Roy wrote: "It seems to me his argument is lay off the parents and hire the kids at a
reduced wage to show them the proper "work ethic". I don't know how
that helps lift the family out of poverty. The kids are going to school
and working and being run ragged while the parents lay on the couch
watching Oprah and eating bon bons"
That's not what he said, Roy. Too many people have absolutely no work
ethic or inkling of how to behave in the workplace. I have conducted
employment searches for researchers, paralegals, law clerks, and
personal assistance. I was stunned at time by what I read on
applications or how people came dressed to interviews. Applications
filled out in purple ink. Blue jeans and t-shirts for interviews. My
experience was not with the poor. It was with middle class and even
upper class kids.
No one is talking about putting 9 year-olds to work, but I see nothing
wrong in giving teenagers the ability to work for the government to
learn basic skills, especially when the unemployment rate (especially
with minority males +50%) is so high for for them.
I also believe that we need to stop this crap about "Everyone should go
to college." Everyone shouldn't go to college. Not everyone is college
material. Because the Pell Grant programme and government-regulated
student loans funnel money to Big Education, neither really cares
whether it is in the best interest of the student or taxpayer for some
people to attend college for 3-6 years and never get a degree. Many
might have been better off attending a vo-tech school and learning a
trade; instead of racking up tens of thousands of dollars in debt.
Even though there are 15 mil. Americans unemployed in America, there are
a great number of jobs that are currently going unfulfilled because
Americans lack the skills to perform them. Do a CBA with these knowns:
1. The student graduated from HS in the lower half of his class.
2. The student had to take remedial English and the Maths in college, at least once.
3. The student repeatedly changed majors.
4. The student takes 12 hours for 2 semesters a year.
5. The student fails 1/3rd of the classes he takes.
Two alternative endings:
Ending A:
The student drops out of school after 6 years without a degree and tens of thousands of dollars of student loan debt.
In contrast, his high school classmate attended a vo-tech school and became a certified electrician.
A never makes more than $50,000. After the first 2 years, the electrician never makes less than $50,000.
Which was a better use of time & money? Which individuals better off?
Ending B:
The student obtains a degree in accounting after 5 years ... graduating
with a 2.0 GPA and tens of thousands of dollars of student loan debt.
In contrast, two of HS classmates got married. One studied for two
years as an apprentice plumber for minimum wage. Also as an apprentice
working for minimum wage, his wife studied bookkeeping. Living within
their means, foregoing the latest iPhone, iPads, cable television,
cellphones, saving their money, and diligently protecting their credit
score, they were able to borrow the money to start a plumbing business
where both worked.
The student, as a mediocre accountant, never makes more than $75,000-$100,000.
The couple earned more than $100,000, at first, and eventually grow
their business to a point where they are earning more than $1 million a
year.
Which was the better investment?
We NEED to teach kids the skills for success. We also NEED to teach them that they are not entitled to anything. Do you think that they are going to learn life-skills from women like the one below? (She just happens to be black. Thre are too many white Americans on welfare with the same mindset, too, so please save it with the racist thoughts.)
"Somebody needs to be held accountable, and they need to pay."
- Woman with 15 children, no husband and 3 baby daddies
This is what the welfare state has become and how it has screwed up
children. A woman with 15 kids (and no spouse) complains that people
around
aren’t doing enough to help her – even though her rent, food and
furniture have all been covered by good Samaritans and the government.
You have to hear it to believe it!
Homeless woman with 15 kids: someone’s gotta pay for this
This is the audio that caused Glenn to completely flip out on radio
today. In fairness to Glenn, it’s impossible to listen to this audio and
not be anything from appalled to shocked to angry. A woman with 15 kids
(and no spouse) complains that people around aren’t doing enough to
help her – even though her rent, food and furniture have all been
covered by good Samaritans and the government. You have to hear it to
believe it!
“Somebody needs to be held accountable, and they need to pay,” she said.
Um, maybe that someone should be you?
“Close the legs, lady. Close the legs,” Glenn joked (after lots of head exploding, ear poercing screaming).
“Anybody have a tranquilizing dart they can shoot me with?” he begged.
“Lady. Did you have your pants off maybe too many times in your life?
Is that possible? Is it possible? What are you out doing? What are
your children out doing? I’d like to know. How many of them are even
mowing somebody’s lawn? How many of them are actually out trying to
take any job, any job? Not a good job. Any job. What is it you have
done? Have you thought about birth control? Here’s an idea. Have you
thought about marrying a man? Have you thought about marrying a man or
not having kids with a man who isn’t going to jail? Have you thought
about, you know, maybe we should slow down on the sex thing?
Accountable? I’m not accountable for your life. I am accountable for my
life. I have been working my ass off, lady. What have you been doing?”
he said.
“I don’t have time for it! Because I’m working my ass off!”
'I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I
have since the time when my Mom took that position when she ran in 1970
as a U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years we should sustain and support it, and I
sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that
choice.'
- 1994 Senatorial debate
'The right next step in the, in the fight to preserve the sanctity of life is to see Roe v. Wade overturned.' - 16 December 2007
'I respect and will fully protect a woman's right to choose. That
choice is a deeply personal one, and the women of our state should make
it based on their beliefs, not mine and not the government's.' - 2002 GOP acceptance speech
Gubernatorial candidates Shannon
O'Brien and Mitt Romney sparred over who was the strongest
abortion rights supporter by touting endorsements from abortion rights
groups and challenging each other's records on the issue...
"There
isn't a dime of difference between Mitt Romney's position on choice and
[NARAL-endorsed] Shannon O'Brien," said Kerry Healey, Romney's running
mate.
Lynn Grefe, director of the Republican Pro-Choice
Coalition, applauded Romney's "commitment to family planning and
protecting a woman's right to choose" in a letter.
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Health Care:
'Well, that’s what we did in
Massachusetts, and that is, we put together an exchange, and the president’s copying that idea. I’m glad to hear that.' - 24 June 2009
'It was something crafted for a state. And I've said time and again,
ObamaCare is bad news. It's unconstitutional. It costs way too much
money, a trillion dollars. And if I'm president of the United States, I
will repeal it for the American people.' - 18 October 2011
'I’m proud of what we’ve done. If Massachusetts succeeds in implementing it, then that will be a model for the nation.' - 2 February 2007
'What works in one state may not be the answer for another.' - 22 March 2011
Mitt Romney defends individual mandate as "fundamentally a conservative principle":
Veterans' vouchers: Mitt Romney Flip-Flops on Veterans' Vouchers:
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Immigration:
MR. RUSSERT: Would you then be in favor of a mandatory prison term for any employer who hired an illegal immigrant?
GOV. ROMNEY: Of course not.
'I don’t believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at
gunpoint from our country. With these 11 million people, let’s have
them registered, know who they are. Those who’ve been arrested or
convicted of crimes shouldn’t be here; those that are paying taxes and
not taking government benefits should begin a process towards application for citizenship, as they would from their home country.' - 29 March 2006
'The wrong answer is amnesty. We tried it twice
before. Amnesty only led to more people coming into the country 'cause
they say, 'Oh gosh, look if you get in illegally, ultimately they'll let
you stay.' That's the wrong message.' - 3 September 2007
'We need to begin a process of registering those people, some being
returned, and some beginning the process of applying for citizenship and
establishing legal status.' - 29 March 2006
'We do not give instate tuition credits to
people who come here illegally. That only attracts people to come here
and take advantage of America's great beneficence. And with regards to
giving driver's licenses to people that are here illegally, that creates
a patina of legal status. There are sanctuary cities in some parts of
the country.' - 12 September 2011
'One of the things I did in my state was to
say, look, I'm going to get my state police authorized to be able to
enforce immigration laws and make sure those people who we arrest are put in jail, to find out they're here illegally, we're going to get them
out of here.' - 12 September 2011
'One simple rule: no amnesty.If that [Kennedy-McCain bill] is not a form
of amnesty, I don’t know what is.' - 4 June 2007
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on the Economy:
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Ronald Reagan:
'Look, I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to return to Reagan-Bush.' - 25 October 1994
The problem with the Forbes flat tax is that it isn't flat at all --
it's a zero tax on the wealthy and a 17 percent tax on working
Americans," Romney said yesterday. "I'm hoping that by running these ads
voters will realize the Forbes flat tax is a gimmick, a phony, and not
what it pretends to be." The ads note that Forbes' plan would tax
wages at 17 percent, but would not tax income from dividends, interest
and investment profits. "The Forbes tax isn't a flat tax at all!" - 21 January 1996
'I love a flat tax.' - 8 August 2011
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Climate Change:
'My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet.' - 27 October 2011
'I believe the world is getting warmer, and I believe that humans have contributed to that.' - 3 June 2011
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on the Recovery Act / Stimulus / Bailouts / TARP:
'I think there is a need for economic stimulus. Americans have
lost about $11 trillion in net worth. And government can help make that
up in a very difficult time.' - 4 January 2009
'Let's
not make this a Christmas tree of all of the favors for various
politicians who have helped out the Obama campaign, giving them
special projects. That would be wrong. You'll see Republicans fight that
tooth and nail if that happens. Let's do what's right for the economy,
and let's not do what's a political expedient move.' - 4 January 2009
'I
have never supported the President's recovery act. No time, nowhere, no
how have I ever supported the President's stimulus.' - 28 September
2011
'The TARP program... was neverthelessnecessaryto keep banks from collapsing in a cascade of failures.'
'When government is... bailing out banks... we have every good reason to be alarmed.'
'The
all-Democrat stimulus that was passed in early 2009 will accelerate the timing of the start of the recovery...' - "No Apology,"hardback version
'The all-Democrat stimulus passed in early 2009 has been afailure.' - "No Apology," paperback version
'I hear people say, ‘It’s gone, those jobs are gone, transportation’s
gone, it’s not coming back. I’m going to fight for every
single job. I’m going to rebuild the industry. I’m going to take burdens off the back of the auto industry.' - 13 January 2008
'Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.' - 18 November 2008
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Government Investment in Green Energy:
'[The Massachusetts Green Energy Fund is]
"an opportunity to capitalize on two emerging trends: the growing level
of investment interest in clean energy and the importance of
Massachusetts' academic and corporate R&D in forming clean energy
technology companies.' - 2003
'[T]he U.S. government shouldn't be playing venture capitalist.
It's not merely that government bureaucrats are bad at picking
winners. The very process invites cronyism and outright corruption.' -
24 October 2011
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Occupy Wall Street:
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Unions:
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on the Minimum Wage:
“I think the minimum wage ought to keep pace with inflation.” - 17 October 1994
“There’s no question raising the minimum wage excessively causes a loss of jobs.” - 25 July 2006
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Gay Marriage
'Mitt does not support
[Amendment to the COTUS banning gay marriage] ...As far as Mitt is
concerned, it goes farther than current law, and therefore it's
unnecessary.' - Romney spokesman, 27 March 2002
'When I was Governor, we took every conceivable step within the law to
stop, block or slow down this unprecedented court decision.' - 15 June 2007
'As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and
lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever before
that as we seek to establish full equality for America’s gays and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my
opponent.' - 1994
In1994, he opposed the Federal marriage amendment and promised to help
establish "full equality for America's gays and lesbians."
In
2002, he provided legal recognition to same-sex couples in
Massachusetts, even though he was not required to do so under a state
Supreme Judicial Court ruling, as he has suggested.
Then, in 2007, he supposedly had a Road to Damascus moment and started to support the Federal marriage amendment.
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Stem Cell Research:
'I am in favor of stem cell research. I will work and fight for stem
cell research. I'd be happy to talk to
[President Bush] about this, though I don't know if I could budge him an
inch.'- 13 June 2002
'In the end, I became persuaded that the stem-cell debate was grounded in a false premise.'- 15 June 2007
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Muslim Cabinet Members / Politicians:
'Based on the numbers of American Muslims... I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified.'- November 2007
'A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.' - 6 December 2007
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Gun Control / the NRA:
'We should check on the backgrounds of people who are trying to purchase
guns. We also should keep weapons of unusual lethality from being on the
street. And finally, we should go after people who use guns in the
commission of crimes or illegally, but we
should not interfere with the right of law-abiding citizens to own guns,
for their own personal protection or hunting or any other lawful
purpose. I support the work of the NRA. I’m a member of the NRA. But do
we line up on every issue? No, we don’t." - 16 December 2007
'I would have supported the original assault weapon ban. I signed an
assault weapon ban in
Massachusetts governor because it provided for a relaxation of licensing
requirements for gun owners in Massachusetts, which was a big plus. And
so both the pro-gun and the anti-gun lobby came together with a bill,
and
I signed that. And if there is determined to be, from time to time, a
weapon of such lethality that it poses a grave risk to our law
enforcement personnel, that’s something
I would consider signing. There’s nothing of that nature that’s being
proposed today in Washington. But I would look at weapons that pose
extraordinary lethality.'
- 16 December 2007
'I don't support any gun control legislation.' - 4 February 2008
‘I
don’t think (the waiting period) will have a massive effect on crime
but I think it will have a positive effect.' - 1 August 1994
"I'm not a big-game hunter. I've made that very clear. I've always been a
rodent and rabbit hunter. Small varmints, if you will." - April 2007
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Campaign Finance Reform:
"These kinds of associations between money
and politics in my view are wrong. And for that reason, I would like to have campaign spending limits ... I also would abolish PACS ... I don't like
the influence of money, whether it's business, labor or any other
group, I do not like that kind of influence. Lobbyists I want to
register, I want to know who they are, I want to ensure that gifts are
limited ... I think that contributions are fine, I just don't want them to
be larger and larger...The kinds of demands that are being placed on
the economics of running a campaign suggest an increasing power on the
part of money, and I think it's wrong and we've got to change it." - 7 July 1994
'The American people should be free to advocate for their candidates and their positions without burdensome limitations.' - 29 May 2007
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Seeing Martin Luther King March:
'I don’t think you go back and rewrite the contract the government has with people who’ve retired.' - 17 October 1994
'Personal accounts would be a big plus.' - 7 June 2007
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Vietnam:
'I was not planning on signing up for the military. It was not my desire to go off and serve in Vietnam.' - 2 May 1994
'I longed in many respects to actually be in Vietnam and be
representing our country there and in some ways it was frustrating not
to feel like I was there as part of the troops that were fighting in
Vietnam.' - 6 June 2007
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Dog Kennel on Top of Car:
'It's not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person.' - 26 April 2007
'We’ll move everything to get him. But this is not all about one person,
because after we get him, there’s going to be another and another. This
is a worldwide jihadist effort to try and
cause the collapse of all moderate Islamic governments and replace them
with a caliphate. This is a global effort we’re going to have to lead to
overcome this jihadist effort. It’s more than Osama bin Laden. But he is going to pay, and he will die.'- 3 May 2007
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Fannie and Freddie:
Mitt Romney Flip-Flopping on Flip Flopping:
'I'm a strong believer in stating your position andnot wavering.' - 1994
'I
think you'll find that I've been as consistent as human beings can be
as I look at those issues and as I try and apply those principles to
government." - 3 November 2011
'If you're looking for someone who's never changed any positions on any policies, then I'm not your guy." - 16 December 2007
Faux Bamboo Bill, who is evidently a starfish since he was able to regrow
the leg he "lost in service to his country during the Vietnam War" in
order to become a Top Gun "fighter pilot in the Persian Gulf War,"
wrote:
"RomneyCare is a good thing, stupid."
Yes, let's look at MittCare:
It has the highest number of insured persons as a percentage of population: 97.4%.
It also has the highest insurance premiums and longest wait times in the country.
In
2008, the cost projections were revised. The new estimates indicated
that the plan was to cost $869 million dollars in 2009 and $880 million
dollars in 2010, an upwards increase of nearly 20%. MittCare has done
nothing to bend the cost curve down.
Since 2006, the cost of the state’s insurance programme has increased by 42% or almost $600 million dollars.
According to an analysis by the Rand Corporation, “in the absence of
policy change, health care spending in Massachusetts is projected to
nearly double to $123 billion in 2020, increasing 8% faster than the
state’s gross domestic product (GDP).”
Medicaid costs have risen $7.5 billion to an estimated $9.2 billion.
Of the 407,000 newly insured, only 32% have paid for their insurance entirely on their own.
The remaining 68% have been either partially or wholly subsidised by the taxpayers.
Only
5% of newly insured Massachusetts residents, who are not receiving any
taxpayer benefits, obtained their coverage through the state's
"Connector" health care exchange.
Although the ratio of
primary care doctors to population is higher in Massachusetts than in
other states, the wait time for a general practitioner is 50-100 days
with the nationwide average being 20 days.
On average the wait in the US to see a medical specialist is 20.5 days. In Massachusetts, it is 55 days.
In Boston, it takes 70 days to see an obstetrician/gynecologist, 63 days
to see a family physician, 54 days to see a dermatologist, 40 days to
see an orthopedic surgeon, and 21 days to see a cardiologist, according
to the survey. All wait times are the longest in the nation.
Almost
half of internal medicine physicians having closed their doors entirely
to new patients. 40% of doctors in Massachusetts will not treat
Medicare patients and 55% of doctors in Mass will not see Medicaid
patients. Both are higher than the national average.
Despite the
enactment of nearly universal health insurance that some hoped would
reduce expensive emergency department use, Massachusetts emergency rooms
have reported a 9% increase in volume.
Higher premiums.
Higher medical costs.
Higher costs to the state.
Higher medical inflation.
A greater number of ER visits.
Longer wait times.
Fewer doctors.
A governor now threatening price controls, which always leads to rationing.
And, you can't blame any of this on those mean, old, "profits-before-people" corporations because the insurers are non-profits.
What
one learns from systems like the NHS is that health insurance or even
"free" government health care does not necessarily translate into
medical treatment.
1. Before Barack Obama trounced John McCain in 2008, McCain
trounced Romney.
2. Romney couldn't crack 50% when elected governor of Massachusetts in 2002.
3. By the end of his first and only term, he had a 34% approval rating and a 65% disapproval rating.
4. Survey USA ranked
Mr. Romney’s popularity 48th out of the 50 governors.
5. The
supposedly electable Mitt Romney walked away rather than face the
voters - even though he had just signed the - supposedly - wildly
popular and successful MassCare legislation with its mandate into law in
April of that year.
6. During his time as governor, Massachusetts ranked 47th in job creation in the private sector.
Faux Bamboo Bill, who is evidently a starfish since he was able to regrow
the leg he "lost in service to his country during the Vietnam War" in
order to become a Top Gun "fighter pilot in the Persian Gulf War,"
wrote:
"Bret Baier failed to ask important questions, and was jealous because he looked too portly next to Romney."
"Romney
found his failure to break through frustrating. “It’s not fair,” he
said to his aides. He was being defined as a flip-flopping Mormon—or a
Mormon flip-flopper. He couldn’t fathom why the caricature of him was
sticking, had no ability to see himself as others might.
When
Romney’s staff showed him the devastating YouTube video [showing his
flip-flopping over the years], his first reaction was,
