If you have been reading my blog for awhile you will not be surprised by some of the things I find online and become interested in. Today I discovered a website called the National Priorities Project. I, for one, resent so much of my tax dollars being spent on these two stupid wars that the government seems to want to perpetuate into eternity. This website has some interesting tools. One of the tools allows you to put in what you paid in federal taxes so you can see how your money was appropriated. I must confess. It did not make me happy, especially what went into education. If you go to this page and put in what you paid, you will see what I’m talking about.
http://nationalpriorities.org/en/tools/taxchart/
After looking over that website I discovered this little article that will surprise no one. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/17/us-wiki-china-treasury-idUSTRE71G47920110217?pageNumber=1
China is flexing their muscle with us and what are we doing? It seems we will go after entitlement programs and the unions. That’s a nice little combination that will have an effect on the regular “Joe”, you know the normal people like you and me. It will not have any measurable effect on the wealthy. In fact they have been assured that their money is safe and secure from the grubby hands of the American taxpayer through the continuation of the Bush tax cuts and the changes made to the so called “death” tax. The changes President Obama agreed to are significant. http://www.sbnonline.com/2011/03/how-the-2010-tax-relief-act-could-impact-your-estate/?full=1
Yesterday I was listening to the replaying of Tom Hartman’s radio show I believe from Friday. He said Mike Huckabee wants people to work until they are 75. Tom laughed and said that a brick layer couldn’t work until he’s 75 and that perhaps the only people that could would be a preacher or a priest. Mike, of course, is a preacher, not just an ex-governor or Fox talk show host. These conservatives seem to have absolutely no heart. They can take from the American people anything and everything without batting an eye.
Last night I came across an old video of Senator Teddy Kennedy fighting for an increase in the minimum wage. It is well worth watching because it only showcases the lack of representation that we currently have in Congress. Who is standing up for the workers of America? Can’t you imagine Teddy talking about unions right now?
Teddy was frustrated in his quest to raise the minimum wage. He noted tax breaks were given to wealthy corporations and he asked a couple of important question. He said, “What is the price? How much more do you want?”
These are the same types of questions the American people should be asking their elected officials right now. What is the price and how much more do you want? These same elected officials will go back to the well of the American people to select more young men and women to fight their wars. Few of them will suggest to their own children that they should join the military during these trying times. Most of their children will go into business and make a bundle just like their parents. So where are these elected officials in Washington D.C.? I know where the 14 senate Democrats are in Wisconsin. They’re taking a stand. It cannot be easy for them. They are heroes to many people. Governor Walker on the other hand continues to look for any way possible to destroy their credibility.
It appears the Senate GOP leader in Wisconsin has issued arrest warrants for them. After all they must be criminals for taking a stand! Let’s keep on squeezing them until they say, “Uncle!” Personally, with all of the bullying that has been in the news the last several months and the deaths of young people that have committed suicide in the news; I find it interesting that the governor of a state can act like such a “bully” to his constituents. People wonder why these young kids “bully” people. Is their really any wonder about this when bullying is constantly happening in politics on a grand scale? Politics today is full of bullies and the worse offender is the “gang” of Republican governors that have the “mindset” to destroy American unions. We don’t have any super major politicians stepping up to speak for unions but Michael Moore went to Wisconsin this weekend and rallied the union protestors with a rousing speech which you can see at TPM. http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/michael-moore-rallies-thousands-in-madison-america-is-not-broke.php
We may have some chickens in Washington D.C. but thankfully Wisconsin has 14 senators that soar like the American eagle and are standing up for workers’ rights in a courageous way that we should all be thankful for across this nation. Michael Moore wanted one fact repeated by someone in the main stream media. He went on to say, “Four hundred obscenely wealthy individuals in the United States of America now have more, cash, stock and property than the assets of 155 million American people combined.” He continued to talk about Wall Street and the banks running our country and the death of democracy. We have all felt like there is nothing we can do about it but these brave 14 senators have made us realize that there is something we can do about it. Michael Moore went on to talk about what he learned in his economics class in high school. Watching Michael had to be uplifting for the Wisconsin crowd because it was uplifting to me here in Michigan. He went on to tell people that the wealthy control the message because they control the media and he is right.
Many have said this will be decided by the message that is put out by the media. If we rely on the mainstream media for this message, we will lose. This is why bloggers everywhere have to get this message out and get those common “Joes” thinking about what is really going on in this country. The American people, the common people that go to work every day and keep this country moving, have to step up and take back their country and take back their democracy from the extremely wealthy. All I ask you to do is spread the word and get people talking about what is really happening in this country. The message Michael ended with is, “We have had it!” We have had it. I’m fed up with how the American worker has been turned into the “scapegoat” for everything that is wrong in this country. We are the United States of America as Michael said not the Corporate States of America! If you do anything else watch Michael and spread the word. Remember, Michael is always portrayed by the “corporate media” as a man that is a bit of a nut and outside the box of the American people but truthfully Michael is one of us. He grew up in Michigan and still is doing what he can for the community he lives in up in Traverse City. He is one of the founders for the Traverse City Film Festival which has done a lot for the tourism industry up in Traverse City. http://www.traversecityfilmfest.org/
Even though right wing nuts tried to destroy what he was doing with the film festival most finally realized what a great thing it is for Traverse City. At the end of his speech Michael finally reminds the crowd that it is one person, one vote and that’s what we should remember. If we want to take back our country, we have to get organized and we must vote.