My house is always for sale for the right price. –Illinois Real Estate salesman
Thank you for all your hard work and keep up the good work. My life is looking so much better now, and I’m impressed with your consistent standing on issues…–seen on facebook
How is it that some people say they agree with whatever Tom Reed or President Trump might do even before they know what it is? The answer must be that they have no principles other than to keep the GOP in power. They must understand that the GOP’s hold on political power hangs by a thread.
The GOP is seriously divided:
- Failed to repeal and replace Obamacare.
- Passed their tax bill by a hair.
- Continuing resolutions due to lack of agreement on budget.
- Divided into “problem solvers,” liberty caucus, freedom caucus, and others.
In NYS too, four dissident Republicans are at odds with the rest over SALT. What can explain the phony insistence that the GOP is united, that whatever the GOP does is just what was wanted? My explanation is fear–fear of foreigners, fear of immigrants, fear of minorities, fear of women, fear of poverty, and fear of city dwellers. How long fear will blind the voters isn’t obvious to me. Consider the facts:
- Tax cuts won’t pay for themselves.
- Tax cuts for the rich mostly benefit the rich.
- Immigration doesn’t keep us poor.
- Regulations don’t stand in the way of success in business.
- Cutting the social safety net won’t bring prosperity to all.
- The emperor has no clothes.
As long as fear dominates us, the fear-mongers may maintain their offices and influence.
Searching for keyword “fear” on newny23rd finds many interesting articles.
New NY 23rd 
An individual has only 2 options in the modern world. You are subject to the power of government or to the power of multinational corporations. The goal of corporations is to make a profit no matter what the effect on individuals, society or the environment. They live for the next quarter profit results. The goal of government is to protect individual rights, the environment and the rights of citizens, today and in the future.
The GOP has spent the last 40 years degrading the very idea of government. Greed is good. Drain the Swamp. Supply side economics. Government is the problem. The mantra of the GOP, wrapped in the false veneer of “freedom” is actually the opposite of freedom. It would make all people subservient to the moneyed interests that control multinational corporstions. In the modern world a smaller, less effective government means more corporate power over your life.
The GOP has done a great job of convincing people that government is evil and wasteful. And when they seize power, as they have done with their voter suppression laws, they demonstrate just how corrupt government can be. Mr Reed is just one of many. But his dishonesty is not unique , it is tha hallmark of the GOP.
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What does “drain the swamp” mean? I supposed it meant to end the pernicious influence of money in politics, to curtail lobbying, to oust corrupt individuals. Evidently it means nearly the opposite to some–to use public office for private profit, to attack civil servants who are associated with another party, to advance laws favored by interested parties, to misuse the power of government.
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Somewhere the Republican Party changed and took a wrong turn. At one time they were lead by a good and decent President, Dwight Eisenhower. Now they are boot-lickers for a vane and conceited idiot.
The 1956 Republican Party Platform:
The Republican Party believes that the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of the people is as important as their economic health. It will continue to support this conviction with vigorous action.
Republican action created the Department of Health, Education and Welfare as the first new Federal department in 40 years, to raise the continuing consideration of these problems for the first time to the highest council of Government, the President’s Cabinet.
Through the White House Conference on Education, our Republican Administration initiated the most comprehensive Community-State-Federal attempt ever made to solve the pressing problems of primary and secondary education.
Four thousand communities, studying their school populations and their physical and financial resources, encouraged our Republican Administration to urge a five-year program of Federal assistance in building schools to relieve a critical classroom shortage.
The Republican Party will renew its efforts to enact a program based on sound principles of need and designed to encourage increased state and local efforts to build more classrooms.
Our Administration also proposed for the first time in history, a thorough nation-wide analysis of rapidly growing problems in education beyond the high schools.
The Republican Party is determined to press all such actions that will help insure that every child has the educational opportunity to advance to his own greatest capacity.
We have fully resolved to continue our steady gains in man’s unending struggle against disease and disability.
We have supported the distribution of free vaccine to protect millions of children against dreaded polio.
Republican leadership has enlarged Federal assistance for construction of hospitals, emphasizing low-cost care of chronic diseases and the special problems of older persons, and increased Federal aid for medical care of the needy.
We have asked the largest increase in research funds ever sought in one year to intensify attacks on cancer, mental illness, heart disease and other dread diseases.
We demand once again, despite the reluctance of the Democrat 84th Congress, Federal assistance to help build facilities to train more physicians and scientists.
We have encouraged a notable expansion and improvement of voluntary health insurance, and urge that reinsurance and pooling arrangements be authorized to speed this progress.
We have strengthened the Food and Drug Administration, and we have increased the vocational rehabilitation program to enable a larger number of the disabled to return to satisfying activity.
We have supported measures that have made more housing available than ever before in history, reduced urban slums in local-federal partnership, stimulated record home ownership, and authorized additional low-rent public housing.
We initiated the first flood insurance program in history under Government sponsorship in cooperation with private enterprise.
We shall continue to seek extension and perfection of a sound social security system.
We pledge close cooperation with State, local and private agencies to reduce the ghastly toll of fatalities on the Nation’s highways.
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Steve. Great response. And the EPA was created by Nixon to deal with the unregulated dumping of toxic materials, by various corporations, into our rivers and streams and fields.
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What a difference:
1952: “The tradition of popular education, tax-supported and free to all, is strong with our people. The responsibility for sustaining this system of popular education has always rested upon the local communities and the States. We subscribe fully to this principle.”
1956: “Through the White House Conference on Education, our Republican Administration initiated the most comprehensive Community-State-Federal attempt ever made to solve the pressing problems of primary and secondary education.”
“The Republican Party is determined to press all such actions that will help insure that every child has the educational opportunity to advance to his own greatest capacity.”
What happened between 1952 and 1956?
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=25837
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=25838
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The Department of education was done under President Carter. During President Obama’s entire presidency we did not have one budget. It was one continuing resolution after another.
Everything is not as “Black and White” as you guys paint it.
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Also, under Carter, the US started the Department of Energy. And in one of the major speeches in the 20th century, Mr Carter predicted that unless the US got serious about developing alternative energy sources, we would be in big trouble. He was right. He outlined 10 principles as an outline of dealing with energy problems.
Carter also installed solar water heating panels in the White House, as a demonstration that our energy needs could be partially met by alternative sources. Mr Reagan had those energy efficient solar panels ripped out as a statement that the GOP was going to continue to be the party of the oil industry in opposition to any investment in alternative energy sources.
From the Carter speech:
“We can be sure that all the special interest groups in the country will attack the part of this plan that affects them directly. They will say that sacrifice is fine as long as other people do it, but that their sacrifice is unreasonable or unfair or harmful to the country. If they succeed with this approach, then the burden on the ordinary citizen, who is not organized into an interest group, would be crushing.”
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=7369
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Rynstone,the function Department of Education hasn’t changed since the creation of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1953. Only the name changed in 1979 when Education was split and the Department of Health and Human Services was also created. If you think we are painting things in black and white spare us the trite remarks and please enlighten us.
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1952: “The tradition of popular education, tax-supported and free to all, is strong with our people. The responsibility for sustaining this system of popular education has always rested upon the local communities and the States. We subscribe fully to this principle.” Yet in 2016 Republicans rushed to undermine local efforts to implement common core standards.
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The “honest ” GOP in North Carolina,
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal judges ruled Tuesday that North Carolina’s congressional district map drawn by legislative Republicans is illegally gerrymandered because of excessive partisanship that gave the GOP a rock-solid advantage for most seats and must quickly be redone.
The ruling marks the second time this decade that the GOP’s congressional boundaries in the state have been thrown out by a three-judge panel. In 2016, another panel tossed out two majority black congressional districts initially drawn in 2011, saying there was no justification for using race as the predominant factor in forming them. The redrawn map was the basis for a new round of lawsuits.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/judges-north-carolina-must-redraw-gops-gerrymandered-map-000525885–politics.html
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What is the solution? Software that designs partisan districts could just as well design fair districts, but who is to decide? Some States have adopted non-partisan commissions (NYS has moved in that direction), but will that work?
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There have been a number of solutions to the gerrymandering issue proposed, some as eary as 1996. You can use a computer generated model based on some agreed upon parameters, ignoring whther or not an area is GOP or Dem. Check out these sites for ideas:
http://www.rangevoting.org/GerryExamples.html
http://archives.maproomblog.com/2006/11/computer-generated_electoral_districts.php
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