What Romney doesn't tell you about his profiteering on the Auto Bailout
http://www.examiner.com/articl...
Romney. thru his so-called "blind trusts" for himself and Ann, invested with Paul Singer, a hedge fund manager...the larger article is in "The Nation" but the cliff notes are here. Singer is a ruthless m'fer, quite comfortable with taking advantage of situations, reaping huge profits, and shipping jobs to China....25 of 29 plants to be exact. Since GM & other companies had no other source for key parts at the critical time...well, blackmail is the only description.
" How did Delphi undergo such a remarkable turnaround? They took federal bailout funds, slashed worker pensions, fired union workers and sent American jobs overseas,
and got the government’s Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to pay
all of Delphi’s retiree pensions. The cost to the taxpayer for the
pension piece alone was $5.6 billion. This is on top of the other
taxpayer money they took. Is this not corporate welfare?
Of the twenty-nine Delphi plants operating in the United States when
the vultures began buying up control, only four remain, with not a
single union production worker. Delphi now produces the parts used by GM
and other major automakers mostly in China. Delphi is now incorporated
overseas, leaving the company with 5,000 employees in the United States
and almost 100,000 abroad."
The larger article points out that the company is now incorporated on the Island of Jersey, off France, so I assume Romney can translate for his kleptocrat friends. So Romney is involved in shipping jobs to China.....nothing new for him. Romney is again hiding money off shore. Worse, this thief, who doesn't believe in FEMA funds, took money from both the auto bailout and they looted the pension funds, causing the Pension Guarantee Fund (federal!) to take on that responsibility!
And yet Romney can continue to run this total lie of an ad, which if you think about it, is a compliment from the outsourcing Romney and his buddies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
And that's why I call'em republicrites!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
What happened to "THE LEFT"...?
Spoiler...some of "The Left" still exists, in American punditry if not American politics. Bookmark the site of the two links I'm providing...very Bay Area, and features the iconic Robert Scheer of Ramparts Magazine fame...good stuff...the truth marches on!
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/mcgovern_he_never_sold_his_soul_20121021/
I was one of the "angry Vietnam Veterans" the author points as part of the McGovern coalition. As we watch George pass on to better places and read the many tributes to his courage and decency, we have to wonder....where is that decency and courage in our politics today?
It is well known that Bill and Hillary Clinton interrupted their law studies to occupy major roles in the McGovern campaign. They are now represented as centrists along the spectrum. Romney has run ads trying to represent Obama as to the left of Clinton.
He is not...in both his domestic and foreign policies he is a centrist moderate, and certainly less so on the latter. A leftist would not be raining drone directed death on innocents...a leftist would have closed Gitmo...a leftist would have followed the advice of his Vice President regarding the "surge" in Afghanistan. A leftist would have ordered the attack on the murderous Osama Bin Laden. As we saw the other nite, there was no debate...Romney turned tail on almost everything he had said previously (surprise!) and we ended up with this:
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/hawks_of_a_feather_flock_together_20121023/
"Middle East policy would remain the same, with unquestioned support for Israel, no American troops sent to Syria or Libya, general support for Egypt and other Arab Spring regimes, slow withdrawal from Afghanistan, more drones and a big defense establishment."
And every politician agrees....99% of the punditry agrees...I ask...where is the outrage?
Where I disagree with Hedges is his hope....the 1972 defeat was disastrous in a moral sense. The republicrites managed to turn the word "liberal" into an epithet with visions of dirty long haired dope smoking hippies, those castigated in song by the likes of Merle Haggard...that's after he got out of prison!
All the political types ran for the middle as Romney did in running away from the RW knuckle draggers he coveted in the primaries. Not that he's really abandoning the band of hativists, anti-choice zealots, neocons, Evangelical gay bashers and low information gaggle of the resentful....they are useful in forwarding the agenda of the 1%, but right now it's "wink-wink"...he'll veer right quickly after November 6, of that we can be sure. Hopefully, he'll be doing that in La Jolla rather than DC!
Really tho...where are the major national voices for true progressive and, yes, liberal policies? I know, "Code Pink" exists but is represented as a quicky bunch rather than as the moral voice they are. Where is the George McGovern of today?
More later...for now, my theme...from one of the voices I miss:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB-BBVQLnxI
Spoiler...some of "The Left" still exists, in American punditry if not American politics. Bookmark the site of the two links I'm providing...very Bay Area, and features the iconic Robert Scheer of Ramparts Magazine fame...good stuff...the truth marches on!
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/mcgovern_he_never_sold_his_soul_20121021/
I was one of the "angry Vietnam Veterans" the author points as part of the McGovern coalition. As we watch George pass on to better places and read the many tributes to his courage and decency, we have to wonder....where is that decency and courage in our politics today?
It is well known that Bill and Hillary Clinton interrupted their law studies to occupy major roles in the McGovern campaign. They are now represented as centrists along the spectrum. Romney has run ads trying to represent Obama as to the left of Clinton.
He is not...in both his domestic and foreign policies he is a centrist moderate, and certainly less so on the latter. A leftist would not be raining drone directed death on innocents...a leftist would have closed Gitmo...a leftist would have followed the advice of his Vice President regarding the "surge" in Afghanistan. A leftist would have ordered the attack on the murderous Osama Bin Laden. As we saw the other nite, there was no debate...Romney turned tail on almost everything he had said previously (surprise!) and we ended up with this:
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/hawks_of_a_feather_flock_together_20121023/
"Middle East policy would remain the same, with unquestioned support for Israel, no American troops sent to Syria or Libya, general support for Egypt and other Arab Spring regimes, slow withdrawal from Afghanistan, more drones and a big defense establishment."
And every politician agrees....99% of the punditry agrees...I ask...where is the outrage?
Where I disagree with Hedges is his hope....the 1972 defeat was disastrous in a moral sense. The republicrites managed to turn the word "liberal" into an epithet with visions of dirty long haired dope smoking hippies, those castigated in song by the likes of Merle Haggard...that's after he got out of prison!
All the political types ran for the middle as Romney did in running away from the RW knuckle draggers he coveted in the primaries. Not that he's really abandoning the band of hativists, anti-choice zealots, neocons, Evangelical gay bashers and low information gaggle of the resentful....they are useful in forwarding the agenda of the 1%, but right now it's "wink-wink"...he'll veer right quickly after November 6, of that we can be sure. Hopefully, he'll be doing that in La Jolla rather than DC!
Really tho...where are the major national voices for true progressive and, yes, liberal policies? I know, "Code Pink" exists but is represented as a quicky bunch rather than as the moral voice they are. Where is the George McGovern of today?
More later...for now, my theme...from one of the voices I miss:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB-BBVQLnxI
Thursday, October 18, 2012
George Rode By
A number of years ago here in town I knew a man named George Silverstein.
He was a tall, thin, mellow, intellectual type fellow with long dark hair, which he tied back, who rode his bicycle all over town, as many here do.
George was a quiet person, a bit shy, and slow to make eye contact. For the several years I knew him we never got past the casual 'Hello' when my two small children and I would see him on the street, or shopping at the Food Co-op. He would glance up briefly and smile slightly.
George was a regular in town, known by all, but not well by many.
Even so, he was respected by the tight-knit community.
One day an alert was issued throughout town that George was missing, prompting everyone to keep eyes open for him.
His friend and confidant Rusty North, a one handed woman who was an artist organized a search for George.
Apparently he had left without notice and left his medication behind. The story was George was depressed from a breakup with a girlfriend.
Rusty was very concerned.
Hours passed and no one saw George anywhere.
During this time, my son and daughter and I were walking home from our outing, crossing 12th Street, when I happened to notice George on his bike making a left hand turn in our direction, headed toward the water known as Puget Sound.
I nodded, maybe smiled at him and saw he was smiling radiantly, with clear, strong eye contact, nothing I'd seen from him prior to then. He looked happy, and free, a new look for George. But, I thought nothing of it at the time, being absorbed in the business of my children's needs and woes.
When my children and I arrived home, I called Rusty North telling her I had just seen George at 12th street riding his bike, headed toward the water.
Rusty scoffed at me, and told me I couldn't have see George riding his bike, as his bike had been found two hours earlier.
I, confused, acquiesced and let it go. After all she was his close friend, and I was outside that loop. What could I know?...
Ten years later, two young boys, playing in the woods on Umatilla Street, happened to find a skeleton with a rope noose around it's neck. The rest of the rope was till attached to a tree limb above them.
A forensic study determined it was George.
I saw George ride by after he went to the woods, after his bicycle was found.
He looked happier than I had known he could look. He looked beautiful.
I did not speak of this to anyone else until now. I am grateful that I got to see him one last time.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
TERESA
When I moved into my building 5-1/2 years ago, one of the first people I met was Teresa E. She is a tiny lady, no more than 5 feet tall. 100 lbs. soaking wet, a very sweet little lady of Greek ancestry.
She always has a smile, and is friendly to everyone. She often bakes Greek pastries, covered in honey. Of course I can't remember the name. She passes them out to any and all. At Christmas she passes out cards to all 220 or so residents, even those she doesn't know. For some, it is the only thing they will receive for Christmas.
Teresa is now 87 and has lived here 21 years, moving in shortly after her husband died. About 10 years ago, a couple moved into the building, Alan and Lois. Alan was white, Lois black. There have always been a few African Americans in the building, but an interracial couple was something new and "strange". A lot of discussion ensued, and one day a group of residents, maybe 10 or 12 of them, were discussing the "problem". Teresa was among them. After much back and forth, little Teresa stood up and said, paraphrased, "What's wrong with you people? We should treat them like any body else. We shouldn't even be talking about this."
Several people told me about this incident, and they tell me the room went silent, there were a lot of sheepish looks, and all agreed.
Last week, I learned that Teresa had lung cancer. She refuses to go through any long, unpleasant and painful treatment. She asked only that she be given pain relief. She is now bedridden, cared for by her daughters, a caregiver, and her neighbors.
God bless her and we will miss her when she leaves us.
She always has a smile, and is friendly to everyone. She often bakes Greek pastries, covered in honey. Of course I can't remember the name. She passes them out to any and all. At Christmas she passes out cards to all 220 or so residents, even those she doesn't know. For some, it is the only thing they will receive for Christmas.
Teresa is now 87 and has lived here 21 years, moving in shortly after her husband died. About 10 years ago, a couple moved into the building, Alan and Lois. Alan was white, Lois black. There have always been a few African Americans in the building, but an interracial couple was something new and "strange". A lot of discussion ensued, and one day a group of residents, maybe 10 or 12 of them, were discussing the "problem". Teresa was among them. After much back and forth, little Teresa stood up and said, paraphrased, "What's wrong with you people? We should treat them like any body else. We shouldn't even be talking about this."
Several people told me about this incident, and they tell me the room went silent, there were a lot of sheepish looks, and all agreed.
Last week, I learned that Teresa had lung cancer. She refuses to go through any long, unpleasant and painful treatment. She asked only that she be given pain relief. She is now bedridden, cared for by her daughters, a caregiver, and her neighbors.
God bless her and we will miss her when she leaves us.
The Last Time I Saw Sherice
Several years ago I was a poster, then moderator for a live stream webcast called 'Spirit Cam'. The site broadcaster, Denis Williams, a man from England is a 'spirit medium'.
Den seemed normal, humble, and had typical English humor, so I, and the many rest came to believe him. He never showed a reason to disbelieve him, and we, the cyber group grew close.
In fact some of us are still cyber friends.
Den's purpose for the site was to teach people, to educate them in spirit matters.
He succeeded. He asked for nothing, he only gave all of himself.
His wife, a straightforward woman with a good sense of humor underwent went a mastectomy during the time the site up and running. Their daughter, as well as their son (both adults) would also post, and appear on the broadcast.
Several of the commenters who became moderators had ongoing, interesting experiences of their own. I entered extremely skeptical, but seeing how much fun the site was I remained.
Eventually, I had to admit to myself that I had, in real life, seen a spirit of a child, an eight year old little girl who was killed when a dumpster fell on her at the dance studio where I took my two young children for ballet classes, crushing her as she, on order by her alcoholic mother was trying to take out the trash.
Back then dumpsters were metal and were designed with off-balance roll bars for loading on the trucks.
Sherice had to pull herself up onto the bar, then open the heavy metal lid to put in the trash.
That day it rolled over onto her, landing on her small chest, crushing it.
She died there a little later after two of the town's worst doctors arrived to the scene.
Before the accident Sherice and her mother lived in a small RV parked in a rental lot outside the dance studio at the beach. She would come into the studio and just watch, or be there quietly. I spoke to her a few times, and once as I walked the dance teacher's new puppy outside, Sherice came along. We played with the puppy, and laughed together.
After Sherice died, I, for some reason, was hesitant to take my son and daughter to class for a couple of weeks.
I finally decided to return, but had a sick dread feeling that I would see that child there.
I had never seen a spirit, or 'ghost' before.
That evening, during the class a display cabinet door fell open. The dance teacher Betsy said 'That's never happened before'.
Her comment filled me with more dread and an absolute certainty there was no way I was going to get my two small children out of there that evening without seeing Sherice.
After class, as I was helping my kids into their coats, I thought we had made it. And then, the always to be expected words from my daughter "Mom, I need to go potty." Naturally.
I think I may have asked her "Can you wait till we get home?'
No, of course not..."Need to pee, Mom."
The restroom was accessible through a door leading down a long, dimly lit hall. I guided both children down the hall, saying nothing, trying not to let my fear show, and at the same time worrying that my fear might cause what I felt was imminent to happen.
We made it into the restroom with nothing unusual noticeable, except my profound expectation, even knowing, that we were not going to make it out of the building without something happening.
As I opened the restroom door to leave, and moved the two little dancers, who seemed unaware of the certainty I was feeling, and, I believe were even chatting to each other, out into the hall...it happened.
The very end of the hall was a few feet to the right of where we stood as we turned to head back to the exit door. I felt compelled to look over to my right, but, though I did not want to, I was unable to resist.
I looked over at the end of the hall, a small dark, unlit alcove, where some extra chairs were stored, and there stood Sherice.
She was encircled by a light, a clear light that created an amber glow around her. I could see the dark alcove beyond that.
Sherice stood smiling, looking directly at me, making eye contact with my fearful, quick glance. I could see her from her knees up.
She was wearing bright new looking blue jeans, and a bright red, new looking tee shirt.
While alive Sherice was always dressed in faded second hand clothes. She had a difficult life.
But, there she was, two weeks after her death looking radiant and new. The light I saw around her seemed to emanate from within her and not from an external light source. There was no external light source. Apart from Sherice, that part of the hall was completely dark.
Sherice had the look of someone who feels great joy to finally be at home.
Her drab dark brown hair was a richer color, and her pale skin was no longer pale.
She looked perfectly natural, and like a person standing there, except only from the knees up.
It was not a frightening event, though, to my current regret, I felt fear.
I silently turned to shuffle my little ones up the hall, and out the door. I never spoke of this to anyone for twenty years expecting no one would believe me, and I wasn't sure I believed it myself. But, it happened.
After spending time with Den and the group on Spirit Cam I came to understand the experience I'd had as something normal, and natural. I learned that many people see these types of things.
I found peace with the gift Sherice had given me by stopping by to let someone know she was well, that she was home.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
ROPE A DOPE...OR JUST DOPEY?
Where was Barack Obama last nite? Did he have any idea that he was there not only to defend himself and his record over the last 4 years but the progressive values of those that elected him in the first place? Did he expect that defense to be anything but a dismantling of Romney's only intention...to turn the national treasury over to his cronies in the kleptocracy...AGAIN?
If he did, then he didn't show it. He allowed Romney to escape time and again from his only theme...that is, a return to the supply side scam that lowering taxes, particularly on the wealthy, would somehow bring in more revenues to pay for the government Americans continually indicate they want and need. That hasn't worked since the so aptly named Art Laffer introduced it to main stream economics in the 1970s. It has been tried before...by Reagan in the 80s when he tripled the debt...and by Bush Jr. in the last decade when the debt was doubled. At the same time inequality has reach the highest point since the gilded age and jobs have made that giant sucking sound that Ross Perot predicted.
Oh, but Romney didn't say that revenues would grow...his plan would be neutral in that regard, as would the actual effect on taxes for the wealthy. Of course, no specific loopholes, credits, deductions or exemptions to be eliminated...that's his secret plan...but it's not. We've seen it for the past 30 years...and it's failed. Romney even admitted it. Business start ups at a 30 year low....exactly in line with the 3 decades the supply side flim flam has dominated the economic conversation.
Romney says he will limit deductions in total...but at what level? The other day he said $17K...most of us reach that point...last nite he threw out $25K, $50K, pick a number...he literally said that! No mention of how we define income....your salary or pension is taxed at the income tax rates....HIS income is virtually all taxed at the capital gains rate of 15%...and that includes the category called "carried interest"...a scam that the 1% claim are capital gains but aren't...they're commissions for the most part...that allows the 25 top financial scammers ( AKA Hedge Fund Managers) to average $980B...yes, that's a "B"...a few years ago and pay that CG tax rate which itself is the lowest in history. Flim Flam, thank you Ma"am!
But Obama pointed out none of that. He was passive and allowed Romney to dominate the stage, including the moderator...the weakest performance since the last Dukakis debate in 1988. It brought back old images of loud big mouth Republicrites pushing around passive & "nuanced" Demwits. It worked then, and it will again if Obama doesn't get his head out of his ass! It better start next week...Biden better take Ryan to school on their lack of specifics, their lack of specificity, their dissembling. These debates are the big stage....if Obama doesn't realize that, then we could be stuck with Romney-Ryan-Akin...and it won't be pretty!!!
Where was Barack Obama last nite? Did he have any idea that he was there not only to defend himself and his record over the last 4 years but the progressive values of those that elected him in the first place? Did he expect that defense to be anything but a dismantling of Romney's only intention...to turn the national treasury over to his cronies in the kleptocracy...AGAIN?
If he did, then he didn't show it. He allowed Romney to escape time and again from his only theme...that is, a return to the supply side scam that lowering taxes, particularly on the wealthy, would somehow bring in more revenues to pay for the government Americans continually indicate they want and need. That hasn't worked since the so aptly named Art Laffer introduced it to main stream economics in the 1970s. It has been tried before...by Reagan in the 80s when he tripled the debt...and by Bush Jr. in the last decade when the debt was doubled. At the same time inequality has reach the highest point since the gilded age and jobs have made that giant sucking sound that Ross Perot predicted.
Oh, but Romney didn't say that revenues would grow...his plan would be neutral in that regard, as would the actual effect on taxes for the wealthy. Of course, no specific loopholes, credits, deductions or exemptions to be eliminated...that's his secret plan...but it's not. We've seen it for the past 30 years...and it's failed. Romney even admitted it. Business start ups at a 30 year low....exactly in line with the 3 decades the supply side flim flam has dominated the economic conversation.
Romney says he will limit deductions in total...but at what level? The other day he said $17K...most of us reach that point...last nite he threw out $25K, $50K, pick a number...he literally said that! No mention of how we define income....your salary or pension is taxed at the income tax rates....HIS income is virtually all taxed at the capital gains rate of 15%...and that includes the category called "carried interest"...a scam that the 1% claim are capital gains but aren't...they're commissions for the most part...that allows the 25 top financial scammers ( AKA Hedge Fund Managers) to average $980B...yes, that's a "B"...a few years ago and pay that CG tax rate which itself is the lowest in history. Flim Flam, thank you Ma"am!
But Obama pointed out none of that. He was passive and allowed Romney to dominate the stage, including the moderator...the weakest performance since the last Dukakis debate in 1988. It brought back old images of loud big mouth Republicrites pushing around passive & "nuanced" Demwits. It worked then, and it will again if Obama doesn't get his head out of his ass! It better start next week...Biden better take Ryan to school on their lack of specifics, their lack of specificity, their dissembling. These debates are the big stage....if Obama doesn't realize that, then we could be stuck with Romney-Ryan-Akin...and it won't be pretty!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)