Bernie Sanders Sayings

In 1953, corporations contributed 33% of all tax dollars. Today, they contribute less than 10%.

Merry Christmas...You're dead

As we end the year today, it is tragic that we have to reflect back on Christmas day 2015, with a statistic showing that 27 Americans were shot and killed on December 25, and 63 injured in shooting incidents. The Washington Post uses a comparison between the U.S. and the countries of Austria, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Estonia, Bermuda, Hong Kong and Iceland, combined, that had only 27 gun deaths all year long. And the reason for this is the number of guns on the street.

As an example, Hong Kong has 0.03 gun deaths per 100,000 population compared to the United States, 10.64, the U.S 354 times more. Again based on better gun control. In Hong Kong gun ownership is tightly controlled and possession is mainly in the hands of law enforcement, the military, and private security firms. You might assume, based on this, that the United States cares less about the lives of its citizens than it does about the right to possess a gun.

And I think that would be right, based on the fact that the general population--the ones being slaughtered--support less gun control. Go figure? But the tables are turning. There is a certain faction out there that has had enough and they are speaking up, making it known that Wayne LaPierre and his National Rifle Assn. control of Congress is no longer acceptable. That daily gun deaths will not become the norm. And that new, reasonable gun control will become real, even if by Executive Order of the President.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

FDR was a Democratic Socialist

In case you don't know, or didn't remember, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a Democratic Socialist and served an unprecedented four terms in office. Bernie Sanders is a Democratic Socialist but only wants to serve two terms as President. That's what the law says now, and it is probably as good for the person in office as it is for the American people. It is interesting how Presidents age while serving, most evident by their hair turning grey during their tenure. Bernie Sanders doesn't have to worry about that.

In a Politico article, it reported that "...Roosevelt implemented a series of programs that put millions of people back to work, took them out of poverty, and restored our faith in government." Sanders added, "He transformed the country, and that is what we have to do today." Do you see the parallels between the political philosophy of these two men. Each is for the working man, the impoverished and the middle class.

“And, by the way, almost everything he proposed, almost every program, every idea, was called ’socialist,'" Bernie proudly exclaims. It is obvious that Bernie Sanders has removed the tarnish from the once forbidden "S" word, and transformed its meaning so that, even back in 2010, a Gallup Poll found that 36% of Americans have a positive image of socialism.

So, those of you out there that are old enough to remember or who have studied FDR and think Sanders can't win because he is a Democratic Socialist, think again. 

Bernie Sanders Sayings

Carter and Reagan substantially raised the regressive Social Security tax for working Americans. From 1970 to 1990, the Social Security tax was raised nine times--an increase of 31%.

Wingnut new Kentucky Governor will bring state down like Kansas

With an approval rating of 18%, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has joined the pitiful state he has brought Kansas to. As an example Kansas has a 2015 deficit of $600 million. It was accomplished by drastically cutting taxes, making education one of the biggest losers. Just another example of a dimwit conservative who thinks the answer to everything is making the rich richer with tax cuts.

Well, monkey see, monkey do. In Kentucky where Tea Party candidate, Matt Bevin, was elected Governor in November, and promptly lowered the  Minimum Wage By $3, while revoking Voting Rights For 140,000 Kentuckians. It is yet another case of a wacky TPer going off the deep end pursuing ideology just to satisfy a bunch of double-digit IQs. What has happened to this country that someone who obviously hasn't the slightest idea of what the hell he is doing can be elected to head up a state?

Tea Party support has dropped to its lowest level ever, with only 17% backing the organization. Sorta in the category of John Brownback, also a Tea Party loser. The LA Times did a 2014 article about Brownback that says it all: "How Tea Party tax cuts are turning Kansas into a smoking ruin." It's only a matter of time until Kentucky duplicates the Kansas "success."

Bernie Sanders Sayings

Reagan, with the support of a Democratic Congress, cut the top federal tax rate for the riches Americans from 70% to 28%.

Francis...The People's Pope

For once we have a Pope that has become the  People's Pope of the world. For the first time all faiths look upon this man as a great religious leader because he speaks not just for the Catholics but all the human race, and animals as well, everywhere. I am not a Catholic, not even a Christian, but an Agnostic that literally hangs on every word Pope Francis says. I don't always agree with him, but I know what he is saying is sincere and from the heart. He will go down in history as a great leader but that is for later.

An MSNBC article lists Pope Francis as a different kind of Pope because of a broadened horizon where he stood up for equal pay for women, forgiveness for women who have received abortions, and couples that have been divorced or remarried. He's even been on the back of world leaders to do something about climate change before it is too late. While he he hasn't accepted same-sex marriage, one point I disagree with him on, he has at least tried to understand the problems of the LGBT community by working and talking with them. The Pope attended a luncheon for the homeless in New York, which is what we call getting down in the trenches.

He has tried to give those imprisoned hope and he has met with abuse victims of the Catholic Church. In other words, this man has managed to spread himself thin over the problems of the world but maintaining the importance of every issue. I am not a religious person but Pope Francis seems to bring out the best in me every time I hear him speak or read about his achievements.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

From 1971 to 1981, the combined Social Security and income tax bills of median income families shot up 329%, while the combined tax bills of individuals and families with income of more than $1 million fell 34%.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Here's why Bernie Sanders should be Democratic nominee

Bernie Sanders looks happy

If you have the people you have the votes and this is just what Bernie Sanders is doing. Bernie "has broken the record for the number of individual contributions received at this point during a presidential campaign," as reported Monday by the Huff Post. He hit 2.3 million contributions during last Saturday's debate, breaking Obama's record of 2.2 million donations in 2012. It is significant to me that he broke the record of the man who beat Clinton in 2008. People were pissed off by Sander's treatment by the DNC and its chair, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.

So far I cannot find Hillary Clinton's number of individual donors, but that may be withheld due to the fact that she is funded by many corp. donors and PACs, unlike Sanders. Individual donors translate into voters, as compared to large PAC contributions; I would hope individuals who are committed by their money given would also tend to go to the polls. Obviously Bernie's $41.2 million doesn't match Clinton's $76 million, but there is something to be said for those who donate what they can to the man they are convinced represents their best interests.

It seems Wasserman-Schultz DNC has lit a fire under Bernie Sander's followers with $1 million raised just during the Friday before the debate when the rumpus was going on. You see, Bernie's supporters know when he needs them and they come to his aid with what they can give. I'm pretty sure the candidate can depend on those same followers to come to his aid in November of 2016.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

To begin reversing the growing inequality in the distribution of wealth, we can rescind the tax breaks given to the rich over the last twenty years.

Will we get through Christmas without another mass gun massacre?

Mass shootings in the U.S.

It has been three weeks since two terrorists broke in to a Christmas party in San Bernardino, Calif., killing 14 and wounding 21. The two assailants, married, were heavily armed using assault rifles and handguns bought legally for them by a friend. Although they don't appear to have been a part of a terrorists network, they both had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Is this a prelude to what we can expect in 2015, with more guns going on the streets every day?

But going back to 1984, there have been no mass gun killings on Christmas day and hopefully we can finish 2015, without another one. The closest we came to this holiday was December 26, 2000, when Michael McDermott shot and killed seven co-workers at the Internet consulting firm where he worked. This, apparently because his wages were going to be garnished by the IRS. Three weapons were used in the attack.

The next closest is Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Conn., on December 14, 2012, where 20 six-year-olds were slaughtered by Adam Lanza using an assault weapon, before Lanza killed himself. He had earlier shot and killed his mother who had a regular arsenal in the home. After this one, and due primarily to the deaths of so many children, there was an uproar across America with promises of doing something about it but three years later...nothing.

Pres. Obama is preparing an Executive Order that will no doubt include particulars such as universal background checks, the gun show loophole and more. The gun nuts, backed by Wayne LaPierre's NRA are also preparing their onslaught to counter the President's actions of purely sensible gun restrictions that any sane person should welcome.

However, I still say that confiscation of all guns may very well be the only answer. I am convinced, though, that we are nearing the point where we can expect to solve at least some of the gun violence problems soon.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

One-third of the nation's work force is now "contingent" labor, without any job security.

Donald Trump revives white supremacists movement

Donald Trump has made so many bizarre statements in his campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination that one should not be surprised that now he has sparked a revival in the white supremacists movement. Instead of walking up to a group of people in their robes, the Ku Klux Klan now dons their civvies and approaches the same individuals with a newspaper clearly displaying a Donald Trump article. It has become the perfect conversation starter, says Rachel Pendergraft, the national organizer for the Knights Party.

It is downright pathetic that the leading contender for the nomination to represent the GOP in November 2016, is, among numerous other derogatory names, a racist, and the man seems perfectly comfortable with all the monikers. Republicans are scared shitless that Trump will somehow receive the nomination, which of course would be a disaster against either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton. Where's the master of digging up dirt, Karl Rove, when they need him?

You know he's stepped way over the line when Trump draws praises from former Louisiana politician and KKK Grand Wizard David Duke. 
Duke told The Post that while he has not officially endorsed Trump, he considers the candidate to be the “best of the lot” at the moment. “I think a lot of what he says resonates with me,” Duke said. Now, just think of the recent incidents where the Confederate Flag was brought down because it represents the worst kind of racism. Multiply that by 100 and you have the Ku Klux Klan. This is who supports Donald Trump, the kind of people we thought we had left behind years ago.

Maybe confiscation of all guns is the answer

God forbid, I've been reading the National Review, but the idea hit home the minute I read it. Abolish the 2nd Amendment and confiscate all 300 million guns in the U.S. Obama vaguely covered that recently in reference to Australia's approach to gun control and of course this conservative publication picked it up and ran with it. We also heard the same old crap from the gun nuts; neither the gun show loophole nor background checks would have prevented the mass shootings or daily gun violence.

If none of the proposed changes that Pres. Obama plans in his Executive order on gun control will help, and the fact that apparently putting more guns on the street, the stupid idea of Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Assn., has only caused more gun violence, there is only one choice left. Abolish the 2nd Amendment and confiscate all 300 million guns in the U.S.

Yes, we've talked about improving mental health programs and corresponding databases but it hasn't happened and with all-states cooperation necessary to accomplish this, it isn't likely to happen. Just take Arizona, Florida and Texas as an example of those on the radical end of gun rights. We've no choice but to abolish the 2nd Amendment and confiscate all 300 million guns in the U.S. It will be expensive but isn't it worth 30,000 gun deaths a year, and the end to these mass killings?  I think so.

Once we have everything under control, start a program of controlled distribution of firearms, with registration required of every gun that goes out. And, I'm not saying that everyone who had a weapon, especially handguns, will get one back. In the new scenario, assault weapons would be banned, concealed carry only for those with special needs, and there would be universal background checks, the gun show loophole would be closed, ban straw purchases and the CDC would reinstate CDC collection and analysis of U.S. gun violence.

Now, I've said it and I'm glad.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

The majority of new jobs created in America today pay only $6.00 or $7.00 an hour, offer no health or retirement benefits, and no time off for sick leave or vacation.

Obama prepares Executive Orders to quell gun violence

President Obama met with one of the country's top gun control advocates, Michael Bloomberg, and promised more action on gun control. Bloomberg has taken to task Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Assn., and his minion gun nuts on several occasions and won, most notably in Bloomberg's support of gun control politicians. His major opposition organization is Everytown for Gun Safety, which is the anti NRA group. Time will tell if they can bring down the NRA.

White House communications director Jen Psaki says that Executive Orders are being prepared by the Dept. of Justice, but that because they expect litigation challenging any order given, extra care is being taken to insure the EOs will withstand any objections in court. The gun nuts are already salivating over all this and the NRA attorneys are behind closed doors planning their strategy. Obama's actions will be simple in nature, including things we have heard hundreds of times, all of which any sane person would agree are desperately needed:

• Universal background checks
• Close gun show loophole
• Ban straw purchases
• Ban assault weapons
• Reinstate CDC collection and analysis of U.S. gun violence

There may be more and any one of the above may not be included in Obama's final Executive Order, but these seem to me to be the priorities that could help bring the current gun violence spree under control. Let's face it all you gun rights activists, we tried it LaPierre's way and it hasn't worked. Now it's time to try it our way.

What the Founding Fathers really meant in the 2nd Amendment

It occurred to me recently that enough hasn't been said recently about the intentions of the Founding Fathers in the Constitution for the rights and restrictions of gun owners. With individual and mass killings by guns a regular daily occurrence, and the fact that even in light of the horrific number of deaths, including many children, the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) headed up by Wayne LaPierre, still maintain that the right to have a gun is more important than human life. LaPierre bases that right on the 2nd Amendment, given to us by the Founding Fathers. He claims it is inviolable.

Here's an incident of the typical thinking of a gun nut: In a tirade against CNN’s Piers Morgan, Alex Jones argued, “The Second Amendment isn’t there for duck hunting. It’s there to protect us from tyrannical government.” Like this government could ever come together long enough to start anything, much less tyranny. It's a laughable argument and there's much in history to disprove the gun nuts. Truth-Out.org also reports first-hand documents from 1789 detail the First Congress' debate on arms and militia detail a constant theme: "the 2nd Amendment was created to protect the American government."

It wasn't meant to give some doofus the right to carry around an assault rifle in public, or even have one in the home. This also applies to handguns when it comes to open or concealed carry permits for nothing more than playing cowboy.

Here'a another point from TO.org,  "As a member of a National Guard militia, the 2nd Amendment is more of a civic duty than a personal right. Again, it was all about defense of the state – not defense against the state."

In fact, during that first gun debate, the state of New Hampshire introduced an amendment that gave the government permission to confiscate guns when citizens “are or have been in Actual Rebellion.” To those early legislators in New Hampshire, the right to bear arms stops as soon as those arms are taken up against our "we the people" government.

Gun nuts like Alex Jones are what have turned the United states into the most gun violent country in all the industrialized nations. His thinking, along with the gun nuts at the NRA, especially Wayne laPierre, is what has caused the recent blood baths that are killing innocent people, especially children.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

Americans at the lower end of the wage scale are now the lowest paid workers in the industrialized world. Eighteen-percent of American workers with full-time jobs are paid so little that their wages do not enable them to live above the poverty level.

Curious? First NGP VAN data breach and it was Bernie Sanders

Dec. 18, 2015 Democratic debate

I am still the cynic and I cannot fathom a company that professed a perfect record until this breach in a Politico article claiming this whole thing was just a glitch, an accident. As I reported yesterday, NGP VAN founder, Nathaniel Pearlman, also served as chief technology officer for Hillary Clinton's 2008 Presidential campaign.

There are just too many factors involved, one of which is DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz who had complete control over the whole fiasco. Now there is no doubt that these doofuses in the Sanders campaign should not have looked at Clinton's data; they should have simply reported the incident and this whole episode wouldn't have happened.

Based on my knowledge of campaign political data from 35 years in the junk mail business, my gut tells me Sanders had very similar info and didn't really need Hillary's.

But let's examine the timeline here. The data breach occurred sometime late Thursday or early Friday morning, December 18. The Sanders people noticed the breach but what is not true in the reporting is that the data was accessed over a period of time, that it was exported or retrieved. And much of it was probably already known by the Bernie folks, as I mentioned earlier. But they did what they did, which was wrong, and the shit hit the fan.

Keep in mind that this happened conveniently the day before the December 19, Democratic debate, scheduled (again conveniently?) by Wasserman Schultz on a Saturday when even the most loyal of the voting public is doing just about anything other than watching politicians. Call me a cynic, but the whole debacle is full of intrigue that is long from over and far from being explained.

Call me a cynic but the next question is did Clinton people view Bernie Sanders data?

Jeff Weaver, Sanders Campaign Mgr.

The shit has hit the fan over Bernie Sanders' staffers viewing of Clinton information in the now infamous data breach at NGP VAN. First of all, former Sanders' National data Director Josh Uretsky said, “We didn’t use [the data] for anything valuable and we didn’t take custodianship of it.” Tempting as that might have been, my second point is, just how revealing was the data they looked at? In other words, did they see something that could have brought down the Clinton campaign, or was it just general info like who voted, for whom etc.?

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a close friend and staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton, has been screaming bad boy, bad boy to the high heavens, when, in fact, she has neither confirmed nor denied whether Clinton's team were also bad guys and looked at Bernie's data. And the whole data breach incident is about as suspicious as it can get occurring just before tonight's debate.

In keeping with that thought, it is very interesting that one of the NGP VAN founders, Nathaniel Pearlman, also served as chief technology officer for Hillary Clinton's 2008 Presidential campaign.

I don't want to scream conspiracy--I just did didn't I?--but the Democratic Party has tried to ostracize Bernie Sanders from this race since the beginning, just because he is an Independent. That, when he has always caucused with the Dems. Independents are here to stay but right now the Democratic Party, namely Debbie Wasserman Schultz and her DNC are on trial. We have not heard the last of this.

Call me a cynic but the question is, why did NGP VAN Data Co. firewall drop?

Debbie Wasserman Schultz in driver's seat

The Observer News counts Debbie Wasserman Schultz's support of Hillary Clinton back to the 2008 election, which has mushroomed into the backing we have experienced recently where she personally cut off the life-blood of the Bernie Sanders campaign by shutting down access to their voter data. NGP VAN is the data co. holding the information in question. The publication called for her resignation immediately. The Observer also recounted other incidents of favorability and mismanagement.

• "Schultz’s decision to limit the debate schedule of the 2016 presidential primaries to six sanctioned debates favors Hillary Clinton." 26 debates were held in 2008, possibly important in Obama's win over Clinton.
• "Debbie Wasserman Schultz is depending on Hillary Clinton winning the Democratic nomination to further her own political career," after having fallen out of favor with Obama administration.
• Her leadership led to catastrophic losses for the Democrats during the 2014 midterm elections. She directly assisted in losses by refusing to support three Democrats, Miami-Dade Democratic Party chair Joe Garcia, former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez and businesswoman Annette Taddeo.

There are others but these are the most obvious. 

The Observer closes with:  

"Ms. Wasserman Schultz has often favored her own agenda and political considerations over what would be best for the Democratic Party. If Hillary loses, she will lose one of her last remaining allies in the Democratic Party and the career benefits that are normally inherent with serving as the Chair of the DNC.

Now you decide why she, as DNC head, is holding Bernie Sander's campaign data hostage. Sander's Campaign Mgr. Jeff Weaver, has threatened to sue the DNC in Federal Court.

(As a P.S. the two sides have now settled the matter)

Today's NRA Congressional Gun Whore

Today's NR Congressional Gun Whore is Paul Ryan, (R) Rep. from Wisconsin and current Speaker of the House, who received $2,500 from the NRA.

NRA strikes again...this time at newspaper editor's editorial

Bowling Green newspaper protests against NRA

Jan Larson McLaughlin was the Editor of the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune in Ohio. She was a Sentinel reporter for 29 years, including 23 years as county editor, then Mrs. McLaughlin was named editor in May, 2013. The Publisher, Karmen Concannon terminated her employment for insubordination, stemming from "an editorial about the NRA that she had written, as was her normal practice." The Publisher subsequently closed her door to further conversations with other employees as well as McLaughlin.

(Full text of editorial included at the end)

The former Editor acknowledges it is the right of the Publisher to kill the editorial, but is completely baffled why Conconnon, whose parents own the paper, refuses to discuss it with her with some reason for why it was rejected. As the Editor of the paper, you would hope she has the right to know why a perfectly normal piece of work, "which called on responsible gun owners to reclaim control of the NRA in the wake of recent mass shootings across the country," should receive this kind of action.

"Mrs. McLaughlin believes she was not fired for writing the editorial but for attempting to discuss the matter with the publisher," which might lead one to the conclusion that Conconnon doesn't really have a reason, except in consideration of the content of the editorial, the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune is closer to the National Rifle Assn. than it is to the truth and that is pathetic.

Here is the editorial:

Unpublished editorial by Jan Larson McLaughlin 

It is time for reasonable gun owners to take back control of the association that supposedly represents them. We as a nation are still mourning one mass shooting when the next occurs. Yet the NRA refuses to discuss any type of gun control, any form of background checks, any type of study that might lead to some answers. Instead, when legislators consider measures to reduce gun deaths, the NRA and its tentacle groups assign them failing grades and label them as anti­gun. National leaders, who talk tough about protecting our borders from threats, last week voted down legislation that would prevent people on our nation’s “no­fly lists” from legally buying guns. That seems like a no­brainer, but some of our elected officials are so scared of getting on the NRA’s naughty list that they won’t even take common sense steps on gun control.

 Recently, the Buckeye Firearms Association went a step further and blasted criticism at Bowling Green State University faculty members who had written to State Rep. Tim Brown, R­Bowling Green, asking him to not support legislation allowing concealed carry of firearms on Ohio college campuses. House Bill 48, which has since passed the House, allows hidden loaded weapons to be carried on college campuses, school safety zones, day care facilities, public areas of airport terminals, police stations, and certain government facilities. Brown, who voted for the bill, said it primarily “cleaned up the statute” of where concealed guns can legally be carried in Ohio. The gun association got the list of BGSU faculty who wrote to Brown by filing a Freedom of Information Act request. The group specifically targeted James Evans, a geology professor, for his email to Brown in which he called the NRA a “terrorist organization.”

 The Buckeye Firearms Association stated the definition of terrorism as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”

 As far as Evans is concerned, the NRA meets that definition — except that in the U.S., it’s legal. The Buckeye Firearms Association went on to publish the names and email addresses of BGSU faculty who contacted Brown with their comments, plus a photograph of Evans, who had used his private email to send his comments. The result, at least for Evans, was a rush of emails to him from the association’s members, with wording that he characterized as threatening. Evans believed the intent was to frighten BGSU faculty from contacting State Sen. Randy Gardner, R­Bowling Green, since the legislation is now in hands of the Senate. “I’m not intimidated,” Evans said.Others weren’t either, apparently.

Gardner said late last week that his office had received emails from BGSU faculty concerned about the legislation. The Buckeye Firearms Association accused BGSU faculty of violating policy prohibiting their use of university email to contact their legislators.

However, there is no policy in place that prohibits such use. Dave Kielmeyer, university spokesman, said that faculty and staff are encouraged to avoid using BGSU email accounts to advocate their personal positions. But in response to the accusations by the gun group, the university issued a statement that “discussions by academics via university email or list serves on social issues, particularly those affecting the learning environment at BGSU, are absolutely appropriate.”

The criticism of faculty input seems to be one more effort by the gun lobby to take the focus off the issue of gun violence.

Recently, when the subject of firearm deaths comes up, the gun industry shifts the discussion to mental health issues as the true problem. Often it’s the two together (guns and mental illness) that create a deadly combination, so why not tackle both?

No freedom — even those granted in the Constitution — comes without limits. When enacted, the Second Amendment did not mean any American could openly carry assault weapons and not be stopped until they start shooting. When the forefathers penned “well regulated militia,” I doubt they meant any individual with a gun. It’s important to note that they included the word “regulated” — as in subject to controls. 

 When BGSU’s Evans heard last week about the latest mass shooting, this one in San Bernadino, California, his thoughts were again, “Here is another tragedy.” The answer is not more guns, he said. 

We’ve tried arming every citizen who is so inclined. It hasn’t solved the problem. So let’s look for other solutions, ones that reasonable gun owners can support. But that will mean responsible gun owners are first going to have to take back control of their national organization, which seems more concerned about the gun industry than the average gun owner. 

 The NRA has not always been the paranoid “pry the gun from my cold dead hands” organization that it is now. It was formerly an association aimed at serving its membership by providing safety classes, marksmanship training and even gun control support. But somewhere it got hijacked from its real purpose to its fanatical presence. It’s time for reasonable gun owners to say enough is enough. 

A brilliant editorial that laments the control the National Rifle Assn., headed up by Wayne LaPierre, has over a pathetic bunch of cowards in the U.S. Congress. 

Bernie Sanders Sayings

U.S. Workers put in about 200 more hours per year than West European workers, who typically obtain four to five week vacations, often legally mandated.