I have never been one to vote along party lines. I typically vote for the best person for the job. I voted for President Obama, and I am proud to be able to say that.

I haven't always agreed with him, but I realize that he is doing the best job he can under the circumstances. He came into office during a bad time, following an administration that did its level best to bring this country to its knees. Then he has had to fight with obstructionism from Congressional Republicans. The man's job is not easy and for all of those who criticize, I'd like to see them do better.

Our president has been trying to make things right. He has had an uphill battle with Republicans whom he has tried to work with. It has become evident that the Republicans do not care about the American people; they care about their corporate donors more. Republicans are trying to make the wrong people happy, while the rest of us are barely scraping by. So, if criticism need be doled out, it is not the President who needs to be criticized.

I sincerely hope that the seniors of this country turn their backs on the GOP and vote to re-elect President Obama. The GOP has brought this country down to the level of a third world country and it is time they were stopped.

Something I don't understand is why America spends so much on foreign aid but so little is done to help Americans here at home. There is no excuse for the 20 million American children are homeless. I realize that African children are starving to death, but so are American children. Why don't we help our own with the same passion and drive we apply to helping others of other nations?

The wealthy one percent could do a lot to help the people of this country if they could bring themselves to let go some of their excess. Make Exxon pay taxes on its billions in profits. That would inject needed funds into the coffers. Cutting social programs is not needed. Making the top earners pay their fair share is needed. If the wealthy paid their fair share, we would not have a system that's broken. The country would have money to reduce the deficit. Nothing would have to be cut.

It is a matter of the Haves not wanting the Have-nots to succeed. It is selfishness that prevents change in this country.

hi TRINA. i agree with everything you say. hope you will be interested in this article. Tomorrow is a global day of action, financial problems of the MIDDLE and LOWER class are not just here in USA. it is a world wide problem.
pat

‘Indignant’ protests to sweep across world

MADRID — “Indignant” activists, angered by a biting economic crisis they blame on politicians and bankers, vow to take to the streets worldwide on Saturday in a protest spanning 71 nations.

It is the first global show of power by the movement, born May 15 when a rally in Madrid’s central square of Puerta del Sol sparked a protest that spread nationwide, then to other countries.

As governments cut deep into welfare spending to try to trim huge sovereign debts, the protests have grown and this weekend’s demonstrations are being organised in Madrid, New York and around the world.

“United in one voice, we will let politicians, and the financial elites they serve, know it is up to us, the people, to decide our future,” organisers said in a statement on http://15october.net/.

“We are not goods in the hands of politicians and bankers who do not represent us.”

The organisers, relying heavily on Facebook and Twitter, say street protests will be held October 15 in 719 cities across 71 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa.

The protests first took hold in Spain, with a jobless rate of 20.89 percent, rising to 46.1 percent for 16-24 year olds, where activists built ramshackle camps in city squares including Puerta del Sol.

Then they spread to Europe, finding strong backing in crisis-hit countries like Greece, and then worldwide — last month reaching the centre of global capitalism in Wall Street.

In Madrid, Saturday’s protest will end in Puerta del Sol, still the spiritual centre of the overwhelmingly peaceful protests even though the protest camp was dismantled in June.

Five marches will converge on the city’s emblematic square of Cibeles at 6pm (1600 GMT) before proceeding to Puerta del Sol for assemblies lasting through the night, activists said Wednesday.

“They are deceiving the people, speaking about the public debt crisis to tighten our belts, cutting our rights and services,” said a Spanish “indignant” activist, who only gave his first name, Manolo.

“The problem in Spain is the private debt,” he told news conference by organising groups ahead of the global protest.

The Occupy Wall Street protest, which started September 17 with a camp of several hundred people in a small square in the New York financial district, has also struck a powerful chord among US media and politicians.

Organisers called a rally in Times Square for 5 pm (2100 GMT), saying they would be at the centre of the international protests.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, predicted Wednesday the Wall Street demonstrations, which bring thousands of people together for marches, would one day spell the downfall of the West.

“This movement will soar to completely mark the downfall of the West and the capitalist regime,” he said.

Anger over unemployment and opposition to the financial elite are common themes in the otherwise disparate movement.

But while Spain’s protesters have specific demands such as attacking unemployment by cutting working hours and imposing compulsory retirement at 65, others are focussed on protesting existing conditions.

The outlook for the “indignants” is not clear.

French economist Thomas Coutrot, co-head of the ATTAC movement seeking alternatives to market-ruled policies, said the indignant movement had a healthy “allergy” to being represented by any person or group.

“But it is true that it is not easy to build a movement without a representative,” he added.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/13/indignant-protests-to-sweep-across-world/

Nice to see you again, Pat! Thanx for stopping by.

Quote:
I have never been one to vote along party lines. I typically vote for the best person for the job. I voted for President Obama, and I am proud to be able to say that.

I haven't always agreed with him, but I realize that he is doing the best job he can under the circumstances. He came into office during a bad time, following an administration that did its level best to bring this country to its knees. Then he has had to fight with obstructionism from Congressional Republicans. The man's job is not easy and for all of those who criticize, I'd like to see them do better.

Our president has been trying to make things right. He has had an uphill battle with Republicans whom he has tried to work with. It has become evident that the Republicans do not care about the American people; they care about their corporate donors more. Republicans are trying to make the wrong people happy, while the rest of us are barely scraping by. So, if criticism need be doled out, it is not the President who needs to be criticized.

I sincerely hope that the seniors of this country turn their backs on the GOP and vote to re-elect President Obama. The GOP has brought this country down to the level of a third world country and it is time they were stopped.

Something I don't understand is why America spends so much on foreign aid but so little is done to help Americans here at home. There is no excuse for the 20 million American children are homeless. I realize that African children are starving to death, but so are American children. Why don't we help our own with the same passion and drive we apply to helping others of other nations?

The wealthy one percent could do a lot to help the people of this country if they could bring themselves to let go some of their excess. Make Exxon pay taxes on its billions in profits. That would inject needed funds into the coffers. Cutting social programs is not needed. Making the top earners pay their fair share is needed. If the wealthy paid their fair share, we would not have a system that's broken. The country would have money to reduce the deficit. Nothing would have to be cut.

It is a matter of the Haves not wanting the Have-nots to succeed. It is selfishness that prevents change in this country.

Trina, you have put my thoughts into words here much better than I could have done.

It is something I have said from the beginning, President Obama faced a big challenge when he took office. The mess Bush left behind.

Did you see Michelle at that dinner last evening? She was strickingly beautiful in that purple dress. He was also handsome and not since the Kennedys have we had a more fashionable couple in the White House.

I still have your book in my saved list in Lulu. With this economy it has been very difficult to get anything extra that was not absolutely needed. I just published another one and for one little change had to buy another preview copy. I do want to read it and will order, promise.

Good to see you around!!

Sara

Thank you Sara! I'm glad you stopped by. I am experiencing the same thing on a very local level. The trust-funders of Telluride are trying to block the opening of a mine here, 65 miles down stream from them, which would put more than 1000 people here to work. They claim it would be bad for the environment, but Telluride was built on mining and they would not be effected by our mine or mill. They just don't want their toilet scrubbing force to have the opportunity to make a real living doing something else.