Senator Bernie Sanders calls out GOP on tax cuts

Bravo Senator Sanders (Independent from Vermont) for having the balls to stand up and say what many Democrats are too scared say.

“We’re very concerned about the deficit, we’re very concerned about the national debt.  But you know what we’re more concerned about?  Giving HUGE tax cuts to the wealthiest people in this country”

“We just don’t have enough money for working families and their needs; we’re gonna cut back on food stamps… We’re surely not gonna expand unemployment compensation; we got a higher priority Mr. President! 

We have got to, got to, got to… give tax break to billionaires.  I mean that’s what this whole place (Congress) is about, isn’t it?  They fund the campaigns they get what’s due them…”      – Bernie Sanders on Republicans supporting tax cuts for the rich 

We need more people like Bernie Sanders (and Anthony Weiner) in politics who tell it like it is!

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Talking Points Tuesdays – Once again, Unemployment Benefits…

Today Republican leadership (Sen. Mitch McConnell, Rep. John Boehner, Rep. Eric Cantor) met with President Obama to begin discussions on an agreement/compromise concerning the extension of Bush Era Tax Cuts.  More specifically extending tax cuts for the upper wealthy 2%

I’m not writing this to once again exhaust the tax discussion; I want to shed light on the disdain Republicans seems to have for the working class.

While wealthy Republican congressmen fight to protect their fortunes as well as the fortunes of their millionaire/billionaire buddies; 2 Million Americans will potentially lose their unemployment benefits at the end of the year as congress was unable to workout an extension.  Those Americans struggling to find work will once again be slapped in the face by the government they voted.  At the same time they will be labeled as lazy folks looking for a hand out.

REALLY??

I don’t understand how anyone could call the majority of Americans on unemployment lazy.  If you ever been on unemployment you would know going from a $60K (annually) job to receiving $405 (before taxes) a week is NO lap of luxury. 

Weekly unemployment benefits by state (2/2009)
State  Maximum State  Maximum
Alabama $255 Montana $407
Alaska $370 Nebraska $308
Arizona $240 Nevada $362
Arkansas $409 New Hampshire $427
California $450 New Jersey $584
Colorado $475 New Mexico $455
Connecticut $519 New York $405
Delaware $330 North Carolina $494
District of Columbia $359 North Dakota $385
Florida $275 Ohio $372
Georgia $330 Oklahoma $392
Hawaii $545 Oregon $482
Idaho $362 Pennsylvania $539
Illinois $385 Rhode Island $528
Indiana $390 South Carolina $326
Iowa $443 South Dakota $285
Kansas $423 Tennessee $275
Kentucky $415 Texas $378
Louisiana $284 Utah $444
Maine $496 Vermont $409
Maryland $380 Virginia $378
Massachusetts $628 Washington $541*
Michigan $365 West Virginia $424
Minnesota $566 Wisconsin $363
Mississippi $230 Wyoming $387
Missouri $320    

Who can feed a family and pay bills on $628??

The economy is SLOWLY recovering but there is not enough job creation to support the amount of unemployed Americans on the market. 

It is time for us to do the right thing and help those who NEED the help and not worry about tax cuts for RICH MOFOS!!

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

WTF/WTH Wednesdays – “Don’t touch my Junk”

TSA pat downs

When John Tyner (not pictured) said, “If you touch my junk, I’m going to have you arrested” to an TSA (Transportation Security Administration) Agent during a pat down security check at an airport; he gave all dumbass Americans across the country a reason to bitch and complain about TSA security.  Yes you are reading it correctly, I am calling all the nutbag folks complaining about pat downs and body scanners dumbasses!!!

By the way John Tyner purposely taped his encounter with TSA, this wasn’t a coincidence by any means

We have all heard it before, after 9/11 the world as we knew it changed.  When those mofos boarded American domestic flights and took over planes with small knives the game most definitely changed.  We could no longer just look for terrorists trying to just smuggle bombs or guns on a flight.  Kats are now trying to light exploding shoes (Richard Reid) and underwear (Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab), this is not a game any more.

Since 9/11 we have been reluctant to profile passengers; and rightly so.  Terrorist are no longer just Middle-easterners with head wraps; again just look at Richard Reid aka Shoe-Bomber and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab aka Underwear-Bomber.

I am pretty sure everyone wants to fly safely without worrying about their plane being blown up or hijacked.

The problem is that people want to be safe without giving up anything; our society is SO selfish!  Everyone is for safety until they are inconvenienced in any way; I guess death is an acceptable option when it comes to standing in long lines or getting felt up a little bit.

When TSA rolled out the new program of Body Scanners and Pat Downs disgruntled passengers complained about being a naked image on a screen and being “molested”.  Sounds like people or more OK with being naked slabs on a coroner’s table, because that’s what you are ultimately saying!!  There are options offered; you can opt-out of the body scanner and subject yourself to a pat down.  Except people have issues with pat downs as well, just ask John Tyner aka “Don’t touch my junk”

So let me see if I got this…  We want secure safe flights protected from passengers/terrorists carrying weapons onto flights that could cause harm to the innocent.  We want this level of security minus the hassle; this National Opt-Out day is the dumbest thing I ever heard of.  You are protesting more security; this is what people find to be important, WTF!!!

Some people take the stance that they don’t want some strange TSA Agent feeling them up.  How about this thought, I bet TSA Agents would love to avoid getting close to or feeling up overweight or dirty mofos.

So far I have heard a lot of bitching but I don’t hear a lot of other viable solutions being offered that can be effective.  Some say we should move towards the Israeli model of screening passengers (interviewing passengers and selecting questionable candidates).  That would be great if the United States was the size of Israel, you can’t even compare the to airport systems.

I say body scan and pat me down if you have to; just don’t TUG on my junk. HAHA!!!

In all seriousness I am fearful and not afraid to say it; I know we can’t cover all the bases but I would hope we would be open to ways that could make us safe.  If you want to argue/protest lets focus on areas that are barely (only 4%) even being looked at like cargo on flights.  Body scans and pat downs are not humiliating, what’s humiliating would be turning a blind eye to real threats.

Unfortunately I believe people will only wake up to what is REALLY important about keeping us safe when there is another attack on U.S. soil and or skies. 

Mike Barnicle on MNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ said it best this morning, “We are now more afraid at airports, apparently of being felt up than being blown up!”

 

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Talking Points Tuesdays – If it’s good enough for Warren Buffett…

Warren Buffett

If you know me you know where I stand with ending Bush Era Tax Cuts for the upper 2% wealthy and extending the tax cuts for the Middle/Working Class.  It’s very simple, our economy is driven by the middle/working class.  Yes the rich spend a lot of money, but when you compare to the amount of money and the number of people considered to be in the middle/working class…  There is no comparison!!!

People need to realize 95% Americans (that’s you) were given a tax cut by President Obama!!

President Obama campaigned on letting the Bush Era Tax Cuts for the upper 2% wealthy; so there is nothing new.  WE all knew that this was coming and it was heavily supported, no surprises or flip-flopping going on here.  In fact letting the tax cuts expire for the wealthy is still widely supported by the American people.

So what’s the problem?

The problem is so-called fiscal Conservatives in Congress are now crying that letting the tax cuts expire for the rich will stifle economic growth and kill jobs.  Meanwhile they (Conservatives) also scream about being fiscally responsible; the problem with all of this is that extending the tax cuts for the rich will cost the United States $700 Billion over the next ten years.  That’s $700 Billion that will be added to our already enormous National Debt.

The Congressional Budget Office aka CBO (neutral entity) has stated that giving the rich a tax cut is the LEAST effective way to create jobs or stimulate the economy.  Ronald Reagan’s budget officer has gone on the record that extending the tax cuts would cause my harm than good (for the record he suggest letting tax cuts expire for Rich and Middle/Working classes).

Let’s see that’s a neutral entity in the CBO against tax cuts for rich and we also have a Conservative who worked for the Grand Daddy (Ronald Reagan) of Trickle Down economics against tax cuts for the rich (and Middle/Working class).  Still we have the GOP trying to push the agenda of tax cuts rich and that Liberals are trying to start a class war.

Maybe the American people will ignore the GOP and listen to some one who will be directly affected by increased taxes; Warren Buffet.  If you don’t know Buffett; he is rich beyond rich.

How do you think he feels about letting the Bush Era Tax Cuts for the upper 2% (which he is) expire?

“I think that people at the high-end, people like myself, should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we’ve ever had it,” he told ABC’s Christiane Amanpour

Wait, WHAT?

On increasing taxes for the rich…

“The rich are always going to say that, you know, ‘Just give us more money, and we’ll go out and spend more, and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you.’ But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on.”

As I stated in the title of this posting, “If it’s good enough for Warren Buffett…” then it is good enough for the rest of the upper 2% rich!!

Buffett

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Is Derek Jeter serious?

Derek Jeter

It’s no secret that I am not a NY Yankees fan; I pretty much hate everything associated with the Yankees. With all that hatred I am still a fan of baseball and I will always respect talent. So when it comes to Derek Jeter I fully respect what he has accomplished as the Yankee Captain.

Since day one in the majors Jeter has experienced being Yankee Royalty; and it was all earned by Jeter. He has been able to keep his nose clean for the most part; I can only recall the tax evasion on his NYC apartment and some whispers questioning his offseason workout habits a few years ago.

Other than that he has had a spotless career; all while being a major sports icon in NYC.

During his seemingly spotless career Jeter has been paid very well for what he has done for the NY Yankees. In the era of big money contracts where fans scrutinize if players are living up to the dollar amount of their contracts. No one has ever questioned if Jeter has ever made too much money. The Captain has done everything for the Yankees except pitch for them.

For 15 seasons Jeter has performed at the highest level, but like everything else father time eventually dulls the senses.

Your not as quick as you used to be…

It takes you a millisecond longer to pickup the ball from the pitcher…

You can’t cover the same ground moving to your left or right…

Without a doubt Jeter will be one of the Greatest Yankees of all-time and he will have his plaque side by side with the greats in monument park at Yankee Stadium.  He will also be a 1st ballot hall of famer; anything short of a unanimous vote will be a travesty…

With all that said, the alleged 5-6 year deal in the range of $20 million per year that Jeter is requesting is a little crazy.  The Yankees are said to be offering a 3 year deal worth $50 million dollars.  This is more than enough money for an aging shortstop who has CLEARLY lost a step in the field and at the plate!!

People automatically believe since the Yankees make so much money that they should have money to burn; this type of thinking is selfish.  Why should the Yankees lock themselves into a 5 to 6 year deal for a declining player who has not given any inclination that he is wiling to change positions for the good of the team.  No matter how stringent of an off-season program he could put himself through, he will never regain the steps he has lost in the field.  He will be a liability in the field.  At most MAYBE he could capture some lighting in the bottle at the plate and get back to a .300 average along with a high on base %.

Also we have to keep in mind that the Yankees have paid Jeter something like $200 million dollars during his career; so this is not a case of the Yanks being cheap.

It’s never easy for an athlete or a fan to except that the end is near; its time for Jeter to recognize his time in baseball is coming to an end.  It’s not like he is Mariano Rivera; who is still pitching at a high level.  Derek should take the 3 year deal bust his ass and show that he should get another deal if necessary; right now it just doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Yankees to lock up a 36-year-old for the next 5-6 years.  The sooner Yankee fans admit it to themselves the better!

By the way I realize it is easy for me as a Mets fans to say play hardball with a baseball icon.  The Mets are not exactly the epitome of Baseball organization excellence; we tend to avoid these difficult situations by dealing our GREAT players…

Nolan Ryan, and Tom Seaver just to name a few

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

MSNBC suspends Joe Scarborough for GOP Donations

Joe Scarborough host of MSNBC's Morning Joe

After suspending Keith Olbermann for making political donations to Liberal candidates; MSNBC is now trying to come off as being a fair and balance network by suspending MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough.  MSNBC announced about earlier this evening that Scarborough will be suspended for 2 days without pay (same punishment Olbermann received).  When Olbermann was suspended MSNBC was highly criticized by Liberal pundits for the move as information started to come out that Scarborough had made similar political donations to GOP candidates.

One particular Liberal pundit that made the most noise about Olbermann’s suspension was his colleague Rachel Maddow.  The Friday after Olbermann was suspended Maddow used the closing remarks of her nightly show to voice her support.  Maddow unleashed a verbal assault pointing out the number of FOX News hosts that have donated to political campaigns and how GOP candidates use Fox News to openly raise campaign funds.  She pointed that unlike Fox that Keith does not attempt to hide his donations and that there is difference in how Fox and MSNBC hosts do their jobs.  During her verbal lashing of unfair treatment of Olbermann, Maddow made sure to mention that other hosts on MSNBC have donated to political campaigns without punishment…

“You can [donate] if you ask in advance and management tells you OK. That’s what I understand happened with our morning show host’s political donations in 2006, under previous management,” she said.

At the time it was thought that the only difference between Olbermann and Scarborough’s donations was that Scarborough asked for permission.  Days after Olbermann’s suspension Scarborough spoke with MSNBC President Phil Griffin and supposedly reassured Griffin that all his donations were on the up and up with MSNBC policy.

End of story right???  Not really…

Political new service Politico (first to scoop the Olbermann donation story) uncovered at least 5 political donations of $500 each that were not mentioned by Joe during his conversation with Griffin.  When confronted Scarborough admitted to making in total 8 donations of $500 each to candidates in his home state of Florida.  In light of this news Phil Griffin released the following statement

“This morning, Joe Scarborough informed me that he’d made eight contributions of $500 each to local candidates in Florida between 2004-08,” wrote Griffin. “In my conversation with Joe two weeks ago, he did not recall these contributions. Since he did not seek or receive prior approval for these contributions, Joe understands that I will be suspending him for violating our policy.”

Scarborough will be able to return to his show Nov. 24th

For Joe Scarborough this has to be a little bit embarrassing and there will surely be jokes on Joe and MSNBC from the likes of Jon Stewart (The Daily Show) and Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report).  For the record I like Joe and I love his show “Morning Joe”; Scarborough is one of the more fair Conservatives and he tries to give fair opinions as he is critical of both Liberals and Conservatives.  Hopefully we have heard the last of MSNBC hosts being suspended, fingers crossed.

Meanwhile FOX News has to be laughing at all the negative press their rival is receiving.

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Takeover Thursdays – For some Mike Vick’s comeback story not enough….

Mike Vick

On Monday Night Football the comeback of Mike Vick reached a new high as Vick put up a record-breaking performance that may never be duplicated.

Vick became the first player in NFL history with 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game. Vick also became the first player in NFL history to have three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in the first half of a game.

While most praised Vick’s performance there was at least one person who felt the need to make sure Mike Vick’s accomplishments were put into perspective he felt was necessary.  Steve Politi of NJ.com penned the article Michael Vick’s comeback will only be truly a great story if dog fighting declines.

Politi starts his article with Mike Vick’s tweet after his historic game, “God Can Turn Mistakes Into Miracles”.

He mentions Vick’s tweet as if to say that Mike Vick is out of touch with reality; Politi continues by calling Vick’s performance on Monday Night “impressive” but

“A miracle has to be bigger than broken tackles and touchdowns passes.  A decline in dog fighting?  Now that would be the miracle.”

Politi is either completely missing the point of what Vick is trying to say with his tweet or he is using the moment of Vick’s success to grab attention.  In this Politi is using Vick’s success…

I will admit that I am not an avid reader of Politi’s so it is possible that he has written a number of articles about dog fighting.  What rubs me the wrong way is how Politi wraps Vick’s historic night around this anti-dog fighting article.  To be honest this article acts like dog fighting begins and should end with Mike Vick and that is not fair.

We all know what Mike Vick did was wrong and him serving 21 months in federal prison along with 2 months of home confinement is no one else fault but his own.  What Politi fails to understand is that Vick being able to come back from losing it all too now being in the conversation for MVP is sort of miracle.  We always hear stories of athletes who waste their talent and lose it all; constantly being mentioned in “What if” scenarios.  How many times do we hear stories like this one turning into what seems to be a happy ending?

So when Mike Vick says, “God Can Turn Mistakes into Miracles” he is not saying it is miracle that he can put up record numbers by breaking tackles and scoring touchdowns.  He is saying that it’s a miracle that he was given the chance to play football again after all the mistakes he made in the past.

There is no need to diminish Vick’s accomplishments, as stated in the article Vick being found guilty of dog fighting and serving time for it shined a necessary spotlight on an issue that had to be addressed.  It’s unfair to saddle Vick with the responsibility of eliminating dog fighting as the title of Politi’s article suggest.

Sorry Mr. Politi, but if Mike Vick walks away from this experience an overall better person/player on and off the field his comeback is indeed a great story!!

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

WTF/WTH Wednesdays – Charles Rangel’s last Harlem Shake????

The Ethics Subcommittee found Harlem Representative Charles Rangel guilty of 11 of 12 counts of ethics violations.  This is seemingly the beginning of the end for Charlie; as his next appearance will be in front of the Ethics Committee where he will receive his punishment.  Many believe Rangel will not be expelled from Congress but he will not be able to regain the Chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee (which he would have lost anyway with Republicans winning the majority in the House) and his reputation/legacy will forever be tainted by this controversy.

Rangel is the last remaining member of the Harlem’s Gang of Four still in politics.  The group consisted of Rangel, Basil Paterson (David Paterson’s Dad), Percy Sutton, and David Dinkins.  With Rangel’s follies it is a true lost for Harlem; Rangel carries 30 years of political experience in Washington and New York that cannot be recaptured easily by young and upcoming Harlem politicians.  Old Charlie finally let the game catch up to him; after 30 years of Congress Rangel was late to adjust to the new world.

When Nancy Pelosi took over as Speaker of the House, she promised to clean up Congress.  Those rules didn’t only apply to Republicans…

Rangel was facing 13 charges of financial and fund-raising wrongdoing, but the committee combined two counts.

Among other things, Rangel was accused of using his official letterhead to solicit money for a center in his name at City College, filing erroneous financial-disclosure statements, and misusing rent-controlled apartments in Manhattan.

Rangel was acquitted on the charge of violating the House of Representatives rule on accepting gifts. The panel was deadlocked on that count, 4 to 4. – NYC Daily News

The shame of it all is the power of the House Ways and Means Committee; potential reforms to programs like Social Security, Welfare, and Medicare would pass through this committee.  Losing some one of Rangel’s clout is a blow to Liberals that could potentially the “30 Something” crowd and others to follow.

At the end of the day Rangel was his worst own enemy; the irony in all of this is that in 1970 and upstart Charlie Rangel beat the embattled incumbent Adam Clayton Powell Jr; Powell was a highly controversial congressman who faced a number of accusations of unethical use of his office and chairmanship.

Who knows what the future holds for Charlie; even with all the accusations he was able to win a landslide victory this past mid-term elections.  He could remain a congressman when it is all said and done; I just don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing…

 

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

 

Talking Points Tuesdays – What’s the rush?

Lexington Ave Rush Hour

While on my morning commute I like to observe my fellow New Yorkers and their need for speed. There’s something very interesting about the organized confusion that we call morning rush hour. Usually you associate being in a hurry/rush with being late. Could it be that everyone that participates in the morning rush hour commute is running late?

Everyone can’t be late because it’s always the same people…

On the Metro North train that gets into Grand Central Station at 6:59am there is an older woman who positions herself to be the 1st person on the train running up the ramp to get to her destination.

Then there is the guy who make his way from the NYC Subway to the NJ Transit side of NYC Penn Station to catch the 7:14am train to Trenton.  There are days where you can see the utter disgrace this guy has for slow-moving people simply making their way to their destination.

Last but not least is the guy who runs from his building to the New Rochelle Metro North Station EVERY morning; is there really a need a to run every morning for the train??

I know this may seem like an exaggeration but I can tell you without a doubt that the last example I used in rushing is 100% true.  I know this one because the guy is me, HA!!

Yup, I am part of the rush hour crowd always in a hurry to get some where.  I stress every morning in trying to make my trains and connections so that I can get to work on time.  Each morning as I catch my breath from running so damn much I never seem to truly understand why this always happens; until this morning!  It’s very simple, I am always rushing as I try to maximize every moment.

What do I mean by “maximize every moment”?

Every morning I try to fit in the most sleep possible while not being late for work; knowing that I have to be out of the house by 6am there are times that I will sleep until 5:30 only giving myself 30 minutes to sh*t, shower, shave, iron and get dress.  As a result I am always running for my train hoping it has not arrived a minute early.

Of course anyone reading this will say there are a bunch of things I can do eliminate rushing in the morning:

  1. Go to sleep earlier
  2. Iron your clothes the night before
  3. Leave the house 10 minutes instead of 5 minutes before your scheduled train

All 3 points are valid but do they REALLY resolve my issue?

I say no…

Even if I did give myself more time to get ready I would fill-in that extra time with something else as I try to “maximize every moment”.  If I went to sleep earlier and ironed my clothes the night before I would just use that time to watch more ‘Morning Joe’ on MSNBC.  The key to all of this is understanding my need to do everything and the belief that since I am doing so much that it equates to accomplishing a lot.  When in actuality I am not being as productive as I can be; when you rush through tasks you will more than likely miss something.

For me it could be forgetting to mail that important letter or putting on deodorant (yes that has happened, BUT I buy some on my way to work and apply in the restroom). A friend once told me to focus on what is important and complete those tasks with full attention.  Is it important for me to catch every minute of ‘Morning Joe’?  No, my job has nothing to do with that morning show.  What’s important is that I get to work on time and not take so many chances on missing the train.

I bet a lot of people struggle with trying to of “maximize every moment” instead of maximizing IMPORTANT moments.  The same friend who told me to focus on what is important; said the best way to identify what is truly important is to ask yourself 1 question…

If you knew you only had a year to live; what are the things that are important to you that would need your attention?

Once I developed that list everything slow down for me as I began to focus on what was important instead of trying to do everything.  From time to time I will catch myself getting caught up in the hustle and bustle on NYC, but that’s when I take a step back and ask myself; “What’s the rush?”

So the question everyone should ask themselves is What’s the rush?

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Shenehneh and Wanda Movie…

Shenenhneh and Wanda

As mentioned yesterday morning on Twitter Jamie Foxx announced on Star & Buc Wild’s Morning Show (The Beat of Philly 100.3) that he has worked with Martin Lawrence to write a script for a possible movie starring their well-known characters Shenenhneh and Wanda.  As a joke Jamie and Martin paired up to do a skit for the 2009 BET Awards where Shenenhneh and Wanda teamed up as bank robbers.  The skit was done as if it was a movie trailer for a new movie and was received well at the awards show.

Apparently the reception was so good that the creative juices for Jamie and Martin started flowing.  Foxx explained during the interview that he started talking to Martin about the idea of writing script and used the motivation that, “These White boys” like Zach Galifianakis are out here getting money…  For the record Foxx meant no harm in statement as he was laughing and all he was saying was that they needed to get back on the silly comedy tip and get some of the money that is out there.

It looks like Skank Robbers will be the title of the movie and I wish Jamie and Martin nothing but the best; no hate.  Hopefully Martin and Jamie can re-capture some of the comedic genius that made these characters household names back in the mid to late 90s.

I would not expect much from this movie, but if it can provide a couple of laughs for 90 minutes then so be it.  Now I will say that Martin Lawrence may need this film more than Jamie Foxx as Jamie has had continued success.  In contrast Martin has been a little more hit and miss with his joints; Rebound, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, College Road Trip to name a few.  Not asking for much from Martin so if we can at least get a glimpse of that funny kat in Black Knight I will be good (Don’t Judge Me, HAHA!!)

As always….
If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!