine, also, ranks 15th on educational spending, a fact that even surprised me considering how little actually makes it to the classroom. That said, the Republi-CONS have sold the working people of this country a pig-in-a-poke when it comes to their alleged concern for the working people and the cost of the Federal government. The Republicans had NO PROBLEM sinking us up to our backsides in two wars which were unfunded-and during the Bush administration were never part of the budget process so their impact on the federal deficit didn't become clear until after he left office. When Bush left office in 2009-the budget deficit was $1.4 Trillion. This year's deficit is $1.5 Trillion. Of that, the Bush era unfunded tax cuts account for 48% of the deficit. Republicans like to point the finger at the so-called "failed" bailouts and stimulus-the stimulus and bailouts which were signed into law by George W Bush on February 13 and October 3, 2008 respectively. And now Newt Gingrich wants to show us the way to fiscal responsibility by permitting states to declare bankruptcy. That's laughable, because it was the Republicans, once again, who passed legislation denying individuals bankruptcy protections from the credit card creditors. And Newt wants to lead the morality parade to save the American family-Newt who has been married three times; cheating on his first wife while she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery. Newt then cheated on his second wife with a House staffer 23 years his junior DURING the Monica Lewisky scandal. Yeah, this guy is a real moral paragon.
By cranky yankee, unverified — Wed, 01/26/2011 - 17:54
crankbait said: "I could drive to 50 houses with family's using the system and they are all able to work, but wont get off thier lazy a##$%."
Then YOU are as guilty of cheating the system as they are because you HAVEN'T REPORTED THEM. You too are too lazy, or too scared. "It's not my job." YES IT BLOODY WELL IS. If you know of someone cheating the system and you don't report them, you are aiding and abetting the cheaters and are just as guilty as they are.
By cranky yankee, unverified — Tue, 01/25/2011 - 16:45
Add to that some people, like teachers here in Maine, are not a part of the social security system-nothing is withheld and nothing paid in-and of course you get nothing back whether at age 62, 65, or 67 in the case of my spouse. Never mind that in the 90s the teacher retirement fund was raided to balance the budget under that fiscal conservative (ha-ha) Republican John McKernan. Never mind that the teacher retirement fund is fully self-funded until vested (after 10 years service) at which point the state begins (hopefully) making contributions and not losing on their retirement fund investments like they have the past several years. Never mind that retirement pay is 35% of the average of the last three years' base-which right now for my spouse is $50,000, 35% of which is $17500 or $1458.33 per month. Never mind that retired teachers pay approximately 65% of their insurance premiums-right now that's $1484 (what the retiree PAYS) PER MONTH which is $26 more than the retirement pay. So remind me again about that so-called golden parachute.
By cranky yankee, unverified — Mon, 01/24/2011 - 05:19
For those on the sidelines whining about the Affordable Health Care Act, let me remind you that it is essentially the VERY SAME bill that the Republicans brought to Congress in 1993. Why was it, then, the greatest thing since sliced bread and now it's the scourge of America? Yup, because the Democrats actually passed it. Further, the Republicans, led by Newt Gingrich, had the opportunity to make a significant, positive impact on the country beginning in 1995 and what did they do? NOTHING except embroil the country in a ridiculous waste of time trying to impeach Bill Clinton while at the same time the Republican leadership kept falling by the wayside for their own pecadilloess. What makes ANYONE think that they are going to do anything different this time? Also a reminder, the preamble of the Constitution includes the phrase "Provide for the General Welfare..." which pretty much sums up the constitutional requirement of the Affordable Health Care Act.
cranky yankee's Comments
Peggy, the issue wasn't that
Peggy, the issue wasn't that Governor LePage was busy or otherwise engaged. The issue is that he said he wasn't going to attend the NAACP event because they are a special interest group, but rather the fact that he did attend the NAACP event to attended the Maine Right To Life rally. The last time I checked, Maine Right To Life qualifies as a special interest group as well. It's one thing to have to make choices with a busy schedule, it's quite another to lie about the reasoning behind those choices. LePage made the decision he did because he felt he could get the most political mileage out of attending the Maine Right To Life event than the NAACP event. Then to add insult to injury, he decided to respond to a question with a stupid retort.
John Berry, I guess the
John Berry, I guess the concept of checking your facts before spewing the Republican talking points is lost on you. While I'm no fan of Maine's concept of public education, Maine ranked 25th-not last-on the SAT and ACT score averages. Maine, also, ranks 15th on educational spending, a fact that even surprised me considering how little actually makes it to the classroom. That said, the Republi-CONS have sold the working people of this country a pig-in-a-poke when it comes to their alleged concern for the working people and the cost of the Federal government. The Republicans had NO PROBLEM sinking us up to our backsides in two wars which were unfunded-and during the Bush administration were never part of the budget process so their impact on the federal deficit didn't become clear until after he left office. When Bush left office in 2009-the budget deficit was $1.4 Trillion. This year's deficit is $1.5 Trillion. Of that, the Bush era unfunded tax cuts account for 48% of the deficit. Republicans like to point the finger at the so-called "failed" bailouts and stimulus-the stimulus and bailouts which were signed into law by George W Bush on February 13 and October 3, 2008 respectively. And now Newt Gingrich wants to show us the way to fiscal responsibility by permitting states to declare bankruptcy. That's laughable, because it was the Republicans, once again, who passed legislation denying individuals bankruptcy protections from the credit card creditors. And Newt wants to lead the morality parade to save the American family-Newt who has been married three times; cheating on his first wife while she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery. Newt then cheated on his second wife with a House staffer 23 years his junior DURING the Monica Lewisky scandal. Yeah, this guy is a real moral paragon.
crankbait said: "I could
crankbait said: "I could drive to 50 houses with family's using the system and they are all able to work, but wont get off thier lazy a##$%."
Then YOU are as guilty of cheating the system as they are because you HAVEN'T REPORTED THEM. You too are too lazy, or too scared. "It's not my job." YES IT BLOODY WELL IS. If you know of someone cheating the system and you don't report them, you are aiding and abetting the cheaters and are just as guilty as they are.
Add to that some people, like
Add to that some people, like teachers here in Maine, are not a part of the social security system-nothing is withheld and nothing paid in-and of course you get nothing back whether at age 62, 65, or 67 in the case of my spouse. Never mind that in the 90s the teacher retirement fund was raided to balance the budget under that fiscal conservative (ha-ha) Republican John McKernan. Never mind that the teacher retirement fund is fully self-funded until vested (after 10 years service) at which point the state begins (hopefully) making contributions and not losing on their retirement fund investments like they have the past several years. Never mind that retirement pay is 35% of the average of the last three years' base-which right now for my spouse is $50,000, 35% of which is $17500 or $1458.33 per month. Never mind that retired teachers pay approximately 65% of their insurance premiums-right now that's $1484 (what the retiree PAYS) PER MONTH which is $26 more than the retirement pay. So remind me again about that so-called golden parachute.
For those on the sidelines
For those on the sidelines whining about the Affordable Health Care Act, let me remind you that it is essentially the VERY SAME bill that the Republicans brought to Congress in 1993. Why was it, then, the greatest thing since sliced bread and now it's the scourge of America? Yup, because the Democrats actually passed it. Further, the Republicans, led by Newt Gingrich, had the opportunity to make a significant, positive impact on the country beginning in 1995 and what did they do? NOTHING except embroil the country in a ridiculous waste of time trying to impeach Bill Clinton while at the same time the Republican leadership kept falling by the wayside for their own pecadilloess. What makes ANYONE think that they are going to do anything different this time? Also a reminder, the preamble of the Constitution includes the phrase "Provide for the General Welfare..." which pretty much sums up the constitutional requirement of the Affordable Health Care Act.