Monday, November 28, 2011
Rolling Over The Middle Class
Below is a good analysis of the economic plight of our disappearing middle (and working) class:
http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/11/galbraith-social-security-middle-class
Coupled with living pay check to pay check, crippling credit card & education debt it is no wonder that people watch what is happening to the Occupy Wall Street movement, agree that they are, too, part of the 99% but keep on with their heads down.
Here are some proposals to start with (all are negotiable):
Congress members should roll back their salaries...as of 1/2010 the salary for new members $174,000 (before adding in benefits, and realizing that seniority, chair ships, etc, add on to pay). The average family of four has an income of about $50,000 per year, so a member of Congress should earn double that--so Congressional leaders reflect who they are serving. (The same goes for the President--who also does not have housing costs during the term of office).
Congressional Ethics should stop the revolving door that President Eisenhower warned us of...how obscene it is to learn that Gingrich earned $1.6 million + from Freddie Mac.... (Serving in government should not be a get rich quick scheme!)
We should implement a 2 year community service or military service program for young people 18-20. It will teach them to give back, give them some life experiences on their own and help others. I also am in favor of a similar program for those who take "early retirement" before age 70. For the elders, they can do service in their home communities--20 hours a week working in literacy programs, libraries or soup kitchens.
FICA should be on all pay income earned, not limited to the first $106,000. That would secure Social Security.
Want students to really learn: get rid teaching to the test ways of measuring excellence (not) in schools;that will save monies, and give teachers roughly 2 more months to really teach.
Single payer health insurance--the government already provides that for the poor, the elderly, prisoners, military members and veterans, and governmental employees. It is the private health insurance companies that have jacked up the cost of health care (and are the ones who deny health care services. The US pays the most for health care, yet we are way below the top ten when it comes to infant and mother' mortality, for instance.
Legalize and tax marijuana. In fact, end the war on drugs.
That is a start...more to come...
http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/11/galbraith-social-security-middle-class
Coupled with living pay check to pay check, crippling credit card & education debt it is no wonder that people watch what is happening to the Occupy Wall Street movement, agree that they are, too, part of the 99% but keep on with their heads down.
Here are some proposals to start with (all are negotiable):
Congress members should roll back their salaries...as of 1/2010 the salary for new members $174,000 (before adding in benefits, and realizing that seniority, chair ships, etc, add on to pay). The average family of four has an income of about $50,000 per year, so a member of Congress should earn double that--so Congressional leaders reflect who they are serving. (The same goes for the President--who also does not have housing costs during the term of office).
Congressional Ethics should stop the revolving door that President Eisenhower warned us of...how obscene it is to learn that Gingrich earned $1.6 million + from Freddie Mac.... (Serving in government should not be a get rich quick scheme!)
We should implement a 2 year community service or military service program for young people 18-20. It will teach them to give back, give them some life experiences on their own and help others. I also am in favor of a similar program for those who take "early retirement" before age 70. For the elders, they can do service in their home communities--20 hours a week working in literacy programs, libraries or soup kitchens.
FICA should be on all pay income earned, not limited to the first $106,000. That would secure Social Security.
Want students to really learn: get rid teaching to the test ways of measuring excellence (not) in schools;that will save monies, and give teachers roughly 2 more months to really teach.
Single payer health insurance--the government already provides that for the poor, the elderly, prisoners, military members and veterans, and governmental employees. It is the private health insurance companies that have jacked up the cost of health care (and are the ones who deny health care services. The US pays the most for health care, yet we are way below the top ten when it comes to infant and mother' mortality, for instance.
Legalize and tax marijuana. In fact, end the war on drugs.
That is a start...more to come...
Labels: Economy, middle class
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
p.s.
you can also follow me on twitter @feminista54
Labels: twitter
A Must Read
I have thought and said that the Patriot Act was being used against environmental activists...that the Department of Homeland Security helped coordinate the (attempts) at closing down Occupy Wall Street is another major factor that indicates our democracy is in crisis.
Yesterday the NYPD were erected a "ring of Steel" to protect financial institutions. We, as a people, the 99%ers, have not been helped out of our economic crisis; in fact it has gotten worse for many; foreclosures are happening at a faster pace, for instance. The only people who forced to live on austerity are the ones who can less afford to...more people are living paycheck to paycheck (that is if they still have a job). If you have not read Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine read it, it is what is unfolding here (and in Greece, Italy and coming soon it seems to France).
Here is the must read with info about OWS and DHS
http://www.inthesetimes.com/uprising/entry/12303/mayors_dhs_coordinated_occupy_attacks/
Yesterday the NYPD were erected a "ring of Steel" to protect financial institutions. We, as a people, the 99%ers, have not been helped out of our economic crisis; in fact it has gotten worse for many; foreclosures are happening at a faster pace, for instance. The only people who forced to live on austerity are the ones who can less afford to...more people are living paycheck to paycheck (that is if they still have a job). If you have not read Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine read it, it is what is unfolding here (and in Greece, Italy and coming soon it seems to France).
Here is the must read with info about OWS and DHS
http://www.inthesetimes.com/uprising/entry/12303/mayors_dhs_coordinated_occupy_attacks/
Labels: democracy, DHS, OWS, Patriot Act
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
OWS
This morning (1:19) police in full riot gear cleared out Zuccotti Park. Then Sanitation moved in to give it a thorough cleaning. And, at at bit after 8 a.m.Mayor Bloomberg held a press briefing to re:iterate that property rights trump all.
Okay, that Brookfield which owns the park asked the city to step in...and they did a bit heavy handed way ( approx 1000 police to 200ish protesters in the park)
But let us review some facts: Zuccotti has the park because they traded some development want on their part with thecity--the city no longer had to maintain the park, it was open 24/7 to the public, and Brookfield got to build bigger/higher (and rename thhe park).
So on the pretense of cleaning the park--neighbors had complained about noise, defacation, though no evidence found...(if there were public loos anywhere in the city. . .thats another post) the City raided the park in the middle of the night. hmmmmm
And, the Mayor continued in the press conference that while he and the city support first amendment rights, the property rights of Brookfield were being harmed, as were the rights of the public to express themselve in the park...hence the action.
As if, the protestors were not part of the public. As if members of the public could not express themselves in the park, with the protestors--ask my 11 year old friend Ben wose class visited OWS when they were studying the Civil Rights Movement (he was interviewed on Mike Huckabee and NY
1--discussing first amendment rights.)
I will continue this latee--now I to go to work...but here are some accounts of what transpired.
Bloomberg's press release:
http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c0935b9a57bb4ef3daf2f1c701c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=mayor_press_release&catID=1194&doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fhtml%2F2011b%2Fpr410-11.html&cc=unused1978&rc=1194&ndi=1
http://www.democracynow.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/nyregion/police-begin-clearing-zuccotti-park-of-protesters.html?_r=1&hp
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/updates-on-the-clearing-of-zuccotti-park/?ref=nyregion
http://occupywallst.org/
Okay, that Brookfield which owns the park asked the city to step in...and they did a bit heavy handed way ( approx 1000 police to 200ish protesters in the park)
But let us review some facts: Zuccotti has the park because they traded some development want on their part with thecity--the city no longer had to maintain the park, it was open 24/7 to the public, and Brookfield got to build bigger/higher (and rename thhe park).
So on the pretense of cleaning the park--neighbors had complained about noise, defacation, though no evidence found...(if there were public loos anywhere in the city. . .thats another post) the City raided the park in the middle of the night. hmmmmm
And, the Mayor continued in the press conference that while he and the city support first amendment rights, the property rights of Brookfield were being harmed, as were the rights of the public to express themselve in the park...hence the action.
As if, the protestors were not part of the public. As if members of the public could not express themselves in the park, with the protestors--ask my 11 year old friend Ben wose class visited OWS when they were studying the Civil Rights Movement (he was interviewed on Mike Huckabee and NY
1--discussing first amendment rights.)
I will continue this latee--now I to go to work...but here are some accounts of what transpired.
Bloomberg's press release:
http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c0935b9a57bb4ef3daf2f1c701c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=mayor_press_release&catID=1194&doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fhtml%2F2011b%2Fpr410-11.html&cc=unused1978&rc=1194&ndi=1
http://www.democracynow.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/nyregion/police-begin-clearing-zuccotti-park-of-protesters.html?_r=1&hp
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/updates-on-the-clearing-of-zuccotti-park/?ref=nyregion
http://occupywallst.org/
Labels: ows nyc property rights
