GOP not Jobs Friendly

Willard "Mitt" Romney is insane - paranoid schizophrenic kind of crazy, but apparently the media doesn't care.

Okay, the topic of this post is how the GOP is anti-jobs.  If you can't tell by their insane economics policy statements, allow me to explain :

The GOP policy for getting the economy back on track is to give tax cuts to the already rich and powerful - giving them even more disproportionally large sums of money.  They claim this will increase employment when the recipients of all the benefits pour money back into the economy.  They continue to claim this even as history shows that it is not the case.

Okay, so the math-based article linked by "shows" above pretty much made the case I was set to make - but I will re-state it in my own weird way.

Rich people are rich because they have more money than they know what to do with.  They 'invest' because they already have all the food, entertainment, cars, boats, houses and what-not that they want.  Giving the already rich tax breaks only means that they can 'invest' more.  Investing doesn't create jobs.  Maybe a few will invest in start-ups or expansions, but most will invest in Mutual Funds or established company stocks or bonds, maybe even Annuities or Certificates of Deposit.  Very few jobs created.  Just look at the jobs numbers after the Bush tax cuts - the middle class even lost money.

The only reality-based way to create jobs and revitalize the economy is to put more money into the hands of middle class and poor people.  How to do that?  I don't really know.  How do you make greedy people give up their excess?  The only way I can see it happening is lowering CEO and Executive salaries and increasing worker salaries and wages. Perhaps, as some have suggested, we need a Maximum Wage?

The GOP is not 'business friendly' they are 'profits friendly' but not, in any way, 'jobs friendly.'

Political Facts

The Republican party is nuts and anyone who would vote for them has got to be a little nuts as well.

Okay, this is one where you have to read the links too...  either than or accept that I have read the links and drawn the appropriate conclusions, but seriously, read stuff! I do.  Its why I will not vote for a republican.

History shows us that their "plan" for the economy doesn't work.  In fact, it shows us that their plan makes things a lot, lot worse very quickly.  Facts and Figures also show us that Republicans are in office when the debt really jumps up higher.  The Republicans controlled a majority of all branches of government for five and a half years of Bush II's reign and it led to an economic recession that had people making comparisons to the Great Depression.

Lets look at the real numbers, shall we?

From ThinkProgress article

Lets look at the Great Depression, shall we?

Five top causes of the depression are generally agreed upon.

1. 1929 Stock Market Crash. This can be attributed to rampant speculation, risky loans and the political environment around passing a trade tariff. Much the same way as rampant speculation and risky fiscal hijinks led to the recent recession.  The Republicans risked an even worse stock market collapse when they held the debt ceiling hostage, leading to a downgrade in the U.S. Credit ranking.  Now, they are threatening it again!

2. Bank Failures. The banks had loaned people money to buy stocks. When the stock market crashed, people lost their investments and couldn't repay the loans.  The Glass-Steagall Act was passed to make sure that nothing like the Great Depression happened again... but congress repealed it  and banks again did the risky things it had prohibited, leading right back down the same path with very similar consequences. (Republicans introduced the repeal bill, both chambers had a Republican majority, Senate was divided along party lines with only 1 Democrat voting for it, the House had a more bipartisan vote in favor of it and Democrat Bill Clinton signed the bill into law.)

3. Spending Stopped.  People feared losing money so they stopped spending, which caused job losses, which reduced spending, which caused more job losses.  Now, when we are still on the brink of recession, slowly pulling ourselves up, Republicans want to stop spending, which will cause job losses, which will reduce spending, which will plunge us into another depression.  Bad Idea.

4 and 5 are a tariff and a drought.  I don't think Republicans can get a drought going, but I'm sure they would try if they thought it would cause Obama's defeat.  They would blame it on Obama even though they brought it about.  Sadly, some people would believe them.

The European recession was battled with severe austerity measures - which only made things much, much worse for the people and the economy.  Realizing their mistake, they are now moving toward a more balanced approach modeled on what the U.S. has done under Obama.  Republicans still say austerity is the way to go... even after noted, public, historic failures of that method.

"FDR ran into trouble only when he moved away from fiscal expansion toward austerity in 1937."

If we look at history, the economy thrives under democratic presidents, but somehow people are still unhappy, so they wind up electing a republican and the economy tanks, debt piles up and we wind up back in recession.  Then people put democrats back in charge to fix things, but quickly forget the damage the last republican did... like they way they forget George W. Bush and the total republican control led to recession and debt.

Republican policies make things worse - and their plans are designed to make things worse for average Citizens!

They want debt paid down.  Which, yeah, its pretty high right now. However, some can argue that all depressions have been preceded by a large pay-down in national debt... because that is true.

There was a "take-down" on a chart that showed debt increases by president.  What politifact failed to realize is that a president doesn't control the purse strings on the day he is inaugurated.  The fiscal year is controlled by the past president's budget. The economic facts and figures hold true: Republicans cause debt increases and recessions.

There are just TOO MANY things the Republicans lie about to try and cover in one post... I really want to... but... its too much.

Like Education - the Republicans keep saying that cutting funding is okay, because two-parent households should be doing most of the educating.  So, children with only one parent don't deserve an education? What did the kid do to be so undeserving?  What about the fact that Republican policies have driven wages down over the past thirty years so that a family now pretty much MUST have both parents working just to get by?  Are they going to correct that?  Are they going to get us back to a point where a construction worker could provide for his stay-at-home wife and their two kids AND afford a car and food and clothing for them all?
 

More garden pics!

 

This is Bed #1 - Marigolds and Squash doing very well.  One Tomato growing great, the other three doing okay.  The flat plant in the cinder block on the top right is Pennyroyal.  Supposed to keep ants away.  Radishes and carrots are doing well too.

 

This is one of the Scallopini squash. It has two squash on one 'stalk' on a couple plants.  Not sure how that is going to grow well-formed squash.  I'm thinking they will crowd each other, but we'll see.

This is Summer Squash.  It has LOTS of flowers and some little squashlings.  The little thing at the very center is a squashling.

I wanted a better view of the Mammoth Melting Snow Peas, so I used a backdrop!  The vines are pretty thick!  The flowers are very white, but kind of unimpressive.  Not an ornamental variety, LOL!

This is Bed #2, looking at Punk and the end of Bed #3.  The Borage in the center is huge.  The Radish at bottom right is about ready.  The light green is Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce and doing pretty good.  The top right is the Dragon Tongue Beans and they are about ready to harvest the first few beans.  We had to prop them up using some of the old grids.

Willice got some of the 'outdoor living room' furniture set up.  We have a few more pieces to retrieve and we will be ready to entertain!  This fall, I am going to level the area so there is less chance of breaking an ankle trying to walk around.

The pond is coming along great!  We have a solar water pump that has a battery backup and an on-at-dusk LED light.  The 'waterfall' is pretty cool.  Now, we need some fish!  Okay... so, we need to finish setting up the bed around the pond with some ground cover kind of plants and some grasses.  I've got a lot of Pennyroyal to set out!!

The grass in the top right of the pond was 'rescued' from the Reservoir.  It brought some duckweed with it, but it has not taken over yet.

Mississippi Pastor-Lawmaker Calls for Killing Gays

Rep. Andy Gipson of Braxton, MS called for gays to be put to death by citing the Bible.

Granted, the verse only called for gay Men who act on their urges to be put to death and says their blood will be on their heads. ( I wonder if it meant after the good christians stone them to death? )

Now, On Friday, Gipson posted:

"I do not, cannot, and will not apologize for the inspired truth of God's Word."

One verse he cited in his post reads :

If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. Leviticus 20:13

When citing a verse, you can't just cite and endorse half of it. By citing the verse, he said men having sex is detestable and they should be put to death. However, Gipson said in a statement issued Monday:

"I have never publicly or privately called for the killing of any people. I believe all people are created in the image of God and I stand firmly for the sanctity of all human life."

Citing Leviticus 20:13 in public IS calling for gay men "to be put to death." So, which statement is a lie? Isn't lying a sin or is that just telling a lie on your neighbor?

This is what gets me about "christians."  The book, they claim, is the one and only, true and factual, whole and inerrant word of god, but they are only going to follow the parts they like. Either the book is true and men who have sex with one another must be killed or the book is just a book with some good parts and some parts that are just nuts.

If the book is the absolute true word of an all-powerful, all-knowing, vengeful-but-loving god then by not killing men who have gay sex, you are not following the word of god and will, by the book, be thrown into the pit of eternal fire by that same, loving god so that you suffer torment for the rest of eternity.

Either wearing a polyester cotton blend is a sin or the bible is not inerrant.

If, as some claim, the New Testament changed things, then stop citing the Old Testament as being applicable.

Of course, if you think the bible is true and the New Testament is the currently applicable text, forgetting all of the genocide, infanticide, rape and other horrible things ordered by god in the Old Testament, then, by the words of Jesus himself, you should not be christian unless you are from "the house of Israel".
(and that is also another example of the disciples being real jerks.)

This hypocrisy is almost as bad as those who supported the Patriot Act - and still do - opposing the Affordable Health Care Act's insurance or birth control coverage mandates.

Think the GOP aren't Terrorists??

First off... ROFLOL!!

Secondly, straight from the Jack's mouth :

"Some of our members may have thought the default issue was a hostage you might take a chance at shooting. Most of us didn't think that. What we did learn is this -- it's a hostage worth ransoming."  - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R)

Take a second and think over that language from the Senate minority leader: "It's a hostage worth ransoming."

That's not just the debt ceiling he's talking about. That's the full faith and credit of our country. That's our economy. That's your bottom line.

There is a fiscal cliff coming toward us. We do need to rein in our deficits and debt. They amount to generational theft. The world's largest debtor nation cannot remain the world's sole superpower for long.

What's frustrating is that we know the way out. It has been detailed in bipartisan plans from the Bowles-Simpson commission to the Rivlin-Domenici commission to the Gang of Six and the outlines of the "grand bargain" that was almost achieved by President Obama and Boehner. - John Avlon, a CNN contributor and senior political columnist for Newsweek and The Daily Beast

You MUST read this!

http://www.angrybearblog.com/2012/05/no-greg-its-that-entire-republican.html

I shall allow that post to stand on it's own.

Garden photos

Just some pics of the garden¡

 

Above is "Bed 2" - the Dragon Tongue Beans and the Borage are doing amazingly well.  We have one Radish on the far left that is about ready to harvest.  The bright green next to the borage is Lettuce and I am amazed at how well it is doing.  The bottom right of the pic, the corner of the bed, was host to an ant bed.  It looks a bit different than the rest of the bed.  We used pots of boiling water, poured into holes we poke in the bed, to get rid of the ants.  Now it seems they just moved up to the top right corner.  It has been hard to get anything else established.  I think my soil is the problem... and I didn't put down landscaping fabric under it, so the weeds have been horrible.  This will be corrected in the fall.

Some may notice that the grid is gone...  turns out that wooden dowels are NOT a good idea for the grid.  We are moving to using string.

 

Above you can see the Mammoth Melting Snow Peas trellis and frame.  Also the Summer Squash and Tigger Melon beds behind it.  I LOVE the frame and trellis.  I think I will get some help and have a black sheet behind the trellis on the next pic so that the peas can be seen.

 

Apparently I have some weeding to do, but the leaf and pine straw mulch has kept it down a lot.  The leaves are very healthy - the yellow spots are because they are "Moon and Stars" watermelons.  The yellow spots are on the melons too and look like a space-scape.

 

 This is from "Bed 1" - there is a lot more fertilizer (well-aged Horse Manure) in this bed.  Probably why there are also a lot of mushrooms around the little Nasturtium.  This bed has been easier to get things established in.  The weeds have been less because I chopped up the soil below, but I think putting down landscaping weed-block fabric would be advisable here too.

 

 The Summer Squash is doing very well - with Blossoms even!!

 

 This is a longer shot of our Watermelon and Potatoes row.  I think both are doing remarkably well!  We have piled the mulch higher on the potatoes, hoping for a bigger yield under the mulch.  We shall see!