rookie35m

Just curious because it seems most posters spell it "loose". Did you already know that? Did you also know you cannot just lose weight from your stomach?.... that protein drinks won't build muscle without heavy lifting?... that you cannot lose 50lbs in 6 weeks?

I have a few, feel free to add or tear mine up.

• No... We Can't

• This Is Too Much Like Work

• Deficit 2010: Remember Us Always

• Idealism You Can Beleive In!

What would yours be?

155,000 veterans have been waiting over 4 months for a decision about their medical care. (ref: http://www.vba.va.gov/REPORTS/mmwr/index.asp) Compare that to our private insurance system where you can have a decision in a couple of hours. That's the reality of bureaucratic red tape.

** Social Security and Medicare** : (ref: http://www.newsweek.com/id/199167)

"That the programs will ultimately go bankrupt is clear from the trustees' reports. On pages 201 and 202 of the Medicare report, you will find the conclusive arithmetic: over the next 75 years, Social Security and Medicare will cost an estimated $103.2 trillion, while dedicated taxes and premiums will total only $57.4 trillion. The gap is $45.8 trillion."

** The US Post Office ** : (ref: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-332T)

"Thus, USPS recorded a loss of $2.8 billion for fiscal year 2008. Its debt increased by $3 billion by the end of the year to $7.2 billion. USPS's outlook for fiscal year 2009 has become more pessimistic. USPS projects... another loss, and $3 billion more in debt. At this pace, USPS could reach its $15 billion statutory debt limit by fiscal year 2011."

"That the programs will ultimately go bankrupt is clear from the trustees' reports. On pages 201 and 202 of the Medicare report, you will find the conclusive arithmetic: over the next 75 years, Social Security and Medicare will cost an estimated $103.2 trillion, while dedicated taxes and premiums will total only $57.4 trillion. The gap is $45.8 trillion."

** And how does the gov't respond to the news of SS going insolvent?

Host Chris Cuomo asserted that Social Security may be "on the brink of financial ruin. But, you would never know it from a recent luxurious retreat paid for by your tax dollars."

(ref: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2009/0...

Wake up, America. This isn't about your side winning. I am not a baby killer (which both sides use an aside to real issues). I am not a redneck. I am not a tree hugging environmentalist. Do you realize that we are breeding a cancer of government spending?

American people, democrat or republican.. We American citizens are not the problem. This whole party rhetoric on here is silly. This is what the government of the strongest economy in the world does when trying to run business.

Social Security - "The Social Security Board of Trustees today declared that the Social Security program is not sustainable over the long term...

DI program costs have exceeded tax revenue since 2005, and trust fund exhaustion is projected for 2020.

OASDI tax income will begin to fall short of outlays in 2016, and will be sufficient to finance 76 percent of scheduled annual benefits in 2037, after that, the combined OASDI Trust Fund is projected to be exhausted." - SSA.gov

Medicare - "Medicare's financial difficulties come sooner—and are much more severe—than those confronting Social Security...

The projected date of HI Trust Fund exhaustion is 2017, two years earlier than in last year's report ...

...could be brought into actuarial balance over the next 75 years by changes equivalent to an immediate 134 percent increase in the payroll tax ... Larger changes would be required to make the program solvent beyond the 75-year horizon " - SSA.gov

Did you get the above? Payroll tax has to be raised 134% to keep SSI solvent.

The Post Office - "Thus, USPS recorded a loss of $2.8 billion for fiscal year 2008. Its debt increased by $3 billion by the end of the year to $7.2 billion. USPS's outlook for fiscal year 2009 has become more pessimistic. USPS projects... another loss, and $3 billion more in debt. At this pace, USPS could reach its $15 billion statutory debt limit by fiscal year 2011."

Now, looking at the performance of similar government programs and the propensity of politicians to lie to get their programs approved, is it really that far fetched to believe that HCR will go way over budget like every other government program? According to the former CBO director, it's already there before we even get started.

"Removing the unrealistic annual Medicare savings ($463 billion) and the stolen annual revenues from Social Security and long-term care insurance ($123 billion), and adding in the annual spending that so far is not accounted for ($114 billion) quickly generates additional deficits of $562 billion in the first 10 years,” - former CBO director Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

Take a minute and read the above. Voters, are you positive that this health care reform bill is the best thing for our country?

Or are the democratic public servants that just committed career suicide going to have to buy their own insurance after November?

.. when they were caught.. on film attempting to fund a criminal enterprise? I'm not looking for snappy liberal responses about the method by which the information was obtained. I saw the video with my own eyes. What was happening was blatantly criminal. Congress reacted by banning further funding. Now why would the Obama administration begin resurrecting this corrupt org? The hidden video filming was not the first time corruption has been exposed within ACORN. Why are our tax dollars being again considered to fund its improprieties?

I have never seen so many hare brained ideas about profit, employee motivation, and economy in my entire life. Are you not better to keep your mouth shut and look like an idiot then to open it and remove all doubt?

I finally made a decision to draft this letter. Do you think it will go over well?

Dear Employees:

As the CEO of this organization, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barrack Obama is our President and that our taxes and government fees will continue to increase.

To compensate for these increases, our prices would have to also increase by about 10%. But since we cannot raise prices right now due to the dismal state of the economy, we have to lay off sixty of our employees instead.

This has really been bothering me since I believe we are family here and I didn't know how to choose who would have to go.

So, this is what I have done. I walked through our parking lot and found sixty 'Obama' bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these folks will be the ones to let go...

I cannot think of a more fair way to approach this problem. They voted for change... I gave it to them.

I will see the rest of you at the annual company picnic.

I see many people touting all of these foreign models as proof positive that nationalized health care works. Are you also looking at the cost for consumable goods or services in those countries? How much is a gallon of milk or how much does it cost to insure and drive a vehicle as compared to where you live? I'm not admonishing anyone for their beliefs just asking.. Are you are looking at the whole picture?

Did I hear that right? Are you kidding me? Instead of donating the Nobel Prize money he

won to an organization that could unilaterally benefit American children

or those with non race specific disease, Obama donates the money to the

United ***** College Fund? I have a problem with that. Is that not racist or am I overreacting?

The Dems want to throw people in jail or have them pay fines if they don't forcibly buy into health care insurance. That's scary in itself.

The Republicans don't want anybody to have something forced down their throats by the government but they cannot offer a solution for cost sharing to lower premiums and/or healthcare.

Wouldn't a compromise be to offer different levels of subsidy based on income while still soft mandating coverage? No fines or jail time, but no free emergency room visits either. If you aren't in some type of plan, you get no care. You chose to opt out and you live with that choice.

This is a real question not an attempt at trolling or feeding into party BS. I ask because I did some of my own research. I have found the 46 million number to be misleading. I also know that when i was younger and going through some rough times I had to walk into an emergency room in PA without insurance. Both times I was treated well, my ailment addressed correctly (one included a hospital stay of two days). So are there really that many people that have no access to health care?

Read the below only if you want further clarification:

* There were 45.7 million uninsured people in the U.S. in 2007.

* Of that amount, 6.4 million are the Medicaid undercount. These are people who are on one of two government health insurance programs, Medicaid or S-CHIP, but mistakenly (intentionally or not) tell the Census taker that they are uninsured. There is disagreement about the size of the Medicaid undercount. This figure is based on a 2005 analysis from the Department of Health and Human Services.

* Another 4.3 million are eligible for free or heavily subsidized government health insurance (again, either Medcaid or SCHIP), but have not yet signed up. While these people are not pre-enrolled in a health insurance program and are therefore counted as uninsured, if they were to go to an emergency room (or a free clinic), they would be automatically enrolled in that program by the provider after receiving medical care. There’s an interesting philosophical question that I will skip about whether they are, in fact, uninsured, if technically they are protected from risk.

* Another 9.3 million are non-citizens. I cannot break that down into documented vs. undocumented citizens.

* Another 10.1 million do not fit into any of the above categories, and they have incomes more than 3X the poverty level. For a single person that means their income exceeded $30,600 in 2007, when the median income for a single male was $33,200 and for a female, $21,000. For a family of four, if your income was more than 3X the poverty level in 2007, you had $62,000 of income or more, and you were above the national median.

* Of the remaining 15.6 million uninsured, 5 million are adults between ages 18 and 34 and without kids.

* The remaining 10.6 million do not fit into any of the above categories, so they are:

o U.S. citizens;

o with income below 300% of poverty;

o not on or eligible for a taxpayer-subsidized health insurance program;

o and not a childless adult between age 18 and 34

Who would I be talking about if I summed the following?

• Takes power during economic turmoil, while promising hope for the nation’s future.

• Wants to clamp down on big business.

• Blames many economic issues on those who are successful, saying they are greedy and selfish and their wealth needs to be taxed away from them and given to others not as fortunate.

• Proclaims that the evils of capitalism led to the economic crisis, saying that the system exploits the “economically weak”.

• Gives speeches where no matter the actual content, people leap to their feet in blind praise. Uses carefully scripted words and articulation to excite the masses.

• Accuses opponents of being right extremists who will increase the wealth gap to maintain control over the working class.

• Appeals largely to the young, ignorant, and impressionable population.

• Mandates that citizens have a requirement of civil service.

• Begins by advocating tighter gun control.

• Wants innovation to originate from government, rather than from the private sector.

If you answered Adolph Hitler, you are absolutely correct! How did you do?

Long story short as possible. My organization (CA) signed on with a web design firm in NY. They were not really what we wanted but were able to get us most of the way there for $5000. We signed the contract and faxed it to them on a Monday morning with a deposit of $2500. On Wednesday we had an investor fall on hard times and pull the financing.

Before the check even cleared the bank, we contacted the company to see if we could get a refund. They have hardlined on the contract stating "non refundable" deposit. We understand their sales person had time invested in this project (about 2 hours spread over three calls). We are willing to give them $750 for their time but could really use the remaining money. Do we have any recourse?

The answer is, yes, it is TRUE. Now stop asking the same question over and over. And those in denial.. this happened at ONE polling place as an isolated incident.

Here is the proof: (this is a recording of a live news broadcast).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94b78rnWMP4&eurl=ht...

Two Black Panthers are standing outside a Philly voting place, one brandishing a nightstick. When a white guy walked up to the door, the two closed ranks so that he had to push through them. Unbelievable. Check out Fox News, they are covering it now. I know it sounds like BS in this day and age but check it out for yourself.

What do you think of that?

Perhaps because this forum is a comprised majority of young voters viewing this election as a sporting even where you wave inbred loyalty like team colors, I see people selling away the opportunities that made this country great. The next generations could live not in the land of opportunity but in the mire of excessive taxation and spending and ultimately government control.

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;

From spiritual faith to great courage;

From courage to liberty;

From liberty to abundance;

From abundance to complacency;

From complacency to apathy;

From apathy to dependence; <=== ??

From dependence back into bondage.

Plug in any great civilization and do your homework. Look at our own country. Do you see where we are? Do you see where we are headed?

Independants, liberals and to those supporters of Obama that have been caught up in the propoganda machine, just take a moment to breath. Are you willing to sell away everything that allowed you to enjoy a life of success and liberty? Have we become so blinded that we allow ourselves to be bought under the guise of "change". Change is not always successful. In fact most times its a precarious prelude to failure.

I am a business person. Being the leader of the United States has to be the hardest business there is. Its not my intention to demean Obama. He may prove himself a capable leader. Here is my issue. I have met people in my life that were wishy washy. They change their stance more often than they change their drawers. Obama seems to have done this many many times. When I read his website I feel I understand his policies and stance. Then the next day, what I read was deleted and in its place is something that seems more politically correct for the climate of that day. Even down to Obama coming to a rally here in Philadelphia and proclaiming the Phillies as his team. Then he is in Tampa telling them that he is for the Rays. Which is it?

Obama gets on TV and says there is no way he can denounce his pastor as Reverend Wright is a lifelong friend and mentor. Then, what, a week later he gets on tosses him under the bus because Wright represents a threat to his campaign? Whom is this guy loyal to? His character seems weak.

While in the corporate world I met many guys that spoke well and seemed full of p*ss and vinegar. Then when it came time to perform, they fell apart. Most of the time these were intellectual guys that thought they had things figured out only they did not have the track record or experience to understand that things don't always go as planned. I get a very strong instinctual feeling that Obama is this same way.

What are your thoughts?

PS: If you thoughts are "no more McSame" or "Obama is leading the polls", or "McCain is better than Obama the terrorist" move on to another question. I am looking for honest insights from adults minus the political party slurs and hatred. This is our lives we are talking about, not a high school football rivalry.

From a previous question it is apparent that some people have no clue what they are talking about when it comes to taxes yet will 'thumbs down' others and answer questions with rhetoric. People..

Income taxes are paid based upon AGI (Adjusted Gross Income). A married couple with a few kids can make $40,000 and have enough deductions to have a low AGI. Then on top of that are Earned Income and other tax credits that reduce the tax bill to the point that many families actually get back all of the money they put in during the year. Guess what that means? Yep, That family paid NO TAXES. They should smile and say thank you for letting me live income tax free in this great country.

Now let's say you are a hard working single guy or girl, went to college make the same $38,000. Under Obama's plan and his repeal of Bush's tax cuts in 2010 (you didn't know good ole GW lowered taxes did ya?) you will pay a substantial amount of income tax and because Obama's plan includes tax rebates for everyone that worked, regardless of it they had to pay any tax. Part of your hard earned money goes right into their pocket of others. Doesn't sound too fair does it?

It was great. All the little Obamanites jumped in and said "how terrible of Mccain". I asked for a website reference and was given this link:

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepoliticalsystem/a...

The problem was, she didn't read and/or understand the article. I especially loved in the article where they mentioned that parts of Obama's website were removed. That seems to be happening every day. That website is changed everyday to reflect Obama's changing viewpoints. Is there any better proof this guy does not have enough experience in what he is doing?

But I digress. Back to topic. McCain by accepting the presidential campaign tax money (which we all either opt in or out of on our tax forms) limits himself to a lower budget for campaigning. Obama, who talked about campaign reform at an earlier date (which was the stuff removed from his site) then turned around and declined that tax money. That opened the door for him to raise unlimited funds to basically buy the presidency.

So as a question.. what do you think about the way the campaign system is setup. For McCain being so dishonest as left wingers say, he could have easily filtered his money into this campaign and walked away with it.