SOS-newdeal. Why we need to SAVE OUR SOCIETY and have a NEWDEAL! more than a green-new-deal!

The new normal. Written on 9/25/11

2025-03-20T10:32:00.004-04:00

Title: The new normal. Written 9/25/11
Here's a question., Do you really think you are better off then you were 10 years ago?
How about 20 years ago?
I remember my now deceased mother. When she first made $10,000 per year she celebrated. Now $10K/year is way below the poverty level.
Our society is now divided into two societies. The haves and the have-nots. Our country's media and news organizations show us the haves. They are the people who live in manhattan, who pay $3,000 per month for their apartment and have incomes of over a quarter of a million dollars per year. These are the people who have political representation and advocates from the Republican party
The Have-nots in this country are not as lucky. Their representatives are NOT as powerful, and not as vocal, yet they are way more of the country.
There are several causes of these conditions
A) educational inequality. See xxx in blog.
B) job outsourcing / a lack of corporate governance or ETHICS
C) corporate greed
D) lack of fair tax situation millionaire's no/lax taxes and loopholes (the GE tax loops )
E unfair political system favoring the wealthy -unfair and due influence
f) lack of jobs paying a living wage
G) lack of manufacturing and the remaining reliance on "service sector " jobs.

Bogus Bravado and BS.

2025-03-20T10:30:00.001-04:00

Short and Sweet tidbits.

Believe it or NOT!!!

This post was written (but never before published, on 8-29-2019)

and if you change every instance of 45 to 47, it works just as well today!

Mr. 45 has mental problems. (debatable, depending on your voter registration).

Mr. 45 has never managed a public company, nor has he ever managed anything except his reputation.

Mr. 45 has been in bankruptcy at least three times, and has been forced to close a number of his previous business (for fraud, lack of sales, being sued, being bankrupt, etc).

His Trump Casino(s) in Atlantic City
His Trump University, which did nothing except fleece potential investors, and was never accredited.
Trump Steaks.
Trump Vodka.

Since 1980 New-Yorkers (and I am a former New Yorker) have heard this 'magic' name, and have realized that everything he ever touts is

Bullshit.
Bravado.
Bogus.

So, is our current "trade-war"
Finally people are starting to see who are being hurt:

Farmers (can no longer sell to the world's largest market in China)
Consumers (just wait for Iphone, TV, and computer prices to rise.
All Americans. Anyone who buys a box of plastic bags from a dollar store (made in China).

All of these people (NOT CHINA, as Mr. 45 continues to lie), are paying for these added tariffs.

Why we need MORE than a "Green-New Deal"

2021-04-13T11:18:00.000-04:00

More then a green new deal?

Yes.

My proposals from over Fifteen ~~TEN~~ YEARS ago give a great "Green NEW Deal" start.

However the Country is QUITE BROKEN.

My proposal (see here )
Explains why it's all interconnected.

It's a 'Top Ten' List, from the David Letterman era:

It actually has about 12 inter-connected options to correct EVERYTHING bad in our society!

We have some serious problems in the country, including

Poverty.
Lack of good jobs.

Lack of child care.

Lack of training.

Lack of a decent health-care system.

A System that discriminates against the poor and helpless.

My proposals are all ONE proposal to fix our society with a series of programs similar to the

New Deal.

The New Deal wasn't one program. It was lots of programs that helped in different ways.
Read more about Roosevelt's New deal here

Or really read about it HERE.

My ten proposals (actually twelve) programs are shameslessly interconnected,

and will cover everything I just bullet-pointed.

AND REMEMBER. This site has been here for over 14 years!

Cheers.

Essentially, a New Green Deal as I see it, will include:

A new National Highway Expansion:

Imagine taking a tractor trailer (or boat or RV)

and sending it cross-country with or without a driver

and using a electronic system (think Easy-Pass) to send it cross country.

THIS is the expansion I want..

Two lanes of special Rail, that will be compatible with current RR systems.

It's the 99% stupid

2017-10-10T14:51:00.001-04:00

It's income inequality.
Goal : fair tax reforms:

1) remove the upper limit limit on the FICA/social security taxes (last time I checked these stopped at around $90,000.

2) a minimum millionaires tax.
Per every million dollars of GROSS income (even on dividends), you-Would owe a minimum of $5,000.
(Income of 10 million? You owe a MINIMUM of $50,000 in taxes!)

3) Don't presume trickle down (voodoo) economics works. When # 45 asked a room of 100 ceo's how many would reinvest their new 15 % tax drop only 5 hands went up. 95% of these people have no intention of giving back ANYTHING!!

4) the GOP attempted for 7 years to repeal the ACA.
Yet they came up with NOTHING... to replace it with.

They aren't trying to drain the swamp, they are flooding it to make the 99.5% DROWN

5)Mr. 45 has no sense of what he got himself into. If he had a lick of common sense he'd admit defeat and try to learn about the job, instead of fighting with the press.

Infrastructure as a future

2016-09-30T19:14:00.001-04:00

It's not a pipe dream. It's a way for us to help reduce greenhouse gases, fix the country and make our economy great again.

see here...

or read here...

Top-Ten List (What I believe and Want)

Here's a list (shamelessly stolen from myself here inside this post) where I state what my
TEN programs for saving our country are:

Now, the stuff I came up with (all inter-related, and dependent on each other):

In reviewing the past, and looking where we are today, I surmise that today, we need the following:

A Massive Reconstruction (infrastructure) rebuilding project to repair the "Eisenhower Highway" system (and also make it TRANSIT and FREIGHT Friendly). See Green transit here.
A Massive Job Training Program to ensure full employment and the ability for workers to work for an honest dollar, and learn a trade that will keep them employed.
A new, "Living Wage", not to be confused with today's minimum wage (which may be renamed as an "introductory" or "entry level" wage.
A new federally paid system of day care starting at six months, to make our nation more competitive by enhancing education as well as making our society more competitive.
Ensure EVERY American has Health Insurance that is NOT tied to an employer. Phase in over X years (to over-ride opposition from the insurance lobby). Eventually becomes a 2-3 plan duopoly, overseen by the government.
Just like the "Manhattan Project" that built the Atomic bomb, we need a new, massive ENERGY project (as our New president) stated that will eliminate our country's dependence on OIL within 10 years.
Tax reform. Start Here: I call this the Millionaire's Minimum Tax. Make over 1 million in GROSS income last year (individuals OR corporations!) You pay a MINIMUM of 1%.
Mandatory Job Training/Conscription/Community Service (whatever we call it EVERYONE will do it, either in Military or NON-Military options!
Lobbying Reform. Need to eliminate pay to play.
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission to uncover fraud, lies, and dishonesty in our society.

More on Red vs. Blue or ( is a civil war is brewing?!)

2016-09-12T18:34:00.000-04:00

Written September 12, 2016

I have been writing a blog since 2005, and I started writing this blog in 2010, when I realized that we needed to have some radical changes in our country. In the middle of what is essentially the beginning of a Red vs. Blue Civil war over the Presidency of the United States, I find myself thinking about two books that Orson Scott Card wrote in 2006. and 2009

“Empire (2006) is a novel by Orson Scott Card. It tells the story of a possible second American Civil War, this time between the Right Wing and Left Wing in the near future. It is the first of the two books in The Empire duet, followed by Hidden Empire with the video game Shadow Complex bridging the two. (Wikipedia, of course).

The book follows A U.S. Army Special Forces officers, as America falls into a civil war after the assassinations of both the American President and Vice President. A radical leftist army calling itself the Progressive Restoration takes over New York City and declares itself the rightful government of the United States.

Can you say Right vs. Left?

Can you say “Donald vs. Hillary”?

Can you say, that, “the Donald” needs to be taken to task for his insinuation that someone with a gun that believes the second amendment should take his rival if he loses?

The concept of a Left vs. Right (Blue vs. Red) civil war is quite scary.

It brings me back to my top 10 list, that still isn’t completed.

One problem we have had, continue to have and WILL continue to have is the major discrepancies that occur because of race, income disparities, and a lack of opportunities for advancement in our country.

My 10 step plan covers and resolves these problems with the following programs:

Federally paid (and locally run) day care starting at 6 months. First six months would be mandated as a paid tax credit for worker. These services would continue until school started and would include “head-start” type programs to help the under-advantaged.
A national year of service (starting in 12 years: current K-12 children would be exempt). This program would start gradually (say a monthly hour for a kindergarten class at a nursing home), and would eventually prepare our next generation for their year of service, either military, non-military, or community service, depending on their interest.
A national re-thinking of the “Eisenhower Highway System”, that would include new rail tracks along every national road (publicly owned, but interoperable with current rail system). This system would be built from ground up to be:

Green (including solar/wind generation)
Hyper Efficient/technological Advanced (think EZ-pass on steroids),
Able to transport ANYTHING (including oversized loads) that travels on the US highway system with, or without a driver (a Trailer, a Tractor/Trailer, or just a Boat, on way to it’s new home.
A public works and training project that will allow our middle class a new right to work, and the guarantee of a good paying job, the way we had in the 1950’s.
Extendable, so that truck warehouses would also eventually connect to this system
Interconnected with the existing rail system, but not owned by the current railroads.
A method to reduce the impact of Truck travel on our economy (and become more energy efficient in the process)..

HEIL Trump

2016-03-18T10:28:00.001-04:00

Really?

Has anyone noticed that the Donald's rallies are starting to remind one of Adolph (may his memory be blotted out) Hitler's actions and rallies both before his 1926 election and after his election?

I just heard this discussion... Trump now says there will be riots if he's not nominated at the convention.

Sounds more and more like the beginnings of a totalitarian regime.

Predictions coming true slowly

2016-02-19T08:14:00.001-05:00

Hey a brief update for 2016.
Hard to believe I wrote most of this blog in 2005. And I predicted:
## the great depression/recession.
##class inequality
## the need to rebuild our country's infrastructure
##need for a living wage.

*Obama-care. The start to a single payer Medicare like system is here. Needs work but a start.
* living wage.
* class inequity. This is why we need to elect BERNIE SANDERS the (ha)socialist to be next president.
*New deal massive job/employment/training package:
Diane Rhemes (wamu.org) had a specialist in the Eisenhower highway system on her show this past week.
We need job training and massive spending to improve the transportation system in this country. Search this blog for "top ten" to find lengthy posts

#OWS Hooverville, the (1st) Depression, and Woodie Guthrie

2011-10-14T12:17:00.004-04:00

Summary: I propose that Occupy Wall Street (AKA:Hooverville) is NOT an anomaly, but is a continuation of the PROOF we are NOW in the SECOND DEPRESSION.

A) "This Land is My Land"
The ORIGINAL Lyrics to the Great song, "This land is My Land",
According (to of course... Wikipedia),

It was written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 based (...) in response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America", which Guthrie considered unrealistic and complacent.

But the version you and I likely learned as kids was NOT complete, but was CENSORED.

Try these three verses on for size!

As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.

Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.

In the squares of the city, In the shadow of a steeple;
By the relief office, I'd seen my people.
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking,
Is this land made for you and me?

(For those too young to know, the "relief office" would today be called the welfare or unemployment office.)

Complete Lyrics to the great tune are HERE

B) Hoover
See a Previous Article I wrote in August 2011 (almost TWO months ago?!), discussing HERBERT Hoover's failures as a president, and especially his CUTTING THE BUDGET to try and fix the economy.
FAILED. (original article written 8/30 here)

C) Hooverville
We're about to face VIOLENCE. It's great that the people cleaned the park, so that the EXCUSE of cleaning the park could not be used to EMPTY the park.

We ARE going to take back this country. It might lead to a second civil war of "The Haves vs. The People", and the idea of that sucks a great deal.

D) The Enemy
THE NUMBER one ENEMY is NOT Wall Street, but "K" Street, the CORPORATE lobbyists.
Corporate campaign laws (as dictated by the Supremes) now allows ENDLESS cash into political campaigns. I say we need total transparancy, NO more BUNDLING of contributions, and ONLY $250 per candidate VIA an ONLINE site to help remove the political sway of these parasites.

Hoover and the "Great" depression of 1929 (re-hash)

2011-10-14T12:07:00.002-04:00

Interesting. I found this buried in the bottom of another article I wrote. I managed to discuss two different issues, and this got LOST.

Summary: Hoover's actions and lack of BALLS during the first depression caused our county to SUFFER Even MORE then we needed to. Today's Republican (read TEAPARTY) wants to take us back to the glory days of 1929 to 1932 ONCE MORE, despite the dangers we faced there.

I Just can't believe the ABSOLUTE intense similarities between the period AFTER the Great (First) Stock Market Crash of 1929, and TODAY.... INCLUDING Hoover's response to the depression. Right out of the "TEA-Bagger's Party" I refuse to call them the Tea-Party... (Calling them that insults our American Patriots of 200 years ago!)

The circumstances of 1929 included: TODAY we have:

One in four workers was jobless. * TODAY one in NINE* workers jobless.
One in five Americans survived on meager relief
payments. * Unknown today
The stock market was down 75 percent from 1929. * Stock market is ready to crash again
Exports were at their lowest level since 1904. * Needs research!
In just four years, the suicide rate had tripled. * Unknown Today

* Official statistics say 9.5% unemployment (equals about 10.57 per 100 out of work), a realistic number including those (like me) who are UNDER-employed or unable to find FULL TIME work would be 11% unemployment, which gives ONE IN NINE (11%) unemployment.
For certain sectors, like unemployed black youth, current unemployment is around 30%! or WORSE then the FIRST depression!

Hoover's reaction to the "Depression" (which was not called the great DEPRESSION then, of course, but MAYBE called "A RECESSION!) FDR's presidential Library (see HERE) says

"As the nation suffered, its government seemed paralyzed. President Hoover had tried to combat the Depression, but he believed in limited government and relief through private charity.

Though he eventually approved credit assistance for businesses and some public construction spending, Hoover was reluctant to fund massive public works projects, provide federal relief money to the unemployed, or increase government regulation of the economy. By 1933, he was reviled and exhausted.

Let's do an "INSTANT replay" on that again!

President Hoover tried to combat the Depression, but he believed in limited government and relief through private charity.

Though he eventually approved credit assistance for businesses and some public construction spending, Hoover was reluctant to fund massive public works projects, provide federal relief money to the unemployed, or increase government regulation of the economy.

Gee.... Sounds like today's REPUBLICAN Campaign Platform ALL over again. Especially for those like MICHELLE Bachman and the OTHER TEA-Baggers out there.

And guess what will happen.

We may actually be STUPID enough to VOTE them in again, and have ANOTHER 4 years of MASS damage to our economy.

OCCUPY WALL Street? No REFORM our Government - #JSNN

2011-10-05T19:05:00.001-04:00

It's more then just "OCCUPY WALL Street". It's absolutely not FOR Grover Norquist.
However, I think we need to JUST start TELLING EVERYONE (and EVERY MEDIA OUTLET) "JUST say NO TO NORQUIST..."(#JSNN)

We Need NEW taxes on the wealthy.

Start with my proposed MINIMUM Millionaires Tax

Look Here (the G.E. Tax) and HERE (the idea has been there for four years!)

We need to tax ALL the companies AND millionaires who GROSS more then ONE million dollars per year . Note I say GROSS income, and NOT net income.

In other words ALL with GROSS incomes OVER 1 million dollars per year will pay a New MINIMUM income of one percent of their GROSS income.

Thus I now call this the G.E. Tax, in honor of our great US company that has CONSISTENTLY paid ZERO dollars to our government as it's fair share to support our government.

In order to further this new tax, I am also founding a new campaign, which will be named JSNN or "JUST SAY NO to Norquist" In other words we need to RAISE taxes, and Grover Norquist and his country-destroying pledge be damned.

Causes and Problems: Part 3: Ethical Abuses and Lapses in Washington

2011-10-04T16:21:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to mention that I totally believe that Wall Street (the concept) is the bad guy.

I Say:

Yes, we made a big misteak by removing the Glass-Stengel act, and deregulating derivatives.

What is now going on is the politics of "Scratch My Back, and I will Scratch yours".

Former Congressional aides are now lobbying for what I just heard as a tax holiday to repatriate tons of money currently outside of the country.

I think we have a HUGE ethics issue in Washington. The revolving door of congressmen/aides into business and corporations as LOBBYISTS is 99% of the problems we have in this country.

We need a formal program, just like they had in South Africa, after Apartheid, a TRUTH and Reconciliation Commission. It was quite successful there. Your admitted your crime publicly, you testified, and admitted the ugly truth, and you got past that bad time in your life.

We need this and an internet only $250 per person max contribution to help fix our political system.

Hey... I started this blog after predicting in 2006 that we were entering into a huge downturn.
Now I just call it Depression 2.0...

CLASS Warfare: It's the REPUBLICANS! the G.E. tax (formerly the BUFFETT tax)

2011-09-19T16:38:00.001-04:00

update: 10-5-11 Added damned Grover Norquist at end.
Damned Republicans. Can you say, "My president is a HUMAN being, I will NOT throw out language that is OFFENSIVE, DIVISIVE and politically INCORRECT?

You want CLASS WARFARE?

Let's go.

Here is the first issue. According to the US General Accounting Office (GAO) 66% of the Corporations, As an example(General Electric or GE) paid NO taxes at all.

It's NOT class warfare. It's a matter of FAIRNESS.

Look at my ORIGINAL post over THREE years ago.
We need to change this and make a NEW MINIMUM corporate income tax, based on GROSS income or sales.

Why should Warren Buffett pay a lower tax percentage then his secretary?

Let's implement a MINIMUM Millionaire's Tax.

1% of GROSS income will be a new MINIMUM tax for ALL taxpayers making more then one million dollars per year.

PS: I welcome discussions from any media outlets, if you have the 'nerve'.

by the way, I really do think that Grover Norquist needs a REAL attitude adjustment.

How much money did he get from corporations, and is his alleged enterprise a NOT for Profit?

hmmm...

Causes and Problems: Part 2: The Financial Markets

2011-09-11T09:03:00.000-04:00

It's NOT the Jobs stupid; It's the Stock Market.

Here's an example how REGULATIONS can affect the marketplace.
As a response to the laissez-faire attitude following the "Great Depression" (aka the FIRST depression), one key regulation was put into effect, separating financial institutions from banks. It was called the Glass-Stegal act, (search for it in my blog, if you haven't head of it before...)

This essentially just made sure banks didn't get involved in really poor decision making in investments.

It created two different classes of financial institutions. And was very safe until congress managed to repeal it (yes, under a democratic president in stealth mode).

Another example:
The REAL stealth law passed by congress on the LAST day of a congressional session, and sponsored by a Senator who now works for Wall Street, and managed to get this passed less then 5 minutes at the end of the session. Less then a month later it was law, the senator had retired to wall street, and no way could anyone regulate (hedge funds do it, the name escapes me now)...

Another Example:

Once upon a time it was required for someone trading oil futures contracts to arrange to take delivery of the product. Then it was changed, so that you DIDNT have to collect the product.
I say had this small regulation be maintained that the OIL futures market would not be the profitable, dangerous place it is for most of America (and dangerous for how the market price of gas rises and falls, depending on how someone feels that day).

SO:
I believe that it is quite bogus for Republicans and Tea-Party folks to claim they want less regulation when in reality the regulation would have helped the entire country.

Takeaway:
We need to start to RE-Regulate our economy. Doing unto others as you would have them do unto you has not worked, we now need sticks, instead of carrots.

Causes and Problems: Part 1: The "contractor" economy

2011-09-09T09:52:00.000-04:00

This will be an ongoing series of discussions about some of the crucial causes of our current poor state of economic and developmental paralysis in our country.

I hope that by detailing these problems, we will figure out ways to eliminate them:

Today: On Marketplace, they discussed the Contractor Generation. Or just listen here:

The Underemployed Generation.
The baby boomers were children of "The Greatest Generation", those who lived through the depression and World War II (the SECOND war to end all wars!?)

Today our children (and a great deal of us baby boomers too) are underemployed.

Underemployed and non-employed at the same time.

This is because of the Contractor. According to the IRS, an employee has to pass 3 basic areas before they are considered independent contractors.

Behavioral Control
Financial Control
Relationship of the parties

Behavioral Control
These three areas are most likely out of the scope of what you'd be interested in reading, but essentially, "A worker is an employee when the business has the right to direct and control the worker."

Financial Control
The three main facts covered here are : Significant Investment ; Expenses and Opportunity for Profit or Loss.

Relationship of the parties
Employee Benefits and Written Contracts cover these areas..

As a case study, let's look at my employment situation.
I am under-employed. I long for a new full time Job (as a computer geek in case any one has something open, my resume says, "Been there; Done that!") in the computer industry.
However, baring that I attempt to stay as employed as possible as a "FOR HIRE" Geek.

Thus, my employment status is: BARELY. I make NO hourly wage for most of the companies I work for, but get a per-assignment wage (which might be based on an hourly price).

I get no benefits, I get no paid vacation, I get none of the benefits our society usually associates with employment, including NO workers compensation or unemployment benefits.

THE COMPANY I am working for gets no extended costs associated with hiring an employee, that add to the economic growth of the country.

I also suffer by NOT being counted in the unemployment statistics. (I believe that THIS is why our national employment rate is less then 10% instead of the 18 or 19% rate it would be if we counted people who WANTED to work full time...)

SO: A recommendation:

We want Jobs, we want the economy to pick up, we need to RESTRICT the ability of businesses to use CONTRACTORS.

Proposal 1: If you work at a company's location, use their equipment, and perform the work under their directions, you are NOT a contractor.

This is a good example of a rule being re-instated that will forcibly REGULATE the workplace, and will remove a small bit of the LAX rulemaking that has destroyed our country.

I hope this is a good introduction to ONE small step we can take to restore our country.

It's Jobs, Green Technology, and Rebuilding the Infrastructure, stupid!

2011-09-03T19:33:00.000-04:00

It's jobs again... OK. Leonard Lopate had a guest on the other day, (8-31-11) discussing the 19th century's construction of the US railroad system, and how the shadows of the corporate greed we see today were echoed 100 yrs ago. My solution is simple... A jobs program; a green energy program; a national rebuilding program; a jobs program; a new works program administration; a canal; (whoops-- no canal). Everything we need to fix the economy; fix the nations' infrastructure, fix our under employment program, and more in one easy plan.. link to the discussion HERE...

And also to Ira Flatow (Science Friday) on 9/2/11.. Same thing. regarding your guest talking about the interstate highway system.

A reminder:

HERE: is my "Top TEN" list of what we need to fix the country.

These 10 items taken together will ENTIRELY fix our country

A Massive Reconstruction (infrastructure) rebuilding project to repair the "Eisenhower Highway" system (and also make it TRANSIT and FREIGHT Friendly). See Green transit here.

A Massive Job Training Program to ensure full employment and the ability for workers to work for an honest dollar, and learn a trade that will keep them employed.

A new, "Living Wage", not to be confused with today's minimum wage (which may be renamed as an "introductory" or "entry level" wage.

A new federally paid system of day care starting at six months, to make our nation more competitive by enhancing education as well as making our society more competitive.

Ensure EVERY American has Health Insurance that is NOT tied to an employer. Phase in over X years (to over-ride opposition from the insurance lobby). Eventually becomes a 2-3 plan duopoly, overseen by the government.

Just like the "Manhattan Project" that built the Atomic bomb, we need a new, massive ENERGY project (as our New president) stated that will eliminate our country's dependence on OIL within 10 years.

Tax reform. Start Here: I call this the Millionaire's Minimum Tax. Make over 1 million in GROSS income last year (individuals OR corporations!) You pay a MINIMUM of 1%.

Mandatory Job Training/Conscription/Community Service (whatever we call it EVERYONE will do it, either in Military or NON-Military options!

Lobbying Reform. Need to eliminate pay to play.

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission to uncover fraud, lies, and dishonesty in our society.

BY THE WAY....

I Just can't believe the ABSOLUTE intense similarities between the period AFTER the Great (First) Stock Market Crash of 1929, and TODAY.... INCLUDING Hoover's response to the depression. Right out of the "TEA-Bagger's Party" (I refuse to call them the Tea-Party... That insults our American Patriots of 200 years ago!)
The circumstances included:

One in four workers was jobless.
One in five Americans survived on meager relief payments.
The stock market was down 75 percent from 1929.
Exports were at their lowest level since 1904.
In just four years, the suicide rate had tripled.

Hoover's reaction to the "Depression" (not called the great DEPRESSION then, of course, but MAYBE called "A RECESSION!) FDR's presidential Library (see HERE) says

"As the nation suffered, its government seemed paralyzed. President Hoover had tried to combat the Depression, but he believed in limited government and relief through private charity. Though he eventually approved credit assistance for businesses and some public construction spending, Hoover was reluctant to fund massive public works projects, provide federal relief money to the unemployed, or increase government regulation of the economy. By 1933, he was reviled and exhausted.

Let's do an "INSTANT replay" on that again!

President Hoover tried to combat the Depression, but he believed in limited government and relief through private charity.

Though he eventually approved credit assistance for businesses and some public construction spending, Hoover was reluctant to fund massive public works projects, provide federal relief money to the unemployed, or increase government regulation of the economy.

Gee.... Sounds like the REPUBLICAN Campaign Platform ALL over again. Especially for those like MICHELLE Bachman and the OTHER TEA-Baggers out there.

And guess what will happen.

We may actually be STUPID enough to VOTE them in again, and have ANOTHER 4 years of MASS damage to our economy.

Time to Look at Depression History (Budget Cuts/Archie)

2011-08-30T20:05:00.000-04:00

despite what Archie Bunker said, (Man, we need a man like Herbert Hoover Again...)

We need to AVOID what the Tea-Bagger's Party wants us to do RIGHT now, which is to CUT public works and cutting SPENDING. That is what they did during Hoover's presidency. And he screwed up the cleanup of the Stock Market crash, and really made things MUCH MUCH WORSE...

Actually Archie is (as was the comment in this clip, saying Ross Perot saying, "I TOLD YOU SO..(3X)" was right. (the ENTIRE clip is SO amusing, but skip to 1min 47 seconds to see what I am talking about)...-(UPDATE 11-14-11)

But as Hurricane Irene this past weekend has showed us, WE NEED to fix the infrastructure in this country.\

And We need to EMPLOY As MANY people as we can for A LONG LONG TIME.

THUS, MY PLAN :

Update the transportation system created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower (the Eisenhower Highway system).

In one (VERY LONG?) paragraph:

Expand the existing Eisenhower Highway system by adding (a minimum) of 4 NEW rail tracks (2 for passenger, and two for freight, cars and trucks). This expansion will be separate from the existing national rail network, and will be run by the state or local authority that runs the existing roads. The long term goals of this expansion are:

Allowing a tractor trailer or car (or any other vehicle) to get on the system on the East Coast and travel automatically to any point in the country.
Reducing energy consumption, gas consumption and imported energy.
A massive employment program that will work (as did the Eisenhower program) to employ workers for at least 20-30 years (long enough to have a Career, doing this).
Getting our country to be more productive, reduce costs of transportation and to introduce a smart system to allow modern technology to supplement the 20th century version of "the car as the medium". This particular goal will allow a driver-less method for increasing productivity (no 10 hr behind the wheel, because the train will do the work), as well as automatically planning your routing.

Economy: It's Jobs, NOT the deficit (Depression 2.0 and HOOVER)

2011-08-12T19:01:00.000-04:00

Are we that stupid? It's NOT the deficit, but the JOBs, growth, and the fact that LARGE banks (and multi-national corporations) are HOARDING their money, and NOT spending/lending their money.

I am amazed that NOT ONE single media outlet (I am an NPR-Head) has started to question whether this is a "double-dip" recession, or really a sign that we are in DEPRESSION 2.0.

Think about it. In the "great depression", Herbert Hoover started to react to the 1929 stock crash by CUTTING the federal DEFICIT.

It took FDR (in 1932) almost 4 years, and some say till World War II, to fully get out of DEPRESSION 1.0.

I am sick. This is absurd. We need to EMULATE what FDR did to get us out of the first depression.

I am also tired of "pissin' into the wind", and getting wet... Doesn't ANYONE else out there agree with the take that our economy is more important then getting rid of the deficits?

I can't believe that yesterday, the Iowa Republican Debate actually continued to bash the president.

If The Federal Reserve tells us that the country in going to be in the toilet at least until 2013, then we should realize that we need to make SOME changes.

WE NEED the upper 1% of this country to pay TAXES. Not the 'nominal tax rate'.
We need a NEW "Minimum Millionaires Tax"

Make over 1million dollars GROSS (both businesses and individuals)?

You will pay a MINIMUM tax of 1% of your gross as a new MINIMUM tax Period.

NOT of your NET, but your GROSS income (and this would include income and dividends, so NO LOOPHOLES...)

That's a start to fix this.

PS: Look HERE: http://sos-newdeal.blogspot.com/2009/04/proposal-milionaire-problem-easy.html
for more on the tax and look HERE:
for more info on my top 10 list to FIX the economy and our society! (hence the name of my blog: sos-newdeal.blogspot.com)
:
http://sos-newdeal.blogspot.com/2009/02/top-ten-list-what-i-believe-and-want.html

Oh, and the real start to get us out of this is the massive jobs project I say, expanding the Eisenhower thruway system... (see the top ten list...)

AND my answer for next week's MARKETPLACE contest...

I've predicted since 2006, that this is the SECOND Depression (and in a mock tribute to the tech economy, I labeled it DEPRESSION 2.0).

ps: this was written during the friday 8-12-11 'on the road' marketplace show...

Shame-out:The Tea-baggers cause the stock crash--or "it's the jobs stupid!!!"

2011-08-09T07:38:00.000-04:00

Well. I won't say that I told you so, but I have-- (many,many,times) already.
The tea-bagger's party has managed to screw us up, despite the budget deficit limit being raised.
All I can say is that (many times before) we need a massive spending program to get our country restarted again

See Here: my 10-step plan to create a new deal and get us out of this DEPRESSION 2.0.

I'm getting tired of saying this, but It's the ECONOMY and the JOBS stupid! NOT the deficit!!!

Shame-Out:: (Third Time) It's the ECONOMY, (you) stupid congressmen...

2011-07-09T21:44:00.002-04:00

~~Shame-Out:: (Third Time) IT's the Republicans (and the tea-party idiots) STUPID.~~

OK. Listening to MarketPlace on NPR, I heard two economists discussing the June 2011 Unemployment drop (only 18,000 jobs created in June).

I said this, I will say this again.

It's not a single dip or Double dip RECESSION. It's a ##^#&^#@$*&#@$^& DEPRESSION (2.0).

Get the facts.

Companies that are sitting on billions in ca$h will NOT hire new workers, as the existing ones are being over-worked.
Companies will NOT invest in new workers, making the problems worse.
Republicans claim that cutting the deficit is key to getting the economy fixed. NOT!

In fact, the only reason we do not have an OFFICIAL unemployment rate of 16% TODAY is because we DON'T count the people who are under-employed or gave up on looking. Otherwise it would be much higher today, and perhaps at about 23% today.
The $$$ that the federal government gave to local states and cities has ran out because the stimulus was limited. Therefore, states and cities have cut over a QUARTER of a MILLION jobs in the past two years.

Republicans refuse to consider tax increases. It now is time for them to realize that the 'trickle-down' economy concept has failed. We have two Americas (one highly educated, and motivated, and one of 'burger-flippers', employing a huge percentage of our country) and we also have two Financial Americas. Corporations, and "Multi-millionaires", versus 'the rest of us'.

We need to address this huge imbalance. For republicans to ignore this imbalance, and still claim, "TRICKLE-DOWN", is simply like a huge "Trick on the down and out!".

It's time for the congress to get off of it's REAR, and actually do a stimulus LARGER then the last time.

HINT: see my discussion on green job building and Eisenhower Highway Expansion.

Spending trillions of dollars on a NEW transportation system (not re-using existing rail lines) is green:

To reiterate:

Use existing Eisenhower highway system and establish 4 new rail tracks on every highway.

2 Tracks would be for freight/trucks/motor vehicles.
2 tracks would be used for mass transit.

Benefits:

Federal jobs creation program. Construction will take 15-25 years [it took that long to finish some parts of the Eisenhower system] giving lifetimes of employment to current and future workers.
Green program. Project objectives are

Reduce # of trucks/diesel/buses (and especially gas and emissions) on road.
Program would seek to get both trucks or just trailers (and cars -SUV's too) from origination point to destination as fast and as fuel efficiently as possible, increasing productivity, and reducing emissions, fuel consumption and driver time behind the wheel.

Technology Driven: Program objectives would be cost reduction via technology, reducing fuels, and needs for drivers going cross country.

Cargo should be able to go on a trailer, or with a truck.
Rail system would use existing right of ways of highways.

Totally separate from existing freight lines, but would interconnect.
Existing Railroads would not be running these systems.
Technology would allow national 'ez-pass' type electronic billing system for interoperability with all systems.
Commuter rail portion of system would also be technology driven.

In summary again, we are NOT in a recession, but a full blown DEPRESSION 2.0.

In order to get out of this, we need to drastically increase spending, and have a PROGRAM and way out to:

Rebuild our economy
Rebuild the MANUFACTURING and construction sector.
Re-Train our workforce (from a service 'burger-flipping' mentality) to meaningful middle-class jobs.
Create the "Green Economy", that everyone claims they want.

Reduce fuel emissions DRASTICALLY
Reduce gas and Diesel usage
Make transportation a Technology driven , growth industry.

Stop the political bickering, and allow our government to work together to solve our problems.

The Great [War | Depression] or [World War I | Depression 2.0 ]

2011-06-07T08:19:00.001-04:00

Hey. I'm a computer Geek.

In some programming languages (or meta-languages) you would specify to choose a word by
putting some of the choices in [vertical brackets] like this.

This is a sentence you will [complete | ignore ] (example--choose one of the words...)

Now:

Here's a little story.

The [War to End all Wars| Great War]   is the original name of what we now call World War One.
It wasn't known as WWI for another 20 years after the end of the first one, when the second one got underway (and we were forced to admit that it wasn't the last war...).

So, we learn that it took a great deal of time (20+ years) for society to admit that the [War to End all Wars| Great War] wasn't the last one, or the only great one, but only the first one.

Those of you who know me already know where this is going, because I've said it before. (and I have generally beaten that dead horse to a bloody pulp by now!!)

The [Great Depression | First Great Depression ] took place in 1929.   The second one started (and I said it here on my blog starting in 2006) in 2008.   That's almost 80 years after the first one.

Yes, I agree we would be up the creek, without the proverbial paddle, if the current government had NOT taken extraordinary measures.

However I say we ARE in Depression 2.0 today. Calling this a "double-dip recession" is nonsensical and dangerous.

We can get out of this. But we need to spend a great deal of federal money to do it.
The money will need to help create jobs, create a huge spending program (think interstate highway system) and unfortunately create More government debt.

But. More on that later. Today, I just want to have everyone admit its time to start calling a spade, a spade.   If it looks like a rose, and smells like a rose, and pricks your finger like a rose, it isn't a orchid, and it isn't ethical to continue to try and sell that rose as an orchid.

So my post here today is to try and offer the following position.

Calling our current economic condition a recession or 'double dip recession' is adequate, but it is much more honest to start to call this Depression 2.0. If we do start to refer to it this way, some of the difficult spending choices will become much clearer to many Americans, and will make getting out of it much easier.

So it took 20+ years to stop calling it the great war, it's now been almost 80 years, and now we can stop calling it the great depression.

Cheers to all

Prediction: Government Shutdown: 17 days in duration

2011-04-07T06:07:00.001-04:00

I (J'accuse) predict there will be a 17 day shutdown of the US Government.

House of Reps Chief, John Baynor (a two pack a day smoker by the way--where does he buy his smokes?, and does he pay taxes on them???)

needs to learn how to negotiate correctly.

And the Tea Party should be recalled. Totally..

You heard it hear. I predict the country will be packed up until APRIL 25th.

Shame-Out:: (redux) IT's the Republicans (and the tea-party idiots) STUPID

2011-04-06T16:21:00.000-04:00

It's a stupid fight.

And the Tea Party (and the 'publicans) will be the BIG BIG BIG Losers.

I predict that in 2012, Obama will be re-elected with another majority, and
THE HOUSE and Senate will both be Democratic again!

And I bet the Senate will be filibuster proof, with perhaps 70-75 democratic senators.

And it really bugs me that the House majority leader claims that the democrats have NOT responded with a proposal, even though HE negotiated the 33billion dollar cut.

And now, he looks like an even bigger Jack*ss when he changes his demands HIGHER.

As an aside, the old haggler suggests when negotiating a price, you START extra high (ok, 66billion), and
then go down SLOWLY (say to 50 BIllion, and THEN accept 33 billion...) NOT go from 66 billion to 33 billion and then BACK up to 40 billion, with automatic poison provisions that can never be accepted.

A LIVE answer from Robert Reich-- Marketplace 12-15/10

2010-12-15T21:37:00.000-05:00

Lookie HERE: What I said over 4 years ago! Robert Reich agrees with me.. (I did write him about this AGES ago, and I think my blog still copies him when I make posts...) Listen to what he said here: His Marketplace commentary...
BUT he stops short of some of my KEY 10(actually 12 point) program:

We would STILL need:

A living Wage (the minimum wage would become 'the TRAINING wage'
Day-Care (paid by FEDERAL gov't) starting at 6 months.
A major infrastructure project (A new freight rail system)
A mandatory training and service program (up to 3 yrs, after highschool).
political reform (fat chance!)
A way to recover from all the lies we've all been given over the years.

But ... Hey... it's a start.

And Professor Reich? I'd like a job helping on this, I am currently WAY under-employed....

cheers to all, and to all, welcome to my list if you haven't seen this before.

Top-Ten List (What I believe and Want)

2010-11-10T21:49:00.000-05:00

A Massive Reconstruction (infrastructure) rebuilding project to repair the "Eisenhower Highway" system (and also make it TRANSIT and FREIGHT Friendly). See Green transit here.
A Massive Job Training Program to ensure full employment and the ability for workers to work for an honest dollar, and learn a trade that will keep them employed.
A new, "Living Wage", not to be confused with today's minimum wage (which may be renamed as an "introductory" or "entry level" wage.
A new federally paid system of day care starting at six months, to make our nation more competitive by enhancing education as well as making our society more competitive.
Ensure EVERY American has Health Insurance that is NOT tied to an employer. Phase in over X years (to over-ride opposition from the insurance lobby). Eventually becomes a 2-3 plan duopoly, overseen by the government.
Just like the "Manhattan Project" that built the Atomic bomb, we need a new, massive ENERGY project (as our New president) stated that will eliminate our country's dependence on OIL within 10 years.
Tax reform. Start Here: I call this the Millionaire's Minimum Tax. Make over 1 million in GROSS income last year (individuals OR corporations!) You pay a MINIMUM of 1%.
Mandatory Job Training/Conscription/Community Service (whatever we call it EVERYONE will do it, either in Military or NON-Military options!
Lobbying Reform. Need to eliminate pay to play.
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission to uncover fraud, lies, and dishonesty in our society.

This is most of it. Some things like education go across project lines.
Education starts at pre-school, and will continue through to high school, and an introduction to the new national training/conscription programs. These programs will be designed to help with job training in someone's chosen field.

Note: There are technically 12 proposals, but a 'top ten' list is more 'politically feasible', and some are inter-connected anyway.