General Chat (Non-Music-Related)

why on earth would whacko-bird want to abolish the IRS among other dubious schemes?.. he promises he would destroy Obamacare, a health plan that actually has benefited many American ..perhaps up to 16,000,000 citizens are now looked after? .. sure,.. it needs tweaked, but why destroy something that benefits those that are victims of Corporate greed?.. by corporate greed, I mean pricing many out of decent healthcare because of strong collusion between Republicans and corporations.. lobbyists "in their pocket" with politicians that are supposed to be looking out for us, the common people, not benefiting financially by deals they are cutting with lobbyists?.. the whacko-bird was not an insult tossed at Cruz, but simply a nickname McCain has bestowed upon Mr. Cruz.. one of their own kind, even has doubts about his sanity I guess..

revised my post as of: 6:15 PM CST because I was so senile, that I failed to see I had improper pronouns inserted in my truthful rant.. when I bent over to adjust my set, I had a tooth drop out on the floor, and a seizure almost triggerd due to my old age.. I am failing because I am not in the age group of 25 thru 35 years of age.. LOL.. good one Planetguy, got a laugh out of the old age thing!

#TedCruzCampaignSlogans

why on earth would whacko-bird want to abolish the IRS

Maybe it would have something to do with that "smidgen" of corruption Obama spoke of. The IRS is so corrupt I doubt if it can be fixed. They stonewalled a Congressional inquiry for 2 years and still have not turned over emails subpoenad (SP?) long ago. They have targeted political groups, by their own admission, that were opposed to Obama. They are still targeting reporters and whistleblowers. The tax code is so incredibly convoluted not even the IRS itself can really understand it. And the agency that is supposed to be completely non political has become anything but. It needs to be dismantled and something else put together that does a better job.

Obamacare - is nothing but a big mess. Insurance premiums went up immediately, and will go up more, deductibles are through the roof. We were lied to from the word go, virtually everything Obama said to sell it to the public has been proven lies. It includes no less than 18 new taxes or increases in existing ones over the next few years, so far it is not paying for itself, which means your taxes will have to pay for it. Prescription prices will go up if they haven't already, and we're being gouged already. Medical costs will go up, I think it's 60% of the doctors nationwide are already on the fast track to early retirement so we'll see a doctor shortage before long. That many or more have stopped accepting medicare or medicaid, they don't pay anything. 1 out of 3 medicare patients already have trouble finding doctors that will take medicare. It's the same thing already being used in Canada and Great Britain, and is a complete failure in both places. Total enrollment needs to be 29% people who are paying for their insurance to be able to pay for itself, as of last fall it was only 19%. And you might notice Obama is not shouting from the rooftops about how many people are paying for their insurance. So it still hasn't improved. So it's losing money right now, a lot of it. People have already started going to the emergency room because of astronomical deductibles, if your deductible is $6000 or more the only way you can get to the point insurance actually kicks in is to have a major emergency. Deductibles can be as much as $8000.

This is all not affordable. Not even close. The only people it seems to be helping right now are those already standing in line for every government handout you can think of. People who do actually manage to have jobs and make a living, which won't happen much longer if he has his way, haven't gotten raises since before Obama was elected and couldn't afford insurance to begin with. Now they are saddled with an insurance bill they really can't afford, they won't be getting raises any time soon to be able to afford it, and when the mandate for businesses kicks in they will be cut back to 30 hours a week.

So how much sense does obamacare make? higher cost, less coverage, quality of medical care will go downhill, prices will continue to increase, taxes will increase, doctors will be disappearing, but millions of illegal immigrants will be getting free health care...on your tab. Sound good?

Not to me.

I'm not sure if I like Cruz or not, haven't made up my mind. On the surface, he sounds good but he's still technically a member of the republican party, and I despise them only slightly less than I despise the democratic party. But what does the tea party stand for? Smaller government, lower taxes, put the Constitution back in our government, and anyone who doe snot want all of that is not really thinking too much about what is needed for this country. An Cruz has one edge over most politicians. He has a huge target on his back from both directions. Democrats and republicans both don't like Cruz because he rocks their little boat. He won't just accept the status quo and go along with the crowd.So he can't just stand there and outright lie like most politicians do, he'd be crucified in no time. He also has a no nonsense approach, which I think might resonate with a lot of people.

Republicans buddying up with big money? OK so why is Hillary known as the wall street candidate? Why is it wall street and corporations are doing better than they have in the past 20 years under Obama while working class salaries have gone down by at least $3000 per year? Why did Obama appoint 5 upper level Monsanto executives and lobbyists to top positions such as head of FDA and USDA soon as he took office the first time? Monsanto was his biggest campaign donor...

Don't hand me that Republicans are all for the rich nonsense, BOTH parties are, the democrats just lie to you about it. Same as they lie about everything else. They don't get bills passed that favor corporations by only handing money to republicans...Both parties have to cooperate. Both are scared of Cruz, he is a threat to their status quo. He is also highly intelligent, and nobody wants to face him in a debate. That's because he comes to the table with the facts ready to go, not a long line of political rhetoric.

I don't know yet if I like Cruz or would vote for him, but the attacks from the left are only getting started, he's their worst nightmare. He might even be getting attacks from his own party, he has already shown he not only says he'll fight the Washington status quo, he's been doing it for a long time. Can't say that for anyone else I can think of...but I'll have to wait and see what I think later on, I don't want to make a snap decision. One thing does bother me, does he have the experience?

Yep .... gotta wonder just how stuuuuuuupid the Tea Party "conservatives" can be.

Got their eyes wide shut, and screaming for everyone to wake up, while their Great Republican Hope & Change Hero is in bed with Goldmans Sachs!!

Business as usual.

Cruz's Wife Heidi Said to Take Unpaid Leave From Goldman
Monday, 23 Mar 2015 11:21 AM
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/ted-cru ... id/631916/

Heidi Cruz, a managing director at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in Houston, has taken an unpaid leave from her private wealth-management job to help with her husband’s campaign for the U.S. presidency, a person familiar with the matter said.

Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, said on Twitter early Monday morning that he plans to run for president in the 2016 election. Heidi Cruz’s leave will last the duration of the campaign, said the person, who asked not to be identified speaking about Cruz’s employment.

Heidi Cruz, a Harvard Business School graduate who worked in President George W. Bush’s administration, joined Goldman Sachs in 2005 and was promoted to managing director, the firm’s second-highest rank, in 2012. She serves as regional head of the Houston office in the private wealth-management unit, which serves individuals and families who have on average more than $40 million with the firm.

Heidi Cruz met her husband in Austin, Texas, in 2000, when both were policy aides on the Bush campaign, according to a New York Times profile in 2013. Her employment at Goldman Sachs became a political topic when Richard Durbin, a Democratic senator from Illinois, tried to push Ted Cruz, who has been critical of President Barack Obama’s health-care policies, into admitting he was on his wife’s Goldman Sachs health insurance plan, the Times reported.

SOooo, what's your point? Could it be you are insinuating Mrs. Cruz is one of those bad ole rich folks? So she took UNPAID leave to help her husband, why do you have a problem with that?

why on earth would whacko-bird want to abolish the IRS

Maybe it would have something to do with that "smidgen" of corruption Obama spoke of. The IRS is so corrupt I doubt if it can be fixed. They stonewalled a Congressional inquiry for 2 years and still have not turned over emails subpoenad (SP?) long ago. They have targeted political groups, by their own admission, that were opposed to Obama. They are still targeting reporters and whistleblowers. The tax code is so incredibly convoluted not even the IRS itself can really understand it. And the agency that is supposed to be completely non political has become anything but. It needs to be dismantled and something else put together that does a better job.

Obamacare - is nothing but a big mess. Insurance premiums went up immediately, and will go up more, deductibles are through the roof. We were lied to from the word go, virtually everything Obama said to sell it to the public has been proven lies. It includes no less than 18 new taxes or increases in existing ones over the next few years, so far it is not paying for itself, which means your taxes will have to pay for it. Prescription prices will go up if they haven't already, and we're being gouged already. Medical costs will go up, I think it's 60% of the doctors nationwide are already on the fast track to early retirement so we'll see a doctor shortage before long. That many or more have stopped accepting medicare or medicaid, they don't pay anything. 1 out of 3 medicare patients already have trouble finding doctors that will take medicare. It's the same thing already being used in Canada and Great Britain, and is a complete failure in both places. Total enrollment needs to be 29% people who are paying for their insurance to be able to pay for itself, as of last fall it was only 19%. And you might notice Obama is not shouting from the rooftops about how many people are paying for their insurance. So it still hasn't improved. So it's losing money right now, a lot of it. People have already started going to the emergency room because of astronomical deductibles, if your deductible is $6000 or more the only way you can get to the point insurance actually kicks in is to have a major emergency. Deductibles can be as much as $8000.

This is all not affordable. Not even close. The only people it seems to be helping right now are those already standing in line for every government handout you can think of. People who do actually manage to have jobs and make a living, which won't happen much longer if he has his way, haven't gotten raises since before Obama was elected and couldn't afford insurance to begin with. Now they are saddled with an insurance bill they really can't afford, they won't be getting raises any time soon to be able to afford it, and when the mandate for businesses kicks in they will be cut back to 30 hours a week.

So how much sense does obamacare make? higher cost, less coverage, quality of medical care will go downhill, prices will continue to increase, taxes will increase, doctors will be disappearing, but millions of illegal immigrants will be getting free health care...on your tab. Sound good?

Not to me.

I'm not sure if I like Cruz or not, haven't made up my mind. On the surface, he sounds good but he's still technically a member of the republican party, and I despise them only slightly less than I despise the democratic party. But what does the tea party stand for? Smaller government, lower taxes, put the Constitution back in our government, and anyone who doe snot want all of that is not really thinking too much about what is needed for this country. An Cruz has one edge over most politicians. He has a huge target on his back from both directions. Democrats and republicans both don't like Cruz because he rocks their little boat. He won't just accept the status quo and go along with the crowd.So he can't just stand there and outright lie like most politicians do, he'd be crucified in no time. He also has a no nonsense approach, which I think might resonate with a lot of people.

Republicans buddying up with big money? OK so why is Hillary known as the wall street candidate? Why is it wall street and corporations are doing better than they have in the past 20 years under Obama while working class salaries have gone down by at least $3000 per year? Why did Obama appoint 5 upper level Monsanto executives and lobbyists to top positions such as head of FDA and USDA soon as he took office the first time? Monsanto was his biggest campaign donor...

Don't hand me that Republicans are all for the rich nonsense, BOTH parties are, the democrats just lie to you about it. Same as they lie about everything else. They don't get bills passed that favor corporations by only handing money to republicans...Both parties have to cooperate. Both are scared of Cruz, he is a threat to their status quo. He is also highly intelligent, and nobody wants to face him in a debate. That's because he comes to the table with the facts ready to go, not a long line of political rhetoric.

I don't know yet if I like Cruz or would vote for him, but the attacks from the left are only getting started, he's their worst nightmare. He might even be getting attacks from his own party, he has already shown he not only says he'll fight the Washington status quo, he's been doing it for a long time. Can't say that for anyone else I can think of...but I'll have to wait and see what I think later on, I don't want to make a snap decision. One thing does bother me, does he have the experience?

Great post Billy!

So Josh doesn't like Ted Cruz, and points out startling facts about him (which don't seem to bother him when it's a politician with a D next to their name)?

SHOCKER!

While I totally support Ted Cruz and all..... do we really need to be competing for the "who can start a thread with the longest post" award? And once the longest post is there, does anyone really need to quote it? If you can't say something in a couple of paragraphs.........

as I recall, we had a Mr. Cain ( a corporate executive) run for president a few years back, with his famous motto, " 9 - 9- 9- ".. a reference to a 9% straight across the board flat tax on the poor and rich alike.. is that not a lovely idea? NOT!.. how is that fair to the poor who have not the capital to even attempt to buy themselves out of poverty? always heard "it takes money to make money"..and somebody with an IQ of 70 working at walmart is never going to have the time or money for tuition to be able to educate themselves at an IVY LEAGUE school, to be able to land a high tech job to dig themselves out of poverty.. sure a few are lucky enough to rise out of poverty with a low paying job, but we never hear about the overwhelming failure rate either.. somebody has to protect these people, not shun them because they were not born into the right family or environment..

if the Cruz guy ever somehow by Hitlerian appeal, comes to power, I will move out of the country, or commit suicide,
hear are a few of his quotes:
1. “It is the job of a chaplain to be insensitive to atheists”
2. “I will renounce any Canadian citizenship”
3. “I didn’t threaten to shut down the government”
4. “I expect them to start quartering soldiers in people’s homes soon”
5. “Gay marriage” leads to Christianity becoming “hate speech”
6. “I am a very, very proud wacko bird”
7. “I have never seen a Hispanic panhandler”
8. "Net neutrality’ is Obamacare for the Internet”

If this Obama guy ever somehow by Hitlerian appeal, comes to power, I will move out of the country, or commit suicide. -me, In 2008

Oh, wait! I didn't say that. No one talks like that! Crazy stuff, Dane.

Keep it coming.

so if Cruz was born in Canada, how is he even eligible to become a POTUS..?? he has never been naturalized has he?

so if Cruz was born in Canada, how is he even eligible to become a POTUS..?? he has never been naturalized has he?

His mother is a U.S. citizen just like the Kenyan Born Obama!
As a result he held dual citizenship. He is a citizen of the United States.

This is where the real nutter birthers show themselves to be a one issue, 200 lb plus infant in adults clothing.
It was never really about Obama's politics, it's about their desire for attention. And their bewilderment with said attention, once they receive it. This was settled in the 60's, when George Romney was running for president. One parent is a US citizen, the offspring is is a US citizen. Even in a presidential election.

as I recall, we had a Mr. Cain ( a corporate executive) run for president a few years back, with his famous motto, " 9 - 9- 9- ".. a reference to a 9% straight across the board flat tax on the poor and rich alike.. is that not a lovely idea? NOT!.. how is that fair to the poor who have not the capital to even attempt to buy themselves out of poverty? always heard "it takes money to make money"..and somebody with an IQ of 70 working at walmart is never going to have the time or money for tuition to be able to educate themselves at an IVY LEAGUE school, to be able to land a high tech job to dig themselves out of poverty.. sure a few are lucky enough to rise out of poverty with a low paying job, but we never hear about the overwhelming failure rate either.. somebody has to protect these people, not shun them because they were not born into the right family or environment..

Dayne, 9% 0f $20,000 is $1800.00. While 9% of 200,000.00 is $18,000.00 how is that not fair? Any poor man can at ANY TIME escape poverty I know because I DID! Having said that I am well aware I could be back in poverty at anytime, anyone can! I am not trying to be confrontational just trying to help.
My pops worked his way thru 12 years of college 4 degrees (all Bachelor of Science and Arts) Started a Pest Control Business and became a self made Millionaire. In one instant of anger shot his brother in law and LOST IT ALL! Brother in law lived, sued what bil didn't get the lawyers and account he had to set up to pay brother in laws med bills for life took. My pops had to get his medical care from the V.A. after that and the V.A. killed him with too many steroids!

Dayne

I submit that you would be incorrect if this nation lived under rule of law. It is absolutely NOT constitutional for govt do gooders to take money (steal is the word) from some and give it to whom they wish. Even if I were to concede their good intentions, which I do not, their record is appallingly bad, causing more social ills and extravagantly wasteful.

In a law abiding country - the proper recourse (assuming you can find enough people who agree with you) is to amend the constitution.

This faux democracy that has replaced our republic is disgraceful - it pleases no one. It is inefficient and corrupt. And it's what we have got.

Talbot