SAT scores down

Nationally, a 5 point drop in reading scores and a 2 point drop in math scores. The largest one year drops in SAT scores since 1970.
No child left behind is a total failure. Just words and no real action, only lip service at election time.

Poverty in America

As in the Reagan years poverty is on the rise. The Federal poverty income level for a family of four in 2005 was $19,971.

The federal Minimum wage is still $5.15 which is $10,712 per year. Five States have a higher minimum wage over $10 per hour. They have not reported big problems in there economy's as a result.

We have 37 million people in America that's a rate of 12.6 percent. Nationally 46.6 million people were without basic Health Insurance last year.
Ohio's poverty rate is now 12.3 percent or about 1.4 million people up from last year of 11.6 percent. In Ohio we have a Republican State House and a Republican governor.

My Thanks for the real people in the USA

Beach Bum on Yahoo questions said this,

Many studies have proven that the more educated you are the more an American tends to be a liberal. (this is based on education level not wealth success)

I was republican until the 92 election when I switched to independent. I then voted for Ross Perot in 92 and 96. In 2000, I registered Democratic but still based it on the person. Now I am what is called a yellow dog democrat. That means I am a democrat no matter if a yellow dog is running.

Why am I a 'liberal' democrat and why have I gone to the extreme?
Because I see some very extreme fundamental differences.
- I believe in war as a last resort or unless we or an ally have been attacked. IEs, Gulf War and Pearl Harbor
- I believe in UN support and if the UN is corrupt, instead of bailing on them, fix it.
- I believe we have a duty to pay our elderly social security because they paid those funds when they were working. That is like robbing them if we do not pay it back.
- I do not believe trickle down economics of Reagan, Bush Sr, and Bush Jr works. It never works. I believe in Clinton's economic system that is commonly referred to as Pay-As-You-Go.
- I believe in FDR's New Deal that the republican party has been trying to destroy piece by piece.
- I believe our social programs that keep families from living under bridges prevent us from becoming a 3rd world country.
- I believe in welfare but I also believe in Clinton's welfare reform where it is limited to 2 to 3 years in a lifetime. This prevents ppl from living on it their entire life; thereby, prevents welfare abuse.
- I believe in universal healthcare because a healthy nation is a powerful nation and also the pharmcy/insurance companies are corrupt.
- I believe in government regulation of monopolies such as power/energy, cable and telephone companies. Everytime the government deregulates these industries, they promise the price will go down but it never does... it always increases thereby increases the cost of living.
- I do not believe in making laws that violate constiutional rights... such as the Patriot Act or even seatbelt laws.
- I do not believe in making new laws everytime a problem arises; but rather, to fix the problem.
- I believe in gay marriage because gay ppl pay taxes too and heteorsexual couples should not be given special rights by the states just because they are straight. Otherwise take away those special rights and don't allow the state to recognize anyone's marriage.
- I believe in a woman's right to choose because just as the Supreme Court has ruled, a woman has a constitutional right to privacy over what happens to her body.
- I believe in the right to own a gun because it is a constitutional right.
- I believe in the constitution 110% and the liberties it allows each citizen.
- I am anti-illegal immigration because simply, they break the law by entering illegally.
- I believe in complete separation of church and state per the constitution and as interpreted by Thomas Jefferson who stated, "thus building a wall of separation between Church and State"
- I believe in SMALL GOVERNMENT in terms of big brother staying the hell out of my business. I've never participated in a census and refuse to. I am a LIBERAL and believe government has NO RIGHT to stick its nose in my business.

There is more but that's enough to show the point.

War cost updated

This is a test

The cost of war to working class tax payers

The Cost of Iraq War calculator is set to reach $318.5 billion September 30, 2006, the end of fiscal year 2006. The Cost of Iraq War calculator is occasionally reset based on new information and new allocations of funding. The numbers include military and non-military spending, such as reconstruction. Spending only includes incremental costs, additional funds that are expended due to the war. For example, soldiers' regular pay is not included, but combat pay is included. Potential future costs, such as future medical care for soldiers and veterans wounded in the war, are not included. It is also not clear whether the current funding will cover all military wear and tear. It also does not account for the Iraq War being deficit-financed and that taxpayers will need to make additional interest payments on the national debt due to those deficits.

Dewine party rep at Democrats rally

Just happened to get this pic of a Dewine party rep that was at our recent Democrats party rally. If you know his name let me know, so next time we can introduce him to the large Crowds that are showing up at the Democrats rally's all over Ohio.

Please join my group forming now

I want to start a discussion group. It will be about Politics and National Issues for the next (2008) election. Some requirements to join, anyone 18 and over. You will need to send me your e-mail to join the group, don't worry, I do not spam or send out bulk mail.
what I would like to do is have about 100 or so from all over America who will meet at 8 pm on one night per week and talk. We will be using Voice and text chat, it can be downloaded free. Also has free Video and file transfer. No Cussing, G rated room. Also the free download is quick and easy to install and use.

what would you do?

According to my copy of the United States Constitution Congress has oversight power over the President and the Military who serve the President. I believe in the past 6 years that rule of law has been circumvented and is in fact no longer the case.
To many times the “I can not answer that on record it is a matter of National Security” as the standard reply to questions of oversight by Congress.
All in Congress took a solemn oath “to protect and defend the Constitution” with their right hand on the Bible and as they pledged “so help me God”.
Congress shuns that solemn oath. Those in Congress with oversight of the President and the Military now need to do their sworn duty in oversight. If they do not, then they are subject to recall.
Members of Congress have the highest security clearances in Government. There are no questions that they may have that can not be answered. None. I also believe that “no reply” at all is the same shun of the duty of any public servant to respond promptly to Congress's questions. Check Rumsfeld, back log of many and repeated request for information made by Congress.

History has shown us that the military must be held in check by Congress the lawful representatives of the people. History has also shown us that the military often lies. The military also will conceal the real truth, hoping it will never come out or come out after the fact.
The Conservative media also can not be trusted to bring out the truth, they are controlled by the owners and stock holders. Motivated by the need for ratings and advertisers. Not objective or effective.

Sept. 11th. was in fact the greatest failure of our Government to protect Americans in the History of our Republic. If the republic were a corporations the failures would already have been fired. It's time come November, time to “throw the bums out”. Government knew the 19 Saudis were in this country, they knew that “they would use hi jacked planes in attacks” in the USA. The PDB was plain and given to the President and the military. Yet the military was not prepared, rather they were not sure if the attack was even real or part of the drill they had planned. The FAA was not prepared. The military had planes out of position to protect Washington and New York. Bush was in Florida reading a book up side down to children and even kept reading after he was told about the attack, his remark later was “when i saw the second plane hit, i thought, I was a pilot and he's not much of a pilot”. Later Bush got on a plane for the nearest safe military base. Cheney and Rice were both in Washington, in bunkers underground while Richard Clark ran the situation room at the White House for Cheney and Rice. Clark was armed with a sidearm. Cheney and Rice told Clark to take over the situation room. According to Clark.

In war no power on Earth can win or even fight without oil. Arabs control most of the worlds oil now. Republicans are talking of tapping the Strategic oil reserves and new drilling in ANWAR. This would be a grave mistake, we should ration or conserve now. We should not tap the reserves.
We still do not check all in coming shipping cargo containers. Arabs still own and manage our major shipping ports. We also have not began to secure our borders. We need more border agents now.
Sending Guard troops is a stunt by republicans to make Americans think they are doing something.
Guard troops and State police should be given border police powers to arrest and detain, then deport.
Local police should also have the power to arrest and detain illegals. Republicans should not have stopped the Democrats from putting more cops in every major city as they in fact did.
We as Americans spend $500 billion per year on defense. Don't tell Americans that the Government and the people can not use Ethanol, we are the greatest innovators on Earth bar none. Even at the 10 percent mix that is much better than no reduction at all in our consumption of oil. Why do we refine “high test” no one uses it but it steals capacity for regular? Jet Fuel also steals capacity for auto fuel. Congress should take a leadership position for a change and pass real meaningful Laws to protect consumers and the public from this price fixing by the oil companies.
Americans need to park the SUVs and the older V8 junkers that get less than 10 mpg. City. Short of rationing Congress could tax them at $600 per year off the highway now. Funds used to promote public transportation in major cities. All auto drive thrus should also be taxed the same since they waste fuel.

Now is the time to rise up as one voice, one will of the people. One common goal. In November we have a choice. The choice is complex yet simple. Are we as a nation of Godly people willing to allow the Government to keep going down the same path of failure? Are we willing to except failure? Do we really find the USA is now safer than it was 6 years ago? We have 22 million illegals in the USA, some say more. God only knows how many are in fact terrorist.

Terrorist known not to be in Iraq.

Stephanie, your missing the point of the two chemicals. They can be put in any container. Alone they are inert or harmless, combined they can explode. If they are in cargo they can not be mixed.
Low density chemicals can not be detected with current sniffers for Bomb chemicals.

This is not new, it just took Republicans 6 years to do something with their power and money. After all they had Flag burning to work on in Congress , Stem Cell stuff and same sex marriage, ya know.

In 1995 al-Qaida plotted to blow up 10 airliners in Asia. Bin Laden approved the method of use of liquid explosives. The plot was conceived by the Sept. 11th. Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and staged by his nephew Ramzi Yousef. The plot was foiled by a fire in their apartment in Manila.
The operation was code named “Bojinka” and 5 men were involved with the use of “contact lens solution which was in fact nitroglycerin. 12 US flights were the targets. Electronic devices were to be used to detonate.

Republicans in Government are just kinda slow on action to protect Americans. Republicans also don't like to “regulate”, “red tape” the Airline companies and Republicans prefer just to give Airlines Tax payer money.
The TSA was a way to give airlines tax payer money. The Government now pays for the TSA to provide what the airlines get paid to do. A safe flight.

More Fodder. Republicans in Ohio were quick to jump on the Terror bandwagon as their own. They attacked Ted Strickland the Democrat who is running for DeWines Senate seat saying Strickland opposed the “patriot act”, which is a half-truth. Republicans love lies and half truths. Brown who voted against the invasion of Iraq said the Iraq war has diverted billions away from Defense budget and drained our military capacity.
In Ohio Robert T. Bennett, Republican party chairman said “ Sherrod Brown has voted against funding for intelligence, the very types of programs that helped the British thwart these vicious attacks.
Bennett went on to say ”If Sherrod Brown had his way America would be less safe”. Mr. Bennett did not say how funding in the USA help the Brits “thwart”.
DeWine is toast in Ohio and they all know it.
Republican Debera Price said “our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan have degraded al-Qaida, marginalized it's leaders and forced them into hiding”. In support of the Bush “stay the course”.
Republicans DeWine, Bennett and Price must not understand that the 24 real and known terrorist were arrested in the UK. Not in hiding in Iraq.

Federal Income

Individual Income taxes (rounded)-------------Corporation Income Taxes

1962= $ 45,571,000
1963= $ 47,000,000
1964= $ 48,000,000
1965= $ 48,000,000
____________________________________

2002= $ 858,278,000---------------------------$ 148,037,000
2003= $ 793,644,000---------------------------$ 131,877,000
2004= $ 808,903,000---------------------------$ 189,370,000
2005= $ 893,648,000---------------------------$ 226,526,000
2006= $ 966,819,000 (projected)-------------$ 220,258,000

What tax cut?---------------------------------Most Corporations pay no taxes.

Ohio Voters

Hey let's put a issue on the November ballot. The issue,
all those running for the office of Governor of Ohio must release their tax returns before July 15 th.. before election. Strickland, the Democrat has released his, Blackwell has refused saying, it's not in the law. Every Gubernatorial nominee from either party has released the tax records since 1982 except Blackwell.
Blackwell makes $ 105, 185 per year plus benefits. He is worth well over $190 million.
According to Keith Dailey Blackwell must have something to hide. Perhaps his free stock from Diebold election machines or his Contributions to others. Who knows.
Since Blackwell removed a public issue from the ballot in November we should add one.