This administration drives me crazy. I was reading an article describing the methodology used in parts of Trump's budget. Mick Mulvaney has this to say... “We need people to go to work,” Mr. Mulvaney said this week. “If you’re on food stamps, and you’re able-bodied, we need you to go to work. If you’re on disability insurance and you’re not supposed to be — if you’re not truly disabled, we need you to go back to work. We need everybody pulling in the same direction.” At the same time that Mick is setting forth this 'common sense' ruling, he is proposing to cut job training, food stamps, child care, health benefits and more. He says that these moves will force people to get jobs and become part of a growing economy. This comes from a man that has never 'worked' a day in his life. He's never had to use his hands and his back to make wages that will, hopefully, feed his family and pay the bills.
This strategy was used in the 90's and it seemed to work... in a massively different economy. And when the economy went south, so did those jobs. It's odd, but the Republicans have been spouting this nonsense for years. And further back, when they weren't called Republicans, but were called Conservatives, they have been saying this for hundreds of years.
Homeless? How do you rent an apartment without first and last plus a cleaning deposit. How do you get a job without an address (and clean clothes). Can't get a job because of your prison record? The record you got for smoking dope ten years ago? Can't get a job because you can't meet the requirements? And they just closed the re-training center. You don't have a chance! Prepare to be hungry...and cold. Or, maybe you could call Mick and ask if he needs any help?. Any help at all?
There are a lot of complications to what we see today in government. For instance, can we keep borrowing indefinitely without a consequence? Is the world truly so insecure (Russia, North Korea, terrorists as well as an Islamic State that wants to bring back the Ottoman Empire and more with an invasion into Europe as a few concerns) that we must maintain a huge military force ready to meet any and all assaults? What we are facing is choices that Europe for too long hasn't had to make while we were their defense.
ReplyDeleteI also know people who are on the edge economically and through no fault of their own. I don't know how we do it all without raising taxes on everybody-- not just the rich. Sweden does have a military, although not to the level of ours, but they also have a just under 60% tax rate to pay for their benefits. The Swedish people approve of the system, from all I know, as there is something in it for everybody (not sure how that is for the job makers) but would that be true here? I don't know.
One other thing I saw for statistics. When the Dems say this is cutting these programs, what they are talking about is cutting their growth. So there would still be 21% growth in Medicaid in 10 years but it's not what the Dems felt there should be.
The problem we face is we don't know who to believe as the figures are out there on all sides and cries of the sky is falling. Top it off with the attempt to find something, anything that allows impeachment, and the only real answer is temporarily stay a little less informed. When we don't know who to believe (mainstream news sources often do have the facts buried in the third page after a hysterical headline). Basically the media, celebrities, so-called intellectuals, Democrats, and all liberals are out to get rid of Trump and don't care how they do it. I wonder though if this time of distorted news (and it is) will eventually bring down our whole system more effectively than Trump could ever do if his programs (the ones he ran on) were enacted. I personally don't know what to think about trump but I do know what I think about the media and it is that I am happier when I read less at a time when I can't do anything about it anyway. I am not about to go out in the street, set fires, block highways, threaten people's lives, or go to events of speakers different than myself only to chant or turn my back on them.
I know this is hard on a lot of very good people, some of whom read fake news sites to make this worse. There aren't many sites out there that we can read who believe in a conservative agenda-- if that even exists with the establishment taking over the Democrat and Republican leadership.
See what you did! Now you depressed me *wink*. Actually I don't get depressed easily. I tend to think this too shall pass-- even though I know it doesn't always. The thing is when you have an intelligence wing of government, a fourth unelected wing, with a constant drumbeat of secret sources, who do you trust???
I'm sorry about the 'depression', it wasn't intentional but I'm afraid you're on your own now. I have my own 'depression' to deal with.
DeleteYour comments deserve better attention than I can give them, and I'm not sure that I can reply with with any thoughts that are actually thoughtful. My mind is elsewhere for a few hours, or even days, as I'm dealing with high level pain once again. Hoping to hear from the surgeon soon...and with a 3 day weekend, it will be Tuesday at the earliest!
Ah! Finally, some relief. The pain is gone for a while but the drugs have left me feeling very dull. I can barely add 2 trillion and 2 trillion. I keep coming up with the sum of 2 trillion. That can't be right, can it?
I've also recently had a lot of personal upsets and definitely understand what you feel. I am upset that we don't have a system that is more true to the people. Then I read CNN wants Hillary to run again in 2020... Seriously, now that depresses me!
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