The US Government has been doing it for generations. It misleads the American people on many matters but perhaps the worst lies are that unemployment is at 5 percent and the Cost of Living Adjustment is at 1.5 percent.
Both of these government statements are outright lies!
Henry David Thoreau was correct when he stated that "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."
Americans are hurting. Approximately 70 percent carry some debt and are living precariously from month to month.
Of course the government rate of unemployment is nonsense. The real number is up around 20 percent.
Most unemployed are not being calculated because they have been out of work for years. Many have given up trying to find work.
Furthermore many of the jobs being counted by the government are for less money and/or for part time employees. Many of those being counted have 2 or more part time jobs. Many are without benefits.
But this is nothing new. Government calculations have always been incorrect because they are based on faulty, antiquated and/or illogical formulas.
The same should be said regarding the formula for determining Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the Disabled or Disabled Veterans on Social Security Disability and on Veterans Disability. Both of these categories are paid by the Department of the Treasury.
The formula for this year only raised the COLA 1.5 percent... and that amount is totally wrong.
In truth, the COLA has risen much more than that, but the antiquated and incorrect formula remains untouched by the President and Congress as it has been ignored for decades.
Consequently millions of Disabled receiving government disability are being short-changed. Many no longer can afford to live. Many have become homeless and many more soon will be.
It's time that Congress give the Disabled what they are entitled to for a real and accurate COLA.
It is also time the Congress redetermine an accurate account of the unemployed in our nation.
I read this today in Fox News. it hit me in the middle of my heart and
mind. So, just sharing with you... and you know why... but I always get chills
when I read about this time period in the World’s history.
It is almost with
disbelief that such a monsterous thing could happen on the World stage.
As the
article says, so many people no longer have any real knowledge of what happened
to millions obliterated from life by Hitler and the Nazis. When bad men ruled
the Earth... “Never forget!” is emblazoned in my mind... and I
wasn’t even there.
I recall visiting the Diaspora in Israel many years ago. I
can never forget. So, I would like all of you to remember also... and teach others
to “Never forget!” also... because if we forget, it can happen again....
Seventy years ago I
was in a Nazi concentration camp.
Since then, I’ve
seen tyrants and dictators enter and exit the global stage. Yet as the world
prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation, it
is perhaps well and right that we reflect on how the Holocaust shocked the moral
imagination on a scale the world could scarcely fathom.
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Why ponder such
things? Because for far too many, the Holocaust remains a
mystery.
A major poll
taken last year of 53,000 people found that just 54 percent had ever heard of the
Holocaust. Knowledge of Auschwitz is likely even more limited, particularly
among young people. Past surveys have shown that nearly half of Britons had never
heard of Auschwitz. Some schoolchildren even thought Auschwitz was a type of beer.
Here at home
in America a debate erupted last year when a teenager posted a smiling selfie at Auschwitz. Whatever your
opinion on the appropriateness of her actions, I was at least pleased to be
reminded that some young Americans still visit the Nazi concentration camp to
learn history up close.
In 1944, my family
and I stood in line before Dr. Joseph Mengele—the Nazi physician known as the
“Angel of Death”—as my mother, grandparents, two sisters, and baby brother were
all sent to the left to be burned in Hitler’s ovens. My father and I were sent
to the right.
I, too, visited
Auschwitz as a teenager. In 1944, my family and I stood in line before Dr.
Joseph Mengele—the Nazi physician known as the “Angel of Death”—as my mother,
grandparents, two sisters, and baby brother were all sent to the left to be
burned in Hitler’s ovens. My father and I were sent to the
right.
The first night
inside Auschwitz my father said we must separate because together we would
suffer double. “On your own, you will survive,” he told me. “You are young and
strong, and I know you will survive. If you survive by yourself, you must honor
us by living, by not feeling sorry for us. This is what you must do.” That was
the last time I ever saw my father.
I’m grateful for my
father’s words of grace and guidance. They echo in my heart even still. It’s a
cruel thing, feeling guilty for surviving. But my father erased any future guilt
and replaced it with purpose. It was a gift only a father’s wisdom could give.
It gave me a reason to go forward, a reason to be. It does
still.
Part of heeding my
father’s words involved replacing the horrors of my Holocaust past with a life
spent creating beauty in the form of hand-tailored suits for U.S. presidents,
Hollywood films, and the world’s most influential men. In fact, my first sewing
lesson took place in the Auschwitz concentration camp laundry when I accidently
ripped the collar of Nazi soldier shirt. A guard beat me before a kind older
inmate taught me how to sew a simple stitch to repair the torn shirt. It was
hardly the ideal tailoring apprenticeship, but it was my first lesson in a skill
that became my livelihood.
But at 86, another
part of honoring my father’s wishes requires being a voice for the voiceless.
Indeed, as parents, educators, and citizens, we must all do our part to help
ensure that “Never Forget” remains much more than a threadbare catchphrase that
gathers dust and loses meaning with each passing year.
For example,
many people are surprised to learn that Auschwitz was actually a complex
comprised of three main camps and dozens of satellites. The United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum’s statistics estimate that between 1940 and
1945, at least 1.1 million Jews and 200,000 of Hitler’s undesirables were sent
to the Auschwitz complex. Of those, 1.1 million were murdered. As I’ve notedelsewhere, that number would have been
far greater were it not for the courage of the American soldiers, sailors,
airmen, and Marines who traveled around the world to defeat a moral darkness
that consumed at least six million Jewish souls.
That’s a lesson
worthy of remembrance. The 70th anniversary of the liberation marks that
moment when freedom conquered barbarism through sureness of virtue and strength
of will. Sadly, as recent events reveal, that remains a lesson humanity must
learn and relearn from generation to generation.
The word Holocaust
means “sacrifice by fire.” May the memory of the millions who were engulfed in
the flames like my family never be forgotten.
Sharia Law is a
danger to everything we hold dear and sacred in the United States. There is a
huge mistaken belief that Islam is a peaceful culture and religion. Nothing is
further from the truth. Radical Muslims are trying to get Sharia Law approved in
various US states and other countries. Alabama
voters recently voted against it. Wise choice.
Once upon a time
these Islamic beliefs weren’t such a problem for the US because Islamic
countries were more primitive, backward and restricted to their Mid-Eastern
regions, but now they have the means, capability and fanatical desire to be more
global in their hostile actions.
In short, we are
targeted more by Islam and it will only get worse. They want to kill all
infidels and that is how they see Americans. We continue to be too politically correct with all immigrants entering the US and it is a big mistake.
The world has
become smaller and we must become more alert and ready to eliminate every and
any threat. There is no alternative.
Anyone who
doesn't see Islam as a huge threat to the US is extremely naive or lying to
themselves and to others. I include President Barack Obama in that
description.
“A big difference between Democrats and Republicans is
that the Democrats blatantly tax and spend and don't try to
hide it, while the Republicans tax and spend but they call it fees, penalties
and toll roads.”
Gov-elect Greg Abbott talks a good
game, but he is like so many Conservatives when it comes to picking and choosing
what rights they want to defend and when they want to defend them.
As soon as the oil companies are permitted
to and want to take our
lands for mineral and oil rights, or when a city, county
or the state
wants to take our land to build through a new toll road, Abbott and
legislators will work against Texas homeowners and their property
rights and/or
will not pay top dollar to take that property from us. I'm all for government staying out of our
lives, but right now Democrats AND Republicans at state, county and city levels
tell us what to do and they determine what rights we can keep and what rights
they will remove for their own gain. Confucius tells us to"Beware of the man who
blows hot and cold with one breath." Greg Abbott is such a
man.
Once again the Texas Legislature and their special interest cohorts are pushing for School Vouchers, saying that they would save Texans $billions.
Every couple of yearsthe same bunch of basset hounds go into legislative session howling for school vouchers. I suppose, if they keep doing it long enough eventually they will get it. Sen. Donna Campbell is the newbie on the voucher block, but the rest have been doing it for decades.
Small wonder why they want vouchers. Legislators and other officials would do anything to divert the State's constitutional obligation to provide a quality education for Texas children.
However, if you are going to have public education, then do it right!
Public schools need to return to basics, more of the reading, writing and 'rithmetic and also teach some good ol’ life lessons on how to get a job, write a resume and how to become a worthwhile citizen.
That is what public education should be.... but the Conservatives love private schools and yet Sen. Campbell along with Rep. Jimmie Aycock and otherGOP legislators want to give private education more regulations. Nothing like a conservative Senators and Representatives wanting more regulations over private schools... [makes me goose-pimply all over] So much for smaller government.
Asked about vouchers recently, state Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen and chairman of the House Public Education Committee, said “it will certainly get discussed — always does” but described imposing state standards on private schools as a complicating factor.
“We require curriculum control, we require teacher quality control, we require all sorts of regulations,” he said. “If I could be assured somehow that there was good quality control that followed the state money, then I’d certainly be willing to talk about it. As far as turning the money lose without any control — I’m pretty hesitant to do that.”
Anyway, aren't "state standards" a huge part of the problem inherent in public education, so legislators now want to do the same thing to private education? Doesn't sound very smart to me.
If you don’t want public education, then get rid of it and let people pay for private schools and dump the responsibility onto the parents to educate their children... but the Liberals love their public education. So? What now?
Very dramatic and interesting statement by NYC
Police. This is very similar to the time that the NYC Police “went on strike” back in the
1970’s at the Yankee Stadium fight between Ken Norton and Mohammed Ali. Norton
won that fight, but the judges gave it to Ali and the police just stood inside
and outside the Stadium as large gangs of kids and punks robbed wealthy people
in limos and beat up on people and the police just let them do it, never lifting
a finger to help or to do their jobs. They wanted their higher pay and benefits
and at that time I think it was Mayor Beam who was Public Enemy #1 to the
police. The city refused to support police and the police let them know it was
a huge mistake.
Now it is this idiot mayor de Blasio who hasn’t really supported the NYC
Police and they are letting him know it. This is the worst relationship a mayor
has had with the police since that time I mentioned above. As far as I’m
concerned, Mayor de Blasio is “dead meat” now. There is nowhere to hide from the
mess he has created.
Police all around the nation are in similar turmoil. Without police having
the full support of city management and the people, it is going to be a Hell on
Earth in the US from now on.
Peter Stern
From Fox News...
HUNDREDS OF POLICE
OFFICERS outside the Queens, NY church where the
funeral of Rafael Ramos was being held turned their backs on Mayor Bill de
Blasio as he eulogized the fallen officer who was ambushed last week along with
his partner.
By "legislators" I mean those who serve in the US Congress, and those legislators at the State and Local levels. They all seem to forget that they serve the people who voted for them and not merely for themselves and their very wealthy special interests.
We need more legislators who are middle road oriented and who balance our needs and objectives in an intelligent, rational and responsible manner.
We all have lost the art of compromise, which was very important to the men who developed our Constitution. Balance is crucial in making our democratic Republic work properly, but we've tossed all of that balance out the window.
Legislators rather do nothing than to compromise and be reasonable with their perceived enemies on either side. It needs to stop because we are committing national suicide.
In addition, being "politically correct" (whatever that is these days) is destroying what was great about our nation.
Once upon a time we called a Christmas tree a Christmas tree. It didn't matter. Now all of a sudden we can't function without being "politically correct."
I say throw "political correctness" out the window, along with most of our legislators. We deserve better.
Maybe the president needs to clean the White House
windows to get a better view of middle America. Twenty million Americans are out
of work, while thousands have lost their homes to foreclosure.
Hundreds of jobs are being outsourced to cheaper labor
overseas or to illegal immigrants here. Our children’s education has taken a
back seat to the net profits of the corporate sector. Most Americans lack
affordable health care and too many are in debt for over-using credit cards to
pay for their daily living expenses.
But we’re fighting expensive wars overseas that we can’t
win. American soldiers continue to die daily in Iraq, Afghanistan and other
god-forsaken places throughout the world, while the needs and care of our
veterans are not being met.
Never has an American president appeared so
disassociated from the reality of the American people.
This site was created as a public file to house my published political writings on various issues and to share them. Once in a while, I may toss in a special piece of writing.
ANOTHER TEXAS PUSH FOR SCHOOL VOUCHERS
