A New Nursing Home Population: The Young : NPR

A New Nursing Home Population: The Young

You buried the lede (something you at NPR and the Corporate Media in general tend to do more and more - can't upset the billionaires). "the cost of attendant care is about a third the cost of providing care in a nursing home or institution."

The insane drive over the last 30 years to destroy families and the middle class is working. Families that could have otherwise supported members who are disabled instead have to pay more and more of their income in taxes so billionaires can pay less. These families pay a daily tax directly to C-Level execs, board members, and institutional investors who pay far less of their income in the form of taxes or the costs of necessities.

Governments that could support stable families like Fridley's instead support wars and corporate greed on Federal, State, and Local levels.

Nursing homes as an industry are consolidating under a few huge corporate umbrellas. These take the profits that could go toward better care for all, funded privately or publicly, and send them direct to the billionaires at the top. Home care with proper middle-class compensation to the individual care givers could help fix our economy, but those in the top 1% of us economically won't let that happen.

President Obama's Choice

Dear President Obama,

Bush-era tax cuts for Billionaires

UI extension

DADT

DREAM Act

These are not liberal or progressive issues, these are supported by the majority of us. Why are you ignoring and failing us? You have great Executive powers, and you party has the House and Senate right not (and will continue to have the Executive and Senate, you appear to forget).

The House announced today that it would be in-session until December 17. I have to work until the 24th to be able to feed my children. Lives are at stake here, not the football-game my-team-against-yours of day-to-day Washington politics. Make them work for us!

Americans are fairly united in their anger and insecurity about their future. Theses This is a critical time in American history. The bought-and-paid-for SCOTUS, Chamber of Commerce, FOX, and a few Billionaires can rule us, or you can lead us.

It really is your choice. Today. ACT.

No More Compromise with Republicans!

Dear Mr. President,

You have most certainly been bi-partisan enough during your first two years.

To give any ground to these treasonous liars who are taking over the House would be a cultural and political tragedy beyond the scope of anything we have seen from a White House in our history.

Their only goal is to elect more Republicans in 2012, at any cost to decency and truth. Facts do not exist in their universe, and the People are behind you.

Nothing will get done in the next two years without your leadership and the approval of the Senate. This, combined with extensive use of Executive Power (which the Republicans have been fighting to expand for decades) can lead our nation to great things.

Write your President, Senators and Congressional Representative!

This is the letter I wrote to President Obama. I work day and night to provide for my family. Please work day and night to help him provide this for the United States of America:

President Obama,

Please put the needs of the United States and its middle class ahead of a few billionaires and the powerful corporate interests.

Please explain to the American public that these are marginal rates, and even if the top marginal rate goes back up to what it was in 1999, they still have a lower rate than what they had then.

Please explain that we can't get this economy moving again with this horrible trickle-up economic policy.

Use your Executive power. Use reconciliation. Use any means at hand to do what's right.

I want to have a chance to vote for you again in 2012, and without this I may lose that opportunity.

Washington Week

Washington Week

"And In a setback for US terror prosecutions a former Guantanamo detainee tried in civilian court gets a split verdict"

Ms. Ifill, I'm incensed at your biased, corporate-smothered reporting.

We are a nation of laws with a strong system of Justice. You seem to know nothing of this. In what world does a sentence of 20 year to life equal a setback? This is not a simple story, yet you insist on repeating a tired, failed, biased message about this case and the larger issues of terrorist prosecution.

And "Republicans let us know that they are drop dead serious about cutting spending" You could take a few short minutes to explainin how Republicans have no history of or plans to cut spending, but instead you spew a tired, false, extremist meme instead of reporting news and presenting reasonable discussion.

You and much of the corporate media seems to have lost your way. I have little faith that reasonableness can be restored in my lifetime, and it's maddening and sad.

Shame on you.

Ten Truths about Speaker Pelosi

1. She's consistently supported raising the minimum wage. When the minimum wage meets or exceeds inflation, local economies benefit.

2. She's supported defense appropriations bills and others to help the men and women in the U.S. armed forces everywhere in the world.

3. She favored extending children's health insurance and unemployment benefits.

4. She's voted for virtually every law aimed at cleaning up air and water.

5. She supported No Child Left Behind and has consistently backed more help for public education.

6. She was all for a national AMBER alert system for kids.

7. She backed reform of campaign financing to lessen the influence of special interest money.

8. She talks constantly about expanding and protecting Medicare and Social Security.

9. When some House Democrats talked about impeaching President Bush, she said no.

10. She backed the president on health care reform so all Americans could get it and afford it.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/10/25/102405/commentary-pelosi-haters-havent.html#ixzz13Nqwp9KK

Let's Start With the Facts

1) Myth: President Obama tripled the deficit.

Reality: Bush’s last budget had a $1.416 trillion deficit. Obama’s first reduced that to $1.29 trillion. The Federal deficit is $120B less this year than last according to the Congressional Budget Office http://bit.ly/a5Qord

2) Myth: President Obama raised taxes, which hurt the economy.

Reality: Obama cut taxes. 40% of the “stimulus” was wasted on tax cuts which only create debt, which is why it was so much less effective than it could have been.

3) Myth: President Obama bailed out the banks.

Reality: While many people conflate the “stimulus” with the bank bailouts, the bank bailouts were requested by President Bush and his Treasury Secretary, former Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson. (Paulson also wanted the bailouts to be “non-reviewable by any court or any agency.”) The bailouts passed and beganbefore the 2008 election of President Obama.

4) Myth: The stimulus didn’t work.

Reality: The stimulus worked, but was not enough. In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the stimulus raised employment by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million jobs.

5) Myth: Businesses will hire if they get tax cuts.

Reality: A business hires the right number of employees to meet demand. Having extra cash does not cause a business to hire, but a business that has a demand for what it does will find the money to hire. Businesses want customers, not tax cuts.

6) Myth: Health care reform costs $1 trillion.

Reality: The health care reform reduces government deficits by $138 billion.

7) Myth: Social Security is a Ponzi scheme, is “going broke,” people live longer, fewer workers per retiree, etc.

Reality: Social Security has run a surplus since it began, has a trust fund in the trillions, is completely sound for at least 25 more years and cannot legally borrow so cannot contribute to the deficit (compare that to the military budget!) Life expectancy is only longer because fewer babies die; people who reach 65 live about the same number of years as they used to.

8) Myth: Government spending takes money out of the economy.

Reality: Government is We, the People and the money it spends is on We, the People. Many people do not know that it is government that builds the roads, airports, ports, courts, schools and other things that are the soil in which business thrives. Many people think that all government spending is on “welfare” and “foreign aid” when that is only a small part of the government’s budget.

A deeply divided Republican party...

After today's primary elections, guess what we'll see? Not much change from what was in place yesterday.

A deeply divided Republican party will put a few tea partiers, a few corporatist Republicans, a few new faces, a few orange old...on the Nov ballot.

In November, a few more Rs will be elected than Ds, as expected in a midterm election for the out-of-power party. No more than normal, despite the Republican-caused economic collapse we are digging our way out of. Despite the corporate influence on our government, and a complicit media.

Today's Liberty: Freedom from corporate influence on government...maybe not in our lifetimes, but...

...this might be a good first step.

Wall Street girds for Warren as consumer czar - NYPOST.com

Even Murdoch's NYP seems to accept this as a good possibility.

Today's Liberty: Freedom from forgetting history

Challenger: Jobless recovery stronger than after 2001 recession | Northern Colorado Business Report

In its annual Labor Day outlook, global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. says that positive trends in a number of employment indicators, including the pace of layoffs, the unemployment rate and job creation, are shrouded by the fact that the economy began its recovery in a much deeper hole - the deepest since the Great Depression.

"By most accounts, we are barely a year into the recovery. At this point in the previous two recoveries - following the 1991 and 2001 recessions - the job market was actually getting worse," said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer. "Many people are so caught up looking at the weekly and monthly numbers, that they fail to look at the bigger trends, which indicate just how much the job market has improved over the last 12 months."

By every measure - employment, the stock market, GDP, etc. - the economy has improved faster since the end of the current recession than in this time period after the last two recessions.

Times are tough, but times aren't over. Why aren't we cautiously using this recovery time to build new economic policy that will possibly stop the next recession?

Barack Obama is the most-successful first term President in our lifetimes. A fanatical extreme right wing in our country and a complicit corporate media combine to put out an opposing message. No problem, we need opposing ideas, but unreasonable ideas are presented as reasonable, and enough people believe them to have them cycle around in our culture as legitimate. As much as Rahm Emmanuel wants the White House to avoid distractions from its legislation-led strategy, the distractions keep coming and coming.

He's an empty suit, he's inexperienced, his presidency is illegitimate, black, he's racist, he's not a citizen, he's a Muslim, he's taxing us to death, he's a socialist...Death Tax, Death Panel, Job Killer, Government Takeover, Deficits, Obamacare, Ground Zero Mosque...the list goes on and on.

When we see legitimate,thoughtful opposition or opposing views, they get lost in the vile sauce, too. I oppose many of President Obama's policies, but I don't try to demonize him or de-legitimateize him or his presidency. It's time you, and the media from FOX to NPR, stop trying.

Alveda King, why are you a hater and a bigot?

Meet MLK's Glenn Beck-loving niece - Glenn Beck - Salon.com

Only one generation away from institutional racism and bigotry, and you are filled with fear and hatred of others.

What could possibly be motivating you?

Today's Liberty: Freedom from Slashing!

Ahmed H. Sharif, slashed Muslim taxi driver to visit NYC mayor - CSMonitor.com

FOX-induced physical violence. Anti-American, anti-Constitution, anti-freedom, anti-religion activists are at war with basic American ideals.

T(ea) Party is T(aliban). The Tea Party wants to insinuate government into every aspect of our lives, taking freedoms and rights away on an unprecedented level. This American Sharia gets taught from the FOX-Madrassa of the media and corporate America implements this as they can by owning our Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government.

This cabbie slasher is a symptom, not the problem.

American Tea Party Equals Afghani T(aliban) Party

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/markos-moulitsas-z/post_743_b_693281.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=082510&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry

Today's Liberty: Freedom from Billionaire Boys' Barack Bash

The billionaire Koch brothers’ war against Obama : The New Yorker:

Boycott Brawny paper towels, Dixie cups, Georgia-Pacific lumber, Stainmaster carpet, and Lycra, along with anything else the Koch cretins own with the trust fund money they inherited from their father, who actually worked for a living.

Corporations are not people, money is not speech, and these boys are pure evil.

"Muslim" is Republican for "Nigger"

Boehner, just fire yourself, OK?

Today's Liberty? Freedom from Boehner!

FT.com / US / Politics & Foreign policy - Boehner calls for economic team sackings

On the day the CBO reports that the stimulus saved a million jobs and boosted GDP by as much as 4.5% http://www.marketwatch.com/story/stimulus-plan-boosted-gdp-by-as-much-as-45-cbo-2010-08-24?reflink=MW_news_stmp, this dolt lies to his constituency about what's going on with the economy.

Everything the GOP and the corporate takeover of our government wanted has happened, and this has led us to the worst economy since the Great Depression. Republican leaders, and anyone who voted for them in the last 30 years, should be ashamed, but they are laughing at us and the people they represent.

Franklin Graham Says President Obama was 'Born a Muslim.' As Pew Poll Shows, More Americans Confused About President's Religion. - ABC News

Franklin Graham Says President Obama was 'Born a Muslim.' As Pew Poll Shows, More Americans Confused About President's Religion. - ABC News

We should also have the freedom to live in a society without bigotry and hatred.

Ignorance can be fixed, a lot easier than belief.

This Graham fellow will never meet his father in heaven, that's for sure...

K Street Mourns Loss of Colleague Bill Phillips - Roll Call

K Street Mourns Loss of Colleague Bill Phillips - Roll Call

Condolences to his family.

Big, big props to Demoracy - one less Lobbyist!

Today's Liberty: Freedom from Corporate Governance.

Every single one of our government Executives, Legislators, and Justices are bought and paid for by wealthy and powerful corporate interests. I hate to express this truth, but I don't apologize for it. No official takes office, no law gets written or passed, and no action is affirmed or denied by the courts without control by corporation.

The recent decisions Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, Kelo v. City of New London eminent domain decision, and scores of others, clearly show that if you are an individual - one person, one voter, one of the People - you no longer have a say or a vote.

There are six or seven lobbyists per congressional representative in Washington! K Street was constructed by Republicans in the '90s to counter a Democratic administration the Rs ginned-up as illegitimate, and it has worked fabulously for the GOP machine. War, economic divide, near-depression...

According to the Center for Public Integrity there are over 10 lobbyists/legislator in California - no wonder we get nothing done here!

Nothing will change until we fundamentally change how our politicians are elected, how they are fed by lobbyist machine, and how they have jobs waiting for them at the end of their terms (or how lobbyists have elected or appointed positions available to them).

We must publicly fund elections and bar lobbyists from meeting with politicians or giving them a dime.

Corporations are not persons!

Money is not speech!

D.I.Y. Solar - Forbes.com

D.I.Y. Solar - Forbes.com

Today's Liberty: Freedom from the grid!

We are ensnared by the dirty coal, gas, and oil industries. Each of this derives great profit to a few already-wealthy and -powerful individuals at great cost to our health, our environment, and our earth.

We in the US use far more energy per-capita than any other nation on earth, and we can only supply a fraction of our needs domestically. Any exploitation of cleaner geothermal, solar, wind, tidal, etc. energy is slammed back two centuries by these wealthy and powerful interests. President Jimmy Carter was slammed by these interests for strongly stating the clear truth that we have to use less of these dirty sources of energy.

I have a suggestion: instead of using billions of federal tax dollars on our deteriorating grid, use far fewer tax dollars to put one of the Clarian Sunfish Plug-In Solar Power devices, or equivalent, on each owner-occupied house in the US. The manufacture of these devices certainly uses resources, but is far cleaner than the production of coal, gas, and oil. The energy these devices would put back into the grid would stabilize the grid overnight, provide manufacturing jobs to US workers, and improve our health and environment, and lessen our ravaging of the earth.

The grid is a tremendous national security risk to the US. We have to spend countless tax dollars to defend this system which is vulnerable to attack and opens us to exploitation and attack when it fails. This should be shouted to the rooftops, but wealthy and powerful interests keep their profit flowing by killing us, along with our air, water, and earth.

In our free society, we, with our insatiable demand for power in many forms, are enslaved by these wealthy and powerful industries. Coal, oil, and gas have their place, but that place should be shrunk to insignificance by the end of our lifetimes.

Sept 11 anniversary set for Muslim center marches | Reuters

Sept 11 anniversary set for Muslim center marches | Reuters

Let's start with our first freedom: Religious Freedom.

Park51's founders have a right to build their facility as long as local zoning, permitting, etc. are observed.

There is nothing more to this story than that. This is not a mosque. These are not terrorists building this. No one in charge here murdered anyone at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Islam did not attack the WTC and the Pentagon on 9/11.

The freedom here should be absolute. 600,000 Muslims live in NYC according to official demographics. If in any area of the US any other religious group was denied the right to observe the opponents would be called anti-American lunatics - what would you say if we denied the LDS church or Seventh Day Anventists to build a facility after proper traffic studies etc., simply because they weren't our religion?

The stated goal of Park51 is to "create a deep tolerance in intra-faith affairs. It’s a place for Muslims to come together in a place where divisions would gradually peel away and a new vision of Islam that is culturally American would emerge." according to one of their founders, quoted in the Wall Street Journal. Tell me you don't want that. Go ahead, I'm listening.

Opposition to this project is about as anti-American and unpatriotic as one can get. Your religion might be next.

Support for this shouldn't have to be a brave act, but it seems nearly impossible to do the right thing to support our values and our Constitution these days. Costs - personal, professional, and political - can be high. Politicians are all over the map on this, instead of remembering the simple constitutional rights we have and defending them. Republicans at this point are deeply divided over most issues and spend their time saying nothing but no and encouraging a complicit media to go along with them. Unfortunately, Barack Obama is our Velcro President, letting all of this stick, to the detriment of our government and society. The Republicans can't even agree on whether the media's fascination on this contrived controversy keeps them on-message to distract us from the good our President is doing, or if they have to keep hammering against anything this administration accomplishes.

Newt Gingrich, John Bolton, Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilderset,etc., need to be ignored and put out of public life, forever, for their anti-American activities in this matter.

Barack Obama, Harry Reed, etc., should do their patriotic duty - stand up and unashamedly speak out for Freedom, and Liberty.