Uh yeah, who else we got?

[j_b]

j_b, what do you have against legalizing gay weed for jesus?

 

I am strongly for it but it was a jab at liberals who seem to think that it is an adequate "trade off" for austerity/warmongering and the total hijacking of our democracy.

[billcoe]

all you can do is toss out personal attacks, then when someone responds in kind act all butt hurt.

 

btw, everybody with half a brain can see that you are a liar, Bill. From the sequence of posts in this thread it is clear that I didn't attack anybody until your goon KKK came after me. I am onto your smear tactics.

 

btw #2: Does anyone have a feeling of deja vue? another political thread hijacking consisting in KKK or another abusive character attacking some person followed by Bill claiming that their reaction to these attacks is immature? (while giving the reach around to his pal KKK).

 

Well, you should have a feeling of deja vue: this particular sequence has been played many times in Spray. It's just part of what regressives do to demonize their opponents because they really have no good argument.

 

My kids stopped acting like this so long ago that I just don't know what to say to you jb. They all went off to college. 3rd grade was a long time ago, for them. I'm hoping for grandkids soon, then maybe I can relate to your butt hurt mindset.

 

Till then, keep up the whining - ta ta.

[j_b]

the only child who pretends he hasn't been called a recurrent liar and won't try to disprove it, is you. Nobody else.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

j_b, what do you have against legalizing gay weed for jesus?

 

I am strongly for it but it was a jab at liberals who seem to think that it is an adequate "trade off" for austerity/warmongering and the total hijacking of our democracy.

 

it was a joke; to laugh would require a personality, a sense of humor, and, well, the ability to do so.

[j_b]

No, it wasn't a joke for me. It has always been about liberals content with working on these issues and ignoring everything else Obama is doing.

 

AND, now it's about sense of humor, for suffering your and your pals constant mind-numbing stupidity, perhaps?

[Jim]

Humor is perhaps a sense of intellectual perspective: an awareness that some things are really important, others not; and that the two kinds are most oddly jumbled in everyday affairs. ~Christopher Morley

[j_b]

Meanwhile in Olympia: About 50 people protesting budget cuts under consideration by Washington state lawmakers spent the night in sleeping bags on a hard marble floor of the state Capitol in Olympia.

 

The Washington State Patrol asked demonstrators to leave but also told them officials would not arrest anyone who stayed overnight.

 

They were a mix of members of several community groups and college students who are lobbying lawmakers to end 567 tax breaks on certain industries and services.

 

Some called proposed budget cuts immoral and said they would disproportionately hurt the poor.

 

The state faces a $5 billion budget deficit.

 

A few lawmakers mingled with the crowd. Later in the night, several senators brought food for the protesters.

 

Labor groups planned more protests Thursday and Friday.

 

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Budget-demonstrators-spend-night-at-Wash-Capitol-1326235.php#ixzz1IqhFZX9j

 

[rob]

maybe the fed can start selling gay weed. To make monies. It's all about that dolla'.

 

I wish we could remove collective bargaining for ALL unions. Bunch of lazy pikers.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Meanwhile in Olympia: About 50 people protesting budget cuts under consideration by Washington state lawmakers spent the night in sleeping bags on a hard marble floor of the state Capitol in Olympia.

 

The Washington State Patrol asked demonstrators to leave but also told them officials would not arrest anyone who stayed overnight.

 

They were a mix of members of several community groups and college students who are lobbying lawmakers to end 567 tax breaks on certain industries and services.

 

Some called proposed budget cuts immoral and said they would disproportionately hurt the poor.

 

The state faces a $5 billion budget deficit.

 

A few lawmakers mingled with the crowd. Later in the night, several senators brought food for the protesters.

 

Labor groups planned more protests Thursday and Friday.

 

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Budget-demonstrators-spend-night-at-Wash-Capitol-1326235.php#ixzz1IqhFZX9j

 

I guess they actually do something (other than post on an internet climbing site).

[j_b]

maybe the fed can start selling gay weed. To make monies. It's all about that dolla'.

 

I wish we could remove collective bargaining for ALL unions. Bunch of lazy pikers.

 

Sure, it could be a good source of revenue but sales taxes aren't the way to a sustainable revenue scheme. In fact, decreasing sales taxes concurrently with creating a state income tax on higher income would be my preferred solution.

[j_b]

I guess they do something (other post on an internet climbing set).

 

hey look, douchebag is back with more non-sequitur. With your kind of logic, I'd conclude that you go around looking like Attila.

[rob]

maybe the fed can start selling gay weed. To make monies. It's all about that dolla'.

 

I wish we could remove collective bargaining for ALL unions. Bunch of lazy pikers.

 

Sure, it could be a good source of revenue but sales taxes aren't the way to a sustainable revenue scheme. In fact, decreasing sales taxes concurrently with creating a state income tax on higher income would be my preferred solution.

 

I don't think we should tax the rich. We should just take their money instead. Al at once. 1 million, they can keep. Everything else is taken.

 

And given to me!!!!!!!

Edited April 7, 2011 by rob

[j_b]

Naw, you don't want that money, there is little to no correlation between wealth and being content. Sending the taxman when they kick the bucket however seems like the thing to do. Aren't we supposed to promote meritocracies?

[rob]

Who said I wanted wealth to feel content? I just want it to buy stuff!!!!

[j_b]

Another nicely done Joseph Stiglitz piece:

Japan's disaster and the global recession provide stark lessons on societies' failure to manage risks

 

Experts in both the nuclear and finance industries assured us that new technology had all but eliminated the risk of catastrophe. Events proved them wrong: not only did the risks exist, but their consequences were so enormous that they easily erased all the supposed benefits of the systems that industry leaders promoted.[...]This brings us to the next question: are there other "black swan" events waiting to happen? Unfortunately, some of the really big risks that we face today are most likely not even rare events. The good news is that such risks can be controlled at little or no cost. The bad news is that doing so faces strong political opposition - for there are people who profit from the status quo.

[JayB]

The real enemy is the bond market:

 

"Moody’s to Factor Pension Gaps in States’ Ratings

By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH

Published: January 27, 2011

 

 

Moody’s Investors Service has begun to recalculate the states’ debt burdens in a way that includes unfunded pensions, something states and others have ardently resisted until now.

 

States do not now show their pension obligations — funded or not — on their audited financial statements. The board that issues accounting rules does not require them to. And while it has been working on possible changes to the pension accounting rules, investors have grown increasingly nervous about municipal bonds."

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/business/27pension.html

[JayB]

[j_b]

"Detroit had 33.8% of its residents below the federal poverty level in 2007, the highest among large U.S. cities.[106][107] In contrast, Metro Detroit suburbs are among the more affluent in the U.S.[108]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit

 

It seems like a good thing that bond markets account for all liabilities so that demagogue politicians can't promise tax cuts and government services but I am not too sure about the intent of Moody's Investors services to do so at this juncture.

 

[j_b]

After decades of running up the deficit through "free trade", wars of aggressions, tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, the corporate party cuts $40 billion from necessary social and developmental programs, yet ignores the bloated war budget and tax cuts for those who don't need them. Austerity, here we come: the budget proposal from Obama's catfood commission is touted as the middle of the road compromise. This farce would be hilarious if it weren't so tragic for so many.

 

Spending Cuts Will Reduce Jobs "A $60 billion cut, when assigned a fiscal multiplier of 1.5, would impact GDP by roughly $90 billion for the rest of this fiscal year alone. This would result in a decline in output by a little more than one-half of a percentage point of GDP, resulting in a loss of around 590,000 jobs."

[j_b]

"We were at the edge of the cliff. Now we've taken a giant step forward."

 

"In the end, we have gotten from President Obama what we feared from Senator McCain: an expanded war in Afghanistan, an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts, sharp cuts in spending for communities and programs for the poor, a continuation of Guantanamo and military tribunals, unchecked bankers' pay and bonuses, and enough loopholes to reduce corporate taxes to less than 2 percent of GDP this year, despite a boom in corporate profits."

 

Jeffrey Sachs

Economist and Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University

[Crux]

It's not a question of who else we got. It's a matter of having nobody.

[tvashtarkatena]

So let me see if I understand this correctly: If the Republicans take the White House, the best we can hope for is they will finally have enough rope to hang themselves. But if Obama keeps the White House, he'll be hanging the clown punchers because they'll vote Democratic anyway.

 

No, it means that you will get a regressive corporate shill no matter what you do. Predestined and preordained. At least the Obama tax cuts for the richest 1% will not be in jeopardy. It's one of those rare things jb and I agree on. I've been considering paying myself only capitol gains, and not salary so I can join the "Free Ride" party and stop getting fucked royally in the ass sans happy jelly.

 

Have a nice day.

 

The 'Obama tax cuts'? And here, all along, I was duped into thinking they were the Bush tax cuts, extended by Congress, not the President. I'm glad I can check in here periodically to refresh my basic knowledge of civics.

[tvashtarkatena]

News about 'shrill' people who "whine" a lot:

 

Why We’re Fasting

By MARK BITTMAN

 

I stopped eating on Monday and joined around 4,000 other people in a fast to call attention to Congressional budget proposals that would make huge cuts in programs for the poor and hungry.

 

By doing so, I surprised myself; after all, I eat for a living. But the decision was easy after I spoke last week with David Beckmann, a reverend who is this year’s World Food Prize laureate. Our conversation turned, as so many about food do these days, to the poor.

 

Who are — once again — under attack, this time in the House budget bill, H.R. 1. The budget proposes cuts in the WIC program (which supports women, infants and children), in international food and health aid (18 million people would be immediately cut off from a much-needed food stream, and 4 million would lose access to malaria medicine) and in programs that aid farmers in underdeveloped countries. Food stamps are also being attacked, in the twisted “Welfare Reform 2011” bill. (There are other egregious maneuvers in H.R. 1, but I’m sticking to those related to food.)

 

These supposedly deficit-reducing cuts — they’d barely make a dent — will quite literally cause more people to starve to death, go to bed hungry or live more miserably than are doing so now. And: The bill would increase defense spending.

 

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/why-were-fasting/

 

Only in America would a day of fasting (or however many hours you can take it...thanks for all you do!) be considered a viable substitute for a hunger strike. Well, a few thousand 'highly committed' people just lost an ounce, for a day, anyway, a few million more are rolling their eyes, while the vast majority remain unaware of this dramatic, symbolic display of self sacrifice.

[tvashtarkatena]

Meanwhile in Olympia: About 50 people protesting budget cuts under consideration by Washington state lawmakers spent the night in sleeping bags on a hard marble floor of the state Capitol in Olympia.

 

The Washington State Patrol asked demonstrators to leave but also told them officials would not arrest anyone who stayed overnight.

 

They were a mix of members of several community groups and college students who are lobbying lawmakers to end 567 tax breaks on certain industries and services.

 

Some called proposed budget cuts immoral and said they would disproportionately hurt the poor.

 

The state faces a $5 billion budget deficit.

 

A few lawmakers mingled with the crowd. Later in the night, several senators brought food for the protesters.

 

Labor groups planned more protests Thursday and Friday.

 

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Budget-demonstrators-spend-night-at-Wash-Capitol-1326235.php#ixzz1IqhFZX9j

 

...bet they hid ThermaRests inside those sleeping bags....

[tvashtarkatena]

 

I'd guess this is supposed to be a hard hitting domestic version of the famous Haiti/Dominican Republic satellite photo, but I'd bet its just another meaningless, out of context tidbit from a guy who cobbles his world view from the titillating, highly filtered freak show that is digital media.

 

Man bites dog and all that....