"What? So what you’re saying is that it is the governments job to beat us into submission because they know best? "
No, that’s not at all what I said. Congress legislates, and the President recommends things, then signs legislation into law. You had the jobs attached to the wrong people. That’s all I said. Except for a little fun about Bristol.
"Out in the cotton fields? "
President Obama grew up in a white household, and was known as “Barry” at home. Like most middle class people, both black and white, the only thing he knew about being poor was what he read. Until he started organizing in Chicago. Then he may have witnessed poverty first hand, but only witnessed it.
“…and that banks and brokerage houses engaged in unsound financial practices as a result of a lack of regulation by the Bush Administration.”
This is a problem that both parties can share in, perhaps equally. Everyone had their favorite. The Republicans provided the means to make the sub-prime loans and the Democrats provided the market for them. In fact, the Democrats insisted on dramatically reducing loan qualifications. This assured that when the market broke, personal bankruptcy would be shockingly high.
That’s the Senate. The House of Representatives is populated based on population only.
“Back in his place” was obviously a reference to the office of the President. Interesting that you immediatly went to race…Obama does have intimate knowledge of poverty. He has several poverty striken relatives around the world, that he doesn’t care to share his millions with.
It still sounds to me a lot like what a '30s lynch mob would say:
“We strung 'im up to keep the Ni**ers in their place”
Maybe Obama and I didn’t live through those times, but my parents and grandparents did.
I was referring to the total population represented by Public Sentiment, regarless of where these citizens live. Most Americans now buy into saving fuel to reduce the import oil bill, and most also seem to care about the environment.
Nobody is nationalizing Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Mazda, BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, who all build cars in the US. The combined market share of Chrysler and GM is about 28% maximum, and dropping like a stone.
During the frontier days the environment and resources were considered inexhaustable, and Thoreau could live in peace at Walden Pond and refuse to pay taxes. Fast forward to 2009, the US relies on more than 50% of its oil from overseas, we have a global economy and many very wealthy countries restrict fossil fuel use, not because they are poor, but because they share a collective responsibility to make the environment livable.
I am basically against the mileage standards only, but am strongly in favor of the tax mechanism to tax heavy and thirsty vehicle, the way it is successfully done in over 30 foreign countries. That way you can drive your “exciting, not dull” Crown Victoria or Lincoln Town Car but pay a hefty $1500 per year road tax and an initial $10,000 gas guzzler tax, unless the car was used commercially!
Germany has some of the toughest operating conditions (economic and environmental) for cars, but, whatever you think of German cars, they are not “dull”.
Well said, but the government isn’t good at any of these things and often go too far. What regulations were ever “removed” that led to where we are today? Also banks practicing unsound financial practices should be up to them. And after they screw up, they should be allowed to collapse and the people that were stupid enough to not read the fine print should be allowed to fall.
My point is that the government has never been successful at much of anything except war. They should stop trying to save the world and all of us from our supposed greed and excess because they can’t. I want to government to end it’s greed and it’s excess, which far outstrips that of the citizenry.
Obama does have intimate knowledge of poverty. He has several
poverty striken relatives around the world, that he doesn’t
care to share his millions with.
All of his policies and initiatives are focused toward helping the poor and restoring the middle class. The previous president’s policies only looked out for the wealthy, with token bread crumbs tossed to the rest.
“I am basically against the mileage standards only, but am strongly in favor of the tax mechanism to tax heavy and thirsty vehicle, the way it is successfully done in over 30 foreign countries.”
So, is anyone willing to call for expanding the gas guzzler tax to trucks now? Did you know that minivans are registered as trucks so that the owners won’t have to pay the guzzler tax? Why should someone driving a pick-up truck for pleasure or commuting avoid the guzzler tax?
“My point is that the government has never been successful at much of anything except war.”
The US Government is good at health car research and space research. Just to name two.
“What regulations were ever “removed” that led to where we are today?”
I’m glad that you asked!
The Glass-Steagall Act, which was enacted back in the 1930s, cracked down on banks that were reckless in their lending practices and it also prohibited banks from doing anything other than banking and prohibited entities other than banks from acting as a bank.
It was repealed in 1999, through the efforts of Senator Phil Gramm (Republican, Texas) and Rep. Jim Leach (Republican, Iowa). Their bills were passed by Republican majorities on party lines by a 54-44 vote in the Senate and by a 343-86 vote in the House of Representatives. After passing both the Senate and House, the bill was moved to a conference committee to work out the differences between the Senate and House versions. The final bill resolving the differences was passed in the Senate 90-8 (1 not voting) and in the House: 362-57 (15 not voting).
The legislation was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on November 12, 1999, and it enabled entities like Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and other brokerage houses to act as banks. It also enabled the mess that the banking industry created for us. Shame on Clinton!
Incidentally, in case you were wondering what the wonderful Senator Gramm has done after leaving the Senate, he was one of John McCain’s two chief economic advisors. McCain’s other chief economic advisor was Carly Fiorina, the woman who drove Hewlett-Packard into the ground. That gives you just a taste of the “expertise” that we would likely be treated to if Mr. McCain had been elected.
It’s also obvious that you have no clue that "“Back in his place” is a phrase with a racial pedigree. It’s right up there with “state’s rights”.
Besides, what part of “Obama” and “his place” refer to the office and not the person?
You actually believe that Obama is going to help the poor? Folks in government have been fighting the “war on poverty” for decades with zero success. The “war on poverty” has though created a generation of helpless individuals that look to the government for their financial needs. It has also created untold amounts of fiscal waste in our government. The poor will still be poor after the reign of The Great One and always.
For your information, I live just above the poverty line and I am not waiting for the government to lift me up. I am doing everything in my own power to improve my situation. A few years ago I made and lived on $600 a month, with no government assistance. I now make 5 times that much. In a few more years I plan on making another 5 times that much. I know what it’s like to be poor. Those people that stay poor are making a choice and I’m tired of listening to them whine about it.
Obama holds the office of the presidency. His place is the presidency. I don’t care that he’s black. Stop being a victim. I judge a person “by the content of his character, not the color of his skin.” You should try the same.
We do not live in a democracy, we live in a republic. We do not have majority rule.
"Would you like to guess which administration was instrumental in most of that removal of previously existing regulations? "
Ok so you are saying the removal of regulation was not the doing of the previous administration. It was a bi-partisan effort in the late 90’s signed by Bill Clinton. Where is the dirt on the Bush administration that you implied existed?
I can think of lots of private pharmaceutical companies and companies that innovate in medical technology. What medical breakthrough has the government ever been directly responsible for? Space is mostly off limits to private enterprise. And how good are they at space research? We’re going to go what, at least 5 or 6 years with no mode of transport into space? Sounds like they planned that one out really well.
What will all the Obese Americans do? The standard proposed would probably mean far less suvs and crossovers, more smaller cars in general. Go to any walmart in the country and you see fat people in Suvs going around in circles like vultures waiting for the closest parking spot.
Sadly the Upper middle class and Rich folks will probably still afford thier Trucks and Suvs, lower middle class or working class schlubbs generally already drive fuel efficient cars because they are cheaper to buy, maintain and drive.
I have a 94 and 04 civic, the 94 gets 34-36 in town and 45 on the highway, the 04 gets at least 31-33 in town and around 38-41 on the highway. We took the 2004 camping last week and people towing thier huge campers with thier huge suvs and trucks are amazed its possible to go camping in a Civic with a tent. I can put 2x4s in my civic, get grocerys just fine, and the three times a year we get 6’’ of snow here it does just fine, because the plows generally get the roads cleaned up quickly.