Mountaindale...Living Life Under a Microscope

Most of us in this life have simple wants when it comes to where and how we live our lives...we want peaceful enjoyment of our abodes, want left alone, our business our own.  Sadly, in speaking with various of my neighbors here in town, watching the ebb and flow of our small hamlet, it seems many of us feel as if our every move and action is being watched, observed and commented upon by eyes we never see as Big Brother watches and tabulates our every action as we go about our daily lives.  Living under such constant surveillance at best is difficult.

This past Wednesday night several of us were talking outside the Mountaindale Inn when a Fallsburg Police Officer arrived wanting to speak to a member of staff...seems that several noise complaints had been called in by supposedly upset neighbors...odd since many of the few neighbors we have were in the bar enjoying a drink and listening to the live music.  Disturbing when Ed has bent over backwards (as have his patrons) too keep noise levels down when Wednesday night Open Mic is happening.  More disturbing is the FALSE NATURE of the complaints...at the time of the officer's arrival, as is often the case, several of us were monitoring the noise level with decibel reading apps we have installed on our phones...once the active and working app was shown to the officer, once it was pointed out that the sound levels were within the legal limits required after ten o'clock at night, he left not to be seen for the duration of the night.

Whoever it is that is making the noise complaints should be careful that they are not filing false complaints...the law clearly states that the decibel reading be taken in front of the property of the complaining person...odd, but I have yet to see one of the police officers show up at the property of the complaining person to take a reading to see if the noise complaint holds merit.  However, several of the patrons routinely step outside after ten, our decibel meters in tow to make sure we are within the legally allowed noise limits established for our community.  After while, it begins to feel like harassment...and for what purpose?

Yesterday while talking to neighbors, it seems that some in town don't like some of us parking our cars on the public street in PUBLIC PARKING SPACES.  I may be wrong here, but would seem to me that the Fallsburg Police would be issuing warnings and then tickets if our residents were illegally parking on the PUBLIC streets of Mountaindale?  No one owns the public streets, no private citizen has the right to tell you that you cannot park where you would like to park on public streets in public parking spaces that have no restrictions placed on them by our local governing body that I am aware of...if I am wrong on this, if a private property owner, or some citizen has a monopoly on and control of our public parking here in the hamlet, would love to know about this. 

These are just two examples of living life under what feels like a microscope.  I've heard stories from people who are hearing complaints that they are using too much water when they take their showers, wash their dishes and live their lives.  Really? Is there a water conservation order in place that we have not been made aware of?  Is my shower time is being timed, measured and graded by town of Fallsburg officials...I hope not.  Others in town have been told by un-named people that their  driving is inappropriate, or that they need to be a bit more careful with the language they use, or should learn to lower the modulation of their voice. Is there some secret list over in the town hall of what is and is not acceptable language and tone?  Crying kids in a stroller OK, but two adults laughing over a humorous joke unacceptable...I mean there could be for all I know.  After all, even though a lot of us would love to see it lifted, there is a ban on skateboarding here in the hamlet of Mountaindale.  If Steve is reading this, could you tell us what we would need to do to lift that ban so that our teenagers here in the hamlet could skateboard without the fear of finding themselves running afoul of the law?

What happened to live and let live?  What happened to being accommodating of others?  More importantly, do we really have that many people in town who are running to the authorities about every little behavior they find distasteful in their neighbor?  No one likes feeling they are living in a Gestapo State where they fear their every move is UNDER SURVEILLANCE.  No one likes being told where they car or cannot park on a public street, or fearing someone is going to call in false complaints about abandoned cars.   Is it possible for people to learn to embrace tolerance here in our community? Inquiring Minds want to know.

Mitt Romney and His Cronies Self Absorbed Arrogance Allowed Secret Recordings Too Happen

If Those Seniors Really Knew What I Think of Them!  LOL

If you watch the full video of the Mitt Romney Tapes (Romney Tape Gate), it appears conservative to state there were at least 20 well heeled (uber wealthy) rich Republicans who paid $50,000 each (minimum) to sit down and break bread with Mitt Romney.  If you look at the video, you can pretty well pinpoint where the camera was placed...

So, lets think about a few things.  20 people is a conservative number for this fund raising event, but we will stick with that, and state that the dinner bill was one million dollars.  It is also obvious that the patrons received very good service from those who waited on them...you know, hard working lower and middle class wait staff and kitchen help.  Good service should get a 20 percent tip...we all know that did not happen, the staff did not split a $200,000 tip.  In fact, would be surprised if the entire wait staff shared a tip of $1500-$2000 for their work.  Fact is, if they had been properly tipped, there is a chance that video shot at the event might not have seen the light of day.

The person hosting the event, Mitt Romney and his staff never gave a thought to those working the event, saw and see them as nothing more than a part of the great uncleaned masses, saw them as WAIT STAFF and nothing more...perhaps if they had seen them as people, perhaps if they had not taken them for granted, perhaps if they had given any thought at all to this staff, a camera would not have been positioned in the staff area recording Mitt's talk.  Perhaps if these self absorbed, self serving arrogant folks had really thought about it all, they would have had tighter security in the kitchen serving area, would have swept the place just before the event started, would have put the kitchen/wait staff through security screening...but the fact is, these UBER RICH folks don't see these people, do not see average people who they have deemed are beneath them at all.  

Mitt Romney's words are damaging enough...the fact that someone so easily video taped this private fund raising event from start to finish speaks volumes about the stupidity of himself and his staff.  Sorry, but a presidential candidate should have people around him that make sure such things don't happen.

Mitt Romney got secretly taped because he does live in a bubble, Mitt Romney got taped because he is out of touch with average every day Americans.  Mitt Romney was taped because he and his staff were and are too stupid to realize that those people waiting on him and his friends are more than likely a part of that 47 percent he so disdains.  Mitt Romney got taped because he does not see most people at all because we are not in his social class, are in his mind not worth being noticed, let alone acknowledged.

Ryan & Romney Want To SPLIT Baby Boomer Vote...Divide Us Into Haves and Have Nots

Save Our Benefits...Benefits WE PAID FOR!

If you were born between the years of 1946 and 1964 you are a Baby Boomer.

If you are a Baby Boomer, you have PAID INTO Medicare & Social Security your entire working life. Sadly, the Federal Government over our working life has mismanaged our money, have borrowed greatly from the Social Security Fund, and now that it is time for us to collect what we have already saved for, our government wants to rewrite the rules in a way that will cheat us out of our benefits.

If you look at the Romney/Ryan plan to fix the problem, they want to divide the Baby Boomers into the haves and have not's as they protect the benefits for some, while taking the benefits away from others.  Listen to Ryan out on the campaign trail, and he says, "If you are over 55 nothing will change for you, you will receive your full benefits as you should.  I am 56, was born in 1956...what about the Baby Boomers who were born from 1957-1964?  If a line is going to be drawn in the sand, if you are going to change the way benefits are tallied, if you are going to change Medicare into a voucher system, shouldn't the line in the sand be January 1, 1965?

Taking a yearly average of 4 million births during the Baby Boomer time span of 1957-1964, Ryan and Romney would deny Medicare as we know it today to 32 million (about 40 percent of us) Baby Boomers, despite the fact that those born in 1964 have paid into the system for approximately 28 years as of the writing of this article, the Federal Government taking deductions out of our pay checks each and every pay period for a period of three decades or longer.  Imagine one brother or sister having Medicare Coverage that they have paid for, while a slightly younger sibling Baby Boomer is given a voucher (coupon) and told, "You are on your own."

If Romney and Ryan are going to strip away this paid for benefit, are they going to refund all the money (with interest) that the have nots have paid into the system they are now being denied access too?  What about Social Security...the age which we can collect has already been pushed back, and now both Romney and Ryan want to see that age pushed back again, even though we were promised by the government that if we paid into Social Security at a higher rate (percentage of our income that is paid into Social Security was GREATLY INCREASED), we could retire and collect full Social Security at the age of 64...they want to raise it to 67 and 70.

If someone is 55, if that someone has paid into Medicare for some 35 years, has planned on having Medicare in their old age, is it fair to suddenly pull the rug out from under them because government bureaucrats and elected politicians mismanaged the funds in such a way that there is not enough money to pay out the benefits as promised?  We bailed out banks, we bailed out Wall Street, we bailed out the auto industry, we bailed out AIG, but want to abandon our duty to 32 million Americans who played by the rules, who paid into the system their entire working careers?  Really?  We want to divide the largest group of American citizens we have in the name of winning an election, splitting the vote.

Wake up Seniors...Romney/Ryan wants your vote, so you are being told that your benefits are secure.  What about our benefits...those of us who are ALMOST IN YOUR SHOES who are being told that the Medicare we have counted on is going to be traded in for VOUCHERS!  What about one for all and all for one?  There are 79 Million Baby Boomers, and that is (bar none) the largest voting block in America, and if there ever was a time for us to all stand as one to protect Medicare, that time is now!

A vote for Romney as the next president is a vote to deny some 32 Million Baby Boomers the Medicare that we have EARNED...are you as a Baby Boomer born in or before 1957 going to stand with all Baby Boomers, or are you willing to turn your back on those born after you because YOU GET YOURS?

Sullivan County To Outlaw Synthetic Marijuana? How About Legalizing Marijuana?

So, our county legislature is seriously considering outlawing synthetic marijuana...if you look upon the face of this idea there is some merit...any substance, real or synthetic when abused and misused is dangerous.  All one has to do is look at the number of people who abuse alcohol, get in a car and drive under the influence to realize this basic truth.  Problem is, prohibition does not work, while legalization of certain substances (alcohol and prescription drugs) and the regulation/taxation of them over a period of decades has proven to be a far more effective means than criminalization.

One has to ask, if marijuana were legalized, regulated and taxed, would there even be a need for synthetic marijuana? One also has to ask if law enforcement, the courts and a public/private prison system have a very vested interest in keeping marijuana an illegal substance, if they don't have a vested interest in passing a law to make synthetic marijuana illegal.  

Busting people, charging them, trying them in a court of law, incarcerating them is BIG BUSINESS which generates millions and billions of dollars a year on a local, state and federal level.  Would you rather have American Farmers growing marijuana and hemp as a cash crop that is taxed and regulated, or instead have billions of dollars (of our tax dollars) a year being spent to fight the drug war against Mexican and South American drug cartels?  65 percent of the profits earned by these cartels comes from selling marijuana to American citizens...eliminate their profit stream, you eliminate the cartels.  Does it make sense to arrest people for possessing/using a small amount of marijuana when many of those enforcing the laws against its use are users in their off time...isn't there a certain hypocrisy in that?  The last three presidents (Clinton, Bush and Obama) had their own brush with drugs...what would have happened if any of these three had been caught, arrested, charged and incarcerated as young adults?  Three lives ruined, three men who never would have become president, and a nation denied their minds and intellect.

Perhaps our county legislators should spend their time finding ways to deal with far more egregious crimes going on in our county, rather than worrying about banning another substance (which is actually the job of the FDA).  How many employers in Sullivan County are paying workers OFF THE BOOKS, skipping out on paying unemployment insurance, workers comp, Social Security and Federal Taxes? How many summer businesses pop up in our county that are unlicensed?  How many times are zoning violations ignored, no citations ever being issued?  Perhaps it is time for our elected officials in Sullivan County to start finding ways to tackle our serious issues, rather than looking for low hanging fruit that will get them into the paper so they can pretend they are doing the peoples work.

How Much Will Ann Romney's MS Cost American Taxpayers, and Should We Have To Pay It?

Ann Romney Is Seriously Ill

As the governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney's greatest accomplishment was signing into law a bill that gave health care to every citizen in the state.  The bill included a mandate that individual persons, not companies/corporations had a personal responsibility to secure/purchase health care...this from the same man who stated in Iowa that Corporations are people too.  Romney Care was and is the model that Obama Care was based upon.  However, trying to prove that Zebra's can change stripes, Romney never mentions his own greatest accomplishment as governor, and instead has promised, that if elected president of the United States, he will eliminate Obama Care...what he intends to replace it with no one is sure.

There is an unwritten rule that a Presidential candidate's wife and family are off limits in the heated election season, and as a general rule, would tend to agree with this rule.  Problem is, Romney in promising to do away with Obama Care, is going to deny millions of Americans health coverage...Romney's wife has MS, and if elected President, the costs of providing health care to his wife Ann Romney will fall upon us the American taxpayers.  We will be saddled with taking care of his wife's health needs, covering the costs of her medical coverage for the rest of her life while her husband as President of the United States is taking health care access away from millions of Americans in the middle and lower classes.

The question then becomes, "Is it fair for us as Americans to have to provide Ann Romney with the best medical care money can buy, and pay for it through our taxes while he is denying us the same care?  The answer should be no, but what an answer should be, and reality are two completely different things.

I'm sorry that Ann Romney has (Multiple sclerosis)MS, but find it unacceptable that a man worth over $250 Million dollars will expect the American taxpayers to pay for her health care while he works diligently to take our health care away.  Such actions on Mitt Romney's part are hypocritical, and emphasize just how out of touch he is with the average citizens of our nation.

One last thought...can Ann Romney handle the stress and work load of being First Lady, and if she should have a serious relapse, considering how close she and Mitt are, could a President Romney mentally and emotionally handle the job of being president while dealing with a suddenly very ill and declining wife?

Ryan Romney Plan For America...TInkle Down Economics

Ryan may be on the bottom of the Republican Party Presidential Ticket, but when it comes to the Republican Plan to save America and restore prosperity, leave no doubt about it, Paul Ryan is steering Romney's ship as the two of them try to win the White House, and that reality means Americans from every walk of life need to wake up to the reality of a Ryan/Romney plan...in short, it is a yellow version of Reagan's Trickle Down Economics where we were falsely led to believe that what was good for the rich was good for the middle and lower class, that their prosperity would trickle down to the rest of us...under the Paul Ryan & Mitt Romney plan, the middle class will find themselves pissed on by the uber rich...thus Tinkle Down Economics.

So, if you find yourself in the 99 percent instead of in the one percent, ask yourselves....are you willing to be pissed on by the likes of Mitt Romney, the man who earns $36,000 a day?  Are you willing to be pissed on by the likes of Paul Ryan, the man who wants to raise your taxes while those earning over $2.5 million a year (Mitt Romney) receive a $250,000 additional tax reduction as the so called JOB CREATORS...can any one say Bain Capital?

Sure here in Sullivan County we have a few folks (Gerry) who are UBER RICH, and there are probably a bit larger number of folks who could be considered seriously wealthy, but for most of us, we fall into the categories of either middle or lower class, and like it or not, Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney's plan for America has painted a target squarely on our foreheads.  When you go into that voting booth in November to choose are next presidents, ask yourselves, "Can I afford to be pissed on by these two men for the next four years?" 

Paul Ryan Being HECKLED At Iowa State Fair

Just in on CNN, though they are not directly reporting it...Bubble Boy was speaking at the Iowa State Fair, and the entire time he was trying to speak he was being HECKLED, average America Citizens frustrated with the obstructionist Republican Party shouting out, "Stop the war on the middle class."  

Look for this campaign to get VERY UGLY, and it is possible we could see riots at the Republican Convention this year.

Kowtowing To Special Interests in Presidential Election...What About us White Voters?

Let us be clear....last week Obama gave out back door Amnesty to some 800,000 plus illegal aliens in the name of politics...he pandered to a special interest voting block.  Turn on any network news show, and you will hear about this special interest group or that...just now CNN ran a report on the important role that "Latino Mom's" will play in this election, and why the candidates should be paying more attention to them and their concerns.  Business owners, the uber rich and religious special interests all get attention.  Latino's and their various camps get special attention, so forth and so on, and story after story talks about the special role each of these groups can/will play in deciding who wins the White House this fall.

Meanwhile, there seems to be a block of voters who are being taken for granted...WHITE PEOPLE.  In the last Presidential Election, over 70 percent of votes cast were cast by white voters...so where is our attention, and why aren't the politicians pandering to us, listening to our concerns.  The gays saw "Don't ask don't tell" abolished, saw Obama state publicly that he supports gay marriage.  The Republicans are extending and deepening the recession by holding up any legislation that would increase taxes on the rich, and Obama tossed out an executive order that back door defacto passed the Dream Act, and yet there seems to be NOTHING for the largest voting block in America, and someone needs to ask why.

Obama and Romney rarely come to New York for anything other than fund raising, making appearances at events that cost $40,000 a seat...what about an event for us average Joe's and Jane's where we could sit down and talk with the candidates over a burger and a beer at say $25 a plate...oh wait, silly me, the American Electoral process is controlled by BIG MONEY, manipulated by big corporations who are after all people too...just ask Mitt, he'll tell you that it's true.  We the people have been usurped by a new phrase, We the well heeled, the uber rich having access, while the rest of us find ourselves accepting edicts from on high that most of us do not support.

People from all 50 states elect a president, people from every walk of life, and from every ethnicity elect the president, yet the largest voting block in America, the white voter, is being ignored, our interests taking a back seat to the interests of small special interest groups...just because keeping taxes low on the uber rich is good for the uber rich does not make it good for us average folks, and granting Amnesty to 800,000 illegal aliens may be good for the Latino voting block, but is it good for the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS, and is that Amnesty what the largest voice in America wants? 

Perhaps it is time for the white voters to find our voice, time for us to demand a place at the table.  It is simply unfair to have a situation where elections are won and lost on the edges, unfair for the fringe to move their agendas forward at great detriment to the larger whole because politicians know they can take the white vote for granted, know it will split its voting block along given fault lines, and so can be ignored, taken for granted...maybe it is time that we form a super pac, time for us to choose one man for president, go to the voting booths, and write that name down, ignoring both Obama and Romney, throwing down the gauntlet that says, "No longer can you take our vote for granted, no longer will we the true majority be ignored.

Let us throw the two party system into disarray, let us push a third candidate into the spotlight, a candidate who will speak our voice while putting both parties and all politicians on notice...ignore us, take our votes for granted at your own peril...let us end the days when a small handful of states and a few special interest groups get all of the attention.

American Democracy DIED in Wisconsin Tonight

Devil Incarnate BUYS GOVERNORS MANSION

Let us be clear....Governor Walker with the help of out of state money BOUGHT THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION in Wisconsin tonight, out spending his opponent 8 to 1 (32 million dollars compared to 4 million) with almost all the money coming into the state from outside the state rapid right wing Republicans millionaires and billionaires.  What we have witnessed tonight is the DEATH OF DEMOCRACY, proof that the Supreme Court decision that makes corporations people too has killed the United States of America as we have known it for over 200 years.

What we have also witnessed tonight, is the end of workers rights, the beginning of SLAVE LABOR here in America.

Romney, Republicans Raping Middle Class To Win White House?

Romney...Rapist and Chief?

Let us be clear about this...the Republicans CONTROL House of Representatives, and have acted in a very obstructionist fashion when it comes to moving legislation through Congress that could put Americans back to work.  It would be easy to say the Republicans and Democrats have a different view of where our country should go, have a difference of opinion on how to solve America's problem...it would be easy to say that, but it would be a lie.   Let us put the ugly baby out on the living room table state the simple truth.

Romney and Republicans have one shot at the White House...stop the economy from taking off until after the fall presidential campaign is over...recovering economy, Obama is elected too a second term, a sputtering economy, and Romney might be our next president.   This basic reality sees Republicans led by Boehner being OBSTRUCTIONIST and in holding the economy back they are DEFACTO RAPING THE MIDDLE AND LOWER CLASS in the name of winning an election.

In trying to win the White House Republicans are refusing to pass any legislation through Congress that would put people back to work, refusing to stimulate the economy, refusing to pass the president's job bill is once again CRASHING THE STOCK MARKET, thus destroying the value of average Americans 401 K's, thus ruining the retirement funds of some 79 Million Baby Boomers.  This in turn means these Baby Boomers have to stay in the work force far longer than they planned, which in turn means NO ENTRY LEVEL JOBS for graduating college students.

So ask yourselves America...are you willing to vote for a person (Romney) and a party (Republicans) that are willing to rape you to get elected?

Wednesday "News on the Run" Whitney Funeral Service to Be Intimate Affair....NOT!

Woke up to flurries this morning as the streets of downtown Mountaindale were covered up in a thin layer of the white stuff.  Everything always looks so fairytale like during a snow storm, even one that is depositing well less than one inch of snow on the ground.  Our weather forecast calls for the day to get warmer (45) with these flurries turning to rain with an 80 percent chance of precipitation.  Thinking it is a great day to curl up on the sofa with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

The news channels are still doing their Whitney Houston 24/7 wall to wall coverage, informing us this morning that the Houston Family will be holding a small private service in Newark, New Jersey this Saturday FOR 1500 PEOPLE, most of them stars and notables.  Come on, a funeral service with 1500 people inside, and a large JUMBO screen outside for fans to watch IS NOT A SMALL PRIVATE FAMILY AFFAIR!  Secondly, ask yourselves...until her untimely demise, how often in the past ten years had Houston been in the news in a big way?  Almost never?  Now all of a sudden, we are being forced to endure eight days of wall to wall Whitney Houston?  Enough already.  I also question the governor of New Jersey's decision to order all state flags flown at half mast to honor the passing of a woman who in death was/is a drug addict and alcoholic if the stories in the press are too be believed.

Politics...in the EVERYBODY GETS A TURN ON TOP Republican Primary, seems it is Santorum's turn to be on top as National Polls show him in a dead heat with Mitt Romney, and leading in the polls for both Ohio and Michigan as their primary days get ever closer.  Could this be the greatest collapse and burn of a ordained Republican Presidential Nominee, or instead will Republicans fall in line and send Mitt limping into the Fall Presidential Race?  Even DOGS don't like Romney!

How convenient...gas prices are going up, giving the Natural Gas industry more propaganda materials as they try to sell us on accepting FRACKING in our communities...it is the patriotic responsibility of those of us living atop huge reserves of shale gas to allow companies to come in and ruin our environments, water and health.

Help Rails to Trails Conservancy Defeat Multiyear Transportation Bill

Those of us that live in the geographical footprint of the "Town of Fallsburg" know the importance of our own small rail corridor...well, if Republicans have their way, such Rail Trails, hiking and biking paths are in serious jeopardy, and the Rails to Trails Conservancy is asking for your help.

Press Release

Some are calling the draft multiyear transportation bill being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives "the worst bill ever."

It's hard to disagree with this regrettable distinction from a trails, walking and bicycling perspective. We need to stop the bill, now!

The bill as it is currently written would:

• Eliminate dedicated funding for trails, walking and bicycling;
• Destroy long-term dedicated funding for transit created by the Reagan Administration;
• Do away with the rail-trail eligibility category in the Transportation Enhancements (TE) program;
• Put our children in harm's way by eliminating the Safe Routes to School program;
• Fail to maximize its job creation potential, since trail, walking and bicycling projects create substantially more jobs per dollar than do highway projects;
• Increase America's dependence on foreign oil; and
• Contribute to our growing health and obesity crises.

The bill could come to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in the next few days. Since it is beyond possibility of repair, we need to ensure that it does not leave the House floor.

We have no time to lose. Ask your representative right now to vote against the bill.

I'll be doing everything in my power to ensure this bill is defeated in the House. I truly hope you'll join me.

Even as we are working feverishly to defeat this House bill, please note that a Senate bill--which also fails to preserve dedicated funding for trails, walking and bicycling--will likely come to the Senate floor for debate and a vote next week as well. (When it rains, it pours!) We'll be messaging you about that, too. Apologies in advance for so many messages from us in so short a timeframe, but please know that we wouldn't write you so much if it weren't absolutely necessary.

Thank you much,

Kevin Mills
Vice President of Policy and Trail Development
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Tuesday "News on the Run"

This weather just does not know what it wants to do.  From almost zero a few days ago too 43 today, and temperatures rising to as much as 45 by Friday of this week!  Hard to get acclimated to winter when it just is not staying around for more than a day or two at a time.  Which might explain the really horrid colds that seem to be going around here in downtown Mountaindale.

"News on the Run"

Top story today...poor old Millionaire Mitt Romney and his tax returns.  Must be nice to have so much money invested that you earned 42 million dollars in just two years...even nicer when all that money is taxed at just 14 percent!  Even a better bargain when you also realize he is not having too pay Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment or Workers Comp taxes on any of that money.  Figure it out folks, and with your Social Security Taxes, Medicare/Medicaid and other taxes, you are probably paying around a 30 percent tax rate, while poor old Mitt (who thinks he is ONE OF US) is paying a rate of just FOURTEEN PERCENT!...and we wonder why the rich are getting richer while more and more of us are falling out of the middle class?  Ask yourselves folks....do we really want a President of the United States who has to live on a paltry $36,000 a day after taxes?

56,000 JOB OPENINGS!  Seriously folks, these top performing companies are hiring, having on average 700 ob openings each.  So, dust off those resumes and start sending them out.  Let's see, 56,000 people without jobs get jobs...that only leaves 19 million more people needing work for everything in America to be hunkydory again.  Maybe Mitt can create some more jobs by destroying companies as a corporate raider?

Is your hair already shampooed, do you find yourself with ZERO Social Life?  If so, this is your lucky night.  You can turn on the TV, and at nine PM find wall to wall coverage on almost every channel as President Obama delivers his "State of the Union" address to the nation.  Thinking it would be nice to have the president start off with something honest like, "I'm going to level with you folks...the state of the union sucks right now, especially if you are in the middle or lower class."

Thursday "News on the Run"...Editorial

We had a nice snow overnight that is turning into an icy slush as a cold biting rain hammers our little hamlet, the sound of snow removal equipment waking me to this new day, almost but not quite blanking out the sound of my TV as CNN brings me the morning's newest breaking news, which in most cases is nothing more than a rerun of news they previously brought to my attention.

One headline caught my attention...Santorum (perhaps positioning himself as VP, or a nod to some other job on the taxpayers backs) is defending Mitt Romney, saying attacks on his time at Bain Capital amount to a attack on Capitalism.   While rolling this concept around in my head, saw another article wherein the Pew Institute says there is a greater resentment/conflict growing between the rich and poor...I know, can we have a duh moment here (just give me the money they spent on that survey, and I could have told you that).  

Could it be that both Santorum and the UBER RICH need to wake up to a basic reality?  Capitalism in its current form is not working for most Americans, few Reagan's trickle down economics nothing more than a cruel joke that kept the poor at bay for another years while the rich continue to get richer, stacking the deck in their favor at every step of the way.

Americans have traditionally been the most enthusiastic champions of capitalism.  Yet a recent American public opinion survey found that just 50 per cent of people had a positive opinion of capitalism while 40 per cent did not.  The disillusionment was particularly marked among young people 18-29, African Americans and Hispanics, those with incomes under $30,000 and self-described Democrats.

The American Dream taught to us was simple...if you worked hard, played by the rules you would get ahead in life, live comfortably, odds were good that your children would have a better life (style) than you had as a result of your efforts.  You were taught that being loyal to your employer would see your employer being loyal (and fair) to you.  Fact is, in 2012, that American Dream is all but DEAD.  The middle class is being decimated with each passing day, the richest getting ever richer, hard working Americans struggling just to keep a roof over their heads, and food on the plates of themselves and their family.  The few jobs that are out there pay a wage meant to see you barely surviving, paying you what amounts to SLAVE WAGES, all in the name of corporate profits and the bottom line.

According to the 2000 Census:

12.8% of US households lived on $25,000-$34,999 a year

12.8% of US households lived on $15,000-$25,999 a year

6.3% of US households lived on $10,000-$14,999 a year

9.5% of US households lived on less than $10,000 a year

This means that 44.1% of Americans lived on $34,999 or less a year even with both parents working FULL TIME.

There is no better example of Main Street America's anger with the UBER RICH (ruling class) than the "Occupy Movement" that spread across America this past fall.  That movement may be floundering in the winter winds, but look for the remaining embers to light a brush fire that spreads across America with the coming of spring, look for larger protests, and if the same tactics used to put a choke hold on the movement this past fall are used by police departments in the spring, perhaps protests will turn into open riots, as 150 years after the Civil War we again see Americans fighting Americans, brothers against brothers as the great uncleansed masses rise up and say, "ENOUGH".

Santorum's defense of Mitt Romney, his defense of Mitt's time at Bain Capital where he employed a scorched earth policy to the work force shows that he, nor Mitt Romney has a clue when it comes to the life and needs of Average Americans, shows them both unfit to hold political office, let alone hold the highest office in the land.  Millions of Americans have been disenfranchised, even though they want to work at a living wage, there are no jobs to be found, or if a job is too be found it pays a paltry wage, and is part time.  Sadness and despair are rapidly being replaced with anger, you can sense a deep seething hatred starting to bubble up too the surface as the tone of conversations outside  grocery stores, or in the local pub or bars is changing as people state boldly that something has to change, the words making it clear they feel sold out by those in government supposed to protect us, those who are supposed to keep the playing field relatively fair...it seems all the Republican candidates are ignorant of this growing rip in the fabric of America, and if truth be told, the Democrats are no better, both parties pandering to special interests, rather than doing what is RIGHT FOR THE NATION. 

60 Percent of New Hampshire Voters SAY NO TO ROMNEY

OMG...the pundits are already lined up singing "Hail Mitt Romney", proclaiming his the Republican Presidential nominee in 2012.  Never mind the FACT that 93 percent of Republican Americans HAVE NOT VOTED YET, and never mind the fact that 60 percent of voters in New Hampshire, and 75 percent of voters in Iowa voted against him, fact is (according to CNN, FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS) none of the rest of us have a say in the matter, New Hampshire and Iowa have spoken!

Now let's just suppose for a few minutes...Santorum just missed (by eight votes) beating Romney in Iowa, and Ron Paul came in a strong third, and in tonight's New Hampshire vote Paul came in a strong second with the other Mormon a decent third.  Now, what if say the moron from Texas (the other George Bush) and Newt accept their fate and fade into the night...am I the only one who sees the possibility of things tightening up with just four candidates in the field, seeing the Republicans heading into a brokered convention where the gloves really come off, and it is any one's ballgame, including Sarah Palin, and perhaps even Joe the Plumber? OMG...imagine Ron Paul and his followers showing up for the party, right wing Republicans all with purple faces as they think to themselves, "This is not the big tent we'd envisioned, and no way are we letting any of their ideas into our platform this year."

Wednesday "News on the Run"...Editorial on Fracking

sniffle, sniffle, sneeze...I have a told and (as the commercial would say) need some stuffy, sneezing, coughing so I can rest medicine. Coffee tastes good, and peeking out my window, looks like a bit of a dismal day out, but there is some good news...no snow pellets. It is wet, damp, nippy, spitting and nasty out...a good day to just stay inside with my cold and give the house a complete cleaning for Christmas Day. Speaking of Christmas, I will be putting up a post on Christmas Eve that has links to all of my own favorite Christmas songs on You Tube, and hope all of our readers will find these beautiful songs a great addition to your own celebrations.

Editorial:

Last week the US EPA came out with a preliminary report which in part says a water aquifer out in Wyoming is most likely contaminated with chemicals from fracking...those in favor of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling (Encana) have taken to the airwaves trying to tarnish both the report, and the agency. Additionally, these industry shills have tried to convince Americans that even if the findings are born out to be true, the report should in no way have any effect on their desires to drill in the rest of the nation because the underground conditions in Wyoming are far different than anywhere else, with the fracking there taking place at shallower depths than in the rest of America.

Fact...the only difference a far greater depth will make in the end line results (contamination of our water sources) is the time it takes for those contaminants to reach our aquifers and underground fresh drinking water supplies. Once you crack/fracture a rock, boulder or stone, it will continue to crack until said stone or boulder or rock formation splits into two or more pieces. Thus, it is not a matter of IF these cancer, birth defects, health risk causing chemicals reach our fresh drinking water supplies, but a question of when they reach and contaminate our fresh water supplies. What the Natural Gas Industry is counting on, is being able to get in and get out before that contaminate is found out.

Hydraulic Fracturing is the biggest CON GAME to come along in decades, and it is the people of rural America who are being asked to pay a horrible price in the name of Natural Gas company profits. As example, the Energy Secretary (DOE, who cannot be trusted, have no interest in protecting our environment) likes to trot out the lie, "at current usage rates, the Natural Gas play here in America will last at least 110 years". Lets explore this myth.

1. There is much lobbying going on in every state capital, and in Washington DC to greatly increase the consumption rate of Natural Gas. As example, lobbyist for the Natural Gas industry convinced Pennsylvania officials to give the industry $50 million of our taxpayer dollars to help the industry built Natural Gas stations along the interstate, and to give grants to municipalities to convert their fleets to natural gas. Both of these actions aimed at greatly INCREASING current rates of consumption.

2. By some estimates, as much as 60 percent of the Natural Gas plays here in America have been sold to foreign companies...the largest player being China's state owned CNOOC. In short, this means the lions share of America's natural gas will be shipped overseas...which would explain why it is that most Natural Gas companies are investing their own capital into building large plants to liquify the natural gas, load it onto ships to be sent offshore (just like our jobs) to China and other countries such as India, while our tax dollars are being used to increase domestic supply and demand, which in turn will DRIVE UP PRICES, making Natural Gas just as expensive as the petrol we now put into our cars.

These two realities change the whole argument. Ask yourselves a question, "Are you willing to risk your family's health, your community's property values and fresh drinking water supplies for a gas play that will last fifteen years or less? Oh, I am sorry Chesapeake Energy, Exxon and Cabot, is that an inconvenient truth you would prefer not to speak upon? are we in rural America not supposed to realize that the DOE, our government and the Natural Gas industry refer to this Natural Gas Energy as a TRANSITIONAL ENERGY source...curious here...what are we transitioning to? Add to this the fact that the lions share of this transitional energy source is promised to China and India, and that fifteen year energy supply actually represents only a seven and one half year energy supply here in America...barely enough supply for you to pay off that new Natural Gas burning car they want us all to go out and purchase based on say a 60 month car loan.

"We need to consider the depletion rate of these rigs, which is surprisingly 60% in one year! It means a gas well uses up its own supplies after 2 years of time!"

The natural industry, and even our own government are spending tens of millions of advertising dollars telling us it is our patriotic duty to allow fracking in our communities. We are told these natural gas reserves locked in such places as the Marcellus Shale will allow America to break our dependence on Foreign oil...if this were true, then why are there no laws stipulating that said Natural Gas reserves if mined from under our lands are for DOMESTIC USE ONLY? If these reserves are meant to break us of our dependence on foreign oil, why are companies like Exxon, Chesapeake Oil, Cabot and others being allowed to sell off their plays to foreign companies owned fully by foreign governments?

The underground aquifer in Wyoming WAS CONTAMINATED by Hydraulic Fracturing chemicals, and waters in other states including Pennsylvania have been contaminated by Hydraulic Fracturing chemicals, and by well pad accidents. Our fresh drinking water supplies will be contaminate, the question being when, not if. Our government, the DOE, and the US EPA know this...is it why Congress under the direction of Dick Cheney exempted this industry from the regulatory requirements of both the Clean Water and Clean Air acts. The industry knows this as well, and it is why they want to GET IN, suck out the gas and be gone before the contamination of our waters is noticed so that they can hide behind their attorneys and say, "Was not us. and even if it was, PROVE IT".

New York's DEC is in the process of approving regulations by which FRACKING will be regulated...the rules are inadequate, and the department does not have the manpower to enforce them even if they were adequate. The only solution for the state of New York that protects citizen health, and our clean water supplies is an OUT RIGHT BAN OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING in our state, rather than simply banning it in a few protected areas. Locally, both the Town of Fallsburg and Sullivan County should be passing local zoning laws that FORBID FRACKING in our communities.

Articles You Should Read

Fracking rules to be more stringent Youngstown Vindicator By Karl Henkel Ohio plans to scrap some fracking regulations in lieu of more- stringent rules, but some antifracking advocates remain skeptical about the proposed changes. Ohio Legislative Service Commission Final Analysis of Sub. ...

Fracking may test water law Independent Online Asked what international reports on fracking had been studied by her department, she said technical papers and reports “have also been consulted” from Canada, Europe and Australia – in addition to the US – where hydraulic fracturing for shale gas ...

Earthquakes, Water Pollution and Increased Greenhouse Gas Emissions? Fracking ... FXstreet.com The last decade has seen a sustained campaign by the hydraulic fracturing ('fracking") industry against its critics, as the fracking industry in the US alone was worth an estimated $76 billion in 2010 and is projected to grow to $231 billion in 2036 if ...

Tuesday September 6, 2011...Join Starbucks CEO in No Labels Telephone Town Hall Meeting

Putting this Press Release in the Mountaindale New York news blog not because Starbuck's CEO is right, but because our government at this point in history is wrong for America, and wrong for our workers and I will listen to anyone with an alternative thought. We cannot just stand by and let partisan politics coupled with corporate greed destroy our nation's middle class, and that reality, that simple truth makes me willing to grasp at straws, though it looks like you have some centrists from both sides of the aisle wanting to reshuffle the same deck and present it as a new deal for America's working class.



I have some serious problems with Howard Schultz, including his own efforts at lobbying Congress, buying politicians through campaign donations, but as I said, always willing to give someone a listen...if you are an American Middle Class citizen tired of the same old same old inside Washington DC's beltway, join the conversation on Tuesday evening. Sure if nothing else it will be entertaining.

For my money, think America would be a lot better off is we elected some average every day Americans, rather than sending to Washington more millionaires and billionaires. Trust me, you can never expect a person with that many zero's in their net worth statement to represent your interests if you are earning less than $100,000 a year, so stop sending them to Congress. Most of the people in No Labels are, simply stated, a part of America's pampered class, and in many cases, actually a part of the problem. But, never hurts to grasp at straws, though this group looks just like the rest of them, laden with special interests, and the money that special interests are willing to toss at such groups.

A Conversation With America

Submitted by No Labels Blogger on September 1, 2011

Join Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and thousands of concerned Americans in a telephone town hall Tuesday (Sept. 6) at 7:30 p.m. EST to discuss how we can stop the hyper-partisanship plaguing Washington. Three weeks ago, No Labels joined Schultz in his drive to encourage other business leaders to sign a two-part pledge:

1. To withhold campaign contributions until Washington reaches a fair, bipartisan deal on our country’s long-term economic future.

2. To hire workers. American businesses can make a positive impact on our economy through a commitment to doing everything possible to accelerate job creation.

Since then, Schultz has heard from thousands of Americans across the country who are beginning to lose hope in the American Dream. It is time to restore that hope. Click here to join Schultz for Tuesday’s telephone town hall to discuss how we can set in motion an upward spiral of confidence in America.

Lets examine the players in Tuesday chat.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz



No Labels Co-Founders ...careful folks. there are some SNAKES in the grass in the list of founders. For starters, can we say Joe LIEberman?



John Avlon One has to wonder how wise this man in when he agreed to be the Chief Speechwriter and Deputy Policy Director for Rudy Giuliani's failed 2008 Presidential Campaign. Let's all be honest here...if it were not for September 11th, 2001, Rudy Giuliani would have left office a disgraced man. Stop your moaning everyone...he moved his Mistress into the Mayor's Mansion.



Robert S. Kaplan



Lisa Borders...seems to have a penchant for knowing which side of the bread she can get buttered.



Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget



In summation...this looks like one group of pampered silver spoon babies trying to wrest control of Washington politics from another group of pampered silver spoon babies, but I will be there on Tuesday to listen in.