Last night I listened as two young men, explained the onerous, and loathsome political calculus of the proponents of Amendment Two. I understood, when they explained that the important story to tell about NO ON TWO was that SENIORS would find that their last ditch economic survival strategy, where in many SENIORS cannot afford to marry, because they would then fall completely through the meager safety net that prevents them from smashing into the cold darwinian concrete. Losing tiny but helpful benefits due them... from survival benefits or widowhood.
VOTE NO ON TWO
They also explained that the largest group that would be affected unless FLORIDIANS VOTE NO ON TWO, would be hetero-couples who for a variety of reasons, have chosen to eschew not only a religious service, but also the sacred civic vows that warm the heart of many a paper pushing bureaucrat.
Hetero-Sexuals who live beyond the holy vows of a civil marriage. These fine yet sacrilegious folk would be faced with the economic and civic equivalent of an I.E.D. (Incivil Equality Disaster) when they tried to get insurance coverage for children born beyond the sacred pale of the bureaucrats stamp.
VOTE NO ON TWO
Or should they find themselves in need of say an emergency room, and then against all odds, survive long enough to inherit a bed, they might want to have a visit from their partner, or their beloved children. BUT NO, the MORALLY CRIPPLED among us, (THESE PROPONENTS of Amendment TWO) have a simple answer to a visit from a loved one, or health care by their company insurance. They JUST SAY NO!
VOTE NO ON TWO
They would turn to this patient, with their own hideous mocking rendition of high MORAL UMBRAGE and say, NO YOU cannot have the succor of your beloved yet unsanctioned family. Or worse, turn to the sick child and say, this child, like so many in FLORIDA, cannot enjoy even the modest protection of an insurance policy. All because, the TALIBAN have followed us home from the sacred soils of the middle east?
VOTE NO ON TWO!
NO because Americas' home grown, religious police, would, under the guise of a PUBLIC MORALITY CHECK damage our frayed public safety net further, to protect the American Family.
VOTE NO ON TWO.
These young men turned to the audience and asked rhetorically, I'm sure, what's next?
I said, helpfully, public stonings? the Stocks? Flogging? [Titters from the audience.] (Can he say that? Ed.)
They smiled (VOTE NO ON TWO) They said the next wedge issue these moral dwarves propose is to revamp the (presumedly promiscuous) NO FAULT DIVORCE. Because, after all, wheres the fun in that. After all if we can stir up a little more outrage among the intellectually stunted under-educated we might be able to place more SCALIAs and ALITOs and Thomases on Courts across the land. Watch your rights erode then!
VOTE NO ON TWO.
Memo to "W" the Taliban never did follow us home from their beloved and desolate hill-country. Very few donkeys can swim trans oceanically. The Taliban have been with us, since before Cotton Mather, and his vigilante buddies, burned bush-healers, women wise in herbs and folk medicine. Since before the Scopes Trial, (VOTE NO ON TWO) watch out Florida, there may be "Scopes" RERUNS in your future.
VOTE NO ON TWO!
They explained we don't want to raise the Human Rights issue of Gay Marriage... it's off the table... we have to fight this battle as a defense of seniors, and the poor unbeknighted heteros who dare to live exiled from the munificent blessings of the clerks stamp.
VOTE NO ON TWO.
I can only sigh and say, wasn't this whole revolution thing, about the Pursuit of Happiness? Or is that off the table too?
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Thursday, May 08, 2008
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Four Scenes from Scenic Florida
scene 1: The ocean is vast. The ocean is dangerous. What's a litttle fish to do? Swim in a school. The Republicans, despite 13 million years of evolution, swear that is a conspiracy. They deny it's true.
They deny it from their country clubs and gated communities. They deny it from their mutually interlocking boards of directors. They complain about it at their fraternities and college prep schools. They denounce it from their business clubs and alumni associations. They complain about it at their exclusive members only private clubs. They pay their lobbyists to deny it. And they denounce it as a conspiracy of little fish, who have the temerity to refuse to swim alone, and just be LUNCH.
scene 2: A business association in Stuart, Florida, a group of business men and women listen as Florida Republican Legislator Gale Harrell explains that the draconian budget cuts that will stem from the Republican Legislature's sleight of hand property tax cuts will have no impact on services. There will be no impact on education. It will simply result in greater fiscal responsibility and local control. Since Florida is largely dependent on property taxes for most governmental resources how can cutting these funds not have a dramatic impact on local governmental services.
It's very simple she explains, with the burden of funding governmental services shifting from statewide government to local government think what fiscal responsibility we'll be cultivating. I asked, " Won't poor communities suffer, and affluent communities both be dependent on a smaller resource base?" But despite logic she continued; It won't impact schools, or police and fire or any important services since local government is inherently more responsible than state officials. Marco Rubio Republican Speaker of the Florida Legislature said, the tax changes will result merely in a shifting of budgetary burden from the state level to local government.
scene 3:
The legislature has completed it's 2008 legislative session. The state budget has fallen based on propoerty taxes, which in turn are dramtically impacted by the on the falling value of homes. The state budget shrinks and schools will experience reductions in staffing and per pupil spending. Police and fire funding will be greatly reduced. And while per pupil funding falls and tuition gets steeper. And promised scholarship money and student loans dry up. Money for prisons has been found. No corporate tax loophole have been closed. Remember they all assured us, there will be no impact from the tax reductions.
scene 4:
Do not swim together little fish, its better if you swim alone. Despite the wisdom of all life. Despite the wisdom, of solidarity.
They deny it from their country clubs and gated communities. They deny it from their mutually interlocking boards of directors. They complain about it at their fraternities and college prep schools. They denounce it from their business clubs and alumni associations. They complain about it at their exclusive members only private clubs. They pay their lobbyists to deny it. And they denounce it as a conspiracy of little fish, who have the temerity to refuse to swim alone, and just be LUNCH.
scene 2: A business association in Stuart, Florida, a group of business men and women listen as Florida Republican Legislator Gale Harrell explains that the draconian budget cuts that will stem from the Republican Legislature's sleight of hand property tax cuts will have no impact on services. There will be no impact on education. It will simply result in greater fiscal responsibility and local control. Since Florida is largely dependent on property taxes for most governmental resources how can cutting these funds not have a dramatic impact on local governmental services.
It's very simple she explains, with the burden of funding governmental services shifting from statewide government to local government think what fiscal responsibility we'll be cultivating. I asked, " Won't poor communities suffer, and affluent communities both be dependent on a smaller resource base?" But despite logic she continued; It won't impact schools, or police and fire or any important services since local government is inherently more responsible than state officials. Marco Rubio Republican Speaker of the Florida Legislature said, the tax changes will result merely in a shifting of budgetary burden from the state level to local government.
scene 3:
The legislature has completed it's 2008 legislative session. The state budget has fallen based on propoerty taxes, which in turn are dramtically impacted by the on the falling value of homes. The state budget shrinks and schools will experience reductions in staffing and per pupil spending. Police and fire funding will be greatly reduced. And while per pupil funding falls and tuition gets steeper. And promised scholarship money and student loans dry up. Money for prisons has been found. No corporate tax loophole have been closed. Remember they all assured us, there will be no impact from the tax reductions.
scene 4:
Do not swim together little fish, its better if you swim alone. Despite the wisdom of all life. Despite the wisdom, of solidarity.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
The ABCs of the Florida Legislature Funding of Education
I apologize the title was meant to be used on "FOOL's Day"
But given the Educational Policies of the Florida Republican Legislature
everyday is FOOLS DAY!
A - Is for Absolutely no way, will the Florida Republican Legislature
cut ANY corporate welfare. Regardless of what educational or medical care program must be cut. Tuitions are up, and scholarship funding is down, as are resources for every county,
school, teacher and pupil. Luckily due to another year of funding cuts fewer students can count, or read for that matter. A fact of life in Florida, govenors may proclaim their education credentials and commitment. Just remember in Florida, Absolutely no way, will the Florida Republican Legislature cut any Corporate Welfare. Somebody has to pay all those lobbyists!
B - is for Budget... But wasn't the newly elected governor committed to helping educate Florida's children? But you might add, he was elected on a promise of improving the long dismal trajectory of Florida's educational performance 49th out of 50 in the nation, a leader! But you might say, I remember once upon a not too distant time Floridians irrelevantly signaled the importance of Education with a referendum on reducing class-size. But you must "B" forgetting that the former governor "B"ush was prepared. He had "a nafarious plan" to thrwart the public's will. B-ut says our new republican governor, as much as he'd like to help Florida students have a future, or an education. We can't afford both, REPUBLICAN CORPORATE WELFARE, and an education for Florida's children. You have to draw the soup-line somewhere.
C - Church, you might ask, how does the Florida Republican Legislature begin to mix Church with Education? Well, like Florida's educational policy we need to go backwards, like to the "B"word in Florida politics "B"-ush. Why Church, how Church? When the courts ruled the Bush Voucher program, unconstitutional. Church-man Bush had a solution, get the amendment changed by his main-man the sword swallower* Marco Rubio. [See Constitutional Proposals 0020 and 0040.]
So Bush reaches from beyond the political grave to give the "right" Florida Churches, Florida taxpayers money. Better them, than Florida students, cause they don't count. Or at least thanks to the miserly funding of Florida Schools, they can't. And since we can't afford to teach them to read either, they will never realize how ill-informed they are.
RWSpisak
4/2/08
But given the Educational Policies of the Florida Republican Legislature
everyday is FOOLS DAY!
A - Is for Absolutely no way, will the Florida Republican Legislature
cut ANY corporate welfare. Regardless of what educational or medical care program must be cut. Tuitions are up, and scholarship funding is down, as are resources for every county,
school, teacher and pupil. Luckily due to another year of funding cuts fewer students can count, or read for that matter. A fact of life in Florida, govenors may proclaim their education credentials and commitment. Just remember in Florida, Absolutely no way, will the Florida Republican Legislature cut any Corporate Welfare. Somebody has to pay all those lobbyists!
B - is for Budget... But wasn't the newly elected governor committed to helping educate Florida's children? But you might add, he was elected on a promise of improving the long dismal trajectory of Florida's educational performance 49th out of 50 in the nation, a leader! But you might say, I remember once upon a not too distant time Floridians irrelevantly signaled the importance of Education with a referendum on reducing class-size. But you must "B" forgetting that the former governor "B"ush was prepared. He had "a nafarious plan" to thrwart the public's will. B-ut says our new republican governor, as much as he'd like to help Florida students have a future, or an education. We can't afford both, REPUBLICAN CORPORATE WELFARE, and an education for Florida's children. You have to draw the soup-line somewhere.
C - Church, you might ask, how does the Florida Republican Legislature begin to mix Church with Education? Well, like Florida's educational policy we need to go backwards, like to the "B"word in Florida politics "B"-ush. Why Church, how Church? When the courts ruled the Bush Voucher program, unconstitutional. Church-man Bush had a solution, get the amendment changed by his main-man the sword swallower* Marco Rubio. [See Constitutional Proposals 0020 and 0040.]
So Bush reaches from beyond the political grave to give the "right" Florida Churches, Florida taxpayers money. Better them, than Florida students, cause they don't count. Or at least thanks to the miserly funding of Florida Schools, they can't. And since we can't afford to teach them to read either, they will never realize how ill-informed they are.
RWSpisak
4/2/08
Monday, March 17, 2008
What Hypocrisy & Elliot Spitzer hath wrought.
But they are all honorable men...
by RW Spisak
Let's start with what's he's not guilty of....
He's not guilty of subverting the Constitution.
He's not guilty of heinous rapine and murder.
He's not guilty of bombing innocent civilians in an illegal war.
He didn't expose the nations secret agents, to public danger
and then depend on underlings to cover his tracks.
He didn't demand the Vice President sit beside him, to help him answer questions so he wouldn't get confused under gentle questioning.
He didn't order human beings tortured, using the best tricks of the Inquisition.
He didn't thumb his nose at Congress or refuse to have his aides testify.
He didn't separate dangerous villains from God's Gift of Life.
He was not an abortionist or even gasp a Darwinist.
[If one can use such words in polite society.]
It seems he's been found guilty of hypocrisy in the fickle and tawdry court of public opinion. Other than being in desperate need of affection, or maybe in the land of torture
and indefinite imprisonment, timid souls might shake but to suggest, yet heedless of what COURT TV MIGHT SAY - The poor boy must've been in serious need of a blow job?
And thus, not having the sustenance that brother George must draw from his favorite philosopher Jesus. He withdrew, unprepared to boldly face such a hyenal outcry - how unlike the most honorable Congressman Vitters, who did his prosti-tootling in a diapers, or Sen. Craig of the wide-wide-wide stance. A true man of the west no doubt.
So Elliot, who had trimmed the sails of the pirates of Wall Street - walked the plank, rather than face the outrage of the mob - he just bowed out.
He did not possess the brazen heartless quality that allows brother W to ignore his hideous crimes, and not stir though he shudders in the deep pitched midnight of his blood soaked soul. Shivering at 3am alone at 1600 albeit stiffenend in his resolve by the bloodless reptile the Cheney Creature.
by RW Spisak
Let's start with what's he's not guilty of....
He's not guilty of subverting the Constitution.
He's not guilty of heinous rapine and murder.
He's not guilty of bombing innocent civilians in an illegal war.
He didn't expose the nations secret agents, to public danger
and then depend on underlings to cover his tracks.
He didn't demand the Vice President sit beside him, to help him answer questions so he wouldn't get confused under gentle questioning.
He didn't order human beings tortured, using the best tricks of the Inquisition.
He didn't thumb his nose at Congress or refuse to have his aides testify.
He didn't separate dangerous villains from God's Gift of Life.
He was not an abortionist or even gasp a Darwinist.
[If one can use such words in polite society.]
It seems he's been found guilty of hypocrisy in the fickle and tawdry court of public opinion. Other than being in desperate need of affection, or maybe in the land of torture
and indefinite imprisonment, timid souls might shake but to suggest, yet heedless of what COURT TV MIGHT SAY - The poor boy must've been in serious need of a blow job?
And thus, not having the sustenance that brother George must draw from his favorite philosopher Jesus. He withdrew, unprepared to boldly face such a hyenal outcry - how unlike the most honorable Congressman Vitters, who did his prosti-tootling in a diapers, or Sen. Craig of the wide-wide-wide stance. A true man of the west no doubt.
So Elliot, who had trimmed the sails of the pirates of Wall Street - walked the plank, rather than face the outrage of the mob - he just bowed out.
He did not possess the brazen heartless quality that allows brother W to ignore his hideous crimes, and not stir though he shudders in the deep pitched midnight of his blood soaked soul. Shivering at 3am alone at 1600 albeit stiffenend in his resolve by the bloodless reptile the Cheney Creature.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
REDO? We don't need to RE-Chew our delegates
Let's speak plainly -
We should tell the National DNC their problem is with the republicans in control
of the Florida (nightmare) Legislature, and secondarily with the Ms. Management of the Florida Democratic Party.
We Floridian democrats had our primary.
We didn't have a choice about the primary date set in the deal, between the republicans in the legislature, and the "leadership" of the state democratic party. Let me say it again. We voted. We don't have the time or the resources to re-chew our democracy. We have our delegates. We had our vote.
Penalizing the rank & file Florida Democrats simply to punish Florida Democratic Party leadership, or worse simply to carry water for National Corporate-Democrats is to poison the water for the actual votes. , Gee maybe that's the plan?
Play with somebody else's votes, tamper with some else's delegates. And, do it on somebody else's dime. Ask those in the Florida party democratic leadership - who have such a good working relationship with Florida Republicans, maybe they can reimburse us, for our waste of time. We voted.
RW Spisak
progressive democrat
We should tell the National DNC their problem is with the republicans in control
of the Florida (nightmare) Legislature, and secondarily with the Ms. Management of the Florida Democratic Party.
We Floridian democrats had our primary.
We didn't have a choice about the primary date set in the deal, between the republicans in the legislature, and the "leadership" of the state democratic party. Let me say it again. We voted. We don't have the time or the resources to re-chew our democracy. We have our delegates. We had our vote.
Penalizing the rank & file Florida Democrats simply to punish Florida Democratic Party leadership, or worse simply to carry water for National Corporate-Democrats is to poison the water for the actual votes. , Gee maybe that's the plan?
Play with somebody else's votes, tamper with some else's delegates. And, do it on somebody else's dime. Ask those in the Florida party democratic leadership - who have such a good working relationship with Florida Republicans, maybe they can reimburse us, for our waste of time. We voted.
RW Spisak
progressive democrat
Sunday, March 09, 2008
More of the same Tragic Republican Tax Orthodoxy in Tallie
New Legislative session, same tired rehearsed solutions.
RW Spisak
It's hard to explain the madness afflicting Floridan Republican Leadership since the state has the highest foreclosure rates, plummeting wages,
lowest in the nation educational results, and highest drop out rates...
What's the solution? Easy ! Florida Republicans have a simple cookie cutter solution... tax cuts. Its easy since they only have one strategy, so they roll it out without even being asked? And in case you forget why, last year when you were being promised a painfree property tax rebate and were assured it would have no impact. OOPS it did.
Now all the while Florida Republicans were delivering for their lobbyist employers by cutting corporate taxes and approving new juicy tax give-aways, they decided to throw a bone to Florida home owners, (a rapidly shrinking demographic to be sure .) So, they offered mortgage holders a teeny weenie property tax cut along with the standard issue republican assurances. There would be no pain, and no tangible impact. Everything would be just fine, watch this hand.
Because using standard issue republic shell game #2007 - they steer the burden and the pain down to the Counties and Municipalities to either collect the taxes locally or make the REAL HARD CUTS.
OOPS, did they just shift the costs or really just who becomes the "taxing" bogeyman. Well now the "painless" cuts actually appear. Insufficient, oh, so they still need to cut budgets at the state level? Now appearing New "pain-free " cuts to higher education with new and improved Tuition Hikes and Fresh Cuts to the already underfunded state university system. "Still Crumbling " I heard them say.
Maybe later they will explain it like this "Since we're already 50th in the US in high school graduates, we have nothing to fear our position at the bottom, will remain unchallenged."
Our fearless Florida Democrats although still (temporarily) numbered try to bring some fiscal sensibility to Florida State Budgets by suggesting Considering not just more of the traditional republican response of Cuts to Services, but by suggesting that the Florida Legislature might want to revisit state policies that give Giant Corporations a pass on paying their fair share of Florida Taxes.
It stands to reason, with joblessness and foreclosures climbing depending on a sales tax based budget, some generous Corporate Welfare Benefits might need some judicious trimming as well
RW Spisak
It's hard to explain the madness afflicting Floridan Republican Leadership since the state has the highest foreclosure rates, plummeting wages,
lowest in the nation educational results, and highest drop out rates...
What's the solution? Easy ! Florida Republicans have a simple cookie cutter solution... tax cuts. Its easy since they only have one strategy, so they roll it out without even being asked? And in case you forget why, last year when you were being promised a painfree property tax rebate and were assured it would have no impact. OOPS it did.
Now all the while Florida Republicans were delivering for their lobbyist employers by cutting corporate taxes and approving new juicy tax give-aways, they decided to throw a bone to Florida home owners, (a rapidly shrinking demographic to be sure .) So, they offered mortgage holders a teeny weenie property tax cut along with the standard issue republican assurances. There would be no pain, and no tangible impact. Everything would be just fine, watch this hand.
Because using standard issue republic shell game #2007 - they steer the burden and the pain down to the Counties and Municipalities to either collect the taxes locally or make the REAL HARD CUTS.
OOPS, did they just shift the costs or really just who becomes the "taxing" bogeyman. Well now the "painless" cuts actually appear. Insufficient, oh, so they still need to cut budgets at the state level? Now appearing New "pain-free " cuts to higher education with new and improved Tuition Hikes and Fresh Cuts to the already underfunded state university system. "Still Crumbling " I heard them say.
Maybe later they will explain it like this "Since we're already 50th in the US in high school graduates, we have nothing to fear our position at the bottom, will remain unchallenged."
Our fearless Florida Democrats although still (temporarily) numbered try to bring some fiscal sensibility to Florida State Budgets by suggesting Considering not just more of the traditional republican response of Cuts to Services, but by suggesting that the Florida Legislature might want to revisit state policies that give Giant Corporations a pass on paying their fair share of Florida Taxes.
It stands to reason, with joblessness and foreclosures climbing depending on a sales tax based budget, some generous Corporate Welfare Benefits might need some judicious trimming as well
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
RE Chair the House Intelligence Committee
Intelligence Committee Chairman,
Rep. Silvestre Reyes
(202) 225-7690
I called the Congressman's office and spoke with an aide. The rather disinterested clerk, had, god bless his pointed little head offered a defense, for the Chairman's comments on the Sunday chat shows when he floated a "trial balloon of immunity".
First he said, "Nothing's been decided as yet".
He tried to explain: "Well if the president called, and explained that he needed the information, after all he's just asking for National Security. Then he closed with "I mean after all, wouldn't you - give him the keys to the Constitution???"
NO! I replied!
I kept reiterating in the face of his stone-walling, that the NEED for IMMUNITY only arose
due to the failure of the executive branches on a regular and consistent basis to comply with the FISA rules in particular, and the Constitution in general.
If the president's minions, refused to obey the law, and behaved illegally and conspired with others to break the law. It remains Congresses' responsibility to fulfill it's duty of Oversight, to re-introduce the Constitution. You know Checks and Balances?
Not to provide the Executive branch with dubious cover for illegal activity. Does the Congressman understand the system of CHECKS and BALANCES created by the founders?
"Yes", he reluctantly bristled.
I asked if he would he please pass along my concerns to the Congressman, he suggested he would. No Immunity I asked. No Immunity.
Intelligence Committee Chairman,
Rep. Silvestre Reyes
(202) 225-7690
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