Is San Jose Inside becoming nothing more than the Metro’s Fly? Do we really care about Ms. Pyle’s furniture in light of all the major problems we are facing? If it is not too late I would hope Mr. McEnery would move SJI back to its role in trying to improve our city instead of the Metro’s bad attitude of trying to tear everything down.
This article just makes my blood boil. I can not believe these jerks are not only getting a way with tanking this countries economy, but being well paid for doing it. This is just another example of why I think serious accountability over these funds needs to happen YESTERDAY! I seriously do not get how these greedy scum bags can collect money from the public when many are jobless, homeless, and terrified about how they will feed and cloth their families. It is just sickening.
The major problem with the first $700B is that Congress put ZERO STRINGS on it. So, they $$ could be used in whatever way the greedy bastards wanted to, without breaking the letter of the law. SHAME ON CONGRESS for passing such a bill. Oversight would have meant nothing, because there were no restrictions on how the money could be spent.
But wait, there’s more: The new Obama Bill ain’t much better.
The Stimulus Shopping List: $1.17 Trillion in Pork Goodies
The $1.17 trillion stimulus bill passed by House Democrats on Wednesday bears little resemblance to the bill originally proposed
by President Obama, with less than 5 percent of the funds now going to repair America’s deteriorating infrastructure.GOP critics point out the bill is loaded with tens of billions for items ranging from Amtrak subsidies to studying sexually transmitted diseases. Only 42 percent of Americans now think the bill is a good thing.
Even some Democrats are now objecting that the measure contains too few highway and mass transit projects
Provisions of the bill that many legislators are questioning:
. $1 billion for Amtrak, which hasn’t earned a profit in four decades.
. $2 billion to help subsidize child care.
. $400 million for research into global warming.
. $2.4 billion for projects to demonstrate how carbon greenhouse gas can be safely removed from the atmosphere.
. $650 million for coupons to help consumers convert their TV sets trom analog to digital, part of the digital TV conversion.
. $600 million to buy a new fleet of cars for federal employees and government departments.
. $75 million to fund programs to help people quit smoking.
. $21 million to re-sod the National Mall, which suffered heavy use during the Inauguration.
. $2.25 billion for national parks. This item has sparked calls for an investigation, because the chief lobbyist of the National Parks Association is the son of Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wisc. The $2,25 billion is about equal to the National Park Service’s entire annual budget. The Washington Times reports it is a threefold increase over what was originally proposed for parks in the stimulus bill. Obey is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
. $335 million for treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
. $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. $4.19 billion to stave off foreclosures via the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The bill allows nonprofits to compete with cities and states for $3.44 billion of the money, which means a substantial amount of it will be captured by ACORN, the controversial activist group currently under federal investigation for vote fraud. Another $750 millionwould be exclusively reserved for nonprofits such as ACORN – meaning cities and states are barred
from receiving that money. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., charges the money could appear to be a “payoff” for the partisan political activities community groups in the last election cycle.
. $44 million to renovate the headquarters building of the Agriculture Department.
. $32 billion for a “smart electricity grid to minimize waste.
. $87 billion of Medicaid funds, to aid states.
. $53.4 billion for science facilities, high speed Internet, and miscellaneous energy and environmental programs.
.$13 billion to repair and weatherize public housing, help the homeless, repair foreclosed homes.
. $20 billion for quicker depreciation and write-offs for equipment.
. $10.3 billion for tax credits to help families defray the cost of college tuition.
. $20 billion over five years for an expanded food stamp program.
Republican leaders say the stimulus package will add 32 new government programs at a cost of $136 billion. They object that many of the programs, once established, are likely to continue indefinitely.
Most media outlets are reporting the cost of the package at $819 billion. As Newsmax revealed yesterday, however, the Congressional Budget Office calculates that the interest on the debt generated
by the bill’s spending will cost another $347.1 billion, making the total cost approximately $1.17trillion.
Of course, the measure contains hundreds of billions in tax cuts and infrastructure projects thatconservatives will find palatable. But as House Minority whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., told the media Wednesday, “This was not a stimulus bill. It was a spending bill.”
Kathleen #2,
Mike Cassidy’s article makes YOUR blood boil? Your comments make MY blood boil.
GREED on Wall Street is what you blame? You’re blaming this thing on GREED? That’s like blaming the sinking of the Titanic on an iceberg. Or blaming gravity for causing the deaths of Bridge jumpers.
Greed exists. There has always been greed and there will always be greed. Complaining about greed is like complaining about gravity or about icebergs.
The existence of greed is one of the reasons that we have Government. Our laws and our elected “representatives” are meant to protect us from the effects of greed- not expose us to it. Blame our “representatives” in Washington. THEY caused this mess. Not Wall Street. Wall Street could have been as greedy as they wanted and it would have had little effect on you or me if our Government had stayed out of things that aren’t its’ business.
Don’t blame Wall Street. Don’t blame greed. Fooling ourselves about the true causes of this mess will doom us to doing it all over again.
You want to blame Bush? Fine. So do I. But you’d damned well better blame Barney Frank. If there is one single individual upon whom this entire disaster can be blamed, it is this fat, slobbering, self-righteous, finger-pointing Democrat jerk from Massachusetts.
Let’s not compound Barney Frank’s criminally negligent errors and Bush’s stupidly ignorant errors by allowing Obama and his Democratic Congress to propel us further down this road to Third Worldom.
This bill clearly represents an attempt for Democrats to make up for the years that they could not move their agenda forward because of the Republican majority in Congress. It is apparent now that neither party understands the phrase “fiscal responsibility.”
Worse, yet, it shows that our representatives have learned nothing from the so-called stimulus package of last year (and every other time they’ve tried to goose the economy through tax rebates).
Write your representatives and let them know how you feel about this massive piece of pork before they make the largest mistake in the history of government spending!
KLIV, Dale Warner, Chuck Blair in Santa Clara, Watch Dog Silicon Valley all made the right call when it came to Tesla’s collapse.
Indeed, we have the Hunch Nose of Santa Clara still claiming that Tesla is going to a winning proposal and now we should stop working on the stadium to attact it. The Redevelopment money for our city will be taken away in 2016 and the time is now to bring the stadium to Santa Clara. 50 million for schools will be the direct result of this proposal, a winning investment. Sadly we have people in our comunity that attack the good work of our Planning Director. Attack, attack every proposal in our community is the mantra of these dweebles who claim to meet with the community, but are among the inaccessible council members around. They meet with their zealots, and even attack San Jose Inside and the effort of McEnery to properly achieve a winning proposal of his own.
We should put these CEO’s and exec’s (making millions off of us middle class investors) in a cell in Guantánamo Bay. What would you do if you found someone stealing your retirement savings?
#5- John Galt,
Bush was an idiot, but I don’t blame him SOLELY for this mess. There is enough blame to go around for these types of horrific abuses by people in power, but do not sit by and tell me I can’t be angry about these types of abuses of the American taxpayers trust and money! Any one and everyone who abuses this bail out money, and ALL these idiots who okayed these funds without strings and accountability need to be ousted big time. When it comes to this situation,
there is no limit of stupidity on both sides of the two political parties here.
I’m sick and tired of hearing people like you spewing this garbage about greed being natural and there will always be greed, whilst hard working decent families are suffering. There’s something called integrity, compassion, good faith business, and keeping the public trust. This crap of screw you as long as my cupboards are full, and my family is fed are just beyond unacceptable John. These greedy scumbags could care less about others. They don’t live in the same world with the rest of us and unless something affects THEIR lively hood, or their life style, the rest of us don’t exist to them. That is it in a nutshell.
We have become a nation of selfish, greedy jerks who could care less about any one but ourselves. Long gone is the idea of love thy neighbor as thyself. It is a very sad world devoid of compassion and decency that we live in these days. I feel very sorry for our youth because we have been remiss at teaching them responsibility, accountability, the rewards of hard work and education, self-respect, and common decency. Hence why we have increased teen pregnancies, gangs, high school dropouts, etc.
Make a difference. If you are a Democrat, then get involved in your local county party. Spending most of the day writing about the party at the Lantern.
Kathleen, what’s supposed to keep the greedy jerks in check is the Government that you and I elect. And when you excuse THEM- even just a little bit- by proclaiming, “there’s plenty of blame on all sides”, these elected creeps are listening. They HEAR you and millions of other emotion-driven Americans, and it gives them the permission and power they need to continue with their irresponsible governance.
Instead of the effects of the greed being confined to the parties involved, you are telling your “representatives”, Go ahead. Send ME the bill.”
The greedy people- the loanERS, the loanEES, the bond buyers of GSEs like Fannie and Freddie are let off the hook. They’re paid off. The greedy UAW drives GM and Chrysler to bankruptcy and Barney Frank and Zoe Lofgren and Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer all decide to let you and me pick up the tab for their pensions for the rest of their lives. They have not learned a damned thing other than to be as greedy as they like and if things backfire on them, well, don’t worry, Kathleen Flynn and John Galt will pick up the tab.
#10-John Galt,
You are preaching to the choir. We agree. Look at what they are doing with the State budget. That makes my blood boil too. How can these idiots get a pay check when schools, the elderly, disabled, blind, doctors and hospitals who take Medical/Medicare go without payment because both political parties are too busy trying to out do the other on what gets cut and what doesn’t? I think we need to start with cutting their paychecks and perks.
And next election, I won’t be voting for ANYONE who is in office now, you can believe that.
WASHINGTON – Trying to salvage his nomination, Tom Daschle apologized Monday for delinquent tax payments as President Barack Obama and a top Senate chairman stood by him as the choice to lead the Health and Human Services Department.
$120k is hardly a minor error. But it doesn’t bother Obama or other Dems. If it were you or I, we’d be facing criminal charges.
Looks like we’re easing back into business as usual in D.C.
Has anybody been watching the excellent series on MSNBC about the stupid “Freedom Tower” plan in New York?
The Twin Towers Alliance has excellent links to it here: http://www.twintowersalliance.com/petition/msnbc
I don’t always agree with the politics on MSNBC but on this issue but David Shuster deserves a medal for his coverage.
#15-Hugh,
Did they happen to cover how badly Bush, the City of New York, and the US government has treated Fire Fighters, Police Officers, EMT workers, and other rescuers who became deathly ill from diseases they contracted from the debris of the Twin Towers? I’m sure they didn’t. It is a disgrace how they were and have been treated. Even the families of people who died on the planes and in the buildings were compensated in ways these courageous heroes have not. The financial burden of these serious, and in some cases terminal illnesses, is being left solely at the door of these extraordinary people, and their families to cope with. Sickening.
Politicians are opportunistic puppets and shills, whatever party they claim.
It is the owning class: those parasites whose income rolls in based not on their work but on the interest and proceeds from their property who will be soaking up all the bailout money in the end.
All you Obama bashers can relax. Daschle has withdrawn. It didn’t take the “left-wing media” to do it. It was the right thing to do. So, you’ll have to find something else to criticize now. Sorry.
#13: we need an initiative that says that the politicians don’t get paid once the Constitutional deadline to adopt a budget has passed. They get no salary, no per diem. AND, it’s not just deferred—they would NEVER GET IT for all those days. That MIGHT get them off their dead political asses.
They get paid while taxpayers deserving of tax refunds, contractors and others who dealt in good faith with the state get the shaft.
John Galt #18—It’s not just Obama. Don’t forget the following:
January 20
1. Outgoing President George W. Bush quietly boards his helicopter and leaves for Texas, commenting only: “Today is not about me. Today is a historical day for our nation and people.”
Eight years ago :
1. Outgoing President Bill Clinton schedules two separate radio addresses to the nation, and organizes a public farewell speech/ rally in downtown Washington D.C. scheduled to directly conflict with incoming President Bush’s inauguration ceremony.
January 20:
2. President Bush leaves office without issuing a single Presidential pardon, only granting a commutation of sentence to two former border patrol agents convicted of shooting a convicted drug smuggler. He does not grant any type of clemency to Scooter Libby or any other former political aide, ally, or business partner.
Eight years ago :
2. President Clinton issues 140 pardons and several commutations of sentence on his final day in office.
Included in these are: billionaire financier, convicted tax evader, and leading Democratic campaign contributor Marc Rich; Whitewater scandal figure Susan McDougal; Congressional Post Office Scandal figure and former Democratic Congressman Dan Rostenkowski; convicted bank fraud, sexual assault and child porn perpetrator and former Democratic Congressman Melvin Reynolds; and convicted drug felon Roger Clinton, the President’s half-brother.
January 20:
3. The Bush daughters leave gift baskets in the White House bedrooms for the Obama daughters, containing flowers, candy, stuffed animals, DVD’s and CD’s, and heartfelt notes of encouragement and advice for the young girls on how to prepare for their new lives in the White House.
Eight years ago :
3. Clinton and Gore staffers rip computer wires and electrical outlets from the White House walls, stuff piles of notebook papers into the White House toilets, systematically remove the letter “W” from every computer key-pad in the entire White House, and damage several thousand dollars worth of furniture in the White House master bedroom.
Headlines 4 Years Ago:
“Republicans spending $42 million on inauguration while troops Die in unarmored Humvees”
“Bush extravagance exceeds any reason during tough economic times”
“Fat cats get their $42 million inauguration party, Ordinary Americans get the shaft”
Headlines this year:
“Historic Obama Inauguration will cost only $170 million”
“Obama Spends $170 million on inauguration; America Needs A Big Party”
“Everyman Obama shows America how to celebrate”
“Citibank executives contribute $8 million to Obama Inauguration”
Several neighborhood groups have tried in vain to get any help from Pierluigi Oliverio, to no avail whatever.
Oliverio consistently hides out from his constituents—but he meets regularly with his out-of-town developer cronies. He takes their money and their help, and leaves District 6 residents holding the bag.
Tuesday evening we had another neighborhood meeting with few dozen District 6 residents. Oliverio has hidden out from every previous meeting we’ve had, but this time he at least promised to send an aide.
No aide showed up. They were no doubt partying hearty with Oliverio’s new best friends at Summerhill homes, which is packing about 300 new units in the BAREC property by Winchester and Stevens Creek.
The local residents will get the fallout from all that extra traffic, and Oliverio’s pal, the out-of-town developer, will just pick up his profits and move on, leaving long time residents with the problems.
Oliverio could have at least helped to mitigate some of the more minor problems [like a simple traffic light], but he doesn’t, because he is bought and paid for by Summerhill, and he is too cowardly to show up at any District 6 neighborhood meetings.
I would like to suggest that anyone interested in running for the District 6 council seat will have plenty of angry homeowners ready, willing and able to help walk precincts next election.
Oliverio can’t generate this really enormous bad will with the people he refuses to represent and hides out from, and then expect to skate into his next re-election. A potential candidate has 3+ years to line up support.
There is a small citizen army ready to kick him out of the city council. We already cost Dominic Caserta his election.
As a D6 resident who goes to TOO MANY neighborhood meetings, I never heard about any meeting on Tuesday night. Now let me check the various neighborhood e-mail lists around BAREC to see if it is posted….
Nope. Not on the neighborhood radar in D6, and believe me, if it was important, it would be listed on the neighborhood message boards.
Was this Tuesday meeting mentioned at the big yearly neighborhood meeting on Saturday, where Oliverio and Supervisor Yeager spoke? Nope. Did Barec have an informational booth at the yearly meeting? Nope.
Who are these people having meetings that aren’t announced to the D6 neighborhood groups?
Oliverio and his staff are everywhere and quite responsive. He is quite a fixture at all legitimate D6 neighborhood meetings.
You may be correct when you say “small citizen army”. I believe it’s very, very, very small indeed.
P.S. “consistently hides out from his constituents” Seriously, how can you in good conscious write this? For kicks I looked at Oliverio’s schedule to see what was listed for Tuesday night. It has not been updated, but I do see – a yearly N’hood meeting, a block party and a crab feed on Saturday, 3 neighborhood parties on Sunday, and a community meeting on Monday.
P.P.S. I’ve was at the SAVE BAREC Mediation Meeting Sat. June 16th 2007 at the Santa Clara Office of Human Relations where Oliverio voiced support for Save BAREC and strong opposition to Summerhill’s project.
I don’t always agree with Oliverio, but your “smoke screen” really chaps my hide and after a little digging found a recent position paper stating Oliverio’s position on the project:
Geithner should be gone too. His appointment seems to be the most annoying hypocrisy.
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Ah, let’s see—a major reason why our economy is so upside down is that loads of folks who couldn’t qualify for a home mortgage loan under normal criterai received them due to the government pushing to relax Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac requirements; so that more folks (mostly economically unqualified) could get home mortgages.
The Obama/Congressional solution—give a $15k tax credit to more unqualified buyers to buy homes.
What about all those who saved, got the down payment, bought a home in the appropriate price range based upon their income? They get SQUAT under the Obama/Congressional plan being debated as we read. Hold onto your wallets folks—we’re screwed.
You want stimulus? Hey, Kentucky and other nearby states had all their above ground power lines toppled by high winds/icy conditions. What are they doing? Rebuilding them above ground, where they will be sure to be toppled again some time. Why not give those states some $$$ to underground all the utility lines, so when the next windstorm/ice storm hits, all those folks won’t have to shiver for days (and some die) due to the power failure?
Is San Jose Inside becoming nothing more than the Metro’s Fly? Do we really care about Ms. Pyle’s furniture in light of all the major problems we are facing? If it is not too late I would hope Mr. McEnery would move SJI back to its role in trying to improve our city instead of the Metro’s bad attitude of trying to tear everything down.
This article just makes my blood boil. I can not believe these jerks are not only getting a way with tanking this countries economy, but being well paid for doing it. This is just another example of why I think serious accountability over these funds needs to happen YESTERDAY! I seriously do not get how these greedy scum bags can collect money from the public when many are jobless, homeless, and terrified about how they will feed and cloth their families. It is just sickening.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11592989
The major problem with the first $700B is that Congress put ZERO STRINGS on it. So, they $$ could be used in whatever way the greedy bastards wanted to, without breaking the letter of the law. SHAME ON CONGRESS for passing such a bill. Oversight would have meant nothing, because there were no restrictions on how the money could be spent.
But wait, there’s more: The new Obama Bill ain’t much better.
The Stimulus Shopping List: $1.17 Trillion in Pork Goodies
The $1.17 trillion stimulus bill passed by House Democrats on Wednesday bears little resemblance to the bill originally proposed
by President Obama, with less than 5 percent of the funds now going to repair America’s deteriorating infrastructure.GOP critics point out the bill is loaded with tens of billions for items ranging from Amtrak subsidies to studying sexually transmitted diseases. Only 42 percent of Americans now think the bill is a good thing.
Even some Democrats are now objecting that the measure contains too few highway and mass transit projects
Provisions of the bill that many legislators are questioning:
. $1 billion for Amtrak, which hasn’t earned a profit in four decades.
. $2 billion to help subsidize child care.
. $400 million for research into global warming.
. $2.4 billion for projects to demonstrate how carbon greenhouse gas can be safely removed from the atmosphere.
. $650 million for coupons to help consumers convert their TV sets trom analog to digital, part of the digital TV conversion.
. $600 million to buy a new fleet of cars for federal employees and government departments.
. $75 million to fund programs to help people quit smoking.
. $21 million to re-sod the National Mall, which suffered heavy use during the Inauguration.
. $2.25 billion for national parks. This item has sparked calls for an investigation, because the chief lobbyist of the National Parks Association is the son of Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wisc. The $2,25 billion is about equal to the National Park Service’s entire annual budget. The Washington Times reports it is a threefold increase over what was originally proposed for parks in the stimulus bill. Obey is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
. $335 million for treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
. $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. $4.19 billion to stave off foreclosures via the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The bill allows nonprofits to compete with cities and states for $3.44 billion of the money, which means a substantial amount of it will be captured by ACORN, the controversial activist group currently under federal investigation for vote fraud. Another $750 millionwould be exclusively reserved for nonprofits such as ACORN – meaning cities and states are barred
from receiving that money. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., charges the money could appear to be a “payoff” for the partisan political activities community groups in the last election cycle.
. $44 million to renovate the headquarters building of the Agriculture Department.
. $32 billion for a “smart electricity grid to minimize waste.
. $87 billion of Medicaid funds, to aid states.
. $53.4 billion for science facilities, high speed Internet, and miscellaneous energy and environmental programs.
.$13 billion to repair and weatherize public housing, help the homeless, repair foreclosed homes.
. $20 billion for quicker depreciation and write-offs for equipment.
. $10.3 billion for tax credits to help families defray the cost of college tuition.
. $20 billion over five years for an expanded food stamp program.
Republican leaders say the stimulus package will add 32 new government programs at a cost of $136 billion. They object that many of the programs, once established, are likely to continue indefinitely.
Most media outlets are reporting the cost of the package at $819 billion. As Newsmax revealed yesterday, however, the Congressional Budget Office calculates that the interest on the debt generated
by the bill’s spending will cost another $347.1 billion, making the total cost approximately $1.17trillion.
Of course, the measure contains hundreds of billions in tax cuts and infrastructure projects thatconservatives will find palatable. But as House Minority whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., told the media Wednesday, “This was not a stimulus bill. It was a spending bill.”
#2 Kathleen,
I agree! I can’t believe this city is giving the McInery family so much tax money when so many have so little. good work.
Kathleen #2,
Mike Cassidy’s article makes YOUR blood boil? Your comments make MY blood boil.
GREED on Wall Street is what you blame? You’re blaming this thing on GREED? That’s like blaming the sinking of the Titanic on an iceberg. Or blaming gravity for causing the deaths of Bridge jumpers.
Greed exists. There has always been greed and there will always be greed. Complaining about greed is like complaining about gravity or about icebergs.
The existence of greed is one of the reasons that we have Government. Our laws and our elected “representatives” are meant to protect us from the effects of greed- not expose us to it. Blame our “representatives” in Washington. THEY caused this mess. Not Wall Street. Wall Street could have been as greedy as they wanted and it would have had little effect on you or me if our Government had stayed out of things that aren’t its’ business.
Don’t blame Wall Street. Don’t blame greed. Fooling ourselves about the true causes of this mess will doom us to doing it all over again.
You want to blame Bush? Fine. So do I. But you’d damned well better blame Barney Frank. If there is one single individual upon whom this entire disaster can be blamed, it is this fat, slobbering, self-righteous, finger-pointing Democrat jerk from Massachusetts.
Let’s not compound Barney Frank’s criminally negligent errors and Bush’s stupidly ignorant errors by allowing Obama and his Democratic Congress to propel us further down this road to Third Worldom.
This bill clearly represents an attempt for Democrats to make up for the years that they could not move their agenda forward because of the Republican majority in Congress. It is apparent now that neither party understands the phrase “fiscal responsibility.”
Worse, yet, it shows that our representatives have learned nothing from the so-called stimulus package of last year (and every other time they’ve tried to goose the economy through tax rebates).
Write your representatives and let them know how you feel about this massive piece of pork before they make the largest mistake in the history of government spending!
KLIV, Dale Warner, Chuck Blair in Santa Clara, Watch Dog Silicon Valley all made the right call when it came to Tesla’s collapse.
Indeed, we have the Hunch Nose of Santa Clara still claiming that Tesla is going to a winning proposal and now we should stop working on the stadium to attact it. The Redevelopment money for our city will be taken away in 2016 and the time is now to bring the stadium to Santa Clara. 50 million for schools will be the direct result of this proposal, a winning investment. Sadly we have people in our comunity that attack the good work of our Planning Director. Attack, attack every proposal in our community is the mantra of these dweebles who claim to meet with the community, but are among the inaccessible council members around. They meet with their zealots, and even attack San Jose Inside and the effort of McEnery to properly achieve a winning proposal of his own.
We should put these CEO’s and exec’s (making millions off of us middle class investors) in a cell in Guantánamo Bay. What would you do if you found someone stealing your retirement savings?
#5- John Galt,
Bush was an idiot, but I don’t blame him SOLELY for this mess. There is enough blame to go around for these types of horrific abuses by people in power, but do not sit by and tell me I can’t be angry about these types of abuses of the American taxpayers trust and money! Any one and everyone who abuses this bail out money, and ALL these idiots who okayed these funds without strings and accountability need to be ousted big time. When it comes to this situation,
there is no limit of stupidity on both sides of the two political parties here.
I’m sick and tired of hearing people like you spewing this garbage about greed being natural and there will always be greed, whilst hard working decent families are suffering. There’s something called integrity, compassion, good faith business, and keeping the public trust. This crap of screw you as long as my cupboards are full, and my family is fed are just beyond unacceptable John. These greedy scumbags could care less about others. They don’t live in the same world with the rest of us and unless something affects THEIR lively hood, or their life style, the rest of us don’t exist to them. That is it in a nutshell.
We have become a nation of selfish, greedy jerks who could care less about any one but ourselves. Long gone is the idea of love thy neighbor as thyself. It is a very sad world devoid of compassion and decency that we live in these days. I feel very sorry for our youth because we have been remiss at teaching them responsibility, accountability, the rewards of hard work and education, self-respect, and common decency. Hence why we have increased teen pregnancies, gangs, high school dropouts, etc.
Make a difference. If you are a Democrat, then get involved in your local county party. Spending most of the day writing about the party at the Lantern.
Kathleen, what’s supposed to keep the greedy jerks in check is the Government that you and I elect. And when you excuse THEM- even just a little bit- by proclaiming, “there’s plenty of blame on all sides”, these elected creeps are listening. They HEAR you and millions of other emotion-driven Americans, and it gives them the permission and power they need to continue with their irresponsible governance.
Instead of the effects of the greed being confined to the parties involved, you are telling your “representatives”, Go ahead. Send ME the bill.”
The greedy people- the loanERS, the loanEES, the bond buyers of GSEs like Fannie and Freddie are let off the hook. They’re paid off. The greedy UAW drives GM and Chrysler to bankruptcy and Barney Frank and Zoe Lofgren and Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer all decide to let you and me pick up the tab for their pensions for the rest of their lives. They have not learned a damned thing other than to be as greedy as they like and if things backfire on them, well, don’t worry, Kathleen Flynn and John Galt will pick up the tab.
#10-John Galt,
You are preaching to the choir. We agree. Look at what they are doing with the State budget. That makes my blood boil too. How can these idiots get a pay check when schools, the elderly, disabled, blind, doctors and hospitals who take Medical/Medicare go without payment because both political parties are too busy trying to out do the other on what gets cut and what doesn’t? I think we need to start with cutting their paychecks and perks.
And next election, I won’t be voting for ANYONE who is in office now, you can believe that.
WASHINGTON – Trying to salvage his nomination, Tom Daschle apologized Monday for delinquent tax payments as President Barack Obama and a top Senate chairman stood by him as the choice to lead the Health and Human Services Department.
$120k is hardly a minor error. But it doesn’t bother Obama or other Dems. If it were you or I, we’d be facing criminal charges.
Looks like we’re easing back into business as usual in D.C.
Change? Harummph! Same ol’ same ol’.
Has anybody been watching the excellent series on MSNBC about the stupid “Freedom Tower” plan in New York?
The Twin Towers Alliance has excellent links to it here:
http://www.twintowersalliance.com/petition/msnbc
I don’t always agree with the politics on MSNBC but on this issue but David Shuster deserves a medal for his coverage.
#15-Hugh,
Did they happen to cover how badly Bush, the City of New York, and the US government has treated Fire Fighters, Police Officers, EMT workers, and other rescuers who became deathly ill from diseases they contracted from the debris of the Twin Towers? I’m sure they didn’t. It is a disgrace how they were and have been treated. Even the families of people who died on the planes and in the buildings were compensated in ways these courageous heroes have not. The financial burden of these serious, and in some cases terminal illnesses, is being left solely at the door of these extraordinary people, and their families to cope with. Sickening.
Politicians are opportunistic puppets and shills, whatever party they claim.
It is the owning class: those parasites whose income rolls in based not on their work but on the interest and proceeds from their property who will be soaking up all the bailout money in the end.
Politicians have too much power. Period.
If they just stop meddling in everyone’s lives, trying to “solve” every problem, we’d all be better off.
The entire profession of lobbying exists because laws mean nothing, and politicians can change them to favor one person over another.
Remove their power and you will see a drastic change for the better.
I was skeptical about Obama’s promise of “change”, but I’ve really got to give him a lot of credit- He’s giving us the;
1st Secretary of Health and Human Services to be known to be guilty of income tax evasion- Tom Daschle. AND
1st Boss of the IRS to be a known income tax evader!- Eric Holder.
This definitely IS a refreshing change.
Way to come through on your promises Barack!
#14 – This group barely seems embarrassed, but hardly contrite.
All you Obama bashers can relax. Daschle has withdrawn. It didn’t take the “left-wing media” to do it. It was the right thing to do. So, you’ll have to find something else to criticize now. Sorry.
#20- Rip and Reade,
Amen to that!
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-02-03-obama-tuesday_N.htm?csp=24&RM_Exclude=Juno
#13: we need an initiative that says that the politicians don’t get paid once the Constitutional deadline to adopt a budget has passed. They get no salary, no per diem. AND, it’s not just deferred—they would NEVER GET IT for all those days. That MIGHT get them off their dead political asses.
They get paid while taxpayers deserving of tax refunds, contractors and others who dealt in good faith with the state get the shaft.
It’s time for another Boston Tea Party.
John Galt #18—It’s not just Obama. Don’t forget the following:
January 20
1. Outgoing President George W. Bush quietly boards his helicopter and leaves for Texas, commenting only: “Today is not about me. Today is a historical day for our nation and people.”
Eight years ago :
1. Outgoing President Bill Clinton schedules two separate radio addresses to the nation, and organizes a public farewell speech/ rally in downtown Washington D.C. scheduled to directly conflict with incoming President Bush’s inauguration ceremony.
January 20:
2. President Bush leaves office without issuing a single Presidential pardon, only granting a commutation of sentence to two former border patrol agents convicted of shooting a convicted drug smuggler. He does not grant any type of clemency to Scooter Libby or any other former political aide, ally, or business partner.
Eight years ago :
2. President Clinton issues 140 pardons and several commutations of sentence on his final day in office.
Included in these are: billionaire financier, convicted tax evader, and leading Democratic campaign contributor Marc Rich; Whitewater scandal figure Susan McDougal; Congressional Post Office Scandal figure and former Democratic Congressman Dan Rostenkowski; convicted bank fraud, sexual assault and child porn perpetrator and former Democratic Congressman Melvin Reynolds; and convicted drug felon Roger Clinton, the President’s half-brother.
January 20:
3. The Bush daughters leave gift baskets in the White House bedrooms for the Obama daughters, containing flowers, candy, stuffed animals, DVD’s and CD’s, and heartfelt notes of encouragement and advice for the young girls on how to prepare for their new lives in the White House.
Eight years ago :
3. Clinton and Gore staffers rip computer wires and electrical outlets from the White House walls, stuff piles of notebook papers into the White House toilets, systematically remove the letter “W” from every computer key-pad in the entire White House, and damage several thousand dollars worth of furniture in the White House master bedroom.
Headlines 4 Years Ago:
“Republicans spending $42 million on inauguration while troops Die in unarmored Humvees”
“Bush extravagance exceeds any reason during tough economic times”
“Fat cats get their $42 million inauguration party, Ordinary Americans get the shaft”
Headlines this year:
“Historic Obama Inauguration will cost only $170 million”
“Obama Spends $170 million on inauguration; America Needs A Big Party”
“Everyman Obama shows America how to celebrate”
“Citibank executives contribute $8 million to Obama Inauguration”
#20—was it “the right thing to do” to even nominate him under the circumstances?
Closer to home:
Several neighborhood groups have tried in vain to get any help from Pierluigi Oliverio, to no avail whatever.
Oliverio consistently hides out from his constituents—but he meets regularly with his out-of-town developer cronies. He takes their money and their help, and leaves District 6 residents holding the bag.
Tuesday evening we had another neighborhood meeting with few dozen District 6 residents. Oliverio has hidden out from every previous meeting we’ve had, but this time he at least promised to send an aide.
No aide showed up. They were no doubt partying hearty with Oliverio’s new best friends at Summerhill homes, which is packing about 300 new units in the BAREC property by Winchester and Stevens Creek.
The local residents will get the fallout from all that extra traffic, and Oliverio’s pal, the out-of-town developer, will just pick up his profits and move on, leaving long time residents with the problems.
Oliverio could have at least helped to mitigate some of the more minor problems [like a simple traffic light], but he doesn’t, because he is bought and paid for by Summerhill, and he is too cowardly to show up at any District 6 neighborhood meetings.
I would like to suggest that anyone interested in running for the District 6 council seat will have plenty of angry homeowners ready, willing and able to help walk precincts next election.
Oliverio can’t generate this really enormous bad will with the people he refuses to represent and hides out from, and then expect to skate into his next re-election. A potential candidate has 3+ years to line up support.
There is a small citizen army ready to kick him out of the city council. We already cost Dominic Caserta his election.
Word up.
[If interested, write
in**@sa*******.org
]
#25 Smokey,
Don’t know what you are smoking….
As a D6 resident who goes to TOO MANY neighborhood meetings, I never heard about any meeting on Tuesday night. Now let me check the various neighborhood e-mail lists around BAREC to see if it is posted….
Nope. Not on the neighborhood radar in D6, and believe me, if it was important, it would be listed on the neighborhood message boards.
Was this Tuesday meeting mentioned at the big yearly neighborhood meeting on Saturday, where Oliverio and Supervisor Yeager spoke? Nope. Did Barec have an informational booth at the yearly meeting? Nope.
Who are these people having meetings that aren’t announced to the D6 neighborhood groups?
Oliverio and his staff are everywhere and quite responsive. He is quite a fixture at all legitimate D6 neighborhood meetings.
You may be correct when you say “small citizen army”. I believe it’s very, very, very small indeed.
P.S. “consistently hides out from his constituents” Seriously, how can you in good conscious write this? For kicks I looked at Oliverio’s schedule to see what was listed for Tuesday night. It has not been updated, but I do see – a yearly N’hood meeting, a block party and a crab feed on Saturday, 3 neighborhood parties on Sunday, and a community meeting on Monday.
P.P.S. I’ve was at the SAVE BAREC Mediation Meeting Sat. June 16th 2007 at the Santa Clara Office of Human Relations where Oliverio voiced support for Save BAREC and strong opposition to Summerhill’s project.
I don’t always agree with Oliverio, but your “smoke screen” really chaps my hide and after a little digging found a recent position paper stating Oliverio’s position on the project:
http://www.northofforest.org/docs/pl-letter-oct-20-2008.pdf
Hey, where’s DeCinzo?
Geithner should be gone too. His appointment seems to be the most annoying hypocrisy.
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I so do not get the stupidity and gall of these greedy idiots:
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11644281
Steve #1 asks:“Is San Jose Inside becoming nothing more than the Metro’s Fly?”. No, Steve, it already is Metro Online. It’s not becoming, it is.
Ah, let’s see—a major reason why our economy is so upside down is that loads of folks who couldn’t qualify for a home mortgage loan under normal criterai received them due to the government pushing to relax Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac requirements; so that more folks (mostly economically unqualified) could get home mortgages.
The Obama/Congressional solution—give a $15k tax credit to more unqualified buyers to buy homes.
What about all those who saved, got the down payment, bought a home in the appropriate price range based upon their income? They get SQUAT under the Obama/Congressional plan being debated as we read. Hold onto your wallets folks—we’re screwed.
You want stimulus? Hey, Kentucky and other nearby states had all their above ground power lines toppled by high winds/icy conditions. What are they doing? Rebuilding them above ground, where they will be sure to be toppled again some time. Why not give those states some $$$ to underground all the utility lines, so when the next windstorm/ice storm hits, all those folks won’t have to shiver for days (and some die) due to the power failure?