Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Mitt Romney: So Called Tough Talk By Another Republican

The presumed  republican party nominee Mitt Romney was in Israel this week end trying to talk tough on Iran and the situation in the middle east and is trying to follow the footsteps of Presidents Reagan and Bush 43, so lets examine their record.

Reagan came into office talking tough on terrorists, sent our Marines to Lebanon to bail out Israel and terrorists blew up the Marine compound killing 241 Marines and wounding many others.  And as of this writing none of those who planned and helped with the attack have been brought to justice.  Reagan also told the American people he would not make deals with terrorists and then sold arms to Iran in what came to be known as Iran-Contra.

Bush 43 came to office talking tough and then the worst foreign terror attack on U.S. soil killed 2000 plus Americans on that tragic day.  Bush 43 then started a war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist at any time during his administration.  The unnecessary war created Al Queda in Iraq that allowed them to kill more Americans and keep the U.S. tied down to a war that lasted 8 plus years.

Obama came to office and instead of trying to talk tough instructed the CIA that his top priority was to bring Bin Laden to justice and that is just what America did.  They not only brought Bin Laden to justice but the President showed good judgement and leadership with the burial of Bin Laden at sea.  There would be no place of worship by Bin Laden's terrorists followers.  Obama's actions have also kept the country safe with out the so called tough talk.

Romney has now picked up the torch of republican so called tough talk and would follow Bush 43's foreign policy.  He even has many of Bush's foreign policy advisers on his staff.  Republican tough talk is a good show but has no record of working to keep America and its people safe.  People who talk tough for the sake of talking tough end up sacrificing American lives when it is not necessary and are irresponsible.

Voter Folly: The Results Have Been Worse Than The Cure

Almost two years ago voters decided to put control of the U.S. House in the hands of the republican party via their choice of Tea Party candidates and the results for the nation and its people have been a disaster.  Little to nothing has been accomplished since then to move the country forward in a positive manner to help in economic matters or job creation.

Now come November the voters will have another chance.  Will they reward the republican party again for their opposition to every inititive of President Obama or will they stand up and recognize their folly of two years ago.  The U.S. Senate just the other day voted yes to extend the Bush tax cuts but only for those making $250,000.00 a year or less and to let the remaining tax cuts expire.  Now the ball is in the court of the U.S. House for action and the republican's there have said they would vote against the matter.  If that really happens and voters relect a republican controlled House in the November elections, that will confirm their folly.

Understanding the past is still the key to the future and despite all the ups and downs of the economy over time, democratic administrations have always out performed republican administrations in every category to move the country forward.  Voters have to decide if they want to continue to repeat the failed policies of the pasts or learn from those failures and seek a better future. 

Friday, July 20, 2012

The Talking Points Of The Wealthy Concerning Taxes

Taxes, no one likes them, especially income taxes but every one knows they are necessary until another source of revenue is found to operate local, state and the federal government.  We also know that the Reagan and Bush 43 tax cuts benefited the wealthy the most and threw the relationalship out of kilter compared to the tax middle income Americans pay.  Taking together with the tax loop holes and breaks that are tilted to help the wealthy and Corporate America, one can see how tax fairness is a real issue in the November elections.

The wealthy, which includes Mitt Romney responds to this unfairness with the following talking points:  "We simply follow the tax laws and if loop holes exist we take advantage of that.  We are not ashamed and take advantage of what ever the tax code allows".  Journalists seem to get tongue tied by these talking points of the wealthy, Corporate America and Mr. Romney but the answer to the talking points is very simple.  The wealthy, Corporate America and Mr. Romney spend millions of dollars in campaign contributions to members of congress to lobby them to write the loop holes and create those tax breaks in the tax code for their own self interest.  Their money talks and there are enough people in congress who are willing to create those tax breaks and loop holes.  In other words those tax breaks and loop holes are not earned, they are bought. 

The latest loop hole to be exposed is that Corporate America can ship American jobs over seas and can deduct that expense on their taxes.  Does any one believe that congress thought about this loop hole on their own?  It shows what the wealthy will do to avoid paying their fair share and how many in congress are yes men to that wealth. 

America was a better country in all phases when the wealthy paid their fair share.  The wealthy now not only want to pay less, they now also do not care about the harm they have done to the country, its people, the economy and job creation.  President Obama has a responsibility to see that congress changes the status quo of this unfair problem.

The Greatest Story "NEVER" Told By The News Media

There was a best selling book by the title, "The Greatest Story Ever Told" that was about biblical times.  The Greatest Story 'NEVER' Told concerns political time still fresh in our memories but some how was never told while the story was taking place nor was the ending results ever told by the national news media.

The story is about how a "business man" President with an MBA degree in just eight short years reversed the health of the nations fiscal house.  That President was George W. Bush.  When President Clinton left office the national debt at the end of his last fiscal year budget stood at $5.8 trillion, a very manageable number.  The federal budget was balanced four years in a row with record surpluses and the national debt was actually paid down by almost one half trillion dollars.  The talk actually turned to eliminating the national debt completly since our fiscal house was in such good shape. 

But along came "business man" President Bush 43 who's party controlled both houses of congress and immediately plunged the nation back into deficit spending at the end of Bush's very first fiscal year budget.  That deficit spending continued through out his two terms in office and at the end of Bush's last fiscal year budget the national debt stood at $11.9 trillion, a whooping increase of $6.1 trillion or 105% in only eight short years.  Bush also left office with out balancing one federal budget during those eight years.  Needless to say not one penny was paid down on the national debt.

The national news media was silent while the Bush administration was tearing down our nations fiscal health and was also silent how that administration's fiscal policies has cripled the nations fiscal health for many years yet to come even though it is being played out at the present time.  The same news people are pushing the republican talking points that Mitt Romney, a "business man" is the best choice to put our fiscal house back in order.  Never mind that his stated fiscal policies would be the same as Bush's policies. 

Understanding the past is still the key to the future and democratic Presidents have a superior record than republicans in moving the country and its people forward in every area that counts the most.  The only firsts the republicans lead in are:  Deficit Spending and creating debt and the largest increases in federal spending in the last 32 years.  They also lead in creating less jobs than democrats by far.  There is really no propaganda if the news media told that story as it was unfolding.  It would just be a story to help the American people understand what happened on Bush's watch and how a "business man" President with an MBA and a flawed conservative ideology  let his country and its people down. And that really says it all.

Note:  References to deficit spending and the national debt taken from the CBO records and records of the Treasury Department.

Note 2:  See previous commentaries on deficit spending and the national debt published here in PolitiDose.



Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Louisiana's Grand Old Party: A Very Sad Bunch Of Public Servants

I wrote a commentary here in PolitiDose concerning Louisiana's three stooges in Congress, namely David Vitter, Steve Scalise and Jeff Landry.  They seem to be in the news more than the other Louisiana representatives serving in congress but all of them collectively represent a very sad bunch of public servants for what once was called the Grand Old Party.

Those so called republican conservatives from Louisiana all served during the Bush 43 administration with the exception of Landry and rubber stamped Bush's policies that became the greatest job killers since the great depression; gave the country and its people the second great depression and meltdown of the economy and turned President Clinton's balanced budgets and surpluses into eight straight years of record deficit spending and debt; the largest single yearly budget deficit in the history of the country to the tune of $1.42 trillion.  And then to top it off, the failure of the Wall Street Banks because Republicans looked the other way instead of enforcing regulations.

Those republicans along with Bobby Jindal, who also served in congress during the Bush 43 administration have done a poor job of bringing new jobs to Louisiana and their do nothing attitude explains why.  The unemployment rate in January 2008 in Louisiana when Jindal took office was 3.8%.  In May 2012 it was 7.2% an increase of 3.4%.  State layoffs and budget cuts along with Jindal's inability to balance the state budgets have continued the job killing that goes along with republican administrations both on the federal and state level.  Makes no different if republicans are representing Louisiana in the state legislature or congress, the result is the same, "disaster".

These are the very same Louisiana republicans who had a chance to cut federal spending while they served in congress during the Bush 43 eight years in office and instead gave the country and its people eight straight years of recoed deficit spending and debt.  Federal spending was down 1.6% at the end of President Obama's first fiscal year budget that ended 9/30/10 compared to Bush's last fiscal year budget that ended 9/30/09.  No republican President has balanced the federal budget since Eisenhower in 1960, over 50 years ago and no republican President in over 50 years has cut federal spending year to year.

The kicker with the Louisiana republicans is their support for Mitt Romney who's stated policies, if elected would ape the Bush policies that failed the country big time.  Understanding the past is still the key to the future and the past talking points of republicans that they continue using today is a prescription for the third great depression.  The country and its people deserve a better future.

Note:  See my past commentaries here in PolitiDose about Jindal's failure to balance the state budgets even though Jindal and the state legislature has announced the budgets are balanced.  A pure and simple fairytale.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Trying To Digest An Editorial By Cokie and Steve Roberts

The editorial in the Times Picayune dated 7/13/12 titled "Shine A Light On Political Donations" by Cokie and Steve Roberts was timely, but unfortunately their solution of "disclosure" is not the answer.  Every one knows the major Oil Companies and the Oil Industry in general give a lot of money to elected officials to keep their obscene tax breaks but that disclosure has not had any effect on our elected officials who continue those tax breaks.

Every one knows the PAC's and Super PAC's money for certain elected officials is a clear attempt to influence elections and receive favors but voters do not use that information to determine their vote.  Voters believe more in talking points than any thing else because journalists give them no help in separating fact from fiction.  A great example is the republican talking point that the democratic party are the big spenders in Washington and that they are responsible for deficit spending and run away debt. 

However if one would only check with the CBO they would find that the largest increase in federal spending in the past 32 years happened on Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43's watch and so did deficit spending and the national debt.  In fact if those 3 republican Presidents would have balanced the federal budget as President Clinton did, deficit spending and the national debt would not be a problem today.  The sad part is republicans are still using those same talking points on shows like Meet the Press and others and journalists just let it slide like it is fact and never challenge those talking points.  Are we supposed to believe that journalists don't know the CBO keeps the final federal budget numbers for all to see?

In this writers opinion which I have commented on here in politidose over the past years, the only solution that is viable to stop the buying of elected officials is for elected officials to refuse any and all campaign contributions from any source and be innovative and come up with a system where contributions are not wanted.  People in the news media have to step up to the plate and put the blame where it belongs, on Corporate American and their lobby, the Pacs and super Pacs who give millions of dollars to elected officials to do their bidding and elected officials who eagerly take their money and do their bidding.

The news media is partly to blame because they are silent on the real problem.  They love all the money the Pacs, Corporate America and their lobby give the networks in the form of political ads.  They are also like the elected officials who take the money and then do their bidding even to the point of slanting news reports either in favor or against certain political candidates and elected officials.

The beauty of elected officials to just say no thanks is that the Supreme Court has nothing to say in the matter, it would not cost the tax payers one dollar and campaign finance reform would be real.  There is nothing naive in all of this.  The only requirement is character, courage and the will to get it done.  Maybe Cokie and Steve could be the first ones to get the ball rolling and put the blame where it belongs.

Note:  See previously published comments concerning Federal Spending, Debt and Deficit Spending published herein. 

Sunday, July 15, 2012

The State Of Louisiana's Revenue Problem

Louisiana's revenue shortfall problem can be directly related to the $8 billion in lost revenue because of tax exemptions, credits and rebates that go mainly to business for so called job creation and other goodies that the business community lobby for.  And of course, elected officials just can't pass up the campaign contributions that go along with their lobby friends.


That $8 billion give away of tax payers money represents 30% of the current $26.5 billion Louisiana budget.  That is obscene to every person with common sense.  Former governor Blanco not only balanced the state budget but left the Jindal administration a surplus of $1 billion when Jindal took office and a unemployment rate of 3.8%.  Jindal and the state legislature has not balanced one state budget since Jindal took office over four years ago.

Here is how Jindal and the legislature has played the budget con game.  Jindal announces the budget is out of balance and cuts need to be made.  The legislature makes the cuts and then announces the budget is balanced and before the budget year is up, Jindal announces once again the budget is out of balance by millions of dollar and more cuts have to be made.  That con game has continued into the past budget year and before this budget year  ends Jindal will announce once again the current budget is out of balance by millions of dollars.  In my previous commentary here in politidose, I pointed out the same con game would take place before the last fiscal year budget ended and it certainly did happen.

Now we read in the Times Picayune of 7/10/12 in an article by Ed Anderson that Senator Jack Donahue, sponsor of a resolution to create a panel to look into repealing or modifying some of the states tax breaks as a means of increasing revenue for the state.  The article says state officials estimate the tax breaks could total $6.8 billion.  However, District 102 representative Jeff Arnold in his news letter to the people he represents says the number is $8 billion.

What motivates the decision to look at this Corporate Welfare for business now and not the last four years of this budget con game.  Have these elected officials finally seen the light or do they finally realize its time to find some character and courage and put a stop to this transfer of wealth from the middle class.  All businesses should pay their fair share.

The last four years of the budget con game of cutting spending by this administration and legislature has gotten into the pockets of the middle class in a hundred different ways while those $8 billion in tax exemptions and etc., has not been touched.  President Obama's stimulus has done more to create jobs nationally than Louisiana's $8 billion give away has done for the state.  Mr. Anderson should write a commentary comparing how Louisiana's unemployment has done in the first three years under Jindal and compare that with how unemployment has done nationally under the first three years of President Obama.  Better yet, Mr. Anderson can just log onto "politidose" and read this writers commentary about the subject matter only a few weeks ago.

The legislature's committee that is supposed to look into this tax exempt matter should remember what Warren Buffett has been saying all along.  Taxes are not a burden to businesses making a profit or growing their business and that no good business man ever let taxes stop a new business adventure.



Friday, July 6, 2012

The Failure Of State Governors

The "Affordable Health Care Act" would not have been needed if state Governors would have shown leadership, courage and character in making sure the uninsured with in their state borders were insured by their state.  Instead, they ignored the issue because they would have had to raise taxes in order to take care of their own people.  They promised no new taxes and like other state issues punted the problem to the federal government.  When the federal government stepped in the Governors ranted and said it was a "states right issue", the same issue they ignored.  The need for the "Affordable Health Care Act" is just another example why federal spending increases when Governors fail their responsibility to take care of their own people and the problems they face.

Louisiana's Governor Bobby Jindal on Meet the Press July 1 and in a Times Picayune article of July 2, in referance to the AHCA said Louisiana would not set up private insurance exchanges or expand medicaid in Louisiana.  Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean pointed out that Louisiana is 48th in the country in terms of child poverty, 48th in the country in premature death and 48th in the country in terms of industrial accidents.  Dean also pointed out that medicaid expansion would insure 340,000 people out of the 860,000 uninsured  people.  Little boy Jindal, like the good old boy conservative ditto heads repeated the same old republican talking point of electing Romney to repeal Obamacare.  Gov. Jindal has had 4 plus years to work up a plan to insure Louisiana's uninsured and he failed to do so.  Jindal and republicans call the AHCA Obamacare because they know Obama does care.

The little boy Governor also tried to compare Mardi Gras to the AHCA and also used the worn out republican talking point that Obama is pushing the nation toward European style socialism.  Jindal must have his mind on the social corporate welfare system he supports for the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Hornets giving millions of dollars to those multi millionaire owner using tax payers money.  Jindal and other state governors who fail to take care of their own state problems and then blame the federal government are first class hypocrits.  And Jindal's comparasion of Mardi Gras to the AHCA is just one of a thousand reasons the little boy governor will not be the V.P. choice come November.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

The U.S. Supreme Court Made The Right Decision

The Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Health Care Act as constitutional was a victory for America and the concept of "Justice being Blind".  What was so American about the courts decision is the fact that a so called conservative Chief Justice did not use a conservative ideology to render his decision and instead acted like an American to deal with an American problem forced on the court by conservatives.

This writer has written many commentaries here in "politidose" pointing out that conservatism practiced today by the leaders of the republican party is un-American and that they are conservatives first and Americans some where down the line.  And true to form after the decision the conservative leaders inside and out side of congress began their personnel assualt against the Chief Justice for his vote.

We have seen first hand the un-American attitude of the republican party in congress who vowed since day one they would do nothing to help move the country and its people forward since the second great depression (that happened on their watch) because they want to defeat Obama in the November elections.  The leaders of the republican party today, Mitt Romney, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell have demonstrated their complete lack of leadership, character and courage with their un-American attitude and ideology toward the country and its people. 

They and their party should not be chosen to lead the country in November.  The election is indeed a very important one and being American should trump over the un-American ideology of conservatism that is being practiced today by republican leaders.