“If they give the kids recess they have to keep the schools open 5 days longer and the anti-tax crowd just won’t pay for that. ”
“Soviet communism couldn’t do it, fanatics of al Qaeda can’t do it, but the American dream will finally be done in by the tea party!”
“I too was rejected for membership in the tea party. So I bought a run down pick-up truck with a gun rack and a N.R.A. sticker on the back bumper. I also removed my partial dental bridge so I had no front teeth. I reapplied and was accepted.”
“In response to the Venter that was refused membership in the tea party because he didn’t own a gun and was a college graduate: It’s news to me. As a regular attendee of the tea party meetings, there is no membership. I’ve never heard anyone tell me I had to own a gun, and I take a college graduate along with me to most of the meetings. The meeting is open to everyone. The only person I saw get mad and leave was told at his first meeting he could not video tape the meeting. He had a group of new people with him who stood up to protest our speaker from the Goldwater Institute.”
“Just think, if we had the parliamentary system of government here, the bums would have been thrown out in short order, and with new leaders by now, we’d be progressing instead of ‘dead in the water’ and sinking.”
“Kudos to John McCain for criticizing the radical agenda of the tea party.”
“August 3rd, 2011, one day after America slides into default, President Obama will celebrate his 50th birthday with a $35,800.00 per couple fundraiser at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. Does that tell you something about Democrat priorites? How many millions of jobless Americans would love to have a job that pays $35,800.00 a year?”
Dale Whiting posted at 8:26 am on Wed, Aug 3, 2011.
First Venter:
"The "anti tax crowd" you say. Is that the Tea Party? In the main, schools are funded locally by property taxes. Increasing costs and loss of some federal and state funding has caused schools to lay off over the past 5 or 6 years and to drop programs or require parents to pay fees for participation in programs, particularly nonacedemic programs. And recess provides a means to exercise the bodies of active students, absent which their attention on learning remains lost. I don't agree with your statement.
Second Venter:
As a vocal critic of Tea Party tactics, not goals, I disagree. We do need to reign in government. But a balanced budget amendment is not the answer. McCain once criticized "pork barrell" projects. But where legislators are elected locally where the pork is being spent, perhaps we need a pork barrell balancing amendment. Pork is given to induce luke warm legislators into voting. Often a legislator will spin themselves as being luke warm in order to get pork. And what induces legislators to seek pork? Let's try passing legislation which prohibits pork. Let's attack "Citizens United." That supreme court decision made corporations into persons with first amendment rights to spend money not only lobying for legislation but also to support legislators with campaign funds. Why doesn't the Tea Party attack "Citizens United?" Are those behind the Tea Party pro-pork? Perhaps John McCain, version 1.0, will return. His recent criticism of Tea Party Tactics gives us reason to hope.
Third Venter:
We need to stop teasing tea party members. They take our humor seriously.
Fourth Venter:
I would love to attend those tea party meetings. About 2 years ago in a town hall meeting sponsored by a state senator, a critic of increasing taxes on those earning over $250,000 objected, explaining that he was working 65 hours per week and was considering hiring a full time accountant but could not afford one if his taxes were raised. He hinted that he was making upward of $300,000 per year. I spoke up to point out that he could hire me for $50,000, thus lowering his income to below $250,000 and not have to pay any increased taxes. That shut him right up! Would you like to hear me speaking up in your tea party meetings?
Fifth Venter:
I have often wondered this same thing. Would we be better off under a parliamentary system? Few if any emerging democracies have choosed our bicameral system. The key to the parliamentary system is the ability of a multi-party country to trade off support for ministerial positions in order to form a government. That makes the system of trading off work. But didn't Murdock just prove that such a system is still subuect to corrupting influences?
Sixth Venter:
Yes, kudos galore. Will we be seeing McCain version 1.0 returning? The man who co-sponsored comprehensive immigration reform, criticised port barrel spending, co-sponsored McCain Feingold. Johnny comback. We really miss you !!!!
Seventh Venter:
On the other hand, spending those campaign contributions on getting re-elected will help stimulate the economy. Most of those funds will be spent in key states. As a Red State through and through, Arizona will not be seeing much of that spending.
Arizona Willie posted at 11:44 am on Wed, Aug 3, 2011.
Spending campaign contributions does very very little, seventh venter, to stimulate the economy. It mostly goes to TV stations for commercials.
What stimulates the economy is having tens of thousands of people feeling confident enough about their situation that they buy new TV's and refrigerators and furniture and cars etc. etc.
If you want to stimulate the economy just completely end the income tax on everyone making under $100,00 / year and that would put $100 - $200 more in the average paycheck and people would spend it.
JSBeals posted at 4:33 pm on Wed, Aug 3, 2011.
4th Venter – I think the Tea Party “rejected memberships” satire was lost on you.
6th Venter – Yes, John McCain has finally awakened from his 12 year nap. It’s good to see him back.
7th Venter – There is certainly something off-kilter with the amount of money spent on campaigns in this country. But the Democrats are not any guiltier of the obscene amounts being raised than the Republicans. If you are talking about timing, my guess is the President had scheduled this event long in advance for his birthday and like everyone else running a presidential campaign; he does need to raise money. Out of that $35,800, he can only take a maximum of $2,500 per person per this election; the rest goes into other coffers for the party.