OT - How is your tea?

When I heard about the Tea Party earlier this week, I asked my 20-something son what it was all about.
He described it as an Astroturf Effort.
When I looked puzzled, he explained: "Fake grassroots"

momadams wrote:When I heard about the Tea Party earlier this week, I asked my 20-something son what it was all about.
He described it as an Astroturf Effort.
When I looked puzzled, he explained: "Fake grassroots"

EXCELLENT!!!!!

BTW, I take my tea over ice, no lemon, no sweetner, thank you very much.

LOL,
B

Amen to what JEFFH wrote. Some 30% of the populace has been duped into believing they are
actually RICH!!!, and therefore must protest any taxing of the rich. (Of which, by the way,
there are so many more than before.)

As a Reading Specialist, i find this kind of non-thinking very scary. These people would flunk
my Fifth-Grade Reading criteria. And never understand why.
Leonbergergirl

Leonbergergirl wrote: .........
As a Reading Specialist, i find this kind of non-thinking very scary. ......... Leonbergergirl

Are you aware that 30% of all high schoolers in the U.S. will not graduate? That 14% of the population is functionally illiterate? That the generation coming along now will be less educated than their parents - the first time this has happened in our history?

And what might be just above the 30%? It's not geniuses.

Now can you guess why the electorate keeps electing the same sorry incumbents, Democrats and Republicans, they have been electing for years?

Wulfman wrote:< rant mode on >

I guess I'm in favor of ANYTHING that will get the attention of our elected representatives.....to tell them they can't keep doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. Borrowing (massive amounts of) money from other countries (especially those who don't have our best interests at stake) is insanity. We went from the largest creditor nation to the largest debtor nation in most of our lifetimes.
We need to vote them ALL out and keep doing it until they understand the part about "government BY the people".
Being a politician (elected representative) should NOT be a lifetime career.....nor should they be entitled to vote for all of their own (lifetime) benefits. It's long past time for term limits. They don't read the legislation they're passing but somehow all of the pork/earmarks seem to get included......but then they claim to not know what they voted on......which proves that they're corrupt and incompetent.

< rant mode off >

Den

I have to agree with your rant - 100%!!!

The people I saw on the news seem like the same ones that protest any cuts in programs. We can't have it both ways. I say, let's just print more money.

Portageegal, that's called "monetization" and it's part of the reason we're in a fiscal crisis right now.

Seriously. Google that, and learn more, if you're interested.

Rooster, working in K-12 education, I have to tell you - if parents would model better judgement and behaviors for their children, their children might be more motivated to work at learning. They aren't, their parents aren't, no one in their community is, they fail. Quit blaming us hard-working education staff.

Cheers,
B.

Babette wrote:.......
Rooster, working in K-12 education, I have to tell you - if parents would model better judgement and behaviors for their children, their children might be more motivated to work at learning. They aren't, their parents aren't, no one in their community is, they fail. Quit blaming us hard-working education staff.

Cheers,
B.

Babs,

I have a good idea of the kind of child you have to work with. Our two kids went to public schools and my wife and I were very involved all the way through. We were not only involved with our kids keeping them in line (very easy job!), but we also volunteered at the school and contributed monetarily.

These kids are still God's children but man they are getting a horrible start in life because of their parents' irresponsibility.

Somedays I feel like the country is going to hell in a handbasket and the handbasket was made in China and contains lead dust.

BTW, don't be so sensitive. Nothing in my post blamed the teachers (Not to say I won't do it in a future post. ).

Rooster, you're right. I was just overreacting. I feel picked on alot in the media, and took it out on you.

The effects of poverty on this country are incredible. And then when someone tries to do something about it, they are badmouthed. I just watched a TV show the other day badmouthing Bill Cosby for the work he's trying to do with African American families.

All we can do is fling our starfish back into the sea.
B.

Babette wrote: ........ I feel picked on alot in the media, and took it out on you.

...........
B.

Oh, please slam me anytime you feel like it. At my age any attention, good or bad, is welcome.

I'm not a demonstrator (well sometimes on a sunny day in my own back yard! ), but I think a united public outcry is good now and then. An administration may try to ignore such, but behind closed doors they have to acknowledge a lot of people are dissatisfied and if they can organize now, they can also on election day.

As for people saying their taxes are lower.... what do you think happens when a company has their taxes raised by 5%? They pass it on to their customers, and if they operate on a 10% margin, they pass along 5.5%. So while you pay less taxes your cost of living goes up more than your taxes would have.

Now that I'm on this, very few Americans realize just how much they pay in indirect taxes. They are aware of the taxes on the gas pump and sales/income/property/etc. - taxes that are visible, but fail to realize that as the final consumer of products, they pay all pass-through taxes for everything.

My favorite example is a simple loaf of bread.
a) the farmer passes along property tax, fuel tax, materials and equipment tax, payroll tax, and all the taxes his employees pay (embedded in wages).
b) the mills pass-along all of a) plus their own as in a).
c) same for the bakeries, distributors and stores.

Just guessing here, but I suppose a $2 loaf of ordinary bread is over 25% taxes. How much for all other products you consume? Remember, hidden taxes are only progressive in that rich people buy more stuff than poor people. Just add that to your other taxes and you'll see you pay over 60% of your income in taxes.

Lets put it this way, a lot of people would be marching if the real cost of taxes were identified for every purchase. Government is not as dumb as people think, by hiding taxes in a pass-along form they can tax the daylights out of us and make you happy because you don't think it's you paying them. I guess the jokes on you now isn't it?

Where were all of these right wing protesters during the last administration, when taxes were being lowered for the rich friends and big business, but raised via the back door on all the working people and small business owners through increased fees, or whatever term you want to use??? Sorry, but until they propose something constructive, they are nothing more than right wing puppets, who are being used by Carl Rove and friends.

OldLincoln wrote:I'm not a demonstrator (well sometimes on a sunny day in my own back yard! ), but I think a united public outcry is good now and then. An administration may try to ignore such, but behind closed doors they have to acknowledge a lot of people are dissatisfied and if they can organize now, they can also on election day.

As for people saying their taxes are lower.... what do you think happens when a company has their taxes raised by 5%? They pass it on to their customers, and if they operate on a 10% margin, they pass along 5.5%. So while you pay less taxes your cost of living goes up more than your taxes would have.

Now that I'm on this, very few Americans realize just how much they pay in indirect taxes. They are aware of the taxes on the gas pump and sales/income/property/etc. - taxes that are visible, but fail to realize that as the final consumer of products, they pay all pass-through taxes for everything.

My favorite example is a simple loaf of bread.
a) the farmer passes along property tax, fuel tax, materials and equipment tax, payroll tax, and all the taxes his employees pay (embedded in wages).
b) the mills pass-along all of a) plus their own as in a).
c) same for the bakeries, distributors and stores.

Just guessing here, but I suppose a $2 loaf of ordinary bread is over 25% taxes. How much for all other products you consume? Remember, hidden taxes are only progressive in that rich people buy more stuff than poor people. Just add that to your other taxes and you'll see you pay over 60% of your income in taxes.

Lets put it this way, a lot of people would be marching if the real cost of taxes were identified for every purchase. Government is not as dumb as people think, by hiding taxes in a pass-along form they can tax the daylights out of us and make you happy because you don't think it's you paying them. I guess the jokes on you now isn't it?

I wish you would have picked on some other "industry". Farming is probably the ONLY business that buys retail and sells wholesale. Everything they purchase is from other sources that are able to pass along their costs (the retail part). When farmers sell their commodities, it's at whatever the market price is at the time (the wholesale part).
They can't pass ANY costs on.

Den (grew up on a farm and live in farming/ranching country)

Ooo... Texan, aren't you afraid of being lynched for those sentiments in your home state?

LOL,
B.

The Texan wrote:Where were all of these right wing protesters during the last administration, when taxes were being lowered for the rich friends and big business, but raised via the back door on all the working people and small business owners through increased fees, or whatever term you want to use??? Sorry, but until they propose something constructive, they are nothing more than right wing puppets, who are being used by Carl Rove and friends.

MY taxes went down in the previous eight years. The economy was actually "prospering" during those years (although maybe with a little creative accounting).
It's the Congress that writes the laws. You got a problem with all the "pork" and "earmarks" that they put in the legislation?.....tell your representatives.....or better yet, vote 'em out. The Pres only SIGNS the legislation into law.

Personally, I have gripes about both political parties, the last three administrations and the goings on of the elected representatives over the last 20 years (at least).

Den