My daughter, who is in her junior year in college applied for the state intern program, to be in a congressman office. Unfortunately, Oklahoma is all republican on the congressional level. While I don't know for a fact if that had any bearing on the selection process, I have to wonder if that was a reason why she wasn't selected. And I know that being her father I'm biased, but she is an outstanding student, and she has studied abroad. She studied in the Middle East for a summer in Amman, which tells me she has more of an understanding of the middle east than most of Oklahoma's congressional representatives. We are a poor family, she has to pay her own way for these things.
What frustrates me is the possiblillity that she is being barred from a great learning experience because she isn't republican. I wish america was more about freedom of ideas than a bipartisan state that we have become. I am not a man of influence or wealth, so there is no way I can give her an edge in. It shouldn't have to be that way and I wish it wasn't. Nicole would be a great person to be the leader of the future we need.
But I am sure that of the 4 people selected to be in this program, probably deserved it. So I bear them no ill will, but the level of bipartisanship in this country sometimes makes me wonder.
First when Bush and the house republicans had the stimulus package, they gave the money away with no strings attached. Obama part is spending it on this that will not stimulate the economy. Both sides have gotten wrong in my opinion.
I wouldn't give money to a drug addict and expect them to cure themselves. Why would I expect a companies leaders of a failing business know how to do any better with more money? Bad habits in each case will continue to happen.
What we need to do is invest on the working or new business models. IF we want more jobs and stimulate the economy, I suggest we give stimulus money to those companies that are succeding in these difficult times. Those companies that knew how to plan for the future. Instead of investing in companies that are failures by their own design, we should invest in those that are surviving on their own prudent practices.
We also need to set free those ideas that are locked up. Possibly come up where money is given to Universities and think tanks to make open source technology and patents on things such as Cars that are ran off of water. Better and cheaper solar and wind power.
Open source technology means technology that would have a patent that would be open for all to use. Many know this in the software world as basically freeware. But Benjamin Franklin opened up the patents on many of his inventions so the whole world could benefit, from his lighting rod to his stove.
For those that don't understand open source, think of it like this. If Apple allowed anyone to make and use the technology of the Ipod, what would happen? There would hundreds if not thousands of companies making Ipods. The ipods would be more variety, more technologically superior, cheaper and used in everything. This would stimulate jobs because of the all companies that would jump into this market. But apple won't do that, and an Ipod can't drive you to work.
But an Imagine a Car that can do 50 to 100 mpg. If the research was paid for, and the patents were open for anyone to use. Or it could be a car that ran on water, or solar panels system that powered your house during the day, and stored enough to power your house through the night.
If we spent the stimulus money an opening up technology, making it open source then we would be helping American businesses. We could offer grants to univiersities to help educate our children, if they contribute towards this open source collaboration.
But instead of investing in the whole of America, were buying new vehicles for thte government why I have to drive in my 11 year old car, and pay for the senators new ride. Not only that, but spend billions on Washington DC, while I watch my own house devalue before my eyes.
The only part of the stimulus package I like is rebuilding the infrastructure of the roads and bridges in America. Probably because that's the only part of the stimulus that benefits us all.
I understand right now that President - Elect Obama is not in office, we need to see some ground work for Transparency into government. I would also like to see a move that would investigate and examine against corruption in washington, which in my humble opinion, transparency would help us see.
A lot of things are hidden in the name of National Security and I believe they are falsely classified as a means to hide illegal activity. As much as I would love to have job of being in charge and exposing all the corruption, coverups and mismanagement in our federal government, I know I do not have the surgical knowledge needed to do this quickly and efficiently. But I am sure there many out there that do, and that there are many people like me that would enjoy the job of bringing to light many if not all government activities.
One major step towards transparency, is to eliminate corrections to federal records. Many probably do not know this, but when our Representatives speak on the floor they are allowed to go in afterwards and change the Federal Record. In other words change what is recorded what they said. If they want to say this is what I meant, then they can add an amendment after the context of their speech. Showing us what they meant to say. But I and I'm sure you too, what to know what they actually said.
Second we need and easily searchable way to look at each and every bill the government has voted on. We need to see each and every ruling done by the supreme court in the same manner, and everything the executive office signs off on.
Thirdly, no government agency, should have the right to hide everything indefinitely. I think the most the government should be to keep something top secret is 20 years. FISA would be admended to allow this. By doing this we are keeping the US Goverment accountable for it's actions. We do not need to show the world our plans on how to build a nuclear weapon, but we need to show when the decesions was made and by whom to make them.
Anything that would need top secret clearance longer than that would need to be approved by a committee, that is made up of one person from the executive office, one from the judiciary, and at least 20 from the house, 10 reps and 10 senate. They would meat once every year and vote on each item that requires to maintain top secret clearance that is already 20 years or older in that status. This would require the government to report each item that requires top secret. If it isn't reported to this committee than it is offically not a secret and therefore open for public review.
That's right I've been supporter since the beggining. And tonight of all nights hope conquers cyncism. I saw the impossible happen. Motivated by the sheer idea that All americans can succeed in America, that idea now cemented in a reality that is now fact. It was really a war of fear versus hope, wasn't it. I am glad there are many Americans who could see that. I was amazed at the incredibe grateful and eloquent speech given by John McCain. I will give him credit for making probably the best concession speech of all time.
Now it's time for next impossible project. That's right president elect Obama, it's time to put me on in your executive committee. I can be the secretary of the people. The voice of the people that has a seat in the oval office. The voice that speak not in politics, but of those of the citizen.
When I was in the military I never was fighting for the red states or the blue states. I was fighting for the United States. I greatly like the Audacity of Hope speech given by Barack Obama at the 2004 DNC convention in which he spoke about there should be no blue states, no red states but the United States.
Instead of encouraging lines of division we should be, patiently, trying to get more and more people to know what Barack Obama is about and how he will help the United States. While clearly the desparate acts of John McCain are to throw up walls of division any way he can, we must be the ones to reach that hand across.
I live in Oklahoma, and it's thought to be a red state. And I am one of those that think that way, but this year I am encouraged that I may even be wrong with this perception. As I drive around I see a lot of Barack Obama/Joe Biden signs. You never use to see any Democratic signs. And it may be just a Tulsa thing, but I can see where were no longer a completly red state. It's red and blue, making it purple.
As much as some may not like to hear this, but we need both conservatives and liberals. It's like you need rainy days just as much as sunny ones in order to make things grow. What I want is Barack obama as president, but let's reach out to our fellow citizens, that may not share our beliefs, but let's give them a thought to ponder.
The nation leaders were called together to solve a crisis. IT was thought that it would be impossible to get such bitter rivals to work together.
Then in the most bizzare change in history, the Republican party has now left Bush holding the bag and turenred their backs on their repsonsibilities to get some good news play. The first sign of dessention to the bipartisan ship came from the presidents own party in which they set the tone in congress by stating that they would not follow their president.
Now the stock market has a record drop, the largest in history. The new black monday. And what will be the coming of the nations next depression, should be named after the party that should be held responsible for not getting it resolved, and for creating the mess to begin with.
Is it just me or does it seem Ironic that McCain wants to hold the Sec Chairman responsiblie for all the banking problems in the us.
I mean where does McCain hypocrosy end. First he has stated time and time again how Industries, like banking, should "monitor themselves" to avoid costly government regulation.
Not to mention his involvement in what was the biggest S&L scandal previous to the current bank crisis. IS it just me or does it look like McCain is just seeking revenge against the agency that showed us his own, and I qoute from the SEC review, john mccain bad judgement?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_5
Here's a new campaign strategy.We need to point out how McCain and Palin are trying to look like Barack Obama. IF I were to right a speech out it go something like this..
Imitation is the sincerest form of Flattery. That's how John McCain is complimenting the Democratic Party. He sees how well we are doing, and he is trying to be like us now. Barack Obama has been the Change president since the beggining of the Primaries. It's been Obama theme. Now you see John McCain saying how he is the Change president. Imitation.
He even went so far as to invite a Democrat to speak about him on his behalf at the Republican Convention. Just because Barack Obama had Democrats at the DNC speaking on his behalf.
Barack Obama is well spoken and young, with new ideas. So McCain had to find someone who is brand new and could speak well. He had to show that Republicans could support women to by nominating one to VP. OF course the Democrats had a female candidate for president. And they allowed a woman to run for VP 2 decades ago. But the Republicans are trying to change into Democrates.
Pretty soon they will be supporting Roe Versus Wade, just like we do.
From today's Washington Post: Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home; Taxpayers Also Funded Family's Travel, by James V. Grimaldi & Karl Vick:
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business. The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife. Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post. The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel, and many of the trips were between their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.
The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.
Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.
The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel, and many of the trips were between their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show.
Jack Bogdanski (Lewis & Clark) outlines the tax problems Governor Palin faces as a result of these per diem payments in Governor Palin, Your Tax Return, Please:
"Per diem" allowances received by an employee can legally be omitted from her gross income if they constitute reimbursements for amounts that the employee could have deducted as business expenses had the employee paid for them out-of-pocket and not been reimbursed. Thus, for Palin, the tax question would appear to boil down to whether, had she not been reimbursed for the $60,441 of travel, meals, and lodging expenses, she could have legitimately taken business deductions for them. It does not appear that such deductions would have been allowable for any amounts attributable to travel by her husband and children. Section 274(m)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code strictly forbids deductions for bringing spouses and dependents along on business travel unless the spouses and dependents (a) are employees of the taxpayer (here, the taxpayer is the governor), (b) are travelling for a bona fide business purpose, and (c) would otherwise be entitled to deduct the travel on their own tax returns. Unless Palin's spouse and kids are also her employees and she can show that they were away on their own businesses, their expenses would not be deductible by the governor. And therefore she cannot exclude from income any per diems attributable to any of them. (By the way, since she's the employee, the income would be required to be reported on her own return, not her kids'.) As for her own travel, Palin could also run into tax problems. Only travel "away from home" qualifies for tax exclusion (or deduction), and for this purpose, one's "home" is generally the principal place of one's business. In this case, the governor reportedly works out of offices in both Anchorage and Juneau, but since she has only one state job, she can declare only one of those as her tax "home." If Juneau is her tax "home" (which would seem to be the case, since that's the capital), she cannot exclude or deduct meals and lodging expenses incurred in Juneau, and if Anchorage is her tax "home," she cannot exclude or deduct such expenses incurred in Anchorage or Wasilla. If she got per diem reimbursements for stays in both places, stays in only one place would appear to be excludible or deductible. And perhaps more importantly, the cost of regular commuting between one's residence and one's tax "home" is not deductible at all, no matter how long the distance between them; it is certainly possible that Palin's treks between the two locales are simply long-distance commuting for tax purposes.
"Per diem" allowances received by an employee can legally be omitted from her gross income if they constitute reimbursements for amounts that the employee could have deducted as business expenses had the employee paid for them out-of-pocket and not been reimbursed. Thus, for Palin, the tax question would appear to boil down to whether, had she not been reimbursed for the $60,441 of travel, meals, and lodging expenses, she could have legitimately taken business deductions for them.
It does not appear that such deductions would have been allowable for any amounts attributable to travel by her husband and children. Section 274(m)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code strictly forbids deductions for bringing spouses and dependents along on business travel unless the spouses and dependents (a) are employees of the taxpayer (here, the taxpayer is the governor), (b) are travelling for a bona fide business purpose, and (c) would otherwise be entitled to deduct the travel on their own tax returns. Unless Palin's spouse and kids are also her employees and she can show that they were away on their own businesses, their expenses would not be deductible by the governor. And therefore she cannot exclude from income any per diems attributable to any of them. (By the way, since she's the employee, the income would be required to be reported on her own return, not her kids'.)
As for her own travel, Palin could also run into tax problems. Only travel "away from home" qualifies for tax exclusion (or deduction), and for this purpose, one's "home" is generally the principal place of one's business. In this case, the governor reportedly works out of offices in both Anchorage and Juneau, but since she has only one state job, she can declare only one of those as her tax "home." If Juneau is her tax "home" (which would seem to be the case, since that's the capital), she cannot exclude or deduct meals and lodging expenses incurred in Juneau, and if Anchorage is her tax "home," she cannot exclude or deduct such expenses incurred in Anchorage or Wasilla. If she got per diem reimbursements for stays in both places, stays in only one place would appear to be excludible or deductible. And perhaps more importantly, the cost of regular commuting between one's residence and one's tax "home" is not deductible at all, no matter how long the distance between them; it is certainly possible that Palin's treks between the two locales are simply long-distance commuting for tax purposes.
See also:
Look at how the Democrats and Republicans make the Americans hate each other. They are more successful at tearing apart American than Al Queda or any other terrorist group. Look at how hateful they become during election time. IS there anything else that generates such division? What a better way to show how easy America falls when they do everything they can to divide and tear down the other side.? All you need to do to tear America apart is give them a presidential election, and then you watch them tear themselves apart.
Does anyone know about if these records have been released?
Along with that, has anyone asked palin if she knows what gun she killed the moose with? She claims a lot of things like being against the bridge to nowhere, but clearly she was also for it.
So know I'm wondering what else she has said that isn't exactly the way she pictures it. Like did she really kill her own moose? Or was someone helping her? So she doesn't have a cook or chaueffer in the governor mansion, how much money does she get to maintain it's upkeep? IS it like the bridge to nowhere, where even though she doesn't have a cook, she is still getting the money for a cook? How much actuall money did she return or stop spending by getting rid of her cook.
Besides being right besides russia, what does she know about it?
What may be one of the greatest con jobs in history about recieving federal funds, looks like Sarah palin has successfully fooled the American public. Stealing money like you would see on the big screen like Oceans 11, where there is deciet, there's a fall guy, and the money is still stolen.
Sarah Palin initiated and help gather support to the bridge to nowhere. But when it came to the accountability to the american people, she stopped the bridge from being built. But the important part here, she kept the money.
It's about the the money, I'm sure if she could build that bridge for $30,000 no one would have cared. But $230 Million dollars people cared. People would still care if they knew that money was never returned.
The next time Sarah Palin likes to use the bridge to nowhere as something she stopped being built, I would really like someone to ask her to return the federal funds for it. She's totted as a favorite in Alaska, but not in Ketchikan.
Right now if the Budget of the United States could be compared to a household, it would be a bunch of maxed out credit cards, with china being the predatory lendor on the mortgage. Why do the republicans want us to keep charging on another credit card, even if it has a lower intrest rate?
Barack obama needs to focus on the economy, jobs, alternate fuels, and making the focus of his comparrisons with Senator McCain.
Joe biden needs to compare his experience versus sarah palin and go after her like if she was mitt romney.
These are the times when when the blue states, and the red states, need to become the United States. THis is the time when republican americans and democrat americans need to be Americans. THis is the time when we need to put a hand out to our fellow Americans. We see the danger on the Horizon and we can act together . We need to put our hands together to help each other.
My ideas is that this website probably needs to focus on what we can do, the democratic party needs to team together organizing it's party to help the Americans in the Gulf Coast. This would be an excellent time for the Democratic leadership to show how well organized and how fast they can make things happen.
This website could be used for getting relief, donations, and logistics to help new orleans.
Open calls from the Democratic leadership offering help to the Gulf Coast.
Getting the ORganizers ready to help with relief efforts with food supplies, and other aid.
The Democrats in St Paul could offer their help to the RNC if they follow through with their plans to turn that into a call bank.
IN an emergency I don't care what political party extends a hand to help me, just as long as their is a hand.
