Jack and Jill Politics - Latest Comments in Friday Open Thread

Re: Friday Open Thread

a-boogie — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:22:31 -0000

I agree people always want to pretend that predatory lending affected poor poc when that is so far from the truth. Banks don't give loans to poor working people most of them rent. Most people I know affected by the housing crisis would be considered middle class. B/c of their considerable income most of them qualified for traditonal loans but recieved sub prime loans b/c the system wants to extract as much money as possible from POC and when that wasn't enough they went after these people homes by foreclosing. But for some reason the media never tells how banks are straight up stealing from Black people when they decide to foreclose on people's houses. And after the system collapsed and banks were bailed out they are STILL upholding this same rackateering system as before. SMH.

Re: Friday Open Thread

RobM — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:34:56 -0000

Town
I understand what you are saying and I agree totally that that reality is coming. but it is part and parcel of the debate over healthcare reform. W/ everyone working in that fashion the only way to recieve healthcare will be a single payer system otherwise everyone going to the ER to die will bankrupt the country.
As to a checkbeing a check w/ the number of hours worked down to 33/wk it means everyone is part time and employers will bring current workers closer to 40 before they hire anyone. If employers are doing that you can't even get a check.

Re: Friday Open Thread

RobM — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:30:42 -0000

It will drive healthcare towards single payer even faster especially if there is a public option that vaires from state to state(please be if the state can opt out the standard is the same for every state otherwise people are going tomove from state w/ no healthcare to state w/ it like the Okiesout of the Dust Bowl).
The problems you are refereing to overseas are the dynamics of achieving certain types of treatments and surgeries that are amksed by the inablity to pay in this country. Even then some aren't like receivng transplants. Steven Jobs had to pay himself a Tennesee citizenship to find a liver because he could not buy one in CA

Re: Friday Open Thread

vulcan_girl — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:27:00 -0000

I totally feel you. My cousin and his girlfriend broke up after 7 years together, living together for the last 6. Their baby is 3. She left him to be with someone else and is pregnant by him. He now has to go to court to get visitation (hopefully it will be changed to joint custody) and arrange for child support. She got mad a couple of months ago while he had the baby, and showed up with the police to take her home, baby screaming for her daddy. He hasn't seen her since. She didn't show up for the court date, and instead of just ruling like they would have done if HE hadn't shown up, it was rescheduled. Still no visits. If he was the one showing his ass, he'd be under the jail, with child support piling up.

The system definitely needs an overhaul to be more fair to parents of either sex instead of defaulting to mother as primary custodian. I know plenty of dads who are just as much of a caregiver as the mom.

Re: Friday Open Thread

Plantsmantx — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:47:12 -0000

I very vaguely remember her from "In Living Color", and the only other thing I remember seeing her in is "Head Case", so I have a hard time thinking of her as "sane", lol.

Re: Friday Open Thread

Lisa M — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:04:20 -0000

See you wrong 'bout Van Halen. Eddie Van Halen's the man. Besides, he played on Beat It so we don't have to give up the card for that.

Re: Friday Open Thread

Lisa M — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:01:52 -0000

Not for Journey, but definitely for Huey Lewis & Toto. Hand it over.

Re: Friday Open Thread

caligirl — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:26:11 -0000

LOL, she was on "in living color"?? i didn't know that. i only knew about her from watching oprah!!

well, i guess it all makes sense now! hahahaha

Re: Friday Open Thread

signspeaker: AI is the Reaper — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:19:31 -0000

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2009/11/ni...

Re: Friday Open Thread

signspeaker: AI is the Reaper — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:08:57 -0000

I like the standard policy idea. I like the German concept on unemployment also. The current debate really revolves around government takeover/control for me. I'm for a lot of the goals (moving the uninsured out of the ER's, no pre-existing clauses, controlling costs, etc.). As a small business owner who pays a lot of taxes, files a lot of paperwork monthly with the government, and pays more for insurance than my company makes in profit......I'm leary of and unhappy with more government control. The current plans set us up for all the same problems Canada, the UK, and others have. I am hoping we can agree on something better.

I was being snarky on the taxes, but I believe that many folks are going to be surprised by how much collective healthcare costs will hit them in the form of taxes and copays. Especially those who are not used to paying much.....those who really are under served now. The IRS will collect!

Re: Friday Open Thread

Guns3000 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:28 -0000

I agree, those days of just getting in to a place with no formal training or education and working there for 20 years are OVER. If you don't have some sort of degree or specialized training you are not even competitive and forget it if you have a criminal record.

Re: Friday Open Thread

Town — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:53:13 -0000

At this point a check is a check. A part time check is better than a "no time" check. People are going to have to revise their hustle because that job they had is NOT coming back and if it does, it ain't coming back at the same pay. Someday I think there will be an end to "full time work," just all part time, temp and contract gigs.

Re: Friday Open Thread

Town — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:48:58 -0000

Maybe because "In Living Color" got canceled and she couldn't find any other work elsewhere?

Re: Friday Open Thread

signspeaker: AI is the Reaper — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:47:01 -0000

Predatory lending is a fact, but are you objecting to these folks getting a loan? If they didn't get a subprime loan, they may not have gotten one at all, even with government equal opportunity protection. If these lenders were doing something unethical (racially motivated or not), they should be busted. If you are crying foul for my ex-girlfriend, who lost a house she couldn't pay for as well, then I appreciate your kindheartedness and call for action on her behalf. She was a "victim" of buying a house when she should have been renting. I learned a valuable lesson for sure; you help can't help folks (or girlfriends) by giving them money if they don't know how to live within their means. It's not fair, but it will always be true.

On the unemployment thing, urban myth maybe, more likely political tall tale IMHO, but it's your link. Are you trying to say is strictly related to race?

Quoted from the link you posted:
"They vote consistently liberal and they are politically liberal to the core. How could this happen in New York City? How could 50% of black men be unemployed in the most convincingly liberal city in America? Cincinnati is sometimes viewed as backward, but we don't even approach those rates.

I don't believe NYC has those unemployment rates for black mean. I think that data does not exist. I think it is politically correct garbage that nobody every responds to out of courtesy."

Re: Friday Open Thread

caligirl — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:39:07 -0000

i can't understand why george stephanopowhatever's wife (who seems like a nice, sane woman) ever decided to settle for this troglodyte.

Re: Friday Open Thread

Guns3000 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:38:13 -0000

Well, the military hasn't executed anyone in decades but state of TX executes someone I think every week. I think those TX good ole boys may come in handy for once if it goes to their court system.

Re: Friday Open Thread

Guns3000 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:34:25 -0000

Possibly, if he would have been released on negative conditions that would have made it difficult for him to find employment. I was in the military one of the first things that an employer asks for is my discharge status. Was it a Honorable?

Re: Friday Open Thread

caligirl — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:34:22 -0000

i understood why u mentioned his name. knew his military history. but he was sort of a chicken-or-egg situation. was he a psycho who just so happened to be attracted to the military (and have excellent hand/eye coordination), or did his time in iraq make him crazy?

either way, he gets nada!

Re: Friday Open Thread

WordSmith — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:32:48 -0000

After sorting it all out, Guns. After sorting it all out. It's a military installation and I would think the military has sole jurisdiction. It's on American soil so no dispute as to 'sovereignty' or anything.

Re: Friday Open Thread

Guns3000 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:31:52 -0000

"Trap????" Some people look at it as opportunity.

Re: Friday Open Thread

AxelFoley — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:30:46 -0000

*won't admit he loved him some Sheena Easton back in the 80's*

*and Madonna*

*and Debbie Gibson*

Re: Friday Open Thread

caligirl — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:30:33 -0000

i remember how horribly i felt for everyone who lived in those areas at the time. i would've been terrified! he deserves death.

i hope malvo's life is sheer HELL!

Re: Friday Open Thread

Guns3000 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:28:36 -0000

We don't need any more stimulus. The funds for the first stimulus were back-ended and not front-ended unfortunately. I blame Barry for that. As long as the trend for job losses remain on the track it's on we will be just fine.

Re: Friday Open Thread

AxelFoley — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:25:44 -0000

Say what? Van Halen was the shiznit back in the day.

Oops, did I say that out loud?

Re: Friday Open Thread

Admiral_Komack — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:25:39 -0000

You mean they had fucking tax cuts in the stimulus package?
I didn't get mine!
Arrr, it be hard out here for a player!