Rhetorical question. Why haven’t I heard anything about cutting the War Dept’s budget? The War Dept’s budget is a Rethug sponsored entitlement program, isn’t it?

i have no prob with trimming entitlements so long as they are those that the wealthy get, get rid of those whiche were given by reagan and bush to the wealthy, funded by the middle calss and our economy is saved

SD: Are we still here? The answer is yes, it is, and one way to fill up the ol’ coffers. Cuts should start there with the hardware. Reduce cost, focus on peace. How much stuff does it take to kill people?

Here’s an entitlement for ya

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The U.S. Army is apologizing to thousands of Army families who received letters beginning “Dear John Doe” after losing a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. is sending a personal letter to the families who received the letter.

Some 7,000 letters were sent in late December to notify families of services or gifts surviving family members can receive from nonprofit organizations that help families of fallen soldiers, according to an Army statement Wednesday.

it’s on hugh’s christmas list to fix the financial meltdown (last item)

Was Barack in the Senate when Bush’s Social Security privatization attempt went down in flames? Sounds like Obama is either humoring the Blue Dogs(hopefully) or else he is looking to learn a lesson that he shouldn’t need to.

i have no problem with anyone looking at any gov’t spending. there must be lots of waste. poor people should not take the hit on this one and bama will see to it.

What Teddy said Sunday:

And about #20 — I wouldn’t ital that yet, since states are gutting entitlements. We may yet see that reflected upwards. 2009 isn’t over; leave that one alone until this time next year, okay?

Blaming, but pointedly not mentioning the firing of, the contractor responsible for the letters.

When I applied for MediCare in Nov one of the questions SSA asked me was if I was going to retire at my present age or wait until the full term (read, benefit) age of 70. Like I have a choice.

we could solve most of our financial probs by a reduction of 20% in military spending.

It’s in the article, I should have posted the link.

I’m witcha. But wtf, we never thought we’d be here NOW much less at 70! FIDO

from september: Obama: The Bailout Just Ate Universal Health Care, Energy Policy, College . . .

I think the first change they should make is give back to the military all the stuff the civilian contractors took over, like providing meals in the field, maintaining the supply lines. Guess who started this privatization of the military. Darth.

Just finished watching Torturing Democracy. Heavy duty. Well done and they’ve got the proof. I’m gonna bombard WEDU with emails to show this film. Every American should see this before 20 Jan.

Yeah, I figured I’d never make it to 30.

These guy would fuck up a soup sandwich.

That reduction and outrage should be a major rant, cause, next civil right action. Why should so much money go to destruction….put it in the “make me do it” category. The W war years have been a disaster as we all know. Maybe there will be enough lawsuit damages from Blackwater that we will see a modicum of return. Nice, heh?

I want it to be first on Obama’s list.

Looks like you can watch it online/

As I said earlier today, when you are skirting a depression, there is nothing like cutting entitlements and contracting demand.

Also as I asked earlier today, why is Obama not talking about increasing the caps or removing them entirely from Social Security taxes? This would help remove the excess capital the rich pump into bubbles and could be used to shore up SS and Medicare.

Let’s see, I’d start with corporate welfare (but Obama seems to be hands-off when it comes to that, judging from what I’ve seen so far), tax the hell out of the rich, end the ginormous paychecks of failed CEO’s, raise the minimum wage to livable levels, tax the hell out of outsourcing companies, stop all offshore corporate tax shelters, destroy the tax code and replace it with one where Goldman/Sachs wouldn’t be paying less tax on their billions than I do on my ten thousands, and then look at taxing luxury items, windfall profits, etc. and offering incentives for corporations and businesses to actually pay an f-ing living wage to their workers.

But then I woke up and realized that Obama and his team would be far more at home with the Republican legislature of Florida (where I live) that is even now slashing (for the third time this in the last 6 months) funding for education, nursing homes, police departments, health care for poor children and the elderly, public services, and the like while refusing to even consider ANY form of increasing the state’s revenue stream or closing any of the loopholes that make this state such a popular place for the wealthy to retire since they get a near free ride for the duration.

I don’t think Obama would be comfortable sitting with me and my fellow workers and discussing whether it is more prudent to pay the electric and phone bills and let the credit cards slide a month so we can go ahead and buy that high blood pressure medicine this month, all while praying no one in the family gets any sicker or the car or the washing machine decides to call it quits this month.

I haven’t heard a single thing coming out of the transition team that will in any way help me or those like me who struggle paycheck to paycheck. Just more empty promises of trickle down magical wealth.

So glad you saw it; I wrote my local station to thank them. I hope it creates alot of noise; that stuff cannot be overlooked.

Because he’s dumb, right?

You are one nice dude. Like the way you do business.

I don’t see anything where Obama says what he’s gonna propose to do. As he always does, he’s meeting with a bunch of different folks and is trying to win them over. Seems like this is what’s happening here.

So what should do to pressure him to make the correct choices? Sorta like that quote from FDR, “Now make me do it.” Should we be organizing to bombard the change.gov site? I suppose we could just keep saying “Obama sucks” and be done with it. Much easier, and much more comforting.

I’m sure that’s unanimous! :)

In a couple places. Now I can’t find the link where I watched it.

I posted it.

Obama open to larger stimulus plan

President-elect Barack Obama confirmed to CNBC Thursday that he plans to lay out a roughly $775 billion economic stimulus plan but indicated that the amount could grow once it gets taken up by Congress.

“We’ve seen ranges from $800 (billion) to $1.3 trillion,” he said in an exclusive interview with CNBC’s chief Washington correspondent John Harwood. “And our attitude was that given the legislative process, if we start towards the low end of that, we’ll see how it develops.”

rat cheer

LOL! no argument from me. not that you thought there would be. *g*

(can we pay someone enough though not to fuck up the letters to families? and lots of $ to the va, etc).

Nope that ain’t it. I watched the full length in one segment. Gonna find it again if it takes me all night. It doesn’t show up on History so I dunno. wtf.

It say “Watch Here” and 3 segments but if that ain’t it. . .well damn.

Yo. (and a hug.)

Before civilian contractors this kinda shit was rare.

Thank you, and good night.

Yea. like when the Cav had death telegrams delivered by cab drivers and then Col Moore’s wife.

is the Wall Street bailout an “entitlement program”?

the financial institutions seemed to think so

I could. not. believe that story when reading it earlier today! If they manage to screw up something *that* simple, dog help all us wrt their competency in actually protecting the country….much less helping the families who have lost loved ones in these miserable wars.

Rachel’s looking even cuter tonight.
Casual shirt and miners hat.
Gotta love her.

Raven !

Hope your holiday season was filled with good cheer !

Torturing Democracy – full length in one segment

Yeah but when her ratings fall, she’ll go running to Palin for wardrobe consultation … /s

Whoa. I never heard about that.

Hey, one more thing. The Norske Flamethrower had some ticker issue in Jamacia, he’s stateside and sounds good but send him some white light.

Petro!
Same to you. I’ve heard Raven does the very smart sleep from 10 to 6 thing. Ain’t he something?
You too, babe.

is there a word that means “to undo privatization?” i don’t know what to call it, but i want to do it.

Yeah. Nationalize.

This is exactly right. The lying repubs increased social security taxes in the 80s under Saint Reagan and Saint Greenspan. The money went into the general fund, where it masked the massive revenue losses caused by the twin Saints’ massive tax cuts for their rich friends. The deficits were paid for by borrowing money from the rich, money they had because their taxes were so much lower.

Now it’s time to fix this by raising the cap and taking the money back.

That’s scary.

A lot of people who haven’t dealt with it mistakenly think Medicare is a free ride. I’ve had it for a couple years because I’m on disability but I knew before from taking care of my mom that it’s pay as you go and god help you if you need high priced meds because Part D with it’s donut hole is a complete clusterfuck.

Done and thanks for the heads up !

I met them coming back from the 20th Anniversary of the Wall. I had gotten him and Galloway to sign my copy of “We Were Soldiers” at the 10th. She was a really nice lady, passed away a couple of years back. They had no idea what was coming at the Drang and were unprepared at Benning to deal with the numbers. She got really mad when she found out and organized proper notification, by her.

of course.

thank you.

10 to 6 has been the oldest recommended time for sleep since the olden ages in India and it has a lot of health advantages.

When I’m awake through that period, I try to keep my body horizontal as much as possible.

Add a couple of links to that and it would make an important ox post, senior. I didn’t know this.

From the WIKI

Julia Compton Moore (February 10, 1929 – April 18, 2004) was a U.S. Army daughter, wife, and mother, who was depicted in the film We Were Soldiers by actress Madeleine Stowe. Her efforts and complaints in the aftermath of the Battle of Ia Drang prompted the Army to set up survivor support networks and casualty notification teams consisting of uniformed officers, which are still in use.

I got your e-mail over the Holidays and replied … did you get my reply ?

Far as I can see the only thing that’s not out of pocket is hospitalization. I’ve gotta get off my ass and get out to Bay Pines and see what I’m eligible for now that I’ve turned 65. Before the went all HMO paradigm an’ shit when ya turned 65 it was like getting 100% disability treatment but no check. Not interested in a check but if something breaks I’d appreciate it if they’d fix it.

beginning to look more like a rip off than a stimulus.

When I get horizontal my eyes slam shut. I can read maybe a paragraph before I go face down in the book.

Let’s tell ole flamethrower to go easy on the MJ next time, huh ? *g*

I’ve practiced meditation in many positions, including the prone position so I can meditate and remain awake even while lying in the dark … but I hear there’s an easier way … *g*

10 to 6.. If your life is ruled by chickens, I guess so! /s

signed,

natural born nite owl

I should have said in bed. I have a little self-hypnosis routine I can do for 20 minutes on the floor and get up feeling like I’ve slept all night. I used to do a relaxation group using the same thing. Kinda neat watching folks melt into the floor.

you in for a surprise re: medical stuff. the real world don’t work fer nothin. expect out of pocket.

That’s why I’m checkin’ out the VA.

OT

Great news. Tweety is keeping his paws off PA.

Had to jump in and post that. What a relief.

i hope with the new guy (gen Schen??) there will be good news.

great. he should stay where he is. that way he is able to do less damage. we’ll just turn him off.

Soon-to-be Secretary of Veterans Affairs Shenseki. I’m sure hoping. He’s got to get VA out of the HMO model of health care. Put the bean counters back to counting beans and not making treatment policies.

Isn’t that just the greatest thing about that little O-N, O-F-F switch?

let us know how he works out please.

It’s the way to go. Only thing is the cost of the meds. They use generics when they can & anything that isn’t related to your service connected problem is $8.00-you can get it for $4.00 at most grocery stores. It can run into some bucks if you’re as decrepit as I am. But they are efficient and they take good care of me. Everyone should be so lucky as to have them. Seriously.

Heh, I’m liable to get some first hand experience.

Geez, last time I got any treatment the meds were 2 bucks. Whole slew of heavy duty antibiotics. Seriously infected sebacious cyst between the shoulder blades. That was an experience. Great care, had a great surgeon.

countin on ya.

They still have a lot of good people. In fact a lot of the Doctors are the same people that I used to see at the civilian place I went to. Something happened there and many of the good Doctors moved on, curiously a lot of the specialists moved to the VA Clinic here.

The direct patient care folks have always been good. Not to say a dud doesn’t end up there once in a while but they don’t last long. We had one at Bay Pines we called Dr Death. He had the highest mortality rate in the hospital. He wound up shelving books in the medical library while he fought his practicing privileges revocation. Faded off into the night eventually.

NPR had a bit this morning talking to an economist who was asked if the dreams of people actually retiring are gone for good. The answer was “yes, I believe so”. I agree. My own parents are in their upper 70s and early 80s and still work part time. They HAVE to. Everyone except those filthy rich bastards given the store by Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II will have to work until they die. It may be part time work but work it will be.

As I’ve been studying the entire system, from the (insane) money system to the way the government mis-reports inflation and mis-calculates GDP (in both cases to make the scenario appear much rosier than it actually is in objective reality) I have myself had to conclude that retirement is impossible for those today who are not yet retired. That the stock market, IRAs, 401ks, etc, CANNOT work out in the end (not at this point in time), and that the monetary system itself absolutely MUST collapse and the dollar fail (it is a design flaw inherent to the system that cannot be avoided) unless the economy itself does the equivalent and collapses almost entirely. For a simple, engaging, and clear explanation of all this in short segments, I strongly encourage you to visit: http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse

Go thru the “chapters” (short 15 min videos) one by one or skip to the key vids about the monetary system, then to bubbles (boy does THAT put the housing bubble into a very special perspective), and then the fuzzy numbers chapter (explaining how the government determines inflation and GDP – and how it is OBVIOUS bullshit top-to-bottom). In the end, you too could only conclude that this is a very “interesting” time to be alive in this country and even the world.

Seriously. Check the vids – they are quite good, the speaker is engaging and interesting, and the info is presented in small enough bites to make it easily understood by those who go into a comma whenever “economics” speak rears its boring, ugly head.

We wont be retiring and one thing is definitely for certain, as Chris Marten states, “The next 20 years will not be anything like the last 20 years”. Not by a LONG shot.