The stimulus money will be coming. If your city is headed by Republicans, the mayor and city council may spend the money on pet projects and friends and later complain that the stimulus funds did not help the economy, and was foolish.
Before the stimulus money comes, form a mayoral stimulus fund advisory committee or a city council advisory committee and be totally involved in the spending choices. Investigate the contracors to ensure they are not using the money to pad the pockets of those who already have jobs. This money is intended to employ those who are unemployed or underemployed. The money should not be used for overtime work or those not really impacted by the economic downturn.
You must be the eyes for the administration and speak out loudly and often if you see your local officials acting in bad faith. We will need to stop the spending BEFORE the money is gone and redirect it to those who were intended to benefit from the Stimulus Package.
Many (Republicans) want this Stimulus Package to fail. We must see that it has a chance to produce its intended effects. There must be full transparency and accountability for every cent your area gets.
If you see something suspicious, let us know.
Loraine
Obama was the only candidate for this election who has the skills to be our next leader. Obama has the skill to bring U.S. citizens together and can vastly improve the American image and level or respect abroad. Obama has the verbal skills to communicate effecively and give an interesting and meaningful speech. He has the moral backround to keep his administration "clean."
President-elect Obam is to be given a ruined country/ Job loss and business failures are extremely high. The treasury is bare and laden with trillions in loans. People are afraid and feel insecure. China has gained enormous power. The current elected White House officials are running off with the money, filling their personal pockets, and giving "the finger" to the American public.
Americans expect an affluent society, but they have just been robbed of their savings, pensions, houses, jobs, and security. Obama was the only candidate who could deal in any reasonable way with this gigantic mess that Bush and his "friends" are leaving behind.
We wish President-elect Obama the best and we will continue to work to support his efforts. We, as a nation, pray he is successful.
Babysit, drive them to the polling place - do what you can to help them get out and vote.
If your rich, send out the limos to pick up voters and take them to the polls.
CELEBRATE TONIGHT "LIKE IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY"
I want to extend my deepest heartfelt sympathy on the passing of your grandmother. A loss such as this is hard at any time, but ironic that it comes at a time of such great excitement for you and your family before this historic election. This moment of loss will always be strongly attached to your exhilaration of the campaign. Both are one-time life-memorializing moments. I know she is watching over you and will keep you safe. She has always been proud of you.
Suppress the grief for today, and take in the moment. Then, in 3 to 4 days, spend time grieving and discussing grandmom with the family.
God Bless you and your family. You are in my prayers.
Loraine Goodwin
Obama again shows his presidential qualities as he ignores the low level that McCain and his campaign seek. McCain again hopes to win by praying on fear and ignorance. His followers are looking more and more like skinheads.
Please vote for Obama and end this divisive campain strategy.
Let's see...there's McCain the candidate and the rich lady ...Cindy...well made-up and wearing expensive designer clothes. Then there is the McCain family which includes the adopted girl from Bangladesh and McCain's daughter's friends from the show "The Hills."
Next there are the Palins and their kids...one with Downs Syndrome, who gets passed around like a hot potato- usually ending up in the arms of the littlest girl, and one pregnant daughter...planning a quick marriage...of course the fiance travels with them too. I never see a "Nanny"...is that Mr. Palin? Now, they have added "Joe the plumber, as a regular member of the circuit. They paid Joe's back taxes, got him a plumber's license, set him up in business as a plumber, so I guess he "owes" them his loyalty, bought and paid for...plus the trips and perks. They even dragged min Elisabeth from "The View." (Do I really care what Elisabeth thinks about who should be president?)
McCain tries a pitiful last ditch attempt to scare middle class that they will be taxed. McCain want to tax health benefits for the poor and middle class.
All business people know that to earn $250,000 net, you will earn a lot more as gross income and write off a lot of things as business expenses. While the big corporations spend our bailout money at spas and big dinners, at our expense, thay will be able to write these expenses off as legitimate meeting and business costs. The list of deductions is long and can shelter a lot of money. Businesses will not suffer by Obama's tax on the rich, because the rich shelter their money, and the tax is only on that money which is unsheltered and exposed.
Even Cindy McCain never revealed her wealth and investments, because she did not want the government to have access and knowledge about her funds. (She said it was none of the public's business.) Oh yeah, she is hiding it BIG TIME.
Billions were sent to rich bankers and companies as a "bailout." Now these companies are keeping the money and using it for their salaries, benefits, trips, "golden handshakes", personal investment in the falling securities, personal investment in the low-priced housing, etc.
So, the rich get much richer, and complain they do not want to help the middle class.
McCain and his wife have many millions of personal funds. Most of the money is hers. McCain now keeps complaining because Obama, the underdog, did not accept campaign limits. They are unhappy that Obama, by having donations, can afford to compete in this election.
Sorry McCains, Obama has the financial support, so you can't buy this election from under him.
Palin agree in debate tonight that America is ready to get rid of old politics and politicians and ready for a change and new leadership.
Sounds like Palin is for Obama and we agree.
Vote for Obama
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JOHN MC CAIN IS PLAYING POLITICS WITH HIS COMMERCIALS FILLED WITH LIES AND SCARE TACTICS.
JOHN MC CAIN IS RISKING LIVES BY CONTINUING THE WAR, AND EXPANDING IT FOR SOME VAGUE GOAL. (Iraq will hold elections) The Iraqi people must initiate and want this goal. It can not be pushed onto voters in a foreign country.
JOHN MC CAIN IS NOT READY TO LEAD. He cancelled the convention. He cancelled the election. He cancelled the debate. He ordered that the press can not interview Palin (the invisible V.P. candidate). He can not lead his party during the current Congressional buyout votes McCain voted for the Buyout and asked Republicans to support him - Republicans voted against it 66%..
McCain is playing politics, risking lives, not ready to lead.
Please vote for Obama!!
McCain better watch out - Palin stated yesterday that Biden was too old...."I've been hearing about him since I was in second grade." Crowd laughs
Palin is now in dangerous territory. The AARP and Boomers do not appreciate negative speech about older Americans. McCain is older than Biden - so it comes back to haunt the McCain/Palin ticket. Biden as the Vice Presidential candidate has a wealth of knowledge and can help and advise President Obama on successful implementation of his platform.
OBAMA HAS ALWAYS TREATED McCAIN WITH RESPECT AND HAS NEVER MADE JOKES ABOUT McCAIN'S AGE. OBAMA IS A GENTLEMAN WITH INTEGRITY AND RESPECT FOR ALL AMERICANS, YOUNG, OLD, AND IN-BETWEEN.
PLEASE VOTE FOR OBAMA
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McCain states Obama does not know the difference between a strategy and a tactic. McCain once again gets an F for strategic thinking, clarity and intelligence.
Obamma did not get pushed into being a Presidential candidate. Everyone was surprised and jealous of his skills that enabled him to get this far in the campaign. Obama had a strategy. He knew he was interested in the Presidency and he know what strategy and tactics might help him achieve his goals.
OBAMA IS A GREAT AND INTELLIGENT THINKER WHO IS TO BE EMULATED BY OTHERS WHO CAN NOT GET TO THIS LEVEL BY FAMILY INFLUENCE AND MONEY.
McCain fails, even today, after years of knowing Obama's history, in recognizing strategy and tactics. McCain was successful because; 1) he was a hostage for 5 years - tortured, 2) he married beauty contestents, 3) he married a wealthy woman, 4) his family had political influence and money, 5) he shamelessly uses his military story - with a sincere look and teary eyes - to distract voters from his weak points - and go for the sympathy vote. I appreciate his war stories and experience, although I still feel most soldiers would have like him to have accepted the hostage offer of release and get back out in the field and fight for the release of others hostages using his special connections, along with his unique new and special knowledge of the captors and their location. McCain is not ready to lead. He can not even get his party to follow his advice, as was shown by the failed bailout vote yesterday.
McCain is not the type of leader we want tomorrow and in the years to follow. We want BARACK a true leader who understands strategy and the economy.
PLEASE VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!!!!!!
While watching the Sarah Palin interview with Charlie Gibson Thursday night, and the coverage of the Palin phenomenon in general, I've gotten the scary feeling, for the first time in my life, that dimwittedness is not just on the march in the U.S., but that it might actually prevail.
How is it that this woman could have been selected to be the vice presidential candidate on a major party ticket? How is it that so much of the mainstream media has dropped all pretense of seriousness to hop aboard the bandwagon and go along for the giddy ride?
For those who haven't noticed, we're electing a president and vice president, not selecting a winner on "American Idol."
Ms. Palin may be a perfectly competent and reasonably intelligent woman (however troubling her views on evolution and global warming may be), but she is not ready to be vice president.
With most candidates for high public office, the question is whether one agrees with them on the major issues of the day. With Ms. Palin, it's not about agreeing or disagreeing. She doesn't appear to understand some of the most important issues.
"Do you believe in the Bush doctrine?" Mr. Gibson asked during the interview. Ms. Palin looked like an unprepared student who wanted nothing so much as to escape this encounter with the school principal.
Clueless, she asked, "In what respect, Charlie?"
"Well, what do you interpret it to be?" said Mr. Gibson.
"His worldview?" asked Ms. Palin.
Later, in the spin zones of cable TV, commentators repeatedly made the point that there are probably very few voters -- some specifically mentioned "hockey moms" -- who could explain the Bush doctrine. But that's exactly the reason we have such long and intense campaigns. You want to find the individuals who best understand these issues, who will address them in sophisticated and creative ways that enhance the well-being of the nation.
The Bush doctrine, which flung open the doors to the catastrophe in Iraq, was such a fundamental aspect of the administration's foreign policy that it staggers the imagination that we could have someone no further than a whisper away from the White House who doesn't even know what it is.
You can't imagine that John McCain or Barack Obama or Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton or Joe Lieberman would not know what the Bush doctrine is. But Sarah Palin? Absolutely clueless.
Ms. Palin's problem is not that she was mayor of a small town or has only been in the Alaska governor's office a short while. Her problem (and now ours) is that she is not well versed on the critical matters confronting the country at one of the most crucial turning points in its history.
The economy is in a tailspin. The financial sector is lurching about on rubbery legs. We're mired in self-defeating energy policies. We're at war. And we are still vulnerable to the very real threat of international terrorism.
With all of that and more being the case, how can it be a good idea to set in motion the possibility that Americans might wake up one morning to find that Sarah Palin is president?
I feel for Ms. Palin's son who has been shipped off to the war in Iraq. But at his deployment ceremony, which was on the same day as the Charlie Gibson interview, Sept. 11, she told the audience of soldiers that they would be fighting "the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."
Was she deliberately falsifying history, or does she still not know that Iraq and Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with the Sept. 11 attacks?
To burnish the foreign policy credentials of a vice presidential candidate who never even had a passport until last year, the Republicans have been touting Alaska's proximity to Russia. (Imagine the derisive laughter in conservative circles if the Democrats had tried such nonsense.) So Mr. Gibson asked Ms. Palin, "What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?"
She said, "They're our next-door neighbors. And you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska. From an island in Alaska."
Mr. Gibson tried again. "But what insight does that give you," he asked, "into what they're doing in Georgia?"
John McCain, who is shameless about promoting himself as America's ultimate patriot, put the best interests of the nation aside in making his incredibly reckless choice of a running mate. But there is a profound double standard in this country. The likes of John McCain and George W. Bush can do the craziest, most irresponsible things imaginable, and it only seems to help them politically.
Bonnie Lieb
President, The Sage Agency
703-421-1905
bonnie@sageagency.com
