He was born in space.
He never blinks.
He roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves.
He sleeps upside down like a bat.
His sweat can be used to clean precious metals.
His skin has the texture of dolphins.
If you tune your radio to 88.4 FM you can actually hear his thoughts.
He is scared of bells.
He once punched a horse to the ground.
He lives in a tree.
He appears on high-value stamps in Sweden.
He has no understanding of clouds.
He is confused by stairs.
His heart ticks like a watch.
All his legs are hydraulic.
He appears on Japanese banknotes.
There's an airport in Russia named after him.
If set alight, he'd burn for a thousand days.
He is terrified of ducks.
His voice can only be heard by cats.
He has two sets of knees.
His heart is in upside down.
His teeth glow in the dark.
He has no age.
He can smell corners
Jimmy Carter wants him dead.
I'm not dismissing your arguments, however, since you live on Beech Hill Road and didn't feel the need to disclose that you are one of the residents, your whole argument to me is tainted.
So you want him to open a hotel across the street on hotel road? That's half a mile away from the clubhouse.
This reminds me of George Lucas. He wanted to open up a film studio on his property in Marin County. His neighbors fought him tooth and nail, and won. They didn't want the additional traffic or influx of people in the exclusive area. But Lucas had the last laugh. He donated the land to a group who was going to build low income housing.
Many creationist who subscribe to a strict interpretation of the bible believe the world is less than 10,000 years old, and was created exactly as stated in Genesis. They also believe that dinosaurs existed at the same time as man. So that was on of the many images on the internet depicting biblical figures with dinosaurs.
If they brought in a hotel and restaurant, they could create a resort like the mountains have(ie sugarloaf). That's a bunch of jobs and economic activity for the area.
I'm no lawyer, so take whatever as a layperson's interpretation, but I looks like that would cost Auburn some revenue, which is what I think the problem is. Since Auburn gets a piece of property taxes on NextEra's facilities, Lewiston can't unilaterally change stuff around. It looks like they want to reduce the amount NextEra pays in taxes in exchange for work on damns. They also plan on taking possession of the canals, which would reduce what NextEra pays in taxes, which also lowers Auburn's cut.
Ok, so your saying the reduction , or cut, in the money gathered by the government , or taxes, is bad?
I just want to confirm your against tax cuts.
That said, the reality is that they way the system works is that excess revenues are "invested" into treasuries. Now, if you want to convert those treasuries back into cash, well, good luck. You'll have to bankrupt the government to do it, royally screwing over my generation and many generations to come.
Nope, thats not going to happen. First off, nothing is going to happen until next year anyway. A quiet solution, like raising the fica taxes up to 15% ish will be the simplest solution.
They haven't taken any out of it. Current obligations are paid for with the funds coming in, with any extra being put into treasury bonds.
The easiest solution: Either raise the payroll tax to 15% 15.0% (currently12.4%) or cut benefits by 16%
Or a combination of the two. Any other change will require wholesale changes to the system which are not happening, especially in this environment. I think the tax increase would be easiest because special interests(AARP) will fight any cut in benefits like a rabid dog.
I have no dog in this fight other than I hate to see opportunities missed.
So Show me some peer reviewed studies, and we can talk. I have said this in alot of the debates on wind power, and all I have ever seen is links to groups who are against wind power quoting self commissioned studies.
So I guess either I :
Am simple minded.
Have been bought by the Industrial Wind complex
Am an internet troll.
There you have it, my good name affirmed by the mods.
It helps that I have debates about this stuff with my parents, who are very conservative. It reminds you to keep emotions in check, and that people on both sides of the issues are not bad people just for disagreeing with you.
Cause I haven't ever received a ban, or even a warning from a mod(at least that I can remember) - from this account or my alter ego that I used to post under until they implemented the real name verification.
Maybe I have been busier at work - I use posting here as a palate cleanse. I didn't realize I had been posting less.
The Christmas light part was because you said you couldn't plug a lamp into a lamp. Which, you can. Christmas lights are one example of plugging a lamp into a lamp. Also if you get one of these you can:
Anyway, my point is that tradition has, on numerous occasions, been the justification for stupid laws. When the government denies people the right to be happy, it needs a damn good reason, more than "religion says it's icky".
Depends how you define a lamp.... Example - Christmas lights. Provide light, can be plugged into other Christmas lights.
And as for this line "when in the history of mankind has marriage ever been defined by anything other than a union between a man and a woman of human descent?"
Let me ask you - How many times in the history of mankind has the law been on the wrong side of the argument? We have had laws outlawing marriage between, which most people agree now that the law was on the wrong side of it. Hell, I could write page after page of examples of where the law was wrong, even in the face of facts and evidence.
"I want power to come from efficient, reliable, energy-dense sources"
And what is that source? Hmmmm?
Put it this way - I am building a power generator next to your house. What would you like?
BTW - Some more data from the USEIA - The Cost per Megawatt/hour is 97 for wind. It's cheaper than Nuclear, solar, and all the clean burning coal and most of the clean burning NG.
Sumner can chose to not allow a wind farm. Just know that those jobs and money are going somewhere else.
From what I have read, wind is on par with many other forms of power, cost per kw. Now while I agree that ethanol is a bad investment, I don't agree that wind power is. That said, you're leaving money on the table. You're turning away jobs. But hey, maybe you can just build another casino.
Now, let me ask you this - How do you want to generate power? If wind is such a boondoggle, how would you generate power?
From what I have read, wind is on par with many other forms of power, cost per kw. Now while I agree that ethenol is a bad investment, I don't agree that wind power is. That said, you're leaving money on the table. You're turning away jobs. But hey, maybe you can just build another casino.
Now, let me ask you this - How do you want to generate power? If wind is such a boondoggle, how would you generate power?
Any red blinking lights should be radar activated so they are not blinking away all night wasting energy and distracting people.
Umm, I've never heard of these, and this doesn't sound right. Not all planes have radar, so the turbines would have to be transmitting radar. I can't image that's more cost effective than just having the light on.
You know what I'm sick of? People dismissing the news they don't agree with as "biased".
Where in this story is the bias? Is it when they pointed out the the MHPC compared apples to oranges?
Or was it when they brought in the guy works for the Maine Association of Health Underwriters to respond and give equal time?
If we are struggling to pay the bills always, then you can't cut taxes. What I'm saying is that the state is living paycheck to paycheck. They need to stabilize the budget first so that have some extra, then you can talk about tax cuts.
I understand that we need cuts. The problem I have is when I see both sides working together, making a compromise, and then the Governor uses a line item veto. What's the point of compromising at all?
If I was a democrat, the next budget item that came up requiring the 2/3rds vote, I would force the GOP to honor their commitments.
I also dislike that tax cuts are on the table. Yes, we pay high taxes, but the time for cuts are when we are not struggling to pay the bills.
So when the Tea party protests, It's American's take back their Government.
When the other side does it, they need to get back to work and get off welfare.
How about this - instead of demonizing the other side, why don't we try and stick to their message.
I thought the state was trying to keep more graduates here?
Let me break this down for you, because this isn't about attracting low income families here. It takes stress of the school, because instead of fighting the losing battle of trying to get kids caught up, they can worry about teaching them where they should be for their grade.
This is one of those programs where it's shortsighted to cut. It's just plane stupid really. Because, in the long run, well educated people are more productive and contribute more to society. Whereas those who fall through the cracks are more likely to commit crimes and be on welfare.
So which would you rather, fund Head start now or build more jails later?
Yeah, $35k aint it.....The poverty line is $10K for a single person. The guy making $35k isn't getting any help(I know, I used to be him).
You know, what it really comes down to is your first sentence:
"Yup, and the more you tax the rich, the more inclined they become to take their wealth and, often, their businesses and move them overseas, seeking tax relief"
Then they need to leave. GTFO. To some people, the bottom line is Green. To others, it's red, white and blue.
We need less of the former, and more of the later.
The problem with flat taxes vs progressive rates is that the farther you get away from the bottom, the easier it is for you to pay your taxes. This isn’t about class warfare, it’s about reality. Diapers cost the same for reach people as for poor. Milk the same. Bread the same. There is a line in which we deem it is not acceptable for people to live below because at that point, basic needs such as food and shelter are not being met. We have defined that lower limit of survival as the poverty line.
Taxing people at or around this level is counter productive. All your going to do is drive them to other federal programs like food stamps and welfare. So it’s best to tax the poor less because really you’re really only creating busy work as those extra funds will shoot right back out in aid.
Besides, as Willie Sutton said, he robbed banks "because that's where the money is.". You tax the rich more because that's where the money is.
"Everyone knows a moderate is but a closet liberal"
Ok, so are you saying I'm not a closet liberal? I don't consider myself a liberal, so I got the closet part down(in your opinion). So are you saying I'm not a liberal?
I guess you are calling me a moderate, because I'm pretty sure Washington told a lie at some point.
Wanna know why I'm a moderate? Because after seeing this, your piqued my interest, and I found the actual report. I also found the Senator who's argument your parroting(did you copy and paste?), because neither of you brought up the biggest offender in the GAO report.
And thats the crux of the players case - That the league did know or willfully stayed ignorant of the dangers of concussions.
Your right, I don't have any sort of clue about flooring installations. However, I grew up working in my father's business, and I know that the person responsible for maintaining a safe workplace is the employer, not suppliers. So you would have to sue your employer.
And my final conclusion was that players have been mistreated by the league and union, so I don't have a problem with them suing. How is the hight of ridiculous?
You obviously were not using the correct equipment and technique. You should sue your employer, who according to your story was you.
I suggest you settle.
Anyway, they are claiming that the NFL ignored evidence that concussions had serious side effects. Just like the people who were exposed to asbestos sued.
I don't blame them because the retired players got really boned by the league and the union. Guys who built up the league have trouble paying for medical bills, and no one is helping them. So I don't blame them for suing.
I was hoping for more of the "Seven" version of that.
Or really, just call in Marsellus Wallace from "Pulp Fiction":
"What now? Let me tell you what now. I'ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' ******, who'll go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin', hillbilly boy? I ain't through with you by a damn sight. I'ma get medieval on your ass."
That logic is absurd.
"If anyone working for state is not guilty of anything then they have no need to worry or to believe that comment was made for them"
By that logic, I can say "Women are stupid" and defend it by saying "Well, if you're not a stupid woman, the comment doesn't apply to you obviously."
The bigger problem is that these are the people he needs to be working with to fix things. To me, it sounds like he has hit a wall, and is throwing up his hands. Like he finally realized that real streamlining of processes is a game of inches. You make massive cuts, then you end up with unsolved problems like seniors without heat or kids without food. But your trim here and there, and eventually you can realize some significant savings without causing big issues. It takes a soft touch, which LePage doesn't have.
Hopefully the sunjournal won't double post this...=)
Anyway, I don't rely on talking heads. I don't really watch the news, I read it from multiple sources. I would caution you as well to not be to dismissive of the NY times. The only reason I posted the link to the NY times was that they have the ability to poll which I do not.
Ok, that stuff aside, I think elections are dynamic and unpredictable. You predict a quick unraveling, which I know can happen but is unlikely. I believe your personal feelings have clouded your thoughts on it. However, it could happen. One way I could see it happening is something you even claim is in Obama's benefit: the departure of Mr Sarkozy.
Mr Sarkozy was a friend of the United States, something that Hollande doesn't seem to be. And with both France and Greece embracing less austerity, the markets seem to be nervous. This could lead to stagnation and lead credence to the republican claims that Obama hasn't helped the economy.
However, I think Romney is a poor candidate, which really is the reason I don't think he'll win.. He's biggest selling point is that he's "Not Obama". No one points to his record, just to the fact that he's not Obama. Most of the time I have heard Republican's say "We can't have 4 more years" not "Romney will fix this". And thats why he will lose.
"However how many Political Campaigns have you been involved with?"
None. So I wouldn't be the person to ask about how to win an election. But I have seen a few, so I can judge on how I see this one shaping up.
And as for who's buying into who's dogma more, let me point out that my response will not contain one bit of political argument or rancor. I'm not going to argue about the views of either candidate.
Now, I'm going to assume you are disagreeing with my call that Obama will be re-elected, so I'll just assume you have no problem with my other predictions.
Now, most polls show Romney catching up, but I get the feeling that the Obama campaign has yet to open up on him, waiting for later in the election. There was alot of material put out there for the primary battles that Obama has access to. Every pot shot that Gingrich and Santorum took is fair game.
That doesn't mean that can't backfire. But from the lastest gallup polls, Romney and Obama are statically tied(slight edge to Obama) in the swing states, which is where this election will be decided.
"However how many Political Campaigns have you been involved with?"
None. So I wouldn't be the person to ask about how to win an election. But I have seen a few, so I can judge on how I see this one shaping up.
And as for who's buying into who's dogma more, let me point out that my response will not contain one bit of political argument or rancor. I'm not going to argue about the views of either candidate.
Now, I'm going to assume you are disagreeing with my call that Obama will be re-elected, so I'll just assume you have no problem with my other predictions.
Now, most polls show Romney catching up, but I get the feeling that the Obama campaign has yet to open up on him, waiting for later in the election. There was alot of material put out there for the primary battles that Obama has access to. Every pot shot that Gingrich and Santorum took is fair game.
That doesn't mean that can't backfire. But from the lastest gallup polls, Romney and Obama are statically tied(slight edge to Obama) in the swing states, which is where this election will be decided.
Your suggestion reminded me of an episode of "Top Gear". They were talking about drivers ed in either Norway or Sweden, and showing how kids have to pass a much more difficult exam, demonstrating skid recovery techniques and whatnot. I think that would be a great idea here.
"We will win in November both Locally and Regionaly and Nationally"
I think thats pretty optimistic. I'm not saying either side is gonna take it, but if you think your going to get the same results you did in 2010, I think your delusional. I think the Republican's had a decent chance of taking the Senate, but with Snowe out and Luger going down, I think it will become alot tighter. And even Boehner gives the Democrats a 1 in 3 chance to take the house.
It will be intresting.
My prediction - Dems make gains in house to prevent super majority but do not take house, Senate too close to call, but neither side will have Super Majority, Obama reelected.
You mean Poliquin doesn't really give a damn about the law? Wow, I'm surprised. I mean he only ran his business while treasurer against Maine laws, and abuses the tree growth tax credit. I mean, so far he has shown nothing but contempt for keeping things above board.
I thought the scores made it over. Kinda sad, I liked knowing my score.
Anyway, the whole point that I was trying to make is that there is a difference between a concerted attack on someone, and someone just spouting off on the internet.
I mean, where does it stop?
If this LewistonBitches person is bullying, whats to say me disagreeing with the #NOBULL people isn't bullying. What's to say anything isn't bullying. Will they be satisfied when everything has been dulled down to vanilla pudding, completely non-offensive and bland?
Nope, I'm sorry, but I will not stand for this. Censorship has many forms and usually get's its foot in the door under the guise of good intentions. And that's what this is.
I just want you to know, those who disagree with me and clicked "disagree", I consider that online bullying. I am forever tormented by seeing those disagrees rack up. It makes me sad.
#NOBULL
Seriously Sun Journal, what is wrong with you?
I just read some of @LewistonBitches tweets. This isn't online bulling, this is plain old high school drama. This is the equivalent of writing something on the wall of the bathroom.
The world is full of a-holes. The sooner you learn to adapt, the better.
1. STOP FOLLOWING THEM. They are internet trolls. You NEVER FEED THE TROLLS. Example - this story. I would have never know about it had the paper not published a story.
2.There is a super huge difference between "Cheerleading isn't a sport" and targeting a person and humiliating them to the point they kill themselves. Yes, there is alot of stuff in the middle. But this, at least from the tweets published here, seems like the disney jr version of cuber bullying.
Hell, when I was a kid, I got picked on alot.The sooner you learn to deal, the better.
This is true, but better safe than sorry. If you make it so people can opt out, drivers will opt out. Everyone agrees that texting a driving is a bad idea, just like everyone agrees that drunk driving is a bad idea. People still do it.
They are not 100% wrong. The only change was in how much it will increase the deficit by. Going from $1,131,000,000,000 to 1,083,000,000,000 is a change of -4%(If my math is right), not 100%
If you asked them how much it would cost in 2010 for the 2012-2022 period, they would have told you $1.76 trillion.
You're missing the bigger point, that the price, with all the savings built into it, was going to cost less than they thought.
Now, argue all you want that the 1 trillion dollars it's gonna cost is too much. That's fine, and that is a valid point. But the cost is what was expected. It's not exploding or skyrocketing. Their predictions are holding steady at what it ill cost. Stop trying to inject drama into it.
You know whats fun? When I can destroy any republican argument by just looking at the context.
See, Rob here didn't bother. He just saw Fox news complain about something, and just went on his merry way spreading that crap.
See, the original cost estimate was for $940 billion from 2010 to 2020. They have now push the estimate from 2012 to 2022 and the cost is now $1.76 trillion. The reason is that more provisions of the ACA will be in effect. The cost over the 2010-2020 period has not changed. The cost of the program has not exploded.
Also, this is just cost. The estimate of the offsets created by the program(taxes, savings, ect..) has changed. It will increase the deficit less than thought.
"Over the 10-year period from 2012 through 2021, enactment of the coverage provisions of the ACA was projected last March to increase federal deficits by $1,131 billion, whereas the March 2012 estimate indicates that those provisions will increase deficits by $1,083 billion"
Lack of health insurance - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Come on, too easy.
Listen, I can name lots of stuff the President has done. Most are improvements to the systems in place because most societal ills are not new and have programs in place.
1. Woopy do. How many things have passed through the Maine State Congress without democratic support this session?
2. It is not incomprehensible. Have you even tried reading it? I HAVE. I HAVE READ THE WHOLE THING. And most people in congress read it. The quote from Nacy Pelosi was “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it, away from the fog of controversy." and she said that to a trade group, not to congress. But when political hacks get their fangs into a quote, most people don't bother to verify it.
4. SHow me some poll numbers. The most recent numbers from Gallup show that 45% though congress did a good thing in passing health care reform(as opposed to the 44% who thought it was a bad thing.)
Not part of the %1, but I play one on TV. Besides, you know that's where the super secret Communist Party of America Fortress of Power is. All Libs have to make pilgrimages there.
Unless that's where you're Grandmother lives. Then you go and visit in the summer. =)
For the MP 5, I would guess that someone likes to shoot it. If someone takes joy in it, more power to em. Besides, a MP5 is probably a heck of alot cheaper to play with than a m-60, especially on full auto.
I would love to hear once a republican plan to help someone that doesn’t involve something that will coincidently help them out as well.
Trickle down economics started this fairy tale that the free market will fix everything as long as the government stays out of it’s way. When you have cancer, you don’t take vitamins and hope your body will take care of it. Making sure your body as a whole is health is part of it, but you also take drugs and treatments that target the cancer. Those drugs and treatments make your body weaker, but the payoff is killing cancer.
You don’t fix social ills by making the whole market healthier. It helps, but direct programs are far more effective.
Let me fix that for you, what you meant to say is:
"Stop promoting middle and lower class citizens to vote for policies and programs that aid them at the expense of the upper class."
So let me ask you this: how should the president go about "creating good jobs with higher wages so women would not have to worry about how they were going to feed, clothe and house their children." without the government artificially controlling the market or without government programs?
Let me put it to you another way - What you really want to say is you want the president to come up with some magical fix all that doesn't result in more government control and that results in higher wages while not messing with the free market. Well, after that why doesn't he figure out a cold fusion process that's only waste material can be used as a cure for Cancer, AIDS and obesity.
Just the other night I woke to the sound of a large deep buzzing overhead. It was the life flight helicopter returning to CMMC. I wasn't annoyed by the noise, I said a quiet little prayer for the people being helped by it. You know, they did a study about the health affects of wind turbines and found that most of the stuff reported could be attributed to the people being annoyed by the windmills, not the windmills themselves.
So stop being annoyed.
I used to vacation in the path of Otis AFB on Cape Cod as they would fly sorties on "Nomans Land" off of the coast of Martha's Vinyard. Your talking about 30 seconds of noise. Get over it.
Yarr, Pirate, ye be on target! Fire a Broadside!
And by dumping people who were injured on the job off onto the Disability roles, tax payers are on the hook.
We ran out of Bagels at work today. Ergo, there must be a global bagel shortage.
No? Well, then just because you saw someone taking advantage of the system doesn't mean that it is rampant. I'm not saying it isn't a problem, but I can't judge how big of a problem it is from no evidence. If you want me to convince me to vote for change, you need to show me evidence.
You don't get to defer when your in office. No, what he is doing is hiding. He knows his opinion is unpopular, and wants to dodge it. So he "defers" to his wife, making her a target.
I don't like it. There are other ways to move the conversation away from women's issues without hiding behind your wife and making her a target.
To be fair, Mitt put her out there. "Ask my wife about icky girl issues".
He knows if he just comes out and says what he believes, he would get destroyed.
Of course, I would respect him for it. Right now, I see him as a coward hiding behind his wife.
Here is my issue with Ann Romney - I don't like her putting herself in the same category as normal stay at home moms. Now, much of this is supposistion, but I guessing she had alot more help than normal stay at home moms do. Nanny, maids, chauffeurs, ect. Nothing wrong with that, if I could afford them, I would have them too. But the more they try and act like non-rich people, the more awkward they look at it.
Now, that said, I agree Rosen is a twit. If you can't stick to the issues and have to be all like "Romney's rich, blah blah blah" then your argument is crap. There is plenty of material from the Primaries to pull out and laminate to Romney.
Making sure kids are feed in the morning is like making sure a bucket has no holes in it before you start using it. Teaching kids who are hungry(I don't care if they are poor and have no food or if they are rich and have plenty) is just throwing your money away.They aren't focusing on what they are doing or retaining what they are taught.
This letter is why Romney is taking a beating on woman’s issues. I’m not saying being a parent isn’t the most important job my wife or I will ever have. But that isn’t possible for many families. With 25% of kids being raised by single parents, staying at home just isn’t possible.
Romney is out of touch. According to the Census, out of the 85 million mothers in the United States, 5 million are “Stay at home moms”. The age of being able to stay home with the kids is over. The age of letting nature take it course and unplanned pregnancies is over. I know with my kids, we had to plan it out to a tee so that it wouldn’t bankrupt us. The reality is that with the little to no help the US government provides, if you don’t plan ahead or make even one mistake, it can ruin you. The Romney’s have never faced that reality, but most Americans do every day.
I absolutely think that if someone is disabled by workplace injury they should collect workers comp indefinitely. Why should employers get to dump the responsibility of covering their obligations onto tax payers?
But to have a dictatorship, you must have a way to enforce your rule, meaning you must have the support of the military. I could say I am the dictator of the world, but it doesn't mean jack without an armed force backing me up
"I was referring to the favorite garb worn by "dear leaders" the world over, especially in banana republics like Cuba and North Korea, the ones pretending to be communist states, when they are really hereditary monarchies."
You mean like how GHWB handed to torch off to GWB? I was just pointing out that Obama has never worn anyting like that.
"If Obama tried the carrier act, he would be boo-ed more than he was at Fenway"
So you're saying that he doesn't have the unquestioning support of the military? Isn't that kinda required for a dictatorship? Aren't you really saying that it would be impossible for Obama to become a dictator?
Besides, I posted here first. My first post, which I then referenced when I replied to you, was way before you posted here. Hell, the point I made in that first post was that neither side is wrong, and making out either side as the bad guys is stupid.
Thats what I'm trying to point out. If you paint the other side as evil, it will evoke a similar response and make getting anything done impossible. Then you get what we have - two groups foaming at the mouth, getting nothing done.
If the US is fundamentally transformed to disavow capitalism but not to embrace (overtly) communism, we then belong to the third world, by definition. When Obama starts wearing a ribbon of office, and maybe military utility clothes, we'll be just another classic banana republic.
Americans who cannot adjust to the phenomenon of seeing their country flushed down the toilet of prosperity by a regime (dictatorship)
The Obama administration is not a dictatorship. a dictatorship is :
a country, government, or the form of government in which absolute power is exercised by a dictator.(Random House)
Obama doesn't have absolute power. He was elected, and as much as you may disagree with what he is doing, he has worked within the office of the President.
He's transforming America into a third world Banana Republic
No. America cannot be third world because third world refers to nations not aligned with united states(1st world) or the Soviet Union(2nd world).
But hey, don't let me rain on your demagoguery. Keep that garbage truck rollin.
However, I do agree with Brush up on your spanish.
Always a good idea to learn something new, and in this multicultural world, knowing more than one language is powerful. Mandarin would also be a good choice.
Who gives a f? Yes, pure socialism can be horrible. So can pure capitalism. Just ask the kids who lost limbs in the mills how well capitalism took care of them. Just ask any city with a Superfund cleanup site how well capitalism worked out for them.
All the isms, they are all parts of the system. You need to balance them, and use them where appropriate. Example - healthcare. Most industrialized nations have a single payer system. Is it flawless? Nope. No system is perfect. But we are spending three times as much on healthcare than Canada does. Clearly, they are doing something better.
The problem is that it is far easier to demonize the other side than to have a rational debate. Especially with the onset of the 24 hours "News" networks who show more "opinion" shows than actual news.
We tend to believe and see information in a way that favors our opinion, beliefs or theories. So people watch shows that already re-enforce their biases, and see little to no stuff that challenges them. Then, a little mocking here and there and you end up with the Polygamist Billionaire Mexican who want to force women back into the kitchen running against the Kenyan Muslim Antichrist who will most likely order troops to kill Ted Nugent and melt his guns down into syringes for homosexuals to teach children how to get high.
To summarize:
Bad things happen and if you turn to the bible and church, you'll be happy in the end. I mean, for some people, that's their cup of tea. From the sounds of it, if you don't like heavy handed messages, you wont dig it.
Leave it to hypersensitive Republicans to get mad when a concert doesn't get canceled.
Hell, it isn't even the "ride into the battlefield and chop their heads off in November." comment that gets the Secret Service's attention. They can be explained away as rhetoric.
It when you say ”If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will be either be dead or in jail by this time next year.” that gets you in trouble. That sounds like your planning an assassination attempt if the President wins.
You know, the ones in these programs are trying to fix it. I mean, if you're not trying to get your GED, why would you go to the adult GED programs anyway?
The ones taking advantage of the program are the people trying to do right by themselves and their community.
Not every poor person living on the streets becomes Governor you know. They actually tend to commit crimes. Crimes which cost your taxpayers far more than any adult education program ever will.
By the way, I love how you say this:
“In order to solve problems, we must define and act to correct them. We cannot turn away from them. We cannot pretend that they don’t exist or, worse, ignore them and let them fester for fear of public ridicule.”
And then propose we DO EXACTLY THAT. You propose that instead of dealing with the problem, we give up on em.
“If they feel they need an education, let them pay for it.”
Your whole solution is to “pretend that they don’t exist” and “let them fester”. Those people you want to stop helping will just take the easy way out, just like you are. Many will turn to a life of crime, because if you have nothing invested in the system, you are less likely to work within it. Others will just exists on welfare, leaching off the system.
Put it this way – how rare is Governor LePage? Wasn’t part of his allure that he is so rare?
Obama's SuperPAC has rasied $6,489,224 as of March 1st
Romney's has raised $41,952,053.
Now, he has spent most of it in the primaries, but the second largest super pac, American Crossroads, has raised $26,851,088, and has most of it still in the kitty.
However - Obama the candidate, not the SuperPac, has raised tons of money. But that's playing by the old rules. He has raised around $350 million this cycle.
I love how you go from calling out someone's lack of facts, and then in the very next sentence, make claims with out a factual basis.
First of all, it all depends in how you define what is the best. Canada has a higher life expectancy and lower infant mortality rate than we do. Yet we spend 2-3X as much as they do.
Now, if our system is driving advances, we need to cut that out. Let them pay for their own stuff. I don't care if R&D dries up. What good is fancy new treatments do me if I can't afford them? I would rather them R&D a way not to charge me $400 for aspirin
(a) Cut taxes for businesses, they report higher profits
(b) Cut taxes for citizens, which they throw into savings.
(c) Status quo.
The problem with tax cuts is that those who benefit most will see it as an increase to disposable income. Some of it may make it into the goods and services marketplace, some will not.
However, those who are benefiting from welfare and "government handouts" will most likely dump all of it into the products and services.
Bush had it right when he called it "Voodoo Economics"
Understand that my brevity was due to the fact I applaud speaking out for what they think on issues, and didn't want to come off as attacking a 7th grader. However, I realized that would be a disservice. You letter deserves a real response, otherwise, I'm just patronizing you.
I am pro life. However, that means little because I am a guy. The question isn't about murdering babies. Nobody wants to murder babies. The question always has been when does the federal government get to intervene. When does the government get to tell you what you can do with your body. The line is the debate. The line became roughly around viability., with most states banning abortions after viability unless the life of the mother is at risk.
The reason being that before viability, there is only one outcome if the baby is removed, be it by the birthing process or abortion. Much like when life support is removed from someone in a vegetative state. They die, and it's not murder because the person is not viable. But if someone can breathe and support their life with their biological processes, it is murder to kill them. And this examples illustrates my point. It isn't just abortions. It affects many things, and wouldn't stop there.
Now, if you open the door, how far is the government allowed to go? If the government can stop you from aborting a pregnancy, are they allowed to question you if you have a miscarriage? If it's illegal, it would have to be a crime to abort a baby, and there are drugs on the market that will end a pregnancy. Heck, the "plan B" really is just a overdose of "the pill". They both have the same hormones. Can they investigate if you did it on purpose? Or would they be allowed to also stop you from harming your pregnancy? If they have to power to protect the unborn life, should that also apply to less than lethal harm? Could they stop you from smoking or eating bad food in the name of protecting the fetus?
I'm not saying I favor abortions. I'm saying that it's not as easy as "Stop killing babies".
They were never talking about $100,000 family income. At it's lowest, it was $250K single filing or like $300K joint
And no, income should NOT be taxed equally. Reason being that $1 to a man making $10 and hour is far more of a burden than $10 is to a man making $100 and hour, because basic needs are fixed. There is a basic amount one needs to survive, and those on the short end of the stick have to cut that margin might tighter.
Is it fair? Nope. Life's not fair. Is it fair that some people have mroe advantages than others? Nope, but you don't see them crying about fairness then.
First off - you say the president can veto a budget. When was the last time a budget has gotten to him?
Two - He is pull troops out as fast as he thinks is possible. I think it might be too fast, but this is one of those times where pulling the troops out too fast may destabilize our puppet governments. Then everything our troops died for is for naught. It's a situation where the cost isn't measured in money, but blood.
Three - You sure you want to bring up Reagan? Talk about debt. Every Republican president for the past 20 some odd years, starting with Reagan, has increased the debt to gdp ratio.
You know, for someone who has a founder father as an avatar(or I'm assume such, as I cant make it out fromt he small size), you don't know how the government works.
The president cannot just change the law that is in place.
He cannot say "I'm gonna revoke the tax cut Bush gave to the rich". He cannot cut Medicare part D. He cannot just undo stuff. They are laws, and to be undone, would have to go through congress.
And don't give me this "Stop blaming the previous administration". I'm not blaming them. I think alot of what Bush spent money on was the right thing to do. I think the Iraq war was a bad idea, but I think he was duped by Iranian operatives into thinking Iraq had more than it did. But when you try to use facts inappropriately and disingenuously, I am gonna come after you. You can call it whining if you want. It wont stop me from dropping data on you like a anvil in a loony tunes cartoon.
It's easy to say that Obama has out spent Bush. However, its not entirely true. Alot of the spending from the Bush administration carried over to Obama's. So to blame Obama for programs that were enacted by Bush isn't honest.
Here is a break down of spending by who originated it.
I just wanted to point out that I agreed with Pirate. Yet, you disagreed with me and agreed with him. Either you're not reading the posts or you're messing with me on purpose.
I doubt I will convince you are even make a dent in your thinking, but here I go anyway.
Obama is not the worst president. Not even close.
If you rate Presidents by how much they got done, worst would be President Harrison, who's only real act as president was convening congress, dying 30 days after his inauguration.
If you rate them by quality, well, then Harding is the worst, who had multiple cabnet members go to jail for corruption.
But then again, you probably rate Bush as a good president.
I mean, Bush got us into two wars, spent FAR more money than Obama has, and had one of his advisors go to jail for breaching national security.
Hell, just for getting Bin Ladin, he should at least be in the middle.
The problem is how much can we afford to help. Society has taken it upon itself to help your sister in law. But there has to be limits. This isn't something taken lightly, and no one is talking about chucking your sister to the curb. But times are tough, and according to the Sun Journal, almost a majority(I think it was 45%, but I might be wrong) of benefits were used by 5% of MaineCare recipients, alot of them like your sister.
There is no hope of balancing MaineCare without cutting funds to your sister.
While Obama might influence the opinion, I think they have already decided. Now they have broken up into groups to write the dissenting and affirming opinions.
Way to go SJ editorial board. This editorial is a steaming turd.
Lets see:
1. The Government can make you buy things. I wrote a letter to the editor about it barely a week ago. Presidents Washington and Adams both made private citizens buy things through legislation. But really, when it comes down to it, making someone buy something is a tax. In a traditional tax, the government takes your money and spends it. This is just a tax where they let you hold onto it until it goes to an insurance company.
2. Obama isn't the first president to brow beat the Supreme Court. Hell, FDR was going to pack the court to get his way. This is an election year, and like it or not, the court is a political body. There is no way their decisions won't have an effect on the election, so to expect either candidate to lay off them is foolish.
If they wanted to stay above the fray, they should have heard the case after the election.
I don't fret the little stuff. Heck, if this was english class, the teacher would have burned out here red pen on my posts.
Anywho, yes, I didn't mention Conservative Americans once. Just like you didn't mention Gay Americans once. You just called them special interests, like how I referred to Conservative Americans as special interests.
Well, I disagree that you should oppose something based on where the law COULD go. I mean, all abortions are the result of sex, but no one is arguing about outlawing sex.
And no, I wasn't compairing society to a special interest group. I was calling Conservative Americans a special interest group.
Where do you see it going? I mean, are you worried about polygamy?
BTW - If your thinking of bring up a man marrying his dog or a bike or anything dumb like that, let me just stop you right there. A bike/fog/rock cannot give consent, therefore could never marry.
Really, all you need is to get a recording of someone racking a pump action 12 gauge. Nothing says "Excuse me sir, I do believe you have mistakenly entered my domicile, and should remove yourself forthwith lest I give you what for, by jove!" better than racking a 12 gauge.
Gay Americans have to fight so that a special interest group won't deny them rights that most Americans hold dear, the right to marry the one they love. The special interests keep throwing up roadblocks in the name of compromise because they don't realize that separate is usually un-equal, and then whine that Gay American's are destroying America
Darth Vader: Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the potential of the Force.
Admiral Motti: Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerous ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient Jedi religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you enough clairvoyance to find the rebels' hidden fortress...
[Vader makes a pinching motion and Motti starts choking]
Darth Vader: I find your lack of faith disturbing.
Governor Tarkin: Enough of this! Vader, release him!
" Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerous ways, Pirate. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the reason to ban same sex marraige, or given you enough clairvoyance to find the rebels' hidden fortress... "
They're creating waves that some of us have no interest in putting up with.
Too bad. Your gonna keep putting up with it until is passes again. Then it will be your turn to generate waves and my turn to say "Stop trying to redefine marriage".
before you can return fire you have to get permission.
No, that's called discipline. There are many reasons not to return fire, such as civilians in the way.
Oh, and a medicare supplement is exactly that- a supplement. You got that as an addition to your medicare.
Oh, and your medicare isn't free anyway - you pay for it. But they usually take it out of your Social Security right off the bat.
Face it, the National Organization for Marriage is about protecting marriage, it is about justifying hate. "Defending Marriage"? How does allowing more people to marry in ANY way hurt the institution?
Oh, and please keep quoting "facts" about what science has affirmed. Most of the studies I have read have compared married to couples to single parents. The only one that compared homosexual partners to traditional parents seemed to say that dad's generally are the weak link. So a Dad/Dad couple wasn't as good as a Mom/Dad. But that a Mom/Mom couple is optimal.
But, hey keep towing that line. Cite biology, tradition, religion and whatnot. The fact of the matter is that for a group of people so worried about the federal government over-reaching and violating it's constitutional authority when it comes to health care seem to have no problem when it does that to limit who can marry who.
Well, I would prefer being "nickeled-and-dimed to death for non-covered routine maintenance" over the way insurance companies pin you down and give you the business.
Example - on my previous plan with a previous employer, I had my first son. Now, we had alot of bills with that one(c section, lots of drugs, lots of fun). Now, after all was said and done, we got hit with a supplemental bill from CMMC because the insurance company denied all of my son's claims. See, to enroll in the plan you need a DoB, so I couldn't do it ahead of time. So at the time of his birth, he wasn't a member. Now Maine law gives you a 30 day grace period, but since my employer was headquartered in another state and was acting as their own insurer through a major insurance company, Maine laws didn't apply.
So needless to say, I ate the whole thing. So when someone tells me this isn't interstate commerce, and that the federal government has no place in it, I scoff.
That's why Maine law is clear - Let them have your tv. Call the cops. Your right, it is a hard call to make. But that is part of the responsibility of owning a gun. If you plan on taking a life, you had better be ready to justify taking it. Thats why it is allways better to retreat and use lethal force only when you need to.
In plain english, alot of it is common sense. Now, I'm not a lawyer, but really it about valuing life above all. If someone is just taking your stuff, you can't shoot them. You are required to retreat if possible. In other words, someone takes your tv, you don't get to shoot them.
However, if you feel threatened, or they are threatening another, all bets are off.
My thoughts always has been that my family is upstairs. I hear someone messing around downstairs, I call the cops and leave it to them. If they come up the stairs, they will regret it.
They aren't going to string him up. They are going to shoot him. But either way, his life is over. Going to jail would be a best case scenario, because if he doesn't, he will have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life.
Not that I really object. He followed an unarmed kid, then got into a fight, and shot him. He may claim self defense, but we will never know what happened because he shot the other witness. This is why we have trained police, and not amateurs because police officers who know what they are doing use force much more discretion. Zimmerman decided to "play cop". Now that he played vigilante, he might have to face a few himself.
What really gets me in this whole debate is how no one talks about efficiency.
Republicans love to say our system is the best in the world. But why do they say that? Because it is the most advanced. Our doctors have the tools and can do things that very few others can. However, they do it at three to four times what other nations pay. Our system is so inefficient; it is slowly strangling our economy.
Every other industrialized nation has figured out you can’t leave it in the hands of private insurance. Since you can’t let hospitals refuse people, someone has to pay. The more you leave that up in the air, the more that hidden cost grows and hurts us all. It drives up costs, and makes our system far less efficient. And the argument against the government running the show is weak.
As Mr Labbe argues below – “Think about how good anything the Government runs works.” Lets go wioth that. I would put Medicare up against any insurance program. I bet it would demolish them in terms of overhead and productivity.
So how about this – tell me why private insurance is better than Medicare? I would take Medicare in a heartbeat. So tell me why private coverage is so much better before you dismiss a single payer system.
The three year average median household income for Maine was $48,081.
My household is higher than that but no where near $100K. I also have a masters degree, I go to work every day.
Most of the time, I would argue relevance is his native land, but it really is part of the story. He lied about living in refugee camps, so I would say that it is relevant.
Ps "And no socialism can't exist before the conditions for its existence (industrial capitalism post 1860 in the US post 1750 in Europe) exist."
Let me report the definition:
Dictionary.com defines socialism:
1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2.procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
Where does it any anything about industrial capitalism?
It doesn't. While Industrial Capitalism lead to the formation of the definition of socialism, that doesn't mean socialism didn't exist before it. Socialism is a description, a definition of a phenomenon. That doesn't mean it didn't exist before hand, or that things didn't share characteristics with it before it was defined.
First off - "Private military action is an oxymoron" - Yeah, ask Honduras how that worked for them in 1910 when a banana company staged a coup d’état.
How about this, instead of just state a bunch of stuff you hold as fact, explain why. Like why is what the military does not a service. It has value, we pay for it.
Like, your point about "It is one of two government responsibilities as defined in Article I of the Constitution." It says Congress is supposed to "To raise and support Armies". How could that not be contracted out. Congress doesn't try and make fighter jets, so obviously, parts of raising an army are already private, why is it such a huge leap for you to realize they could outsource the whole thing to blackwater, and be done with it while still meeting all constitutional requirements.
And how do people not own the government? I pay for it, and just like a stockholder in any company(who are the people who own it) I vote for who makes the decisions.
Dan, please explain. This is the first I've heard of it.
Also - FYI - As much as I don't want to defend him, but the draft was ended in 1973. He went to Canada in 72 and stayed till 79. Now I might be wrong, but It seems there is a small window for him to be drafted and then run to Canada.
Dictionary.com defines socialism:
1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2.procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
So it doesn't have to be an economic system.
But regardless of how we define it, you missed the point I was making about the military. Military protection is a service. Having an armed force that takes orders form our government is a service. Blackwater or really even any security guard company would be an example of the private industry equivalent.
So let's look at the definition, and line up my example to it:
"vesting of the ownership and control " - Government owns and control the military
"of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc.," - the product is Military services. They protect the interests of the United States with force.
" in the community as a whole." The Government is owned by all citizens.
So, again, how is it not socialism? Yes, it is collective action, but it is also socialist.
And while the US constitution was around before the theories on Socialism doesn't mean it isn't socialist. I mean, evolution was taking place before Darwin codified it. Any service that the government provides could be provided by private industry. Therefore, if it producing anything, be it a service or an actual item, it is socialist.
Your first point is confusing: Did you mean his point that Congress can force you to buy things, or that refusing is Un-American?
Now, as for socialism - Hate to break it to you, but all government activities are socialist. Pooling resources for a common task under the control of government is socialism.
I'm glad I had a LTTE to hang out at today. This thread is a bummer.
If you have to argue about how much vacation time people are taking, well, I just wonder where the facts went?
I can understand where both went wrong - both sides are right. There are facts and persuasive arguments for both sides. You know, as much as people like to rip on Politicians, there is a REAL need for them. Real Politicians know that like anything, this is a give and take, and that there is no need to make this an emotional battle.
The reason you can't refuse people, or make it so they can refuse, is that then if opens the door to people not getting treatment that they should get.
Lets say another Jason Theriault had it on record with the hospital that is he was found unconscious, he was to be left dead in the street. Well, then let say I'm in a car accident, and they do a search for me, and somehow the record gets crossed. Well, I'm SOL.
Put it this way - the state paid benefits to 19,000 people who shouldn't have been eligible. Do you want to trust them to be able to handle life or death decisions like whether or not to provide care?
The panhandlers are no competition for the author of this letter. While "Please help -House burned down" is succinct and to the point, it doesn't convey the same je ne sais quoi, the unquenchable charm and extreme handsomeness that the author possesses.
Federal Government doesn't require it - states do
Operating a car is optional
ect.
Fact of the matter is that the service(health care) cannot be refused by Hospitals. They are forced to take you, regardless of your ability to pay. Acknowledging that fact seems to be the biggest issue here. Hoisting up a system where some people who plan ahead and act responsibly are punished, while those who act poorly profit is just stupid.
"now some that never paid get more from it then those that did"
Umm, pretty sure that has been the case since its inception. I agree that it has been used as a general fund per see, but I think complaining about that now is like sending back a steak for being overcooked when all that is left is the bone.
First of all - I wasn't nit picking, I just included that to make sure that's what you meant. I didn't make that a central theme of my argument. I didn't say "He didn't use a contraction and got his negation wrong, so obviously his opinion on same sex marriage is wrong".
And I never said I didn't care. I do care. I don't like see people denied something without a good reason.
And lastly, the only reason I posted that post of yours was to prove that you do care. Post here, arguing with people, and brushing off their arguments by saying "I don't care" is a weak argument, and I wanted to call you on it. You do care. You oppose same sex marriage. If you really don't care, vote for it next November, and the gays won't bug you anymore.
"As you can see from sub paragraph two, section 3, §85 of the Oil Change agreement, you are in violation of the 'requesting non-synthetic oil in a type III engine'. Not only did I have to charge you to use synthetic oil, but I had to charge you the non-disclosure fee. Now, with retainer and storage fee for the 5 minutes we worked on your car, that will be $150.95. And remember to come back in exactly 3,000 miles, or the 'Over/under 3,000 mile forfeiture clause' will force us to take possession of your car."
Well, for someone who couldn't care less(I assume that's what you meant), you sure post alot about it.
Matter of fact, after they did get the law changed, here's one of your posts durring the people's veto ramp up:
By Paul St. Jean, verified user — Sat, 07/18/2009 - 09:28
AARRGH!!
How much longer we gonna have to put up with this nonsense? What will come after marriage?. We were told civil unions would not increment into something else, but here we are. Where does it end? Now, me parrot's asking me if he and his best friend Sluggo can get married. AARRGH!!.
So you do care, or at at least it looks like it to me.
Don't blame the court. Blame the republicans in the state house.
They sabotaged Dion's bill, making it too vague.
Then they pushed it through because they knew it wouldn't fly.
Then, as another crook in there, Nutting, said. "I am glad that this matter has been put to rest."
And by your same logic that homosexuals have the right to marry now, because you define marriage between a man and woman, it wouldn't be special rights for homosexuals to allow same sex marriages. Heterosexuals would also be able to marry people of the same gender.
I can understand calling out schools for lying about how much grads make.
But the problem with basing what you think you will earn after graduation based on previous graduates isn't going to be a good metric. Markets go up and down, and far more importantly, location can make a huge difference.
If you ignore school, and just look at how much a profession makes in a geographical location, the US DoL Bureau of Labor Statistics has some pretty good figures.
(http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm)
I don't like pistachios. I obviously I don't buy them as a snack. I prefer beef jerky as my go to snack. And someone eating pistachios has no effect on my enjoyment of beef jerky.
Same with same sex marriage. How successful my marriage is has nothing to do with anyone but my wife and I, and same goes for how we raise our children. If you're looking for excuses or a boogieman to blame, same sex marriage is an easy target. But the fact of the matter is that numerous factors come into play, from increased independence from gender role to less societal pressure against divorce.
First off – a full on nuclear war is not all that likely. Both Russia and the United States have waaaayyyy too much to loose. And Russia is way to smart an operator to let things get to that point.
Now as for North Korea and Iran developing weapons. They wont use them either. IF, and this is a VERY BIG IF, IF they could get a weapon over here and set it off, they might take out a city(depending on yield). A recent study by the department of homeland defense shows that a 10 kt bomb that would be likely used by terrorists would damage a city, but not destroy it, and it would be similar to the effects of WWII bombings. So they would kill a lot of people and hurt America.
In return, they would face national death. A strategist, Anthony Cordesman, at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies looked at what would happen in a nuclear exchange between Israel and Iran and found that Israel would take significant casualties. However, Iran, Syria, Egypt and Jordon would all be wiped out in the Israeli counter attack. And Tehran’s geography is almost perfect for a nuclear strike, resulting as they put it, a “Nearly Ideal nuclear killing ground”
Nope, the reason they developed and are developing weapons is because the United States has to treat a nuclear power differently than a non-nuclear power. We can bomb and invade non-nuclear powers. Nuclear powers cannot be so easily invaded, because nuking invading troops would be very effective. Iran can keep Israel at arms length if they have a nuclear weapon that can threaten with.
First off, Rev Taylor - kudos on riling up the forum like few others. Double kudos on asking for donations in the thread. Its a rare combination of trolling and philanthropy that you just don't see often. I am very amused by this thread.
That said, I think you shouldn't use the example of the Bales slayings in defending our troops. If that happened her, we would be just as up in arms over the dead kids. I saw a picture of the 2 year old, and there is no excuse.
Also, I don't think serving helps. Bush jr served, and he got us into this mess. Had he finished Afghanistan instead of going into Iraq, we wouldn't be there right now. And we would be in such a better position to deal with Iran.
I was replying to Mike, not you.
"The best funded SuperPAC around right now is Obama's, even though he promised in the 2008 campaign never to use one. So much for his word."
If the ACA is found unconstitutional, I am dumping my health insurance. I'll save upwards of $9,000 a year. And if something bad happens, bankruptcy.
Is it fair? Nope.
But the 2008 financial crisis taught me one thing - Playing fair is for suckers. How many bankers went to jail for tanking the US economy? None. Why should I bother playing fair when the Government rewards those who do not?
Obama may have tons more money, but his super pac is pretty lame, fundraising wise. I mean, no super rich people are going to flock to him, but he is a monster when it comes to the old fashioned fund raising.
BTW - I think SuperPacs cost you guys the election. Their money allowed Gingrich and Santorum to stick around way longer than they should, which has weakened Romney. Had traditional fund raising been the case, the others would have fallen off quickly, and Romney could have been running against Obama for months now instead of still fighting off Zombie Santorum.
First off - "WWII was the last war the US tried to win - Democrats got us into it, Republicans won it."
Really? I'm pretty sure that
A- The Japanese got us into it
B- FDR and Truman were Democrats.
I think a great example of how to fight a war was Gulf War I, but to be fair, the Korean War also fits this mold. And the reason was we weren't seeking to occupy a nation. President Bush stopped our forces from invading Iraq. As we have seen, occupying Iraq is no picnic.
The problem with the occupation model of combat from WWII is that occupation only work when the occupied are scared or crushed. The Soviets crushed the Germans. After the Nazi's brutalized the Russian civilians, the Red Army had no qualms with paying back the German civilians. When faced with Americans or Soviets, of course they loved us. We weren't shipping them to Siberia or straight up killing them.
First off, polls are deceiving and really meaningless. You can get like 60% of the vote and lose(quick calculations - based on state populations and electoral votes) The key thing to look at is the polls in swing states. And lately, they do show a push for Obama because of women turning on the republicans.
Will that last? I don't know. Predicting elections is tricky even on the day of, let alone 6 months out....
But which is better - locking Manson up in a dark hole to rot, or giving him even more attention through the appeals process. Which serves society better?
And it's not the Mansons I'm worried about. It's the poor bastard who can afford a good lawyer and get railroaded into a needle.
It's going to be interesting when Obama turns on the campaign. He's been pretty quiet as there is no reason for him to jump in. They have been tearing each other apart, and if he jumped in, he would only legitimize the canidate he attacked. Plus, the republicans would shift their focus to him.
Romney has spent a ton of money, meanwhile, Obama has been fundraising(which he will need to be able to go toe to toe with the superpacs). Plus, since Romney had to go to the right to fight off Santorum and Gingrich, he is gonna have to walk those statements back when trying to win independents.
Hell, Obama will have to just run primary speach footage.
I'm against both, but that's also not a fair comparison. That's like saying "Viagra is covered by health insurance, why isn't the pill?"
The reason I'm against the death penalty has nothing to do why I'm against abortion. The death penalty is final. You cannot un-execute someone if later they are found to be innocent. So if the system was 100% right every time, I wouldn't have an issue. Also, because of all the checks involved, it's far more expensive that a life sentence.
Your not allowed to kill people.
Be it in anger with a gun or in a hospital room.
You are, however, allowed to let people die, such as when you remove a feeding tube and life support. That is the cut off. Just like when someone suffers a traumatic head injury. They are a person. But there is no right to be forced to live.
I am pro life. I think we should protect the life of unborn children, but I also think Republican go about it in the worst way possible. I also accept that my feelings on the matter need to be balanced with what is fair and where the line should be.
These type of posts make me chuckle. It's the pure, unadulterated blind faith that one side is wrong and one side is right that requires no thought whatsoever. You have stated no evidence, no reasons why. You have been told what to hate, and you ran with it. It reminds me of the novel "1985", how people wouldn't question what they were told, they just ran with it. Even if it blatantly changed the next day, doesn't matter.
First off, blame the speculators for driving the price up. Investment groups like Goldman Sachs are the reason prices jump like they do. But the reason prices are jumping around are two fold:
1. Iran. All this talk of bombing Iran, and Iran’s playing games in the Straight of Hormuz have driven up costs. Iran must love that the sanctions we placed on them, and tension we are helping create are driving up the value of their biggest export.
2. The economy is improving. Listen, I know a lot of you hate Obama, and don’t want to give him credit for the economy improving. That’s fine. I think he helped, but that’s an opinion. However, it is improving. We never double dipped, GDP is growing, and unemployment is decreasing. This means we are going to use more oil, which drives up the costs.
You can try and put this on him, and American’s might buy it. But I wouldn’t. Gas prices are volatile, and will come down this fall. I don’t know if I would hang my hat on that.
Don't get me wrong, I agree that this hasn't happened overnight, and that democrats cannot point the finger and blame republicans for this.
But LePage isn't trying to make it better. With L.D. 1805(the act that gives the executive branch the same secrecy as the legislative), he is making it worse.
People make mistakes. The problem with saying "Then they should be responsible for it" is that your not just punishing the parent. I wouldn't have a problem with that. Your punishing the kid. This kid is already going to face all sorts of disadvantages. Yes, this can force the kids to be self starters, like LePage. It can also teach them to do anything to survive, and turn to a life of crime. Had LePage not gotten help from the Snowe's to get into college, who knows how he would have turned out.
Kids are an investment. The more productive they turn out to be, the more beneficial to the state they are. Anything you can do to boost this will pay itself back in higher wages and a more competitive labor market.
Well, alot has changed since then.
America gained it's Independence from the king.... ok, I kid =)
I love how you changed gears. Democrats fought for contraceptives education, and in doing so took away the stigma of being a single mom. How does that work?
"Here's a condom, but don't use it, because that would be cool..."
Listen, studies have found that contraceptive education leads to lower teen pregnancy rates. The fact of the matter is that kids are stupid. They will make stupid choices. Hell, when it comes to sex, EVERY age group make stupid choices. So teach kids that abstinence is the best birth control. Then teach them about all the other forms of birth control, so they don’t compound a bad decision with another.
BTW – every time you click disagree, President Clinton get a new intern.
Feel free to get Maher booted off HBO. If enough people cancel their subscriptions, HBO will can him.
That is not only your right, I fully support it. I think he is a jerk, and just like Limbaugh, gives his side a bad name.
The $1 million is tough though. Obama cannot control this at all, that's the point. That's how it got past the SCOTUS. I know, it's a wink wink, nudge nudge thing with SuperPacks, but he cannot come out and say "Return the Money". He has to stay away from it, and let the Superpack regulate itself.
And I think Limbaugh wields far more power than Maher, because the left know that Maher is an ass, and keeps him at arms length. However, no one seems willing to cross Limbaugh, even now. That's what's galling.
If you watch MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, or whatever, you lose.
All three of them, their goal is ratings. They skew their broadcasts to have some facts, mixed in with opinions and mis-characterizations to keep people watching. They need you to keep watching, so they skew their programming to go one way or the other, so your confirmational bias kicks in, and they get you to take a side. Put it this way: When was the last time you disagreed with what you saw on your channel?
One time, I was over at my parents house, and they had "The Five"(I think that's what it is called) on Fox News. And they, almost to a tee, followed my HS AP Government teachers format for a effective opinion piece.
The format:
1.Thesis - (the lead in by one of the talking heads)
2.Strong opposing point and refutation.(The Big Liberalish guy)
3. Two or three strong points
4. Restate Thesis.
They follow it almost to a tee. It's kinda funny, really.
I watch the 6 pm news, and that's about it. If I want to be entertained, I'll turn on NCIS or Top Gear.
Alright, juvenile's not the word. I hadn't had my coffee yet. It's a BS argument
So, if you call my wife an offensive name, I have to consider that it happened in the past and dismiss it before I decide how I'm going to deal with you, otherwise I'm being juvenile?
No, exactly the opposite. Peple are linking Maher’s comments to Limbaughs, like they were said minutes apart. Maher said his stuff last year. People, in tyring to defend Limbaugh, are trying to make out those who are pissed about this as hypocrites because they didn’t react this way to Maher.
The reason for the different reaction is the target. Both Maher and Limbaugh said reprievable things, and I would say on word choice, Maher was worse. However, Maher’s targets were public figures – Palin and Bachman. Both have staff to respond to these comments, and acess to forums like Fox News. Ms Fluke is not. She is a private citizen testifying before congress. Now, that act would open yourself up to some criticism. But Limbaugh focused on her for three days, and according to one liberal site, Media Matters, lobbed over 46 insults at her.
That’s way over the line. People think hes not only being sexist, but a bully too. I’m nat saying Maher was ok in what he said. But if you want to call out Maher, do so not as part of the criticism of Limbaugh.
Yes, let have tax cuts. I mean, the budget is looking for cuts in almost every program, DHHS is so underwater, they make Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac look like fiscally solid organizations. So now if the time for tax cuts.
First off - This tactic of bringing up other times when someone called a woman a name is a juvenile defense.
Secondly - Did you write a letter to the editor when The Roots player "Lying a** B****" calling them out? Nope. And the reason why is that there is a big difference between inferring something, like playing a harmony of a song and over the course of three days calling someone a whore and slut around 46 times(according to media matters)
Just like I could get in trouble with the mods if I didn't use the "*" to mask the swears.
This just shows how dumb republicans at the top are. You want a bump in the polls? You want to to take the wind out of democrat sails? Call out Limbaugh. EVERYONE agrees what he said is out of line. However, the GOP decided to try and hold the line, and deflect...Which everyone sees through.
Imagine if Romney came out and said "While I disagree with Ms Fluke, she has every right to state her opinion without being called a slut and whore. Mr Limbaugh should be ashamed and should leave the air" The Rush takes a few months off, lets someone else helm the EIB chair for a bit, comes back after the convention, makes some serious contrition, and tones it down a bunch for awhile.
That would make Romeny look like a President. He would get such a bump in the women's vote. It would be a game changer.
We'll see how it pans out. I admit, I'm biased as the whole arena debaucle put a sour taste in my mouth(My uncle is Roger).
I know, new owners, ect...
Anywho, I hope it works out for the kids. I got a 4(almost 5) year old who is in the AYHL learning to play, and I would hate to see that disappear for any kid.
Listen, this current price jump is based far more on Iran being naughty. We messed with their economy, so they are not only getting revenge by making oil speculators freak out and slowing our economy, but also reaping the benefits of making their chief export worth a ton more money.
1. God isn't going to bail out Israel. I don't know if that's what your implying(sometimes crazy doesn't translate well into english), but if God was going to step up to protect Jews, he would have been smiting Nazi's like Captain America.
2.If God was every going to say "Enough!", he would have said it along time ago, and ...probably started smiting Nazi's like Captain America
See, here's the thing. God is a pro. He knows what he's doing. God made the Earth crappy on purpose. He gives us the opportunity to be awesome, knowing that nine times out of ten, we will fail at being awesome.
Well, I don't know the inside of how this went down. But I think the Colisee is absolutely dumb to have done this. Even if LAYHL was booking time elsewhere, I think everyone knew Portland was comming up here, and they were just protecting themselves. By not working with the LAYHL, they are burning their bridges with them. Yeah, create a shortage of ice time. If the LAYHL finds alternatives, especially if they can get a second venue built like they were talking about, Colisee will be in deep trouble.
As much as LePage has been a complete horse's arse, The Republican legislature hasn't been horrible. They have called LePage out when he was going to far, like with BPA. The problem is I want a Democratic Governor and a Republican Legislature(but not a super majority).
Mr Reed, I think I’m going to go with option three:
The National economy tanked. I dunno if you remember, but a few years ago, the economy tanked because some people got greedy. They were making too much money with too little oversight. Any who, most of the problems you mention can be traced back to that.
Don’t get me wrong, there has been some serious oversight issues with these programs, but my guess is that the 2008 crash has made everything worse. Maine unemployment spiked in 2008 from 4.7% in Jan 2008 to 8.4% in Jan 2010. This compounds everything. No wages means no income taxes. Housing prices dropped, and people were defaulting left and right. No property taxes. And now you have a bunch more people qualifying for Medicaid.
So politicize it all you want, but I’m not voting blindly for anyone. I’m going to vote for the one who will represent me best.
"For my friend and 20% of the women in her situation, she never got the insurance company to cover her prescription. Despite verifications of her illness from her doctor, her claim was denied repeatedly on the assumption that she really wanted birth control to prevent pregnancy."
So, obviously, your point was clearly wrong, as you would have know if you had read the transcript.
You know what my favorite part of "War and Peace" is? When Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins find the treasure. Oh wait, that wasn't in War and Peace. I've never read "War and Peace". Man I sound stupid when I comment on things I haven't read.
OK, seriously, this will be the last time I explain. Next time I will only post 3 words:
READ
THE
TRANSCRIPT.
Insurance covers the pill for non-birth control purposes.
However, since they don't have to cover it for birth control, they assume that 9 times out of 10, the woman is lying, and that they go above and beyond to make these women prove that they need this medicine.
This is the case with the friend of Fluke who she testified about. Her friend even was a lesbian. No need for birth control. But the insurance company dragged their feet, and the friend was forced to cover the cost of the medicine out of pocket. Things got too tight, and she had to stop taking the meds. Next thing you know, she's having her ovary removed, she's on all sorts of meds, and is trying to stave off menopause at age 32, because she would like to have kids.
She probably has a hell of a lawsuit, but lawsuits can't get you offspring.
Again, this isn't gasoline - you don't fill the tank before sex. Birth control has to be taken all the time. If you are having no sex, or 1000's of partners, you take the same amount of birth control.
If you going to comment on a subject, at least make sure you have a slight understanding of it.
READ HER TESTIMONY.
The crux of her arguments was that since insurance didn't have to cover birth control, they use that as a excuse to deny claims that use the pill for non birth control reasons, such as ovarian cysts.
And, btw - prescription birth control isn't a "take as you go" thing. You take it all the time, regardless of how much sex you have. So all around, Rush Limbaugh doesn't know what the f he talking about.
Sarah Palin is not a private citizen. She was a Mayor, a Governor and a VP Candidate. She has had a reality tv show, and she is still politically active. As far as I'm concerned, she's fair game.
Bristol, on the other hand, is not(kinda). Bristol has been on Dancing with the Stars, so at that point, she was also fair game. Thats not saying calling Sarah a "c***" or a "t***" is acceptable.
What I'm saying about time is that Maher already took alot of heat for his comments, AS HE SHOULD HAVE. Bringing it up now is just a way of trying to deflect criticism off of Limbaugh. Point me to one source who tried to defend Maher when her called Palin those names. Nobody did, because everyone agrees he was out of line. Defending him is only going prolong this. He needs to take his medicine.
And it wasn't what Cain said, it was all the sexual harassment and a 13 year affair that sunk his boat. And the grapevine said fellow conservatives were responsible for leaking that stuff, not the left.
I'll give you that Maher is a jerk. But, I think Jon Stewart is classy, and generally makes intellectual points.
Here is the difference between Maher and Rush on this:
Maher picked on Sarah Palin, and did so during one of his comedy shows. He was being classless, but again, it was a comedy performance not broadcast. Palin is also a public figure, who put her self out there.
Rush went after a private citizen testifying before congress. He attacked her for three straight days (the count was 46 times last I heard), and I don't think he even bothered to listen to her testimony. Because she was talking about how insurance companies use the pill's birth control status to stall and deny legitimate claims.
Here's some free advice. The "well, he did it first" argument will never get you off the hook, and it makes you look like a 5 year old. Maher called Palin bad names over a year ago. The statue of limitations has run out on being mad about that.
1. October 2011 – The Obama administration eliminates federal grants to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for their extensive programs that aid victims of human trafficking because the Catholic Church is anti-abortion.
hats one way of saying it. Another is that the Conference of Catholic Bishops would not refer these victims, 95% are physically and sexually assaulted and 48% are forced into prostitution, for contraceptives and abortions. I'm not pro abortions, but in the case of rape, that's clearly one of the times most of society see abortions as acceptable.
2. November 2011 – Unlike previous presidents, Obama studiously avoids any religious references in his Thanksgiving speech.
So? How about this, I won't tell you how to worship God, and you do the same.
3. February 2012 – The Obama administration forgives student loans in exchange for public service, but announces it will no longer forgive student loans if the public service is related to religion.
You glossed over how many special interests are no longer counted, like working for a Union or a Political organization.
4. February 2012 – The Obama administration makes effulgent apologies for Korans being burned by the U. S. military, but when Bibles were burned by the military, numerous reasons were offered why it was the right thing to do.
How would you have liked them to dispose of the bibles?
There is no bible code on how to dispose of the bible, so they burned them. Big whoop
Electric heat is the most expensive. Why not have rebates for pellet systems instead. Renewable Maine pellets can be used instead of non-renewable sources.
In the old Soviet Union, had you said what you had just said, by this time tomorrow, you would be pining for your dream home on a train to Siberia.
Also, your dream home would have been a 1 bedroom apartment, because unless your a party insider, you don't get squat.
Also, when the government chose to build a power plant next to your home, it would have been nuclear. And if it melted down, they would tell you days later, after you got a significant dose of radiation.
Which is really gonna be a bummer in Siberia, because I don't think they have good doctors up there.
I don't really care if they signed a gag order. You can find people that will claim martians probed them and now they can no longer dance the Charleston.
Peer reviewed studies are conducted by experts in the field and backed by evidence. Hence why, if you want to convince me there are health effects, you need to show me a peer reviewed study
ehhh, power corrupts people, and alot of the time, good people get lost in the job. And technically, putting politicians in glass jars would either be meaningless(if there was a way to get in or out) or murder.
Anyway - I will leave you with a joke that I love.
How do you stop a politician(or lawyer) from drowning?
Shoot em.
The people who listen to Rush have bought into it hook, line and sinker. They have lost much of their critical thinking ability, because if you can't see that his job is to inflame and provoke his listeners to become angry and therefore listen more to him, then they are lost. Limbaugh's whole goal is to get you angry so you keep listening. Which makes your more angry, so you listen more.
From the studies I have read, the general consensus is that the there is no evidence to support linking Wind Farms to adverse health effects other than stress. People who are annoyed at the Wind turbine get stressed out, and that can cause all sorts of issues. But stress, as they put it, is not a disease.
A quote from a 2011 British study : "annoyance has far more to do with social and psychological factors in those complaining than any direct effect from sound or inaudible infrasound emanating from wind turbines".
So you show me a PEER REVIEWED study that says wind farms cause adverse health effects, and I will read it with an open mind.
"Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law."
-Thomas Jefferson
By the way, welcome to the real world. Everyone pays for things the government does that they find abhorrent. Hell, ask all the pacifist how they feel about the trillions spent in Iraq and Afghanistan.Maybe if the church doesn't want to pay for birth control pills, they should stop trying to be a business. You want to run a hospital. Fine, but you have to play by the same rules as any private hospital.
Oh and BTW - The point that the "Slut", Sandra Fluke, was trying to make, is that because the pill isn't covered, when ever you get a prescription for it for a non-birth control method, you have to go through a ringer to get it approved, and that fight ever step of the way. The friend she talked about was a lesbian(so no need for birth control) and had polycystic ovarian syndrome, and was taking birth control to eliminate ovarian cysts. But, because the insurance company had an out, they dragged their feet. The friend paid out of pocket for as long as she could, then had to stop. Well, a huge cyst forced removal of one of her ovaries, she on all sorts of meds to balance her hormones now, and may never have kids.
One - Source on the school closing. I did a google search, and I couldn't find it. Not saying that means anything, but I don't have enough details to find out the story behind the school.
Two - While I do think living off the grid is cool, it's just not feasible for most people. You need exposure to the sun, land for the equipment, and alot of hardware. For most of the populace, you will need industrial power generation. That means Coal, Nuclear, NG and Hydro. We will always need on demand power sources like these. But the point of wind power is lessen the demand on Coal, Nuclear and NG as much as possible.
Solar flares can mess with the power grid, but they have to be of a relatively large nature, and at that point, computers and satellites would also be in trouble. Just think back a few years to the flare that caused Auroas almost to the mid-west in the mid 2000's(I think it was 2004). I believe that was one of the largest flares ever recorded, and it didn't affect the grid at all.
On site solar? That's not green. The batteries you need to store that power negates any environmental gains. PV only makes sense if you put them where they will be most efficient, just like with Wind Turbines. Save the environment is a sum game. The wind turbines up on the mountains are far better than coal plans down south, and the more clean power we can generate, the better.
Besides, it seems to be one of the only growth industries in Maine. unless you show me proof that it is causing major harm to the environment, I'm all for it.
First off, grand consensus of scientists believes that while both people involved share in the responsibility to deal with the consequences, that alot of the time, only one party truly gets f***ed.
And it will pay for itself. Hell, the government should hand out birth control. Comparing the costs for unwed mothers on assistance programs vs the costs of birth control is no contest. So if you truly want to limit the people on MaineCare roles, this is a no-brainer.
One - The Catholic church considers a vasectomy a sin.
Two - DO NOT MENTION VIAGRA. Erectile dysfunction if a medical condition. Yes, men with ED can survive without Viagra. Just like women who have mastectomies can survive without have cosmetic surgery. But it's about feeling as normal as possible.
Contraceptives(when used a contraceptives, not for conditions like menorrhagia) do not fix anything. A male birth control pill should be treated the same.
That said, I think insurance should cover it. It's expensive enough that it should be covered, and as it prevents pregnancy, which can cost insurance companies upwards of $10K-$20K, that's a hell of a savings.
But more importantly, it's an issue of control. Now, I am surmising here(being a guy), but I can see why women are up in arms over this. In trying to level the playing field between men and women, birth control is a great tool. A man's career never hinged on getting knocked up. However, a woman gets pregnant, and it can derail her entire professional future, especially if it's unexpected. And before anyone says "don't have sex", think about this - Have YOU ever had sex where having a kid being the outcome would have been disastrous?
Man seconds after hitting the submit button, Raye announces he's staying put. I guess Summers is going to jump in. Now, would anyone know if he has taken out papers? I mean, he is the Secretary of State, he is the one to go to to get papers.
And does he have to resign is he does? I mean, can his own office certify signatures gathered by his campaign?
I called it in an earlier comment that Michaud would drop out. Now I think Raye jumps in. I think he has a better chance against Pingree than Michaud. However, I think King also is going to get into this, and he will probably win.
If I was D’Amboise, I would hedge my bets and take out papers for the 2nd seat. That way, if Raye come up, and spoils his run, he can jump right into the 2nd district race. Not that he would have a big chance, but he wont make it out of the primary otherwise.
My predictions for Maine(and the next 72 hours will be exciting, because anyone not working at getting the signature by Friday just wont have time):
Democrats:
Chellie Pingree will drop her 1st district run, and go for the Senate.
Her daughter, Hanna Pingree, will run for her mothers congressional seat
Michaud will stay put, running for 2nd district.
GOP:
Kevin Raye will jump into race, dropping his run for the 2nd district. Who knows who will run against Michaud.
Les Otten has been mentioned, but from what I have read, he doesn't sound interested.
Independent:
This is where things get really interesting. You need 4000 signatures, but they don't have to be from only one party. And the deadline for signatures is June, so there is ALOT more time to figure stuff out.
Elliot Cutler - has the political machine and the money to really go at it.
Angus King - No political machine, but still held as a good Governor and might have the money needed to do it.
If I was to bet:
Cutler get mid to high 40ish % of the vote
Raye - high 30%
Pingree - high 20%
Thinking your saving money but cutting programs that bring in more federal funds than you put in. That's just taking money out of the economy.
You know what's "Simple minded thinking"?
Taking a working mom who can't afford daycare and who is getting help from MaineCare for it, and slashing her funding. Because, obviously, she wont end up losing her job, becoming a full-on welfare recipient, and in the long run costing you more money.
You know what's "Simple minded thinking"?
Not acknowledging that 5% of MaineCare patients rack up 40-50% of the costs, and that if their usage can be brought under control, the savings would be more than enough.
You know what's "Simple minded thinking"?
Adressing the symptom and not the cause. Want to close budget holes? Have the state make more money. How?
While we are at it, I want to bring up another issue of people disrespecting the Creator, and that is by consuming alcohol. It is clearly forbidden in the Qur’an.
Oh wait, not that creator.
Ok, how about people eating beef. The cow is clearly a revered animal, agreed upon in most Hindu texts….
Not that one either?
Ok… Shellfish and Pork?
Nope, ok, so just Christian religions… Gotcha.
Ok, well, in the United Church of Christ, they marry same gendered people.
This is why there is a separation of church and state. You are free to believe whatever you like. However, once you want to start making laws about stuff, you need to back stuff up with facts, not faith.
Ok, well, I'll see your reference to a 20 year old magazine, and raise you a 10 year old report from the WHO that showed that in couples(married) where one partner had AIDS, and they constantly used condoms correctly, the transmission rate was around 1%.
I'm pretty sure natural family planning had no effect on AIDS transmission.
And for the record, natural family planning is not a contraceptives. a contraceptives prevents conception. Natural family planning is semi-abstinence. I mean, if that counts, then any activity where you can't have sex is a form of contraceptive.
Accepting an Oscar? Yup, because you are not allowed to have sex while accepting an Oscar.
Swimming in a public pool? Yup, lifeguard will kick you out if you try to have sex.
Yup, cut more assistance to parents.
I mean, we can't touch the coverage to those 65,000 childless adults, but since kids can't vote, it's cool to make cuts to them.
From what I've just skimmed, the credit applies to both domestic and international adoptions. I don't know if I'm in favor of an overseas adoption credit. While anyone who adopts a child domestically is doing a great service to society, adopting a kid from abroad doesn't help us out domestically, and I think shouldn't qualify.
But aren't you afraid of the affects on small business pirates, or pirates that go into pirating as independent contractors, only to be forced out by unions? Never mind the effect on the economy, but what about the effects on the environment?
What makes private charity a hand up instead of a hand out?
"I am all for charity, but I am all against your telling me how charitable I must be"
This statement, right here, is why the government does a better job that private charities. They can only help as much private donations allow. The amount of help they can afford to offer changes from month to month. I think a great example was after 9/11, blood banks were overflowing with donations because everyone wanted to help. Soon afterwards they dropped back to their usual almost empty status.
This is why the government does a better job. It can provide a safety next months after Christmas is over, not just during November, December and a little into January. When times are tough and donations dry up, the government will still be there, with a hand up.
I don't think that all charity must be funneled through the government. I hold that historically, private sector charity can only do so much. I think that both have their place, but the government can bring resources that private charities have no way of getting because we are not charitable enough. And, I also hold that having no safety net and having people die on the streets or living in abject poverty is bad for society as a whole.
And as for this "dependence" they create, any form of charity, public or private, has the ability to create dependence. If you disagree, please, tell me what safeguards private charity have against this?
So, if "Whatever "good" is accomplished by the gigantic check-writing schemes we have now, is swamped by the new dependence they create." is true, they in reality, you're against any charity because the good is outweighed by the dependence it creates.
You know, I love how we are a "christian nation", under God, bound by the christian principals of our forefathers, except when it comes to helping the less fortunate and the poor.
You have so bough into the Republican rhetoric that you incapable of seeing that these programs do real good and are not a "excrement sandwich". As a nation, we have come together and said that we need to help our neighbors in need.
In my opinion, it takes more than writing "In God we trust" on our money to make us a christian nation. It takes us acting like Christians, and helping those in need.
As a story earlier said, the top 5% of MaineCare recipients make up almost half of the expenditures. And these are the people who require constant care or they will die. SO either you cut back on them, and people start dying, or you will have to cut other programs to the bone to see any serious reduction.
I would jump all over this, but my uncle lives what he believes, and I can respect that.
All I'm going to say is that the Church and it's faithful have to understand that once they venture outside of being a church, and start doing private sector tasks like hospitals and schools, they are subject to different rules.
If you reject that you have to be a conservative or liberal because this "us vs them" political discourse only seeks to keep both parties in power, you're smarter than 90% of Americans.
We're talking about Newt, not Billy or Jack or Teddy. Your argument is like the car fax commercials where we are saying "Show us the car fax" and you pull out a Car Fox puppet.
Jobs are created by demand. "Unobstructed free enterprise" is as bad as unobstructed socialism. One must only look to the mill and meat packing town's history to see that companies are focused on maximizing profits. This is not inherently a bad thing, but it can lead them to treat people like resources, used and then discarded. This is why unions came into being, as a counter to the power of unobstructed free enterprise.
I'm not advocating either. I think we need a balance, and if the current system is out of balance it should be adjusted. But to romanticize laissez-faire policies is silly.
Republican's are trying to get Romney a boost so he can focus on Obama and not on Santorum, Paul and Gingrich. Every dollar they spend attacking each other is one less dollar they spend attacking Obama.
At this point I think the only one with a chance in Paul. He is so constant that there is no real "gotcha" moment. Romney has flipped on so many positions that he's pratically un-electable. Santorum is too conservative for most, and Gingrich is scary/immoral.
As a EZ Pass user, I have used the at-speed system in place in New Hampshire, and it works miracles there. It is far safer because everyone can just stay at speed, cursing along with no slowing down or whatnot.
Also, I think the reason they are doing it at Gray is to test it for other areas. Gray doesn't have a ton of traffic, so they can work the bugs out first there and try it out.
I just have one question:
If Mitt opposes this so vehemently, why does RomneyCare(The Massachusetts Healthcare law Romney signed in 2006) have the exact same requirement?
I think adult ed is in a different category in that the people in adult ed and their voluntarily, where as with kids it is compensatory. I think the biggest advantage that iPods can bring is a more customized, interactive education. By customizing the educations to progress instead of goals, you will lose less students. And the interactivity of the lessons will keep active minds involved.
And iDevices are fantastic for having such a shallow learning curve. My son started using them when he was like 2½. He’s learning to read now(4¾ years old) , but can navigate a iPad without issue. Heck, he asked us for Christmas for angry bird slippers. I said “I don’t know if they make them.” He then navigated to the Angry birds store and showed me. WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO READ.
However, I think it’s all for naught, as I doubt they can get the money to keep this going. I would love if they could figure a way to do this, and as a Auburn taxpayer, I would be willing to pay the increase to fund it because I think the results even took me a little off guard. But it isn’t going to happen.
You can't change education overnight. While I agree that the current system is outdated and needs re-examination, I think that communication is key to education, and that the very best form of communication is face to face. I don't think you can replace that with technology.
It's a shame to see what benefit the ipads can have knowing that it is a one year project. I mean, I don't see them being able to pull a rabbit out of their hat this year.
I do think we can get ipads into the schools, but it would take some planning, such as replacing textbooks with ipads and cutting down on supplies used, ect....
I love how on one hand you complain of the poor business climate, then argue about maintaining it by preventing companies from creating jobs and investing in the state. And the reason we have crazy electrical costs is that we are paying for a nuclear reactor that was shutdown too early, way before it was paid off because no one wanted a nuclear reactor in their back yard. Had the state stood up to the NIMBY's in Maine, we would still be getting power from Maine Yankee, and rates would be lower. The same point goes for wind. I'm not saying we should be mandating any green power, but if someone buys the land and wants to make a wind farm, I am all for it. If you don't want to let them, buy the land off them.
And lastly, I'm not disparaging Sunday River. I just don't want a tourism based economy. That's a formula for stagnant growth and low wages. There is a reason the best and brightest go south, and I want to change that. But that wont happen if the only jobs available to our kids are low paying service industry jobs that dominate the tourism economy.
And I think the more important figure is the cost per kilowatt.
First, these are levelized costs, meaning that they have removed any benefit from tax credits or whatnot. Now, as it stands, Wind is comparable to Coal, and only a little less than hydro. It beats the pants off of nuclear and the other green sources.
I'm not saying you can replace everything with wind. I think installing more hydro plants where you can is a better idea. But I think wind has a place, and I challege anyone to cite evidence to prove that wind is a bad idea.
And I want reputable sources. You start citing studies from wind-watch.org or windtaskforce.org, I will just ignore them. I want peer reviewed studies.
Umm, sorry, but Wikipedia is pretty fair about such stuff. How about this, post you info here. I have been challenging those who oppose windpower to prove to me it's not a NIMBY thing. My only requirement to read it is that it must be peer reviewed.
I don't want to kill Maine. I want Maine to thrive, which mean developing other industries other than tourism. Maybe I want more opportunities for my kids in state other than to be a ski lift operator at Sunday River. I dunno, I'm just silly that way.
That's half the reason we're in the budget mess we are - when times get tough, the first thing that takes a hit is tourism. We need an economy based less on tourism and more on growth industries.
Hey, you have a better idea for new industries to bring to the state? If not, is your view worth killing the state over, because we are dying a slow death. The state is only getting older, and my generation has left the state in droves because the only industry is tourism. Faced with that, most head south to New Hampshire and the Boston area for much better prospects.
See, you side might have some good points that could sway some people. But you come out saying "All will be shattered when the ridges to the south of these ponds are blasted away and leveled and dozens of 459 foot tall wind turbines dominate viewshed"
That to me screams "NIMBY" and not "Wind mills are not a viable alternative". And when I hear "NIMBY", I think "Too bad, get a new back yard"
I've said this a few time - show me a peer reviewed study saying these are harmful or inefficiency. Otherwise, your just wasting your time.
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| Upcoming Changes to the Household Survey |
| |
| Effective with the release of The Employment Situation for |
| January 2012 scheduled for February 3, 2012, population controls |
| that reflect the results of Census 2010 will be used in the |
| monthly household survey estimation process. Historical data |
| will not be revised to incorporate the new controls; consequently, |
| household survey data for January 2012 will not be directly |
| comparable with that for December 2011 or earlier periods. A |
| table showing the effects of the new controls on the major labor |
| force series will be included in the January 2012 release. |
| |
| Also effective with the release of The Employment Situation for |
| January 2012, the questions on race and Hispanic or Latino |
| ethnicity in the household survey will be modified. The minor |
| wording changes in the questions are not expected to affect the |
| estimates. |
| |
| In January 2012, the Census Bureau, which conducts the household |
| survey, began a year-long process of reorganizing its regional |
| office structure. For more information on these Census Bureau |
| changes, see www.census.gov/newsroom/pdf/General_QAs_FINAL2.pdf. |
| Both the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) |
| will monitor survey operations during the transition period. No |
| impact on the employment and unemployment estimates from the |
| survey is anticipated from this organizational change. |
| |
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Building a new station near Exit 80 would extend the four-minute response south to include much of Danville, the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport and the southern business parks.
The numbers in December were artificially inflated compared to January 2012. The reason is the numbers in December were still using the 2000 Census data, whereas the January 2012 uses the 2010 Census data. This happens every 10 years, there has to be a cut over, and the Bureau off Labor Statistics put out a notice like always.
But it easier for Democrats to just pretend the numbers line up and its easier for Republicans to point out the numbers don't make sense when compared to earlier numbers and claims the democrats are messing with the numbers.
so many will roll into Walmart at midnight with a fully charged EBT card and roll out with a buggy overflowing with way more food than any family could possibly eat in a month
Or maybe they are just shopping for the month because it's not easy to get a car to go shopping or whatnot.
Anyway, I agree with having tighter controls on the money. Make it stay on the card, and make it only usable at markets.
One - DONT imply you have a gun. Rip off one of those pockets, and rivet a holster on there. Gun on that bad boy and no one is going to be asking you "Be a dear and get me a cup of coffee."
Two - Did you do as your told and get that man some coffee?
I think the problem is the House, and I don't mean that because it's Republican controlled. With 2 year election cycles, they are always have to be playing politics, whereas the Senate can take the high road.
So I think we should get rid of elections for the House.
So who do we put in there? I say RANDOMLY select people from an eligible pool. Then the House would truly be the people's house.
The thing is, while there are compelling arguments, you don't want to make things worse.
Example - Get rid of bad teachers. Yes, I want to get rid of bad teachers. But how do you measure bad teachers?
Grades? - A bad teacher will just fake it or make test ridiculously easy. Bad teachers may also try and find a way out of teaching to bad students, like saying they have a learning disability. It's hard to gauge performance when the people have to work to change a living, breathing person who may or may not cooperate.
See, it's not easy, and I can see why teachers fight this.
Another example - The schools of choice part. Again, not a bad idea, but it has the possibility of killing schools. Your going to shift resources from schools already having trouble to better schools. The problem is if your stuck at a crappy school, it's going to get MUCH MUCH worse.
Besides, lets say the city decided "Awww, what the heck, lets give the schools $2 million dollars", that would translate to about a $90 ANNUAL increase in taxes. If that put you in the poor house, then alot of thing have already gone wrong for you, and you were probably going to be on welfare anyway.
Well, you replied twice - including an analysis of my use of communism.
They were meant to lighten the mood. I seriously want to discuss this, as if I'm missing something, I am man enough to admit. After it got heated yesterday debating with Frank, I decided that I was falling pray to trying to win the argument instead of get to the truth.
Ok, unless I'm missing something, this whole problem relates to First Wind joining forces with Algonquin because they needed some cash, but that would violate the Maine power deregulation law.
There is nothing unique about the sounds and vibrations emitted by wind turbines.
The body of accumulated knowledge about sound and health is substantial.
The body of accumulated knowledge provides no evidence that the audible or
subaudible sounds emitted by wind turbines have any direct adverse physiological
effects.
Listen, I consider myself open to differing viewpoints. And if Wind Mills are a significant problem, then I have no problem with eliminating them.
But every study I have seen from government sources(be they US or UK) says this isn't a big deal and that the issue is more that people are annoyed by them, which leads to stress and aggravation.
If thats all you got, I'm sorry, I'm not going to take your side. Show me soemthing!
That said, I wrote some Haiku's about windmills.
(Yes, it is to goad you. I want to see proof of your claims)
So Gently Spinning
Powering America
Windmills are freedom
Fukushima Plant
Your Radiations kills all
Windmills emit no rads
Soaring through the sky
The blades of windmill power
Like the Eagles wings
Funny, I just posted how if someone can show me peer-review evidence, I'll read it, and maybe even change my mind. This is because I am open to logical discussion.
Then there's "are the modern day equivalent of Chinese Water Torture" arguments. It's hyperbole. You might as well compare the windmills to Hitler and the Nazi's.
I'm not saying the other side isn't biased, what I'm saying is that "5000 feet directly in front of my front door" has more to do with your passion than anything else.
How about this - show me a peer-reviewed study, and we can talk. I still may not agree, but I am open to logical debate.
The fact of the matter is that most people live near other people in more urban environments. You know whats louder that a windmill? Just about everything in Auburn. Be it the neighbor's dog, the randoms cars driving about or the sounds of the river, there is tons of ambient noise. And low level vibrations? Seriously?
Here's what the 80% see - you like your pretty view, and don't want to deal with this. So you will grab ANY study or counter viewpoint to make your case. But most of us can see through the BS.
I give credit where credit is due. And I don't outright reject someone due to their party affiliation.
That said, Mr Shields, to make this about party is silly. There are corrupt and double dealers on both sides of the isle.
The majority of Republicans I think haven't been that bad. They have rejected a few of LePage's really bad ideas, so I give them credit.
I would still like a democratic majority just because I prefer when neither party controls both the executive and Legislative sides. Because then compromise goes out the window, and you can end up with one sided laws.
BTW – Sorry if that came off as really hostile, but I don’t appreciate being called a liar. And the condescending manner you're throwing around your credentials makes me snarky.
I don’t have a picture of me flying a model plane. I also don’t have picture of me eating, sleeping or pooping.
Yet, I do all them. Believe what you want.
Here is the fact of the matter - +80% of Mainers think this is a good idea. The projects have money behind them that you wont match. So your only hope is to convice people like me that your right. Calling them liars and telling them they don’t know what they are talking about isn’t going to win you votes.
Your right, I have never monitored or done squat with wind turbines. But I know enough to go to source not biased like the Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power. I go to sources like the Department of Energy. Which says by 2016, wind costs per kilowatt should be on par with coal. And that’s without tax credits. Now I know it breaks up your pretty landscape, but that’s life. Buy the land if you don’t want a wind turbine.
Now what I do have a Masters in Business, which I wouldn’t need to know that the more you make of something, the cheaper it gets to make them. This has zero to do with how they work, and 100% to do with how producing ANYTHING works.
They may not be easily transported, but they are transported. They do make them in a central location and then ship them via rails and road to the location. So economies of scale do apply are are not site specific.
And most tech starts at the industrial level, and as it is perfected, it can be miniaturized and made simple enough for residential use. I know you install home hydro generation. Was that pioneered at the residential level? Nope. Computers? Nope. Internal combustion? Nope.
And just because your certified to install wind turbines for home use doesn't mean your an expert on industrial wind generation or the economics off it. I can fly model airplanes, doesn't mean I'm a pilot.
First off, I'm pretty sure we're not talking about private home energy generation, so your example really doesn't fit.
Also, the efficiencies I'm talking about are economic in nature. The more turbines we make, the cheaper they can be because the fixed costs in production will be more spread out. Just like the example with Ford, once they got an assembly line churning, the price of cars dropped.
And your right, you can't rely on wind. Wind is a bonus. It's use would be lighten our usage of sources like NG.
Good morning Frank,
(Trying to be cordial, cause last night was rough on everyone)
The reason I support wind power is that it is an emerging technology. While there are deficiencies now, I believe that wind power can be an efficient supplement to other power generation(Such as NG), but that the only way we are going to get to that point is to subsidize the technology and building efficiencies of scale to drive costs down.
A good example is cars. The first "Horseless Carriages" were far less efficient than horses. But they were perfected, and efficiencies of scale started to make them most cost effective. Once Ford started assembling them en mass, the day of the horse was over. The same will hold true for wind power.
"He knows higher rates won't bring in more revenue"
No, I think he thinks, like many people like myself, that if there is a equilibrium point where higher taxes stifle growth to a point they don't lead to increased revenue, we are below it.
You know, the republicans must just love this guy. I mean, he's doing everything he can to make sure in November that democrats have a very fruitful election.
All this hullabaloo over unions. It's a load of BS. Only 6.9% of all private sector jobs are union. So this won't make a lick of difference in attracting new businesses.
Nope, what they are looking to do is cut into public sector jobs, to undercut them and weaken their position. 37% of public sector jobs are union. Scott, knock it off. Trying to make this off as a jobs bill is just wrong.
Well, take your ball and go home then. What I'm arguing about is if the only reason you are against this is that it is called marriage, that's just juvenile. The only reason I debate this is to find the people who same sex marriage makes them uncomfortable, get them to confront that, and maybe convince them it's not the end of the world. But if you're only reason to deny someone something so fundamental is because you don't like what it's called, then I don't want to waste my time with you either.
So you want to give them all the rights of marriage but just not call it marriage. That's just semantic bs. The second you give it a different name, you open the door to it being shredded. Laws provide protections to married couples, not union-ed couples. You have to remove every distinction between opposite sex and same sex marriages or someone will start passing laws affecting only one.
Besides, the defining purposes of marriage is not procreation. People never needed help procreating. They needed help raising the kids. Families, which marriage creates, is the purpose and the solution to needs procreation creates.
This is the difference between following and leading. As a Senator, he has the luxury of being able to vote against it and rail on leadership for it's failure to spend within it's limits.
As President, he has to do what's best for the country, which is raising the debt ceiling because not doing so would be catastrophic.
Could the sun journal put an option to just ignore Dan? I mean, the editor here is suggesting increasing taxes to pay for social spending, and Dan thinks that means the editor is conservative. I mean, what's left wing leaning then? Advocating actually killing the rich and using their bodies as compost at communal farms?
What about religions that marry homosexuals? In their religion it is just as sacred an institution. What makes one religion's rule better than another's?
This is why this can't be about religion, or it shouldn't be. Because different religions have different definitions of marriage, the state's version has to be free of religious interpretations or implications. The state need marriage so that a family can be defined. Spouses get to make choices for each other, and their kids that single people do not. They get benefits, like insurance coverage and tax breaks that single people do not.
That's what this is about. No one is seeking to make your religion accept gay marriage. This is about making it easier for homosexuals to have families. Whats wrong with that?
Current Polls show support @ 54%. And while it may be a cold hearted way of phrasing it, this vote is a war of attrition. Most younger people are in favor of it. Most older folks are not. Old folks, however, have a tendency to die off, where as more and more young people turn 18 everyday.
What limits what can be on the ballot is the amount of signatures they can get. If there isn't a decent amount of public support for an issue, it will never make it onto the ballot.
Man, someone needs to **Comment Censored to prevent violating SJ's policies** and then **Comment Censored to prevent violating SJ's policies** until he **Comment Censored to prevent violating SJ's policies**
"Barney Frank, who “rolled the dice” in the U.S. housing market."
I've heard this from many Republicans trying to blame the housing crisis on Democratic "big Government" policies. Knock it off. This is an example of looking for a way to make the facts fit your argument. \
The Housing crisis was caused by bad oversight and greed.
If it's someone elses opinion, why did you bring it up? If it's a opinion you don't agree with, then why use it? If I think someone is wrong, I don't quote them to support my point.
As for forcing the issue, it's not being forced. It's a vote. It's the exact opposite of forcing, as everyone gets a voice in the matter.
Lastly, your wrong marriage is about procreating. It's about creating a family. As someone with 2 kids, the procreating part doesn't last that long, and what's important is making a family. Marriage does that. And as you said, your not against homosexuals adopting kids, so don't you think it's in everyone's best interests to have stable families?
First you said:
"Did you not read what I said? Can you understand I have gay friends or family and have NO judgement towards them."
But then you say :
"It forms opinions to straight people in a rural state that gays are freaks and not equals. Straight people do not trust that gays can raise children properly after seeing gay men in gay pride parades wearing outlandish costumes and looking like freaks"
" Straight people don't want to see freaks in lime green garter belts with foam rubber penises dancing around like mental ward patients in the streets."
Nobody wants to see that, but that's immaterial to the argument.
I said it in this thread - If Civil unions are the equal to Marriages in everything but name, thats is infantile that you would deny someone so important pure because of symantics. And if they are not equal, then Civil Unions are not good enough.
"For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him." (Leviticus 20:9)
"But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you." (Leviticus 11:10)
"They (shellfish) shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination." (Leviticus 11:11)
"...and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7)
"Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." (Leviticus 19:27)
These rules are all from the same book as
"If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:13)
Your right in that there is nothing you can say to convince me that not allow homosexuals to marry is not a judgement against homosexuality. Because there is also nothing you can say that will convince me that 2+2=1
The Civil Union argument is BS. If you're for civil unions as an alternative, either they are lesser than Marriages in the eyes of the law, which isn't good enough and discriminatory. Or they are equal, in which case you have denied people rights based purely on what it's called, which is just evil.
Well, if our forfathers stopped when they were told no, they wouldn't have dumped all that tea into Boston Harbor.
And Blacks would still be slaves.
And women wouldn't be able to vote.
No, I'm pretty sure ignoring No is what makes the country great
Two - "Can you understand I have gay friends or family and have NO judgement towards them." You have judged them. You have judged their preference to be lesser than yours.
Three - If you can't take the heat, maybe you should re-think your stance. You have every right to oppose gay marriage. And I will fight tooth and nail to preserve that right. The flipside is that the other side has every right to ridicule you for your stance.
You may not hate them, but you obviously have no problem with them being discriminated against. You are in favor of denying them the right to marry whom ever they choose. So of course they are going to be hostile towards you.
"We don't, however, have to like seeing that tax money spent to support those who choose to live off of public assistance because they are too lazy to work"
There will always be people who take advantage of charity. That doesn't mean you get rid of charities. You try and get rid of the cheats, but acknowledge that charities provides a valuable service. The same applies for government assistance. There are people that abuse it, but it provides valuable services.
I agree that Maine needs to take steps to reign in spending, but half of what comes out of LePage's mouth is crap. While you may like the fact he doesn't avoid questions and is very blunt, the reason politicians are vague and non-committal is because running a State or Nation is a complex matter, and nothing is as simple as "If we don't have this fixed, I'm gonna close schools" solution. And I don't think LePage understands that.
As Abraham Maslow postulated in Maslow's Hammer: "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail".
Ernest - I have a question, and from the looks of your profile picture, you might know this. My house has hardwired smoke detectors. How long are they good for? I know they still work because when I get a little too zealous cooking, they tell me about it.
But I was wondering if there was maintenance for them and/or a time to replace them.
FYI - I don't trust them, so I also have battery operated ones that are for smoke/CO2.
So you admit he tried to get more help for those affected by Li-Heap cuts? So he did something. The problem is that there is only so much that can be done. Faced with the shortcomings in DHHS, there is no money to save those people.
But when you fail to give him even a little credit, and blame him for everything, it looks like your just blindly railing at him. It cheapens your whole argument.
Now, I'm not shivering, but "I survived the winter of 2011-12 with no government help.". Can I have a medal too? I mean, I don't need help but if your giving away medals for doing that, I would love one.
Now, I also have been surviving winters with no government help for many years. Can I get backdated medals, or is it only for this year?
First off, the founders, much like us, were divided about the power of Government. Federalist, like George Washington and John Adams, wanted a powerful Federal Government. This was because the government under the Articles of Confederation was so weak that it was useless. However, democrats like Jefferson were worried about excessive power, and wanted defined limits placed on Government.
Secondly, re-read the Constitution. It grants powers, but DOESN'T limit the Government's power. The limits come from the Amendments. That is where Jefferson made his mark.
Third, the government isn't forcing you to own insurance. You just have to pay a fine if your don't. The government doesn't make you buy clothes, but will fine/arrest you for being out in public without them.
Every cut he has proposed has been to programs for Kids. That bugs me alot. If Maine is going to have a future, we need to invest in kids. We already have enough trouble in this state to attract young couple. You start slashing programs, and forget it. I understand cuts have to be made, but that they are all to kids programs seems like he is pandering to seniors.
Man, why the f did I stay here? I went to school in Rhode Island, I could have easily stayed there or in southern New England. I had job offers all over Mass. But I wanted to come home to Maine to raise a family. But apperently, Maine doesn't give a damn about kids.
This stinks, and I don't mean in a 'Gosh darn, too bad for us'. Kestrel played us. Now we are going to have facitiles tied up with an aircraft manufacturer who only going to be half here. I say boot em so we can find a manufacturer who is going al in with Maine, not just use us to get better funding elsewhere.
It's usually not the drinking that gets em killed, it's the driving afterwards.
And I know my parents tried to stop me, but ti's hard to stop a teen who has it in their mind to do dumb things, so I don't like putting this all on the parents.
They don't have to learn on their own, they just do. Because we drew a line in the sand at 21 for some reason, which is a silly number because most kids will drink before then. And there is alot of fear mongering about alcohol use in teens, but the fact of the matter is in Europe, the drinking age is 16 in most places, and the only defect I can see with them is an unhealthy fondness for soccer.
But thats the problem - kids have to learn to drink on their own. We don't just say "Ok son, your 21 now, you can drive now."
The other part of it is that when I was a kid and I drank underage, the thinking was "I'm already in deep doo doo if I get caught, so laws be damned."
Now here is the part that it's kinda weird to wrap your head around, but is interesting.
If drinking(even getting completely drunk) wasn't illegal, would parents punish it? Instead of kids driving to a party, parents could pick them up, eliminating the driving aspect entirely.
I'm not saying this is the solution, or even a good idea, but clearly the current path isn't working.
Kids will drink, I'll give you that. But kids only drink and drive because they need to get somewhere. The goal isn't to drink and drive. I would almost rather have parent be able to host a party with kids getting wasted just so they could keep an eye on it.
Kids are going to do stupid things. I don’t care how much you try to protect them, they will do stupid things. Make alcohol hard to get, and kids will just do something else. Whippits, cough syrup, huffing, kids will find a way to kill brain cells.
This is why the politics of alcohol are stupid. Instead of making the alcohol hard to get, we need to put our efforts into prevent the drinking and driving. But that wont work in our society. It’s far easier to blame and punish than to actually take steps to prevent deaths.
How is he destroying jobs? The unemployment rate is dropping, so if he's trying to destroy jobs he sucks at it, and we should keep letting him try.
You may disagree with his policies( I do on many of them), the problem is that Republican's are focused on being anti-Obama. Anything Obama passes, they swear to undo, like Obamacare. "Ok, cool, so then what's your plan to fix healthcare?" "Kill Obamacare"."Healthcare was broken before Obamacare, what's your plan?""Obama's a muslim! Birth certificate!"
It's like the Republican's have a fever, and the only cure is more cowbel...I mean Obama.
Look at the primary results. The number one reason people voted for Romney is they think he can beat Obama. What happened to having ideas? Hmmm? At least Cain had a plan, even though he lifted it from "Sim City". But this obsession with defeating Obama isn't going to cut it with moderate voters. I almost voted for McCain last time(Palin closed the deal for Obama for me), but there is no candidate on the republican side who I take seriously because they all seem hell bent on appeasing the conservative side of the party and their number one concern is beating Obama. And as a moderate, they is one big turn off as I am open to voting for either side, but I want ideas.
I assume by fed you mean Federal Government(as opposed to meaning the Federal Reserve). First off, I think you have the parties backwards. The Republicans are hell bent on regaining the Oval Office. Now, it is still early and the only real campaigning is for the Presidency, so that may be it. But this is the first time that I can remember that the biggest issue concerning primary voters was getting the current president out. Not creating job, improving the economy or anything like that. Just getting the current president out.
And the issue the Sun Journal seems to be objecting to is that LePage wants to force through cuts that are will change. If the current cuts get voted through, and then the CMS says no to a waiver, those cuts will have to come from somewhere else. He'll end up decimating programs he doesn't like, taking cover behind the argument "We don't have a choice, the cuts have to come from somewhere...Obama made me do it." while in reality, it would have been a self made problem.
This whole thing make me want to see where the $200 million shortfall is coming from even more. I want to make sure this isn't another self made problem.
No, we weren't looking for an argument, we just expect a response similar to the "Obama is evil" letter to the editor, just from the other side.
And this isn't an old issue. The newsest part is that the federal government didn't confirm what LePage said he was told, so it looks like he's being less than truthful.
Well, obviously i'm not saying she should be jailed purely based on what is in the Sun Journal. I think she should have a trial and be it a jury or judge, sentence her appropriately. My comments were aimed more at people in the comments asking what good would jail do in this instance.
However, I am comfortable saying she should go to jail based on what I've read. If she was drunk and texting while driving as they have said, her criminal acts resulted in the deaths of others. Now, if she wasn't drunk and texting, thats another thing entirely.
Well, mob rule is how we got our start, lest you forget. And thats how this has to begin. You can't give democracy. People have to force it in. It's gonna be messy, but hopefully productive.
And maybe it was just the holiday rush that triggered hiring, but that's not what I have read. But we will see.
The problem with democracy is that we may not like who they put into power. But the new Arab spring democracies need to figure it out on their own.
Iraq is an example that shows we can't just go in there and make it better. Unless we plan on propping Iraq's government up forever, we need to leave and let it stand or fall on it's own.
And the economy is improving. The down is up quite a bit since Obama took office, unemployment is dropping, and all signs point towards recovery. I'm not saying we're perfect, but we are doing a bit better than 2 years ago.
To give you a more serious answer, I'm not looking to destroy the woman's life. But from the sounds of it, she may have been drunk driving, and was texting while driving. So her negligence lead to the deaths of two people. I'm sure she didn't mean to, but she did kill them, and deserves some jail time for that.
I didn't say your parrot didn't exist, I only contend that if he is talking to you, and making valid points, it's time to either stop taking drugs and sober up. Or if you are sober when the parrot makes his case to you, it's time to tell someone about it, who will most likely prescribe some anti-psychotics.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
How did Obama make either worse? Iran started developing nukes during the previous administration, and N. Korea detonated their nuke during the previous administration as well. The previous administration started a war in Afghanistan, but didn't bother to finish it.
Larry, I don't know how to respond to ya. All you have stated is your opinion, which I find is completely based on irrational fear and few facts.
I would try and convince you that most of what you wrote is untrue, but I doubt that even if Jesus came down from heaven and told you that you're being silly you would listen.
Pirate, stop doing drugs! I worry, I don't want you getting the "reefer madness". Because, I mean, you would have to be doing drugs to infer that North Korea, Iran and Afghanistan are problems Obama created. But what should I expect from someone "rocking the ganga".
Of course she should go to jail. She killed 2 people. Even if you send her school to school doing a presentation, she should be in shackles with an armed guard. And when she's done, she should return to jail.
Hell, let's make it a space port. We can have rockets launching every half hour to the moon and mars, and become a hub of interstellar commerce.
I mean, obviously, this letter is a place for dream and not reality. Becuase, in reality, the only thing that makes any kind of sense is tearing the building down. Yes, it's a historic building. But it's also falling apart. If you want to move into the future, sometimes you have to tear down the past.
Yes, those sites seem to be unbiased sources... Have them submit their findings to the Maine PUC. If they can back up their claims, the Maine PUC will take action...
1. The amount of RF is less than you get from standing next to a wireless phone or wifi device. You get more RF from a cell phone. Plus, you have a wall that limits it even more.
2."headaches, dizziness, insomnia, fatigue, nausea and heart palpitations"- These symptoms can be attributed to millions of causes, including freaking out needlessly about smart meters.
Santorum compared homosexuality to bestiality. So a online blogger, who felt that that Santorum was being a jerk, held a contest to come up with a new definition for Santorum. Plus, with the attention it raised, it is now the number one link for Santorum.
Example - Taking things out of context. The Air Force catagorizes people by where they sit and what they have access to. The daughters were obviously with the Senior Staff, so that's how they were listed:
Judicial Watch says that Sasha and Malia Obama are listed as “Senior Staff.”
Not true, says the White House.
“The Obama daughters were not listed as Senior Staff – that only designates the area of the plane where they were seated,” says the official. “The Air Force categorizes the passengers by compartment on the plane.”
I still want to know how we got to this $200 mil shortfall... I love how on WCSH6 interview with him he claims to be able to solve it, but hasn't released the details of what went wrong.
I would like to know how we got into such a hole. And don't reply with comments blaming either administration. This is an appeal for facts, not supposition.
I agreed with how your letter started. I do think we adopt an us vs them attitude, labeling things without even understanding them. Far too often, we ready someone's opinion of what a law or budget or whatever will do, and then start arguing about it blindly.
But then you do it yourself. You admit you don't know whats in the budget, but then dismiss concerns held by many purely as fabrications of the "Liberal Media".
Blanket statments like "The answer should not be more taxes." also don't help. The answer is what works for a majority of Mainers. If that includes tax increases, then so be it. The moment you shut a door, your limiting yourself.
I think, that if your going to take up the mantle of protecting unborn children, you can't just draw the line at abortions. You have to make sure that the mother has access to care and other benefits free of charge.
And this is the state's business. If life begins at conception, then the state would have already have legislation on the books to protect them:
Title 22, Chapter 1071: CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES AND CHILD PROTECTION AC
22 §4003. PURPOSES
"Recognizing that the health and safety of children must be of paramount concern and that the right to
family integrity is limited by the right of children to be protected from abuse and neglect and recognizing also that uncertainty and instability are possible in extended foster home or institutional living, it is the intent of the Legislature that this chapter:
Authorization. Authorize the department to protect and assist abused and neglected children,
children in circumstances which present a substantial risk of abuse and neglect, and their families"
And the definition of abuse:
"
22 §4002. DEFINITIONS
As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following
meanings. [1979, c. 733, §18 (NEW).]
1. Abuse or neglect. "Abuse or neglect" means a threat to a child's health or welfare by physical,
mental or emotional injury or impairment, sexual abuse or exploitation, deprivation of essential needs or lackof protection from these or failure to ensure compliance with school attendance requirements under Title
20-A, section 3272, subsection 2, paragraph B or section 5051-A, subsection 1, paragraph C, by a person
responsible for the child"
So The state has already authorized DHHS to do such things(and hence why they do them).
The original argument was who was going to pay for the 16 years olds to have their babies. I argued "would you rather them get an abortion". So this was a financial discussion, and the bills for getting pregnant don't start once the kid comes out. So any discussion about the finances of this begin from conception.
Now, if you best case scenario is have the kid go full term in a mother who is taking care of her self and then gives the child up for adoption, then you need to make that as attractive as possible. Because alot of people, when looking at a $20K or more(if something goes wrong, bills shoot up) hospital bill, will choose the less than $500 abortion as a solution to an unwanted pregnancy.
You can outlaw abortion, but since miscarriages make it that you will most likely have a hell of a time proving anyone did anything on purpose, you can't stop people from aborting their pregnancies. If you are serious about stopping abortions and not just making feel good points, you need to be more involved. Society needs to make sure that the baby's home( the womb) is as safe and healthy as they would require from the parents abode post birth.
Go ahead, keep pushing this "war on Christmas" crap. All you're going to do is push Christmas out the door. The Supreme Court already rules in "Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet" that the Government(from Federal to state to local) cannot favor one religion over another. So if it's a Christmas tree, then they will have to put up a menorah, all the stuff from Kwanzaa, a Statue of L Ron Hubbard(Scientology), ect...
So Instead of having to deal with that mess, they will take the same tact that schools do, and allow none of it.
"If the child is put in unsafe living conditions" ....
That's the point - if your saying that life starts at conception, then you have to take responsibility as a society for that life, and work to protect it. You have to provide the mother with medical care and make sure she is eating right. Otherwise, it's no different that letting a kid live in a dumpster. Also, giving birth doesn't cost $75 anymore. I read that the average costs of birth are $8,000, but like with my kids, any complications it goes through the roof(I think both of my kids were around $20K because of the c-section)
So it's far more complicated that just "Take the kids away" solution.
How does that address the fact that cuts to programs benefiting younger people seem to be acceptable, yet cuts to programs for the elderly are not?
Just the record, I think we need cuts to both, I just hate how it ok to say tough crap to young families whereas you do that to a senior, your being heartless.
I know there is more than Lewiston/Auburn, but when you refer to the first baby born in Central Maine on a post on the Sun Journal, and the SJ has a story about the first baby born in L/A, you gotta admit, there is a possibility for confusion.
Now, as for adoption/vs abortion - My point is that many people on here are against abortion, but are willing to cut the programs that support the kids during gestation and beyond. If you want my support for making abortion illegal, part of the equation needs to be society taking responsibility for the well being of children by making sure they are taken care of, which will mean taking care of the mothers as well.
First off, how did you even come to those numbers? The story on the front page lists the mother as 28 and the husband/father at 26.
Secondly, lets just say they were a bunch of kids. Would you prefer they got an abortion? That would be the most cost effective solution.
Third - I love how personal responsibility only applies to kids. I mean, if a elder drops the ball, and doesn't save enough, that's not their fault. But a kid messes up and has a baby, then they need to learn about personal responsibility.
I'm not trying to pick on seniors here, but it seems when people talk about about where to make cuts, programs that benefit Generation X and Millennials are first to get cut and any talk about cutting programs for Baby Boomers and Greatest Generation is taboo. Yet, Generation X, Millennials, our kids and grandkids will be the ones who get to deal with this debt that we had no say in accruing.
You ignored my point that before the government put in a safety net, there was nothing stopping the private sector from providing those same services, and it didn't. Hence why we have a social safety net, because after the great depression, people decided that should never happen again.
Why? You are wrong. By the very existence of welfare proves that the private sector isn't getting it done. If it was, welfare wouldn't exist because the welfare system is a relatively new concept, whereas people begging in the private industry is as old as Jesus.
But hey, keep fooling yourself. I mean, it not like a lack of regulation let the private sector to take advantage of minorities(slavery) or children(child labor) or women. When the government gets involved it only messes it up.
Well, with all the arguments you made, I was bound to miss one.
Listen, my biggest point, the only one I really give two craps about is politicizing this. I understand times are tough for businesses, but when you post crap like "It is amazing how the private sector steps up to the plate when the public sector simply can not do it anymore" trying to make this into some sort of knock on the government, it just ticks me off.
It is a happy thing that they got the resources they needed, no need to take a big dump on it by making it a political argument.
I think Hope Haven did one thing right though - Paypal. You want donations, best to get a digital portal to accept donations. I donate to many charities, and all of them are online.
Ahh, I love those who say just crack down on abusers. Cause they have been ignoring them up until now.
Guess what? There is no easy solution. If there was, there would be no need for these town halls, the sole purpose of which is to let people vent.
Oh, and remember - the benefits for the 15 year old girl are not for her per se, but for the baby. And I'm going to choose keeping the baby healthy over anyone else for funding 7 days a week and twice on Sunday.
Also, your business dictionary definition contradicts itself. It the first sentence, it says that the private sector is made up of Private enterprises, which it defines as:
private enterprise
Definition
Basis of a free market capitalist system, it is a business unit established, owned, and operated by private individuals for profit, instead of by or for any government or its agencies.
People are not business units.
Anywho, dictionary wars aside, your argument is still wrong. The private sector(I'm going to use your definition just for arguments sake) almost dropped the ball, and had it not been for the Sun Journal pulling out a Hail Mary, it would have.
Sure, I'll even agree with your original post: "It is amazing how the private sector steps up to the plate when the public sector simply can not do it anymore." You know there are 364 other days of the year it does not and the public sector has to handle the brunt of the need.
Where you see proof that the private sector can do a better job than the Government, I see that once a year, the private sector can save the day.
1st:
According to the American Heritage dictionary:
Private Sector — n
That part of an economy in which goods and services are produced by individuals and companies as opposed to the government, which controls the public sector.
So no, the "Private Sector" refers to business entities, not individual people.
2nd:
Are you advocating more welfare? Toy Welfare? I mean, as you said, " when the public sector simply can not do it anymore". So obviously it's the responsibility of the government to buy toys for Christmas
3rd:
Knock it off. This is the Sun Journal saying "You people rock". There is no need to make this some sort of debate. I happily donated, and would do so again, but I won't have you making some sort of bs "government is bad" argument out of it.
Yup, the private sector saved the day... oh wait, no it didn't:
"But last year, Hope Haven received more than $4,000 in cash and donated gifts for its toy drive. This year, it got half that, largely because corporate donations didn't come in as anticipated."
First a question:
"or even the old cold war radar line to boston " refers to what? Every cold war Radar line I know of was E-W(Pinetree line, Dew Line) And all in Canada.
Second of all - read my posts. I think if we can get cheap power from Canada, we SHOULD do that. But you can do that, AND develop wind power.
And we shouldn't use it as a primary source. You need something you can spool as demand increases. Wind can supplement that, but cannot replace that.
And as for the environmental impact, I'm sorry, I'm not buying it. Are you honestly going to tell me its worse for the environment than burning fossil fuels?
I don't need a Wind installers certificate course to know that, as I said earlier "Onsite power generation is not as cost effective as being on the grid".
My point to Alice was that you can't just spend $3k and be generating power. There is a ton of other stuff, as you illustrate by laying out the numbers.
While I don't know enough about solar to really get into it with ya. The numbers I used were from a guy in Greene who the SJ profiled and has a completely off the grid system. However, just doing some goggling for kits show your estimates to be on the low side. I would say your looking at $5k to get up and running with 1kw system. Just the kit is gonna be over $3K, and another$1.5K I think is reasonable to get it installed and working.
Assuming everything goes right, lets say this $5k solar systems knocks $50 off my electric bill. That's 8 years till break even. And that's without any maintenance or repairs.
First off, there is a reason not everyone has solar photovoltaic systems, they are plagued by the same issues as wind power. Onsite power generation is not as cost effective as being on the grid. Be it solar, wind, natural gas, whatever. Any gains from no transmission loss are eaten up by maintenance and related costs. Just for Solar, your going to need the panels, batteries, inverters and monitoring gear. From What I've read, $15K+ is a good estimate to get a reliable system going. I don't know about you, but that would take a long time of cost free maintenance to recoup.
And as for power to get everything built and running - What plant doesn't face that? And taking a shot at the workers for having an elevator is certainly the adult thing to do. I mean, you show me a 20 story building without one and I'll eat my hat.
And that report, the NESCOE Request For Information – Transmission Project, is a preliminary report talking about congestion that could be faced exporting power out of Maine if the Wind Projects are all built. How it would be paid for is not mentioned anywhere, and would have to go through the PUC.
1. Saying that Wind doesn't blow 75% is a blanket statement. It depends on location. Around Mars Hill, the average is around 10 mph.
2. 10-30%(which I don't know if those numbers are accurate) will happen from ANY power generation. It's not like Wind power is the only generation that suffers from transmission loss.
3. Your figure that %5 sucks from the grid is also questionable. I would like to see a source, if you could(not aying your wrong, just saying I want an outside source).
4. Your point 1-4 benefit wind power, but are separate from wind power. Like Reliability Maine. Wind power benefits from a modern bulk transmission system, but so does everyone. Our bulk transmission system is 40 years old, and needs modernization. So to say that wind power is putting a tax hike is a red herring. All the programs make wind power more attractive, but cancelling all current wind programs wont remove those programs from the books.
5."anyone who communes with nature".... Sorry, I don't commune with nature. But I'm pretty sure that fossil fuel power generation are far worse for "ice age old ecosystems" than wind is.
Here is the bottom line: LePage's imitative to buy hydro power from Canada is a completely separate argument from the debates of the pros and cons of wind power. So, by trying to tie the two together shows you have a clear agenda.
I've had the argument with people about wind power many times, but it boils down to that as we force coal and natural gas to become cleaner, Wind power will become a more cost effective supplement to them. Addionally, the time is now to became a center for wind power development. If we halt all work on wind power in the state, the UMO initive to develop new wind power technology will wither on the vine, and when it does become cost effective, we will lose out on what could become a lucrative industry.
I'm not saying it isn't a gamble. It may never be as cost effective as other power generation, but I think it's a risk worth taking.
Call it a trust fund, call it whatever, the problem is that this isn’t separate from the government. Never was. And let me ask you this – where you concerned about those who never paid into it what they took out when your parents collected from it? It’s not a retirement account from T Row Price. This is a government program, a welfare program much like Medicare. You have been taxes all your life, and I don’t know about you, but my W2 has always called it a “Social Security Tax”.
It’s funny that most conservatives don’t trust government, nor expect it to do what it says it will except when it comes to social security. Of course they messed it up. Of course your going to see cuts.
Hope Haven needs help giving kids Christmas presents. Go make a donation. Help kids have a happy Christmas. Heck, if you want to wage a real war on Christmas, here is a chance to really make a difference
Maybe Obama should go to his magic weather/world machine and turn the dial back down on oil prices.
Oh, and as a former insurance agent, I can tell you that the government does not directly have any part d plans, meaning and deductible and changes in the formulary are due to your part d plan, not the president.
How about you go ahead and write it, and submit it to the Sun journal. They may even publish it as long as it doesn't read like your posts do. You sound like you have a vendetta against the Somalis.
I think a big part of the problem is LePage's attitude towards this type of spending. I'm not saying the cuts aren't needed. They are. But his attitude makes things far worse. Working with both sides of the isle might produce results that don't just throw a whole lotta people to the curb.
Ramming all these cuts through and tackling alot of partisan issues might please your republican base who have long lived under a democrat controlled Augusta. But it will also give those same opponents plenty of fodder come 2012 and 2014. And it wont take them long to roll back all those changes.
They got us into this mess. "Spineless"? Why? Because they compromise? If thats the case, why bother having a Congress. Nothing is going to get done, we might as well not bother.
To be fair, they do take driving courses. And I don't know what the policy is for using the laptops, but I have always seen them parked when using them.
Well, I can't comment on what the people who applied where you work were asking for, but the standard times for prayer in Islam are at 5 times during the day.
And I give the Somalis a break for one big reason, something you pointed out. " If you went to their country do you think they would change things for you and give you an account to draw from at no expense to you?"
Nope. They would summarily execute me infront of my children. They would then rape my wife, mutilate her, and leave her and my kids to die slowly. The world they grew up in did not prepare them for life in America. It will take at least a generation before they start to assimilate. Just think of early America and the large cities, with Chinatowns, Little Italy, or even Little Canada(a bit more local). It takes time for them to become Somali-Americans and eventually Americans.
And did you ever stop to think the ones driving better cars than you might have bought them without state help?
One - You ask that they respect your religious beliefs, yet you then mock their religion with the comment "You go to work here you don't get 5 mins. every hour to go pray or a special room to do it in.".
Two - You say that you will always say "Merry Christmas" because that is what you believe. Yet, you get ticked that people say "Happy Holidays". You know there are more than 10 holidays in December, both religious and secular. Again, it's about respect. You can't expect people to respect your beliefs when you won't respect theirs.
Three - Man, have you missed the boat on what Christmas is about. "War on Christmas"? Why must everything be a war? Maybe if you chilled out, and instead of focusing on how everyone is out to get you, focus on spreading cheer and love, you wouldn't notice people saying Happy Holidays. Instead, you would see the happiness your efforts brought.
I know he's dealing with budget shortfalls and whatnot, but I though jobs were going to be his top priority. He is operating under the false assumption that more "Business Friendly" equates to more jobs.
Want an example?
Here is the top 6 vs bottom 6 and their unemployment:
Utah 7 Vermont 5.6
Virginia 6.4 Mississippi 10.6
North Carolina 10.4 Michigan 10.6
North Dakota 3.5 Rhode Island 10.4
Colorado 8.1 Hawaii 6.5
Texas 8.4 Maine 7.3
Maine, for being dead last, looks to be doing pretty good, unemployment-wise
I guess it just bothers me that we would look to make up the difference in a federal program that I would put into the "nice to have" category. Cause if it goes away, are we going to have to fund this ourselves?
1. Yes, I have run out of fuel, but it was more like 10 pm. I went to the gas station, bought some diesel, purged my fuel line(a first for me at that point), and got myself up and running again.
2. I'm not trying to be harsh or a jerk, but how is this different than having a house you can't afford or a car your can't afford? The reason I ask, is other services get cut, and it's almost a matter of pride to LePage. Why not just take the same stance and say "Tough."? Especially since it's not like winter is some sort of surpirse. You know it's comming. I know some people, who looking at their heating bill, moved this fall. They knew they couldn't afford it anymore. Why do we need to save people who can't figure this out?
3. Yes, having cysts removed is the worst health emergency hospitals encounter. I bet you wouldn't give a damn how warm your house is if your having a heart attack or a stroke.
How is that anymore of an emergency that those without healthcare? Hell, at least with healthcare, there is a random element to it. You don't know when you'll have a medical emergency. Heat is a whole different matter. You know you will have to heat your living space from November to March at a minimum. If you can't afford heat, you need to move. Either to a smaller living space or to some place where you don't need to heat.
Can you show some of these sources of local media pulling out all the stops? I didn't follow the election close enough to notice any of this rumor mongering or mud slinging.
That said, how is the mayor going to change things for the better? It's not like the mayor has tons of powers and resources to do stuff. Any real changes really have to come from the state level or higher.
Nothing like the threat of swift retribution to your enemies to start off your "reign" as mayor. Now, I didn't follow the election closely, but doing a search of the sun journal doesn't show anything like that.
Seems silly. Maybe you should focus on the job ahead.
I'm not saying be wary. What I'm saying is:
1. Don't invoke Hitler or Nazi Germany. They are an 11 on the evil scale, and if a group is as evil as them, they wont need to be compared to the Nazi's.
2. They are a peaceful Muslim organization. Jihad means many things, and most non crazy Muslims equate it with "Struggle" as in the struggle against evil. I can list all sorts of comments from Christian fundamentalists where they take words and twist the meaning as al Qaeda has done with Jihad. Give them a chance, because we may not agree with what they say, but if we can build ties with a Muslim democracy, it would do wonders in not only fighting terrorism, but our place in world politics.
Chamberland was the Prime minister when German was already defying the Versailles Treaty. I'm not saying don't watch them, I'm saying that before you compare them to Nazi German, wait for them to at least kill someone, eh?
The reason I posted the juvenile picture was that your response either had to be either purely to invoke a response (i.e. trolling)or your actually comparing the Holocaust to an election. So, I'm supposed to take you seriously, when you cheapen the deaths of millions of people by comparing them to Muslim brotherhood? Hell, even al-Qaeda hasn't come close to Nazi Germany. So, if you can't make your point without invoking the Nazi's, don't bother.
The only trouble is that manufacturing has been the nucleus of the middle class. And with more jobs shifting from middle class manufacturing to service industries, it has resulted in the median income of the United states stagnating while the upper echelons increased, feeding off the globalization that was sending those manufacturing jobs overseas.
I think people need to accept that globalization murdered the middle class. That's done, we really can't go back.
This isn't about giving the Somali's a break. This about responsibility to your job. I can't take months off and expect my job to still be there, why should they.
To be fair, I haven't heard of the Muslim brotherhood using strong arm tactics or oppression. Matter of fact, they have been criticized by al-Qaeda for supporting democratic methods and non-violence. They have done lots of relief work and disaster relief.
I'm not saying don't be weary, but give them a chance. Just because they have "Muslim" in their name doesn't mean they are going to fly planes into buildings.
I agree with you that appearance is everything in DC. Can't appear to be giving in, or you get crucified, regardless of the side your on. And the other side will never give you credit for compromising.
The other issue is income disparity. The top 1%(and don't freak out that I'm using Occupy Wall Street terms) has seen their income increase rapidly while the lower 50% has seen income remain stagnant. There are many reasons for this, including manufacturing jobs moving overseas, but it really isn't the fault of the rich. It's an economic decision by business who look at the bottom line instead of what is good for the country. And we are as much to blame as anyone. We run to WalMart to consume Chinese production, only caring about the bottom line. But the rich are an easy target when there is no real easy solutions and we are as guilty as anyone.
Really? If you don'rt want to come off as a joke, at least try to use logic and reason. Calling someone incompetent and playing games with their name just makes you look like a fool.
Yeah, that recent Snopes article was from August, and Immelt has been the “jobs czar” since January. Come-on, there has to be someone else more recent to make the President look bad.
Oh wait, then you harped on Geitner’s tax issues. Going all the way back to 2009. I guess you have been writing this letter for awhile then….
Sorry if my grammar sucked. I have been slammed at work, and my brain is on the verge of hitting the eject button in my skull and hitchhiking to Key west.
Snowe is facing an election year and primary challenges. Normally, she would be right next to Collins, but she's trying to keep a lower profile so she can get by the Primaries, then she'll be Snowe again. Besides, it wasn't going to pass, so if she voted for it, she would have opened herself up for no gain.
I'll cut right to it. There is no lazy attribute your can just check. The forms don't ask "Are you a lazy bum looking for a handout?". If there was a way of doing this easily, it would have been done. But as you acknowledged, there are people who need it and should get it. And separating them from "lazy" people is not easy.
To be honest, there should be a baseline of insurance like Medicare. Then let people customize it like Medicare(medicare advantage, supplimental, ect..). That would reduce costs and I bet would be cheaper than how we are doing it now.
1. Are you advocating deporting all the little old ladies in Lewiston who don't speak english? Or is it just Muslims who have no place in your "America". If so, would you be in favor of sending them to relocation camps like we did with the Japanese?
2. Where do you get the figures leading you to say " lay-a-bout outnumber the workers and we are very close to that mark now.".
3.Which would be worse, a system of laws based around Sharia law or one based on Hindu beliefs?
All I can say about this is that I don't know the facts and neither do you. But if the family thinks that's a fair punishment, this might just be a case where the "sexual offender" title is too harsh.
Again, I don't know. But I do know that if someone caused damage to my children, I wouldn't settle for this. SO I think it's best to save the indignation for the Sanduskys of the world.
Remember, the DJIA was in the 8K region when Obama took office. My 401K is much better. But see, this is my point, you can turn anything around to make the other side look bad. I don't blame Bush for the market crash anymore than I blame Obama for the market issues now.
Even if the President opened up the entire eastern seaboard to drilling, you have to get the equipment there to drill test wells. Then drill test wells, and then find oil. This will take at least a year. Then get the permanent equipment out there, and start drilling. All in all, your talking years to get production online. And without increased refinery capacity, it's all for naught.
I have no problem with extra refineries and working with Canada to build the oil sands pipeline. However, I'm not sure the risk outweighs the rewards of Atlantic shelf drilling, and even if it did, it will take a while for it to make any difference.
That's George H. W. Bush who originally put a moratorium in place.
Besides, I doubt this would have much of an impact in energy independence and the reason it is such a big deal is that this is an election year and Republican's are latching onto anything they can use against the President
I want to know why the numbers are jumping all over the place. A 50 million jump in two weeks is a massive increase, and I want to know why. If they found, as they said, a "combination of factors", I am curious as why such big things went unnoticed. I want it explained as to how they were missed.
Well, I think the current regs weren't enforced, so I'm not a fan at putting the safety of the gulf on Maine in the hands of an agency that has proven it can't handle it.
I am a fan of Wind power because of all the new technologies, it's far more efficient that other green tech and had far less downside that any other power generation. It wont melt down, it wont cause acid rain, you don't have to worry about flooding, it can't explode.
Don't get me wrong, most green sources should supplement on demand power generation like NG and nuclear. The only problem with Nuclear is that it does have much higher cost per kilowatt that other sources. I honestly think we need to throw our weight behind NG with green supplemental power until nuclear shows it can be cost effective. Hell, one of the reasons our bill is so high is we are still paying for Maine Yankee.
If you think Obama is not getting re-elected, your just deluding yourself. The Republicans are going to tear themselves apart while Obama is fundraising. Who ever manages to escape the Lord of the Files process that is the Republican nomination will then have to face one of the best campaigners/fundraising candidates ever.
You need a McCain, but all you got is a Romney.
Anywho, I think your argument is exactly what the OWS people are frustrated about. Yes, there is less money to be made here that if you manufacture your goods in China. But where does your allegiance lay? Money or America?
It's cool if it's money, but stop wearing a lapel pin with an American flag and spout how much you love America if the bottom line is black and not red white and blue.
"You also don't want to admit that any kind of alternative energy source is going to take 20 years to get up to speed."
Any source of energy is going to take 20 years to get up to speed. Drilling will take just as long, but hopefully by then we will be heading in a different direction than oil. So opening up the East coast is a gamble with a limited payoff. And ask the fishing industry how they are doing in the Gulf of Mexico. The full damage of the Deepwater Horizon spill wont be fully known for decades.
As for wind power, it isn't as efficient as hydro, but it is closer than you would expect(onshore, not offshore). Efficiency and costs needs to be a primary concern, but it also should be the only concern.
Not for sexual abuse. Hence why every guy I have talked to about this agrees with me that McQuery should get canned.
That said, you engaged head on with everyone when the confronted you with how you focused on men. Then you quoted statistics on rape, which is unrelated and just muddles the issue, because I have some serious fundamental problems with the way rape is handled and reported, yet I have no issues with child molestation laws.
You also changed rape into violent sexual abuse. That is not the same. That is also why I have a problem with mixing rape statistics with child molestation.
Your problem is that I'm not part of the problem.
I have always treated women with the utmost respect. Never had sex with a women under the influence, let alone come anywhere close to forcible intercourse. Yet, you point the finger at all men, so you include me and everyone other man here with scumbags like Sandusky. So of course your going to get piled on in here. I will vigorously attack anyone(with words) who groups me with that "person".
That's like saying ever person who has ever had an abortion is a woman. So women need to stop being baby murders.
The fact of the matter is that if there was a feasible plan other than a casino, someone would have run with it.
What the city should do is demo it, and offer the lad free of charge to a proven business or organization along with tax exemptions to lure a company to locate there. It would be expensive, but hopefully the revenue would be offset by the jobs it creates.
You quote that these people were driving brand new expensive vehicles and only eating the best cuts of meat. How do you know they owned these vehicles? Maybe they borrowed them. Maybe they fell on hard times after buying the car. Put it this way- They don’t take food stamps as collateral at the Ford dealership.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which provides funding to state welfare programs, requires employment within 2 years of getting on the program. I do believe the support for children doesn’t count though.
Honestly, though, I am far less worried about abuses in welfare. Your picking on the small fish. Without serious reform of the banking and investment industries(like re-enacting Glass Stegall), worrying about welfare fraud is like worrying about a rash on a cancer patient.
He did not give them everything they wanted, and they didn't get everything they wanted.
And subways ride on the third rail, that's it's source of power. If you don't understand how subways work in regards to the third rail, you probably shouldn't use it in an analogy
First off - you can't destroy his presidency. With the senate controlled by democrats, you at best, can deadlock the government. If that's your idea of success, then no wonder you want to destroy Obama.
No, what we need is cooperation and compromise.
And by saying Obama's presidency is America's third rail, are you saying that it powers America just like the third rail powers a subway? Or do you mean if you touch his presidency, you die?
Say what you will, but it was a bad law. It was trying to make an end run on what constitutes residency. If you don't want students voting because you don't consider them residents, that's a fair point, to be debated and considered. But your going to need to amend the Maine Constitution.
Because that's hard, and would most likely fail, they tried to take a short cut. However:
1. It wouldn't stop same day registrations, just make them go through a provisional ballot system where privacy and accountability issues were not addressed
2. Since this make the residency issues more documented and deliberative, it was going to make for alot more work for city clerks following elections.
3. The premise that it was to prevent fraud was proven false and undercut the measure from the get go.
You just seem to be insult democrats accusing them of shirking their civic duty. Make an argument, and then maybe someone will respons with more than pot shots about your grammar.
But our forefathers saw fit to allow the politicians to spend their Social Security savings. Now, I can understand that with the Soviet threat might make that a lot less of a issue, but the fact of the matter is you let them get away with it. And to then shirk your role is Social Security insolvency is aggravating. I don't want retirees to end up living in poverty eating cat food, but I also don't want my generation and my kid's generation to bear previous generations bad decisions.
He doesn't know. Both sides can quote facts and figures, but until the receipts are tallied, you can't know how much the government will take in from a tax plan. Even in the best of times, the economy is unpredictable. Add to that a whole new tax code and the loopholes that usually accompany tax changes, you have a recipe for disaster.
No, any tax changes must be gradual in nature. so the 999 plan is too dangerous to pass.
You know, the ones full of lies in an effort to confuse the truth. When I first saw the add, I was like "How the f is this related to same day registration?" Then I remembered who was responsible, and just ignored it.
Hears how I see this breaking down:
Snowe gets the GOP nomination, Snowe wins election
Snowe loses GOP nomination, runs as an Independent, wins the election.
You can blame President Bush and the 110th congress for passing the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
I'm not a fan of CFLs. I like LEDs better. Safer too.
That said, I think requiring lightbulbs to be 25% more effecient(which is why incandescents are out) is stupid. People should be able to choose to waste power or not. Just like people should be able to choose to register the day of an election unless there is a good reason not to allow them. I have yet to hear one.
Yes, don't make any real point, just insult the other side. That way, you don't have to answer any of my points.
But, from the last letter discussing it, here's a list of Republicans(I say republicans because democrats are for same day registration) who used it. Would that make them lazy, apathetic or are they trying to game the system?
Governor Paul LePage
Lance Dutson, chief executive officer of the Maine Heritage Policy Center
Sen. Garrett Mason, Lisbon Falls
Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello, Poland
Rep. Bernard Ayotte, Caswell
Rep. Eleanor Espling, New Gloucester
Rep. Patrick Flood, Winthrop
Rep. David Johnson, Eddington
Rep. Aaron Libby, Waterboro
Rep. David Richardson, Carmel
Rep. Amy Volk, Scarborough.
The problem, as I see it, is that the republican motives seem to be to disenfranchise, not to protect the integrity of the vote.
Now, disagree with me if you want, but I will present my reasons, and please, if you can, refute them.
As said above, the fraud accusations are baseless, and there is no provisions requiring residency checks, so there is no mechanism to force extra fraud checks if you register ahead of time. The only time this law does try and prevent fraud is subject ballots and the voters who cast them without registering prior to the three day limit to far more scrutiny. You can vote without registering three days ahead, but you have to use a provisional ballot. You have to submit all sorts of extra paperwork to try and prove your residency. The town clerk must then go through the provisional ballots and approve or discard the ballots based on the paperwork submitted with the ballot.
The problems I have with this system are numerous.
1. Widespread fraud is committed far in advance. If you search for voter/registration fraud, these were all done far in advance of three days. And without law to take advantage of the period between registration and voting, any claims that one is trying to prevent fraud seem false.
2. Provisional ballots are not secret. There is data connecting your ballot to you. That is not acceptable. If it's ok to tie a ballot to someone, we should do it for everyone. That would be the best way to eliminate fraud. You can't just do it for some, and not for all.
3.Republicans intentions are suspect. After the fun with redistricting we just went through, alot of people are questioning Republican motives. And when you see other republicans like Speaker William O'Brien of the New Hampshire state house calling college kids voting behavior "foolish" and ridiculed them for voting "liberal", it makes it really suspect.
(Link to the story about the speaker) http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/03/video-foolish-college-kids-j...
So I tend to try and give the benefit of the doubt, but each time I have with this administration/legislature, I regret it.
Governor Paul LePage
Lance Dutson, chief executive officer of the Maine Heritage Policy Center
Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls
Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello, R-Poland
Rep. Bernard Ayotte, R-Caswell
Rep. Eleanor Espling, R-New Gloucester
Rep. Patrick Flood, R-Winthrop
Rep. David Johnson, R-Eddington
Rep. Aaron Libby, R-Waterboro
Rep. David Richardson, R-Carmel
Rep. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough.
Found 3 unique cases of fraud in the US on the first page using your search. Oh lordy, the fraud is an epidemic! I mean, according to other sources, I think there has been 2 cases of voter fraud in the state in 20 years.
Yup, certainly worth enacting legislation that could disenfranchise tens of thousands of legal voters.
It's ok though, because from the polling I've seen, this law is going bye bye. So dislike all you want, I'm right and my side will prevail
This is only going to make those clerks life worse, not better. People can still vote same day, they have to use a provisional ballot. So now, the clerk has to not only count the votes, but deal with this nonsense.
It's a stupid law that only makes the process more complicated and government bigger. And there are ZERO provisions in it to catch voter fraud.
So keep talking like you know whats going on. It just makes you look dumb.
Ninth Amendment – Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in the Constitution.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Tenth Amendment – Powers of States and people.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
That said, why do you support this? I though small, less cumbersome government was your goal. This just adds red tape with provisional ballots and whatnot. It does ZERO in preventing fraud. If you had read the bill, you would know there are ZERO requirements for checking if the voter voted in more than one place. The only checks are if they are truly a resident. But with residency requirements so open, there can be no real way of denying it.
How does it prevent voter fraud. The only voter fraud it would prevent is when the person decides to commit fraud within 3 days of the election. Otherwise, it's business as usual.
And all this fuss to combat ZERO cases of fraud.
The state has one of the highest rates of voter turnout. Republicans, seeing how they have lost most elections in Maine, are trying to put their thumb on the scale.
Boy I remember when Republicans campaigned on Jobs and the Economy. Instead, this whole year has been about politics and trying to cement themselves in power.
If fraud could be shown to be prevented by this law, I would have far less trouble with it. But every example shown in support of this law was of someone legally entitled to vote.
All this law would do is prevent people legally entitled to vote from voting in the name of fraud prevention that wouldn't even work anyhow. The real reason is to prevent democrats from getting people to vote who might not have, like students. From screwing with the districts to this, I'm starting to think Republicans hate democracy.
Here's the problem - it's not like buckling up because there is no proof it will help. They are seeking to make it tougher for students to vote, even though there was no fraud. That's just wrong.
I can't spell this out any clearer. The only time to detect if voter fraud has happened is after the fact. You can be registered to vote in numerous places. The problem is if you cast numerous votes. But you wont know if someone is going to cast numerous votes ahead of time.
Nope, this is all about preventing college kids from voting, or at least making it harder. But If I was handling this, I would take them 3 days ahead of time, and have them fill out an Absentee ballot.
The problem is our time frame. We expect our Presidents to make changes now, to fix problems now. Guess what, that doesn't work.
Building an economy that is sustainable in the long term takes long term planning and slow but steady growth. Funny thing is the best jobs bill right now is no jobs bill. Our economy is improving, with the only thing throttling it being the mess in Europe. There is really nothing Obama could do right now to fix it. So we just have to ride it out.
The best thing we can do right now is to force China to let their currency float or face tarrifs.
All you have to do to hide a body from Maine police is to rent a storage unit. Seriously, this is one step above hiding the body in a closet or the basement behind some boxes.
Repeat after me - It is not illegal to be registered to vote in multple places.
However, what's illegal is voting multiple times. The only way your gonna catch that is after the person votes. That's the time to be cautious, not before.
It doesn't make it harder to cheat, it makes it harder to vote for everyone. And besides, the only way to know if someone cheats is to check if they voted twice. You can theoretically be registered in all places because there is no requirement to un-register.
Nope, the primary goal was to make it harder for young people to register, because young people tend to vote democratic.
Car registrations are effective the same day
Fishing licenses are effective the same day.
And for alot of these voters, this is their first time voting, so yeah, they may not know what they have to do. To you and I, it's old hat, but to someone who is unfamiliar, they can get caught off guard. That doesn't mean you get to strip them of their vote. Everyone getting to have their say in how our government runs is fundamental to how our system should run. And EVERY time someone has tried to limit who votes through technicalities like poll taxes, literacy tests, ect, history has always saw them as in the wrong.
And I honestly don't give a damn what other states do. Dirigo doesn't mean "I'm cool with whatever you guys want". We have had this law in place for 40 years with no issues. Either show me why it's a problem, or knock it off.
There is a reason it's illegal. We know it's bad for women to be prostitutes, just like we know it's bad to smoke cigarettes and do drugs. We don't need to invest money and energy into finding out how bad it is.
On behalf of the citizens of Auburn, I want an explanation from the city council about the termination of Aho. I want to know why they put the citizen’s of Auburn on the hook for $54,500. Hopefully, there is a good reason for it, but we don’t know because of all these “executive sessions”. But with all the drama that has surrounded the council as of late, I have my doubts.
So I feel the council owes us an explanation. You can only hide in executive sessions until November.
Ignore what you hear and see on the tv. They are spinning it for the story/ratings. I got this from a third party who knows people in OWS, and could give a rational breakdown of what they are after:
"The problem is the major news media seems to be spinning the hell out of the protests in order to discredit them as a bunch of clueless dirty hippies, since they are backed by the very people everyone is protesting against.
The legitimate issues that I have seen voiced, which the movement seem to be genuinely centered around, are systemic problems in the financial sector which are leading to an ever widening income gap. Adjusted for inflation, wages are at an all time low, while corporate profits are at highs. Owners of capital are basically just keeping larger shares of the pie than they did 20 years ago. The three main grievances and solutions I keep seeing repeated are:
-The banking sector is corrupt. People are pissed that the repeal of Glass-Steagall has allowed commercial banks to turn back into investment banks, the result of which was the financial meltdown of 2008. They're also pissed because more and more people are learning how the Federal Reserve banking system works, and think its insane that banks can, for example, borrow from the fed at almost no interest, and turn right back around and lend that same money to the treasury at 2%+ interest... basically printing free money, and footing tax payers with the bill.
They suggest: Reintroduction of banking regulations and some monopoly busting. Too big to fail? Too big to exist.
-The current corporate system encourages executives to achieve short term profits at the expense of long term success. CEO's slash and burn companies in order to get a quick rise in stock "value", so they can exercise their options and cash out. Once they've "got mine", they jump ship with their golden parachute, leaving a damaged company behind.
They want things such as: Introduction of regulation to the derivatives markets, and perhaps progressively tax short term investments over long ones. Only owned a stock for a minute and 38 seconds? Pay a higher tax on your profits than the guy who held it for a year. Remove the Capital gains tax, and charge a more normal income rate for your tax bracket. Also big support for introducing transaction taxes... small fees attached to each trade to discourage things like HFT manipulation.
-Get the money out of Washington. OWS protesters feel that both Republicans and Democrats will claim/say whatever it takes to get elected, and in the end they all pander to Corporations over the people. They do this, of course, because Corporations (and rich people who own them) are the ones who hire lobbyists and fund campaigns.
They suggest: No one really knows yet, its such an encompassing problem.."
Megamind: Over here, old friend! In case you've noticed, you've fallen right into my trap!
Metro Man: You can't trap justice! It's an idea, a BELIEF!
Megamind: Even the most heartfelt belief can get corroded over time!
Metro Man: Justice is a non-corrosive metal!
Megamind: But metals can be melted, by the heat of revanche!
Metro Man: It's REVENGE, and it's best served cold!
Megamind: But it can be easily reheated, in the microwave of evil!
Metro Man: Well, I think your warranty's about to expire!
Megamind: Maybe I got an extended warranty!
Metro Man: Warranties are invalid, if used beyond their intended purpose!
Roxanne Ritchi: [exasperated] Girls, girls, you're both pretty! Can I go home now?
The few days before the vote wouldn't help, because the way you determine if there was fraud is to see if they voted somewhere else. Can't do that beforehand. You can be registered in every district in every state at the same time. However, you are allowed one vote.
They must have noticed that their books didn't balance. There is no way you can bank $300K and not notice. So Maybe they didn't tamper with the pump, but they must have know about it. They deserve to be ruined, as much as a warning to others.
The reason Obama couldn’t support Palestine’s statehood is that Israel has to sign off on it. Ultimately, Israel is going to get to dictate how this ends. Palestine picked a fight with them, brought in all the neighbors, and they lost. So now Israel is the one who has to give up control, and so unless your going to fight Israel, they have to sign off on it.
So any move to put pressure on Israel is counter productive.
"All are born the same yet those who work hard and take the risk almost always become rich while those that are lazy and look to others for gifts wind up poor and looking to the nanny state for assistance."
Wow, either you were given everything by your family or are extremely lucky. I can tell you for a fact that luck, not skill or hardwork, is far more a factor than anything else. Hell, look at Paul LePage. You may say that he earned he way to where he is, but had it not been for Peter Snowe, he wouldn’t have gotten into Husson, and who know where he would be now.
I think the biggest reason your seeing a lot of people turn on the rich is that a majority of Americans saw their investments wiped out. I’m not taking stock, bonds, or Beck’s favorite, gold.
The biggest investment most American’s had was in their house. Traditionally, a great investment, American’s have grown up with their house being the currency they could tap when times got rough. However, they have just seen that go in the tank, and while they see banks get a bailout, and the market recover, they don’t see any help for themselves.
Coupled with the fact that our shrinking middle class can longer support much of the social safety net, America is going to turn to the rich to make up the difference.
All those countries have socialized medicine. And Germany is bailing out Greece and Spain.
And to afford it, one way would be to cut other programs. Like the defense department. When it comes down to it, whats a greater risk to the safety and well being of America; The Russians invading or heart disease.
My problem is when you make it harder to vote, there should be a damn good reason for it. And this is not a good reason at all.
First of all, there is no fraud. They have been looking at this for MONTHS and couldn’t find one case where someone voted illegally.
Second of all, it wouldn’t help, even if fraud was rampant. The reason is that your not required to inform a city clerk that you have moved out of a jurisdiction, so you can be legally registered to vote in more than one location. It only becomes fraud if you vote in more than one place. So a 2 day waiting period wont solve ANYTHING. You wont know there is fraud until after the vote.
Third – Look at the 2000 presidential elections. There is plenty of time after the fact to make sure the votes are valid. That is the time to do the investigations, not before.
So stop hiding behind the cloak of civic duty. If you want to disenfranchise voters, just come out and say it instead of pretending your protecting the results.
"Social Security and Medicare have been dipped into for decades. How is it considered legal to borrow against money that is not theirs to spend? That approach would be the equivalent of a person using his neighbor's house as collateral to purchase a home for himself without the neighbor's permission."
They did it WITH permission because they were voted into office. And was it a big deal in the next election? Nope. Because the debt wasn't a big deal. But now that the debt is coming due, it is an epically huge deal.
I just called out Reed for stupid posts, and it would biased not to do the same here.
I don't know if agree with LePage on this one, but it does make sense to specialize in many of the industries here in Maine where there are jobs. That way you can create partnerships with industry and help get graduates right into jobs after graduation.
And I agree with LePage in thinking that manufacturing will be returning to the United States and Maine. It's been prevalent in the IT industry that outsourcing jobs leads to worse results than keeping the jobs local. The manufacturing industries is learning that as well.
$27 Million went to China last year. But remember, we don't just back a moneytruck up to the Bank of China and push the money out. It's for programs like preventing pandemics and promoting human rights. Can it be cut? Sure.
But the amount saved is really rather small. The big amounts are in countries we need to be spending in. Afghanistan. Iraq. Egypt. ect...
First of all, may I ask, what does the United Nations have to do with foreign aid?
Secondly, why is the UN buying some land and building a building a big deal? Would it make you feel better that they are consolidating many offices that are scattered throughout the city into one building, lowering costs?
Third - Unless you live in New York State, our representatives have nothing to do with all this. This is a matter for the NY state assemble and the City of New York.
Yup, we send foriegn aide out there, and dictators use it to burn American flags and buy luxury automobiles from Germany. We should so cut it.
I mean none of it goes towards safeguarding Russian nukes and keeping the nuclear material off the black market.
Or fighting the drug war in latin and central America.
Or fighting terrorism in the middle east.
Oh, wait, it does all those things. But hey, lets cut it. I mean, terrorist and drug criminals can't cross boarders without a valid visa, and you can't get a visa for criminal activities. I bet everything will be fine.
"Domestic violence has become an epidemic that cannot be controlled or cured. The laws governing domestic violence must be amended to allow the courts to impose longer prison terms for those who think that they are real macho and cowardly beat on the wives, girlfriends and children."
No.
1. You first sentence is pure hyperbole.
2. Violence against children already carries a stiffer punishment.
3. There is no need for stiffer punishments. That's what judges are for.
Under Maine law, there are multiple levels of prison time. Elevated Aggravated Assault carries a maximum of 40 years. So stiffer penalties are not needed.
The point of the editorial is that we need to take stock in what we are saying. People calling for death sentences (by being fed to the dogs) for dog fighting are overreacting. Is dog fighting as bad as manslaughter? Nope.
So, yes, it is a despicable crime, but we must not let our emotions form us into some sort of digital lynch mob.
That's the message of the editorial, as I read it.
I find that line amusing. Obviously, Mr Mathieu paid for his schooling out of pocket with an after school job, because to make that argument after his parents and grandparents generations paid for his schooling would be quite hypocritical.
Thanks for electing people who thought it was a good idea to spend your Social Security on other crap.
Thanks for letting them get away with it.
Thanks for letting government spend way above it's budget.
Thanks for now look at the half empty kitty, and in an effort to distance yourself from others who have their hands out looking for government salvation, make sure to differentiate that this isn't an entitlement.
And Thanks for saddling us with having to pay to get out of this mess.
Isn't it neat how the American dream went from a nuclear family living in a nice home to just having a job.
The jobs bills(all three of them; The presidents, the republicans and the democrats) are all BS political moves.
Unlike the debt ceiling, the universe will not implode if nothing passes. I think the reason companies are skittish is due to European default worries putting downward pressure on the markets. Our economy is recovering, albeit slowly. Really, I think the best thing the government can do is nothing.
And I think they agree, but damned if they miss an opportunity to make the other guys look bad, especially with elections coming up. So here comes everyone's bill to "fix" the sluggish job growth. Of course, non will pass both houses, and everyone can point fingers.
When you boil both sides down, it comes down to being naive or heartless.
Democrats are naive. Republicans are heartless.
Democrats will throw money at problems, and thinking that they can make it better. Republicans know that success is earned, and that a government that thinks it can solve every problem is stupid.
Hear ye, Hear ye. On this fourteenth day of September in the year of our lord two thousand and eleven, I, Jason Theriault, have slain the pirate.
Defeated is he, as he has posted elsewhere on this site. Yet he could not come up with any of the President's policies that he found to be "lame policies".
I'm not trying to be combative, and I certainly don't subscribe to the blame Bush philosophy. Buy your just taking the opposite side, and blaming "oBAMa".
"Abolish oBAMaCare, abolish cap and trade, get oBAMa and his lame policies out of the way, and watch the cash flow and the jobs come."
What I'm trying to get at is for you to be less vague. There is no Cap and Trade law on the books. So other the the Health Care reform act("oBAMaCare"), you haven't named one law passed by the president, or one policy in place that you want to repeal. Cause I don't think you have any.
I play this same silly game with my father, and it pisses him off too, cause I make him tell me exactly what Obama has done that angers him. And it has lead to more informative debates because it eliminates the rhetoric and forces debate on the actual issues.
Yes, I get it, ObamaCare is to blame for everything.
Economy's crashing? ObamaCare
Medicare Fraud? Obamacare?
Bridges and Infrastructure? ObamaCare
China's human rights record? ObamaCare
9/11? ObamaCare
Anywho, abolish cap and trade? Well, cap and trade would have to be a law, and the only bill I know of was the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) in 2009, which died in the Senate. So what are you talking about?
And what other "Lame policies" are you talking about?
You absolutely right that domestic oil production would create jobs and help the economy. However, Accidents happen. Look at the Gulf. It may not be on the news anymore, but the destruction of the BP spill is still there. Yes, the beaches are mostly clean, but the fishing industry down there has been decimated. Imagine if they used dispersants in the Gulf of Maine, sinking all that oil to the ocean floor. Bye bye lobster industry.
I have no problem with other parts of the oil plan, like the pipeline from Canada. But my bigger concern is that we need to work on other things now. That needs to be the focus. Building pipelines and what not will help, but if we are still using gasoline predominantly by 2030, I bet we’ll be looking at $10 a gallon. We need to invest in the future, which means getting us off of oil.
First of all, unless you have brainwashed your kids, and 9 year old jobs plan would involve candy and toys.
Maybe a pony
Where to begin.. Ah, well, first of all, the reason you offer a tax cut to higher new people is that the businesses would tax a general tax cut and sit on it. Your twin daughters said these are uncertain times, and that a company that hired people just because of a tax break would soon be out of business. Businesses are a bit freaked out even though our economy is far more solid than 2008. So this tax cut is to give them a nudge to get off the bench and into the game.
BTW – How do your twin daughters plan on paying for the capital gains tax cut? It’s one thing to disagree with how to stimulate job growth, but if you complain that we can afford it, and then cut taxes, your just being a hypocrite. Tell their English teach to show them that word in the dictionary.
And as for cutting tax rates so companies bring profit back onshore, I would only agree with that if the very same legislation made keeping future profits offshore impossible. I mean, the loopholes kill small business as they can’t afford to take advantage of them. So they need to be closed so we can cut the overall rate.
And more drilling isn’t going to reduce the price of oil. One; it will take a decade for new fields to come online. Two; OPEC will just cut production as they like oil right about where it is. Three; We need to get off oil. Now for some sort of save the environment BS. As a matter of national security, we need to have more secure fuel sources. We need to invest in Natural Gas, Nuclear and Green sources of power generation and Hydrogen fuel cells for cars.
"...but I see him as an unqualified, arrogant, fast talking"
So far so good. Nothing I would called racially motivated..
"jive ass hoopster"
and there it is. "jive ass". Jive is an African American dialect of American English, which the president doesn't speak. However, it is spoken by predominantly blacks.
"who was elected president mainly because of the color of his skin"
Yup, had nothing to do with a backlash from President Bush. Nothing at all. Really, the reason he won is because McCain chose Palin. Had he chosen a smart woman like Snowe, McCain might have won.
See, you think your being cute, but it's pretty obvious, that to some extent, race is part of the equation. I'm not saying that invalidates your argument, but when you combine a valid argument with comments like "jive ass", it invalidates everything.
But, also know that it's gonna be alright. Just like I told people when LePage was elected. The universe isn't going to blow up. With a divided congress, no legislation that isn't watered down to the point of being a motion approving of calendars with kittens on it will pass.
You may dislike his views on Government, but do you really abhor him?
He a married father of 2 who obtained a college educations from Columbia and Harvard who has no criminal record and has lead a pretty decent life.
Just like as much as I dislike some of Boehner's politics, I give the guy mad props. Put himself through college, and he fights for what he believes in.
The problem is that the visceral reaction to Obama has been far more polarizing than other Democrats, like Clinton. It might be just a natural rhythm of our democracy that things get hostile, then subside. But that this upswing was timed with the election of a black president, who had to go so far as providing eyewitnesses to his birth to prove he was an American, makes it seem far less about his politics, and more about his skin color.
Yeah, I bet that tan leather muppet called Boehner would bring civility back.
Nope, the only way to bring civility back would most likely be getting rid of either the senate of the house so that one party had both chambers.
I, on the other hand, don't want civility. I do want compromise, but the best way to get pork out is when they have to fight tooth and nail to get something passed.
Hydro isn't the answer because
1.Most good rivers already are damned
2. Just like wind, people find a reason to complain.
We should just build a couple of Nuclear reactors and move the Yuma Nuclear waste repository site to Maine. People want to complain regardless of what you do, so why bother trying to make em happy.
Ok, the solar panels your guy can buy cause SK backed out is more of a solution for you, and a bunch of people. Not for an comemrcial development.
Secondly, The amount the turbines affect you is disputed. From what I've read, It seems to be people looking to be annoyed by them are annoyed by them.
Third, Big wind? Seriously? Big Oil...Yes. Big Government... sure. Big Wind? Noooo... Maybe once they are in the trillion dollar range in revenues.
Here is my thinking, and if someone can point out where I'm wrong, feel free:
1. Wind is not getting more expensive, where as oil and other fuel based power generation are.
2. It will only get cheaper when economies of scale come into play
3. If we use this opportunity to became a major player in wind power(like how UMO is working on it) we could take a leadership position, and reap a high paying technical industry.
First off, its there some sort of bet or something to make this the longest forum conversation of somthing in terms of lines used? There is no need for this crap.
Also, your logic is crap. Yeah, I bet the housing crisis had NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. The reason their home values dropped was purely the windmills, not THE COLLAPSE OF THE US HOUSING MARKET.
This is like blaming going blind on watching television when someone throws acid in your face.
The cost per kilowatt is hard to estimate because turbines are breakdown prone. However, from a quick search, I have found that the costs of windpower are not significantly higher than other green sources(hydro being the cheapest)
That said, I love how you complain about the wind not always blowing, then you segue right into solar, where there is never a cloudy day and that everyone has a good view of the southern sky. And where did you find a $500 1kw kit? From What I've seen, most kits were in the $3,000-5,000 range.
Your cost per kilowatt of Solar in Maine is not advantageous.
15% to 35% losses from transmission and parasitic draw apply to all electrical power generation.
Secondly, the whole 75% it does not blow is just made up or really not relevant. Really, it comes down to cost per kilowatt, and Wind is cost effective if in the right place. Can it replace on demand sources like Coal, oil, Gas and Nuclear? No.
Can it be sued to lessen our demand for them? Yes.
"I cannot find anyone representing the state willing to participate in a live radio or TV public debate about the merits, or lack thereof, relating to wind power."
Hmmm....I was going to be mean, but I decided to take a more reasonable tack. It's called confirmational bias. We tend to give credit and take more seriously arguments that fit into our perspective.
The reason you haven't found anyone is that the studies you hold as fact are weak and based on bad science. You're looking for a reason to oppose wind mills because you don't want them, regardless of benefits.
Is that there isn't a consensus on if this will help. Some clerks say it will, others say it wont. Most think that the biggest help will be allowing clerks to start processing absentee ballots ealier.
How long did it take them to come up with a list of the college students they THINK might have committed fraud? I don't think 2 extra days will be all that effective in preventing fraud.
I'm not against giving the kids ipads. My 4 year old can navigate, queue up videos and games, and even show me new games on the app store I should buy. They are incredible tools.
However, my problem is how this is being handled. This seems to be a publicity stunt. Just the fact they said "Prue said she would limit her students' iPad use to 20 minutes at a time". Sounds like a toy, and not a tool.
iPads can be incredible tools, but this doesn't sound though out.
I am amazed at how deluded you are. You really think Michaud is going to lose? Hell, he made it through the tea party swell of 2010, you think now that the republican momentum is over, he's gonna lose?
LePage has done everything in his power to make sure that the democrats are energized and ready to fight in 2012. The only way he might not win is if the Republican's redistrict him out. But there's no way that's happening.
Why should you make it harder to vote? If you want to deny people the vote, such as students, come out and say it. Don't hide behind BS and say "We're trying to prevent voter fraud". You're not. You saw your political opponent found a group of voters that they could register and get in. If you don't like it, then attack it. Go after the democrats registering and getting students to vote.
Honestly, I don't agree with what the republicans are doing. I think they are adding the voter registration bs to try and limit same day registration because they saw it was successful in pulling in voters who most likely didn't vote for them.
However, instead of pointing this out in a well written letter, you just call them names.
But if your working 2 jobs, your more than likely earning too much to qualify for welfare.
And the reply to your other post(trying to consolidate here):
"to an empty household. Is that your definition of crappy? It's empty because decades of liberal policies aimed at dismantling the family have succeeded to a disgusting level."
Again, focusing on making this a partisan issue is self defeating. You can throw mud at the Liberals, they can throw mud at you, and the end result is everyone is dirty and nothing got done.
I know your solution is make all schools private, but that wont work any more than backing up a dump truck of money to the school will. Both of the partisan solutions wont work. We need to focus where the problem is - the parents. I don't care if your work 1, 2 or 10 jobs. If your kids are failing in school, your are not doing your job as a parent. That's the bottom line. Great students and poor students graduate from both public and private schools. I think the biggest difference is parents.
If NY wants to mess up their schools, let em. I don't pay for it and more importantly, I don't have a say in how they run their schools. So I can shout at a wall, or direct my efforts where they are useful.
I'm concerned with Maine, and more in particular, Auburn schools, where I can make a difference.
Also, the original letter writer referenced only Maine schools, so I though that was the context of the argument
"Public education already hits hardest the parents, who you want to blame further"
Parents are the single biggest factor. No one here will dispute that I bet. So why aren't we going after the root cause? If kids go home to a crappy household where their parents couldn't care less, then of course they are going to fail. They have bigger issues to deal with, and no amount of union busting is going to fix that.
Raising a kid is a job. If you can't hack that, you shouldn't have kids. Stop blaming teachers for the failures of parents.
Is it the job of the union to protect teachers and get them as much benefits as possible?
(Yes)
Is it the job of the unions to educate children?
(no)
Put it this way - is anyone worried about how our colleges stack up? No, they are regarded as some of the best. Yet they have the same unions and whatnot that lower schools have. So I doubt the unions are to blame.
The more I think of it, the more I like my solution of making parents pay if their kids fail. Sorry, school is just daycare. You need to participate.
I love how, according to Republicans, parents are completely excused from the failure here. Yes, the failure is with the unions and the socialist policies, not the parents.
Maybe if parents gave a damn, their kids would do better.
I have a brave new solution to this problem. If kids fail the class at the end of the year, the parents are charged to cost of it.
If you want to improve fuel economy in cars, we need to enforce stricter emission standards.
I just made that up. I don't know if that will lead to more fuel efficient cars or not, but it sounds credible. My point is that the letter writer doesn't bring any evidence to the table. He saw a perceived problem, and then guessed a solution.
I can see many problems When people measure performance by standardized testing, there is pressure to teach to the test, and not the subject.
I'm not saying I have a solution. I am just warning against knee-jerk partisan solutions.
Will you know a disaster was a real test of FEMA? Because the only time something like this sticks around is when FEMA screws up. If 100s and 1000s of people aren't suffering, it wont make the news. If FEMA does their job right, big storms move off the front page quickly.
I'm not saying this was a real test, but I don't think FEMA can be judged by it's responses to Katrina like events only. There is no way to properly mitigate a Katrina event. Look at Japan and the earthquake/tsunami. They will be recovering for years. Just the way it is.
Do I think rates are high? Yup.
Do I think that has to do with some things outside of CMPs control, like decommissioning a nuclear power plant? Also yup.
BTW - You have just said that weather is totally predictable...Really? Is that really your answer?
Because, if there is one thing that is certain, it's that weather is unpredictable.
Also, while CMP brought in extra crews, remember the whole region is facing outages. Vermont, New Hampshire, Mass, NY, ect.... So call me an apologist, but it doesn't change the fact you're wrong
Covered how I got the wrong number when i replied to myself.
That said, their nto still assessing. The assess first, then send crews out. Here is the breakdown of how it went down so far at my parents.
Tree smites power.
Fire and Police show up and close street
CMP shows up to assess
Arborist shows up to cut tree
Then a crew can come and fix stuff.
That said, how do you know it shouldn't take over 10 hours? Have you worked for a utility? I can imagine it's a mess out there, and things are going to take time. Especially if they have to replace poles. If you survived nicely for 10 hours, why are you jumping all over this? Literally, a quarter of the state lost power. Compared to 98 ice storm, CMP is cooking right now.
Sorry, nope, I don't think you can fault CMP here.
First off - They have to assess the damage. What good does it do to send a line crew out if a telephone pole needs replacement.
Secondly - I'm guessing they had to cut your power to repair something. Hence why after the storm it went out.
Third - They have brought in tons of extra crews, who were here ahead of time. They didn't call them yesterday and say get here asap. They were already here, ready to go. So I don't think it's a shortage of crews, but more of a it takes time to fix stuff issue. 200,000+ households lost power. It's down to like 8,000. Thats pretty good.
Hell, you think 10 hours are bad, my parents are on two days without power, and I bet it wont be until the end of the week. They have broken poles and all sorts of a mess. Thankfully, they have a generator.
The solution is that if 10 hours is too much time for you, get a generator.
Your wrote this post on the Sabbath. Sorry, but according to the bible, your are not allowed to do any work on the Sabbath. When would a good time be for the community to gather at your house to stone you?
....But loves Obama. God waited till Obama was safe and sound in Martha's Vinyard before smiting DC.
Then, when the hurricane was coming to close to Martha's Vinyard, God steered it away. Now it's heading more westerly track they will take it through the core of New England instead of up the coast.
"Do Collins and Schumer have the right to defy those 44 states that either ban or have a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage?"
The problem is that it's unconstitutional. The reason is that under article 4 of the US Constitution, states must respect the "public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.". This means that if two men are married in New York, Alabama has to recognize that marriage.
State Constitutions don't override this.
Also, I don't share your morality, so when you try to make an argument centered around how your religion has taught you this and that, I find it a weak argument.
The problem is loopholes. There are always loopholes, and those who would spend more would have a greater motivation to exploit them.
Ask yourself this: Would it be worth driving to Canada to buy stuff? Maybe for most of our purchases, no. But as you ratchet up the price that goes from a no to a maybe to a hell yeah.
Example - GE buy all their vehicles in Canada, and registers them up there. They just dodged a millions in taxes.
I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I just think there is far more motivation to game the system at the top than at the bottom, and thats a problem with any tax system.
Both you and Pirate are correct - Corporations goal is to make money, and there is nothing wrong with that. And I think we all agree that the tax code sucks. It looks high, but leaves way too many loopholes and ambiguity to allow organizations with resources to duck out of their obligations.
But, you and pirate need to stop blaming democrats. I try and not blame either side(I do fail at that) because the reality is that both sides got us here. And both sides will never concede to the other as they are playing their political games.
Ok, if my dad heard you say that he was "meeting at the union hall", I think his head would BURST INTO FLAMES.
He is conservative. VERY conservative.
"US corporations not only have to pay the highest business income tax on the planet, they also have to pay US tax on income earned in other countries. We have the distinction of being the only country that does that. Lucky us!"
It only has to pay taxes on income it brings home. If the profits stay overseas, they don't get taxed. That's one of the ways GE dodges is tax obligations.
Honestly, most companies pay MORE than their share. However, large multinationals mess it up for all companies. Most companies in the US don't have the resources like GE to cook the books to minimize their tax obligations. But the government casts a wide net, and mixes the good with the bad. I do think business taxes should be simplified so that small businesses wont get creamed as bad as they do.
That said, corporations are not people. I like to look at them as a tool. They are tools that maximize value of labor and money. But they can be misused and cause havoc. To humanize them is to misrepresent them. I have been treated fairly by companies I work for, not because they care for me, but because I am a resource, and treating a resource properly is how you maximize production.
"Jason, when a man loves a woman enough, he marries her. And when they are ready, they file articles of incorporation with Secretary of State office in Delaware and hold their first board of directors meeting...."
Oh wait, he didn't.
Cause corporations are not people. They are legal entities and get different rules and regulations. Corporations can't go to jail. Corporations are allowed to claim all their losses here in the US to avoid paying taxes while claiming profits in tax havens.
Stop making non partisan issues about the parties.
Blaming the buses on Obama is unfair. The decision wasn't his(from the LA TIMES):
When the Secret Service decided to order custom-made buses, it wanted a particular model only available from Quebec-based manufacturer Prevost, said Ed Donovan, a spokesman for the agency.
"The vehicle had to support the weight of security and communication equipment that we had," Donovan said in an interview. "Our understanding was that that was the only model that could do it."
Matthew 19:24
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
But when the serious people get together, your voice won't be heard because serious people know that compromise is not optional if you want to get things done.
People shouldn't be allowed to open carry in a store. You don't have a right to open carry on private property. And from how he dressed(as the sun journal describes it: "black T-shirt, hat, sunglasses and camouflage pants") he sounds like he was looking for trouble.
I disagree with your point that "that is no reason to ever, ever cut military spending". The problem during the cold war was that Russia had far more conventional military power than the United States. So we had to maximize every force multiple to try and catch up. Our tanks, our planes, our everything had to be far more lethal and effective. So we had to spend tones of money.
But that is no longer the case. Without a superpower, maintaining the military at superpower levels is just a waste of money. Additionally, because of the organizational momentum, changes are hard to implement, and we are stuck with a 20th century military.
Our military is designed to fight a land war in Europe or North America. There is zero chance of that happening. Do you think that anyone is going to invade America? To quote Yamamota, the last person to even come close to it: "If we were to attempt to invade The United States, There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.". Screw military, the United States has more guns per person than any other country.
Claiming that cutting DoD is going to lead to that foolishness is tantimount to "Death Panels"
This is a commercial event which you sold tickets. While I don't think you should get dinged really, for all intents are purposes, they have the trademark on the word "Olympics" and you have to respect that. And if they don't want your commercial event using their trademark, that's their right.
Ok, as mjuch as I would like to get this guy for being a jerk, you're mis-interpreting Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 15, § 709, or at least you missed "...by a sender or receiver." .
That means one party must consent. Obviously, the guy taping it consented.
Their is a fine line here, but since he didn't receive benefits, he's probably in the clear on that.
However, I saw nothing refuting that he has unreported income or a side drug smuggling business. He probably should be audited and have his home searched.
1. S&P was wrong to downgrade the US. As my father has always said – The market doesn’t lie. Where did everyone run to when the stuff hit the fan? US Treasuries. Our treasury bonds are at an all time low. If S&P was right, the rates should have gone up, but everyone knows that S&P was wrong, so they are just ignoring it.
2. S&P’s downgrade was about their credibility. I have read from various major sources that S&P told major customers that they were going to downgrade the US early Friday. Then when the White House showed them their math was wrong, they had two choices: Admit it, and look bad in front of major customers, or forge ahead, data be damned.
3. Both sides are to blame. I love this line:
‘It is laughable when non-conservatives try to explain how government doesn’t need to conduct itself as conservative taxpayers do; to buy what can be afforded and borrow only if absolutely necessary; and maybe do without.”
I love how much Conservatives rail on wasteful spending, but then give a pass to the DoD. Try and cust waste at DoD, you’re a commie who wants to let the terrorists invade, convert us to Shari law, and force all our daughters into harems.
I mean, I know it's not hard to register ahead of time. But the amount of effort and the reasons used to justify it is bull****. How does this help the job market? How does this tell business Maine is "Open for Business".
It is a purely political move, and I plan on actively supporting(money/time) democrats this election just because the Republicans are that bad.
And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
That the three day advanced registration seems to be purely a barrier to voting. It serves no other purpose but to limit those who vote. Now, if there was a purpose served by cutting off registrations, I wouldn't have as much a problem with it. But there is no way they can detect any type of fraudulent registration in that time.
The student live here. Yeah, they don't pay taxes, but according to the Fox news, 50% of the people don't pay taxes. They are far more affected by what goes on here than their hometowns.
And they came up with 260 examples. It's not like there is a major impact here.
It's been almost a year since the election, and they have a list of 206 students who, as far as they know, voted legally.
If they can't find out if these 206 students voted illegally in 272 days, how do they think they will be able to do it in 3?
Clearly, they saw that a majority of the same day registrations were of a demographic that was not friendly to them, and they decided to make it harder for them to vote.
It's been almopst a year since the election, and they have a list of 206 students who, as far as they know, voted legally.
If they can't find out if these 206 students voted illegally in 272 days, how do they think they will be able to do it in 3?
Clearly, they saw that a majority of the same day registrations were of a demographic that was not friendly to them, and they decided to make it harder for them to vote.
First off, life expectancy has risen about 10 years in the time social security has been in place, so that's not baloney.
Secondly, stop being dramatic. Do you even know what changes they want to make to social security? And even if they make serious cuts, they probably wont take affect for like 10 years or so. So relax, once again, fixes for the financial crisis will be forced on my generation.
This argument is just dumb, both ways. A president doesn’t have to be in Washington to get work done. It’s not like if he’s not sitting at his desk, nothing will get done. For all intents and purposes, his desk follows him everywhere he goes.
But what should I expect really from a letter that is based on emotion, not fact.
How do you know if they were being disrespctful? From what I've read, it looks like the daughter was overreacting to TSA screeners asking them to change her. They got grandma cleaned up and on the flight. It was the dqughter freaking out that caused a problem.
This was a freak accident. Using it as justification to ban fireworks is unfair.
Yes, fireworks are dangerous. So is alcohol. There are far more alcohol related deaths than firework related, even in states where fireworks are legal. Used responsibly, both are safe
The meter will be on the outside of your house, emitting the same radiation that scientists are having trouble proving causes cancer when held diretly NEXT TO YOUR HEAD.
And the reason you have to pay to opt out is that they have to send a meter reader out to your house to check your meter.
Some people think that the world is flat. Some people think vaccines cause autism. And some people think smart meters are in any way dangerous.
My 4 year old LOVES the ipad. He gets it, and it's intuitive enough that he can do all sorts of stuff effortless. IT really is a well designed device, and I could see it being very useful in school.
That said, I think they should have made a one time purchase and reused them class to class. Trying to buy kids one to keep is expensive and a luxury. The Auburn school board is stupid to think that Auburn taxpayers are gonna let this float by.
And I think it's irresponsible, considering they need to be banking money for a new EL. They are going to be asking for 60 million for a new school soon, and Auburn Taxpayers are going to have to eat some of it. Maybe now is not the time for luxuries
See, because all work is worth something, and the republican and free market philosophy is to maximize profit while minimizing costs. Inheriting money costs no work, and therefore is the best method.
The poor need to stop being poor. Seriously, just get some money. Then you can vote like real people do. See, the correct way to register to vote is to open a bank account in the Grand Caymans, and then to deposit your "ballot" into the account.
Then you have your "ballot" wire transferred to the Republican Governors Association.
Israel's problem is they go overboard sometimes. If they feel threatened they can just go all out. One needs only to look at the USS Libery, which happened almost 44 years ago today.
You had me until you started calling people out for not donating. If you want charity, then act like it's charity. If you think it something troops deserve, talk to the government.
My first problem is that your shifting resources away from the public sector unless you plan on raising the budget. So while more funding might not fix public school, I HIGHLY doubt that less funding will.
Secondly, even with a lottery system, it won’t be easy to get a kid into the Charter system. It will require parents to do a lot of leg work usually, and the parents willing to tooth and claw to get their kids in and most likely involved in their kid’s education/lives already. This means your already going to filter out the bad eggs that drive stats down.
I’m not saying I’m against it, but I would like to see a pilot program first. Start small, and see how it goes.
Val-d'Or, PEI, Rouyn-Noranda, Baie-Comeau and Acadie-Bathurst all drew less attendance than Lewiston last year. So it is possible to support a team on less attendance. And before they tried to move, they were pulling around 2,500 average per game. Mark Just said they needed 3,000, which around 82% capacity. That's alot to ask.
I have a personal grudge against Just, but I didn't want the team to fail. I just don't know if the this was a good fit. I think the area could support a team, and maybe we would be hitting the 3K mark by now if Just didn't try and move the team, turning everyone off.
But the past is the past. It's sad that the team is gone, but hopefully the next team can learn from the Maineiacs mistakes and build a solid relationship with the community.
If Israel wants to secure it's boarders, it needs to stop blowing up Palestine and start rebuilding it. A man who has lost everything probably has alot of hate and nothing to lose. But you give him the means to live a full life, he will be reluctant to blow himself up.
..like big businesses do. Banks will process your vote electronically through wire transfers to the Republican Govenor's Association. That's how the Koch brothers do it, and it does make things much simpler.
Obviously, I'm biased. I'm Roger Theriault's nephew. I am sad that Lewiston/Auburn is losing something that so many enjoyed and that so many worked hard on providing.
That said, look at the attendance numbers on the QMJHL's website. You can look at historical data too. Lewiston was never last in attendance, it was usually middle of the pack. So I find it hard to believe that those numbers couldn't support the team.
Last time I checked, a donut shop is not a government building. The two are not related. And to carry in the state house would require a concealed carry permit, which means a through background check and interviews. It’s not something you pick up at the gun shop or a gun show.
However, I see this law as a bad idea. Now, if it was just for legislators, that would be one thing, but opening it up to ANYONE with a concealed carry permit opens a hole in security. The general public shouldn’t be allowed to be armed in the state house.
Especially the Authorization for agencies to conduct cost-benefit analyses of proposed environmental rules. Reminds me too much of when Ford did a cost benefit analysis, and found it would be cheaper to pay off the lawsuits than to fix the Pinto.
I didn't cheer for Osama's death. I cheered for justice being served. That his wickedness was visited back upon him. Which is the same thing I want here. And she confessed, so lets not foll around with implying that she may not be guilty. And I don't care if she was mentally ill. Anyone who murders anyone is mentally ill.
One more thing. I'm not going into why I think this, because I think In can make a convincing, yet disturbing, argument based on the computer generated photo that she strangled him.
I know how much this kid I never knew affected me, and I have to imagine that to those working this case it was much worse. Kudos and a heart felt thank you to the Maine State Police for their efforts.
Also - Kudos to everyone out there that worked to get the info out about the truck and whatnot. Sun Journal, The TV stations, internet people, everyone.
That the last thing going through her mind will be a lethal dose of potassium chloride. She killed him in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is a death penalty state.
I will cheer like I did for Bin Landin when her time comes.
That headline would ignore the fact that his house was a cat holocaust. I'm not saying he's at fault, but your headline would down play animal cruelty. The story was the animal cruelty, not the dementia
First of all, are you saying my response or Roman's was well written. Just a little confused. =)
Secondly, I don't disagree with you at all. I have a 4 year old who LOVES the ipad2. We bought one because we recognize how well he was able to use it, and wanted to foster that. Plus my wife loves angry birds and scrabble on it.
My only concern is that the city is putting all their eggs in one basket. Before we spend $200K a year, lets try it out for awhile and see how well it works. And why spend $200K each year. Why not outfit the schools, but they stay in school. Or they go home with the child, but they are the property of the school, and can therefore benefit the next year as well.
But if they give them away, then they are gone, and the school will have to raise that money again.
"I do believe that, without compelling evidence to the contrary, a free-market solution is always better than a government solution. "
That's the problem right there. I assume both will have their own issues. The government solution will become bloated as those running it seek to expand thweir fiefdom. The private sector solution will be as lean as it can get away with, as profit is their driving motivator. Now, for many things, a private sector solution is best. Keeping a process as lean as possible mimics natural selection, ensuring the process stays viable.
However, there are sectors where that is not acceptable. And that is places where people can lose their life. Police, fire, military are all government run as the price of skimping is measured in lives, not dollars. The same goes for health care. Thats why I don't have an issue with government run health care. Thats not to say the private secotr shouldn't play a role. I think that extending Medicare to everyone would be the ideal solution. The those who want extra healthcare could get it, and pay for it.
Yeah, and where do these jobs/kids go? By your logic, it should be some Republican strong hold of laissez faire government where business are free to do what they want. Of course, by your logic, business interests never conflict with the public good and capitalism is the solution to any problem, even cancer.
Oh wait, the youth and jobs go to Massachusetts. A state Forbes lists as the most expensive to do business in.
But they back it up with probably the smartest workforce in the country.
Let me tell you a little story. I used to work for a international company. They were headquarters in a southern state. As a benefit, they provided insurance. This southern state allowed them to act as the insurer and then have Anthem manage the plan, so we had Anthem's network of providers.
My wife and I were blessed with a son, and submitted all the information when we had it to add him to our plan. Then, we got hit with a $5,000 bill on top of our copays and whatnot. Well, according to Anthem, he wasn't a member at the time of his birth, so they weren't covering it. Now, under Maine law, that wasn't the case, so I went to the Bureau of Insurance and complained.
They could do nothing because it was out of state insurance.
We went back and forth, and eventually had to pay $5,000 more than we should have because we didn't have the Bureau of Insurance and Maine law protecting us.
So I'm weary of out of state insurance. Yes, it's more expensive here in Maine, but what good is insurance if they can weasel out of paying cause they are located in an insurance friendly state?
Roman, this is a very well written letter. A problem with your argument, however, is that by buying them for kids in elementary school, you would be directly benefiting.
My son is that age, and looking at the picture makes me want to cry. And then find whoever did this and [censored to not violate sun journal commenting rules] with a hammer.
Ok, agriculture, fda and all that is so clearly interstate commerce that if you want to argue it, I will make fun of you.
Education is less clear cut, but since the goal of the Department of Education is to administer and coordinate most federal assistance to education, collect data on US schools, and to enforce federal educational laws regarding privacy and civil rights, I think your wrong there too.
Federal assistance to colleges is interstate commerce, and the rest can be simplified into collecting data and making sure schools uphold federal law. These both easily fit under the "necessary and proper" clause.
It's nice to see a well thought out and articulated letter to the editor.
However, I disagree with the assumption that the fault of the cuts belong to the city council. The school board has made some poor choices that took any creditbility that the school board had and tossed it out the window.
Tax payers in Auburn are already facing tax hikes just to keep services on par with where they are now. The economy is starting to improve, but we are still in quite the hole. Increasing the budget would be a hard sell for the school board as it was, then they decided to go shopping for ipads.
Now, I think ipads are wonderful. My 4 year old can play "Angry Birds" with the best of em, and the interactive storybooks are fantastic. But to introduce a program like that now shows a complete lack of understanding of the crunch everyone is feeling, and makes me feel like they don't know how to prioritize where to spend money. This make me want to give them less, not more money. Hell, they still spend $50,000 on ipads in a pilot program.
"That spoke volumes about her hypocrisy as she is the leading politician pushing ObamaCare, which includes $500 billion in cuts to Medicare."
"Another issue about Pelosi and other liberals has to do with their inability or unwillingness to find areas to cut spending."
Do you really think it's fair to complain about the Democrats cutting spending to Medicare and then accuse them of not being able to make cuts?
Also, just because you slice the data a certain way doesn't make it wasteful. I'm not saying we couldn't make food safety into one agency, but there is reasons for the division.
Lets just say eggs. If they are imported, your talking Customs. If locally grown, FDA. Now, if you combine the functions into the FDA, now the FDA has to do customs work. So then you slice the data another way, you'll have complaints that 18 agencies are involved with import control.
I'm not saying there isn't room for improvement, lets just try and not making it a partisan thing and balk at the numbers in some sort of kneejerk reaction.
While I don't want to excuse the behavior of the council, the school board must be living in lala land.Budgets are tight and people are feeling the pinch. So, obviously, now is the time to introduce iPad2s into classrooms. Of course there was going to be a backlash, and that was going to make the budget process more contentious.
Seriously... Just plan old dumb. I want you do do somthing - Look at your birth certificate. It says "Certificate of Live Birth"
Just like that title of the State of Rhode Island isn't correct. It's "The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." However, people shortened it in common usage. Just like Birth Certificate.
But this is America, you are free to keep being crazy.Just try and keep out of the way when people are debating serious issues.
Yes, it happened durring a democratic Presidency. Obama did make it a priority, and got it done. That said, this is not a failure for either party. This is a win for America.
I see that iPads can have a place. My 4 year old has access to one, and it's intuitive interface helps children interface with technology quicker.
That said, I think both sides need to bring up some facts. We shouldn't be jumping in with two feet into this program as you don't know what affect it will have on children's progress. Along the same lines, you can't claim gloom and doom as you don't know what affect it will have either. The technology is far too new to be making such broad claims.
So maybe the school department buys some iPads to keep in classrooms to try out, design activities around them for a small percentage of the time.
But give one to each kid? Noooooo, it's far too soon and the pros and cons are not really known.
Because people have taken sceptacism to absurd levels. The whole birth certificate thing for one. Bin Ladin was shot in the head, and how many people in the United States would be able to differentiate between a random old Muslim shot in the head and Bin Ladin? My guess, less than 1000 out of 300 million.
Comparing Afghanistan to Vietnam is a emotional appeal that cheapens the sacrifice that those in Vietnam made. 60,000 Americans died in Vietnam. There are many raw nerves and emotional scars from that war because there was so many fatalities and casualties.
And while there are many similarities between the two wars, There are far fewer casualties in Afghanistan than there was in Vietnam. And to say that this is a second Vietnam is a political ploy. Not only is Afghanistan more a peace keeping action than a open war like Vietnam, the fatalities are far far lower. You said it yourself, you lost 19 classmates in Vietnam. I bet there is NO ONE in the United States who can claim the same about Afghanistan
And politicians said the same thing about Iraq before the surge. Do I know that staying the course will fix things or that we will have the same results as Iraq? Nope.
But we can have that conversation without trying to compare every war to Vietnam.
Al, I haven't served in our armed forces, and let me say I do appreciate your service.
But doesn't it bug you that people are comparing Afghanistan to Vietnam? Both have been about the same amount of time, so does that mean 60 Vietnam deaths = 1 or 2 Afghanistan deaths? Are your 19 classmates lives worth soo much less than the men and women dying today?
But I guess it doesn't bug ya, because I only wrote ONE sentence about staying in Afghanistan, and the majority of my argument was that it was disrespectful to compare Vietnam to Afghanistan as so man more people died in Vietnam..
Btw - Is it only troops who agree with you give a damn about? I find it funny in one post you go on about your concern for casualties, but then in the next one you want me to become one.
Comparing this to Vietnam is misleading and shameful. 60,000 Americans lost their lives in Vietnam.
1,563 have died in Afghanistan.
To compare this conflict to Vietnam is just cheap sensationalism because Vietnam is still a raw nerve. It also belittles the successes our people have achieved.
Yes, we are building a civilization from scratch, but that's the point. Civilized people don't fly planes into buildings.
Thats a pretty bold claim. Are you saying that if the Nazi's won the war, they would have forced all the world to speak German, and succeeded in that? Or are you referring to the Ruskies? Either way, a full on invasion of the United States would end in death and destruction for the invaders. We have more guns in private hands than any other nation. The only way to beat us would be nukes, in which case the language spoken would be the least of my concerns.
Anyway, your right, the two elder generations had nothing to do with it really other than voting for politicians. It just angers me that the Republican plan seems focused on letting the elder generations off the hook at the expense of the younger ones, and that this stealth tax hike is cool with tea partiers.
And make a cut off at 55 is just dumb anyway. Either make it immediate or not at all. Because if you set the cut off at 55, and pat yourself on the back for saving Medicare, that's 10 years that people have to repeal that law. It would be gone in less than 5.
Sorry if I was a jerk, but I see hypocrisy in alot of this, and it ticks me off.
The GOP's plan sucks, but wont touch Mahoney's medicare.
Nope, only those under 55. I love it, the party that's loves to call for tax cuts introduces a stealth tax on the young. Because under this plan everyone will be paying the same amount as before, but now those under 55 will get shafted on coverage.
It's funny, I used to joke about how I didn't expect to have Social Security when I hit retirement, but little did I realize I wouldn't have medicare either.
Who am I fooling? With retirement ages going up, and lack of universal health care, I most likely wont survive to retirment.
Way to go, baby boomers and greatest generation. You defeated the communists, and all it cost us was mine and my children's future.
First off, if there was a full blown world war, it would end in a nuclear fire that no amount of toughness would prepare us for. This is because enough of the major players have nukes that any World War will pit two nuclear powers against each other.
That's why there will never be another world war because the stakes are too high.
Now, the amount of violence that parents allow their kids to be exposed to will vary, but the problem is as we discover the effects of contact sports, we discover they may not be worth the risk. I played hockey, and I suffered multiple injuries and I've seen people break their necks and get seriously injured. So I don't fault people for not wanting their kids to play.
And I can tell you for a fact that everyone who the army gives a rifle to has to read how to use it.
Been in communities that have had PAYT, it's a royal pain in the ass.
Not only is this just a tax hike, but every about it is a pain. The trashbags selected ALWAYS suck cause they are looking to milk every last dollar. So, you get the cheapest pos trashbags. Or they do stamps, and then you have to get the stupid stamps.
Honestly, stop trying to hide taxes. If you need to raise them, do in the open like adults instead of sneaking them in like cowards
Where to start with this crazy post:
1. WIFI - Don't want to open up yyour home network to wireless hacking, do having a wifi router. Just because your computer is pluged into an outlet doesn't mean your computer can now be read by cmp. No
2. Shutting off power to singluar appliances - The meter is upstream of your circuit breaker. It can shut off power to everything or nothing. No inbetween.
3. That this is 1985 - These meters offer them nothing they can't already do. Can they read your power usage? Yes. Can they Shut off your power? Yes. Do they have webcams? NO. Can they spy into your house? NO. So stop acting like they put a telescreen in your living rooms and are making you talk in newspeak. Double plus ungood!
4. The 150 jobs - If all these people were doing was checking meters, then I don't know. But the economy doesn't tolerate obsolete methods. No one morns for milk men, or the people who made horse drawn buggies. They had their time, and now it's over. I don't want to see anyone lose their job, but we can't keep doing things inefficiently to just save jobs.
"Plain talking" is a crock. While I appreciate that he isn't bsing me, however, he completely ticks me off with how little he values the other side.
I may be opinionated, but at least I know that I might be wrong, and to consider the other side's argument. It's like compromise is a dirty word or something.
Before I begin, let me say having seen the mural in real life, let me say that I think it does overpower the room and feels out of place.
That said, Paul LePage is an idiot. He is a political amatuer, and we probably only serve one term.
Disagree with me all you want, but from the get go, I have been saying he wont destroy Maine, and that everyone should give him a chance. Well, with that chance I gave him, he had jumped on every super politically viable topic he can find, and plant a flag.
Was the mural costing Maine jobs? Probably not(if you think it was, well then we have more serious problems if we can't attract business because of a mural)
So why make a big deal of it? All your doing is giving the other side more ammo to fundraise and charge up their side. The tea party is losing steam fast, meanwhile the coffee party(or whatever you want to call them) is picking up momentum, and gearing up for next November.
This creates no jobs, it doesn't endear you with people who didn't already love you, and it infuriates those who you don't want to motivate.
AR Gould is part of(or connected to) Long Creek Youth Development Center, i.e. Juvenile corrections. Of course they aren't going on away games. And are you accusing the Maine DoJ of unfairly recruiting?
Listen, our kids need to "man uo". Oh no, you might get blown out? So what? I played on teams where we would both destroy and get destroyed by opponents. As a kid, I was lucky enough to play in 2 regional tournaments, and in one, we got killed.
It crushed my spirits and made me the broken man I am today.... Oh wait, not it DIDN'T crush my spirits. It taught me to lose like a man. Sometimes in life, you get run over by those you compete against, and those who learn early that it's not a big deal and you just need to get back up and try again do better in life.
Disagreeing with someone saying thanks? Come on...
BTW - Funny thing, when I took this picture, the crew for WGME was filming and getting people to comment, and they filmed me taking this picture. And it made it into the broadcast.
Of course, I took a picture of them filming me taking a picture.
Well, I find it amusing. I wonder how much effort LePage is gonna put into this. I mean, I bet there will be an injunction, and it's gonna be a mess.
However, I think the left is freaking out about nothing. The murals wont be destroyed, and would most likely featured more prominently than they are now.
First off, Just wanted to point this out:
"Then we looked closely at the panels and at the way they dominate the lobby of the Maine Department of Labor. " - The editorial board
"It is in a small lobby area. It OVERWHELMS the room, and even I felt a little uncomfortable."
-Me, on the March 23 story comments section
HA HA! I made the point first!
Ok, purile gloating aside, I disagree with the point "it is a place where workers and private industry must meet to work through their differences in a purely neutral setting."
No, because the Department of Labor is about regulating and protecting Labor. And don't tell me the abuse of workers is a thing of the past, all one must do is look to where labor regulation is non-existent, and see what corporations will do. You go to third world nations, and sweatshops become the norm. Child labor is acceptable. Long workdays with poor pay is considered an advantage to companies, not a moral wrong.
I don't fault business. The job of companies is to make money, and to expect them to work otherwise is foolish. So it falls to Government to regulate Business. Much like a nuclear reaction, balance is key. You let business go to far, you get meltdowns. You overregulate, the reaction shuts off and no power is generated.
Working with both to make an environment where both sides thrive should be goal of the DoL.
How about we save this editorial for when the president commits ground forces, which will probably be never. Because all this talk about putting our troops in harms way sounds hollow when it's limited to an air war against a clearly 3rd class power.
No, I think we need to help the rebels. Obama could have kept his mouth shut about Gadhafi, but he didn't, and as soon as he decided to throw support to the rebels, he should have been planning a no fly zone.
Now as for if these are the people we want to deal with, they are better than Gadhafi. They aren't slaughtering civilians(as far as I know). Besides, maybe if we help them, they wont feel as inclined to chant "Death to America".
The Maine Commerce Center has crazy hallways. (A walking them in a full loop is 1/4 a mile) They have a ton of walls they could have put the mural on, especially in the hallways around the DoL. But they put in in a lobby room they is behind a door.
Put it this way, I have walked past that mural hundreds of times, and never saw it because it was behind a door. I'm telling ya, it is too much for that room.
Anyway, I went and saw it. The pictures don't do it justice in how overpowering it is.
See, I work in the building that the mural is in. So, I decided to check it out. You would think it was on a long wall or something. I was surprised...It is in a small lobby area. It OVERWHELMS the room, and even I felt a little uncomfortable.
As I said, I would concede this if the parents who's kids did get knocked up were forced to accept legal responsibility for the baby until the baby's 18th birthday. But as it is right now, parents think that abstinence is enough, and when it turns out their wrong, they foist the responsibility on the kid in the name of personal responsibility, who will most likely seek state and federal assistance. If we could hold the parent responsible as well as the child, I would be far more inclined to agree
1. That wasn't what Jesus said. Nothing in the bible is what Jesus said. Most of the new testiment was composed after Jesus died and was written by people who weren't even there. Additionally, I think that 1st century Greek doesn't translate easily into 20th century English.
2. That one has to be a "trained spiritual reader" to understand it. This is why people strap bombs to themselves - Religion is so full of mystery that it can be twisted and interpreted into whatever someone wants.
See, LePage campaigned on being the biggest Republican Jackass. I mean, telling Obama to go to hell and more or less telling woman that growing facial hair is no big deal is his bread and butter.
But Walker stole his thunder. I mean, what is tell Obama to go to hell compared to send the state police to arrest state senators. So now that things are quieting down with Wisconsin and Japan, he wants to get back to work making headlines.
Cause it was never about making jobs. If you need a job, you should have worked on his campaign.
No, you don't have the final decision. If the state thinks your hurting you kids, DHHS will start making choice for you real quick.
But, I will grant your point with one requirement. Parents are responsible for making choice for their kids. They are also be responsible for the actions of their kids. I think a stipulation of this should be that if a child get pregnant, the parent(of the pregnant child) is equally responsible for the baby until the baby is 18.
So if you want your kids to go abstinence only, and you kids make a dumb choice, YOU should have to be responsible. None of this teen mothers go on the dole while their parents throw up their hands. That way, you want to put all your eggs in the abstinence bucket, the rest of us don't have to deal with it when that choice bites you in the rear
Abstinence based sex ed approaches to kids is just dumb.
Why?
Cause kids do dumb things. This is why they aren't considered adults, because their ability to make good decisions is lacking. I don't think kids should be having sex, but kids have a funny way of not giving a damn what you think they should do.
Do kids drink alcohol and do drugs even though they're illegal? Yup
Do kids smoke cigarettes even though we know for certain it will cause cancer? Yup
Will taking away all forms of contraception stop kids from having sex? Nope.
So lets take the realistic approach. Some kids will listen and hold off on sex till they are ready. Some, however, will not. So lets throw contraception at them. Pills, condoms, everything. As much as I don't want kids having sex, I REALLY don't want them getting pregnant.
I don't believe, I have drawn conclusions from the facts presented to me. But to be fair, I don't blame Bush for the recession either. Matter of fact, TARP, which was GWB's baby, saved the economy. Probably the single most important piece of legislation he passed, because I can't imagine what would have happened if it didn't. I think GWB is a good man, who's presidency got defined not for action but reaction.
Put it this way, I would have a beer with the man.
Probably buy a round.
The economy tanked under GWB. Yes, he averaged 5.27% unemployment, but in the last year of his presidency, unemployment went from 5% to 7.8%. And a majority of the increases in unemployment under Obama happened in the first 4 months. There is NO WAY anything he did could have caused or prevented those jobs losses. There just wasn't enough time. I think the more revealing numbers are the acceleration figures for unemployment. Under Obama, unemployment has decelerated significantly and reversed. We are only about .7% away from the unemployment rate Obama had when he took office.
Synopsis -
It is hypocritical to call out democrats for the first half of your ltte, and then end with:
"When the partisan pique and posturing stops, there should be bipartisan agreement that this makes sense."
And I'm not saying to turn off the spigot. I'm saying lets stop chasing oil down, and turn our energies towards energy sources we control. Instead of chasing down more oil, let invest in tech to change coal into oil, since we have PLENTY of that. Lets work on hybrids and electrics to reduce our demand for oil.
First off, any effect new drilling will have will be felt a decade in the future.
Secondly, the amount would only be a drop in the bucket.
Really, oil is the fuel of the present, not the future. Our future cars will most likely run on hydrogen fuel cells, which we will not have to rely on the middle east to produce. Nuclear, combined with green power generation is the key.
"With regard to your comments on business, yes, there are greedy businesses, but they don't last long. For every greedy company, there are probably five others that have been forced off-shore, or out of business completely, by greedy unions who couldn't care less about their members. Those jobs are lost forever."
Greedy business don't last long?
Now that's a hoot.
If you think Unions really forced outsourcing, I don't know if there is much I can do to debate with you, because that's just silly. I mean, private sector union membership peaked in the 1940's and has been in steady decline since. However, most of the manufacturing job losses occurred in the past 20 years. Globalization has been directly tied to to most of the major losses.
However, I don't blame companies. I blame China for alot of it, as they have artificially kept their currency undervalued to get all the manufacturing jobs they can. However, to blame unions, which during the 90's made up less than 15% of all employees, is overstating union influence.
When I was in high school, my AP government teacher showed me how to write an essay/argument.
You start with an introduction and your thesis statement.
They you bring up the strongest argument against yours, and why it's wrong
Then you list 3 of your points, from weakest to strongest.
Then you close with a summary that re-states your thesis.
The reason is when you try to do too much, as this letter does, you sound like a rambling fool.
The author makes 8 separate arguments in 8 paragraphs, which makes my head hurt.
The problem is that the state should be saying "Sorry, we made a mistake. We need to trim the benefits." Instead, the Republican handbook says to say "Greedy Unions are destroying America!". Look at Wisconsin. If Walker worked with the Unions, there would be no issue. But by making them the enemy, he has the fight of his life on his hands, and opinion polls show he is losing.
LePage is acting like a 38% Governor. Hell, to put it in terms as you did, he's acting like Obama did.
Obama came into office with 60+% approval and a democratic congress. He threw his weight around, and pushed through bills. Now he's at 46% and has a Republican house. LePage is acting the same way, and will yield the same results. Except, LePage doesn't have a 60+% approval rating. He keeps this up(and we're only 2 months in at this point) I would be surprised if he lasts 2 terms.
Hell, I would be surprised if the GOP maintains majorities in both house and senate in next November(2012).
I was making fun of the editorial obviously meant Iraq, but wrote Iran. Unless we invaded Iran while I wasn't looking. I don't even know what your disagreeing with.
The problem is that neither side wants to have compromise thrown in their face come next November, so they want to stick to their guns.
But your right, we need let the tax cuts expire and cut spending.
That said, the reason Democrats focus on increasing taxes on the upper tax brackets is that in the past 30 years, income disparity has increased significantly. There are probably numerous reasons, from globalization to deregulation to technological changes to the marketplace. If you try and pin it to one cause, your pushing an agenda. However, the fact remains that middle and lower class income has seen little to no growth, while upper class income growth has accelerated, making it look like the "rich" are getting richer while the "poor" are getting poorer. So Democrats seek to put pressure on upper income growth through taxes.
Will it help? I don't know, but I doubt that any one thing will be some sort of silver bullet. We need to spend a ton more on education, but spend it well, because the best defense against "class" divisions in the populace is education.
My problem with LePage is his attitude. I have no problem with someone disagreeing we me. Hell, I want to hear different opinions. I may not agree, but that doesn't mean I'm right, and I can accept that different people see things different ways.
However, Govenor LePage seems to have an attitude that if you disagree with him, your wrong. That's why Anthony Marple got fired, and I bet that's why Mills got canned. It seems that he knows that he can't win people over on the merits of his argument or he chooses not too. Instead, he fires them.
All the while, making comments that lack forethought of ANY kind.
Though I do want to make a distinction between apathy and involvement with the political process. Apathy is not caring what happens. However, there are many people who care, yet due to their lives, have no time or energy to get involved. In that sense, I don't think apathy is a major problem. Much like I told my father watching both the Tea Party protests and the protests in Wisconsin "Real people are far to busy to protest this stuff".
But claiming we're destroying the Constitution doing anything is silly. We prove how powerful it is. But it's a creation of man, and cannot be considered infallible. It need to be modified almost immediately after becoming law with the first 10 Amendments because the founders had the same issues we are having now - "How Big should the Government be allowed to become?"
Once you realize that they struggle with the same issues we struggle with, it makes all the little stuff seem little and re-affirms my confidence in America.
First off, at least one founder agrees with me that what they think is moot:
"We may consider each generation as a distinct nation, with a right, by the will of its majority, to bind themselves, but none to bind the succeeding generation, more than the inhabitants of another country."
Thomas Jefferson
And hey, he was also worried about corperations as much as government:
"I hope we shall... crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country."
-- Thomas Jefferson to George Logan, 1816.
We got the declaration of independence, we have the Articles of Confederation, we have the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights. But did the Nation stop evolving? NO.
How about Abe Lincoln and the Gettysburg address? Or FDR’s First Inaugural Address where he proclaimed
"This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance"
Or Kennedy "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. "
Or Bush "I hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked down these buildings are going to hear from all of us soon,"
The beauty of the United States is the realization we are all founders. This Nation lives by our consent, and dies by our apathy. It lives and breathes. It evolves to serve.
Honestly, I am so sick of people telling em what the founders envisioned. Where you around between 1776 and 1790? Did you speak to ANY of the founders? Do you have a time machine?
No? Then knock it off. You weren't there, your only interpreting what YOU think they envisioned.
"Forcible rape is one thing, but drunken, drugged, or consensual sex"
Lets just squash the whole "Forcible rape" thing out of here. Rape is forced sex, be it through physical or chemical means. Trying to define it more specifically if splitting hairs and a way to score political points. Leave those distinctions to juries.
"There is so much propaganda in the media these days"
Yes there is. But that goes both ways. Corporations and Governments are neither inherently bad nor good. And when both get large, they are both capable of acting poorly.
That said, saying government has taken over industries is pure hyperbole, and makes me chuckle when combined with a plea to ignore the propaganda, because you clearly need to follow your own advice.
"At some level, consumers have to take some responsibility for what they’re bringing into their own homes,"
Umm, how are you supposed to do that without informed consent? I bet you one billion trillion dollars products with BPA will NOT be labeled "Contains BPA"
He is going to lose re-election by 1000%.
"LePage sold out children to chemical companies, and fired anyone who got in his way"
Like there was ever a choice. And name me one government that isn't a oligarchical Plutocracy, and I'll point and laugh at your naivety. Power, be it electrical or political, is a commodity. And as such, has a dollar value. This is a fact of life.
LePage hired her.
I mean, did he interview her first? I know he dislikes "Science" and "Logic", but it's not like they discovered an indian burial ground in her lab or something. There shouldn't be any surprises with where she stands.
Since there is no logic explanation, I'm going to make up one....They were having an affair. And LePage's daughter stumbled in on them. And since he can't fire his daughter, he fired her.
Until you cut the big three( Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and Department of Defense), your not going to get anywhere, debtwise. And cutting equally from the three would keep politics to a minimum.
I mean, that would make everyone's life easier. We already set limits on where they can work and live. Screw it, lets just kill them, then it wont be an issue anymore.
I'm not a fan on sex offenders, but once their debt to society is paid, we should focus on getting them back into society in hopes that they straighten out, not block their return to protect ourselves, forcing them to live on the fringe.
Now, as for people behaving poorly in front of St. Francis House, you should complain to the administrator. I'm sure they want to be on good terms with their neighbors.
Careful and considerate are not how I would describe Paul Lepage. He is a bazooka, seeking to lay waste to everything he sets his sights on. While many would applaud this approach, one thing to worry about when using a bazooka is that everything directly behind you get torched from the rocket exhaust.
1 - The Obama stimulus package passed in 2009. The debt at that point was 11 trillion. It is now 13 trillion. But, you know, keep on trucking with the whole "Obama's spending out of control". Bush increased our debt almost 5 trillion, but I didn't hear anyone forming tea parties and getting all worried about deficit spending then.
2. The stimulus's job wasn't to make it less painful, it was to keep the wheels on the bus, just like TARP did. And you will never know how effective they were because the wheels did not come off the bus. Both Bush and Obama played it right, and kept everyone working.
3. Your right, we do need to pay it back. But your not gonna do that with tax cuts. We are going to have to face tax hikes and service cutbacks. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and the Department of Defense all need major cuts/ reworking
Nope, gonna have to say I am completely opposite in my opinion. Trying to paint either side as black or white is misleading. This whole argument is about shades of gray. We all agree that Government does some things best. The founder saw first hand what happens when you limit government too much with the Articles of Confederation. A limp, powerless federal government most assuredly leads to strife. Fearing this, our founding fathers drafted the Constitution to drastically INCREASE the powers of government. Then, fearing they went too far, they enacted the Bill of Rights.
Since inception, Balancing the power of the Federal Government has been a give and take. It’s not black and white, but merely shades of gray. What works and doesn’t. When is too far, and when isn’t far enough.
Moderates like Snowe, are like most of America; They are in-between. It’s not that she doesn’t stand for nothing, she just disagrees with you a lot.
And two points to close on –
1.Name one high profile Tea Partier who’s a democrat. I keep hearing that the Tea Party is neither R or D, yet all the members are R.
2. Which founders “heroically died”? Most of the founders I heard about died of old age. Is that “heroically dying”?
They put Snowe on their literature to try and raise money, but they won't bother to use it here. She is an easy target to scare conservatives in middle America, but the amount of money and effort to unseat her here could be used to unseat two weaker democrats. And the reason I said two is that Snowe, if she didn't win the Republican nomination, could just as easily run as a independent, and win.
So to beat Snowe, they would have to beat her in the nomination round and the general election. It would be far smarter to use those resources to unseat democrats that are weak in their districts, cause you might be able to make the difference with 2 or more with the money you would have to spend to beat Snowe.
Abortion and the death penalty are complicated enough without trying to link them.
I am against abortions at all, even in the case of rape. However, I am also against saying "No, you can't have an abortion" without making an effort to prevent and care for unwanted pregnancies. Like I think the government should pay for birth control, or mandate that insurance cover the cost.
Then, if someone gets pregnant, I think the government should cover all the health expenses. If we make it law that women must carry their child, we cannot then say they have to pay for it too.
A nuclear war between the United States and the Soviety Union would be fought with bombers.
The Berlin wall had just started going up
It was still ok to tell minorities to sit at the back of the bus.
John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth.
The initial plans were released and architect selected to build New York's World Trade Center.
I don't disagree that we need to reform spending, but we need to be smart about it. Programs that look dumb are far more vital than you realize.
Example - The Icebreakers that were cut from the stimulus package. You may say "Why do we need these?! Cut em". Hell, most people did say that. I didn't, because one region has three things in common:
1. The largest unclaimed oil field.
2. Important shipping routes
3. Strategically important region
Where is this? The Arctic. It is believed to have a 25% of the worlds undiscovered oil. It is becoming a viable alternative and MUCH more geopolitical stable) than the Panama and Suez canals.
Oh, and the Russians have set the eyes on it. Canada and the US both have rights to the region, but we need to be able to work up there, and one of the things we need is icebreakers. But hey, it's cool, lets cut spending. I bet the Russian will let us borrow one of theirs, I mean they are building a bunch of them.
Ok, I got a bit off topic there. But it all comes down to the same thing. Just chanting "No Spending" is short-sighted. There are things it is good to spend on, and working towards a rail system for the United States is one of them.
It's kinda funny you never hear the whole "spending" argument when it comes to programs that happen in Republican districts, like the parallel development of the GE engine for the F-35.
And this isn't even funding for Welfare or poor people or health care. This is capital investment in our country. This program isn't about trying to fix the economy, it's about trying to be proactive. It will cost us FAR more if we wait in terms of economic hardship and lost productivity. And cut it out with this "private" sector BS. The Airline industry gets 14 billion a year in federal spending and bailouts whenever needed. They get money from the Military for participation in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. They are hardly free enterprise.
$425 billion is what it cost, in 2006 inflation adjusted dollars, to build the interstate system.
Does anyone here think that was a waste of money?
To build a proper high speed rail system will cost alot of money, but if it's done right, it could pay for itself in economic growth and eventual fares. And the time to build it is now, not in the future. Why?
Have you seen gas prices? They are only going to go up. So if we get the system built now, we won't be caught with our pants down when the price of air travel far exceeds rail and rail becomes viable.
Or we can think so short term we end up shooting ourselves in the foot.
Ok, as I see it, there is two issues here –
1. Should the state be using emergency rules to pass fireworks law.
2. Should fireworks be illegal
On the first point, I agree with all of you. This is not an emergency, and using emergency measures to pass the law swiftly is an abuse.
I disagree with most of you on the second point, and here is why: Fireworks are as dangerous as alcohol, firearms and even gasoline when used INCORRECTLY. Heck, a fork is fatal if used incorrectly. The CDC estimated in 2000 there was 75,000 gun injuries/deaths. NHTSB estimates that 10,000 will die in alcohol related accidents.
Fireworks are no more dangerous than those things, and examples of children getting hurt are nothing more than emotional appeals. No one thinks children should be using fireworks unsupervised, hence making the age limit 21+. A seven year old blowing his hand off is sad, but it’s an example of bad parenting. Would you consider banning alcohol if that 7 year old had gotten alcohol poisoning and died?
Full of piss a vinegar today Dan. Well, Dan, you not gonna win anyone over with calling people jealous of state bennies. Sorry to say, but the economic mess were in requires us all to bite into a big poop sandwich. We've all had to deal with wage cuts and layoffs and more work. Sorry about your COLA, but frankly, I think it could have been alot worse.
I was merely pointing out that the poster was a state employee, and therefore biased. I really don't have an issue with how much state workers are paid. However, if I have to chose between cutting school programs or increasing the retirement age to 65 for state employees, well, sorry. Your just gonna have to stick it out 3 more years.
The private sector jobs already have been going through this. We have been hit with pay cuts, layoffs, longer hours and more work. So, suck it up.
I love how in one paragraph Garret calls out Obama for speaking off the cuff, and Obama supports for trying to justify it.
Then, in the very next paragraph, Garret admits that LePage speaks off the cuff, and then justifies it.
Hmmmm..
The bottom line is this: No matter how valid your point is, the second you start calling your opposition "spoiled brats" and compare their arguments to "whining", you might as well stop your letter. Because the only recourse to argue this is either "Nu uhh" or to start calling you names back.
So instead of pointing out that Democrats are "spoiled and over-privileged", why not try and stick to things that will move your argument forward
When a river runs low, hydro power doesn't work. When a coal/NG plant is burning fuel, no power is generated.
This is why they put them on mountains where the wind is blowing fairly constantly. And you work to make them as efficient as possible.
And no new jobs? Your vision is too focused. Look at the University of Maine. It's developing a whole department on wind power, as the region is seeing alot of investment. This will spur more development and jobs. It the same with any new technology. Nuclear development centered in New Mexico(due to the Manhattan Project). What came of that? Los Alamos national lab, Sandia national lab, and a ton of high tech jobs.
Yes, Wind Power is inefficient...right now. But I doubt that will always be the case. Heck, the Chinese are investing heavily into this, including $17.5 billion in a new wind farm, because they see the future of this tech.
New technology is never cost effective in the beginning. A great example is nuclear. The first reactors were not cost effective, but from building them we learned new things. We improved and kept going, and got nuclear to a place where it was cost effective.
Wind will be the same way. We will reap not only the plentiful electricity, but the jobs as well.
The US is the largest producer of arms, but to be fair, many are for civilian use. Over half of the guns produced worldwide are purchased in the United States
While I don't doubt that the US government exaggerates and lies, Iran is far, far worse. They imprison and execute people who speak against the government. They have shown a complete disregard for the will of the Iranian people with the fixing of the past elections, and when compared to the Bush administration, make Bush look like Gandhi.
To your point "why did Iran invite reporters from around the world, including one from NBC?". What's the point of inspecting a facility when invited? You will see what they want you to see.
Iran clearly wants nuclear weapons to deter Israel. The problem is that Iran has funded Hezbollah, and if Hezbollah gets a nuke, they will use it. Then Israel or the United States will respond with nuclear weapons, and the Middle East will be a mess.
From what I have read, if Iran and Israel go head to head, Israel will suffer 200,000+ causalities. Iran, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt will cease to exist as Israel will not only wipe out Iran, but any of it's neighbors it feels might feel threatened by.
Keep fooling yourself. The clientele might have changed, but Augusta's stock and trade of political favors is alive and well.
He tackled all the stupid hot button issues that will do zero to create jobs in Maine...Well, except for his daughter.
Now, while his "Red Tape" town halls may make the business environment more friendly, he needs to take some sort of action, or outline a plan to CREATE jobs. Now, I admit it's still early, but apparently he wants to tackle non-existent problems first, like people moving to Maine for welfare, which according to DHHS, JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN. More people on welfare are fleeing the state, probably cause they GOT A JOB.
JOBS fix just about everything. So I'll lay off once he stops making the news for telling the NCAAP off, and starts making the news with job creation plans.
Want to know why we cannot let Paul LePage get back to work, and watch him like a hawk?
Well, as Dan Demeritt, the Communications Director for Gov. Paul LePage, put it " Once we take office, Paul will put 11,000 bureaucrats to work getting Republicans re-elected.".
Oh don't worry, I didn't take it personally. My general rule of thumb when it comes to beliefs is "Whatever get ya through the day, cause life can be pretty crappy" so I tend to take any religious conversation with a more lighthearted tact.
Judges 15:16:
Then Samson said,
“With an ass’s jawbone
I have made asses of them.
With an ass’s jawbone
I have killed a thousand men.”
Ok, first off, as I see the "I don't go to church, but I believe in God." directed at me, I will start there. Now, take all my comments with a grain of salt. You can believe anything you want, this is only my view point. I believe God is far above our understanding that the hubris of religions trying to understand God is just staggering. It's like asking a toddler to do calculus. Cannot be done. Just as an example - assigning God a gender? You think God is limited by gender? God isn't a He or a She. God is God.
I think Church can bring people great comfort, and that's fantastic. However, some, not all, churches have put their survival ahead of the needs of their flock. Obviously, I’m referring to the child abuse scandals rocking the Catholic church. Honestly, pedophiles will show up in every branch of life, but when the church chose to cover it up, it chose saving face instead of doing the right thing.
So you wonder what God I believe in?
God doesn’t require me to recite a memorized prayer. God doesn’t require me to blindly obey people. God wants me to use the logic and intelligence given to me to make decisions. God wants me to live a prayer, meaning EVERY moment of my life is a prayer to God. I don’t need Sunday to honor God, I try and do it every day. God knows I’m not perfect, because God made me not perfect. So God doesn’t expect me to be perfect.
I cannot speak for everyone, but I know as a former Catholic, my separation from the Church has been at the realization that I don't believe in it. I don't share their beliefs(I do believe in God) and I see most religions trying to tell people who to relate to God.
I see most religions basing their relationship with God on the writings of people who didn't understand nature and their environment, and attributed the unexplainable events to acts of God. The Bible is full of events that if happened today would not be considered miracles, but regular phenomenon. And once you realize that the Bible is a good book, but a creation of Man, then the religions fall apart as they can't back up their claims without referencing the Bible.
The truth of the matter is you cannot prove God exists. Religions, left without proof, use the Bible as proof. As that book looks less and less like a definitive source, religions look less attractive and more full of it.
Health Care Reform is flawed. I, for one, would like a single payer system. But I don't get to decide these things. But I can also see the good that "ObamaCare" is doing. Example: Forbes is reporting that becasue of "ObamaCare" small business enrollment in health insurance is way up.
So maybe it's time to let go of some of the rhetoric. The election is over, time to look at the facts.
Example: Litigation limits(Tort Reform) are already in place in 34 states. So would nationwide limits really help? I don't know, but I doubt it.
So riddle me this: What part of ObamaCare is not the answer?
First off, I was pissed about the kiss my butt comment, but after hearing it in context, I really didn't think it was that bad.
LePage has been in office a few weeks, it's really too early to form an opinion on his administration. But he has made some real partisan moves that may endear him to his base, but in reality do nothing.
He is allowing police to ask about immigrant status. Well, that should help Maine with our illegal Canadian problem.
He hired his daughter. Again, he can hire anyone he wants, but it looks bad. He should have gotten her a job at Marden's.
His AG is looking to going the lawsuit over Health Care Reform. Because there isn't better things to spend our money on, lending our moral support.
Nothing fatal, nothing that will save or sink the state. Just stuff to make the Tea Partiers happy. Hopefully, he can start doing his job soon. Maine needs jobs, and so far the only jobs he has created are for lawyers and his daughter.
Maine is above average, but I can't find any place to see an actual ranking. But I think we need to not worry about rankings, we need to focus on making it better. There is always room to improve.
"Our politicians are trying to get China to devalue its currency so our goods will be cheaper and they will buy from us. The Chinese are not stupid. Why would they do that? They won’t"
No, we are trying to get the Chinese to quit devaluing their currency. The dollar is way too cheap vs the yuan, and as a result, it is far cheaper to make thing in China than the US. Once their currency isn't artificially devalued, it will still be cheaper to make things in China, but not as much. Also, another plus is that Chinese goods would be more expensive worldwide, which would help manufacturing everywhere.
Where does one go to sign up to be on a death panel?
Do I need previous Death Panel experience? Is there an intern program, or do I have to start on Mildly Ill panels?
Do I need to bring tools, or does someone else kill them off? And what should I bring? 9mm? Sword? Galoshes?
Do people need to be sick, or can I render a decision on the guy who just cut me off?
I want to retract my post. Reading that he said "Kiss my butt" pissed me off, as I don't want a "plain speaking" governor if it means he gonna be a jerk. I also though being a jerk would illustrate how being a jerk was not they way to discuss this.
However, I heard the comment in context, and it wasn't that bad. So I retract my personal attack and apologize.
The reason CEO's get paid millions is that running an organization or business is hard, and those who do it well are in short supply. If the market says 1-3 million is the going rate, then that is what hospitals will have to pay. Otherwise, your forcing hospitals to hire cut rate talent.
Well, it’s good to see Governor LePage has hit the ground running.
He has lifted the ban on asking about a person’s immigration status because of the massive problem Maine has with illegal immigrants. He’s adding residence requirements to solve the non-existent problem of people moving to Maine for welfare(DHHS says 5 times as many people on welfare leave than come in). And now he’s joining in with the other states fighting the Health Care reform bill, which will not affect the outcome other than creating busy work for lawyers and draining the state coffers more.
I thought he was listening when Augusta was schooled on November 2nd. Ripping off the Jets(may they get demolished Sunday), the solution is “J! O! B! S! JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!”. The only jobs he’s created so far have been for lawyers and his daughter.
Now, hopefully some good will come from this. Maybe both sides will take pause, and look at their rhetoric. Do I think Sarah Palin set this nutjob on this congresswomen? No. However, everyone needs to remember that you never know for sure. Maybe it did, maybe he took SarahPac's ad to heart in his crazy mind, and decided to kill the congresswomen. Maybe Count Chocola told him to do it. We'll never know.
But remember, it could have. So everyone remember to weigh your words carefully.
Don't get me wrong, I find that distasteful and vulgar. And on principal, I hate bumper stickers.
But of all the things for people to be pissed off about, this got you to write a letter.
We have Iran developing Nuclear weapons, North Korea is just nuts, super partisanship in congress and a Congresswoman got shot this weekend.
But the f word on a bumper sticker is what your worried about?
It's so unfair the rich have to pay more taxes than the poor. I mean, the rich deserve every penny they got, they weren't blessed with a well off family or being in the right place at the right time.
I'm not saying those who are successful shouldn't be allowed to reap the rewards. Absolutely not, they should get to have Ferraris and mansions and whatnot. But when the government needs to become financial stable, I have no issue with them looking to those who have benefited the most from society.
First off:
DoE = Department of Energy
ED = Department of Education
Two:
The primary goals of the ED is administer federal funding like college financial aid and to enforce federal law in regards to privacy and civil rights. "No Child Left Behind" did expand the ED reach dramatically, but come on.
Three: with 5,000 employees, it is the smallest cabnet level department.
The department of the Interior has 71,000
The Department of Defense has 700,000 civilian, 1,400,000 military.
Now, if you have a problem with teacher unions and whatnot, your not going to solve that by getting rid of the DoED. Now, I might agree with you that one size doesn't fit all, but I don't see that as where the DoED is comming into play(with the excewption of NCLB).
Well, I think your just being silly. Any anomalies are just that, anomalies. They shouldn't effect the data significantly. To assume that we are in some data wilderness because we arn't using the same system as the WHO is silly. Hell, you can get the information from the Census Bureau, and then do your own cross walk.
If it makes you feel better, the CIA ranks us 180 out of 224(higher is better) with 6.22 deaths per 1000 births.
Cuba ranks 182 out of 224 with 5.82 deaths per 1000 births.
Recent Comments
Some say...
He was born in space.
He never blinks.
He roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves.
He sleeps upside down like a bat.
His sweat can be used to clean precious metals.
His skin has the texture of dolphins.
If you tune your radio to 88.4 FM you can actually hear his thoughts.
He is scared of bells.
He once punched a horse to the ground.
He lives in a tree.
He appears on high-value stamps in Sweden.
He has no understanding of clouds.
He is confused by stairs.
His heart ticks like a watch.
All his legs are hydraulic.
He appears on Japanese banknotes.
There's an airport in Russia named after him.
If set alight, he'd burn for a thousand days.
He is terrified of ducks.
His voice can only be heard by cats.
He has two sets of knees.
His heart is in upside down.
His teeth glow in the dark.
He has no age.
He can smell corners
Jimmy Carter wants him dead.
All we know is he's called THE STIG!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stig
The fire marshal's list sucks
Lewiston/ Auburn's laws are over 60 days, arent they?
Says the guy
Says the guy who avatar is comparing Obamacare to Soviet Russia.
Senate = sane.
The sane democrats will kill this.
Tainted
I'm not dismissing your arguments, however, since you live on Beech Hill Road and didn't feel the need to disclose that you are one of the residents, your whole argument to me is tainted.
Ummm, yeah
So you want him to open a hotel across the street on hotel road? That's half a mile away from the clubhouse.
This reminds me of George Lucas. He wanted to open up a film studio on his property in Marin County. His neighbors fought him tooth and nail, and won. They didn't want the additional traffic or influx of people in the exclusive area. But Lucas had the last laugh. He donated the land to a group who was going to build low income housing.
It was a knock on creationism.
Many creationist who subscribe to a strict interpretation of the bible believe the world is less than 10,000 years old, and was created exactly as stated in Genesis. They also believe that dinosaurs existed at the same time as man. So that was on of the many images on the internet depicting biblical figures with dinosaurs.
A vacation resort = jobs
If they brought in a hotel and restaurant, they could create a resort like the mountains have(ie sugarloaf). That's a bunch of jobs and economic activity for the area.
I'm no lawyer
I'm no lawyer, so take whatever as a layperson's interpretation, but I looks like that would cost Auburn some revenue, which is what I think the problem is. Since Auburn gets a piece of property taxes on NextEra's facilities, Lewiston can't unilaterally change stuff around. It looks like they want to reduce the amount NextEra pays in taxes in exchange for work on damns. They also plan on taking possession of the canals, which would reduce what NextEra pays in taxes, which also lowers Auburn's cut.
BTW - Here is the original story:
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston-auburn/2012/04/04/lewiston-counc...
Ok, so your saying the
Ok, so your saying the reduction , or cut, in the money gathered by the government , or taxes, is bad?
I just want to confirm your against tax cuts.
That said, the reality is that they way the system works is that excess revenues are "invested" into treasuries. Now, if you want to convert those treasuries back into cash, well, good luck. You'll have to bankrupt the government to do it, royally screwing over my generation and many generations to come.
Nope, thats not going to happen. First off, nothing is going to happen until next year anyway. A quiet solution, like raising the fica taxes up to 15% ish will be the simplest solution.
Well, a few things
They haven't taken any out of it. Current obligations are paid for with the funds coming in, with any extra being put into treasury bonds.
The easiest solution: Either raise the payroll tax to 15% 15.0% (currently12.4%) or cut benefits by 16%
Or a combination of the two. Any other change will require wholesale changes to the system which are not happening, especially in this environment. I think the tax increase would be easiest because special interests(AARP) will fight any cut in benefits like a rabid dog.
Nope
I have no dog in this fight other than I hate to see opportunities missed.
So Show me some peer reviewed studies, and we can talk. I have said this in alot of the debates on wind power, and all I have ever seen is links to groups who are against wind power quoting self commissioned studies.
So I guess either I :
Am simple minded.
Have been bought by the Industrial Wind complex
Am an internet troll.
Fuse blower?
Your still using fuses?
=)
There you have it, my good name affirmed by the mods.
It helps that I have debates about this stuff with my parents, who are very conservative. It reminds you to keep emotions in check, and that people on both sides of the issues are not bad people just for disagreeing with you.
Actually....l
I did that with this account(Jesus and His Cross riding the back of a dinosaur).
And this isn't hazmat gear. It's a picture of "the Stig" from Top Gear on BBC America(I highly recommend it). Hence why Steve Dosh calls me Stig.
Well, that would defeat the purpose of an alias
Well, that would defeat the purpose of an alias, wouldn't it? I mean, does Bruce Wayne take off his mask(well, except when he wants to get the girl)?
Are we talking about Tron?
Cause I haven't ever received a ban, or even a warning from a mod(at least that I can remember) - from this account or my alter ego that I used to post under until they implemented the real name verification.
No hibernation
Maybe I have been busier at work - I use posting here as a palate cleanse. I didn't realize I had been posting less.
The Christmas light part was because you said you couldn't plug a lamp into a lamp. Which, you can. Christmas lights are one example of plugging a lamp into a lamp. Also if you get one of these you can:
Anyway, my point is that tradition has, on numerous occasions, been the justification for stupid laws. When the government denies people the right to be happy, it needs a damn good reason, more than "religion says it's icky".
So Pirate, what's the reason?
Depends.
Depends how you define a lamp.... Example - Christmas lights. Provide light, can be plugged into other Christmas lights.
And as for this line "when in the history of mankind has marriage ever been defined by anything other than a union between a man and a woman of human descent?"
Let me ask you - How many times in the history of mankind has the law been on the wrong side of the argument? We have had laws outlawing marriage between, which most people agree now that the law was on the wrong side of it. Hell, I could write page after page of examples of where the law was wrong, even in the face of facts and evidence.
You dodged the question.
"I want power to come from efficient, reliable, energy-dense sources"
And what is that source? Hmmmm?
Put it this way - I am building a power generator next to your house. What would you like?
BTW - Some more data from the USEIA - The Cost per Megawatt/hour is 97 for wind. It's cheaper than Nuclear, solar, and all the clean burning coal and most of the clean burning NG.
Sumner can chose to not allow a wind farm. Just know that those jobs and money are going somewhere else.
From what I have read, wind
From what I have read, wind is on par with many other forms of power, cost per kw. Now while I agree that ethanol is a bad investment, I don't agree that wind power is. That said, you're leaving money on the table. You're turning away jobs. But hey, maybe you can just build another casino.
Now, let me ask you this - How do you want to generate power? If wind is such a boondoggle, how would you generate power?
From what I have read, wind
From what I have read, wind is on par with many other forms of power, cost per kw. Now while I agree that ethenol is a bad investment, I don't agree that wind power is. That said, you're leaving money on the table. You're turning away jobs. But hey, maybe you can just build another casino.
Now, let me ask you this - How do you want to generate power? If wind is such a boondoggle, how would you generate power?
Wait, wha?
Any red blinking lights should be radar activated so they are not blinking away all night wasting energy and distracting people.
Umm, I've never heard of these, and this doesn't sound right. Not all planes have radar, so the turbines would have to be transmitting radar. I can't image that's more cost effective than just having the light on.
Well, if they leave, just know it was your decision.
First off, let me say you should get to decide how to run your town.
Now, that said, hopefully this doesn't serve to scare off investment in the state.
I don't think so.
You know what I'm sick of? People dismissing the news they don't agree with as "biased".
Where in this story is the bias? Is it when they pointed out the the MHPC compared apples to oranges?
Or was it when they brought in the guy works for the Maine Association of Health Underwriters to respond and give equal time?
Then don't cut taxes
If we are struggling to pay the bills always, then you can't cut taxes. What I'm saying is that the state is living paycheck to paycheck. They need to stabilize the budget first so that have some extra, then you can talk about tax cuts.
Kinda funny
If they think $66 is high, wait till they get the bill for a new ELHS.
My problem
I understand that we need cuts. The problem I have is when I see both sides working together, making a compromise, and then the Governor uses a line item veto. What's the point of compromising at all?
If I was a democrat, the next budget item that came up requiring the 2/3rds vote, I would force the GOP to honor their commitments.
I also dislike that tax cuts are on the table. Yes, we pay high taxes, but the time for cuts are when we are not struggling to pay the bills.
Nice.
So when the Tea party protests, It's American's take back their Government.
When the other side does it, they need to get back to work and get off welfare.
How about this - instead of demonizing the other side, why don't we try and stick to their message.
Students first....
When LePage dubbed his policies “Students First”, someone cut off the end of the title. It was supposed to be “Students First…in line for cuts”.
Better PR
The Dirty Lew needs a better PR team.
One problem
"We are not contractually obligated to our State, nor are we contractually obligated to our Country."
How the heck do you define patriot if that doesn't include obligation to your country?
Here's how random house defines it:
"Patriot - a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion."
No, I would say someone who takes off because taxes are too high is a patriot to themselves. They defined their own interests with devotion.
I don't want to hear tax break.
I don't want to hear about tax breaks while reading about how they are going to cut programs like Head start.
Democrats, just stall till November.
I thought the state was
I thought the state was trying to keep more graduates here?
Let me break this down for you, because this isn't about attracting low income families here. It takes stress of the school, because instead of fighting the losing battle of trying to get kids caught up, they can worry about teaching them where they should be for their grade.
This is one of those programs where it's shortsighted to cut. It's just plane stupid really. Because, in the long run, well educated people are more productive and contribute more to society. Whereas those who fall through the cracks are more likely to commit crimes and be on welfare.
So which would you rather, fund Head start now or build more jails later?
"Animals"
Might want to rethink your language there.
Yeah, $35k aint it.....
Yeah, $35k aint it.....The poverty line is $10K for a single person. The guy making $35k isn't getting any help(I know, I used to be him).
You know, what it really comes down to is your first sentence:
"Yup, and the more you tax the rich, the more inclined they become to take their wealth and, often, their businesses and move them overseas, seeking tax relief"
Then they need to leave. GTFO. To some people, the bottom line is Green. To others, it's red, white and blue.
We need less of the former, and more of the later.
The problem with flat taxes
The problem with flat taxes vs progressive rates is that the farther you get away from the bottom, the easier it is for you to pay your taxes. This isn’t about class warfare, it’s about reality. Diapers cost the same for reach people as for poor. Milk the same. Bread the same. There is a line in which we deem it is not acceptable for people to live below because at that point, basic needs such as food and shelter are not being met. We have defined that lower limit of survival as the poverty line.
Taxing people at or around this level is counter productive. All your going to do is drive them to other federal programs like food stamps and welfare. So it’s best to tax the poor less because really you’re really only creating busy work as those extra funds will shoot right back out in aid.
Besides, as Willie Sutton said, he robbed banks "because that's where the money is.". You tax the rich more because that's where the money is.
Well which is it?
"Everyone knows a moderate is but a closet liberal"
Ok, so are you saying I'm not a closet liberal? I don't consider myself a liberal, so I got the closet part down(in your opinion). So are you saying I'm not a liberal?
I guess you are calling me a moderate, because I'm pretty sure Washington told a lie at some point.
Wanna know why I'm a moderate?
Wanna know why I'm a moderate? Because after seeing this, your piqued my interest, and I found the actual report. I also found the Senator who's argument your parroting(did you copy and paste?), because neither of you brought up the biggest offender in the GAO report.
Department of Defense.
http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588818.pdf
And thats the crux of the players case
And thats the crux of the players case - That the league did know or willfully stayed ignorant of the dangers of concussions.
Your right, I don't have any sort of clue about flooring installations. However, I grew up working in my father's business, and I know that the person responsible for maintaining a safe workplace is the employer, not suppliers. So you would have to sue your employer.
And my final conclusion was that players have been mistreated by the league and union, so I don't have a problem with them suing. How is the hight of ridiculous?
You should totally sue
You obviously were not using the correct equipment and technique. You should sue your employer, who according to your story was you.
I suggest you settle.
Anyway, they are claiming that the NFL ignored evidence that concussions had serious side effects. Just like the people who were exposed to asbestos sued.
I don't blame them because the retired players got really boned by the league and the union. Guys who built up the league have trouble paying for medical bills, and no one is helping them. So I don't blame them for suing.
Channel 13 just reported a tie
Channel 13 is saying it was a tie. Are they behind or is this story wrong?
(I'm guessing they're behind, but want to make sure)
IMDB
IMDB.com.
Anyway, angry Jason aside, I hope this was just some sort of accident. If he intentionally did it, he's a poor excuse for a person.
Yeah
I was hoping for more of the "Seven" version of that.
Or really, just call in Marsellus Wallace from "Pulp Fiction":
"What now? Let me tell you what now. I'ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' ******, who'll go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin', hillbilly boy? I ain't through with you by a damn sight. I'ma get medieval on your ass."
It's a good thing this is handled by the courts.
It's a good thing this is handled by the courts, because I would be in favor of getting all cruel and unusual on him.
Absurd
That logic is absurd.
"If anyone working for state is not guilty of anything then they have no need to worry or to believe that comment was made for them"
By that logic, I can say "Women are stupid" and defend it by saying "Well, if you're not a stupid woman, the comment doesn't apply to you obviously."
The bigger problem is that these are the people he needs to be working with to fix things. To me, it sounds like he has hit a wall, and is throwing up his hands. Like he finally realized that real streamlining of processes is a game of inches. You make massive cuts, then you end up with unsolved problems like seniors without heat or kids without food. But your trim here and there, and eventually you can realize some significant savings without causing big issues. It takes a soft touch, which LePage doesn't have.
So I think he has given up.
Hopefully the sunjournal
Hopefully the sunjournal won't double post this...=)
Anyway, I don't rely on talking heads. I don't really watch the news, I read it from multiple sources. I would caution you as well to not be to dismissive of the NY times. The only reason I posted the link to the NY times was that they have the ability to poll which I do not.
Ok, that stuff aside, I think elections are dynamic and unpredictable. You predict a quick unraveling, which I know can happen but is unlikely. I believe your personal feelings have clouded your thoughts on it. However, it could happen. One way I could see it happening is something you even claim is in Obama's benefit: the departure of Mr Sarkozy.
Mr Sarkozy was a friend of the United States, something that Hollande doesn't seem to be. And with both France and Greece embracing less austerity, the markets seem to be nervous. This could lead to stagnation and lead credence to the republican claims that Obama hasn't helped the economy.
However, I think Romney is a poor candidate, which really is the reason I don't think he'll win.. He's biggest selling point is that he's "Not Obama". No one points to his record, just to the fact that he's not Obama. Most of the time I have heard Republican's say "We can't have 4 more years" not "Romney will fix this". And thats why he will lose.
=)
"However how many Political Campaigns have you been involved with?"
None. So I wouldn't be the person to ask about how to win an election. But I have seen a few, so I can judge on how I see this one shaping up.
And as for who's buying into who's dogma more, let me point out that my response will not contain one bit of political argument or rancor. I'm not going to argue about the views of either candidate.
Now, I'm going to assume you are disagreeing with my call that Obama will be re-elected, so I'll just assume you have no problem with my other predictions.
The NY times electoral map(which is the most recent one I have seen) shows Obama up on Romney 217 to 206.
http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/electoral-map
Now, most polls show Romney catching up, but I get the feeling that the Obama campaign has yet to open up on him, waiting for later in the election. There was alot of material put out there for the primary battles that Obama has access to. Every pot shot that Gingrich and Santorum took is fair game.
That doesn't mean that can't backfire. But from the lastest gallup polls, Romney and Obama are statically tied(slight edge to Obama) in the swing states, which is where this election will be decided.
=)
"However how many Political Campaigns have you been involved with?"
None. So I wouldn't be the person to ask about how to win an election. But I have seen a few, so I can judge on how I see this one shaping up.
And as for who's buying into who's dogma more, let me point out that my response will not contain one bit of political argument or rancor. I'm not going to argue about the views of either candidate.
Now, I'm going to assume you are disagreeing with my call that Obama will be re-elected, so I'll just assume you have no problem with my other predictions.
The NY times electoral map(which is the most recent one I have seen) shows Obama up on Romney 217 to 206.
http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/electoral-map
Now, most polls show Romney catching up, but I get the feeling that the Obama campaign has yet to open up on him, waiting for later in the election. There was alot of material put out there for the primary battles that Obama has access to. Every pot shot that Gingrich and Santorum took is fair game.
That doesn't mean that can't backfire. But from the lastest gallup polls, Romney and Obama are statically tied(slight edge to Obama) in the swing states, which is where this election will be decided.
Sounds like a good idea.
Your suggestion reminded me of an episode of "Top Gear". They were talking about drivers ed in either Norway or Sweden, and showing how kids have to pass a much more difficult exam, demonstrating skid recovery techniques and whatnot. I think that would be a great idea here.
Not that simple.
"We will win in November both Locally and Regionaly and Nationally"
I think thats pretty optimistic. I'm not saying either side is gonna take it, but if you think your going to get the same results you did in 2010, I think your delusional. I think the Republican's had a decent chance of taking the Senate, but with Snowe out and Luger going down, I think it will become alot tighter. And even Boehner gives the Democrats a 1 in 3 chance to take the house.
It will be intresting.
My prediction - Dems make gains in house to prevent super majority but do not take house, Senate too close to call, but neither side will have Super Majority, Obama reelected.
Surprise surprise surprise
You mean Poliquin doesn't really give a damn about the law? Wow, I'm surprised. I mean he only ran his business while treasurer against Maine laws, and abuses the tree growth tax credit. I mean, so far he has shown nothing but contempt for keeping things above board.
It's all good
I thought the scores made it over. Kinda sad, I liked knowing my score.
Anyway, the whole point that I was trying to make is that there is a difference between a concerted attack on someone, and someone just spouting off on the internet.
I mean, where does it stop?
If this LewistonBitches person is bullying, whats to say me disagreeing with the #NOBULL people isn't bullying. What's to say anything isn't bullying. Will they be satisfied when everything has been dulled down to vanilla pudding, completely non-offensive and bland?
Nope, I'm sorry, but I will not stand for this. Censorship has many forms and usually get's its foot in the door under the guise of good intentions. And that's what this is.
BTW
I just want you to know, those who disagree with me and clicked "disagree", I consider that online bullying. I am forever tormented by seeing those disagrees rack up. It makes me sad.
#NOBULL
Just read the twitter feed.
Seriously Sun Journal, what is wrong with you?
I just read some of @LewistonBitches tweets. This isn't online bulling, this is plain old high school drama. This is the equivalent of writing something on the wall of the bathroom.
It's one thing when bullying violates Maine Title 17-A, §506-A.
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/17-A/title17-Asec506-A.html
It's another when someone is trolling twitter.
Guess what?
The world is full of a-holes. The sooner you learn to adapt, the better.
1. STOP FOLLOWING THEM. They are internet trolls. You NEVER FEED THE TROLLS. Example - this story. I would have never know about it had the paper not published a story.
2.There is a super huge difference between "Cheerleading isn't a sport" and targeting a person and humiliating them to the point they kill themselves. Yes, there is alot of stuff in the middle. But this, at least from the tweets published here, seems like the disney jr version of cuber bullying.
Hell, when I was a kid, I got picked on alot.The sooner you learn to deal, the better.
This is true
This is true, but better safe than sorry. If you make it so people can opt out, drivers will opt out. Everyone agrees that texting a driving is a bad idea, just like everyone agrees that drunk driving is a bad idea. People still do it.
Better solution
Require an app like ZoomSafer which uses GPS to disable phones while they are going above 5 mph.
Then, you don't have to punish anyone, no one will lose their license. The phone will just stop working when it motion.
They are not 100% wrong.
They are not 100% wrong. The only change was in how much it will increase the deficit by. Going from $1,131,000,000,000 to 1,083,000,000,000 is a change of -4%(If my math is right), not 100%
If you asked them how much it would cost in 2010 for the 2012-2022 period, they would have told you $1.76 trillion.
daycare = $$$
No joke that daycare is expensive. After the gas my wife spends commuting, daycare, car expenses, ect... she is well below minimum wage.
But we both feel the socialization and education our kids are receiving is well worth it.
Yeah!
I made the highlight reel! Boom goes the dynamite!
You're missing the bigger point
You're missing the bigger point, that the price, with all the savings built into it, was going to cost less than they thought.
Now, argue all you want that the 1 trillion dollars it's gonna cost is too much. That's fine, and that is a valid point. But the cost is what was expected. It's not exploding or skyrocketing. Their predictions are holding steady at what it ill cost. Stop trying to inject drama into it.
Context
You know whats fun? When I can destroy any republican argument by just looking at the context.
See, Rob here didn't bother. He just saw Fox news complain about something, and just went on his merry way spreading that crap.
See, the original cost estimate was for $940 billion from 2010 to 2020. They have now push the estimate from 2012 to 2022 and the cost is now $1.76 trillion. The reason is that more provisions of the ACA will be in effect. The cost over the 2010-2020 period has not changed. The cost of the program has not exploded.
Also, this is just cost. The estimate of the offsets created by the program(taxes, savings, ect..) has changed. It will increase the deficit less than thought.
"Over the 10-year period from 2012 through 2021, enactment of the coverage provisions of the ACA was projected last March to increase federal deficits by $1,131 billion, whereas the March 2012 estimate indicates that those provisions will increase deficits by $1,083 billion"
http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/03-13-Covera...
So how do you like them apples?
Funny thing
You'r gonna love this.
My mother is a Kennedy from Massachusetts.
...But not those Kennedys
Well
So you're saying the free market isn't working?
The insurance exchanges, which would be the most helpful to someone in your situation, are being delayed by republicans in Augusta.
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/state/2012/03/29/maine-republicans-slow-i...
Easy
Lack of health insurance - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Come on, too easy.
Listen, I can name lots of stuff the President has done. Most are improvements to the systems in place because most societal ills are not new and have programs in place.
1. Woopy do. How many things
1. Woopy do. How many things have passed through the Maine State Congress without democratic support this session?
2. It is not incomprehensible. Have you even tried reading it? I HAVE. I HAVE READ THE WHOLE THING. And most people in congress read it. The quote from Nacy Pelosi was “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it, away from the fog of controversy." and she said that to a trade group, not to congress. But when political hacks get their fangs into a quote, most people don't bother to verify it.
3. Latest CBO estimates show the pirce going down.
http://www.cbo.gov/publication/43080
4. SHow me some poll numbers. The most recent numbers from Gallup show that 45% though congress did a good thing in passing health care reform(as opposed to the 44% who thought it was a bad thing.)
Context...
Thats what happens when you end a quote mid sentence.
“But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it, away from the fog of controversy."
Tada.
Not part of the %1, but...
Not part of the %1, but I play one on TV. Besides, you know that's where the super secret Communist Party of America Fortress of Power is. All Libs have to make pilgrimages there.
Unless that's where you're Grandmother lives. Then you go and visit in the summer. =)
Ehh, it's like anything
For the MP 5, I would guess that someone likes to shoot it. If someone takes joy in it, more power to em. Besides, a MP5 is probably a heck of alot cheaper to play with than a m-60, especially on full auto.
I would love to hear once a
I would love to hear once a republican plan to help someone that doesn’t involve something that will coincidently help them out as well.
Trickle down economics started this fairy tale that the free market will fix everything as long as the government stays out of it’s way. When you have cancer, you don’t take vitamins and hope your body will take care of it. Making sure your body as a whole is health is part of it, but you also take drugs and treatments that target the cancer. Those drugs and treatments make your body weaker, but the payoff is killing cancer.
You don’t fix social ills by making the whole market healthier. It helps, but direct programs are far more effective.
Stop promoting envy?
Let me fix that for you, what you meant to say is:
"Stop promoting middle and lower class citizens to vote for policies and programs that aid them at the expense of the upper class."
So let me ask you this: how should the president go about "creating good jobs with higher wages so women would not have to worry about how they were going to feed, clothe and house their children." without the government artificially controlling the market or without government programs?
Let me put it to you another way - What you really want to say is you want the president to come up with some magical fix all that doesn't result in more government control and that results in higher wages while not messing with the free market. Well, after that why doesn't he figure out a cold fusion process that's only waste material can be used as a cure for Cancer, AIDS and obesity.
Tough.
Just the other night I woke to the sound of a large deep buzzing overhead. It was the life flight helicopter returning to CMMC. I wasn't annoyed by the noise, I said a quiet little prayer for the people being helped by it. You know, they did a study about the health affects of wind turbines and found that most of the stuff reported could be attributed to the people being annoyed by the windmills, not the windmills themselves.
So stop being annoyed.
I used to vacation in the path of Otis AFB on Cape Cod as they would fly sorties on "Nomans Land" off of the coast of Martha's Vinyard. Your talking about 30 seconds of noise. Get over it.
Why?
Please explain why it is the "most liberal and expensive workers comp systems in the country"...
Nope
In most cases you cannot sue. The system was a trade off - workers can't sue but they also don't have to prove who's at fault.
I wouldn't dream of denying you
I wouldn't dream of denying you of four more years of using "oBAMa"
See, we agree on things.
Yarr, Pirate, ye be on target! Fire a Broadside!
And by dumping people who were injured on the job off onto the Disability roles, tax payers are on the hook.
So?
We ran out of Bagels at work today. Ergo, there must be a global bagel shortage.
No? Well, then just because you saw someone taking advantage of the system doesn't mean that it is rampant. I'm not saying it isn't a problem, but I can't judge how big of a problem it is from no evidence. If you want me to convince me to vote for change, you need to show me evidence.
Sorry, you don't get to defer.
You don't get to defer when your in office. No, what he is doing is hiding. He knows his opinion is unpopular, and wants to dodge it. So he "defers" to his wife, making her a target.
I don't like it. There are other ways to move the conversation away from women's issues without hiding behind your wife and making her a target.
To be fair
To be fair, Mitt put her out there. "Ask my wife about icky girl issues".
He knows if he just comes out and says what he believes, he would get destroyed.
Of course, I would respect him for it. Right now, I see him as a coward hiding behind his wife.
Well
Here is my issue with Ann Romney - I don't like her putting herself in the same category as normal stay at home moms. Now, much of this is supposistion, but I guessing she had alot more help than normal stay at home moms do. Nanny, maids, chauffeurs, ect. Nothing wrong with that, if I could afford them, I would have them too. But the more they try and act like non-rich people, the more awkward they look at it.
Now, that said, I agree Rosen is a twit. If you can't stick to the issues and have to be all like "Romney's rich, blah blah blah" then your argument is crap. There is plenty of material from the Primaries to pull out and laminate to Romney.
I tend to stick to Gallup.
Gallup polling has Obama at 52% to 40% for Romney among women. Goes to 54% to 36% in swing states.
(as of April 4th)
http://thequeue.gallup.com/2012/04/more-data-on-womens-vote.html
BTW -you are wrong - You know what the most important women's issue is? The economy:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/148001/subgroups-say-economy-jobs-important-p...
Duh.
Cut off your nose to spite your face then
Making sure kids are feed in the morning is like making sure a bucket has no holes in it before you start using it. Teaching kids who are hungry(I don't care if they are poor and have no food or if they are rich and have plenty) is just throwing your money away.They aren't focusing on what they are doing or retaining what they are taught.
This letter is why Romney is
This letter is why Romney is taking a beating on woman’s issues. I’m not saying being a parent isn’t the most important job my wife or I will ever have. But that isn’t possible for many families. With 25% of kids being raised by single parents, staying at home just isn’t possible.
Romney is out of touch. According to the Census, out of the 85 million mothers in the United States, 5 million are “Stay at home moms”. The age of being able to stay home with the kids is over. The age of letting nature take it course and unplanned pregnancies is over. I know with my kids, we had to plan it out to a tee so that it wouldn’t bankrupt us. The reality is that with the little to no help the US government provides, if you don’t plan ahead or make even one mistake, it can ruin you. The Romney’s have never faced that reality, but most Americans do every day.
Oh, that wont look suspicious.
Yes, I sure no one will mind that =)
My point is that if your looking to complain, fine.
But if your looking for me to take you seriously, you need to make a case with facts.
Baloney
I absolutely think that if someone is disabled by workplace injury they should collect workers comp indefinitely. Why should employers get to dump the responsibility of covering their obligations onto tax payers?
Why should....
Why should I bother to write a reply when your whole argument is based on nothing but stereotypical nonsense.
Jason Rule #2
Jason Rule #2: Read the post thoroughly before replying.
Where or where, my dear Pirate, did I say "but"
Ok, hold up, waitaminute
Someone disagreed with me saying "Sorry" about posting a overly large image of Obama??!?
Are you saying you felt that the image was in proportion to the rest of the page, or are you just spamming disagrees?
But to have a dictatorship
But to have a dictatorship, you must have a way to enforce your rule, meaning you must have the support of the military. I could say I am the dictator of the world, but it doesn't mean jack without an armed force backing me up
Keep making my point
"I was referring to the favorite garb worn by "dear leaders" the world over, especially in banana republics like Cuba and North Korea, the ones pretending to be communist states, when they are really hereditary monarchies."
You mean like how GHWB handed to torch off to GWB? I was just pointing out that Obama has never worn anyting like that.
"If Obama tried the carrier act, he would be boo-ed more than he was at Fenway"
So you're saying that he doesn't have the unquestioning support of the military? Isn't that kinda required for a dictatorship? Aren't you really saying that it would be impossible for Obama to become a dictator?
Not true.
I have agreed with you many times.
Besides, I posted here first. My first post, which I then referenced when I replied to you, was way before you posted here. Hell, the point I made in that first post was that neither side is wrong, and making out either side as the bad guys is stupid.
Thats what I'm trying to point out. If you paint the other side as evil, it will evoke a similar response and make getting anything done impossible. Then you get what we have - two groups foaming at the mouth, getting nothing done.
Sorry about the size
Sorry about the size
... ok
If the US is fundamentally transformed to disavow capitalism but not to embrace (overtly) communism, we then belong to the third world, by definition. When Obama starts wearing a ribbon of office, and maybe military utility clothes, we'll be just another classic banana republic.
So then, going from this:
to this
We are moving away from being a banana republic?
=)
And here is pirate proving my point.
Americans who cannot adjust to the phenomenon of seeing their country flushed down the toilet of prosperity by a regime (dictatorship)
The Obama administration is not a dictatorship. a dictatorship is :
a country, government, or the form of government in which absolute power is exercised by a dictator.(Random House)
Obama doesn't have absolute power. He was elected, and as much as you may disagree with what he is doing, he has worked within the office of the President.
He's transforming America into a third world Banana Republic
No. America cannot be third world because third world refers to nations not aligned with united states(1st world) or the Soviet Union(2nd world).
But hey, don't let me rain on your demagoguery. Keep that garbage truck rollin.
However, I do agree with Brush up on your spanish.
Always a good idea to learn something new, and in this multicultural world, knowing more than one language is powerful. Mandarin would also be a good choice.
Getting hung up on isms
Who gives a f? Yes, pure socialism can be horrible. So can pure capitalism. Just ask the kids who lost limbs in the mills how well capitalism took care of them. Just ask any city with a Superfund cleanup site how well capitalism worked out for them.
All the isms, they are all parts of the system. You need to balance them, and use them where appropriate. Example - healthcare. Most industrialized nations have a single payer system. Is it flawless? Nope. No system is perfect. But we are spending three times as much on healthcare than Canada does. Clearly, they are doing something better.
The problem
The problem is that it is far easier to demonize the other side than to have a rational debate. Especially with the onset of the 24 hours "News" networks who show more "opinion" shows than actual news.
And then there is Confimation Bias.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
We tend to believe and see information in a way that favors our opinion, beliefs or theories. So people watch shows that already re-enforce their biases, and see little to no stuff that challenges them. Then, a little mocking here and there and you end up with the Polygamist Billionaire Mexican who want to force women back into the kitchen running against the Kenyan Muslim Antichrist who will most likely order troops to kill Ted Nugent and melt his guns down into syringes for homosexuals to teach children how to get high.
It's all stupid.
Here ya go
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courageous_(film)
To summarize:
Bad things happen and if you turn to the bible and church, you'll be happy in the end. I mean, for some people, that's their cup of tea. From the sounds of it, if you don't like heavy handed messages, you wont dig it.
You realize it is fiction
You realize it is fiction, yes?
Leave it to hypersensitive Repubs.
Leave it to hypersensitive Republicans to get mad when a concert doesn't get canceled.
Hell, it isn't even the "ride into the battlefield and chop their heads off in November." comment that gets the Secret Service's attention. They can be explained away as rhetoric.
It when you say ”If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will be either be dead or in jail by this time next year.” that gets you in trouble. That sounds like your planning an assassination attempt if the President wins.
One more thing
You know, the ones in these programs are trying to fix it. I mean, if you're not trying to get your GED, why would you go to the adult GED programs anyway?
The ones taking advantage of the program are the people trying to do right by themselves and their community.
How short sighted of you, Mr
How short sighted of you, Mr Mayor.
Not every poor person living on the streets becomes Governor you know. They actually tend to commit crimes. Crimes which cost your taxpayers far more than any adult education program ever will.
By the way, I love how you say this:
“In order to solve problems, we must define and act to correct them. We cannot turn away from them. We cannot pretend that they don’t exist or, worse, ignore them and let them fester for fear of public ridicule.”
And then propose we DO EXACTLY THAT. You propose that instead of dealing with the problem, we give up on em.
“If they feel they need an education, let them pay for it.”
Your whole solution is to “pretend that they don’t exist” and “let them fester”. Those people you want to stop helping will just take the easy way out, just like you are. Many will turn to a life of crime, because if you have nothing invested in the system, you are less likely to work within it. Others will just exists on welfare, leaching off the system.
Put it this way – how rare is Governor LePage? Wasn’t part of his allure that he is so rare?
Ummm
Things I find amusing in his letter.
He put his phone number in it, but tells you not to call
His phone #'s on the internet
Treasure
Hopefully he doesn't find the Androscoggin's hidden treasure..... Mercury
Not really, Sun Journal
Obama's SuperPAC has rasied $6,489,224 as of March 1st
Romney's has raised $41,952,053.
Now, he has spent most of it in the primaries, but the second largest super pac, American Crossroads, has raised $26,851,088, and has most of it still in the kitty.
However - Obama the candidate, not the SuperPac, has raised tons of money. But that's playing by the old rules. He has raised around $350 million this cycle.
Absolutely
I think income is income. I absolutely think all income should be taxed the same, be it capital gain, wages or inheritance.
Nope
I don't want others to pay. I just don't want pay 3 times as much as Canada.
I love it
I love how you go from calling out someone's lack of facts, and then in the very next sentence, make claims with out a factual basis.
First of all, it all depends in how you define what is the best. Canada has a higher life expectancy and lower infant mortality rate than we do. Yet we spend 2-3X as much as they do.
Now, if our system is driving advances, we need to cut that out. Let them pay for their own stuff. I don't care if R&D dries up. What good is fancy new treatments do me if I can't afford them? I would rather them R&D a way not to charge me $400 for aspirin
Or
(a) Cut taxes for businesses, they report higher profits
(b) Cut taxes for citizens, which they throw into savings.
(c) Status quo.
The problem with tax cuts is that those who benefit most will see it as an increase to disposable income. Some of it may make it into the goods and services marketplace, some will not.
However, those who are benefiting from welfare and "government handouts" will most likely dump all of it into the products and services.
Bush had it right when he called it "Voodoo Economics"
BTW
Don't let your English teacher see this. I wrote it on my lunch break, and I clearly let my grammar have a lunch break too.
Clairification
Understand that my brevity was due to the fact I applaud speaking out for what they think on issues, and didn't want to come off as attacking a 7th grader. However, I realized that would be a disservice. You letter deserves a real response, otherwise, I'm just patronizing you.
I am pro life. However, that means little because I am a guy. The question isn't about murdering babies. Nobody wants to murder babies. The question always has been when does the federal government get to intervene. When does the government get to tell you what you can do with your body. The line is the debate. The line became roughly around viability., with most states banning abortions after viability unless the life of the mother is at risk.
The reason being that before viability, there is only one outcome if the baby is removed, be it by the birthing process or abortion. Much like when life support is removed from someone in a vegetative state. They die, and it's not murder because the person is not viable. But if someone can breathe and support their life with their biological processes, it is murder to kill them. And this examples illustrates my point. It isn't just abortions. It affects many things, and wouldn't stop there.
Now, if you open the door, how far is the government allowed to go? If the government can stop you from aborting a pregnancy, are they allowed to question you if you have a miscarriage? If it's illegal, it would have to be a crime to abort a baby, and there are drugs on the market that will end a pregnancy. Heck, the "plan B" really is just a overdose of "the pill". They both have the same hormones. Can they investigate if you did it on purpose? Or would they be allowed to also stop you from harming your pregnancy? If they have to power to protect the unborn life, should that also apply to less than lethal harm? Could they stop you from smoking or eating bad food in the name of protecting the fetus?
I'm not saying I favor abortions. I'm saying that it's not as easy as "Stop killing babies".
They were never talking about
They were never talking about $100,000 family income. At it's lowest, it was $250K single filing or like $300K joint
And no, income should NOT be taxed equally. Reason being that $1 to a man making $10 and hour is far more of a burden than $10 is to a man making $100 and hour, because basic needs are fixed. There is a basic amount one needs to survive, and those on the short end of the stick have to cut that margin might tighter.
Is it fair? Nope. Life's not fair. Is it fair that some people have mroe advantages than others? Nope, but you don't see them crying about fairness then.
=)
First off - you say the president can veto a budget. When was the last time a budget has gotten to him?
Two - He is pull troops out as fast as he thinks is possible. I think it might be too fast, but this is one of those times where pulling the troops out too fast may destabilize our puppet governments. Then everything our troops died for is for naught. It's a situation where the cost isn't measured in money, but blood.
Three - You sure you want to bring up Reagan? Talk about debt. Every Republican president for the past 20 some odd years, starting with Reagan, has increased the debt to gdp ratio.
No
I disagree
You know
You know, for someone who has a founder father as an avatar(or I'm assume such, as I cant make it out fromt he small size), you don't know how the government works.
The president cannot just change the law that is in place.
He cannot say "I'm gonna revoke the tax cut Bush gave to the rich". He cannot cut Medicare part D. He cannot just undo stuff. They are laws, and to be undone, would have to go through congress.
And don't give me this "Stop blaming the previous administration". I'm not blaming them. I think alot of what Bush spent money on was the right thing to do. I think the Iraq war was a bad idea, but I think he was duped by Iranian operatives into thinking Iraq had more than it did. But when you try to use facts inappropriately and disingenuously, I am gonna come after you. You can call it whining if you want. It wont stop me from dropping data on you like a anvil in a loony tunes cartoon.
Not the whole story
It's easy to say that Obama has out spent Bush. However, its not entirely true. Alot of the spending from the Bush administration carried over to Obama's. So to blame Obama for programs that were enacted by Bush isn't honest.
Here is a break down of spending by who originated it.
Well.....
Our ancestors also had a life expectancy of 40
nevermind
It's late and I misread it
Intresting
People who disagreed with me.
I just wanted to point out that I agreed with Pirate. Yet, you disagreed with me and agreed with him. Either you're not reading the posts or you're messing with me on purpose.
Your are wrong
I doubt I will convince you are even make a dent in your thinking, but here I go anyway.
Obama is not the worst president. Not even close.
If you rate Presidents by how much they got done, worst would be President Harrison, who's only real act as president was convening congress, dying 30 days after his inauguration.
If you rate them by quality, well, then Harding is the worst, who had multiple cabnet members go to jail for corruption.
But then again, you probably rate Bush as a good president.
I mean, Bush got us into two wars, spent FAR more money than Obama has, and had one of his advisors go to jail for breaching national security.
Hell, just for getting Bin Ladin, he should at least be in the middle.
So you're saying...
So you're saying women need to put out more?
The problem is
The problem is how much can we afford to help. Society has taken it upon itself to help your sister in law. But there has to be limits. This isn't something taken lightly, and no one is talking about chucking your sister to the curb. But times are tough, and according to the Sun Journal, almost a majority(I think it was 45%, but I might be wrong) of benefits were used by 5% of MaineCare recipients, alot of them like your sister.
There is no hope of balancing MaineCare without cutting funds to your sister.
Aha......
You know what I love? I love it when someone categorizes Government aid they like as a good thing and Government aid they hate as welfare.
"you get a government certificate that is good for a 25 percent discount on meals, goods and services"
So the Government gives you aid in the form of a discount. How is this different from welfare programs, other than your the recipient?
I think your right
While Obama might influence the opinion, I think they have already decided. Now they have broken up into groups to write the dissenting and affirming opinions.
Your right on one thing
The 'unprecedented extraordinary step' is just rhetoric. Obama is fighting for the mandate, and is putting pressure on the court.
Wow, what a steaming pile you dropped.
Way to go SJ editorial board. This editorial is a steaming turd.
Lets see:
1. The Government can make you buy things. I wrote a letter to the editor about it barely a week ago. Presidents Washington and Adams both made private citizens buy things through legislation. But really, when it comes down to it, making someone buy something is a tax. In a traditional tax, the government takes your money and spends it. This is just a tax where they let you hold onto it until it goes to an insurance company.
2. Obama isn't the first president to brow beat the Supreme Court. Hell, FDR was going to pack the court to get his way. This is an election year, and like it or not, the court is a political body. There is no way their decisions won't have an effect on the election, so to expect either candidate to lay off them is foolish.
If they wanted to stay above the fray, they should have heard the case after the election.
NOM admits it was wrong!
NOM admits it was wrong!
Hey, don't take it from me... Their twitter feed is abuzz with revelations.
http://twitter.com/#!/nomtweets
Come on guys, hop aboard the bandwagon with NOM. They are big enough to admit they were wrong.
No prob
I don't fret the little stuff. Heck, if this was english class, the teacher would have burned out here red pen on my posts.
Anywho, yes, I didn't mention Conservative Americans once. Just like you didn't mention Gay Americans once. You just called them special interests, like how I referred to Conservative Americans as special interests.
Nope
IMDB
Well, I disagree that you
Well, I disagree that you should oppose something based on where the law COULD go. I mean, all abortions are the result of sex, but no one is arguing about outlawing sex.
And no, I wasn't compairing society to a special interest group. I was calling Conservative Americans a special interest group.
Why, where do you see it going?
Where do you see it going? I mean, are you worried about polygamy?
BTW - If your thinking of bring up a man marrying his dog or a bike or anything dumb like that, let me just stop you right there. A bike/fog/rock cannot give consent, therefore could never marry.
Really
Really, all you need is to get a recording of someone racking a pump action 12 gauge. Nothing says "Excuse me sir, I do believe you have mistakenly entered my domicile, and should remove yourself forthwith lest I give you what for, by jove!" better than racking a 12 gauge.
That cuts both ways
Gay Americans have to fight so that a special interest group won't deny them rights that most Americans hold dear, the right to marry the one they love. The special interests keep throwing up roadblocks in the name of compromise because they don't realize that separate is usually un-equal, and then whine that Gay American's are destroying America
Bunch of whiners.
BOOOOOO
No Pirate...
Here, I'll post my quote in context:
Darth Vader: Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the potential of the Force.
Admiral Motti: Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerous ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient Jedi religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you enough clairvoyance to find the rebels' hidden fortress...
[Vader makes a pinching motion and Motti starts choking]
Darth Vader: I find your lack of faith disturbing.
Governor Tarkin: Enough of this! Vader, release him!
I'm already putting together
I'm already putting together material:
" Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerous ways, Pirate. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the reason to ban same sex marraige, or given you enough clairvoyance to find the rebels' hidden fortress... "
test2
TEST
test
test
Yup
Yup.
Hey, you gotta take your medicine.
Tough
They're creating waves that some of us have no interest in putting up with.
Too bad. Your gonna keep putting up with it until is passes again. Then it will be your turn to generate waves and my turn to say "Stop trying to redefine marriage".
Wont that be fun?
before you can return fire
before you can return fire you have to get permission.
No, that's called discipline. There are many reasons not to return fire, such as civilians in the way.
Oh, and a medicare supplement is exactly that- a supplement. You got that as an addition to your medicare.
Oh, and your medicare isn't free anyway - you pay for it. But they usually take it out of your Social Security right off the bat.
Face it, the National
Face it, the National Organization for Marriage is about protecting marriage, it is about justifying hate. "Defending Marriage"? How does allowing more people to marry in ANY way hurt the institution?
Oh, and please keep quoting "facts" about what science has affirmed. Most of the studies I have read have compared married to couples to single parents. The only one that compared homosexual partners to traditional parents seemed to say that dad's generally are the weak link. So a Dad/Dad couple wasn't as good as a Mom/Dad. But that a Mom/Mom couple is optimal.
But, hey keep towing that line. Cite biology, tradition, religion and whatnot. The fact of the matter is that for a group of people so worried about the federal government over-reaching and violating it's constitutional authority when it comes to health care seem to have no problem when it does that to limit who can marry who.
You don't have to retreat
You don't have to retreat, but if you kill the intruder, you may not have the law on your side.
Well, I would prefer that.
Well, I would prefer being "nickeled-and-dimed to death for non-covered routine maintenance" over the way insurance companies pin you down and give you the business.
Example - on my previous plan with a previous employer, I had my first son. Now, we had alot of bills with that one(c section, lots of drugs, lots of fun). Now, after all was said and done, we got hit with a supplemental bill from CMMC because the insurance company denied all of my son's claims. See, to enroll in the plan you need a DoB, so I couldn't do it ahead of time. So at the time of his birth, he wasn't a member. Now Maine law gives you a 30 day grace period, but since my employer was headquartered in another state and was acting as their own insurer through a major insurance company, Maine laws didn't apply.
So needless to say, I ate the whole thing. So when someone tells me this isn't interstate commerce, and that the federal government has no place in it, I scoff.
Because I know better.
That's why Maine law is clear
That's why Maine law is clear - Let them have your tv. Call the cops. Your right, it is a hard call to make. But that is part of the responsibility of owning a gun. If you plan on taking a life, you had better be ready to justify taking it. Thats why it is allways better to retreat and use lethal force only when you need to.
Here ya go
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/17-A/title17-Ach5sec0.html
That covers the laws.
In plain english, alot of it is common sense. Now, I'm not a lawyer, but really it about valuing life above all. If someone is just taking your stuff, you can't shoot them. You are required to retreat if possible. In other words, someone takes your tv, you don't get to shoot them.
However, if you feel threatened, or they are threatening another, all bets are off.
My thoughts always has been that my family is upstairs. I hear someone messing around downstairs, I call the cops and leave it to them. If they come up the stairs, they will regret it.
They aren't going to string
They aren't going to string him up. They are going to shoot him. But either way, his life is over. Going to jail would be a best case scenario, because if he doesn't, he will have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life.
Not that I really object. He followed an unarmed kid, then got into a fight, and shot him. He may claim self defense, but we will never know what happened because he shot the other witness. This is why we have trained police, and not amateurs because police officers who know what they are doing use force much more discretion. Zimmerman decided to "play cop". Now that he played vigilante, he might have to face a few himself.
What really gets me in this
What really gets me in this whole debate is how no one talks about efficiency.
Republicans love to say our system is the best in the world. But why do they say that? Because it is the most advanced. Our doctors have the tools and can do things that very few others can. However, they do it at three to four times what other nations pay. Our system is so inefficient; it is slowly strangling our economy.
Every other industrialized nation has figured out you can’t leave it in the hands of private insurance. Since you can’t let hospitals refuse people, someone has to pay. The more you leave that up in the air, the more that hidden cost grows and hurts us all. It drives up costs, and makes our system far less efficient. And the argument against the government running the show is weak.
As Mr Labbe argues below – “Think about how good anything the Government runs works.” Lets go wioth that. I would put Medicare up against any insurance program. I bet it would demolish them in terms of overhead and productivity.
So how about this – tell me why private insurance is better than Medicare? I would take Medicare in a heartbeat. So tell me why private coverage is so much better before you dismiss a single payer system.
Really?
US Armed forces....BEST IN THE WORLD.
I think LA pays for it.
I know they were requesting $250K from each city for their annual budget, which included expanding Saturday service.
(http://www.sunjournal.com/news/city/2012/03/15/saturday-bus-service-expa...)
Me, I say cut it. If it isn't self sufficient, why bother? Probably be cheaper to subsadise cabs for those who can't afford cars.
Wha?
Hmmm, I think the website hiccuped.
Why is it showing you as unverified and using your old pseudonym?
Umm, really?
The three year average median household income for Maine was $48,081.
My household is higher than that but no where near $100K. I also have a masters degree, I go to work every day.
Woops
I didn't meant to submit that yet. A bit rough grammatically.
That's overly simplistic.
Most of the time, I would argue relevance is his native land, but it really is part of the story. He lied about living in refugee camps, so I would say that it is relevant.
True, but
I would want to see a draft order for him before I went off on him. Until I see that, he gets the benefit of the doubt.
PS
Ps "And no socialism can't exist before the conditions for its existence (industrial capitalism post 1860 in the US post 1750 in Europe) exist."
Let me report the definition:
Dictionary.com defines socialism:
1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2.procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
Where does it any anything about industrial capitalism?
It doesn't. While Industrial Capitalism lead to the formation of the definition of socialism, that doesn't mean socialism didn't exist before it. Socialism is a description, a definition of a phenomenon. That doesn't mean it didn't exist before hand, or that things didn't share characteristics with it before it was defined.
First off - "Private military
First off - "Private military action is an oxymoron" - Yeah, ask Honduras how that worked for them in 1910 when a banana company staged a coup d’état.
How about this, instead of just state a bunch of stuff you hold as fact, explain why. Like why is what the military does not a service. It has value, we pay for it.
Like, your point about "It is one of two government responsibilities as defined in Article I of the Constitution." It says Congress is supposed to "To raise and support Armies". How could that not be contracted out. Congress doesn't try and make fighter jets, so obviously, parts of raising an army are already private, why is it such a huge leap for you to realize they could outsource the whole thing to blackwater, and be done with it while still meeting all constitutional requirements.
And how do people not own the government? I pay for it, and just like a stockholder in any company(who are the people who own it) I vote for who makes the decisions.
Well
Dan, please explain. This is the first I've heard of it.
Also - FYI - As much as I don't want to defend him, but the draft was ended in 1973. He went to Canada in 72 and stayed till 79. Now I might be wrong, but It seems there is a small window for him to be drafted and then run to Canada.
Dictionary.com defines
Dictionary.com defines socialism:
1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2.procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
So it doesn't have to be an economic system.
But regardless of how we define it, you missed the point I was making about the military. Military protection is a service. Having an armed force that takes orders form our government is a service. Blackwater or really even any security guard company would be an example of the private industry equivalent.
So let's look at the definition, and line up my example to it:
"vesting of the ownership and control " - Government owns and control the military
"of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc.," - the product is Military services. They protect the interests of the United States with force.
" in the community as a whole." The Government is owned by all citizens.
So, again, how is it not socialism? Yes, it is collective action, but it is also socialist.
And while the US constitution was around before the theories on Socialism doesn't mean it isn't socialist. I mean, evolution was taking place before Darwin codified it. Any service that the government provides could be provided by private industry. Therefore, if it producing anything, be it a service or an actual item, it is socialist.
Yes it is.
Ok, even using your definition, it is definitively socialism.
Example - the military.
Military protection is a service. The military is controlled by the government. They are the only ones allowed to provide it.
How is that not a perfect fit to your definition?
Your first point is
Your first point is confusing: Did you mean his point that Congress can force you to buy things, or that refusing is Un-American?
Now, as for socialism - Hate to break it to you, but all government activities are socialist. Pooling resources for a common task under the control of government is socialism.
Man...
I'm glad I had a LTTE to hang out at today. This thread is a bummer.
If you have to argue about how much vacation time people are taking, well, I just wonder where the facts went?
I can understand where both went wrong - both sides are right. There are facts and persuasive arguments for both sides. You know, as much as people like to rip on Politicians, there is a REAL need for them. Real Politicians know that like anything, this is a give and take, and that there is no need to make this an emotional battle.
No trap
No trap. And one of each(one baby, one not good sleeper who likes to crawl into bed with us at 2am).
I, I mean, the Author
I, I mean, the Author got a full night's sleep last night. None of his beautiful and exceptional children woke him up in the middle of the night.
The problem
The reason you can't refuse people, or make it so they can refuse, is that then if opens the door to people not getting treatment that they should get.
Lets say another Jason Theriault had it on record with the hospital that is he was found unconscious, he was to be left dead in the street. Well, then let say I'm in a car accident, and they do a search for me, and somehow the record gets crossed. Well, I'm SOL.
Put it this way - the state paid benefits to 19,000 people who shouldn't have been eligible. Do you want to trust them to be able to handle life or death decisions like whether or not to provide care?
No Contest
The panhandlers are no competition for the author of this letter. While "Please help -House burned down" is succinct and to the point, it doesn't convey the same je ne sais quoi, the unquenchable charm and extreme handsomeness that the author possesses.
=)
Whoever agreed, you are awesome.
I agree-partially
The auto insurance example is bad.
Federal Government doesn't require it - states do
Operating a car is optional
ect.
Fact of the matter is that the service(health care) cannot be refused by Hospitals. They are forced to take you, regardless of your ability to pay. Acknowledging that fact seems to be the biggest issue here. Hoisting up a system where some people who plan ahead and act responsibly are punished, while those who act poorly profit is just stupid.
No way
This is Lewiston/Auburn. All the real action is at Wal-Mart.
Just to point out
I think the author hit it right on the head.
He is also fantastically smart, a masterful writer, and devastatingly handsome.
Also Modest.
Now?
"now some that never paid get more from it then those that did"
Umm, pretty sure that has been the case since its inception. I agree that it has been used as a general fund per see, but I think complaining about that now is like sending back a steak for being overcooked when all that is left is the bone.
First of all - I wasn't nit
First of all - I wasn't nit picking, I just included that to make sure that's what you meant. I didn't make that a central theme of my argument. I didn't say "He didn't use a contraction and got his negation wrong, so obviously his opinion on same sex marriage is wrong".
And I never said I didn't care. I do care. I don't like see people denied something without a good reason.
And lastly, the only reason I posted that post of yours was to prove that you do care. Post here, arguing with people, and brushing off their arguments by saying "I don't care" is a weak argument, and I wanted to call you on it. You do care. You oppose same sex marriage. If you really don't care, vote for it next November, and the gays won't bug you anymore.
Oh great
A lawyer mechanic?
I might as well set my wallet on fire.
"As you can see from sub paragraph two, section 3, §85 of the Oil Change agreement, you are in violation of the 'requesting non-synthetic oil in a type III engine'. Not only did I have to charge you to use synthetic oil, but I had to charge you the non-disclosure fee. Now, with retainer and storage fee for the 5 minutes we worked on your car, that will be $150.95. And remember to come back in exactly 3,000 miles, or the 'Over/under 3,000 mile forfeiture clause' will force us to take possession of your car."
Hmm.
Well, for someone who couldn't care less(I assume that's what you meant), you sure post alot about it.
Matter of fact, after they did get the law changed, here's one of your posts durring the people's veto ramp up:
By Paul St. Jean, verified user — Sat, 07/18/2009 - 09:28
AARRGH!!
How much longer we gonna have to put up with this nonsense? What will come after marriage?. We were told civil unions would not increment into something else, but here we are. Where does it end? Now, me parrot's asking me if he and his best friend Sluggo can get married. AARRGH!!.
So you do care, or at at least it looks like it to me.
Don't blame the court.
Don't blame the court. Blame the republicans in the state house.
They sabotaged Dion's bill, making it too vague.
Then they pushed it through because they knew it wouldn't fly.
Then, as another crook in there, Nutting, said. "I am glad that this matter has been put to rest."
Hopefully Dion doesn't let up.
Well....
You're the one comparing marrying a same sex partner to marrying a dog. My twisted mind had nothing to do with that.
And that you don't want them to change the rules isn't their problem.
So
So, you're comparing homosexuality to bestiality?
And by your same logic that homosexuals have the right to marry now, because you define marriage between a man and woman, it wouldn't be special rights for homosexuals to allow same sex marriages. Heterosexuals would also be able to marry people of the same gender.
Ehhhh
I can understand calling out schools for lying about how much grads make.
But the problem with basing what you think you will earn after graduation based on previous graduates isn't going to be a good metric. Markets go up and down, and far more importantly, location can make a huge difference.
If you ignore school, and just look at how much a profession makes in a geographical location, the US DoL Bureau of Labor Statistics has some pretty good figures.
(http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm)
No but Gay Marriage won't ruin everything either.
I don't like pistachios. I obviously I don't buy them as a snack. I prefer beef jerky as my go to snack. And someone eating pistachios has no effect on my enjoyment of beef jerky.
Same with same sex marriage. How successful my marriage is has nothing to do with anyone but my wife and I, and same goes for how we raise our children. If you're looking for excuses or a boogieman to blame, same sex marriage is an easy target. But the fact of the matter is that numerous factors come into play, from increased independence from gender role to less societal pressure against divorce.
How about this
Stop worrying about how other choose to live their lives. God's has that covered. Worry about yourself and how you treat others.
YES!
I made the highlight reel!
Proverbs 17:28
Proverbs 17:28:
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Or as Mark Twain said:
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
First off – a full on nuclear
First off – a full on nuclear war is not all that likely. Both Russia and the United States have waaaayyyy too much to loose. And Russia is way to smart an operator to let things get to that point.
Now as for North Korea and Iran developing weapons. They wont use them either. IF, and this is a VERY BIG IF, IF they could get a weapon over here and set it off, they might take out a city(depending on yield). A recent study by the department of homeland defense shows that a 10 kt bomb that would be likely used by terrorists would damage a city, but not destroy it, and it would be similar to the effects of WWII bombings. So they would kill a lot of people and hurt America.
In return, they would face national death. A strategist, Anthony Cordesman, at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies looked at what would happen in a nuclear exchange between Israel and Iran and found that Israel would take significant casualties. However, Iran, Syria, Egypt and Jordon would all be wiped out in the Israeli counter attack. And Tehran’s geography is almost perfect for a nuclear strike, resulting as they put it, a “Nearly Ideal nuclear killing ground”
http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2007/11/the-unthinkable-consequences-of-...
Nope, the reason they developed and are developing weapons is because the United States has to treat a nuclear power differently than a non-nuclear power. We can bomb and invade non-nuclear powers. Nuclear powers cannot be so easily invaded, because nuking invading troops would be very effective. Iran can keep Israel at arms length if they have a nuclear weapon that can threaten with.
This is dumb
So, you want to make sure that there is never a surplus?
Yup
Nothing says streamlining government like adding more bureaucracy.
A few things
First off, Rev Taylor - kudos on riling up the forum like few others. Double kudos on asking for donations in the thread. Its a rare combination of trolling and philanthropy that you just don't see often. I am very amused by this thread.
That said, I think you shouldn't use the example of the Bales slayings in defending our troops. If that happened her, we would be just as up in arms over the dead kids. I saw a picture of the 2 year old, and there is no excuse.
Also, I don't think serving helps. Bush jr served, and he got us into this mess. Had he finished Afghanistan instead of going into Iraq, we wouldn't be there right now. And we would be in such a better position to deal with Iran.
Uhh....
I was replying to Mike, not you.
"The best funded SuperPAC around right now is Obama's, even though he promised in the 2008 campaign never to use one. So much for his word."
Which is not true =)
If found unconsitutional...
If the ACA is found unconstitutional, I am dumping my health insurance. I'll save upwards of $9,000 a year. And if something bad happens, bankruptcy.
Is it fair? Nope.
But the 2008 financial crisis taught me one thing - Playing fair is for suckers. How many bankers went to jail for tanking the US economy? None. Why should I bother playing fair when the Government rewards those who do not?
To Quote Joe Wilson, "YOU LIE!"
To Quote Joe Wilson, "YOU LIE!"
Obama may have tons more money, but his super pac is pretty lame, fundraising wise. I mean, no super rich people are going to flock to him, but he is a monster when it comes to the old fashioned fund raising.
BTW - I think SuperPacs cost you guys the election. Their money allowed Gingrich and Santorum to stick around way longer than they should, which has weakened Romney. Had traditional fund raising been the case, the others would have fallen off quickly, and Romney could have been running against Obama for months now instead of still fighting off Zombie Santorum.
Over simplification
First off - "WWII was the last war the US tried to win - Democrats got us into it, Republicans won it."
Really? I'm pretty sure that
A- The Japanese got us into it
B- FDR and Truman were Democrats.
I think a great example of how to fight a war was Gulf War I, but to be fair, the Korean War also fits this mold. And the reason was we weren't seeking to occupy a nation. President Bush stopped our forces from invading Iraq. As we have seen, occupying Iraq is no picnic.
The problem with the occupation model of combat from WWII is that occupation only work when the occupied are scared or crushed. The Soviets crushed the Germans. After the Nazi's brutalized the Russian civilians, the Red Army had no qualms with paying back the German civilians. When faced with Americans or Soviets, of course they loved us. We weren't shipping them to Siberia or straight up killing them.
Nothing escapes...
Nothing escapes Moon Jail
????
So wait, you want to open a space and/or Moon prison?
AWESOME! Got my vote!
A couple of things
First off, polls are deceiving and really meaningless. You can get like 60% of the vote and lose(quick calculations - based on state populations and electoral votes) The key thing to look at is the polls in swing states. And lately, they do show a push for Obama because of women turning on the republicans.
Will that last? I don't know. Predicting elections is tricky even on the day of, let alone 6 months out....
No
But which is better - locking Manson up in a dark hole to rot, or giving him even more attention through the appeals process. Which serves society better?
And it's not the Mansons I'm worried about. It's the poor bastard who can afford a good lawyer and get railroaded into a needle.
It's going to be interesting.
It's going to be interesting when Obama turns on the campaign. He's been pretty quiet as there is no reason for him to jump in. They have been tearing each other apart, and if he jumped in, he would only legitimize the canidate he attacked. Plus, the republicans would shift their focus to him.
Romney has spent a ton of money, meanwhile, Obama has been fundraising(which he will need to be able to go toe to toe with the superpacs). Plus, since Romney had to go to the right to fight off Santorum and Gingrich, he is gonna have to walk those statements back when trying to win independents.
Hell, Obama will have to just run primary speach footage.
Hopefully...
Hopefully not more than one.
I'm against both.
I'm against both, but that's also not a fair comparison. That's like saying "Viagra is covered by health insurance, why isn't the pill?"
The reason I'm against the death penalty has nothing to do why I'm against abortion. The death penalty is final. You cannot un-execute someone if later they are found to be innocent. So if the system was 100% right every time, I wouldn't have an issue. Also, because of all the checks involved, it's far more expensive that a life sentence.
It's all about viability
Your not allowed to kill people.
Be it in anger with a gun or in a hospital room.
You are, however, allowed to let people die, such as when you remove a feeding tube and life support. That is the cut off. Just like when someone suffers a traumatic head injury. They are a person. But there is no right to be forced to live.
I am pro life. I think we should protect the life of unborn children, but I also think Republican go about it in the worst way possible. I also accept that my feelings on the matter need to be balanced with what is fair and where the line should be.
Blame it on a long day
Blame it on a long day.... I knew that. =)
This is how it should be.
This was how it was when I grew up. This is how it should be.
And, as I predicted earlier, this is bad news for the Colisee. If Auburn can get a second sheet, the Colisee will see demand drop.
This is good.
These type of posts make me chuckle. It's the pure, unadulterated blind faith that one side is wrong and one side is right that requires no thought whatsoever. You have stated no evidence, no reasons why. You have been told what to hate, and you ran with it. It reminds me of the novel "1985", how people wouldn't question what they were told, they just ran with it. Even if it blatantly changed the next day, doesn't matter.
Children, children
First off, blame the speculators for driving the price up. Investment groups like Goldman Sachs are the reason prices jump like they do. But the reason prices are jumping around are two fold:
1. Iran. All this talk of bombing Iran, and Iran’s playing games in the Straight of Hormuz have driven up costs. Iran must love that the sanctions we placed on them, and tension we are helping create are driving up the value of their biggest export.
2. The economy is improving. Listen, I know a lot of you hate Obama, and don’t want to give him credit for the economy improving. That’s fine. I think he helped, but that’s an opinion. However, it is improving. We never double dipped, GDP is growing, and unemployment is decreasing. This means we are going to use more oil, which drives up the costs.
You can try and put this on him, and American’s might buy it. But I wouldn’t. Gas prices are volatile, and will come down this fall. I don’t know if I would hang my hat on that.
LePage is not doing better though
Don't get me wrong, I agree that this hasn't happened overnight, and that democrats cannot point the finger and blame republicans for this.
But LePage isn't trying to make it better. With L.D. 1805(the act that gives the executive branch the same secrecy as the legislative), he is making it worse.
SO in other words, both sides suck at openess.
BRAVO!
BEST.LETTER.EVER.
Why?
You don't think people know that already?
People make mistakes. The problem with saying "Then they should be responsible for it" is that your not just punishing the parent. I wouldn't have a problem with that. Your punishing the kid. This kid is already going to face all sorts of disadvantages. Yes, this can force the kids to be self starters, like LePage. It can also teach them to do anything to survive, and turn to a life of crime. Had LePage not gotten help from the Snowe's to get into college, who knows how he would have turned out.
Kids are an investment. The more productive they turn out to be, the more beneficial to the state they are. Anything you can do to boost this will pay itself back in higher wages and a more competitive labor market.
Well, alot has changed since then.
Well, alot has changed since then.
America gained it's Independence from the king.... ok, I kid =)
I love how you changed gears. Democrats fought for contraceptives education, and in doing so took away the stigma of being a single mom. How does that work?
"Here's a condom, but don't use it, because that would be cool..."
Listen, studies have found that contraceptive education leads to lower teen pregnancy rates. The fact of the matter is that kids are stupid. They will make stupid choices. Hell, when it comes to sex, EVERY age group make stupid choices. So teach kids that abstinence is the best birth control. Then teach them about all the other forms of birth control, so they don’t compound a bad decision with another.
BTW – every time you click disagree, President Clinton get a new intern.
So
This fall, it's going to be the Dem JV vs a GOPer to be named later VS King....
Today will settle it.
Feel free to get Maher booted
Feel free to get Maher booted off HBO. If enough people cancel their subscriptions, HBO will can him.
That is not only your right, I fully support it. I think he is a jerk, and just like Limbaugh, gives his side a bad name.
The $1 million is tough though. Obama cannot control this at all, that's the point. That's how it got past the SCOTUS. I know, it's a wink wink, nudge nudge thing with SuperPacks, but he cannot come out and say "Return the Money". He has to stay away from it, and let the Superpack regulate itself.
And I think Limbaugh wields far more power than Maher, because the left know that Maher is an ass, and keeps him at arms length. However, no one seems willing to cross Limbaugh, even now. That's what's galling.
If you watch MSNBC, Fox News,
If you watch MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, or whatever, you lose.
All three of them, their goal is ratings. They skew their broadcasts to have some facts, mixed in with opinions and mis-characterizations to keep people watching. They need you to keep watching, so they skew their programming to go one way or the other, so your confirmational bias kicks in, and they get you to take a side. Put it this way: When was the last time you disagreed with what you saw on your channel?
One time, I was over at my parents house, and they had "The Five"(I think that's what it is called) on Fox News. And they, almost to a tee, followed my HS AP Government teachers format for a effective opinion piece.
The format:
1.Thesis - (the lead in by one of the talking heads)
2.Strong opposing point and refutation.(The Big Liberalish guy)
3. Two or three strong points
4. Restate Thesis.
They follow it almost to a tee. It's kinda funny, really.
I watch the 6 pm news, and that's about it. If I want to be entertained, I'll turn on NCIS or Top Gear.
Alright, juvenile's not the
Alright, juvenile's not the word. I hadn't had my coffee yet. It's a BS argument
So, if you call my wife an offensive name, I have to consider that it happened in the past and dismiss it before I decide how I'm going to deal with you, otherwise I'm being juvenile?
No, exactly the opposite. Peple are linking Maher’s comments to Limbaughs, like they were said minutes apart. Maher said his stuff last year. People, in tyring to defend Limbaugh, are trying to make out those who are pissed about this as hypocrites because they didn’t react this way to Maher.
The reason for the different reaction is the target. Both Maher and Limbaugh said reprievable things, and I would say on word choice, Maher was worse. However, Maher’s targets were public figures – Palin and Bachman. Both have staff to respond to these comments, and acess to forums like Fox News. Ms Fluke is not. She is a private citizen testifying before congress. Now, that act would open yourself up to some criticism. But Limbaugh focused on her for three days, and according to one liberal site, Media Matters, lobbed over 46 insults at her.
That’s way over the line. People think hes not only being sexist, but a bully too. I’m nat saying Maher was ok in what he said. But if you want to call out Maher, do so not as part of the criticism of Limbaugh.
Is this really the time?
Yes, let have tax cuts. I mean, the budget is looking for cuts in almost every program, DHHS is so underwater, they make Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac look like fiscally solid organizations. So now if the time for tax cuts.
Really?
Big F***ING differance.
First off - This tactic of bringing up other times when someone called a woman a name is a juvenile defense.
Secondly - Did you write a letter to the editor when The Roots player "Lying a** B****" calling them out? Nope. And the reason why is that there is a big difference between inferring something, like playing a harmony of a song and over the course of three days calling someone a whore and slut around 46 times(according to media matters)
Just like I could get in trouble with the mods if I didn't use the "*" to mask the swears.
This just shows how dumb republicans at the top are. You want a bump in the polls? You want to to take the wind out of democrat sails? Call out Limbaugh. EVERYONE agrees what he said is out of line. However, the GOP decided to try and hold the line, and deflect...Which everyone sees through.
Imagine if Romney came out and said "While I disagree with Ms Fluke, she has every right to state her opinion without being called a slut and whore. Mr Limbaugh should be ashamed and should leave the air" The Rush takes a few months off, lets someone else helm the EIB chair for a bit, comes back after the convention, makes some serious contrition, and tones it down a bunch for awhile.
That would make Romeny look like a President. He would get such a bump in the women's vote. It would be a game changer.
Could be
We'll see how it pans out. I admit, I'm biased as the whole arena debaucle put a sour taste in my mouth(My uncle is Roger).
I know, new owners, ect...
Anywho, I hope it works out for the kids. I got a 4(almost 5) year old who is in the AYHL learning to play, and I would hate to see that disappear for any kid.
Hmmmm.
I did use "your" instead of "you're"
Detention.
Not you =)
Mods are yelling at Pirate and Al. Your cool Bob
You guys...
Listen, this current price jump is based far more on Iran being naughty. We messed with their economy, so they are not only getting revenge by making oil speculators freak out and slowing our economy, but also reaping the benefits of making their chief export worth a ton more money.
Ummm, yeah
1. God isn't going to bail out Israel. I don't know if that's what your implying(sometimes crazy doesn't translate well into english), but if God was going to step up to protect Jews, he would have been smiting Nazi's like Captain America.
2.If God was every going to say "Enough!", he would have said it along time ago, and ...probably started smiting Nazi's like Captain America
See, here's the thing. God is a pro. He knows what he's doing. God made the Earth crappy on purpose. He gives us the opportunity to be awesome, knowing that nine times out of ten, we will fail at being awesome.
Well, I don't know the inside
Well, I don't know the inside of how this went down. But I think the Colisee is absolutely dumb to have done this. Even if LAYHL was booking time elsewhere, I think everyone knew Portland was comming up here, and they were just protecting themselves. By not working with the LAYHL, they are burning their bridges with them. Yeah, create a shortage of ice time. If the LAYHL finds alternatives, especially if they can get a second venue built like they were talking about, Colisee will be in deep trouble.
There's my disagree!
I was waiting for that. Today didn't feel right until I got a disagree.
I mean, I stated facts. Of COURSE someone should disagree with it.
No, actually, they didn't.
No, actually, they didn't. The OPEGA investigation that lead to Violette's resignation and eventual conviction was instigated by Dawn Hill(D-York)
Notice the bolding. It's a D for Democrat, not R for Republican
Well
As much as LePage has been a complete horse's arse, The Republican legislature hasn't been horrible. They have called LePage out when he was going to far, like with BPA. The problem is I want a Democratic Governor and a Republican Legislature(but not a super majority).
How about door #3?
Mr Reed, I think I’m going to go with option three:
The National economy tanked. I dunno if you remember, but a few years ago, the economy tanked because some people got greedy. They were making too much money with too little oversight. Any who, most of the problems you mention can be traced back to that.
Don’t get me wrong, there has been some serious oversight issues with these programs, but my guess is that the 2008 crash has made everything worse. Maine unemployment spiked in 2008 from 4.7% in Jan 2008 to 8.4% in Jan 2010. This compounds everything. No wages means no income taxes. Housing prices dropped, and people were defaulting left and right. No property taxes. And now you have a bunch more people qualifying for Medicaid.
So politicize it all you want, but I’m not voting blindly for anyone. I’m going to vote for the one who will represent me best.
Raed the Transcript
Ok, I said I would, but I'm gonna.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT:
"For my friend and 20% of the women in her situation, she never got the insurance company to cover her prescription. Despite verifications of her illness from her doctor, her claim was denied repeatedly on the assumption that she really wanted birth control to prevent pregnancy."
So, obviously, your point was clearly wrong, as you would have know if you had read the transcript.
You know what my favorite part of "War and Peace" is? When Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins find the treasure. Oh wait, that wasn't in War and Peace. I've never read "War and Peace". Man I sound stupid when I comment on things I haven't read.
Last time
OK, seriously, this will be the last time I explain. Next time I will only post 3 words:
READ
THE
TRANSCRIPT.
Insurance covers the pill for non-birth control purposes.
However, since they don't have to cover it for birth control, they assume that 9 times out of 10, the woman is lying, and that they go above and beyond to make these women prove that they need this medicine.
This is the case with the friend of Fluke who she testified about. Her friend even was a lesbian. No need for birth control. But the insurance company dragged their feet, and the friend was forced to cover the cost of the medicine out of pocket. Things got too tight, and she had to stop taking the meds. Next thing you know, she's having her ovary removed, she's on all sorts of meds, and is trying to stave off menopause at age 32, because she would like to have kids.
She probably has a hell of a lawsuit, but lawsuits can't get you offspring.
Wrongo
It was $3000 while someone is in Law School.
http://www.whatthefolly.com/2012/02/23/transcript-sandra-fluke-testifies...
So before I do any math, how bout you do some research?
Ahhhh, try again
See, if you READ THE TRANSCRIPT, you will see your error.
Here's a quote:
"..can cost a woman over $3,000 during law school. "
Law school doesn't take a year.
Here's a link.
http://www.whatthefolly.com/2012/02/23/transcript-sandra-fluke-testifies...
Again, this isn't gasoline
Again, this isn't gasoline - you don't fill the tank before sex. Birth control has to be taken all the time. If you are having no sex, or 1000's of partners, you take the same amount of birth control.
If you going to comment on a subject, at least make sure you have a slight understanding of it.
Wow
READ HER TESTIMONY.
The crux of her arguments was that since insurance didn't have to cover birth control, they use that as a excuse to deny claims that use the pill for non birth control reasons, such as ovarian cysts.
And, btw - prescription birth control isn't a "take as you go" thing. You take it all the time, regardless of how much sex you have. So all around, Rush Limbaugh doesn't know what the f he talking about.
A few things:
Sarah Palin is not a private citizen. She was a Mayor, a Governor and a VP Candidate. She has had a reality tv show, and she is still politically active. As far as I'm concerned, she's fair game.
Bristol, on the other hand, is not(kinda). Bristol has been on Dancing with the Stars, so at that point, she was also fair game. Thats not saying calling Sarah a "c***" or a "t***" is acceptable.
What I'm saying about time is that Maher already took alot of heat for his comments, AS HE SHOULD HAVE. Bringing it up now is just a way of trying to deflect criticism off of Limbaugh. Point me to one source who tried to defend Maher when her called Palin those names. Nobody did, because everyone agrees he was out of line. Defending him is only going prolong this. He needs to take his medicine.
And it wasn't what Cain said, it was all the sexual harassment and a 13 year affair that sunk his boat. And the grapevine said fellow conservatives were responsible for leaking that stuff, not the left.
Daily Show?
I'll give you that Maher is a jerk. But, I think Jon Stewart is classy, and generally makes intellectual points.
Here is the difference between Maher and Rush on this:
Maher picked on Sarah Palin, and did so during one of his comedy shows. He was being classless, but again, it was a comedy performance not broadcast. Palin is also a public figure, who put her self out there.
Rush went after a private citizen testifying before congress. He attacked her for three straight days (the count was 46 times last I heard), and I don't think he even bothered to listen to her testimony. Because she was talking about how insurance companies use the pill's birth control status to stall and deny legitimate claims.
Here's some free advice. The "well, he did it first" argument will never get you off the hook, and it makes you look like a 5 year old. Maher called Palin bad names over a year ago. The statue of limitations has run out on being mad about that.
Citation for my stats
So I'm not being a hypocrit, here is the source for the % listed above:
http://www.unglobalcompact.org/docs/issues_doc/labour/Forced_labour/HUMA...
Fair points, here's my rebuttle
1. October 2011 – The Obama administration eliminates federal grants to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for their extensive programs that aid victims of human trafficking because the Catholic Church is anti-abortion.
hats one way of saying it. Another is that the Conference of Catholic Bishops would not refer these victims, 95% are physically and sexually assaulted and 48% are forced into prostitution, for contraceptives and abortions. I'm not pro abortions, but in the case of rape, that's clearly one of the times most of society see abortions as acceptable.
2. November 2011 – Unlike previous presidents, Obama studiously avoids any religious references in his Thanksgiving speech.
So? How about this, I won't tell you how to worship God, and you do the same.
3. February 2012 – The Obama administration forgives student loans in exchange for public service, but announces it will no longer forgive student loans if the public service is related to religion.
You glossed over how many special interests are no longer counted, like working for a Union or a Political organization.
4. February 2012 – The Obama administration makes effulgent apologies for Korans being burned by the U. S. military, but when Bibles were burned by the military, numerous reasons were offered why it was the right thing to do.
How would you have liked them to dispose of the bibles?
There is no bible code on how to dispose of the bible, so they burned them. Big whoop
Why efficient electrical heat?
Electric heat is the most expensive. Why not have rebates for pellet systems instead. Renewable Maine pellets can be used instead of non-renewable sources.
To quote Wikipedia
To Quote Wikipedia:
Well for one...
In the old Soviet Union, had you said what you had just said, by this time tomorrow, you would be pining for your dream home on a train to Siberia.
Also, your dream home would have been a 1 bedroom apartment, because unless your a party insider, you don't get squat.
Also, when the government chose to build a power plant next to your home, it would have been nuclear. And if it melted down, they would tell you days later, after you got a significant dose of radiation.
Which is really gonna be a bummer in Siberia, because I don't think they have good doctors up there.
Peer reveiwed study.
I don't really care if they signed a gag order. You can find people that will claim martians probed them and now they can no longer dance the Charleston.
Peer reviewed studies are conducted by experts in the field and backed by evidence. Hence why, if you want to convince me there are health effects, you need to show me a peer reviewed study
Ehhh
ehhh, power corrupts people, and alot of the time, good people get lost in the job. And technically, putting politicians in glass jars would either be meaningless(if there was a way to get in or out) or murder.
Anyway - I will leave you with a joke that I love.
How do you stop a politician(or lawyer) from drowning?
Shoot em.
It doesn't matter
The people who listen to Rush have bought into it hook, line and sinker. They have lost much of their critical thinking ability, because if you can't see that his job is to inflame and provoke his listeners to become angry and therefore listen more to him, then they are lost. Limbaugh's whole goal is to get you angry so you keep listening. Which makes your more angry, so you listen more.
ect...
Well...
From the studies I have read, the general consensus is that the there is no evidence to support linking Wind Farms to adverse health effects other than stress. People who are annoyed at the Wind turbine get stressed out, and that can cause all sorts of issues. But stress, as they put it, is not a disease.
A quote from a 2011 British study : "annoyance has far more to do with social and psychological factors in those complaining than any direct effect from sound or inaudible infrasound emanating from wind turbines".
So you show me a PEER REVIEWED study that says wind farms cause adverse health effects, and I will read it with an open mind.
"Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law
"Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law."
-Thomas Jefferson
By the way, welcome to the real world. Everyone pays for things the government does that they find abhorrent. Hell, ask all the pacifist how they feel about the trillions spent in Iraq and Afghanistan.Maybe if the church doesn't want to pay for birth control pills, they should stop trying to be a business. You want to run a hospital. Fine, but you have to play by the same rules as any private hospital.
Oh and BTW - The point that the "Slut", Sandra Fluke, was trying to make, is that because the pill isn't covered, when ever you get a prescription for it for a non-birth control method, you have to go through a ringer to get it approved, and that fight ever step of the way. The friend she talked about was a lesbian(so no need for birth control) and had polycystic ovarian syndrome, and was taking birth control to eliminate ovarian cysts. But, because the insurance company had an out, they dragged their feet. The friend paid out of pocket for as long as she could, then had to stop. Well, a huge cyst forced removal of one of her ovaries, she on all sorts of meds to balance her hormones now, and may never have kids.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/boxofficebuz/transcript-of-testimony-by-sandra-f...
BTW - This is dumb
I think this is sad.
Question:
This comment leads me to a question:
Are you in favor of abortions, but only if it can be proven they will grow up to be politicians?
Pretty sure
I'm pretty sure they don't cause gagging. But when has a lack of facts stopped anyone on the internet from posting..
Do continue.
Try Boston
Tech jobs in Maine are scarce. Try Boston/NH, and I think you'll have better luck.
Can't follow the rules? GTFO
Don't want to follow the laws about who can and cannot adopt? Then don't handle adoptions.
BTW - there is nothing in the bible saying homosexuals can't raise kids.
I have a photo!
Here is an picture taken at on the the Council on Foreign Relations meetings in their secret submarine in Gotham:
Maybe
Maybe they don't care if Wind turbines show up. Most people don't
Wow, thats pretty strong
Wow, thats pretty strong accusation. Why would you say he has "always used government office and influence for his own personal profit"?
Few thigns
One - Source on the school closing. I did a google search, and I couldn't find it. Not saying that means anything, but I don't have enough details to find out the story behind the school.
Two - While I do think living off the grid is cool, it's just not feasible for most people. You need exposure to the sun, land for the equipment, and alot of hardware. For most of the populace, you will need industrial power generation. That means Coal, Nuclear, NG and Hydro. We will always need on demand power sources like these. But the point of wind power is lessen the demand on Coal, Nuclear and NG as much as possible.
He doesn't care about me??
Oh NOES!
Solar flares can mess with the power grid, but they have to be of a relatively large nature, and at that point, computers and satellites would also be in trouble. Just think back a few years to the flare that caused Auroas almost to the mid-west in the mid 2000's(I think it was 2004). I believe that was one of the largest flares ever recorded, and it didn't affect the grid at all.
On site solar? That's not green. The batteries you need to store that power negates any environmental gains. PV only makes sense if you put them where they will be most efficient, just like with Wind Turbines. Save the environment is a sum game. The wind turbines up on the mountains are far better than coal plans down south, and the more clean power we can generate, the better.
Besides, it seems to be one of the only growth industries in Maine. unless you show me proof that it is causing major harm to the environment, I'm all for it.
Mainers, do you really want to see thousands and thousands of Tu
Mainers, do you really want to see thousands and thousands of Turbines?
Short answer: yes
Long Answer: Yes, and so do 90% of Mainers.
When did the SCOTUS get
When did the SCOTUS get involved on this issue?
Oh, in the mode of Limbaugh...okay then
So should I cut to the chase and call you a slut?
And what do I call a company that takes money to climb in bed with the government?
Boeing
Good try
Planned Parenthood is not part of the government. They are a private organization. And they only provide condoms free.
Good try.
Dollars and sense.
First off, grand consensus of scientists believes that while both people involved share in the responsibility to deal with the consequences, that alot of the time, only one party truly gets f***ed.
And it will pay for itself. Hell, the government should hand out birth control. Comparing the costs for unwed mothers on assistance programs vs the costs of birth control is no contest. So if you truly want to limit the people on MaineCare roles, this is a no-brainer.
A few things....
Your letter is all over the place.
One - The Catholic church considers a vasectomy a sin.
Two - DO NOT MENTION VIAGRA. Erectile dysfunction if a medical condition. Yes, men with ED can survive without Viagra. Just like women who have mastectomies can survive without have cosmetic surgery. But it's about feeling as normal as possible.
Contraceptives(when used a contraceptives, not for conditions like menorrhagia) do not fix anything. A male birth control pill should be treated the same.
That said, I think insurance should cover it. It's expensive enough that it should be covered, and as it prevents pregnancy, which can cost insurance companies upwards of $10K-$20K, that's a hell of a savings.
But more importantly, it's an issue of control. Now, I am surmising here(being a guy), but I can see why women are up in arms over this. In trying to level the playing field between men and women, birth control is a great tool. A man's career never hinged on getting knocked up. However, a woman gets pregnant, and it can derail her entire professional future, especially if it's unexpected. And before anyone says "don't have sex", think about this - Have YOU ever had sex where having a kid being the outcome would have been disastrous?
....and now I'm wrong.
Man seconds after hitting the submit button, Raye announces he's staying put. I guess Summers is going to jump in. Now, would anyone know if he has taken out papers? I mean, he is the Secretary of State, he is the one to go to to get papers.
And does he have to resign is he does? I mean, can his own office certify signatures gathered by his campaign?
My prediction
I called it in an earlier comment that Michaud would drop out. Now I think Raye jumps in. I think he has a better chance against Pingree than Michaud. However, I think King also is going to get into this, and he will probably win.
If I was D’Amboise, I would hedge my bets and take out papers for the 2nd seat. That way, if Raye come up, and spoils his run, he can jump right into the 2nd district race. Not that he would have a big chance, but he wont make it out of the primary otherwise.
HAHAHAHAHAHA
Ok, first off, the "Patriot Act" was passed by a republican Congress in 2001
The extension in 2011 was voted for by every Republican but Paul and Lee.
So voting with the Republicans makes them liberals?
Also - please cite what bills they have voted on that has deprived unborn children of rights.
Yes, that Angus King
Yup, that Angus King.
The one who putting up windmills, which +80% of Mainer are in favor of. Sooooo, 100%-80% = 20% against. Sounds like a winning strategy to me.
My prediction:
My predictions for Maine(and the next 72 hours will be exciting, because anyone not working at getting the signature by Friday just wont have time):
Democrats:
Chellie Pingree will drop her 1st district run, and go for the Senate.
Her daughter, Hanna Pingree, will run for her mothers congressional seat
Michaud will stay put, running for 2nd district.
GOP:
Kevin Raye will jump into race, dropping his run for the 2nd district. Who knows who will run against Michaud.
Les Otten has been mentioned, but from what I have read, he doesn't sound interested.
Independent:
This is where things get really interesting. You need 4000 signatures, but they don't have to be from only one party. And the deadline for signatures is June, so there is ALOT more time to figure stuff out.
Elliot Cutler - has the political machine and the money to really go at it.
Angus King - No political machine, but still held as a good Governor and might have the money needed to do it.
If I was to bet:
Cutler get mid to high 40ish % of the vote
Raye - high 30%
Pingree - high 20%
BTW - the info is here:
http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/2012guide.pdf
=(
Well, this should make this November interesting
Simple minded thinking
You know what's "Simple minded thinking"?
Thinking your saving money but cutting programs that bring in more federal funds than you put in. That's just taking money out of the economy.
You know what's "Simple minded thinking"?
Taking a working mom who can't afford daycare and who is getting help from MaineCare for it, and slashing her funding. Because, obviously, she wont end up losing her job, becoming a full-on welfare recipient, and in the long run costing you more money.
You know what's "Simple minded thinking"?
Not acknowledging that 5% of MaineCare patients rack up 40-50% of the costs, and that if their usage can be brought under control, the savings would be more than enough.
You know what's "Simple minded thinking"?
Adressing the symptom and not the cause. Want to close budget holes? Have the state make more money. How?
J-O-B-S.
Where are the jobs, LePage?
Right on Bert. While we are
Right on Bert.
While we are at it, I want to bring up another issue of people disrespecting the Creator, and that is by consuming alcohol. It is clearly forbidden in the Qur’an.
Oh wait, not that creator.
Ok, how about people eating beef. The cow is clearly a revered animal, agreed upon in most Hindu texts….
Not that one either?
Ok… Shellfish and Pork?
Nope, ok, so just Christian religions… Gotcha.
Ok, well, in the United Church of Christ, they marry same gendered people.
This is why there is a separation of church and state. You are free to believe whatever you like. However, once you want to start making laws about stuff, you need to back stuff up with facts, not faith.
Wrong-o.
Ok, well, I'll see your reference to a 20 year old magazine, and raise you a 10 year old report from the WHO that showed that in couples(married) where one partner had AIDS, and they constantly used condoms correctly, the transmission rate was around 1%.
And here's the link:
http://www.wpro.who.int/media_centre/fact_sheets/fs_200308_Condoms.htm
I'm pretty sure natural family planning had no effect on AIDS transmission.
And for the record, natural family planning is not a contraceptives. a contraceptives prevents conception. Natural family planning is semi-abstinence. I mean, if that counts, then any activity where you can't have sex is a form of contraceptive.
Accepting an Oscar? Yup, because you are not allowed to have sex while accepting an Oscar.
Swimming in a public pool? Yup, lifeguard will kick you out if you try to have sex.
I hate Maine sometimes.
Yup, cut more assistance to parents.
I mean, we can't touch the coverage to those 65,000 childless adults, but since kids can't vote, it's cool to make cuts to them.
I would say continue it...for domestic adoption.
From what I've just skimmed, the credit applies to both domestic and international adoptions. I don't know if I'm in favor of an overseas adoption credit. While anyone who adopts a child domestically is doing a great service to society, adopting a kid from abroad doesn't help us out domestically, and I think shouldn't qualify.
Greeeeaaaatttt
I saw this, and without knowing where Oak St was, I though "I wonder how far this is from my house..."
1100 feet, as per Google Maps.
sweet.
Exactly
That is what they should be doing. If the information cannot be communicated via dispatchers, then they need to pull over.
But...
But aren't you afraid of the affects on small business pirates, or pirates that go into pirating as independent contractors, only to be forced out by unions? Never mind the effect on the economy, but what about the effects on the environment?
WHAT!!!1!
YOU'RE IN A UNION!?!?!
I'm just goshing ya.
See, I would have responded with "Dan may think he's God" or "God of the Liberals" or even "..the Patron Saint of Pelosi"....
Long weekend has left your rusty, Pirate...
Ok, how?
What makes private charity a hand up instead of a hand out?
"I am all for charity, but I am all against your telling me how charitable I must be"
This statement, right here, is why the government does a better job that private charities. They can only help as much private donations allow. The amount of help they can afford to offer changes from month to month. I think a great example was after 9/11, blood banks were overflowing with donations because everyone wanted to help. Soon afterwards they dropped back to their usual almost empty status.
This is why the government does a better job. It can provide a safety next months after Christmas is over, not just during November, December and a little into January. When times are tough and donations dry up, the government will still be there, with a hand up.
Wait
Are you saying Dan is God?
Post a source or I call BS.
How about the lastest tactic, where someone quotes a random percentage, and then 86.2% of the time it's taken out of context or just made up.
So pirate, share with us where you got this info
A few points
I don't think that all charity must be funneled through the government. I hold that historically, private sector charity can only do so much. I think that both have their place, but the government can bring resources that private charities have no way of getting because we are not charitable enough. And, I also hold that having no safety net and having people die on the streets or living in abject poverty is bad for society as a whole.
And as for this "dependence" they create, any form of charity, public or private, has the ability to create dependence. If you disagree, please, tell me what safeguards private charity have against this?
So, if "Whatever "good" is accomplished by the gigantic check-writing schemes we have now, is swamped by the new dependence they create." is true, they in reality, you're against any charity because the good is outweighed by the dependence it creates.
WHY?
I would like to hear why they should be exempt.
"reasonably well"?
You know, I love how we are a "christian nation", under God, bound by the christian principals of our forefathers, except when it comes to helping the less fortunate and the poor.
You have so bough into the Republican rhetoric that you incapable of seeing that these programs do real good and are not a "excrement sandwich". As a nation, we have come together and said that we need to help our neighbors in need.
In my opinion, it takes more than writing "In God we trust" on our money to make us a christian nation. It takes us acting like Christians, and helping those in need.
Not gonna work.
As a story earlier said, the top 5% of MaineCare recipients make up almost half of the expenditures. And these are the people who require constant care or they will die. SO either you cut back on them, and people start dying, or you will have to cut other programs to the bone to see any serious reduction.
I don't know if there is a way to win here.
Normally
I would jump all over this, but my uncle lives what he believes, and I can respect that.
All I'm going to say is that the Church and it's faithful have to understand that once they venture outside of being a church, and start doing private sector tasks like hospitals and schools, they are subject to different rules.
Just ask
Just ask Dana Dow how energized that base is.
Or how about...
If you reject that you have to be a conservative or liberal because this "us vs them" political discourse only seeks to keep both parties in power, you're smarter than 90% of Americans.
The argument isn't them
We're talking about Newt, not Billy or Jack or Teddy. Your argument is like the car fax commercials where we are saying "Show us the car fax" and you pull out a Car Fox puppet.
Disagree to a point
Jobs are created by demand. "Unobstructed free enterprise" is as bad as unobstructed socialism. One must only look to the mill and meat packing town's history to see that companies are focused on maximizing profits. This is not inherently a bad thing, but it can lead them to treat people like resources, used and then discarded. This is why unions came into being, as a counter to the power of unobstructed free enterprise.
I'm not advocating either. I think we need a balance, and if the current system is out of balance it should be adjusted. But to romanticize laissez-faire policies is silly.
Wow....
Politico is now reporting that some of the results ended p in Charlie's spam folder....
http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/02/maine-gop-says-some...
The Republican party looks like a bunch of idiots right now. How the hell are they supposed to create jobs when they can barely master email.
Republican's panicking
Republican's are trying to get Romney a boost so he can focus on Obama and not on Santorum, Paul and Gingrich. Every dollar they spend attacking each other is one less dollar they spend attacking Obama.
At this point I think the only one with a chance in Paul. He is so constant that there is no real "gotcha" moment. Romney has flipped on so many positions that he's pratically un-electable. Santorum is too conservative for most, and Gingrich is scary/immoral.
Israel has more than 200 atomic bombs?
Israel has more than 200 atomic bombs? Where did you get that figure?
We do the same to those "from Away"
We do the same to those "from Away"
Wow
That's about 8 times an hour.
It works very well.
As a EZ Pass user, I have used the at-speed system in place in New Hampshire, and it works miracles there. It is far safer because everyone can just stay at speed, cursing along with no slowing down or whatnot.
Also, I think the reason they are doing it at Gray is to test it for other areas. Gray doesn't have a ton of traffic, so they can work the bugs out first there and try it out.
I just have one question
I just have one question:
If Mitt opposes this so vehemently, why does RomneyCare(The Massachusetts Healthcare law Romney signed in 2006) have the exact same requirement?
I think adult ed is in a
I think adult ed is in a different category in that the people in adult ed and their voluntarily, where as with kids it is compensatory. I think the biggest advantage that iPods can bring is a more customized, interactive education. By customizing the educations to progress instead of goals, you will lose less students. And the interactivity of the lessons will keep active minds involved.
And iDevices are fantastic for having such a shallow learning curve. My son started using them when he was like 2½. He’s learning to read now(4¾ years old) , but can navigate a iPad without issue. Heck, he asked us for Christmas for angry bird slippers. I said “I don’t know if they make them.” He then navigated to the Angry birds store and showed me. WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO READ.
However, I think it’s all for naught, as I doubt they can get the money to keep this going. I would love if they could figure a way to do this, and as a Auburn taxpayer, I would be willing to pay the increase to fund it because I think the results even took me a little off guard. But it isn’t going to happen.
baby steps man.
You can't change education overnight. While I agree that the current system is outdated and needs re-examination, I think that communication is key to education, and that the very best form of communication is face to face. I don't think you can replace that with technology.
It's a shame.
It's a shame to see what benefit the ipads can have knowing that it is a one year project. I mean, I don't see them being able to pull a rabbit out of their hat this year.
I do think we can get ipads into the schools, but it would take some planning, such as replacing textbooks with ipads and cutting down on supplies used, ect....
But I don't see that happening.
Keep up the good work, Mr
Keep up the good work, Mr Payne
Yes, poor business climate.
I love how on one hand you complain of the poor business climate, then argue about maintaining it by preventing companies from creating jobs and investing in the state. And the reason we have crazy electrical costs is that we are paying for a nuclear reactor that was shutdown too early, way before it was paid off because no one wanted a nuclear reactor in their back yard. Had the state stood up to the NIMBY's in Maine, we would still be getting power from Maine Yankee, and rates would be lower. The same point goes for wind. I'm not saying we should be mandating any green power, but if someone buys the land and wants to make a wind farm, I am all for it. If you don't want to let them, buy the land off them.
And lastly, I'm not disparaging Sunday River. I just don't want a tourism based economy. That's a formula for stagnant growth and low wages. There is a reason the best and brightest go south, and I want to change that. But that wont happen if the only jobs available to our kids are low paying service industry jobs that dominate the tourism economy.
I have been to eia.gov
And I think the more important figure is the cost per kilowatt.
First, these are levelized costs, meaning that they have removed any benefit from tax credits or whatnot. Now, as it stands, Wind is comparable to Coal, and only a little less than hydro. It beats the pants off of nuclear and the other green sources.
I'm not saying you can replace everything with wind. I think installing more hydro plants where you can is a better idea. But I think wind has a place, and I challege anyone to cite evidence to prove that wind is a bad idea.
And I want reputable sources. You start citing studies from wind-watch.org or windtaskforce.org, I will just ignore them. I want peer reviewed studies.
Really?
Umm, sorry, but Wikipedia is pretty fair about such stuff. How about this, post you info here. I have been challenging those who oppose windpower to prove to me it's not a NIMBY thing. My only requirement to read it is that it must be peer reviewed.
So Maine is just tourism?
I don't want to kill Maine. I want Maine to thrive, which mean developing other industries other than tourism. Maybe I want more opportunities for my kids in state other than to be a ski lift operator at Sunday River. I dunno, I'm just silly that way.
That's half the reason we're in the budget mess we are - when times get tough, the first thing that takes a hit is tourism. We need an economy based less on tourism and more on growth industries.
Hey, you have a better idea for new industries to bring to the state? If not, is your view worth killing the state over, because we are dying a slow death. The state is only getting older, and my generation has left the state in droves because the only industry is tourism. Faced with that, most head south to New Hampshire and the Boston area for much better prospects.
So why do YOU want to kill the state?
This si why 80%+ favor wind mills.
See, you side might have some good points that could sway some people. But you come out saying "All will be shattered when the ridges to the south of these ponds are blasted away and leveled and dozens of 459 foot tall wind turbines dominate viewshed"
That to me screams "NIMBY" and not "Wind mills are not a viable alternative". And when I hear "NIMBY", I think "Too bad, get a new back yard"
I've said this a few time - show me a peer reviewed study saying these are harmful or inefficiency. Otherwise, your just wasting your time.
No Ptrob =)
Feel free to delete this
Disagree? GTFO
There is nothing to disagree with.
Here is the the notice:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_01062012.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| Upcoming Changes to the Household Survey |
| |
| Effective with the release of The Employment Situation for |
| January 2012 scheduled for February 3, 2012, population controls |
| that reflect the results of Census 2010 will be used in the |
| monthly household survey estimation process. Historical data |
| will not be revised to incorporate the new controls; consequently, |
| household survey data for January 2012 will not be directly |
| comparable with that for December 2011 or earlier periods. A |
| table showing the effects of the new controls on the major labor |
| force series will be included in the January 2012 release. |
| |
| Also effective with the release of The Employment Situation for |
| January 2012, the questions on race and Hispanic or Latino |
| ethnicity in the household survey will be modified. The minor |
| wording changes in the questions are not expected to affect the |
| estimates. |
| |
| In January 2012, the Census Bureau, which conducts the household |
| survey, began a year-long process of reorganizing its regional |
| office structure. For more information on these Census Bureau |
| changes, see www.census.gov/newsroom/pdf/General_QAs_FINAL2.pdf. |
| Both the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) |
| will monitor survey operations during the transition period. No |
| impact on the employment and unemployment estimates from the |
| survey is anticipated from this organizational change. |
| |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Typo
Building a new station near Exit 80 would extend the four-minute response south to include much of Danville, the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport and the southern business parks.
Look, I'm Dan now!
The numbers in December were artificially inflated.
The numbers in December were artificially inflated compared to January 2012. The reason is the numbers in December were still using the 2000 Census data, whereas the January 2012 uses the 2010 Census data. This happens every 10 years, there has to be a cut over, and the Bureau off Labor Statistics put out a notice like always.
But it easier for Democrats to just pretend the numbers line up and its easier for Republicans to point out the numbers don't make sense when compared to earlier numbers and claims the democrats are messing with the numbers.
so many will roll into
so many will roll into Walmart at midnight with a fully charged EBT card and roll out with a buggy overflowing with way more food than any family could possibly eat in a month
Or maybe they are just shopping for the month because it's not easy to get a car to go shopping or whatnot.
Anyway, I agree with having tighter controls on the money. Make it stay on the card, and make it only usable at markets.
Two things:
One - DONT imply you have a gun. Rip off one of those pockets, and rivet a holster on there. Gun on that bad boy and no one is going to be asking you "Be a dear and get me a cup of coffee."
Two - Did you do as your told and get that man some coffee?
My solution
I think the problem is the House, and I don't mean that because it's Republican controlled. With 2 year election cycles, they are always have to be playing politics, whereas the Senate can take the high road.
So I think we should get rid of elections for the House.
So who do we put in there? I say RANDOMLY select people from an eligible pool. Then the House would truly be the people's house.
Many problems
The thing is, while there are compelling arguments, you don't want to make things worse.
Example - Get rid of bad teachers. Yes, I want to get rid of bad teachers. But how do you measure bad teachers?
Grades? - A bad teacher will just fake it or make test ridiculously easy. Bad teachers may also try and find a way out of teaching to bad students, like saying they have a learning disability. It's hard to gauge performance when the people have to work to change a living, breathing person who may or may not cooperate.
See, it's not easy, and I can see why teachers fight this.
Another example - The schools of choice part. Again, not a bad idea, but it has the possibility of killing schools. Your going to shift resources from schools already having trouble to better schools. The problem is if your stuck at a crappy school, it's going to get MUCH MUCH worse.
No
Welfare is based on income, not on taxes.
Besides, lets say the city decided "Awww, what the heck, lets give the schools $2 million dollars", that would translate to about a $90 ANNUAL increase in taxes. If that put you in the poor house, then alot of thing have already gone wrong for you, and you were probably going to be on welfare anyway.
The photos serve a point
My point is that wind turbines do not destroy nature.
Fair argument
That's a valid point. However, does that mean you wouldn't have a problem if another company was building/running the wind turbines?
Well, you replied twice.
Well, you replied twice - including an analysis of my use of communism.
They were meant to lighten the mood. I seriously want to discuss this, as if I'm missing something, I am man enough to admit. After it got heated yesterday debating with Frank, I decided that I was falling pray to trying to win the argument instead of get to the truth.
So this is my way of keeping a more open ear.
So Sad
So Sad for my heart
No Replies for my Haikus
Not even disagree
Really?
Ok, unless I'm missing something, this whole problem relates to First Wind joining forces with Algonquin because they needed some cash, but that would violate the Maine power deregulation law.
Did I miss the mark?
HAIKU!
Silent Guardian
Protect us from Oil cartels
Spinning blades of freedom
Electricity
Life blood of America
All thanks to First Wind
Communists hate wind
It’s too pure for evil hearts
Go America!
It's about time
It's about time you came around pirate. Now you get it!
Some light reading
http://www.canwea.ca/pdf/talkwind/Wind_Turbine_Sound_and_Health_Effects.pdf
Their conclusions:
There is nothing unique about the sounds and vibrations emitted by wind turbines.
The body of accumulated knowledge about sound and health is substantial.
The body of accumulated knowledge provides no evidence that the audible or
subaudible sounds emitted by wind turbines have any direct adverse physiological
effects.
Their words, not mine.
Bottom line
Listen, I consider myself open to differing viewpoints. And if Wind Mills are a significant problem, then I have no problem with eliminating them.
But every study I have seen from government sources(be they US or UK) says this isn't a big deal and that the issue is more that people are annoyed by them, which leads to stress and aggravation.
If thats all you got, I'm sorry, I'm not going to take your side. Show me soemthing!
That said, I wrote some Haiku's about windmills.
(Yes, it is to goad you. I want to see proof of your claims)
So Gently Spinning
Powering America
Windmills are freedom
Fukushima Plant
Your Radiations kills all
Windmills emit no rads
Soaring through the sky
The blades of windmill power
Like the Eagles wings
Really?
Funny, I just posted how if someone can show me peer-review evidence, I'll read it, and maybe even change my mind. This is because I am open to logical discussion.
Then there's "are the modern day equivalent of Chinese Water Torture" arguments. It's hyperbole. You might as well compare the windmills to Hitler and the Nazi's.
I'm not saying the other side isn't biased....
I'm not saying the other side isn't biased, what I'm saying is that "5000 feet directly in front of my front door" has more to do with your passion than anything else.
How about this - show me a peer-reviewed study, and we can talk. I still may not agree, but I am open to logical debate.
Destroying?
They are destroying?
Here's a picture from Mars Hill:
OMG - destroyed!
BTW - here is what destroyed looks like:
The facts
The fact of the matter is that most people live near other people in more urban environments. You know whats louder that a windmill? Just about everything in Auburn. Be it the neighbor's dog, the randoms cars driving about or the sounds of the river, there is tons of ambient noise. And low level vibrations? Seriously?
Here's what the 80% see - you like your pretty view, and don't want to deal with this. So you will grab ANY study or counter viewpoint to make your case. But most of us can see through the BS.
Yo Dawg
I heard you like editorials about editorials, so I put an editorial in your editorial about editorials.
![]()
Most of the Republicans arent bad.
I give credit where credit is due. And I don't outright reject someone due to their party affiliation.
That said, Mr Shields, to make this about party is silly. There are corrupt and double dealers on both sides of the isle.
The majority of Republicans I think haven't been that bad. They have rejected a few of LePage's really bad ideas, so I give them credit.
I would still like a democratic majority just because I prefer when neither party controls both the executive and Legislative sides. Because then compromise goes out the window, and you can end up with one sided laws.
Maybe not that fast
They were going in opposite directions, so even without speeding, the closure rate could have been 70 mph.
Mental note - buy a Volvo, not an Audi.
NIMBY
Any of the arguments here not really center around NIMBY? I mean, we all know why you're against the turbines.
BTW
BTW – Sorry if that came off as really hostile, but I don’t appreciate being called a liar. And the condescending manner you're throwing around your credentials makes me snarky.
Oh trust me, I am enjoying my hangover.
I don’t have a picture of me flying a model plane. I also don’t have picture of me eating, sleeping or pooping.
Yet, I do all them. Believe what you want.
Here is the fact of the matter - +80% of Mainers think this is a good idea. The projects have money behind them that you wont match. So your only hope is to convice people like me that your right. Calling them liars and telling them they don’t know what they are talking about isn’t going to win you votes.
Your right, I have never monitored or done squat with wind turbines. But I know enough to go to source not biased like the Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power. I go to sources like the Department of Energy. Which says by 2016, wind costs per kilowatt should be on par with coal. And that’s without tax credits. Now I know it breaks up your pretty landscape, but that’s life. Buy the land if you don’t want a wind turbine.
Now what I do have a Masters in Business, which I wouldn’t need to know that the more you make of something, the cheaper it gets to make them. This has zero to do with how they work, and 100% to do with how producing ANYTHING works.
I also like to watch tv.
They may not be easily transported, but they are transported. They do make them in a central location and then ship them via rails and road to the location. So economies of scale do apply are are not site specific.
And most tech starts at the industrial level, and as it is perfected, it can be miniaturized and made simple enough for residential use. I know you install home hydro generation. Was that pioneered at the residential level? Nope. Computers? Nope. Internal combustion? Nope.
And just because your certified to install wind turbines for home use doesn't mean your an expert on industrial wind generation or the economics off it. I can fly model airplanes, doesn't mean I'm a pilot.
Effeciencies of scale
First off, I'm pretty sure we're not talking about private home energy generation, so your example really doesn't fit.
Also, the efficiencies I'm talking about are economic in nature. The more turbines we make, the cheaper they can be because the fixed costs in production will be more spread out. Just like the example with Ford, once they got an assembly line churning, the price of cars dropped.
And your right, you can't rely on wind. Wind is a bonus. It's use would be lighten our usage of sources like NG.
Your link is broke.
Dan is right about your link. It's probably cached in your browser, hence why it's still showing up.
Had this argument with you before
Good morning Frank,
(Trying to be cordial, cause last night was rough on everyone)
The reason I support wind power is that it is an emerging technology. While there are deficiencies now, I believe that wind power can be an efficient supplement to other power generation(Such as NG), but that the only way we are going to get to that point is to subsidize the technology and building efficiencies of scale to drive costs down.
A good example is cars. The first "Horseless Carriages" were far less efficient than horses. But they were perfected, and efficiencies of scale started to make them most cost effective. Once Ford started assembling them en mass, the day of the horse was over. The same will hold true for wind power.
I CAN USE CAPS TOO!
You remind me of Jenny McCarthy's group - light on solid facts, heavy on caps lock.
Umm, no
"He knows higher rates won't bring in more revenue"
No, I think he thinks, like many people like myself, that if there is a equilibrium point where higher taxes stifle growth to a point they don't lead to increased revenue, we are below it.
Let me ask you this:
Let me ask you this then: If this has "little or no influence at all over any aspect of labor", why are Republicans pushing so hard for this?
Seems to me there are much better things to do than pick a fight over something that is "trival".
LePage is a horses patoot
You know, the republicans must just love this guy. I mean, he's doing everything he can to make sure in November that democrats have a very fruitful election.
This is stupid.
All this hullabaloo over unions. It's a load of BS. Only 6.9% of all private sector jobs are union. So this won't make a lick of difference in attracting new businesses.
Nope, what they are looking to do is cut into public sector jobs, to undercut them and weaken their position. 37% of public sector jobs are union. Scott, knock it off. Trying to make this off as a jobs bill is just wrong.
It's amazing
It's amazing what you have money for when your not wasting it on gift cards
Well, take your ball and go home then.
Well, take your ball and go home then. What I'm arguing about is if the only reason you are against this is that it is called marriage, that's just juvenile. The only reason I debate this is to find the people who same sex marriage makes them uncomfortable, get them to confront that, and maybe convince them it's not the end of the world. But if you're only reason to deny someone something so fundamental is because you don't like what it's called, then I don't want to waste my time with you either.
Semantics
So you want to give them all the rights of marriage but just not call it marriage. That's just semantic bs. The second you give it a different name, you open the door to it being shredded. Laws provide protections to married couples, not union-ed couples. You have to remove every distinction between opposite sex and same sex marriages or someone will start passing laws affecting only one.
Besides, the defining purposes of marriage is not procreation. People never needed help procreating. They needed help raising the kids. Families, which marriage creates, is the purpose and the solution to needs procreation creates.
Don't be dumb.
They don't have the right to marry a partner of the gender, which is what they want.
The difference?
This is the difference between following and leading. As a Senator, he has the luxury of being able to vote against it and rail on leadership for it's failure to spend within it's limits.
As President, he has to do what's best for the country, which is raising the debt ceiling because not doing so would be catastrophic.
Hmmmm......
Pirate, that's not right either.
Rich is being in the top 1%, which is $250K a year.
Lets not be extreme either way.
A request
Could the sun journal put an option to just ignore Dan? I mean, the editor here is suggesting increasing taxes to pay for social spending, and Dan thinks that means the editor is conservative. I mean, what's left wing leaning then? Advocating actually killing the rich and using their bodies as compost at communal farms?
No
What about religions that marry homosexuals? In their religion it is just as sacred an institution. What makes one religion's rule better than another's?
This is why this can't be about religion, or it shouldn't be. Because different religions have different definitions of marriage, the state's version has to be free of religious interpretations or implications. The state need marriage so that a family can be defined. Spouses get to make choices for each other, and their kids that single people do not. They get benefits, like insurance coverage and tax breaks that single people do not.
That's what this is about. No one is seeking to make your religion accept gay marriage. This is about making it easier for homosexuals to have families. Whats wrong with that?
Times change
Current Polls show support @ 54%. And while it may be a cold hearted way of phrasing it, this vote is a war of attrition. Most younger people are in favor of it. Most older folks are not. Old folks, however, have a tendency to die off, where as more and more young people turn 18 everyday.
It will pass, it's just a matter of time.
?
From the sounds of it, the father did it. And it is against SJ's posting policies to post threats or even wishing harm on someone.
So I was just pre-censoring myself
There is Clem.
What limits what can be on the ballot is the amount of signatures they can get. If there isn't a decent amount of public support for an issue, it will never make it onto the ballot.
**Comment Censored to prevent violating SJ's policies**
Man, someone needs to **Comment Censored to prevent violating SJ's policies** and then **Comment Censored to prevent violating SJ's policies** until he **Comment Censored to prevent violating SJ's policies**
No.
"Barney Frank, who “rolled the dice” in the U.S. housing market."
I've heard this from many Republicans trying to blame the housing crisis on Democratic "big Government" policies. Knock it off. This is an example of looking for a way to make the facts fit your argument. \
The Housing crisis was caused by bad oversight and greed.
I'm listening
I'm listening, but all I'm hearing is BS.
No, I'm calling BS
If it's someone elses opinion, why did you bring it up? If it's a opinion you don't agree with, then why use it? If I think someone is wrong, I don't quote them to support my point.
As for forcing the issue, it's not being forced. It's a vote. It's the exact opposite of forcing, as everyone gets a voice in the matter.
Lastly, your wrong marriage is about procreating. It's about creating a family. As someone with 2 kids, the procreating part doesn't last that long, and what's important is making a family. Marriage does that. And as you said, your not against homosexuals adopting kids, so don't you think it's in everyone's best interests to have stable families?
2+2 =1
First you said:
"Did you not read what I said? Can you understand I have gay friends or family and have NO judgement towards them."
But then you say :
"It forms opinions to straight people in a rural state that gays are freaks and not equals. Straight people do not trust that gays can raise children properly after seeing gay men in gay pride parades wearing outlandish costumes and looking like freaks"
Which is it?
Are Civil Unions good enough?
" Straight people don't want to see freaks in lime green garter belts with foam rubber penises dancing around like mental ward patients in the streets."
Nobody wants to see that, but that's immaterial to the argument.
I said it in this thread - If Civil unions are the equal to Marriages in everything but name, thats is infantile that you would deny someone so important pure because of symantics. And if they are not equal, then Civil Unions are not good enough.
ULTIMATE SIN!
BACON WRAPPED SCALLOPS.
MMMMMM, ultimate sin
The bible is funny.
"For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him." (Leviticus 20:9)
"But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you." (Leviticus 11:10)
"They (shellfish) shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination." (Leviticus 11:11)
"...and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7)
"Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." (Leviticus 19:27)
These rules are all from the same book as
"If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:13)
Your right on one thing.
Your right in that there is nothing you can say to convince me that not allow homosexuals to marry is not a judgement against homosexuality. Because there is also nothing you can say that will convince me that 2+2=1
The Civil Union argument is BS
The Civil Union argument is BS. If you're for civil unions as an alternative, either they are lesser than Marriages in the eyes of the law, which isn't good enough and discriminatory. Or they are equal, in which case you have denied people rights based purely on what it's called, which is just evil.
Hmmm.
Well, if our forfathers stopped when they were told no, they wouldn't have dumped all that tea into Boston Harbor.
And Blacks would still be slaves.
And women wouldn't be able to vote.
No, I'm pretty sure ignoring No is what makes the country great
One - At no time I said you
One - At no time I said you were a bigot.
Two - "Can you understand I have gay friends or family and have NO judgement towards them." You have judged them. You have judged their preference to be lesser than yours.
Three - If you can't take the heat, maybe you should re-think your stance. You have every right to oppose gay marriage. And I will fight tooth and nail to preserve that right. The flipside is that the other side has every right to ridicule you for your stance.
You may not hate them, but...
You may not hate them, but you obviously have no problem with them being discriminated against. You are in favor of denying them the right to marry whom ever they choose. So of course they are going to be hostile towards you.
Go time.
"After the bitterly divisive campaign of 2009, in which Maine people clearly and decisively voted against changing the meaning of marriage..."
53% to 47% is "clearly and decisively"?
It will interesting to see LePage's reaction. He'll probably outlaw rainbows.
The problem
"We don't, however, have to like seeing that tax money spent to support those who choose to live off of public assistance because they are too lazy to work"
There will always be people who take advantage of charity. That doesn't mean you get rid of charities. You try and get rid of the cheats, but acknowledge that charities provides a valuable service. The same applies for government assistance. There are people that abuse it, but it provides valuable services.
"Tells it like it is"?
I agree that Maine needs to take steps to reign in spending, but half of what comes out of LePage's mouth is crap. While you may like the fact he doesn't avoid questions and is very blunt, the reason politicians are vague and non-committal is because running a State or Nation is a complex matter, and nothing is as simple as "If we don't have this fixed, I'm gonna close schools" solution. And I don't think LePage understands that.
As Abraham Maslow postulated in Maslow's Hammer: "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail".
There is no excuse
Smoke detectors are cheap and can save lives.
Ernest - I have a question, and from the looks of your profile picture, you might know this. My house has hardwired smoke detectors. How long are they good for? I know they still work because when I get a little too zealous cooking, they tell me about it.
But I was wondering if there was maintenance for them and/or a time to replace them.
FYI - I don't trust them, so I also have battery operated ones that are for smoke/CO2.
Fine, keep being a joke.
Call people names, and just keep on railing on LePage for everything. Just know that people will see you as an extremist and a joke.
So you admit he tried to get
So you admit he tried to get more help for those affected by Li-Heap cuts? So he did something. The problem is that there is only so much that can be done. Faced with the shortcomings in DHHS, there is no money to save those people.
But when you fail to give him even a little credit, and blame him for everything, it looks like your just blindly railing at him. It cheapens your whole argument.
Pick your fights. Make them count.
Dan, no
Dan, just knock it off. When you blame LePage for everything, in effect, you're blaming him for nothing.
1. Heating assistance has nothing to do with this editorial
2. The cuts were federal, not by LePage
Same plan as Auburn Ward 2?
Auburn Ward 2 votes at the Auburn Middle School. I assume they just make due somehow.
Why?
Why is the State of the State the same day as the State of the Union. There is only so much bullshit I can take in a day.
How?
"Shame on the Sun Journal, and the rest of the news media, for vilifying this remarkable woman."
How is she remarkable? She can cook?
"I survived the winter of 2011-12 with no government help."
...or you could move to where it isn't cold.
Now, I'm not shivering, but "I survived the winter of 2011-12 with no government help.". Can I have a medal too? I mean, I don't need help but if your giving away medals for doing that, I would love one.
Now, I also have been surviving winters with no government help for many years. Can I get backdated medals, or is it only for this year?
Just...Just... wow.
I missed that comment. Wow, LePage is a donkey pit.
Technincally...
It's not in the Constitution. It's in the Second Amendment.
Wrong Marc.
First off, the founders, much like us, were divided about the power of Government. Federalist, like George Washington and John Adams, wanted a powerful Federal Government. This was because the government under the Articles of Confederation was so weak that it was useless. However, democrats like Jefferson were worried about excessive power, and wanted defined limits placed on Government.
Secondly, re-read the Constitution. It grants powers, but DOESN'T limit the Government's power. The limits come from the Amendments. That is where Jefferson made his mark.
Third, the government isn't forcing you to own insurance. You just have to pay a fine if your don't. The government doesn't make you buy clothes, but will fine/arrest you for being out in public without them.
Obviously, Kids can't vote.
Every cut he has proposed has been to programs for Kids. That bugs me alot. If Maine is going to have a future, we need to invest in kids. We already have enough trouble in this state to attract young couple. You start slashing programs, and forget it. I understand cuts have to be made, but that they are all to kids programs seems like he is pandering to seniors.
Why does LePage hate children?
Wow, every cut is to programs to help kids.
Man, why the f did I stay here? I went to school in Rhode Island, I could have easily stayed there or in southern New England. I had job offers all over Mass. But I wanted to come home to Maine to raise a family. But apperently, Maine doesn't give a damn about kids.
Man, I am a fool.
Disagree? GTFO too
This stinks, and I don't mean in a 'Gosh darn, too bad for us'. Kestrel played us. Now we are going to have facitiles tied up with an aircraft manufacturer who only going to be half here. I say boot em so we can find a manufacturer who is going al in with Maine, not just use us to get better funding elsewhere.
Boot em.
Tell em to GTFO. Their name is mud here.
Actually
It's usually not the drinking that gets em killed, it's the driving afterwards.
And I know my parents tried to stop me, but ti's hard to stop a teen who has it in their mind to do dumb things, so I don't like putting this all on the parents.
they don't have to
They don't have to learn on their own, they just do. Because we drew a line in the sand at 21 for some reason, which is a silly number because most kids will drink before then. And there is alot of fear mongering about alcohol use in teens, but the fact of the matter is in Europe, the drinking age is 16 in most places, and the only defect I can see with them is an unhealthy fondness for soccer.
Learning to drink
But thats the problem - kids have to learn to drink on their own. We don't just say "Ok son, your 21 now, you can drive now."
The other part of it is that when I was a kid and I drank underage, the thinking was "I'm already in deep doo doo if I get caught, so laws be damned."
Now here is the part that it's kinda weird to wrap your head around, but is interesting.
If drinking(even getting completely drunk) wasn't illegal, would parents punish it? Instead of kids driving to a party, parents could pick them up, eliminating the driving aspect entirely.
I'm not saying this is the solution, or even a good idea, but clearly the current path isn't working.
Well, we have taken the wrong tact
Kids will drink, I'll give you that. But kids only drink and drive because they need to get somewhere. The goal isn't to drink and drive. I would almost rather have parent be able to host a party with kids getting wasted just so they could keep an eye on it.
Potassium chloride
She needed 1000ccs of Potassium chloride
I truly hate this woman. I'm glad this will hopefully be the last time I ever see her image.
The politics of alcohol is stupid
Kids are going to do stupid things. I don’t care how much you try to protect them, they will do stupid things. Make alcohol hard to get, and kids will just do something else. Whippits, cough syrup, huffing, kids will find a way to kill brain cells.
This is why the politics of alcohol are stupid. Instead of making the alcohol hard to get, we need to put our efforts into prevent the drinking and driving. But that wont work in our society. It’s far easier to blame and punish than to actually take steps to prevent deaths.
Ok, replying to everything:
Ok, replying to everything:
Pipeline – Obama's not against it, but he is against circumventing procedures making sure it’s safe.
Boeing in Carolina - NLRB dropped it suit against Boeing
10% on tanning beds- Really? That’s what you coming with?
Forcing American’s to buy a product (Obamacare)- Not forcing you to buy a product, will just tax you if you don’t have insurance.
10th and 2nd amendment stuff – Too vague, examples please.
So far, I don’t see anything that makes Obama out to be destroying America, but keep trying.
No
No, I don't just mean last month. I was talking about from the high during his first year where we we deep in the recession at 10% to now.
Now answer me this, how is he anti American? Huh? How is he for destroying everything America stands for. You're not thinking logically.
Begin the countdown...
Begin the countdown to the "Liberal Media Bias" defense.
Ignore trying to counter the facts, just kneejerk into "Them libs control the media!"
Hyperbol
How is he destroying jobs? The unemployment rate is dropping, so if he's trying to destroy jobs he sucks at it, and we should keep letting him try.
You may disagree with his policies( I do on many of them), the problem is that Republican's are focused on being anti-Obama. Anything Obama passes, they swear to undo, like Obamacare. "Ok, cool, so then what's your plan to fix healthcare?" "Kill Obamacare"."Healthcare was broken before Obamacare, what's your plan?""Obama's a muslim! Birth certificate!"
The problem is Republican have Obama-itis
It's like the Republican's have a fever, and the only cure is more cowbel...I mean Obama.
Look at the primary results. The number one reason people voted for Romney is they think he can beat Obama. What happened to having ideas? Hmmm? At least Cain had a plan, even though he lifted it from "Sim City". But this obsession with defeating Obama isn't going to cut it with moderate voters. I almost voted for McCain last time(Palin closed the deal for Obama for me), but there is no candidate on the republican side who I take seriously because they all seem hell bent on appeasing the conservative side of the party and their number one concern is beating Obama. And as a moderate, they is one big turn off as I am open to voting for either side, but I want ideas.
A few things
I assume by fed you mean Federal Government(as opposed to meaning the Federal Reserve). First off, I think you have the parties backwards. The Republicans are hell bent on regaining the Oval Office. Now, it is still early and the only real campaigning is for the Presidency, so that may be it. But this is the first time that I can remember that the biggest issue concerning primary voters was getting the current president out. Not creating job, improving the economy or anything like that. Just getting the current president out.
And the issue the Sun Journal seems to be objecting to is that LePage wants to force through cuts that are will change. If the current cuts get voted through, and then the CMS says no to a waiver, those cuts will have to come from somewhere else. He'll end up decimating programs he doesn't like, taking cover behind the argument "We don't have a choice, the cuts have to come from somewhere...Obama made me do it." while in reality, it would have been a self made problem.
This whole thing make me want to see where the $200 million shortfall is coming from even more. I want to make sure this isn't another self made problem.
No and No
No, we weren't looking for an argument, we just expect a response similar to the "Obama is evil" letter to the editor, just from the other side.
And this isn't an old issue. The newsest part is that the federal government didn't confirm what LePage said he was told, so it looks like he's being less than truthful.
....waiting
Come on guys! I'm waiting here.
I mean, have you accepted defeat?
That's crap
I'm not looking for facts, just some substance as to why he thinks the way he does. Otherwise, this is just him complaining.
Grabs popcorn....
It's always fun when the SJ picks a fight.
Well, obviously
Well, obviously i'm not saying she should be jailed purely based on what is in the Sun Journal. I think she should have a trial and be it a jury or judge, sentence her appropriately. My comments were aimed more at people in the comments asking what good would jail do in this instance.
However, I am comfortable saying she should go to jail based on what I've read. If she was drunk and texting while driving as they have said, her criminal acts resulted in the deaths of others. Now, if she wasn't drunk and texting, thats another thing entirely.
Well, mob rule is how we got
Well, mob rule is how we got our start, lest you forget. And thats how this has to begin. You can't give democracy. People have to force it in. It's gonna be messy, but hopefully productive.
And maybe it was just the holiday rush that triggered hiring, but that's not what I have read. But we will see.
The problem with democracy
The problem with democracy is that we may not like who they put into power. But the new Arab spring democracies need to figure it out on their own.
Iraq is an example that shows we can't just go in there and make it better. Unless we plan on propping Iraq's government up forever, we need to leave and let it stand or fall on it's own.
And the economy is improving. The down is up quite a bit since Obama took office, unemployment is dropping, and all signs point towards recovery. I'm not saying we're perfect, but we are doing a bit better than 2 years ago.
Oh great....
Now someone is going to steal the copper out of Bates #5 and put a smart meter on it.
=)
I try an keep things on a even keel, as the moment you think you have all the answers is the moment you stop looking for them.
Hmmmmm....Verily....
Hmmmmm....Verily....
Hmmmm
That sounds more grumpy than Elitist...
To be fair
She destroyed many lives.
The two people who died and their families.
Her own and her families.
And I agree. I think she needs jail time. How much, I dunno, but really, that's why I'm not a judge.
More seriously
To give you a more serious answer, I'm not looking to destroy the woman's life. But from the sounds of it, she may have been drunk driving, and was texting while driving. So her negligence lead to the deaths of two people. I'm sure she didn't mean to, but she did kill them, and deserves some jail time for that.
Sweet
Does this mean I get to wear tweed jackets and smoke a pipe while saying stuff like "Indeed" and "pip pip, keep a stiff upper lip"
That would be awesome
I didn't say your parrot didn't exist
I didn't say your parrot didn't exist, I only contend that if he is talking to you, and making valid points, it's time to either stop taking drugs and sober up. Or if you are sober when the parrot makes his case to you, it's time to tell someone about it, who will most likely prescribe some anti-psychotics.
Either way, get well brother.
You say you don't do drugs...
You say you don't do drugs... Yet you talk to a parrot. Either your doing too much drugs or not enough.
I thought out of anyone you
I thought out of anyone you would be for having her "Walk the plank"
John 3:19-20
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
I see your point.
With an IQ around 150 and a Master's degree, I guess your right. If I don't see it, then it must not exist.
Grants are not free money.
Grants are not free money. They are for specific things. Like developing the riverfront. And developing the riverfront will create jobs.
Oh great, Mike's high too.
How did Obama make either worse? Iran started developing nukes during the previous administration, and N. Korea detonated their nuke during the previous administration as well. The previous administration started a war in Afghanistan, but didn't bother to finish it.
So tell me, how did Obama make things worse?
Oh Larry
Larry, I don't know how to respond to ya. All you have stated is your opinion, which I find is completely based on irrational fear and few facts.
I would try and convince you that most of what you wrote is untrue, but I doubt that even if Jesus came down from heaven and told you that you're being silly you would listen.
Pirate, stop doing drugs!
Pirate, stop doing drugs! I worry, I don't want you getting the "reefer madness". Because, I mean, you would have to be doing drugs to infer that North Korea, Iran and Afghanistan are problems Obama created. But what should I expect from someone "rocking the ganga".
Of course she should go to jail.
Of course she should go to jail. She killed 2 people. Even if you send her school to school doing a presentation, she should be in shackles with an armed guard. And when she's done, she should return to jail.
Well....
Hell, let's make it a space port. We can have rockets launching every half hour to the moon and mars, and become a hub of interstellar commerce.
I mean, obviously, this letter is a place for dream and not reality. Becuase, in reality, the only thing that makes any kind of sense is tearing the building down. Yes, it's a historic building. But it's also falling apart. If you want to move into the future, sometimes you have to tear down the past.
Hmmm
Yes, those sites seem to be unbiased sources... Have them submit their findings to the Maine PUC. If they can back up their claims, the Maine PUC will take action...
Yawn.
1. The amount of RF is less than you get from standing next to a wireless phone or wifi device. You get more RF from a cell phone. Plus, you have a wall that limits it even more.
2."headaches, dizziness, insomnia, fatigue, nausea and heart palpitations"- These symptoms can be attributed to millions of causes, including freaking out needlessly about smart meters.
Backstory
Ok, here's the backstory-
Santorum compared homosexuality to bestiality. So a online blogger, who felt that that Santorum was being a jerk, held a contest to come up with a new definition for Santorum. Plus, with the attention it raised, it is now the number one link for Santorum.
Just looked it up
See, this crap is why politics is so messed up.
ABC news covered the White House response to the blog's FOIA request for the bill for the trip in question. Read it here:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/10/wh-says-judicial-watch-wron...
Example - Taking things out of context. The Air Force catagorizes people by where they sit and what they have access to. The daughters were obviously with the Senior Staff, so that's how they were listed:
Judicial Watch says that Sasha and Malia Obama are listed as “Senior Staff.”
Not true, says the White House.
“The Obama daughters were not listed as Senior Staff – that only designates the area of the plane where they were seated,” says the official. “The Air Force categorizes the passengers by compartment on the plane.”
I mis-spelled
Santorum
LOL
Google Santorium.
NSFW
More info needed.
I still want to know how we got to this $200 mil shortfall... I love how on WCSH6 interview with him he claims to be able to solve it, but hasn't released the details of what went wrong.
I would like to know how we got into such a hole. And don't reply with comments blaming either administration. This is an appeal for facts, not supposition.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa - Dec 26
No argument here
I agree that the government has far bigger issues. I didn't waste my time writing to the editor to harp on this.
A Federal Holiday based on a religious holiday.
It's a real gray area. At some point, the Government might have to address the differences between the religious and cultural holidays.
The reason is that not
The reason is that not everyone celebrates Christmas. But everyone celebrates New Years.
Woah there.
I agreed with how your letter started. I do think we adopt an us vs them attitude, labeling things without even understanding them. Far too often, we ready someone's opinion of what a law or budget or whatever will do, and then start arguing about it blindly.
But then you do it yourself. You admit you don't know whats in the budget, but then dismiss concerns held by many purely as fabrications of the "Liberal Media".
Blanket statments like "The answer should not be more taxes." also don't help. The answer is what works for a majority of Mainers. If that includes tax increases, then so be it. The moment you shut a door, your limiting yourself.
Make it the states business.
I think, that if your going to take up the mantle of protecting unborn children, you can't just draw the line at abortions. You have to make sure that the mother has access to care and other benefits free of charge.
And this is the state's business. If life begins at conception, then the state would have already have legislation on the books to protect them:
Title 22, Chapter 1071: CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES AND CHILD PROTECTION AC
22 §4003. PURPOSES
"Recognizing that the health and safety of children must be of paramount concern and that the right to
family integrity is limited by the right of children to be protected from abuse and neglect and recognizing also that uncertainty and instability are possible in extended foster home or institutional living, it is the intent of the Legislature that this chapter:
Authorization. Authorize the department to protect and assist abused and neglected children,
children in circumstances which present a substantial risk of abuse and neglect, and their families"
And the definition of abuse:
"
22 §4002. DEFINITIONS
As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following
meanings. [1979, c. 733, §18 (NEW).]
1. Abuse or neglect. "Abuse or neglect" means a threat to a child's health or welfare by physical,
mental or emotional injury or impairment, sexual abuse or exploitation, deprivation of essential needs or lackof protection from these or failure to ensure compliance with school attendance requirements under Title
20-A, section 3272, subsection 2, paragraph B or section 5051-A, subsection 1, paragraph C, by a person
responsible for the child"
So The state has already authorized DHHS to do such things(and hence why they do them).
or...
They can get an abortion.
The original argument was who was going to pay for the 16 years olds to have their babies. I argued "would you rather them get an abortion". So this was a financial discussion, and the bills for getting pregnant don't start once the kid comes out. So any discussion about the finances of this begin from conception.
Now, if you best case scenario is have the kid go full term in a mother who is taking care of her self and then gives the child up for adoption, then you need to make that as attractive as possible. Because alot of people, when looking at a $20K or more(if something goes wrong, bills shoot up) hospital bill, will choose the less than $500 abortion as a solution to an unwanted pregnancy.
You can outlaw abortion, but since miscarriages make it that you will most likely have a hell of a time proving anyone did anything on purpose, you can't stop people from aborting their pregnancies. If you are serious about stopping abortions and not just making feel good points, you need to be more involved. Society needs to make sure that the baby's home( the womb) is as safe and healthy as they would require from the parents abode post birth.
Definition aside
Definition aside, cuts have to come from somewhere. Yes, I would love to fund everything, but we can't.
Would you prefer no tree?
Go ahead, keep pushing this "war on Christmas" crap. All you're going to do is push Christmas out the door. The Supreme Court already rules in "Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet" that the Government(from Federal to state to local) cannot favor one religion over another. So if it's a Christmas tree, then they will have to put up a menorah, all the stuff from Kwanzaa, a Statue of L Ron Hubbard(Scientology), ect...
So Instead of having to deal with that mess, they will take the same tact that schools do, and allow none of it.
So go ahead, keep pushing
Then when does life start?
"If the child is put in unsafe living conditions" ....
That's the point - if your saying that life starts at conception, then you have to take responsibility as a society for that life, and work to protect it. You have to provide the mother with medical care and make sure she is eating right. Otherwise, it's no different that letting a kid live in a dumpster. Also, giving birth doesn't cost $75 anymore. I read that the average costs of birth are $8,000, but like with my kids, any complications it goes through the roof(I think both of my kids were around $20K because of the c-section)
So it's far more complicated that just "Take the kids away" solution.
?
How does that address the fact that cuts to programs benefiting younger people seem to be acceptable, yet cuts to programs for the elderly are not?
Just the record, I think we need cuts to both, I just hate how it ok to say tough crap to young families whereas you do that to a senior, your being heartless.
I figured you were refering to the SJ
I know there is more than Lewiston/Auburn, but when you refer to the first baby born in Central Maine on a post on the Sun Journal, and the SJ has a story about the first baby born in L/A, you gotta admit, there is a possibility for confusion.
Now, as for adoption/vs abortion - My point is that many people on here are against abortion, but are willing to cut the programs that support the kids during gestation and beyond. If you want my support for making abortion illegal, part of the equation needs to be society taking responsibility for the well being of children by making sure they are taken care of, which will mean taking care of the mothers as well.
Hmmm
First off, how did you even come to those numbers? The story on the front page lists the mother as 28 and the husband/father at 26.
Secondly, lets just say they were a bunch of kids. Would you prefer they got an abortion? That would be the most cost effective solution.
Third - I love how personal responsibility only applies to kids. I mean, if a elder drops the ball, and doesn't save enough, that's not their fault. But a kid messes up and has a baby, then they need to learn about personal responsibility.
I'm not trying to pick on seniors here, but it seems when people talk about about where to make cuts, programs that benefit Generation X and Millennials are first to get cut and any talk about cutting programs for Baby Boomers and Greatest Generation is taboo. Yet, Generation X, Millennials, our kids and grandkids will be the ones who get to deal with this debt that we had no say in accruing.
You ignored my point
You ignored my point that before the government put in a safety net, there was nothing stopping the private sector from providing those same services, and it didn't. Hence why we have a social safety net, because after the great depression, people decided that should never happen again.
Hello McFly
Why? You are wrong. By the very existence of welfare proves that the private sector isn't getting it done. If it was, welfare wouldn't exist because the welfare system is a relatively new concept, whereas people begging in the private industry is as old as Jesus.
But hey, keep fooling yourself. I mean, it not like a lack of regulation let the private sector to take advantage of minorities(slavery) or children(child labor) or women. When the government gets involved it only messes it up.
Well...
Well, with all the arguments you made, I was bound to miss one.
Listen, my biggest point, the only one I really give two craps about is politicizing this. I understand times are tough for businesses, but when you post crap like "It is amazing how the private sector steps up to the plate when the public sector simply can not do it anymore" trying to make this into some sort of knock on the government, it just ticks me off.
It is a happy thing that they got the resources they needed, no need to take a big dump on it by making it a political argument.
I think Hope Haven did one thing right though - Paypal. You want donations, best to get a digital portal to accept donations. I donate to many charities, and all of them are online.
"crack down on those abusing MaineCare..."
Ahh, I love those who say just crack down on abusers. Cause they have been ignoring them up until now.
Guess what? There is no easy solution. If there was, there would be no need for these town halls, the sole purpose of which is to let people vent.
Oh, and remember - the benefits for the 15 year old girl are not for her per se, but for the baby. And I'm going to choose keeping the baby healthy over anyone else for funding 7 days a week and twice on Sunday.
Thats interesting that the
Thats interesting that the American Heritage definition changes...I got mine from dictionary.com.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/private+sector
Also, your business dictionary definition contradicts itself. It the first sentence, it says that the private sector is made up of Private enterprises, which it defines as:
private enterprise
Definition
Basis of a free market capitalist system, it is a business unit established, owned, and operated by private individuals for profit, instead of by or for any government or its agencies.
People are not business units.
Anywho, dictionary wars aside, your argument is still wrong. The private sector(I'm going to use your definition just for arguments sake) almost dropped the ball, and had it not been for the Sun Journal pulling out a Hail Mary, it would have.
Sure, I'll even agree with your original post: "It is amazing how the private sector steps up to the plate when the public sector simply can not do it anymore." You know there are 364 other days of the year it does not and the public sector has to handle the brunt of the need.
Where you see proof that the private sector can do a better job than the Government, I see that once a year, the private sector can save the day.
Try again
1st:
According to the American Heritage dictionary:
Private Sector — n
That part of an economy in which goods and services are produced by individuals and companies as opposed to the government, which controls the public sector.
So no, the "Private Sector" refers to business entities, not individual people.
2nd:
Are you advocating more welfare? Toy Welfare? I mean, as you said, " when the public sector simply can not do it anymore". So obviously it's the responsibility of the government to buy toys for Christmas
3rd:
Knock it off. This is the Sun Journal saying "You people rock". There is no need to make this some sort of debate. I happily donated, and would do so again, but I won't have you making some sort of bs "government is bad" argument out of it.
That's is just BS
Yup, the private sector saved the day... oh wait, no it didn't:
"But last year, Hope Haven received more than $4,000 in cash and donated gifts for its toy drive. This year, it got half that, largely because corporate donations didn't come in as anticipated."
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/city/2011/12/23/hope-haven-toy-drive-desp...
But but but but...Socialism?
A few things
First a question:
"or even the old cold war radar line to boston " refers to what? Every cold war Radar line I know of was E-W(Pinetree line, Dew Line) And all in Canada.
Second of all - read my posts. I think if we can get cheap power from Canada, we SHOULD do that. But you can do that, AND develop wind power.
And we shouldn't use it as a primary source. You need something you can spool as demand increases. Wind can supplement that, but cannot replace that.
And as for the environmental impact, I'm sorry, I'm not buying it. Are you honestly going to tell me its worse for the environment than burning fossil fuels?
Woah, fact overload!
I don't need a Wind installers certificate course to know that, as I said earlier "Onsite power generation is not as cost effective as being on the grid".
My point to Alice was that you can't just spend $3k and be generating power. There is a ton of other stuff, as you illustrate by laying out the numbers.
Or.....
They can just chuck them on the street... Which is already happening.
Co generation is never that easy.
While I don't know enough about solar to really get into it with ya. The numbers I used were from a guy in Greene who the SJ profiled and has a completely off the grid system. However, just doing some goggling for kits show your estimates to be on the low side. I would say your looking at $5k to get up and running with 1kw system. Just the kit is gonna be over $3K, and another$1.5K I think is reasonable to get it installed and working.
Assuming everything goes right, lets say this $5k solar systems knocks $50 off my electric bill. That's 8 years till break even. And that's without any maintenance or repairs.
BTW - 1kw wind kits cost about $2k.
First off, there is a reason
First off, there is a reason not everyone has solar photovoltaic systems, they are plagued by the same issues as wind power. Onsite power generation is not as cost effective as being on the grid. Be it solar, wind, natural gas, whatever. Any gains from no transmission loss are eaten up by maintenance and related costs. Just for Solar, your going to need the panels, batteries, inverters and monitoring gear. From What I've read, $15K+ is a good estimate to get a reliable system going. I don't know about you, but that would take a long time of cost free maintenance to recoup.
And as for power to get everything built and running - What plant doesn't face that? And taking a shot at the workers for having an elevator is certainly the adult thing to do. I mean, you show me a 20 story building without one and I'll eat my hat.
And that report, the NESCOE Request For Information – Transmission Project, is a preliminary report talking about congestion that could be faced exporting power out of Maine if the Wind Projects are all built. How it would be paid for is not mentioned anywhere, and would have to go through the PUC.
Wind
1. Saying that Wind doesn't blow 75% is a blanket statement. It depends on location. Around Mars Hill, the average is around 10 mph.
2. 10-30%(which I don't know if those numbers are accurate) will happen from ANY power generation. It's not like Wind power is the only generation that suffers from transmission loss.
3. Your figure that %5 sucks from the grid is also questionable. I would like to see a source, if you could(not aying your wrong, just saying I want an outside source).
4. Your point 1-4 benefit wind power, but are separate from wind power. Like Reliability Maine. Wind power benefits from a modern bulk transmission system, but so does everyone. Our bulk transmission system is 40 years old, and needs modernization. So to say that wind power is putting a tax hike is a red herring. All the programs make wind power more attractive, but cancelling all current wind programs wont remove those programs from the books.
5."anyone who communes with nature".... Sorry, I don't commune with nature. But I'm pretty sure that fossil fuel power generation are far worse for "ice age old ecosystems" than wind is.
Recess Appointments
Thats all Obama needs to do now.
Lets have an adult conversation.
Here is the bottom line: LePage's imitative to buy hydro power from Canada is a completely separate argument from the debates of the pros and cons of wind power. So, by trying to tie the two together shows you have a clear agenda.
I've had the argument with people about wind power many times, but it boils down to that as we force coal and natural gas to become cleaner, Wind power will become a more cost effective supplement to them. Addionally, the time is now to became a center for wind power development. If we halt all work on wind power in the state, the UMO initive to develop new wind power technology will wither on the vine, and when it does become cost effective, we will lose out on what could become a lucrative industry.
I'm not saying it isn't a gamble. It may never be as cost effective as other power generation, but I think it's a risk worth taking.
Booyah
Chalk up one for the good guys.
Thanks!
BTW - I donated $20 bucks. Then, unbeknownst to me, had my performance review, which I aced. Then I got to go home early, as a perk.
So, donate and good karma will be yours!
The problem with SS
Call it a trust fund, call it whatever, the problem is that this isn’t separate from the government. Never was. And let me ask you this – where you concerned about those who never paid into it what they took out when your parents collected from it? It’s not a retirement account from T Row Price. This is a government program, a welfare program much like Medicare. You have been taxes all your life, and I don’t know about you, but my W2 has always called it a “Social Security Tax”.
It’s funny that most conservatives don’t trust government, nor expect it to do what it says it will except when it comes to social security. Of course they messed it up. Of course your going to see cuts.
Hey, drop the partisan bs for
Hey, drop the partisan bs for s few seconds.
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/city/2011/12/23/hope-haven-toy-drive-desp...
Hope Haven needs help giving kids Christmas presents. Go make a donation. Help kids have a happy Christmas. Heck, if you want to wage a real war on Christmas, here is a chance to really make a difference
Really?
Maybe Obama should go to his magic weather/world machine and turn the dial back down on oil prices.
Oh, and as a former insurance agent, I can tell you that the government does not directly have any part d plans, meaning and deductible and changes in the formulary are due to your part d plan, not the president.
It's pretty simple
How about you go ahead and write it, and submit it to the Sun journal. They may even publish it as long as it doesn't read like your posts do. You sound like you have a vendetta against the Somalis.
Part of the problem
I think a big part of the problem is LePage's attitude towards this type of spending. I'm not saying the cuts aren't needed. They are. But his attitude makes things far worse. Working with both sides of the isle might produce results that don't just throw a whole lotta people to the curb.
Ramming all these cuts through and tackling alot of partisan issues might please your republican base who have long lived under a democrat controlled Augusta. But it will also give those same opponents plenty of fodder come 2012 and 2014. And it wont take them long to roll back all those changes.
So Sad
1. My prayers go out to the family. I hope she is ok.
2. Even if the father didn't do it, to not report your daughter missing for a whole weekend?!?!?
Are you nuts?
They got us into this mess. "Spineless"? Why? Because they compromise? If thats the case, why bother having a Congress. Nothing is going to get done, we might as well not bother.
Kim Jong Il?
Kim Jong Il? Nope, he's dead.
To be fair
To be fair, they do take driving courses. And I don't know what the policy is for using the laptops, but I have always seen them parked when using them.
A few more things:
Well, I can't comment on what the people who applied where you work were asking for, but the standard times for prayer in Islam are at 5 times during the day.
And I give the Somalis a break for one big reason, something you pointed out. " If you went to their country do you think they would change things for you and give you an account to draw from at no expense to you?"
Nope. They would summarily execute me infront of my children. They would then rape my wife, mutilate her, and leave her and my kids to die slowly. The world they grew up in did not prepare them for life in America. It will take at least a generation before they start to assimilate. Just think of early America and the large cities, with Chinatowns, Little Italy, or even Little Canada(a bit more local). It takes time for them to become Somali-Americans and eventually Americans.
And did you ever stop to think the ones driving better cars than you might have bought them without state help?
(Patty, sorry if this crossed a line.)
A few things
One - You ask that they respect your religious beliefs, yet you then mock their religion with the comment "You go to work here you don't get 5 mins. every hour to go pray or a special room to do it in.".
Two - You say that you will always say "Merry Christmas" because that is what you believe. Yet, you get ticked that people say "Happy Holidays". You know there are more than 10 holidays in December, both religious and secular. Again, it's about respect. You can't expect people to respect your beliefs when you won't respect theirs.
Three - Man, have you missed the boat on what Christmas is about. "War on Christmas"? Why must everything be a war? Maybe if you chilled out, and instead of focusing on how everyone is out to get you, focus on spreading cheer and love, you wouldn't notice people saying Happy Holidays. Instead, you would see the happiness your efforts brought.
That didn't format well
That didn't format well
We hear what we want to hear
I know he's dealing with budget shortfalls and whatnot, but I though jobs were going to be his top priority. He is operating under the false assumption that more "Business Friendly" equates to more jobs.
Want an example?
Here is the top 6 vs bottom 6 and their unemployment:
Utah 7 Vermont 5.6
Virginia 6.4 Mississippi 10.6
North Carolina 10.4 Michigan 10.6
North Dakota 3.5 Rhode Island 10.4
Colorado 8.1 Hawaii 6.5
Texas 8.4 Maine 7.3
Maine, for being dead last, looks to be doing pretty good, unemployment-wise
What I'm worried about
I guess it just bothers me that we would look to make up the difference in a federal program that I would put into the "nice to have" category. Cause if it goes away, are we going to have to fund this ourselves?
A couple of things:
1. Yes, I have run out of fuel, but it was more like 10 pm. I went to the gas station, bought some diesel, purged my fuel line(a first for me at that point), and got myself up and running again.
2. I'm not trying to be harsh or a jerk, but how is this different than having a house you can't afford or a car your can't afford? The reason I ask, is other services get cut, and it's almost a matter of pride to LePage. Why not just take the same stance and say "Tough."? Especially since it's not like winter is some sort of surpirse. You know it's comming. I know some people, who looking at their heating bill, moved this fall. They knew they couldn't afford it anymore. Why do we need to save people who can't figure this out?
3. Yes, having cysts removed is the worst health emergency hospitals encounter. I bet you wouldn't give a damn how warm your house is if your having a heart attack or a stroke.
How is that any more of an emergency?
How is that anymore of an emergency that those without healthcare? Hell, at least with healthcare, there is a random element to it. You don't know when you'll have a medical emergency. Heat is a whole different matter. You know you will have to heat your living space from November to March at a minimum. If you can't afford heat, you need to move. Either to a smaller living space or to some place where you don't need to heat.
Damn!
I was hoping for some sort of super overreaction, mostly because I live in Auburn and it would be fun to watch a Supervillian be mayor.
All kidding aside, I could understand getting ticked about someone starting rumors about ones wife.
Citation?
Can you show some of these sources of local media pulling out all the stops? I didn't follow the election close enough to notice any of this rumor mongering or mud slinging.
That said, how is the mayor going to change things for the better? It's not like the mayor has tons of powers and resources to do stuff. Any real changes really have to come from the state level or higher.
A good surprise?
So, your saying he's gonna do something nice, like make a delicious cake? That would be good!
Oh Sun Journal...
....You just made his list.
More Heat?
Arn't you in Hawaii? It must be harsh with the 70 degree christmas =)
Wow
Nothing like the threat of swift retribution to your enemies to start off your "reign" as mayor. Now, I didn't follow the election closely, but doing a search of the sun journal doesn't show anything like that.
Seems silly. Maybe you should focus on the job ahead.
Woops.
I meant to say I'm not saying don't be wary.
I'm not saying be wary. What
I'm not saying be wary. What I'm saying is:
1. Don't invoke Hitler or Nazi Germany. They are an 11 on the evil scale, and if a group is as evil as them, they wont need to be compared to the Nazi's.
2. They are a peaceful Muslim organization. Jihad means many things, and most non crazy Muslims equate it with "Struggle" as in the struggle against evil. I can list all sorts of comments from Christian fundamentalists where they take words and twist the meaning as al Qaeda has done with Jihad. Give them a chance, because we may not agree with what they say, but if we can build ties with a Muslim democracy, it would do wonders in not only fighting terrorism, but our place in world politics.
Your logic is flawed.
Chamberland was the Prime minister when German was already defying the Versailles Treaty. I'm not saying don't watch them, I'm saying that before you compare them to Nazi German, wait for them to at least kill someone, eh?
The reason I posted the juvenile picture was that your response either had to be either purely to invoke a response (i.e. trolling)or your actually comparing the Holocaust to an election. So, I'm supposed to take you seriously, when you cheapen the deaths of millions of people by comparing them to Muslim brotherhood? Hell, even al-Qaeda hasn't come close to Nazi Germany. So, if you can't make your point without invoking the Nazi's, don't bother.
To those who disagree
Until the Muslim Brotherhood kills millions of Jews, comparing them to Hitler is stupid.
Don't be that guy.
Test
Test 1
The problem is
The only trouble is that manufacturing has been the nucleus of the middle class. And with more jobs shifting from middle class manufacturing to service industries, it has resulted in the median income of the United states stagnating while the upper echelons increased, feeding off the globalization that was sending those manufacturing jobs overseas.
I think people need to accept that globalization murdered the middle class. That's done, we really can't go back.
I'm normally one to say give them a break, but
This isn't about giving the Somali's a break. This about responsibility to your job. I can't take months off and expect my job to still be there, why should they.
To be fair
To be fair, I haven't heard of the Muslim brotherhood using strong arm tactics or oppression. Matter of fact, they have been criticized by al-Qaeda for supporting democratic methods and non-violence. They have done lots of relief work and disaster relief.
I'm not saying don't be weary, but give them a chance. Just because they have "Muslim" in their name doesn't mean they are going to fly planes into buildings.
Hyperbole gets in the way
I agree with you that appearance is everything in DC. Can't appear to be giving in, or you get crucified, regardless of the side your on. And the other side will never give you credit for compromising.
The other issue is income disparity. The top 1%(and don't freak out that I'm using Occupy Wall Street terms) has seen their income increase rapidly while the lower 50% has seen income remain stagnant. There are many reasons for this, including manufacturing jobs moving overseas, but it really isn't the fault of the rich. It's an economic decision by business who look at the bottom line instead of what is good for the country. And we are as much to blame as anyone. We run to WalMart to consume Chinese production, only caring about the bottom line. But the rich are an easy target when there is no real easy solutions and we are as guilty as anyone.
Sorry for the double post
Sorry for the double post
Easier said than done
The problem is that to close the loophole you have to go after things that both sides love like deductions.
Easier said than done
The problem is that to close the loophole you have to go after things that both sides love like deductions.
Come on
Really? If you don'rt want to come off as a joke, at least try to use logic and reason. Calling someone incompetent and playing games with their name just makes you look like a fool.
Nope
Yeah, that recent Snopes article was from August, and Immelt has been the “jobs czar” since January. Come-on, there has to be someone else more recent to make the President look bad.
Oh wait, then you harped on Geitner’s tax issues. Going all the way back to 2009. I guess you have been writing this letter for awhile then….
BS
If no one gets canned from this I'll just assume it was intentional.
So what your saying
So what your saying is that LePage is of the same caliber of Governor as Baldy.
You know what, you are 100% correct. LePage is as good as Baldachi was.
They are both equal in incompetence and stupidity.
BTW
Sorry if my grammar sucked. I have been slammed at work, and my brain is on the verge of hitting the eject button in my skull and hitchhiking to Key west.
I can see what they were doing
I thing Public works was just saving money. I mean, it was predicted to be 50's and 60's that week, so I can understand no plowing the heck out of it.
Leave her alone, she's playing the game.
Snowe is facing an election year and primary challenges. Normally, she would be right next to Collins, but she's trying to keep a lower profile so she can get by the Primaries, then she'll be Snowe again. Besides, it wasn't going to pass, so if she voted for it, she would have opened herself up for no gain.
Fairy tales are nice...
I'll cut right to it. There is no lazy attribute your can just check. The forms don't ask "Are you a lazy bum looking for a handout?". If there was a way of doing this easily, it would have been done. But as you acknowledged, there are people who need it and should get it. And separating them from "lazy" people is not easy.
To be honest, there should be a baseline of insurance like Medicare. Then let people customize it like Medicare(medicare advantage, supplimental, ect..). That would reduce costs and I bet would be cheaper than how we are doing it now.
I call BS
While there may be some heckling, and criticism is to be expected, there are no insults or threats.
A couple of things:
1. Are you advocating deporting all the little old ladies in Lewiston who don't speak english? Or is it just Muslims who have no place in your "America". If so, would you be in favor of sending them to relocation camps like we did with the Japanese?
2. Where do you get the figures leading you to say " lay-a-bout outnumber the workers and we are very close to that mark now.".
3.Which would be worse, a system of laws based around Sharia law or one based on Hindu beliefs?
I don't knopw the facts, and neither do you.
Rev. Taylor,
All I can say about this is that I don't know the facts and neither do you. But if the family thinks that's a fair punishment, this might just be a case where the "sexual offender" title is too harsh.
Again, I don't know. But I do know that if someone caused damage to my children, I wouldn't settle for this. SO I think it's best to save the indignation for the Sanduskys of the world.
Actually, much better
Remember, the DJIA was in the 8K region when Obama took office. My 401K is much better. But see, this is my point, you can turn anything around to make the other side look bad. I don't blame Bush for the market crash anymore than I blame Obama for the market issues now.
Even if the President opened up the entire eastern seaboard to drilling, you have to get the equipment there to drill test wells. Then drill test wells, and then find oil. This will take at least a year. Then get the permanent equipment out there, and start drilling. All in all, your talking years to get production online. And without increased refinery capacity, it's all for naught.
I have no problem with extra refineries and working with Canada to build the oil sands pipeline. However, I'm not sure the risk outweighs the rewards of Atlantic shelf drilling, and even if it did, it will take a while for it to make any difference.
Don't foget Bush
That's George H. W. Bush who originally put a moratorium in place.
Besides, I doubt this would have much of an impact in energy independence and the reason it is such a big deal is that this is an election year and Republican's are latching onto anything they can use against the President
Disagree?
So, who ever disagreed, you don't want to know why this stuff was missed?
Not totally disagreeing, but...
I want to know why the numbers are jumping all over the place. A 50 million jump in two weeks is a massive increase, and I want to know why. If they found, as they said, a "combination of factors", I am curious as why such big things went unnoticed. I want it explained as to how they were missed.
It smells fishy.
**golf clap**
Well played.
A few things:
Well, I think the current regs weren't enforced, so I'm not a fan at putting the safety of the gulf on Maine in the hands of an agency that has proven it can't handle it.
I am a fan of Wind power because of all the new technologies, it's far more efficient that other green tech and had far less downside that any other power generation. It wont melt down, it wont cause acid rain, you don't have to worry about flooding, it can't explode.
Don't get me wrong, most green sources should supplement on demand power generation like NG and nuclear. The only problem with Nuclear is that it does have much higher cost per kilowatt that other sources. I honestly think we need to throw our weight behind NG with green supplemental power until nuclear shows it can be cost effective. Hell, one of the reasons our bill is so high is we are still paying for Maine Yankee.
Keep on dreaming
If you think Obama is not getting re-elected, your just deluding yourself. The Republicans are going to tear themselves apart while Obama is fundraising. Who ever manages to escape the Lord of the Files process that is the Republican nomination will then have to face one of the best campaigners/fundraising candidates ever.
You need a McCain, but all you got is a Romney.
Anywho, I think your argument is exactly what the OWS people are frustrated about. Yes, there is less money to be made here that if you manufacture your goods in China. But where does your allegiance lay? Money or America?
It's cool if it's money, but stop wearing a lapel pin with an American flag and spout how much you love America if the bottom line is black and not red white and blue.
Sorry Pirate, thats pretty weak.
Choose one.
"You also don't want to admit
"You also don't want to admit that any kind of alternative energy source is going to take 20 years to get up to speed."
Any source of energy is going to take 20 years to get up to speed. Drilling will take just as long, but hopefully by then we will be heading in a different direction than oil. So opening up the East coast is a gamble with a limited payoff. And ask the fishing industry how they are doing in the Gulf of Mexico. The full damage of the Deepwater Horizon spill wont be fully known for decades.
As for wind power, it isn't as efficient as hydro, but it is closer than you would expect(onshore, not offshore). Efficiency and costs needs to be a primary concern, but it also should be the only concern.
There is no "Old Boys Club"
Not for sexual abuse. Hence why every guy I have talked to about this agrees with me that McQuery should get canned.
That said, you engaged head on with everyone when the confronted you with how you focused on men. Then you quoted statistics on rape, which is unrelated and just muddles the issue, because I have some serious fundamental problems with the way rape is handled and reported, yet I have no issues with child molestation laws.
You also changed rape into violent sexual abuse. That is not the same. That is also why I have a problem with mixing rape statistics with child molestation.
Honey vs vinegar
Your problem is that I'm not part of the problem.
I have always treated women with the utmost respect. Never had sex with a women under the influence, let alone come anywhere close to forcible intercourse. Yet, you point the finger at all men, so you include me and everyone other man here with scumbags like Sandusky. So of course your going to get piled on in here. I will vigorously attack anyone(with words) who groups me with that "person".
That's like saying ever person who has ever had an abortion is a woman. So women need to stop being baby murders.
Ok, calm down everyone.
Ann, keep rape and child abuse arguments separate. Additionally, the only reason the bring up gender is to asses blame.
Demolish it
The fact of the matter is that if there was a feasible plan other than a casino, someone would have run with it.
What the city should do is demo it, and offer the lad free of charge to a proven business or organization along with tax exemptions to lure a company to locate there. It would be expensive, but hopefully the revenue would be offset by the jobs it creates.
Ummm
You're blind if you think sexual deviancy is limited to men.
Frank, I have some problems
Frank, I have some problems with your post.
You quote that these people were driving brand new expensive vehicles and only eating the best cuts of meat. How do you know they owned these vehicles? Maybe they borrowed them. Maybe they fell on hard times after buying the car. Put it this way- They don’t take food stamps as collateral at the Ford dealership.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which provides funding to state welfare programs, requires employment within 2 years of getting on the program. I do believe the support for children doesn’t count though.
Honestly, though, I am far less worried about abuses in welfare. Your picking on the small fish. Without serious reform of the banking and investment industries(like re-enacting Glass Stegall), worrying about welfare fraud is like worrying about a rash on a cancer patient.
I voted for Santa, was that bad?
"Lewiston was the mecca of shoe manufacturing."
Yes, Lewiston WAS the mecca of shoe manufacturing.
Now it isn't. Here's a question, Jenny - How much did you spend on your last pair of shoes and are you ready to double that?
I was refering to Bush.
Notice how everything I said was in past tense.
Hyperbole at it's best
He did not give them everything they wanted, and they didn't get everything they wanted.
And subways ride on the third rail, that's it's source of power. If you don't understand how subways work in regards to the third rail, you probably shouldn't use it in an analogy
Just dumb.
First off - you can't destroy his presidency. With the senate controlled by democrats, you at best, can deadlock the government. If that's your idea of success, then no wonder you want to destroy Obama.
No, what we need is cooperation and compromise.
And by saying Obama's presidency is America's third rail, are you saying that it powers America just like the third rail powers a subway? Or do you mean if you touch his presidency, you die?
Guilty
My grammar in the morning is bad as well =)
Bottom Line - It was a bad law.
Say what you will, but it was a bad law. It was trying to make an end run on what constitutes residency. If you don't want students voting because you don't consider them residents, that's a fair point, to be debated and considered. But your going to need to amend the Maine Constitution.
Because that's hard, and would most likely fail, they tried to take a short cut. However:
1. It wouldn't stop same day registrations, just make them go through a provisional ballot system where privacy and accountability issues were not addressed
2. Since this make the residency issues more documented and deliberative, it was going to make for alot more work for city clerks following elections.
3. The premise that it was to prevent fraud was proven false and undercut the measure from the get go.
What argument?
You just seem to be insult democrats accusing them of shirking their civic duty. Make an argument, and then maybe someone will respons with more than pot shots about your grammar.
Yeah, gotta agree there.
Some mighty fine journalism there, Lou.
Marriage equality
Barely lost, and it's coming back in 2012
Not only did the younger generation pay less....
But our forefathers saw fit to allow the politicians to spend their Social Security savings. Now, I can understand that with the Soviet threat might make that a lot less of a issue, but the fact of the matter is you let them get away with it. And to then shirk your role is Social Security insolvency is aggravating. I don't want retirees to end up living in poverty eating cat food, but I also don't want my generation and my kid's generation to bear previous generations bad decisions.
The big problem:
He doesn't know. Both sides can quote facts and figures, but until the receipts are tallied, you can't know how much the government will take in from a tax plan. Even in the best of times, the economy is unpredictable. Add to that a whole new tax code and the loopholes that usually accompany tax changes, you have a recipe for disaster.
No, any tax changes must be gradual in nature. so the 999 plan is too dangerous to pass.
Why don't you run another commercial
You know, the ones full of lies in an effort to confuse the truth. When I first saw the add, I was like "How the f is this related to same day registration?" Then I remembered who was responsible, and just ignored it.
Yeah......
Hears how I see this breaking down:
Snowe gets the GOP nomination, Snowe wins election
Snowe loses GOP nomination, runs as an Independent, wins the election.
Actually....
You can blame President Bush and the 110th congress for passing the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
I'm not a fan of CFLs. I like LEDs better. Safer too.
That said, I think requiring lightbulbs to be 25% more effecient(which is why incandescents are out) is stupid. People should be able to choose to waste power or not. Just like people should be able to choose to register the day of an election unless there is a good reason not to allow them. I have yet to hear one.
Do you agree with that?
Do you think the old bulbs should be banned?
Ahhh
Yes, don't make any real point, just insult the other side. That way, you don't have to answer any of my points.
But, from the last letter discussing it, here's a list of Republicans(I say republicans because democrats are for same day registration) who used it. Would that make them lazy, apathetic or are they trying to game the system?
Governor Paul LePage
Lance Dutson, chief executive officer of the Maine Heritage Policy Center
Sen. Garrett Mason, Lisbon Falls
Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello, Poland
Rep. Bernard Ayotte, Caswell
Rep. Eleanor Espling, New Gloucester
Rep. Patrick Flood, Winthrop
Rep. David Johnson, Eddington
Rep. Aaron Libby, Waterboro
Rep. David Richardson, Carmel
Rep. Amy Volk, Scarborough.
Democrats aren't against it
I mean, that would be like calling out a hippy for smoking grass or GE for not paying it's taxes.
The problem
The problem, as I see it, is that the republican motives seem to be to disenfranchise, not to protect the integrity of the vote.
Now, disagree with me if you want, but I will present my reasons, and please, if you can, refute them.
As said above, the fraud accusations are baseless, and there is no provisions requiring residency checks, so there is no mechanism to force extra fraud checks if you register ahead of time. The only time this law does try and prevent fraud is subject ballots and the voters who cast them without registering prior to the three day limit to far more scrutiny. You can vote without registering three days ahead, but you have to use a provisional ballot. You have to submit all sorts of extra paperwork to try and prove your residency. The town clerk must then go through the provisional ballots and approve or discard the ballots based on the paperwork submitted with the ballot.
The problems I have with this system are numerous.
1. Widespread fraud is committed far in advance. If you search for voter/registration fraud, these were all done far in advance of three days. And without law to take advantage of the period between registration and voting, any claims that one is trying to prevent fraud seem false.
2. Provisional ballots are not secret. There is data connecting your ballot to you. That is not acceptable. If it's ok to tie a ballot to someone, we should do it for everyone. That would be the best way to eliminate fraud. You can't just do it for some, and not for all.
3.Republicans intentions are suspect. After the fun with redistricting we just went through, alot of people are questioning Republican motives. And when you see other republicans like Speaker William O'Brien of the New Hampshire state house calling college kids voting behavior "foolish" and ridiculed them for voting "liberal", it makes it really suspect.
(Link to the story about the speaker)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/03/video-foolish-college-kids-j...
So I tend to try and give the benefit of the doubt, but each time I have with this administration/legislature, I regret it.
Disagree?
I've decided I love the disagree button now. It means you don't like what I'm saying, but you are powerless to refute it.
Alex, I'll take people who have used same day registration...
Governor Paul LePage
Lance Dutson, chief executive officer of the Maine Heritage Policy Center
Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls
Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello, R-Poland
Rep. Bernard Ayotte, R-Caswell
Rep. Eleanor Espling, R-New Gloucester
Rep. Patrick Flood, R-Winthrop
Rep. David Johnson, R-Eddington
Rep. Aaron Libby, R-Waterboro
Rep. David Richardson, R-Carmel
Rep. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough.
So make sure not to vote for these idiots, Pirate
I just did.
Found 3 unique cases of fraud in the US on the first page using your search. Oh lordy, the fraud is an epidemic! I mean, according to other sources, I think there has been 2 cases of voter fraud in the state in 20 years.
Yup, certainly worth enacting legislation that could disenfranchise tens of thousands of legal voters.
It's ok though, because from the polling I've seen, this law is going bye bye. So dislike all you want, I'm right and my side will prevail
If everyone else jumped off a bridge
Would you?
Maine has the highest voter participation rate, and no cases of fraud have been reported. Thats excellent and shouldn't be messed with.
HAHAHAHA
You should really read the law. Just the "Provisional" Ballot part should result in a ton more work and red tape.
Not cool posting the store name
I hate that this guy got away with murder, but the son did nothing to deserve getting called out in the paper.
It doesn't
But just because it doesn't doesn't mean it isn't a right.
Now, I answered yours, answer mine - Why do you favor enlarging the government and increasing red tape with no proven results?
Read the law.
This is only going to make those clerks life worse, not better. People can still vote same day, they have to use a provisional ballot. So now, the clerk has to not only count the votes, but deal with this nonsense.
It's a stupid law that only makes the process more complicated and government bigger. And there are ZERO provisions in it to catch voter fraud.
So keep talking like you know whats going on. It just makes you look dumb.
Thats an easy one
Ninth Amendment – Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in the Constitution.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Tenth Amendment – Powers of States and people.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
That said, why do you support this? I though small, less cumbersome government was your goal. This just adds red tape with provisional ballots and whatnot. It does ZERO in preventing fraud. If you had read the bill, you would know there are ZERO requirements for checking if the voter voted in more than one place. The only checks are if they are truly a resident. But with residency requirements so open, there can be no real way of denying it.
Wrong
Just because it is a Republic doesn't mean it isn't a democracy. The United States is a representative democracy.
How?
How does it prevent voter fraud. The only voter fraud it would prevent is when the person decides to commit fraud within 3 days of the election. Otherwise, it's business as usual.
And all this fuss to combat ZERO cases of fraud.
The state has one of the highest rates of voter turnout. Republicans, seeing how they have lost most elections in Maine, are trying to put their thumb on the scale.
Boy I remember when Republicans campaigned on Jobs and the Economy. Instead, this whole year has been about politics and trying to cement themselves in power.
The reason is wrong
If fraud could be shown to be prevented by this law, I would have far less trouble with it. But every example shown in support of this law was of someone legally entitled to vote.
All this law would do is prevent people legally entitled to vote from voting in the name of fraud prevention that wouldn't even work anyhow. The real reason is to prevent democrats from getting people to vote who might not have, like students. From screwing with the districts to this, I'm starting to think Republicans hate democracy.
It's not going to work.
Here's the problem - it's not like buckling up because there is no proof it will help. They are seeking to make it tougher for students to vote, even though there was no fraud. That's just wrong.
Just wrong.
I can't spell this out any clearer. The only time to detect if voter fraud has happened is after the fact. You can be registered to vote in numerous places. The problem is if you cast numerous votes. But you wont know if someone is going to cast numerous votes ahead of time.
Nope, this is all about preventing college kids from voting, or at least making it harder. But If I was handling this, I would take them 3 days ahead of time, and have them fill out an Absentee ballot.
Off the mark.
The problem is our time frame. We expect our Presidents to make changes now, to fix problems now. Guess what, that doesn't work.
Building an economy that is sustainable in the long term takes long term planning and slow but steady growth. Funny thing is the best jobs bill right now is no jobs bill. Our economy is improving, with the only thing throttling it being the mess in Europe. There is really nothing Obama could do right now to fix it. So we just have to ride it out.
The best thing we can do right now is to force China to let their currency float or face tarrifs.
Make a note people
All you have to do to hide a body from Maine police is to rent a storage unit. Seriously, this is one step above hiding the body in a closet or the basement behind some boxes.
Well, it's not doing it
Repeat after me - It is not illegal to be registered to vote in multple places.
However, what's illegal is voting multiple times. The only way your gonna catch that is after the person votes. That's the time to be cautious, not before.
How?
It doesn't make it harder to cheat, it makes it harder to vote for everyone. And besides, the only way to know if someone cheats is to check if they voted twice. You can theoretically be registered in all places because there is no requirement to un-register.
Nope, the primary goal was to make it harder for young people to register, because young people tend to vote democratic.
.....
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln
Guess what?
Car registrations are effective the same day
Fishing licenses are effective the same day.
And for alot of these voters, this is their first time voting, so yeah, they may not know what they have to do. To you and I, it's old hat, but to someone who is unfamiliar, they can get caught off guard. That doesn't mean you get to strip them of their vote. Everyone getting to have their say in how our government runs is fundamental to how our system should run. And EVERY time someone has tried to limit who votes through technicalities like poll taxes, literacy tests, ect, history has always saw them as in the wrong.
And I honestly don't give a damn what other states do. Dirigo doesn't mean "I'm cool with whatever you guys want". We have had this law in place for 40 years with no issues. Either show me why it's a problem, or knock it off.
Why study the problem?
There is a reason it's illegal. We know it's bad for women to be prostitutes, just like we know it's bad to smoke cigarettes and do drugs. We don't need to invest money and energy into finding out how bad it is.
On behalf of the citizens of
On behalf of the citizens of Auburn, I want an explanation from the city council about the termination of Aho. I want to know why they put the citizen’s of Auburn on the hook for $54,500. Hopefully, there is a good reason for it, but we don’t know because of all these “executive sessions”. But with all the drama that has surrounded the council as of late, I have my doubts.
So I feel the council owes us an explanation. You can only hide in executive sessions until November.
...as opposed to the tradition of poll taxes...
...as opposed to the tradition of poll taxes, literacy tests and other methods of stripping people of their voting rights.
If you can prove fraud, do it.
Look up "Representative democracy"
The United States is considered a complex Representative democracy.
There is no excuse to making it harder to vote, yet this seems to be a common theme since the 2010 elections across the nation.
Here's the deal
Ignore what you hear and see on the tv. They are spinning it for the story/ratings. I got this from a third party who knows people in OWS, and could give a rational breakdown of what they are after:
"The problem is the major news media seems to be spinning the hell out of the protests in order to discredit them as a bunch of clueless dirty hippies, since they are backed by the very people everyone is protesting against.
The legitimate issues that I have seen voiced, which the movement seem to be genuinely centered around, are systemic problems in the financial sector which are leading to an ever widening income gap. Adjusted for inflation, wages are at an all time low, while corporate profits are at highs. Owners of capital are basically just keeping larger shares of the pie than they did 20 years ago. The three main grievances and solutions I keep seeing repeated are:
-The banking sector is corrupt. People are pissed that the repeal of Glass-Steagall has allowed commercial banks to turn back into investment banks, the result of which was the financial meltdown of 2008. They're also pissed because more and more people are learning how the Federal Reserve banking system works, and think its insane that banks can, for example, borrow from the fed at almost no interest, and turn right back around and lend that same money to the treasury at 2%+ interest... basically printing free money, and footing tax payers with the bill.
They suggest: Reintroduction of banking regulations and some monopoly busting. Too big to fail? Too big to exist.
-The current corporate system encourages executives to achieve short term profits at the expense of long term success. CEO's slash and burn companies in order to get a quick rise in stock "value", so they can exercise their options and cash out. Once they've "got mine", they jump ship with their golden parachute, leaving a damaged company behind.
They want things such as: Introduction of regulation to the derivatives markets, and perhaps progressively tax short term investments over long ones. Only owned a stock for a minute and 38 seconds? Pay a higher tax on your profits than the guy who held it for a year. Remove the Capital gains tax, and charge a more normal income rate for your tax bracket. Also big support for introducing transaction taxes... small fees attached to each trade to discourage things like HFT manipulation.
-Get the money out of Washington. OWS protesters feel that both Republicans and Democrats will claim/say whatever it takes to get elected, and in the end they all pander to Corporations over the people. They do this, of course, because Corporations (and rich people who own them) are the ones who hire lobbyists and fund campaigns.
They suggest: No one really knows yet, its such an encompassing problem.."
Discuss:
Yup, it's all those laws getting in the way.
It has nothing to do with China manipulating their currency. Nope, not one thing. It's all the unions fault.
I dunno
Your call. You can be anything you wanna be.
And I know I'm an insufferable twit. But I'll also admit it. =)
You know who you two remind me of?
Megamind:
Megamind: Over here, old friend! In case you've noticed, you've fallen right into my trap!
Metro Man: You can't trap justice! It's an idea, a BELIEF!
Megamind: Even the most heartfelt belief can get corroded over time!
Metro Man: Justice is a non-corrosive metal!
Megamind: But metals can be melted, by the heat of revanche!
Metro Man: It's REVENGE, and it's best served cold!
Megamind: But it can be easily reheated, in the microwave of evil!
Metro Man: Well, I think your warranty's about to expire!
Megamind: Maybe I got an extended warranty!
Metro Man: Warranties are invalid, if used beyond their intended purpose!
Roxanne Ritchi: [exasperated] Girls, girls, you're both pretty! Can I go home now?
Remember when....
Remember when LePage was campaigning, and message #1 was jobs.
I wonder what happened to that LePgage...
If by often.....
You mean every two years, then by all means, vote often.
And that reason is?
...Cause I can't figure it out. And every reason I have heard so far is bullsh**
I bet you it's more expensive.
I bet sorting single stream is more expensive. Hell, recycling isn't cost effective, otherwise businesses would do it for free.
The reason the votes were legal?
The few days before the vote wouldn't help, because the way you determine if there was fraud is to see if they voted somewhere else. Can't do that beforehand. You can be registered in every district in every state at the same time. However, you are allowed one vote.
So this whole law is a mountain of stupid.
Publish the name!
Yes, it will destroy that business.
Tough.
They must have noticed that their books didn't balance. There is no way you can bank $300K and not notice. So Maybe they didn't tamper with the pump, but they must have know about it. They deserve to be ruined, as much as a warning to others.
The reason Obama couldn’t
The reason Obama couldn’t support Palestine’s statehood is that Israel has to sign off on it. Ultimately, Israel is going to get to dictate how this ends. Palestine picked a fight with them, brought in all the neighbors, and they lost. So now Israel is the one who has to give up control, and so unless your going to fight Israel, they have to sign off on it.
So any move to put pressure on Israel is counter productive.
Wow, wrong wrong wrong.
"All are born the same yet those who work hard and take the risk almost always become rich while those that are lazy and look to others for gifts wind up poor and looking to the nanny state for assistance."
Wow, either you were given everything by your family or are extremely lucky. I can tell you for a fact that luck, not skill or hardwork, is far more a factor than anything else. Hell, look at Paul LePage. You may say that he earned he way to where he is, but had it not been for Peter Snowe, he wouldn’t have gotten into Husson, and who know where he would be now.
I think the biggest reason
I think the biggest reason your seeing a lot of people turn on the rich is that a majority of Americans saw their investments wiped out. I’m not taking stock, bonds, or Beck’s favorite, gold.
The biggest investment most American’s had was in their house. Traditionally, a great investment, American’s have grown up with their house being the currency they could tap when times got rough. However, they have just seen that go in the tank, and while they see banks get a bailout, and the market recover, they don’t see any help for themselves.
Coupled with the fact that our shrinking middle class can longer support much of the social safety net, America is going to turn to the rich to make up the difference.
"Media outlets such as CNN,
"Media outlets such as CNN, NBC, MSNBC and others should be banned, along with the socialist radicals."
Your complaining about censorship, and then calling for everyone you don't agree with to be censored.
It takes a special kinda stupid to... well, I think I'll just leave it at that.
What about Canada, The UK, Austrailia, Isreal or Germany
All those countries have socialized medicine. And Germany is bailing out Greece and Spain.
And to afford it, one way would be to cut other programs. Like the defense department. When it comes down to it, whats a greater risk to the safety and well being of America; The Russians invading or heart disease.
I hate this story so much.
My son looks alot like the kid, and even had Lightning McQueen shoes, and so this whole thing triggers my "fatherly" instincts.
BS
My problem is when you make it harder to vote, there should be a damn good reason for it. And this is not a good reason at all.
First of all, there is no fraud. They have been looking at this for MONTHS and couldn’t find one case where someone voted illegally.
Second of all, it wouldn’t help, even if fraud was rampant. The reason is that your not required to inform a city clerk that you have moved out of a jurisdiction, so you can be legally registered to vote in more than one location. It only becomes fraud if you vote in more than one place. So a 2 day waiting period wont solve ANYTHING. You wont know there is fraud until after the vote.
Third – Look at the 2000 presidential elections. There is plenty of time after the fact to make sure the votes are valid. That is the time to do the investigations, not before.
So stop hiding behind the cloak of civic duty. If you want to disenfranchise voters, just come out and say it instead of pretending your protecting the results.
I find it offensive
That she is still breathing air. She had no problem killing her son, but she was too much of a coward to do herself.
Not without permission
"Social Security and Medicare have been dipped into for decades. How is it considered legal to borrow against money that is not theirs to spend? That approach would be the equivalent of a person using his neighbor's house as collateral to purchase a home for himself without the neighbor's permission."
They did it WITH permission because they were voted into office. And was it a big deal in the next election? Nope. Because the debt wasn't a big deal. But now that the debt is coming due, it is an epically huge deal.
Absolutely
The way I look at it, would you be against a gun that knew you were about to murder someone and was able to stop you?
Awesome trolling!
Wow.
::Golf Clap::
Why does LePage hate America?
I mean, I registered far in advance of the election, like all true Americans.
Ahhh, I remeber 'cristian' skool
We learned about Gesaws Crist and how he crewsafied with a sign saying "king of the Joos"
The Best solution
Screw banning it. Then you only get to punish more harshly those who cause accidents while playing with their phone.
Phones have GPS and accelerometers and whatnot. Make it a law that a cell phone must disable itself while it is traveling faster than 15 mph
Tada.
Funny thing is that there is already software to do this. So it wouldn't be that hard to get into play.
As the saying goes - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Such insight
I just called out Reed for stupid posts, and it would biased not to do the same here.
I don't know if agree with LePage on this one, but it does make sense to specialize in many of the industries here in Maine where there are jobs. That way you can create partnerships with industry and help get graduates right into jobs after graduation.
And I agree with LePage in thinking that manufacturing will be returning to the United States and Maine. It's been prevalent in the IT industry that outsourcing jobs leads to worse results than keeping the jobs local. The manufacturing industries is learning that as well.
Such insight...
I know its hard to refrain from taking shot at the other side, but when you do, you look like an idiot.
http://foreignassistance.gov/
http://foreignassistance.gov/CountryIntro.aspx
$27 Million went to China last year. But remember, we don't just back a moneytruck up to the Bank of China and push the money out. It's for programs like preventing pandemics and promoting human rights. Can it be cut? Sure.
But the amount saved is really rather small. The big amounts are in countries we need to be spending in. Afghanistan. Iraq. Egypt. ect...
Whoo whoo, next stop: Crazytown
First of all, may I ask, what does the United Nations have to do with foreign aid?
Secondly, why is the UN buying some land and building a building a big deal? Would it make you feel better that they are consolidating many offices that are scattered throughout the city into one building, lowering costs?
Third - Unless you live in New York State, our representatives have nothing to do with all this. This is a matter for the NY state assemble and the City of New York.
I love this
They print the letter, and then right under it why he's full of s***.
Made me smile.
I don't want to push anyone
The problem is that the city is required to educate kids. It isn't required to provide a place for seniors to play cards.
I'm not saying I want to push them out, but the priorities has to be the kids.
Not that simple.
Yup, we send foriegn aide out there, and dictators use it to burn American flags and buy luxury automobiles from Germany. We should so cut it.
I mean none of it goes towards safeguarding Russian nukes and keeping the nuclear material off the black market.
Or fighting the drug war in latin and central America.
Or fighting terrorism in the middle east.
Oh, wait, it does all those things. But hey, lets cut it. I mean, terrorist and drug criminals can't cross boarders without a valid visa, and you can't get a visa for criminal activities. I bet everything will be fine.
Ok, calm down.
"Domestic violence has become an epidemic that cannot be controlled or cured. The laws governing domestic violence must be amended to allow the courts to impose longer prison terms for those who think that they are real macho and cowardly beat on the wives, girlfriends and children."
No.
1. You first sentence is pure hyperbole.
2. Violence against children already carries a stiffer punishment.
3. There is no need for stiffer punishments. That's what judges are for.
Under Maine law, there are multiple levels of prison time. Elevated Aggravated Assault carries a maximum of 40 years. So stiffer penalties are not needed.
You missed the point entirely
Marilyn,
The point of the editorial is that we need to take stock in what we are saying. People calling for death sentences (by being fed to the dogs) for dog fighting are overreacting. Is dog fighting as bad as manslaughter? Nope.
So, yes, it is a despicable crime, but we must not let our emotions form us into some sort of digital lynch mob.
That's the message of the editorial, as I read it.
Who came first?
I find that line amusing. Obviously, Mr Mathieu paid for his schooling out of pocket with an after school job, because to make that argument after his parents and grandparents generations paid for his schooling would be quite hypocritical.
I'm confused....
OK, you like the "twins" plan, yet you say "it is unfortunate that when the president proposes a plan that the first thrust is criticism."
Did you not read how the twins plan was more ore less criticism of the President's plan?
My generation, and future generations would just like to say....
Thanks.
Thanks for electing people who thought it was a good idea to spend your Social Security on other crap.
Thanks for letting them get away with it.
Thanks for letting government spend way above it's budget.
Thanks for now look at the half empty kitty, and in an effort to distance yourself from others who have their hands out looking for government salvation, make sure to differentiate that this isn't an entitlement.
And Thanks for saddling us with having to pay to get out of this mess.
Isn't it neat how the American dream went from a nuclear family living in a nice home to just having a job.
Having a job is the new American dream.
?
I have no granddaughter
You're all wrong
The jobs bills(all three of them; The presidents, the republicans and the democrats) are all BS political moves.
Unlike the debt ceiling, the universe will not implode if nothing passes. I think the reason companies are skittish is due to European default worries putting downward pressure on the markets. Our economy is recovering, albeit slowly. Really, I think the best thing the government can do is nothing.
And I think they agree, but damned if they miss an opportunity to make the other guys look bad, especially with elections coming up. So here comes everyone's bill to "fix" the sluggish job growth. Of course, non will pass both houses, and everyone can point fingers.
Yea democracy!
Really, what it all comes down to...
When you boil both sides down, it comes down to being naive or heartless.
Democrats are naive. Republicans are heartless.
Democrats will throw money at problems, and thinking that they can make it better. Republicans know that success is earned, and that a government that thinks it can solve every problem is stupid.
Neither is 100% wrong or right.
50% Conservative?
From what I've seen, polls have said about 25% of Americans are Conservative.
50% could be said to be economically conservative(being either socially conservative or liberal).
http://reason.com/poll/2011/08/29/reason-rupe-poll-finds-24-perc
?
?
Just let it be known.....
Hear ye, Hear ye. On this fourteenth day of September in the year of our lord two thousand and eleven, I, Jason Theriault, have slain the pirate.
Defeated is he, as he has posted elsewhere on this site. Yet he could not come up with any of the President's policies that he found to be "lame policies".
Victory is mine!
You misinterpreted my message
I'm not trying to be combative, and I certainly don't subscribe to the blame Bush philosophy. Buy your just taking the opposite side, and blaming "oBAMa".
"Abolish oBAMaCare, abolish cap and trade, get oBAMa and his lame policies out of the way, and watch the cash flow and the jobs come."
What I'm trying to get at is for you to be less vague. There is no Cap and Trade law on the books. So other the the Health Care reform act("oBAMaCare"), you haven't named one law passed by the president, or one policy in place that you want to repeal. Cause I don't think you have any.
I play this same silly game with my father, and it pisses him off too, cause I make him tell me exactly what Obama has done that angers him. And it has lead to more informative debates because it eliminates the rhetoric and forces debate on the actual issues.
I'm calling you on this.
Yes, I get it, ObamaCare is to blame for everything.
Economy's crashing? ObamaCare
Medicare Fraud? Obamacare?
Bridges and Infrastructure? ObamaCare
China's human rights record? ObamaCare
9/11? ObamaCare
Anywho, abolish cap and trade? Well, cap and trade would have to be a law, and the only bill I know of was the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) in 2009, which died in the Senate. So what are you talking about?
And what other "Lame policies" are you talking about?
Oil isn't the solution
You absolutely right that domestic oil production would create jobs and help the economy. However, Accidents happen. Look at the Gulf. It may not be on the news anymore, but the destruction of the BP spill is still there. Yes, the beaches are mostly clean, but the fishing industry down there has been decimated. Imagine if they used dispersants in the Gulf of Maine, sinking all that oil to the ocean floor. Bye bye lobster industry.
I have no problem with other parts of the oil plan, like the pipeline from Canada. But my bigger concern is that we need to work on other things now. That needs to be the focus. Building pipelines and what not will help, but if we are still using gasoline predominantly by 2030, I bet we’ll be looking at $10 a gallon. We need to invest in the future, which means getting us off of oil.
How about this
We scrap the wind turbine and build a nuclear reactor on Mars Hill.
We cool?
Ughhh
First of all, unless you have brainwashed your kids, and 9 year old jobs plan would involve candy and toys.
Maybe a pony
Where to begin.. Ah, well, first of all, the reason you offer a tax cut to higher new people is that the businesses would tax a general tax cut and sit on it. Your twin daughters said these are uncertain times, and that a company that hired people just because of a tax break would soon be out of business. Businesses are a bit freaked out even though our economy is far more solid than 2008. So this tax cut is to give them a nudge to get off the bench and into the game.
BTW – How do your twin daughters plan on paying for the capital gains tax cut? It’s one thing to disagree with how to stimulate job growth, but if you complain that we can afford it, and then cut taxes, your just being a hypocrite. Tell their English teach to show them that word in the dictionary.
And as for cutting tax rates so companies bring profit back onshore, I would only agree with that if the very same legislation made keeping future profits offshore impossible. I mean, the loopholes kill small business as they can’t afford to take advantage of them. So they need to be closed so we can cut the overall rate.
And more drilling isn’t going to reduce the price of oil. One; it will take a decade for new fields to come online. Two; OPEC will just cut production as they like oil right about where it is. Three; We need to get off oil. Now for some sort of save the environment BS. As a matter of national security, we need to have more secure fuel sources. We need to invest in Natural Gas, Nuclear and Green sources of power generation and Hydrogen fuel cells for cars.
And this is why democrats play the racist card
"...but I see him as an unqualified, arrogant, fast talking"
So far so good. Nothing I would called racially motivated..
"jive ass hoopster"
and there it is. "jive ass". Jive is an African American dialect of American English, which the president doesn't speak. However, it is spoken by predominantly blacks.
"who was elected president mainly because of the color of his skin"
Yup, had nothing to do with a backlash from President Bush. Nothing at all. Really, the reason he won is because McCain chose Palin. Had he chosen a smart woman like Snowe, McCain might have won.
See, you think your being cute, but it's pretty obvious, that to some extent, race is part of the equation. I'm not saying that invalidates your argument, but when you combine a valid argument with comments like "jive ass", it invalidates everything.
But, also know that it's gonna be alright. Just like I told people when LePage was elected. The universe isn't going to blow up. With a divided congress, no legislation that isn't watered down to the point of being a motion approving of calendars with kittens on it will pass.
Really?
You may dislike his views on Government, but do you really abhor him?
He a married father of 2 who obtained a college educations from Columbia and Harvard who has no criminal record and has lead a pretty decent life.
Just like as much as I dislike some of Boehner's politics, I give the guy mad props. Put himself through college, and he fights for what he believes in.
No, but there is a shadow of it.
The problem is that the visceral reaction to Obama has been far more polarizing than other Democrats, like Clinton. It might be just a natural rhythm of our democracy that things get hostile, then subside. But that this upswing was timed with the election of a black president, who had to go so far as providing eyewitnesses to his birth to prove he was an American, makes it seem far less about his politics, and more about his skin color.
Great
Yeah, I bet that tan leather muppet called Boehner would bring civility back.
Nope, the only way to bring civility back would most likely be getting rid of either the senate of the house so that one party had both chambers.
I, on the other hand, don't want civility. I do want compromise, but the best way to get pork out is when they have to fight tooth and nail to get something passed.
So one example = fact
Ok, so one dude walked.
Hydro isn't the answer because
1.Most good rivers already are damned
2. Just like wind, people find a reason to complain.
We should just build a couple of Nuclear reactors and move the Yuma Nuclear waste repository site to Maine. People want to complain regardless of what you do, so why bother trying to make em happy.
Ugh
Ok, the solar panels your guy can buy cause SK backed out is more of a solution for you, and a bunch of people. Not for an comemrcial development.
Secondly, The amount the turbines affect you is disputed. From what I've read, It seems to be people looking to be annoyed by them are annoyed by them.
Third, Big wind? Seriously? Big Oil...Yes. Big Government... sure. Big Wind? Noooo... Maybe once they are in the trillion dollar range in revenues.
Wind will be much more competative
Here is my thinking, and if someone can point out where I'm wrong, feel free:
1. Wind is not getting more expensive, where as oil and other fuel based power generation are.
2. It will only get cheaper when economies of scale come into play
3. If we use this opportunity to became a major player in wind power(like how UMO is working on it) we could take a leadership position, and reap a high paying technical industry.
Geeze
First off, its there some sort of bet or something to make this the longest forum conversation of somthing in terms of lines used? There is no need for this crap.
Also, your logic is crap. Yeah, I bet the housing crisis had NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. The reason their home values dropped was purely the windmills, not THE COLLAPSE OF THE US HOUSING MARKET.
This is like blaming going blind on watching television when someone throws acid in your face.
Gary, nice wall of text
Hey, should I post a long article from Greenpeace? Would that be convincing? BTW- You migtht have just violated the DMCA.
Post a link next time.
Thats the thing
The cost per kilowatt is hard to estimate because turbines are breakdown prone. However, from a quick search, I have found that the costs of windpower are not significantly higher than other green sources(hydro being the cheapest)
That said, I love how you complain about the wind not always blowing, then you segue right into solar, where there is never a cloudy day and that everyone has a good view of the southern sky. And where did you find a $500 1kw kit? From What I've seen, most kits were in the $3,000-5,000 range.
Your cost per kilowatt of Solar in Maine is not advantageous.
Well...
15% to 35% losses from transmission and parasitic draw apply to all electrical power generation.
Secondly, the whole 75% it does not blow is just made up or really not relevant. Really, it comes down to cost per kilowatt, and Wind is cost effective if in the right place. Can it replace on demand sources like Coal, oil, Gas and Nuclear? No.
Can it be sued to lessen our demand for them? Yes.
"I cannot find anyone
"I cannot find anyone representing the state willing to participate in a live radio or TV public debate about the merits, or lack thereof, relating to wind power."
Hmmm....I was going to be mean, but I decided to take a more reasonable tack. It's called confirmational bias. We tend to give credit and take more seriously arguments that fit into our perspective.
The reason you haven't found anyone is that the studies you hold as fact are weak and based on bad science. You're looking for a reason to oppose wind mills because you don't want them, regardless of benefits.
The hole in your argument
Is that there isn't a consensus on if this will help. Some clerks say it will, others say it wont. Most think that the biggest help will be allowing clerks to start processing absentee ballots ealier.
How long did it take them to come up with a list of the college students they THINK might have committed fraud? I don't think 2 extra days will be all that effective in preventing fraud.
Example I just thought of:
Example of how this isn't thought out. Obviously, the cameras are enabled. Reminds me of this:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10456128-71.html?tag=mncol;txt
School department spied on the kids through school issued laptops.
Stunt
I'm not against giving the kids ipads. My 4 year old can navigate, queue up videos and games, and even show me new games on the app store I should buy. They are incredible tools.
However, my problem is how this is being handled. This seems to be a publicity stunt. Just the fact they said "Prue said she would limit her students' iPad use to 20 minutes at a time". Sounds like a toy, and not a tool.
iPads can be incredible tools, but this doesn't sound though out.
Just wow.
I am amazed at how deluded you are. You really think Michaud is going to lose? Hell, he made it through the tea party swell of 2010, you think now that the republican momentum is over, he's gonna lose?
LePage has done everything in his power to make sure that the democrats are energized and ready to fight in 2012. The only way he might not win is if the Republican's redistrict him out. But there's no way that's happening.
Dishonest
Why should you make it harder to vote? If you want to deny people the vote, such as students, come out and say it. Don't hide behind BS and say "We're trying to prevent voter fraud". You're not. You saw your political opponent found a group of voters that they could register and get in. If you don't like it, then attack it. Go after the democrats registering and getting students to vote.
Is this helpful?
Honestly, I don't agree with what the republicans are doing. I think they are adding the voter registration bs to try and limit same day registration because they saw it was successful in pulling in voters who most likely didn't vote for them.
However, instead of pointing this out in a well written letter, you just call them names.
Sorry to bust your balloon
But if your working 2 jobs, your more than likely earning too much to qualify for welfare.
And the reply to your other post(trying to consolidate here):
"to an empty household. Is that your definition of crappy? It's empty because decades of liberal policies aimed at dismantling the family have succeeded to a disgusting level."
Again, focusing on making this a partisan issue is self defeating. You can throw mud at the Liberals, they can throw mud at you, and the end result is everyone is dirty and nothing got done.
I know your solution is make all schools private, but that wont work any more than backing up a dump truck of money to the school will. Both of the partisan solutions wont work. We need to focus where the problem is - the parents. I don't care if your work 1, 2 or 10 jobs. If your kids are failing in school, your are not doing your job as a parent. That's the bottom line. Great students and poor students graduate from both public and private schools. I think the biggest difference is parents.
Why do I care about New York Schools?
If NY wants to mess up their schools, let em. I don't pay for it and more importantly, I don't have a say in how they run their schools. So I can shout at a wall, or direct my efforts where they are useful.
I'm concerned with Maine, and more in particular, Auburn schools, where I can make a difference.
Also, the original letter writer referenced only Maine schools, so I though that was the context of the argument
That isn't Maine
Average starting salary in Maine is $26,000. Average salary is $40,000. Woohoo, that Union sure got us.
The root:
"Public education already hits hardest the parents, who you want to blame further"
Parents are the single biggest factor. No one here will dispute that I bet. So why aren't we going after the root cause? If kids go home to a crappy household where their parents couldn't care less, then of course they are going to fail. They have bigger issues to deal with, and no amount of union busting is going to fix that.
Raising a kid is a job. If you can't hack that, you shouldn't have kids. Stop blaming teachers for the failures of parents.
(and no, I'm not a teacher)
Answer me this:
Is it the job of the union to protect teachers and get them as much benefits as possible?
(Yes)
Is it the job of the unions to educate children?
(no)
Put it this way - is anyone worried about how our colleges stack up? No, they are regarded as some of the best. Yet they have the same unions and whatnot that lower schools have. So I doubt the unions are to blame.
The more I think of it, the more I like my solution of making parents pay if their kids fail. Sorry, school is just daycare. You need to participate.
Your know what I love
I love how, according to Republicans, parents are completely excused from the failure here. Yes, the failure is with the unions and the socialist policies, not the parents.
Maybe if parents gave a damn, their kids would do better.
I have a brave new solution to this problem. If kids fail the class at the end of the year, the parents are charged to cost of it.
The problem is that people don't know what their talking about.
If you want to improve fuel economy in cars, we need to enforce stricter emission standards.
I just made that up. I don't know if that will lead to more fuel efficient cars or not, but it sounds credible. My point is that the letter writer doesn't bring any evidence to the table. He saw a perceived problem, and then guessed a solution.
I can see many problems When people measure performance by standardized testing, there is pressure to teach to the test, and not the subject.
I'm not saying I have a solution. I am just warning against knee-jerk partisan solutions.
So what your saying...
Is that LePage is the republican version of Baldacci?
Ohhhh, that's is a super duper ringing endorsement.
Will you know?
Will you know a disaster was a real test of FEMA? Because the only time something like this sticks around is when FEMA screws up. If 100s and 1000s of people aren't suffering, it wont make the news. If FEMA does their job right, big storms move off the front page quickly.
I'm not saying this was a real test, but I don't think FEMA can be judged by it's responses to Katrina like events only. There is no way to properly mitigate a Katrina event. Look at Japan and the earthquake/tsunami. They will be recovering for years. Just the way it is.
Do I think rates are high?
Do I think rates are high? Yup.
Do I think that has to do with some things outside of CMPs control, like decommissioning a nuclear power plant? Also yup.
BTW - You have just said that weather is totally predictable...Really? Is that really your answer?
Because, if there is one thing that is certain, it's that weather is unpredictable.
Also, while CMP brought in extra crews, remember the whole region is facing outages. Vermont, New Hampshire, Mass, NY, ect.... So call me an apologist, but it doesn't change the fact you're wrong
Chill
Covered how I got the wrong number when i replied to myself.
That said, their nto still assessing. The assess first, then send crews out. Here is the breakdown of how it went down so far at my parents.
Tree smites power.
Fire and Police show up and close street
CMP shows up to assess
Arborist shows up to cut tree
Then a crew can come and fix stuff.
That said, how do you know it shouldn't take over 10 hours? Have you worked for a utility? I can imagine it's a mess out there, and things are going to take time. Especially if they have to replace poles. If you survived nicely for 10 hours, why are you jumping all over this? Literally, a quarter of the state lost power. Compared to 98 ice storm, CMP is cooking right now.
Woops
That 8,000 was the last estimate I heard for Androscoggin county. We're at 100,000 as of this morning without power.
Nope
Sorry, nope, I don't think you can fault CMP here.
First off - They have to assess the damage. What good does it do to send a line crew out if a telephone pole needs replacement.
Secondly - I'm guessing they had to cut your power to repair something. Hence why after the storm it went out.
Third - They have brought in tons of extra crews, who were here ahead of time. They didn't call them yesterday and say get here asap. They were already here, ready to go. So I don't think it's a shortage of crews, but more of a it takes time to fix stuff issue. 200,000+ households lost power. It's down to like 8,000. Thats pretty good.
Hell, you think 10 hours are bad, my parents are on two days without power, and I bet it wont be until the end of the week. They have broken poles and all sorts of a mess. Thankfully, they have a generator.
The solution is that if 10 hours is too much time for you, get a generator.
I dunno
I can't imagine it gets much worse in the bible than stoning. Might as well enjoy some lobster.
One problem....
Your wrote this post on the Sabbath. Sorry, but according to the bible, your are not allowed to do any work on the Sabbath. When would a good time be for the community to gather at your house to stone you?
Jer. 17: 21
Deut 5:12
Exodus 35:3
Num. 15:32-36
Obviously God hates Congress
....But loves Obama. God waited till Obama was safe and sound in Martha's Vinyard before smiting DC.
Then, when the hurricane was coming to close to Martha's Vinyard, God steered it away. Now it's heading more westerly track they will take it through the core of New England instead of up the coast.
Obviously...
His daughter just earned a promotion!
Thi si just stupid.
The courts have kept the same general districting for the past 50 years. Can we just skip to the end where the judges rule the GOP is full of it?
When has this happened?
???
Your morality is not mine.
"Do Collins and Schumer have the right to defy those 44 states that either ban or have a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage?"
The problem is that it's unconstitutional. The reason is that under article 4 of the US Constitution, states must respect the "public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.". This means that if two men are married in New York, Alabama has to recognize that marriage.
State Constitutions don't override this.
Also, I don't share your morality, so when you try to make an argument centered around how your religion has taught you this and that, I find it a weak argument.
There are allways loopholes.
The problem is loopholes. There are always loopholes, and those who would spend more would have a greater motivation to exploit them.
Ask yourself this: Would it be worth driving to Canada to buy stuff? Maybe for most of our purchases, no. But as you ratchet up the price that goes from a no to a maybe to a hell yeah.
Example - GE buy all their vehicles in Canada, and registers them up there. They just dodged a millions in taxes.
I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I just think there is far more motivation to game the system at the top than at the bottom, and thats a problem with any tax system.
Why?
Cause Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid and the Department of defense account for 63% of the budget, and all three are bloated and unsustainable.
Never read the Castle
Both you and Pirate are correct - Corporations goal is to make money, and there is nothing wrong with that. And I think we all agree that the tax code sucks. It looks high, but leaves way too many loopholes and ambiguity to allow organizations with resources to duck out of their obligations.
But, you and pirate need to stop blaming democrats. I try and not blame either side(I do fail at that) because the reality is that both sides got us here. And both sides will never concede to the other as they are playing their political games.
We, on the other hand, can rise above that.
WOW
Ok, if my dad heard you say that he was "meeting at the union hall", I think his head would BURST INTO FLAMES.
He is conservative. VERY conservative.
"US corporations not only have to pay the highest business income tax on the planet, they also have to pay US tax on income earned in other countries. We have the distinction of being the only country that does that. Lucky us!"
It only has to pay taxes on income it brings home. If the profits stay overseas, they don't get taxed. That's one of the ways GE dodges is tax obligations.
Honestly, most companies pay MORE than their share. However, large multinationals mess it up for all companies. Most companies in the US don't have the resources like GE to cook the books to minimize their tax obligations. But the government casts a wide net, and mixes the good with the bad. I do think business taxes should be simplified so that small businesses wont get creamed as bad as they do.
That said, corporations are not people. I like to look at them as a tool. They are tools that maximize value of labor and money. But they can be misused and cause havoc. To humanize them is to misrepresent them. I have been treated fairly by companies I work for, not because they care for me, but because I am a resource, and treating a resource properly is how you maximize production.
Bob.....
I remember when my dad sat me down, and told me
"Jason, when a man loves a woman enough, he marries her. And when they are ready, they file articles of incorporation with Secretary of State office in Delaware and hold their first board of directors meeting...."
Oh wait, he didn't.
Cause corporations are not people. They are legal entities and get different rules and regulations. Corporations can't go to jail. Corporations are allowed to claim all their losses here in the US to avoid paying taxes while claiming profits in tax havens.
I think it's the school
I think they still provide transportation, however, I don't know if you have to use a different bus stop or what.
Oh come on.
You need to manage to get 17%. If the people don't feel strongly enough to show up, then consider their vote a no, in which case you lost.
Stop it
Stop making non partisan issues about the parties.
Blaming the buses on Obama is unfair. The decision wasn't his(from the LA TIMES):
When the Secret Service decided to order custom-made buses, it wanted a particular model only available from Quebec-based manufacturer Prevost, said Ed Donovan, a spokesman for the agency.
"The vehicle had to support the weight of security and communication equipment that we had," Donovan said in an interview. "Our understanding was that that was the only model that could do it."
Correct
Money isn't evil. Like any form of power, it is not good or evil. But power corrupts. And money has shown that it is not exempt from that.
BTW - Why is the bus a problem?
A bus is cheaper than Air Force One. And the Secret service hated renting a bus and then modifying it because it was expensive and didn't work well.
This will save money. Much like buying energy efficient windows, there is an upfront expense, but in the long run, this will save alot of money.
You know who else demonized the rich?
Jesus
Matthew 19:24
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Thats fine, don't compromise
But when the serious people get together, your voice won't be heard because serious people know that compromise is not optional if you want to get things done.
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Best Buy copped out
People shouldn't be allowed to open carry in a store. You don't have a right to open carry on private property. And from how he dressed(as the sun journal describes it: "black T-shirt, hat, sunglasses and camouflage pants") he sounds like he was looking for trouble.
That just rude. This guy sounds like a jerk
But the Cold war is over, and our military doesn't reflect that.
I disagree with your point that "that is no reason to ever, ever cut military spending". The problem during the cold war was that Russia had far more conventional military power than the United States. So we had to maximize every force multiple to try and catch up. Our tanks, our planes, our everything had to be far more lethal and effective. So we had to spend tones of money.
But that is no longer the case. Without a superpower, maintaining the military at superpower levels is just a waste of money. Additionally, because of the organizational momentum, changes are hard to implement, and we are stuck with a 20th century military.
Our military is designed to fight a land war in Europe or North America. There is zero chance of that happening. Do you think that anyone is going to invade America? To quote Yamamota, the last person to even come close to it: "If we were to attempt to invade The United States, There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.". Screw military, the United States has more guns per person than any other country.
Claiming that cutting DoD is going to lead to that foolishness is tantimount to "Death Panels"
You made money
This is a commercial event which you sold tickets. While I don't think you should get dinged really, for all intents are purposes, they have the trademark on the word "Olympics" and you have to respect that. And if they don't want your commercial event using their trademark, that's their right.
Yeah, try again
Ok, as mjuch as I would like to get this guy for being a jerk, you're mis-interpreting Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 15, § 709, or at least you missed "...by a sender or receiver." .
That means one party must consent. Obviously, the guy taping it consented.
Yes and no
Their is a fine line here, but since he didn't receive benefits, he's probably in the clear on that.
However, I saw nothing refuting that he has unreported income or a side drug smuggling business. He probably should be audited and have his home searched.
Just to be sure.
S&P should be shot
1. S&P was wrong to downgrade the US. As my father has always said – The market doesn’t lie. Where did everyone run to when the stuff hit the fan? US Treasuries. Our treasury bonds are at an all time low. If S&P was right, the rates should have gone up, but everyone knows that S&P was wrong, so they are just ignoring it.
2. S&P’s downgrade was about their credibility. I have read from various major sources that S&P told major customers that they were going to downgrade the US early Friday. Then when the White House showed them their math was wrong, they had two choices: Admit it, and look bad in front of major customers, or forge ahead, data be damned.
3. Both sides are to blame. I love this line:
‘It is laughable when non-conservatives try to explain how government doesn’t need to conduct itself as conservative taxpayers do; to buy what can be afforded and borrow only if absolutely necessary; and maybe do without.”
I love how much Conservatives rail on wasteful spending, but then give a pass to the DoD. Try and cust waste at DoD, you’re a commie who wants to let the terrorists invade, convert us to Shari law, and force all our daughters into harems.
Hiring freeze is nothing of the sort
The "Hiring Freeze" has been in place since 2002. It is, for all intents and purposes, non-existent.
I have a few friends who have been hired by the state since then.
HE WAS DENIED!
Seriously?!?!? HE WAS DENIED bennies. So, in other words, THE SYSTEM WORKS?
This s*** pisses me off.
Nothing is more American than...
Disenfranchising voters.
I mean, I know it's not hard to register ahead of time. But the amount of effort and the reasons used to justify it is bull****. How does this help the job market? How does this tell business Maine is "Open for Business".
It is a purely political move, and I plan on actively supporting(money/time) democrats this election just because the Republicans are that bad.
And I'm a registered Republican.
Got quiet in here
No response?
School year > Vacation time
The students spend more time here than at "home". Why shouldn't they be able to vote here?
Mark 10:23-25
And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
The problem is
That the three day advanced registration seems to be purely a barrier to voting. It serves no other purpose but to limit those who vote. Now, if there was a purpose served by cutting off registrations, I wouldn't have as much a problem with it. But there is no way they can detect any type of fraudulent registration in that time.
Well, if I believe fox news
They are all smoking weed, which there is no sales tax on.
But, really, they live here
The student live here. Yeah, they don't pay taxes, but according to the Fox news, 50% of the people don't pay taxes. They are far more affected by what goes on here than their hometowns.
And they came up with 260 examples. It's not like there is a major impact here.
Still BS
Sorry Mr Webster - this law is BS.
If you want to stop students from voting, make a law that says they can't vote. The Maine Constitution says students can be denied suffrage.
But this law isn't doing that.
Sorry for the double post.
Sorry for the double post.
It's just BS
It's been almost a year since the election, and they have a list of 206 students who, as far as they know, voted legally.
If they can't find out if these 206 students voted illegally in 272 days, how do they think they will be able to do it in 3?
Clearly, they saw that a majority of the same day registrations were of a demographic that was not friendly to them, and they decided to make it harder for them to vote.
It's just BS
It's been almopst a year since the election, and they have a list of 206 students who, as far as they know, voted legally.
If they can't find out if these 206 students voted illegally in 272 days, how do they think they will be able to do it in 3?
Clearly, they saw that a majority of the same day registrations were of a demographic that was not friendly to them, and they decided to make it harder for them to vote.
So does that mean...
The the other 363 days(this day of prayer+the national day of prayer) are days to not pray?
It's all a show anyway
All the "tax hikes" are for 2013. The Bush tax cuts that the "tax hikes" eliminate expire then.
It's all for show, on both sides.
no
First off, life expectancy has risen about 10 years in the time social security has been in place, so that's not baloney.
Secondly, stop being dramatic. Do you even know what changes they want to make to social security? And even if they make serious cuts, they probably wont take affect for like 10 years or so. So relax, once again, fixes for the financial crisis will be forced on my generation.
No
You may disagree with Al Jazeera, but that doesn't make them a mouthpiece for terrorists.
Let me ask you this, Mr. Bristol:
Have you ever watched Al Jazeera?
I'm going to say probably not... I'm going to assume someone told you about the bad people with the funny hats pretending to report the news.
How about this - show me examples of them acting like a mouth piece, and we can talk
This is the problem
See, instead of finding out why you have to show your birth certificate to get a license, you decided to just blame people you don't agree with.
Baldacci, as much as I don't like him, had nothing to do with it. It's called The REAL ID Act of 2005.
Republican Congress
Republican President.
This argument is just dumb,
This argument is just dumb, both ways. A president doesn’t have to be in Washington to get work done. It’s not like if he’s not sitting at his desk, nothing will get done. For all intents and purposes, his desk follows him everywhere he goes.
But what should I expect really from a letter that is based on emotion, not fact.
How do you know
How do you know if they were being disrespctful? From what I've read, it looks like the daughter was overreacting to TSA screeners asking them to change her. They got grandma cleaned up and on the flight. It was the dqughter freaking out that caused a problem.
freak accident
This was a freak accident. Using it as justification to ban fireworks is unfair.
Yes, fireworks are dangerous. So is alcohol. There are far more alcohol related deaths than firework related, even in states where fireworks are legal. Used responsibly, both are safe
You are wrong
There, that should clear that up.
The meter will be on the outside of your house, emitting the same radiation that scientists are having trouble proving causes cancer when held diretly NEXT TO YOUR HEAD.
And the reason you have to pay to opt out is that they have to send a meter reader out to your house to check your meter.
Some people think that the world is flat. Some people think vaccines cause autism. And some people think smart meters are in any way dangerous.
Wrong.
It does't take three days.....
...to figure out not to vote for you, Mr Shields.
They did it wrong
My 4 year old LOVES the ipad. He gets it, and it's intuitive enough that he can do all sorts of stuff effortless. IT really is a well designed device, and I could see it being very useful in school.
That said, I think they should have made a one time purchase and reused them class to class. Trying to buy kids one to keep is expensive and a luxury. The Auburn school board is stupid to think that Auburn taxpayers are gonna let this float by.
And I think it's irresponsible, considering they need to be banking money for a new EL. They are going to be asking for 60 million for a new school soon, and Auburn Taxpayers are going to have to eat some of it. Maybe now is not the time for luxuries
Really?
You wrote a letter to the editor about this? Really?
WRONG
The best way to get money is to inherit it.
See, because all work is worth something, and the republican and free market philosophy is to maximize profit while minimizing costs. Inheriting money costs no work, and therefore is the best method.
And you call yourself a Republican.
The poor need to cut it out.
The poor need to stop being poor. Seriously, just get some money. Then you can vote like real people do. See, the correct way to register to vote is to open a bank account in the Grand Caymans, and then to deposit your "ballot" into the account.
Then you have your "ballot" wire transferred to the Republican Governors Association.
Congratulations! You voted!
Israel's problem
Israel's problem is they go overboard sometimes. If they feel threatened they can just go all out. One needs only to look at the USS Libery, which happened almost 44 years ago today.
You had me until...
You had me until you started calling people out for not donating. If you want charity, then act like it's charity. If you think it something troops deserve, talk to the government.
A few problems
There are many problems with Charter schools.
My first problem is that your shifting resources away from the public sector unless you plan on raising the budget. So while more funding might not fix public school, I HIGHLY doubt that less funding will.
Secondly, even with a lottery system, it won’t be easy to get a kid into the Charter system. It will require parents to do a lot of leg work usually, and the parents willing to tooth and claw to get their kids in and most likely involved in their kid’s education/lives already. This means your already going to filter out the bad eggs that drive stats down.
I’m not saying I’m against it, but I would like to see a pilot program first. Start small, and see how it goes.
Lets be realisitic
Val-d'Or, PEI, Rouyn-Noranda, Baie-Comeau and Acadie-Bathurst all drew less attendance than Lewiston last year. So it is possible to support a team on less attendance. And before they tried to move, they were pulling around 2,500 average per game. Mark Just said they needed 3,000, which around 82% capacity. That's alot to ask.
I have a personal grudge against Just, but I didn't want the team to fail. I just don't know if the this was a good fit. I think the area could support a team, and maybe we would be hitting the 3K mark by now if Just didn't try and move the team, turning everyone off.
But the past is the past. It's sad that the team is gone, but hopefully the next team can learn from the Maineiacs mistakes and build a solid relationship with the community.
The problem isn't guns
It's wealth.
If Israel wants to secure it's boarders, it needs to stop blowing up Palestine and start rebuilding it. A man who has lost everything probably has alot of hate and nothing to lose. But you give him the means to live a full life, he will be reluctant to blow himself up.
Well, you should register/vote electronically....
..like big businesses do. Banks will process your vote electronically through wire transfers to the Republican Govenor's Association. That's how the Koch brothers do it, and it does make things much simpler.
Don't want to say much
Obviously, I'm biased. I'm Roger Theriault's nephew. I am sad that Lewiston/Auburn is losing something that so many enjoyed and that so many worked hard on providing.
That said, look at the attendance numbers on the QMJHL's website. You can look at historical data too. Lewiston was never last in attendance, it was usually middle of the pack. So I find it hard to believe that those numbers couldn't support the team.
It's a sad day for Lewiston Auburn hockey.
Apples and oranges
Last time I checked, a donut shop is not a government building. The two are not related. And to carry in the state house would require a concealed carry permit, which means a through background check and interviews. It’s not something you pick up at the gun shop or a gun show.
However, I see this law as a bad idea. Now, if it was just for legislators, that would be one thing, but opening it up to ANYONE with a concealed carry permit opens a hole in security. The general public shouldn’t be allowed to be armed in the state house.
Citation needed
Well, we know LePage did it. Please name a democrat that hired a blood relative.
I don't like it
Especially the Authorization for agencies to conduct cost-benefit analyses of proposed environmental rules. Reminds me too much of when Ford did a cost benefit analysis, and found it would be cheaper to pay off the lawsuits than to fix the Pinto.
A few things
I didn't cheer for Osama's death. I cheered for justice being served. That his wickedness was visited back upon him. Which is the same thing I want here. And she confessed, so lets not foll around with implying that she may not be guilty. And I don't care if she was mentally ill. Anyone who murders anyone is mentally ill.
One more thing. I'm not going into why I think this, because I think In can make a convincing, yet disturbing, argument based on the computer generated photo that she strangled him.
She is a monster. I don't care how sorry she is.
I agree
I know how much this kid I never knew affected me, and I have to imagine that to those working this case it was much worse. Kudos and a heart felt thank you to the Maine State Police for their efforts.
Also - Kudos to everyone out there that worked to get the info out about the truck and whatnot. Sun Journal, The TV stations, internet people, everyone.
I take solace in one thing
That the last thing going through her mind will be a lethal dose of potassium chloride. She killed him in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is a death penalty state.
I will cheer like I did for Bin Landin when her time comes.
Pride goeth before the fall.
That headline would ignore the fact that his house was a cat holocaust. I'm not saying he's at fault, but your headline would down play animal cruelty. The story was the animal cruelty, not the dementia
I don't disagree
First of all, are you saying my response or Roman's was well written. Just a little confused. =)
Secondly, I don't disagree with you at all. I have a 4 year old who LOVES the ipad2. We bought one because we recognize how well he was able to use it, and wanted to foster that. Plus my wife loves angry birds and scrabble on it.
My only concern is that the city is putting all their eggs in one basket. Before we spend $200K a year, lets try it out for awhile and see how well it works. And why spend $200K each year. Why not outfit the schools, but they stay in school. Or they go home with the child, but they are the property of the school, and can therefore benefit the next year as well.
But if they give them away, then they are gone, and the school will have to raise that money again.
Bias
"I do believe that, without compelling evidence to the contrary, a free-market solution is always better than a government solution. "
That's the problem right there. I assume both will have their own issues. The government solution will become bloated as those running it seek to expand thweir fiefdom. The private sector solution will be as lean as it can get away with, as profit is their driving motivator. Now, for many things, a private sector solution is best. Keeping a process as lean as possible mimics natural selection, ensuring the process stays viable.
However, there are sectors where that is not acceptable. And that is places where people can lose their life. Police, fire, military are all government run as the price of skimping is measured in lives, not dollars. The same goes for health care. Thats why I don't have an issue with government run health care. Thats not to say the private secotr shouldn't play a role. I think that extending Medicare to everyone would be the ideal solution. The those who want extra healthcare could get it, and pay for it.
Seriosuly?
Yeah, and where do these jobs/kids go? By your logic, it should be some Republican strong hold of laissez faire government where business are free to do what they want. Of course, by your logic, business interests never conflict with the public good and capitalism is the solution to any problem, even cancer.
Oh wait, the youth and jobs go to Massachusetts. A state Forbes lists as the most expensive to do business in.
But they back it up with probably the smartest workforce in the country.
My biggest concern is regulation
Let me tell you a little story. I used to work for a international company. They were headquarters in a southern state. As a benefit, they provided insurance. This southern state allowed them to act as the insurer and then have Anthem manage the plan, so we had Anthem's network of providers.
My wife and I were blessed with a son, and submitted all the information when we had it to add him to our plan. Then, we got hit with a $5,000 bill on top of our copays and whatnot. Well, according to Anthem, he wasn't a member at the time of his birth, so they weren't covering it. Now, under Maine law, that wasn't the case, so I went to the Bureau of Insurance and complained.
They could do nothing because it was out of state insurance.
We went back and forth, and eventually had to pay $5,000 more than we should have because we didn't have the Bureau of Insurance and Maine law protecting us.
So I'm weary of out of state insurance. Yes, it's more expensive here in Maine, but what good is insurance if they can weasel out of paying cause they are located in an insurance friendly state?
Really?
Roman, this is a very well written letter. A problem with your argument, however, is that by buying them for kids in elementary school, you would be directly benefiting.
Horrible
My son is that age, and looking at the picture makes me want to cry. And then find whoever did this and [censored to not violate sun journal commenting rules] with a hammer.
Section 9
Ok, agriculture, fda and all that is so clearly interstate commerce that if you want to argue it, I will make fun of you.
Education is less clear cut, but since the goal of the Department of Education is to administer and coordinate most federal assistance to education, collect data on US schools, and to enforce federal educational laws regarding privacy and civil rights, I think your wrong there too.
Federal assistance to colleges is interstate commerce, and the rest can be simplified into collecting data and making sure schools uphold federal law. These both easily fit under the "necessary and proper" clause.
Well Played
It's nice to see a well thought out and articulated letter to the editor.
However, I disagree with the assumption that the fault of the cuts belong to the city council. The school board has made some poor choices that took any creditbility that the school board had and tossed it out the window.
Tax payers in Auburn are already facing tax hikes just to keep services on par with where they are now. The economy is starting to improve, but we are still in quite the hole. Increasing the budget would be a hard sell for the school board as it was, then they decided to go shopping for ipads.
Now, I think ipads are wonderful. My 4 year old can play "Angry Birds" with the best of em, and the interactive storybooks are fantastic. But to introduce a program like that now shows a complete lack of understanding of the crunch everyone is feeling, and makes me feel like they don't know how to prioritize where to spend money. This make me want to give them less, not more money. Hell, they still spend $50,000 on ipads in a pilot program.
What disregard?
Please, do elaborate...
Intresting.....
"That spoke volumes about her hypocrisy as she is the leading politician pushing ObamaCare, which includes $500 billion in cuts to Medicare."
"Another issue about Pelosi and other liberals has to do with their inability or unwillingness to find areas to cut spending."
Do you really think it's fair to complain about the Democrats cutting spending to Medicare and then accuse them of not being able to make cuts?
Also, just because you slice the data a certain way doesn't make it wasteful. I'm not saying we couldn't make food safety into one agency, but there is reasons for the division.
Lets just say eggs. If they are imported, your talking Customs. If locally grown, FDA. Now, if you combine the functions into the FDA, now the FDA has to do customs work. So then you slice the data another way, you'll have complaints that 18 agencies are involved with import control.
I'm not saying there isn't room for improvement, lets just try and not making it a partisan thing and balk at the numbers in some sort of kneejerk reaction.
While I don't want to excuse
While I don't want to excuse the behavior of the council, the school board must be living in lala land.Budgets are tight and people are feeling the pinch. So, obviously, now is the time to introduce iPad2s into classrooms. Of course there was going to be a backlash, and that was going to make the budget process more contentious.
Dumb Dumb Dumb
Seriously... Just plan old dumb. I want you do do somthing - Look at your birth certificate. It says "Certificate of Live Birth"
Just like that title of the State of Rhode Island isn't correct. It's "The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." However, people shortened it in common usage. Just like Birth Certificate.
But this is America, you are free to keep being crazy.Just try and keep out of the way when people are debating serious issues.
Let's de-partisan this
Yes, it happened durring a democratic Presidency. Obama did make it a priority, and got it done. That said, this is not a failure for either party. This is a win for America.
Partially disagree
I see that iPads can have a place. My 4 year old has access to one, and it's intuitive interface helps children interface with technology quicker.
That said, I think both sides need to bring up some facts. We shouldn't be jumping in with two feet into this program as you don't know what affect it will have on children's progress. Along the same lines, you can't claim gloom and doom as you don't know what affect it will have either. The technology is far too new to be making such broad claims.
So maybe the school department buys some iPads to keep in classrooms to try out, design activities around them for a small percentage of the time.
But give one to each kid? Noooooo, it's far too soon and the pros and cons are not really known.
No it wouldn't
Because people have taken sceptacism to absurd levels. The whole birth certificate thing for one. Bin Ladin was shot in the head, and how many people in the United States would be able to differentiate between a random old Muslim shot in the head and Bin Ladin? My guess, less than 1000 out of 300 million.
So pictures serve no real purpose.
Really?
I will restate my point:
Comparing Afghanistan to Vietnam is a emotional appeal that cheapens the sacrifice that those in Vietnam made. 60,000 Americans died in Vietnam. There are many raw nerves and emotional scars from that war because there was so many fatalities and casualties.
And while there are many similarities between the two wars, There are far fewer casualties in Afghanistan than there was in Vietnam. And to say that this is a second Vietnam is a political ploy. Not only is Afghanistan more a peace keeping action than a open war like Vietnam, the fatalities are far far lower. You said it yourself, you lost 19 classmates in Vietnam. I bet there is NO ONE in the United States who can claim the same about Afghanistan
And politicians said the same thing about Iraq before the surge. Do I know that staying the course will fix things or that we will have the same results as Iraq? Nope.
But we can have that conversation without trying to compare every war to Vietnam.
Gonna reply up here, cause Al is all over the place, post wise
Al, I haven't served in our armed forces, and let me say I do appreciate your service.
But doesn't it bug you that people are comparing Afghanistan to Vietnam? Both have been about the same amount of time, so does that mean 60 Vietnam deaths = 1 or 2 Afghanistan deaths? Are your 19 classmates lives worth soo much less than the men and women dying today?
But I guess it doesn't bug ya, because I only wrote ONE sentence about staying in Afghanistan, and the majority of my argument was that it was disrespectful to compare Vietnam to Afghanistan as so man more people died in Vietnam..
Btw - Is it only troops who agree with you give a damn about? I find it funny in one post you go on about your concern for casualties, but then in the next one you want me to become one.
For SHAME
Comparing this to Vietnam is misleading and shameful. 60,000 Americans lost their lives in Vietnam.
1,563 have died in Afghanistan.
To compare this conflict to Vietnam is just cheap sensationalism because Vietnam is still a raw nerve. It also belittles the successes our people have achieved.
Yes, we are building a civilization from scratch, but that's the point. Civilized people don't fly planes into buildings.
Technically, your somthing
Thats a pretty bold claim. Are you saying that if the Nazi's won the war, they would have forced all the world to speak German, and succeeded in that? Or are you referring to the Ruskies? Either way, a full on invasion of the United States would end in death and destruction for the invaders. We have more guns in private hands than any other nation. The only way to beat us would be nukes, in which case the language spoken would be the least of my concerns.
Anyway, your right, the two elder generations had nothing to do with it really other than voting for politicians. It just angers me that the Republican plan seems focused on letting the elder generations off the hook at the expense of the younger ones, and that this stealth tax hike is cool with tea partiers.
And make a cut off at 55 is just dumb anyway. Either make it immediate or not at all. Because if you set the cut off at 55, and pat yourself on the back for saving Medicare, that's 10 years that people have to repeal that law. It would be gone in less than 5.
Sorry if I was a jerk, but I see hypocrisy in alot of this, and it ticks me off.
Technically, your wrong
The GOP's plan sucks, but wont touch Mahoney's medicare.
Nope, only those under 55. I love it, the party that's loves to call for tax cuts introduces a stealth tax on the young. Because under this plan everyone will be paying the same amount as before, but now those under 55 will get shafted on coverage.
It's funny, I used to joke about how I didn't expect to have Social Security when I hit retirement, but little did I realize I wouldn't have medicare either.
Who am I fooling? With retirement ages going up, and lack of universal health care, I most likely wont survive to retirment.
Way to go, baby boomers and greatest generation. You defeated the communists, and all it cost us was mine and my children's future.
Things change
First off, if there was a full blown world war, it would end in a nuclear fire that no amount of toughness would prepare us for. This is because enough of the major players have nukes that any World War will pit two nuclear powers against each other.
That's why there will never be another world war because the stakes are too high.
Now, the amount of violence that parents allow their kids to be exposed to will vary, but the problem is as we discover the effects of contact sports, we discover they may not be worth the risk. I played hockey, and I suffered multiple injuries and I've seen people break their necks and get seriously injured. So I don't fault people for not wanting their kids to play.
And I can tell you for a fact that everyone who the army gives a rifle to has to read how to use it.
PAYT sucks
Been in communities that have had PAYT, it's a royal pain in the ass.
Not only is this just a tax hike, but every about it is a pain. The trashbags selected ALWAYS suck cause they are looking to milk every last dollar. So, you get the cheapest pos trashbags. Or they do stamps, and then you have to get the stupid stamps.
Honestly, stop trying to hide taxes. If you need to raise them, do in the open like adults instead of sneaking them in like cowards
Hmmmm.
I bet it's a cargo plan, cause thats the only plane thats "Friendly to business"
The answer isn't recall
We just need to get him added to the No Fly List, and he'll be stuck in Jamaica
No, Not even a little bit right
Where to start with this crazy post:
1. WIFI - Don't want to open up yyour home network to wireless hacking, do having a wifi router. Just because your computer is pluged into an outlet doesn't mean your computer can now be read by cmp. No
2. Shutting off power to singluar appliances - The meter is upstream of your circuit breaker. It can shut off power to everything or nothing. No inbetween.
3. That this is 1985 - These meters offer them nothing they can't already do. Can they read your power usage? Yes. Can they Shut off your power? Yes. Do they have webcams? NO. Can they spy into your house? NO. So stop acting like they put a telescreen in your living rooms and are making you talk in newspeak. Double plus ungood!
4. The 150 jobs - If all these people were doing was checking meters, then I don't know. But the economy doesn't tolerate obsolete methods. No one morns for milk men, or the people who made horse drawn buggies. They had their time, and now it's over. I don't want to see anyone lose their job, but we can't keep doing things inefficiently to just save jobs.
LePage is a jerk
"Plain talking" is a crock. While I appreciate that he isn't bsing me, however, he completely ticks me off with how little he values the other side.
I may be opinionated, but at least I know that I might be wrong, and to consider the other side's argument. It's like compromise is a dirty word or something.
Easy solution
I'm gonna remove any identifying info from my trash and dump it on Farrell's lawn if per-bag happens.
Increase property taxes first.
The only benefit from double posting
Is I can disagree with you twice.
Political Capital
Before I begin, let me say having seen the mural in real life, let me say that I think it does overpower the room and feels out of place.
That said, Paul LePage is an idiot. He is a political amatuer, and we probably only serve one term.
Disagree with me all you want, but from the get go, I have been saying he wont destroy Maine, and that everyone should give him a chance. Well, with that chance I gave him, he had jumped on every super politically viable topic he can find, and plant a flag.
Was the mural costing Maine jobs? Probably not(if you think it was, well then we have more serious problems if we can't attract business because of a mural)
So why make a big deal of it? All your doing is giving the other side more ammo to fundraise and charge up their side. The tea party is losing steam fast, meanwhile the coffee party(or whatever you want to call them) is picking up momentum, and gearing up for next November.
This creates no jobs, it doesn't endear you with people who didn't already love you, and it infuriates those who you don't want to motivate.
Its a dumb move.
A.R. Gould = Juvy
AR Gould is part of(or connected to) Long Creek Youth Development Center, i.e. Juvenile corrections. Of course they aren't going on away games. And are you accusing the Maine DoJ of unfairly recruiting?
Listen, our kids need to "man uo". Oh no, you might get blown out? So what? I played on teams where we would both destroy and get destroyed by opponents. As a kid, I was lucky enough to play in 2 regional tournaments, and in one, we got killed.
It crushed my spirits and made me the broken man I am today.... Oh wait, not it DIDN'T crush my spirits. It taught me to lose like a man. Sometimes in life, you get run over by those you compete against, and those who learn early that it's not a big deal and you just need to get back up and try again do better in life.
Ok, this is starting to piss me off
Wow, all this energy over a freaking mural.
Come on. Why don't we focus on the issue of Maine becoming a right to work state instead of this nonsense.
Who disagreed?
Disagreeing with someone saying thanks? Come on...
BTW - Funny thing, when I took this picture, the crew for WGME was filming and getting people to comment, and they filmed me taking this picture. And it made it into the broadcast.
Of course, I took a picture of them filming me taking a picture.
LOL
Well, I find it amusing. I wonder how much effort LePage is gonna put into this. I mean, I bet there will be an injunction, and it's gonna be a mess.
However, I think the left is freaking out about nothing. The murals wont be destroyed, and would most likely featured more prominently than they are now.
First off, Just wanted to
First off, Just wanted to point this out:
"Then we looked closely at the panels and at the way they dominate the lobby of the Maine Department of Labor. " - The editorial board
"It is in a small lobby area. It OVERWHELMS the room, and even I felt a little uncomfortable."
-Me, on the March 23 story comments section
HA HA! I made the point first!
Ok, purile gloating aside, I disagree with the point "it is a place where workers and private industry must meet to work through their differences in a purely neutral setting."
No, because the Department of Labor is about regulating and protecting Labor. And don't tell me the abuse of workers is a thing of the past, all one must do is look to where labor regulation is non-existent, and see what corporations will do. You go to third world nations, and sweatshops become the norm. Child labor is acceptable. Long workdays with poor pay is considered an advantage to companies, not a moral wrong.
I don't fault business. The job of companies is to make money, and to expect them to work otherwise is foolish. So it falls to Government to regulate Business. Much like a nuclear reaction, balance is key. You let business go to far, you get meltdowns. You overregulate, the reaction shuts off and no power is generated.
Working with both to make an environment where both sides thrive should be goal of the DoL.
Wow, way off.
How about we save this editorial for when the president commits ground forces, which will probably be never. Because all this talk about putting our troops in harms way sounds hollow when it's limited to an air war against a clearly 3rd class power.
No, I think we need to help the rebels. Obama could have kept his mouth shut about Gadhafi, but he didn't, and as soon as he decided to throw support to the rebels, he should have been planning a no fly zone.
Now as for if these are the people we want to deal with, they are better than Gadhafi. They aren't slaughtering civilians(as far as I know). Besides, maybe if we help them, they wont feel as inclined to chant "Death to America".
Thats the thing...It is hidden
The Maine Commerce Center has crazy hallways. (A walking them in a full loop is 1/4 a mile) They have a ton of walls they could have put the mural on, especially in the hallways around the DoL. But they put in in a lobby room they is behind a door.
Put it this way, I have walked past that mural hundreds of times, and never saw it because it was behind a door. I'm telling ya, it is too much for that room.
Anyway, I went and saw it. The pictures don't do it justice in how overpowering it is.
I was........wrong.
I will admit it. I was wrong on this one.
See, I work in the building that the mural is in. So, I decided to check it out. You would think it was on a long wall or something. I was surprised...It is in a small lobby area. It OVERWHELMS the room, and even I felt a little uncomfortable.
So I have to give him a bye on this one.
Personal Responsibility
As I said, I would concede this if the parents who's kids did get knocked up were forced to accept legal responsibility for the baby until the baby's 18th birthday. But as it is right now, parents think that abstinence is enough, and when it turns out their wrong, they foist the responsibility on the kid in the name of personal responsibility, who will most likely seek state and federal assistance. If we could hold the parent responsible as well as the child, I would be far more inclined to agree
This is the problem with the bible
1. That wasn't what Jesus said. Nothing in the bible is what Jesus said. Most of the new testiment was composed after Jesus died and was written by people who weren't even there. Additionally, I think that 1st century Greek doesn't translate easily into 20th century English.
2. That one has to be a "trained spiritual reader" to understand it. This is why people strap bombs to themselves - Religion is so full of mystery that it can be twisted and interpreted into whatever someone wants.
I figured it out
See, LePage campaigned on being the biggest Republican Jackass. I mean, telling Obama to go to hell and more or less telling woman that growing facial hair is no big deal is his bread and butter.
But Walker stole his thunder. I mean, what is tell Obama to go to hell compared to send the state police to arrest state senators. So now that things are quieting down with Wisconsin and Japan, he wants to get back to work making headlines.
Cause it was never about making jobs. If you need a job, you should have worked on his campaign.
It does
You want to bet that a majority of teens who get pregnant end up on MaineCare?
Well, no, I disagree
No, you don't have the final decision. If the state thinks your hurting you kids, DHHS will start making choice for you real quick.
But, I will grant your point with one requirement. Parents are responsible for making choice for their kids. They are also be responsible for the actions of their kids. I think a stipulation of this should be that if a child get pregnant, the parent(of the pregnant child) is equally responsible for the baby until the baby is 18.
So if you want your kids to go abstinence only, and you kids make a dumb choice, YOU should have to be responsible. None of this teen mothers go on the dole while their parents throw up their hands. That way, you want to put all your eggs in the abstinence bucket, the rest of us don't have to deal with it when that choice bites you in the rear
Lets be realistic
Abstinence based sex ed approaches to kids is just dumb.
Why?
Cause kids do dumb things. This is why they aren't considered adults, because their ability to make good decisions is lacking. I don't think kids should be having sex, but kids have a funny way of not giving a damn what you think they should do.
Do kids drink alcohol and do drugs even though they're illegal? Yup
Do kids smoke cigarettes even though we know for certain it will cause cancer? Yup
Will taking away all forms of contraception stop kids from having sex? Nope.
So lets take the realistic approach. Some kids will listen and hold off on sex till they are ready. Some, however, will not. So lets throw contraception at them. Pills, condoms, everything. As much as I don't want kids having sex, I REALLY don't want them getting pregnant.
A few things
I don't believe, I have drawn conclusions from the facts presented to me. But to be fair, I don't blame Bush for the recession either. Matter of fact, TARP, which was GWB's baby, saved the economy. Probably the single most important piece of legislation he passed, because I can't imagine what would have happened if it didn't. I think GWB is a good man, who's presidency got defined not for action but reaction.
Put it this way, I would have a beer with the man.
Probably buy a round.
Misleading as h-e-double hockeysticks.
The economy tanked under GWB. Yes, he averaged 5.27% unemployment, but in the last year of his presidency, unemployment went from 5% to 7.8%. And a majority of the increases in unemployment under Obama happened in the first 4 months. There is NO WAY anything he did could have caused or prevented those jobs losses. There just wasn't enough time. I think the more revealing numbers are the acceleration figures for unemployment. Under Obama, unemployment has decelerated significantly and reversed. We are only about .7% away from the unemployment rate Obama had when he took office.
So yes, he inherited this economy.
I just wrote a ltte in response.
Synopsis -
It is hypocritical to call out democrats for the first half of your ltte, and then end with:
"When the partisan pique and posturing stops, there should be bipartisan agreement that this makes sense."
Citation needed
You however didn't present any explanation as to why he is a left leaning reporter, which is what I was alluding too.
Really?
Umm, they already exists.
http://www.kenworth.com/brochures/T270T370Hybrid.pdf
And I'm not saying to turn off the spigot. I'm saying lets stop chasing oil down, and turn our energies towards energy sources we control. Instead of chasing down more oil, let invest in tech to change coal into oil, since we have PLENTY of that. Lets work on hybrids and electrics to reduce our demand for oil.
Loud Pipes = Republican?
So he's a leftie for being opposed to motorcycles being obnoxious?
Not, not really.
First off, any effect new drilling will have will be felt a decade in the future.
Secondly, the amount would only be a drop in the bucket.
Really, oil is the fuel of the present, not the future. Our future cars will most likely run on hydrogen fuel cells, which we will not have to rely on the middle east to produce. Nuclear, combined with green power generation is the key.
"With regard to your comments
"With regard to your comments on business, yes, there are greedy businesses, but they don't last long. For every greedy company, there are probably five others that have been forced off-shore, or out of business completely, by greedy unions who couldn't care less about their members. Those jobs are lost forever."
Greedy business don't last long?
Now that's a hoot.
If you think Unions really forced outsourcing, I don't know if there is much I can do to debate with you, because that's just silly. I mean, private sector union membership peaked in the 1940's and has been in steady decline since. However, most of the manufacturing job losses occurred in the past 20 years. Globalization has been directly tied to to most of the major losses.
However, I don't blame companies. I blame China for alot of it, as they have artificially kept their currency undervalued to get all the manufacturing jobs they can. However, to blame unions, which during the 90's made up less than 15% of all employees, is overstating union influence.
You people =)
You'll disagree with anything. If you think this is a well written letter, your out there with Charlie Sheen.
How to write a essay
When I was in high school, my AP government teacher showed me how to write an essay/argument.
You start with an introduction and your thesis statement.
They you bring up the strongest argument against yours, and why it's wrong
Then you list 3 of your points, from weakest to strongest.
Then you close with a summary that re-states your thesis.
The reason is when you try to do too much, as this letter does, you sound like a rambling fool.
The author makes 8 separate arguments in 8 paragraphs, which makes my head hurt.
I agree with you, but.....
The problem is that the state should be saying "Sorry, we made a mistake. We need to trim the benefits." Instead, the Republican handbook says to say "Greedy Unions are destroying America!". Look at Wisconsin. If Walker worked with the Unions, there would be no issue. But by making them the enemy, he has the fight of his life on his hands, and opinion polls show he is losing.
The problem is
LePage is acting like a 38% Governor. Hell, to put it in terms as you did, he's acting like Obama did.
Obama came into office with 60+% approval and a democratic congress. He threw his weight around, and pushed through bills. Now he's at 46% and has a Republican house. LePage is acting the same way, and will yield the same results. Except, LePage doesn't have a 60+% approval rating. He keeps this up(and we're only 2 months in at this point) I would be surprised if he lasts 2 terms.
Hell, I would be surprised if the GOP maintains majorities in both house and senate in next November(2012).
I count 8
Does 8 people make a rally?
Disagree?
I was making fun of the editorial obviously meant Iraq, but wrote Iran. Unless we invaded Iran while I wasn't looking. I don't even know what your disagreeing with.
Both are needed
The problem is that neither side wants to have compromise thrown in their face come next November, so they want to stick to their guns.
But your right, we need let the tax cuts expire and cut spending.
That said, the reason Democrats focus on increasing taxes on the upper tax brackets is that in the past 30 years, income disparity has increased significantly. There are probably numerous reasons, from globalization to deregulation to technological changes to the marketplace. If you try and pin it to one cause, your pushing an agenda. However, the fact remains that middle and lower class income has seen little to no growth, while upper class income growth has accelerated, making it look like the "rich" are getting richer while the "poor" are getting poorer. So Democrats seek to put pressure on upper income growth through taxes.
Will it help? I don't know, but I doubt that any one thing will be some sort of silver bullet. We need to spend a ton more on education, but spend it well, because the best defense against "class" divisions in the populace is education.
My problem
My problem with LePage is his attitude. I have no problem with someone disagreeing we me. Hell, I want to hear different opinions. I may not agree, but that doesn't mean I'm right, and I can accept that different people see things different ways.
However, Govenor LePage seems to have an attitude that if you disagree with him, your wrong. That's why Anthony Marple got fired, and I bet that's why Mills got canned. It seems that he knows that he can't win people over on the merits of his argument or he chooses not too. Instead, he fires them.
All the while, making comments that lack forethought of ANY kind.
Fired up over Sun Spots?
Seriously?
While U.S. troops are expected to leave Iran later this year
Take that, Ahmadinejad! USA USA USA!
Apathy isn't as bad as you think
Though I do want to make a distinction between apathy and involvement with the political process. Apathy is not caring what happens. However, there are many people who care, yet due to their lives, have no time or energy to get involved. In that sense, I don't think apathy is a major problem. Much like I told my father watching both the Tea Party protests and the protests in Wisconsin "Real people are far to busy to protest this stuff".
But claiming we're destroying the Constitution doing anything is silly. We prove how powerful it is. But it's a creation of man, and cannot be considered infallible. It need to be modified almost immediately after becoming law with the first 10 Amendments because the founders had the same issues we are having now - "How Big should the Government be allowed to become?"
Once you realize that they struggle with the same issues we struggle with, it makes all the little stuff seem little and re-affirms my confidence in America.
First off, at least one
First off, at least one founder agrees with me that what they think is moot:
"We may consider each generation as a distinct nation, with a right, by the will of its majority, to bind themselves, but none to bind the succeeding generation, more than the inhabitants of another country."
Thomas Jefferson
And hey, he was also worried about corperations as much as government:
"I hope we shall... crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country."
-- Thomas Jefferson to George Logan, 1816.
Well, that all depends....
Who do you consider a founder?
We got the declaration of independence, we have the Articles of Confederation, we have the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights. But did the Nation stop evolving? NO.
How about Abe Lincoln and the Gettysburg address? Or FDR’s First Inaugural Address where he proclaimed
"This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance"
Or Kennedy "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. "
Or Bush "I hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked down these buildings are going to hear from all of us soon,"
The beauty of the United States is the realization we are all founders. This Nation lives by our consent, and dies by our apathy. It lives and breathes. It evolves to serve.
Ok, it's on
Honestly, I am so sick of people telling em what the founders envisioned. Where you around between 1776 and 1790? Did you speak to ANY of the founders? Do you have a time machine?
No? Then knock it off. You weren't there, your only interpreting what YOU think they envisioned.
Woah there
"Forcible rape is one thing, but drunken, drugged, or consensual sex"
Lets just squash the whole "Forcible rape" thing out of here. Rape is forced sex, be it through physical or chemical means. Trying to define it more specifically if splitting hairs and a way to score political points. Leave those distinctions to juries.
Calling the Kettle black I see
"There is so much propaganda in the media these days"
Yes there is. But that goes both ways. Corporations and Governments are neither inherently bad nor good. And when both get large, they are both capable of acting poorly.
That said, saying government has taken over industries is pure hyperbole, and makes me chuckle when combined with a plea to ignore the propaganda, because you clearly need to follow your own advice.
He can't make a joke about man boobs - He's already got em.
Maybe thats his plan - He wants all guys to have man boobs like his
Thanks a lot, LePage
"At some level, consumers have to take some responsibility for what they’re bringing into their own homes,"
Umm, how are you supposed to do that without informed consent? I bet you one billion trillion dollars products with BPA will NOT be labeled "Contains BPA"
He is going to lose re-election by 1000%.
"LePage sold out children to chemical companies, and fired anyone who got in his way"
My best guess
She was going to rip him apart in the press on his comments on BPA, so he fired her.
What is the "straight face test"
Is that a test that if what the person says doesn't fit within your established opinion, it's automatically false?
Hahahaha
Like there was ever a choice. And name me one government that isn't a oligarchical Plutocracy, and I'll point and laugh at your naivety. Power, be it electrical or political, is a commodity. And as such, has a dollar value. This is a fact of life.
Maybe??
One can hope =)
Except he hired her.
LePage hired her.
I mean, did he interview her first? I know he dislikes "Science" and "Logic", but it's not like they discovered an indian burial ground in her lab or something. There shouldn't be any surprises with where she stands.
Since there is no logic explanation, I'm going to make up one....They were having an affair. And LePage's daughter stumbled in on them. And since he can't fire his daughter, he fired her.
an't do that right now
Not in this political climate. Maybe in 2009 when Obama had congress and 60% approval. Now, it's time for compromise.
I agree
Until you cut the big three( Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and Department of Defense), your not going to get anywhere, debtwise. And cutting equally from the three would keep politics to a minimum.
Let's just cut to the chase and kill them
I mean, that would make everyone's life easier. We already set limits on where they can work and live. Screw it, lets just kill them, then it wont be an issue anymore.
I'm not a fan on sex offenders, but once their debt to society is paid, we should focus on getting them back into society in hopes that they straighten out, not block their return to protect ourselves, forcing them to live on the fringe.
Now, as for people behaving poorly in front of St. Francis House, you should complain to the administrator. I'm sure they want to be on good terms with their neighbors.
Back blast area clear
Careful and considerate are not how I would describe Paul Lepage. He is a bazooka, seeking to lay waste to everything he sets his sights on. While many would applaud this approach, one thing to worry about when using a bazooka is that everything directly behind you get torched from the rocket exhaust.
Looks like he's firing everyone who disagrees with him.
So, by my estimation, 62% of the state government will be canned by the time he's done.
Wow
I agree with Pirate.... This is bad.
=)
Anyway, yeah, this makes no sense.
Not 13 trillion
Obama increased the debt by 2 trillion so far....(13 trillion now - 11 trillion in 2009 )
Oh come on....
So Sun Journal, did you feel the same way when Trevor Bayne was doused with champagne? Especially since he is a minor?
And, oh yes, teens use non-alcoholic beer as "training wheels for real beer"....Are you serious?
Only half the story.
1 - The Obama stimulus package passed in 2009. The debt at that point was 11 trillion. It is now 13 trillion. But, you know, keep on trucking with the whole "Obama's spending out of control". Bush increased our debt almost 5 trillion, but I didn't hear anyone forming tea parties and getting all worried about deficit spending then.
2. The stimulus's job wasn't to make it less painful, it was to keep the wheels on the bus, just like TARP did. And you will never know how effective they were because the wheels did not come off the bus. Both Bush and Obama played it right, and kept everyone working.
3. Your right, we do need to pay it back. But your not gonna do that with tax cuts. We are going to have to face tax hikes and service cutbacks. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and the Department of Defense all need major cuts/ reworking
Disagree a little
Nope, gonna have to say I am completely opposite in my opinion. Trying to paint either side as black or white is misleading. This whole argument is about shades of gray. We all agree that Government does some things best. The founder saw first hand what happens when you limit government too much with the Articles of Confederation. A limp, powerless federal government most assuredly leads to strife. Fearing this, our founding fathers drafted the Constitution to drastically INCREASE the powers of government. Then, fearing they went too far, they enacted the Bill of Rights.
Since inception, Balancing the power of the Federal Government has been a give and take. It’s not black and white, but merely shades of gray. What works and doesn’t. When is too far, and when isn’t far enough.
Moderates like Snowe, are like most of America; They are in-between. It’s not that she doesn’t stand for nothing, she just disagrees with you a lot.
And two points to close on –
1.Name one high profile Tea Partier who’s a democrat. I keep hearing that the Tea Party is neither R or D, yet all the members are R.
2. Which founders “heroically died”? Most of the founders I heard about died of old age. Is that “heroically dying”?
The Tea Party is just silly.
They put Snowe on their literature to try and raise money, but they won't bother to use it here. She is an easy target to scare conservatives in middle America, but the amount of money and effort to unseat her here could be used to unseat two weaker democrats. And the reason I said two is that Snowe, if she didn't win the Republican nomination, could just as easily run as a independent, and win.
So to beat Snowe, they would have to beat her in the nomination round and the general election. It would be far smarter to use those resources to unseat democrats that are weak in their districts, cause you might be able to make the difference with 2 or more with the money you would have to spend to beat Snowe.
Death Penalty and abortion are unrelated
Abortion and the death penalty are complicated enough without trying to link them.
I am against abortions at all, even in the case of rape. However, I am also against saying "No, you can't have an abortion" without making an effort to prevent and care for unwanted pregnancies. Like I think the government should pay for birth control, or mandate that insurance cover the cost.
Then, if someone gets pregnant, I think the government should cover all the health expenses. If we make it law that women must carry their child, we cannot then say they have to pay for it too.
In 1962...
A nuclear war between the United States and the Soviety Union would be fought with bombers.
The Berlin wall had just started going up
It was still ok to tell minorities to sit at the back of the bus.
John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth.
The initial plans were released and architect selected to build New York's World Trade Center.
Here's the compromise
If a drivers license or state ID is required to vote, State ID's should be free.
Good Spending <> Bad Spending.
I don't disagree that we need to reform spending, but we need to be smart about it. Programs that look dumb are far more vital than you realize.
Example - The Icebreakers that were cut from the stimulus package. You may say "Why do we need these?! Cut em". Hell, most people did say that. I didn't, because one region has three things in common:
1. The largest unclaimed oil field.
2. Important shipping routes
3. Strategically important region
Where is this? The Arctic. It is believed to have a 25% of the worlds undiscovered oil. It is becoming a viable alternative and MUCH more geopolitical stable) than the Panama and Suez canals.
Oh, and the Russians have set the eyes on it. Canada and the US both have rights to the region, but we need to be able to work up there, and one of the things we need is icebreakers. But hey, it's cool, lets cut spending. I bet the Russian will let us borrow one of theirs, I mean they are building a bunch of them.
Ok, I got a bit off topic there. But it all comes down to the same thing. Just chanting "No Spending" is short-sighted. There are things it is good to spend on, and working towards a rail system for the United States is one of them.
Funny
It's kinda funny you never hear the whole "spending" argument when it comes to programs that happen in Republican districts, like the parallel development of the GE engine for the F-35.
And this isn't even funding for Welfare or poor people or health care. This is capital investment in our country. This program isn't about trying to fix the economy, it's about trying to be proactive. It will cost us FAR more if we wait in terms of economic hardship and lost productivity. And cut it out with this "private" sector BS. The Airline industry gets 14 billion a year in federal spending and bailouts whenever needed. They get money from the Military for participation in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. They are hardly free enterprise.
$425 billion
$425 billion is what it cost, in 2006 inflation adjusted dollars, to build the interstate system.
Does anyone here think that was a waste of money?
To build a proper high speed rail system will cost alot of money, but if it's done right, it could pay for itself in economic growth and eventual fares. And the time to build it is now, not in the future. Why?
Have you seen gas prices? They are only going to go up. So if we get the system built now, we won't be caught with our pants down when the price of air travel far exceeds rail and rail becomes viable.
Or we can think so short term we end up shooting ourselves in the foot.
I hope
I really hope you submitted that ltte online. If you wasted a stamp to say that, .....
I disagree
Ok, as I see it, there is two issues here –
1. Should the state be using emergency rules to pass fireworks law.
2. Should fireworks be illegal
On the first point, I agree with all of you. This is not an emergency, and using emergency measures to pass the law swiftly is an abuse.
I disagree with most of you on the second point, and here is why: Fireworks are as dangerous as alcohol, firearms and even gasoline when used INCORRECTLY. Heck, a fork is fatal if used incorrectly. The CDC estimated in 2000 there was 75,000 gun injuries/deaths. NHTSB estimates that 10,000 will die in alcohol related accidents.
Fireworks are no more dangerous than those things, and examples of children getting hurt are nothing more than emotional appeals. No one thinks children should be using fireworks unsupervised, hence making the age limit 21+. A seven year old blowing his hand off is sad, but it’s an example of bad parenting. Would you consider banning alcohol if that 7 year old had gotten alcohol poisoning and died?
Someone put hot sauce in Dan's Coffee
Full of piss a vinegar today Dan. Well, Dan, you not gonna win anyone over with calling people jealous of state bennies. Sorry to say, but the economic mess were in requires us all to bite into a big poop sandwich. We've all had to deal with wage cuts and layoffs and more work. Sorry about your COLA, but frankly, I think it could have been alot worse.
What attitude?
I was merely pointing out that the poster was a state employee, and therefore biased. I really don't have an issue with how much state workers are paid. However, if I have to chose between cutting school programs or increasing the retirement age to 65 for state employees, well, sorry. Your just gonna have to stick it out 3 more years.
The private sector jobs already have been going through this. We have been hit with pay cuts, layoffs, longer hours and more work. So, suck it up.
Biased?
The fact that your a state employee wouldn't have anything to do with that?
Both sides make it simple
Because both sides have flawed humans on them. But taking the cheap and easy way out won't win an argument. Ideas should win arguments.
....Sigh
Case in point - These two responses bring nothing to the table. They only seek to weaken the other side through ridicule.
Gotta love it
I love how in one paragraph Garret calls out Obama for speaking off the cuff, and Obama supports for trying to justify it.
Then, in the very next paragraph, Garret admits that LePage speaks off the cuff, and then justifies it.
Hmmmm..
The bottom line is this: No matter how valid your point is, the second you start calling your opposition "spoiled brats" and compare their arguments to "whining", you might as well stop your letter. Because the only recourse to argue this is either "Nu uhh" or to start calling you names back.
So instead of pointing out that Democrats are "spoiled and over-privileged", why not try and stick to things that will move your argument forward
So?
When a river runs low, hydro power doesn't work. When a coal/NG plant is burning fuel, no power is generated.
This is why they put them on mountains where the wind is blowing fairly constantly. And you work to make them as efficient as possible.
And no new jobs? Your vision is too focused. Look at the University of Maine. It's developing a whole department on wind power, as the region is seeing alot of investment. This will spur more development and jobs. It the same with any new technology. Nuclear development centered in New Mexico(due to the Manhattan Project). What came of that? Los Alamos national lab, Sandia national lab, and a ton of high tech jobs.
Yes, Wind Power is inefficient...right now. But I doubt that will always be the case. Heck, the Chinese are investing heavily into this, including $17.5 billion in a new wind farm, because they see the future of this tech.
In the Beginning, nothing is cost effective.
New technology is never cost effective in the beginning. A great example is nuclear. The first reactors were not cost effective, but from building them we learned new things. We improved and kept going, and got nuclear to a place where it was cost effective.
Wind will be the same way. We will reap not only the plentiful electricity, but the jobs as well.
Wow...So wrong
Where oh where to begin....
Bath Iron works does make civilian ships.
The US is the largest producer of arms, but to be fair, many are for civilian use. Over half of the guns produced worldwide are purchased in the United States
While I don't doubt that the US government exaggerates and lies, Iran is far, far worse. They imprison and execute people who speak against the government. They have shown a complete disregard for the will of the Iranian people with the fixing of the past elections, and when compared to the Bush administration, make Bush look like Gandhi.
To your point "why did Iran invite reporters from around the world, including one from NBC?". What's the point of inspecting a facility when invited? You will see what they want you to see.
Iran clearly wants nuclear weapons to deter Israel. The problem is that Iran has funded Hezbollah, and if Hezbollah gets a nuke, they will use it. Then Israel or the United States will respond with nuclear weapons, and the Middle East will be a mess.
From what I have read, if Iran and Israel go head to head, Israel will suffer 200,000+ causalities. Iran, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt will cease to exist as Israel will not only wipe out Iran, but any of it's neighbors it feels might feel threatened by.
So that's why we don't want Iran to have nukes.
Business as usual is over in Augusta? I don't think so.
Keep fooling yourself. The clientele might have changed, but Augusta's stock and trade of political favors is alive and well.
He tackled all the stupid hot button issues that will do zero to create jobs in Maine...Well, except for his daughter.
Now, while his "Red Tape" town halls may make the business environment more friendly, he needs to take some sort of action, or outline a plan to CREATE jobs. Now, I admit it's still early, but apparently he wants to tackle non-existent problems first, like people moving to Maine for welfare, which according to DHHS, JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN. More people on welfare are fleeing the state, probably cause they GOT A JOB.
JOBS fix just about everything. So I'll lay off once he stops making the news for telling the NCAAP off, and starts making the news with job creation plans.
Who gives a ****?
Unless the dessert is spelled "J-O-B-S", then I certainly don't
LOL
If you have enough money to smoke, you have enough to pay for your own healthcare.
5 bucks a pack X 365 days a year = $1825.
Oh, and wouldn't the CNAs be SPYs?
A big job to do getting Republican's re-elected.
Want to know why we cannot let Paul LePage get back to work, and watch him like a hawk?
Well, as Dan Demeritt, the Communications Director for Gov. Paul LePage, put it " Once we take office, Paul will put 11,000 bureaucrats to work getting Republicans re-elected.".
God syas alot of stuff in the Bible
Oh don't worry, I didn't take it personally. My general rule of thumb when it comes to beliefs is "Whatever get ya through the day, cause life can be pretty crappy" so I tend to take any religious conversation with a more lighthearted tact.
Judges 15:16:
Then Samson said,
“With an ass’s jawbone
I have made asses of them.
With an ass’s jawbone
I have killed a thousand men.”
My God
Ok, first off, as I see the "I don't go to church, but I believe in God." directed at me, I will start there. Now, take all my comments with a grain of salt. You can believe anything you want, this is only my view point. I believe God is far above our understanding that the hubris of religions trying to understand God is just staggering. It's like asking a toddler to do calculus. Cannot be done. Just as an example - assigning God a gender? You think God is limited by gender? God isn't a He or a She. God is God.
I think Church can bring people great comfort, and that's fantastic. However, some, not all, churches have put their survival ahead of the needs of their flock. Obviously, I’m referring to the child abuse scandals rocking the Catholic church. Honestly, pedophiles will show up in every branch of life, but when the church chose to cover it up, it chose saving face instead of doing the right thing.
So you wonder what God I believe in?
God doesn’t require me to recite a memorized prayer. God doesn’t require me to blindly obey people. God wants me to use the logic and intelligence given to me to make decisions. God wants me to live a prayer, meaning EVERY moment of my life is a prayer to God. I don’t need Sunday to honor God, I try and do it every day. God knows I’m not perfect, because God made me not perfect. So God doesn’t expect me to be perfect.
There are many reasons.
I cannot speak for everyone, but I know as a former Catholic, my separation from the Church has been at the realization that I don't believe in it. I don't share their beliefs(I do believe in God) and I see most religions trying to tell people who to relate to God.
I see most religions basing their relationship with God on the writings of people who didn't understand nature and their environment, and attributed the unexplainable events to acts of God. The Bible is full of events that if happened today would not be considered miracles, but regular phenomenon. And once you realize that the Bible is a good book, but a creation of Man, then the religions fall apart as they can't back up their claims without referencing the Bible.
The truth of the matter is you cannot prove God exists. Religions, left without proof, use the Bible as proof. As that book looks less and less like a definitive source, religions look less attractive and more full of it.
Compromise is a 2 way street
Health Care Reform is flawed. I, for one, would like a single payer system. But I don't get to decide these things. But I can also see the good that "ObamaCare" is doing. Example: Forbes is reporting that becasue of "ObamaCare" small business enrollment in health insurance is way up.
http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/01/06/more-small-businesses-offer...
So maybe it's time to let go of some of the rhetoric. The election is over, time to look at the facts.
Example: Litigation limits(Tort Reform) are already in place in 34 states. So would nationwide limits really help? I don't know, but I doubt it.
So riddle me this: What part of ObamaCare is not the answer?
So far?
First off, I was pissed about the kiss my butt comment, but after hearing it in context, I really didn't think it was that bad.
LePage has been in office a few weeks, it's really too early to form an opinion on his administration. But he has made some real partisan moves that may endear him to his base, but in reality do nothing.
He is allowing police to ask about immigrant status. Well, that should help Maine with our illegal Canadian problem.
He hired his daughter. Again, he can hire anyone he wants, but it looks bad. He should have gotten her a job at Marden's.
His AG is looking to going the lawsuit over Health Care Reform. Because there isn't better things to spend our money on, lending our moral support.
Nothing fatal, nothing that will save or sink the state. Just stuff to make the Tea Partiers happy. Hopefully, he can start doing his job soon. Maine needs jobs, and so far the only jobs he has created are for lawyers and his daughter.
Disagree a little
I think the Department of Education's ranking to be a good indicator:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/
Maine is above average, but I can't find any place to see an actual ranking. But I think we need to not worry about rankings, we need to focus on making it better. There is always room to improve.
Ummm, they made a copy available
Here it is:
http://msgboard.snopes.com/politics/graphics/birth.jpg
Good for you
Tron, cut the dude some slack.
Best of luck to you, Mr Richards
Incorrect
"Our politicians are trying to get China to devalue its currency so our goods will be cheaper and they will buy from us. The Chinese are not stupid. Why would they do that? They won’t"
No, we are trying to get the Chinese to quit devaluing their currency. The dollar is way too cheap vs the yuan, and as a result, it is far cheaper to make thing in China than the US. Once their currency isn't artificially devalued, it will still be cheaper to make things in China, but not as much. Also, another plus is that Chinese goods would be more expensive worldwide, which would help manufacturing everywhere.
Death panels questions
Where does one go to sign up to be on a death panel?
Do I need previous Death Panel experience? Is there an intern program, or do I have to start on Mildly Ill panels?
Do I need to bring tools, or does someone else kill them off? And what should I bring? 9mm? Sword? Galoshes?
Do people need to be sick, or can I render a decision on the guy who just cut me off?
No
1st and 14th amendments
Everson Vs. Board of Education
The end
So we need less government...
Except when it comes to when to fly the flag at half staff?
Yeah....
But to prove I'm not just a jerk, but a helpful jerk, here:
http://halfstaff.org/
..and once again people are disagreeing with facts
Seriously, I am Publikwerks
Woops
And know you know I'm publikwerks
That is a fair comment.
I want to retract my post. Reading that he said "Kiss my butt" pissed me off, as I don't want a "plain speaking" governor if it means he gonna be a jerk. I also though being a jerk would illustrate how being a jerk was not they way to discuss this.
However, I heard the comment in context, and it wasn't that bad. So I retract my personal attack and apologize.
Ok Comarad
The reason CEO's get paid millions is that running an organization or business is hard, and those who do it well are in short supply. If the market says 1-3 million is the going rate, then that is what hospitals will have to pay. Otherwise, your forcing hospitals to hire cut rate talent.
Besides, where does it stop?
LePage needs to listen
Well, it’s good to see Governor LePage has hit the ground running.
He has lifted the ban on asking about a person’s immigration status because of the massive problem Maine has with illegal immigrants. He’s adding residence requirements to solve the non-existent problem of people moving to Maine for welfare(DHHS says 5 times as many people on welfare leave than come in). And now he’s joining in with the other states fighting the Health Care reform bill, which will not affect the outcome other than creating busy work for lawyers and draining the state coffers more.
I thought he was listening when Augusta was schooled on November 2nd. Ripping off the Jets(may they get demolished Sunday), the solution is “J! O! B! S! JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!”. The only jobs he’s created so far have been for lawyers and his daughter.
Smarten up.
Fact of the matter is this
Bad things happen to good people for no reason.
Now, hopefully some good will come from this. Maybe both sides will take pause, and look at their rhetoric. Do I think Sarah Palin set this nutjob on this congresswomen? No. However, everyone needs to remember that you never know for sure. Maybe it did, maybe he took SarahPac's ad to heart in his crazy mind, and decided to kill the congresswomen. Maybe Count Chocola told him to do it. We'll never know.
But remember, it could have. So everyone remember to weigh your words carefully.
Your wrote a letter for this?
Seriously?
Don't get me wrong, I find that distasteful and vulgar. And on principal, I hate bumper stickers.
But of all the things for people to be pissed off about, this got you to write a letter.
We have Iran developing Nuclear weapons, North Korea is just nuts, super partisanship in congress and a Congresswoman got shot this weekend.
But the f word on a bumper sticker is what your worried about?
Yes, the rich are so picked on....
It's so unfair the rich have to pay more taxes than the poor. I mean, the rich deserve every penny they got, they weren't blessed with a well off family or being in the right place at the right time.
I'm not saying those who are successful shouldn't be allowed to reap the rewards. Absolutely not, they should get to have Ferraris and mansions and whatnot. But when the government needs to become financial stable, I have no issue with them looking to those who have benefited the most from society.
A couple of things....
First off:
DoE = Department of Energy
ED = Department of Education
Two:
The primary goals of the ED is administer federal funding like college financial aid and to enforce federal law in regards to privacy and civil rights. "No Child Left Behind" did expand the ED reach dramatically, but come on.
Three: with 5,000 employees, it is the smallest cabnet level department.
The department of the Interior has 71,000
The Department of Defense has 700,000 civilian, 1,400,000 military.
Now, if you have a problem with teacher unions and whatnot, your not going to solve that by getting rid of the DoED. Now, I might agree with you that one size doesn't fit all, but I don't see that as where the DoED is comming into play(with the excewption of NCLB).
FACT:
Bears eat beets
Well, I think your just being
Well, I think your just being silly. Any anomalies are just that, anomalies. They shouldn't effect the data significantly. To assume that we are in some data wilderness because we arn't using the same system as the WHO is silly. Hell, you can get the information from the Census Bureau, and then do your own cross walk.
If it makes you feel better, the CIA ranks us 180 out of 224(higher is better) with 6.22 deaths per 1000 births.
Cuba ranks 182 out of 224 with 5.82 deaths per 1000 births.
Hmmm, new site. I do want to
Hmmm, new site.
I do want to re-iterate, these people are twits