Feisty:

Too funny. The GOP/TP pretty soon are going to recruit "Soupy Sales" for President. I wonder when the real candidates are going to make there entrance. This current batch looks more like a scouting troop and not the main event.

Is there another "whats her name" in the wings?? Makes you wonder.

I'm hoping that the turd blossom is right and, good old Jeb will jump into the fray!

Nothing says rerun like the name BUSH! ;o)

This is devastating news for a NJ nut job!

President Obama's approval ratings at 60% & now this? Yup! Better don the hazmat suit, it's going to get messy! lol

No room in the clown car for that particular team, Feisty.

fred flinstone not running?.....what a same...............HE GONE!

Say how about one of you all define for us what you mean by "rob."

Is it reducing taxes? Does that somehow rob people? Are you somehow entitled to other's tax money?

How about it Feisty, what should the tax rates be set at in Feisty World?

thank you spanky I was thinking the same thing.

What's this none of you fine libbie can respond?

I'm shocked, stunned, amazed. Admission by silence - you got to love it.

TAX THE DAM RICH......POINT BLANK!....and spanky please don't leave your home and walk on the sidewalks or streets & don't take showers or use the water in your cave sir...& don't drive on TAX-PAYER ROADS,BRIDGES,PLEASE DON'T CALL THE FIRE DEPT. OR POLICE DEPT. DON'T GO DOWN TO YOUR NEAREST LIBRARY,YOU MUST BE THE OFFICIAL WATER BOY FOT THE RICH.......& Please don't forget to brown-nose them every-time you get,& shine their shoes while your add it...especially the koch brothers......dude

I'll respond, Warren Buffet and others with that kind of wealth should pay the 33% income tax I pay. They pay far less and in many cases they pay virtually zero taxes. I would simply like them to pay the rate I pay. Even Warren Buffet said his secretary pays a higher percentage than he does. A guy on wall street that makes a billion should pay 333 million.

Christie is polling above 50% despite daily attack ads from NJNEA

This is my favorite "bully" moment. You can't make this stuff up.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw0aBkt8CPA

But borough teacher Rita Wilson, a Kearny resident, argued that if she were paid $3 an hour for the 30 children in her class, she’d be earning $83,000, and she makes nothing near that.

“You’re getting more than that if you include the cost of your benefits,” Christie interrupted.

When Wilson, who has a master’s degree, said she was not being compensated for her education and experience, Christie said:

“Well, you know then that you don’t have to do it.” Some in the audience applauded.

Christie said he would not have had to impose cuts to education if the teachers union had agreed to his call for a one-year salary freeze and a 1.5 percent increase in employee benefit contributions.

“Your union said that is the greatest assault on public education in the history of the state,” Christie said. “That’s why the union has no credibility, stupid statements like that.”

Surrounded by reporters after she spoke, Wilson said she was shaking from the encounter, and worried she might get in trouble for speaking out.

Hmm. Well, based on this PDF from the Rutherford, New Jersey Board of Education — it looks like Ms. Wilson makes a salary of $86,389.

He would get blue collar democrats to vote for him in droves.

"What's this none of you fine libbie can respond?

I'm shocked, stunned, amazed. Admission by silence - you got to love it."

Maybe they haven't heard the new rules that say once you post a comment, you are never allowed to go take a lunch break or hoe the spud patch or go to the store or anything else, but sit at your computer and keep on posting. Maybe some of 'em even leave, and don't log back on at all again until the next day. Shame on them, anyway!

Drive-by---Maybe they're ignoring Spanky.

Well, hey, yeah!

Yep, same playbook Pawlenty used in MN. My property taxes went up $1000.00 a year, some of our rural schools have cut back to 4 day weeks, since they can't afford the transportation costs in the land large districts...all due to the cutbacks Pawlenty made. But, he was particularly fond of raising "fees."

newdayDAWNING10..

Read your post below. No...he's not a tea bagger. He is a strict fiscal conservative...when it suits him. He unfortunately has married fiscal conservatism with social conservatism into what has now become the typical GOP platform and thus far it has done absolutely nothing for the state.

Not sure what you are referring in this post Ira. My only point is that Pawlenty followed the same playbook, both fiscally and with the social conservative's demands. Seems like that is what the whole group of Republican contenders for President will be campaigning on.

newdayDAWNING10

This is an example of the people that vote for the Republican "teabagger" candidates. All emotion, no fact...

Saw this and thought you were referring to Christie. Sorry.

No problem. I think Christie is simply the flavor of the day. He is new, he is good for sound bites, (he does get some good lines off) but he is going to wear badly. I would predict that people will get tired of the bluster, and I haven't looked at recent polling, but I imagine he will start to poll badly.

newdayDAWNING10..

I'm not sure I agree. He's not a far out right winger. Doesn't say outrageous things. Some people take his style as taking a stand and sticking to it...sort of stay the course rhetoric that Bush pulled. A family man with children married a long time. He's a hell of a lot more attractive than anyone else the GOP has out there. Won over a lot of dems in this state to win election.

Wow - really sounds like your states are screwed up.

Not out here in Cali. Sure our lifegaurds are pulling down $150k plus per year [and of course are going to get 90% of that for life in retirement], but property taxes have not gone up too much.

Yep - we got us a real progressive paradise out here. Living the libbie dream is what we are doing. You all are totally jealous right? You wish your states could be more progressive like Cali. Yep, good times.

But then again NewD - you know what wears badly? Gas at $4 plus, Unemployment at 9%, and a president pandering to illegals. Cause you know, what says "laser like" focus on jobs and the economy more than speeches about immigration?

Nada, that's what.

Ira: I guess we will have to wait and see.

Good points, Ira Lapin.

Iowa's Branstad is trying to reduce commercial property taxes by 40% but what is unsaid is he will pass the burden of lost but essential revenues on to personal property taxes. Iowa Senate democrats and republicans worked out a compromise that would provide the commercial tax cuts to targeted business (real small business owners) but it's not flying in the GOP controlled House or with Branstad.

Of course, Branstad claims he wants to restrict personal property taxes as well which means cities and towns will end up making extensive cuts to services like fire, police and education or raising the local sales taxes. Whenever a GOPer talks tax cuts for business and the wealthy, get out your wallet because the average citizen will have to pick up the bill.

I have yet to hear Branstad or any republican explain how many jobs their tax cuts for the rich and for big business created--they speak the words but provide no evidence that it works.

Spanky, quite the professional lifeguard union you have out there in California.

Unions have negotiated pay and compensation packages for Lifeguards in the Orange County area of California to the tune of $100,000 each. The following is a quote from the president of the union representing the lifeguards:

In a phone conversation, Brent Jacobsen, president of the Lifeguard Management Association, defended the lifeguard pay in Newport Beach: "We have negotiated very fair and very reasonable salaries in conjunction with comparable positions and other cities up and down the coast." "Lifeguard salaries here are well within the norm of other city employees." And therein is the problem: Local public worker pay has become all too generous and out of line with private sector equivalents.

"reasonable salaries in conjunction with comparable positions in other cities up and down the coast" My. That means most every low level government job is getting similar salary treatment. Small wonder why California is in such deep financial trouble.

It gets better (or worse if you happen to pay taxes in CA):

But take into consideration the retirement benefits being paid to currently retired lifeguards and lifeguards who will retire at these pay levels in the future and the problem is further compounded. Lifeguards are able to retire with 90 percent of their salary, after only 30 years of work at as early as the age of 50.

Source: http://orangepunch.ocregister.com/2011/05/10/lifeguarding-in-oc-is-totally-lucrative-some-make-over-200k/44783/

So being a lifeguard is a career choice! With an executive level salary! Do they get an administrative staff with that job too? Not bad. Not bad at all, unless you're the taxpayer picking up the tab.

Just to contrast the public sector jobs with the private sector jobs, Disneyland in California is also looking for lifeguards, and they're willing to pay $10.00 hour. So for a 40 hour week, a full time private sector lifeguard would receive a yearly pay of $20,000.

Source: http://casting.disneyparks.jobs/disneyland-resort/lifeguarding/lifeguard-jobs

California, I pity you. At least NJ has a chance with someone like Christie. At some point the takers working for the government in California will make the producers in the private sector just leave the state.

Sapnky..

Have you priced sun screen lately and the cost of medical care for the melanomia they willl get later in life from sitting out in the sun. Oh..and the cost of "dating" all the men/girls they meet. C'mon..this stuff is not cheap.

Newt's an amoral pig. Could not agree more about making immigration reform a priority now over jobs, the economy, debt ceiling, three wars and the cost of oil. He needs the Latino vote to win re-election and thus far has not done a thing to fulfill the campaign promise he made to them. In his defense...he has had a couple more important problems to deal with over the last 2 years.

And I bet you take Obama's number on jobs created as the gospel, right Jody?

I do wonder Jody, have you ever created a job? And just what is your definition of "average citizen?" I take it it excludes people making over $250k?

Say Jody what is the average price of a home in Iowa? Round here, even with the current economy it still exceeds $250-300k. Do you have any idea what the mortgage is on that amount Jody? You know what the property taxes per yer are?

Hey you got any highly paid lifeguards in Iowa?

Ira: Have you priced sun screen lately

The union has that one covered.

And they also receive an annual allowance of $400 for “Sun Protection.”

That buys a lot of Coppertone.

Source: http://orangepunch.ocregister.com/2011/05/10/lifeguarding-in-oc-is-totally-lucrative-some-make-over-200k/44783/

JoAnnaSmith1...

I was jokng with Spanky but thx for the info. That does buy a lot of coppertone.

Seriously a life guard earns 100K and a pension in California?

Can we sell you guys back to Mexico because that is crazy.

What would you charge to risk your life? What would you charge to give a liberal CPR. Another poster from CA said $250,000 a year is barely middle class in CA. If that is true a $100,000 a year is chicken feed. I don't want the person responsible for lives and safety on the beach making minimum wage.

What would you charge to risk your life? What would you charge to give a liberal CPR. Another poster from CA said $250,000 a year is barely middle class in CA. If that is true a $100,000 a year is chicken feed. I don't want the person responsible for lives and safety on the beach making minimum wage.

So just send the federal and state government 100% of your wages because I can't afford to pay lifeguards, skill set CPR and swimming, 100k + benefits. And you really wonder why jobs are going overseas?

Go swim overseas then. Why should a professional lifeguard work cheap. My point is many here want it both ways. When I say tax the wealthy they say $250,000 is not very much it is just middle class. To that I say then $100,000 for a trained professional responsible for the lives and safety of others is about fair. Then you say no no it is way too much. Make up your mind, but you can't have it both ways. Either a $250,000 is lot of money or it is not. If it is not a lot of money, then $100,000 is no big deal.

Go swim overseas then. Why should a professional lifeguard work cheap. My point is many here want it both ways. When I say tax the wealthy they say $250,000 is not very much it is just middle class. To that I say then $100,000 for a trained professional responsible for the lives and safety of others is about fair. Then you say no no it is way too much. Make up your mind, but you can't have it both ways. Either a $250,000 is lot of money or it is not. If it is not a lot of money, then $100,000 is no big deal.

I guess you have no problem with what hedge fund managers or doctors earn. Or do you only look out for public service workers. I'd love to see what these professionals would earn in the private sector.

Alan jobs are going overseas because the Chinese making I-pads make $200 dollars a month for a 60+ hour work week, and then on top of that the companies can cheat the US government out of the taxes. Why don't you work for $200 a month, and save jobs from going overseas. Republicans hate communists, unless they are working for them at slave wages, then being business partners with the Communist Chinese government, is just good business.

I work in IT so I compete with Indians and Chinese all the time. I chose a career in a customer facing sector of the industry because I can't compete simply on wages. I bring other talents, sunny personality, that employers are willing to pay extra for.

Even the Chinese worker on $200 a month is getting their lunch eaten by Vietnamese. But what is your solution? You want to bring back assembly line jobs. I hear the biggest sock manufacturing facility is looking to re-locate from China. Is this what you're talking about? America did really well through world trade when there was no competition. Now there is a lot of competition and no one owes us a living or even this standard of living. At the end of the day the American workers for Apple, knowledge workers, are being well paid because of their invention and originality not because of their assembly skills.

I have no problem with what most doctors earn, hedge fund managers is a different story, you have a point, and it is part of my point. Some people make millions pushing phony paper on wall street, they get the money, and the tax breaks, and some people worship this. A working man gives the hours, and days and weeks, and years of his very life, what more can he give. As long as people want to defend the oil companies getting tax subsidies while simultaneously posting world record profits and raising the price at the pump, or defend billionaires who cheat; your damn right I will defend the working mans right to make a decent living for going to work everyday of his life. And I don't care if he mops floors, or he is a tool and die maker, or a lifeguard a person that works forty hours a week ought to be able to at least make a living. Heck you don't want to have to give him food stamps, or a rent subsidy, or health care do you. People say some of these people are lazy, maybe some are, but some might figure why work if I can't make a living. You might say cancel all unemployment benefits and food stamps, I say pay them better for working. Some people have no problem with a CEO getting a 200 million bonus on top of his pay, and as long as they do I have no problem with a professional lifeguard making 100K. The CEO will hide his 200 million and cheat on the taxes the lifeguard pays his taxes, and spends his money in the community.

Alan the white collar workers are now getting the same thing as the assembly line workers. The electrical engineering is being done in India. They make what 10,000 a year in India, what do you tell an American kid with a EE degree you have to work for 10 grand, he probably has $150,000 tied up in his education. I see it all the time, young men with engineering degrees wanting to know if I can help them get a job in construction, they have that degree but will lay bricks or do laborers work because it pays the bills, and because they could not get a job with their degree. It is not about competition, if we could compete on a level playing field I would bet on us every time. It's about dirt cheap wages no taxes, and no regulations. My solution, if you make it in your factory in China sell it in China. Competition has not changed the American worker is still the most productive in the world, it is about greed mostly, never enough profit, the bonus for the CEO is never big enough. These companies were and would be profitable in the US but the profits would be reasonable instead of astronomical. It is about a national security problem at this point, imagine a big war and we can't even uniform an army much less equip them. If we go to war with China I guess we would have to go barefoot and naked since they make all the clothes and shoes. Do we still make our own bullets.

This is an example of the people that vote for the Republican "teabagger" candidates. All emotion, no fact.

And Boehner comes out of the gate with - NO tax increases...

Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore so admired the daily demonstrations against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker that he traveled from New York to Madison for one on March 5, 2011.

The liberal firebrand opened his speech by heaping praise on those fighting the Republican governor’s efforts to take collective bargaining powers from state and local government employees.

But he put more firepower into bashing the nation’s rich.

"Right now, this afternoon, just 400 Americans -- 400 -- have more wealth than half of all Americans combined," Moore avowed to tens of thousands of protesters.

"Let me say that again. And please, someone in the mainstream media, just repeat this fact once; we’re not greedy, we’ll be happy to hear it just once.

"Four hundred obscenely wealthy individuals, 400 little Mubaraks -- most of whom benefited in some way from the multi-trillion-dollar taxpayer bailout of 2008 -- now have more cash, stock and property than the assets of 155 million Americans combined."

OK, we’ve repeated Moore’s declaration (including the reference to Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian president).

Now let’s see if what he asserts -- that 400 Americans "have more wealth than half of all Americans combined" -- is true.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=19&ved=0CFYQFjAIOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politifact.com%2Fwisconsin%2Fstatements%2F2011%2Fmar%2F10%2Fmichael-moore%2Fmichael-moore-says-400-americans-have-more-wealth-%2F&ei=qKzKTaaxM6Th0gHDqO3PBw&usg=AFQjCNHQ9xf009NVtV5gb1aEB3XKEm2boA

Notice is received a TRUE rating?

How much is enough?

What are the GOP/TP/Birthers afraid of?

...are they afraid of eventually looking like the 'losers' that they really are?

...are they afraid of full disclosure?

...are they afraid that they may really have to 'lead' instead of just making noise in the background?

...Come on GOP..wassa' matter?

I wish they would tax the rich, but who do you consider is rich? Obama wants to tax anyone who makes over $250,000, is that fair, do you consider $250,000 as rich? In California that amount is not considered rich its middle class.

What about the tax extensions that our Government wants extended. If it goes through, it takes from everyone, the middle class and the poor. Sales tax, Car Registration, this effects us all. How is this protecting the poor or middle class?

newday...obviously coming from someone who makes arguments also based on no fact. How can any logical thinking person believe that Unions hold a useful purpose in our country today? The fact is they drive up prices to consumers and then wonder why these companies want to pick up the marbles and go home. As a business owner, why would I want to pay a non-skilled union worker twice as much as I would in the private sector for the same product? It always amazes me at the growing number of people who think government's job is pay their way. I personally know people who get more in annual refunds than they actually pay into our revenue stream. How can anyone with a brain see that this is a good system? The takers are quickly outnumbering the makers in this country and we are in BIG trouble. Regardless of party lines, we as a country need to start holding all taxpayers accountable and when over half of this country pays NO taxes plus gets handouts, thats a problem. As Herman Cain put it...we don't have a revenue problem in this country, we have a spending problem in this country. At some point, we have to fix both sides.

Feisty,

Wonder what party most are affiliated with? Moore doesn't mention that does he.

Warren Buffet, Bill Gates - the top two richest? Obama supporters. George Soros - Duh.

Eight of the ten richest zip codes in America supported Oabama. Wall Street richest, the biggest company in the world, biggest/richest bank in America ..... all Obama supporters.

Isn't Obama kinda rich? $1.7-$5 million on tax returns the last few years .....

How come Obama isn't paying his share? And Sheez ..... look at his tax payer funded perks ..... free rent in the most famous house in the world, pretty cool jet to run around the country picking up $35,000 a plate donations in, paid staff - even for the misses ...... can't come up with the full 35%?

do you consider $250,000 as rich?

I consider it damn comfortable!

If my family met that tax bracket - the very last thing I would be b!tching about it paying an additional 3% in taxes...

No comment about 400 people controlling 90% of the wealth in this country?

Are you okay with a plutocracy?

TJEff: the Unions are more necessary today than ever because they are going to serve as a "check" on the zeal to reduce pay for the working class. It is never good to have the pendulum swing wildly one way or the other, and currently the pendulum is swinging wildly in favor of corporate greed. The unions become the last bastion of protection. Ask yourself this: what happened to sweat shops, what happened to exploitation of children in those sweat shops. The answer is Unions. If you look at what is happening today, those protections are being slowly eroded. And Herman Cain is wrong. We have both a spending and revenue problem. You can't keep cutting taxes on one class in this nation, and think you are going to solve problems. We keep doing it , and the problems just get worse.

Poor NewD - just wildly jealous she gets out earned by a bunch is stinking lifeguards. Can you just imagine the bitterness?

Man I would be a little pissed off if I knew I was getting out earned lifeguards. Sure, they have to work from May all the way through September. Oh the humanity!

Gosh I think we found the one group who has a cushy-er work schedule than teachers. Man, September to June sounds great, but May to September, at $150k plus full pensions and benefits? Wow, that is terrific. If you can get it.

If only I could swim. :(

How about you NewDay - can you swim? You locked in at $135,000 per year for life for a pension?

Working class my ass!

newday...I won't argue that at one time in this country, Unions served a very useful purpose to stabilize the working environment. But the only purpose a Union serves today is the Union. They care about collecting dues and driving up the cost of goods. Also, sorry my prior statment was a bit confusing. I meant that Herman Cain is right but that we also need to fix both sides...revenue and spending. However, I can't disagree more on the cutting taxes. Cutting taxes in fact reduces overhead and allows companies to hire staff. Our real problem are those that don't contribute ANYTHING to the revenue stream but continue to take out of it...Big problem.

We can disagree on that TJeff, but I think you will find that the Unions are going to be a necessary voice for the working class in the states where far right wing policies are attempting to get a foothold. Again, you have to have a check on excesses, the Unions are the only thing that stand between workers and corporate greed. The problem with equating lowering taxes for the rich and increasing jobs is that it hasn't. They have not increased employment at all. We need to take a more rational view of it. Starting to feel a bit like blackmail right? Remove job protections and lower taxes enough and MAYBE we will hire someone. But, we simply don't want to pay them a living wage.

Ah, NewD - you are of course referring to Mass., correct?

Isn't it just stupid for you to keep trying to pin this all on evil red states?

You all lost the budget debate. Get used to it, it effects all states. Plus you will soon get the joy of bailing out Cali.

You guys are the best, thanks.

TJeffGOP. The decline in middle income wage earnings runs parallel to the decline in private industry union membership. That's just a fact.

Spanky: Plus you will soon get the joy of bailing out Cali.

I wouldn't be too sure of that S. California is first on the list to go to China when a default occurs.

Now might be a good time to brush up on your Mandarin.

newday...what makes this country great is that we can debate and have differing opions. As far as companies and their hiring practices, it still comes down to being profitable and lowering their tax basis is only part of it. You still have to have revenue and control both fixed and variable costs from top to bottom. If management does their job, this will allow them to create jobs. But if you listen to many of the liberals who know nothing of business operations, they scream of increasing taxes to corporations. But at the end of the day, increasing costs in taxes, labor, goods or services to a companies bottom line ties their hands. And you can ask the large full service hotel in our town how well the Union worked for them as they closed their doors. I'm sure those employees would gladly trade in their picket signs for a stable job paying what the current market will bear. As it is, they are all unemployed because they thought that cleaing a hotel room was worth $4 more per hour than the other hotels in town.

It was nice having this discussion,TJeff, quite unaccustomed to pleasant disagreement. It gets me back to my original posit. You can't have the pendulum swinging wildly to favor one group. It never works. I think we can agree on that. Where we may differ is that I see the pendulum swinging in favor of corporate greed over sane public policy. Would like to have that pendulum come back to center. Hope we meet again on a different thread.

Taft weighed over 300 lbs and he was not only elected President but was also the Chief Justice of the SCOTUS!

No not because he's the crisco kid, it's because he's jerk!

I can't blame any politician young enough to still be a candidate in 2016 for not wanting to take on a grueling campaign against an incumbent President in 2012. The field will be open in 2016--why not run then with better odds of success?

Exactly!

By 2016, taking jobs from the middle class to give tax breaks to the rich will hopefully be out of style along with Christie.

I couldn't have said it better myself. The worst governor in the history of the state, even worse than Christine Todd Whittman. His tenure has been a lose-lose for every citizen.

Very insightful.

I think Christie is better suited to Play Santa at the mall to be honest.

He's be a shoe in as the Billy Bob Thornton 'Bad Santa', what a HOT mess!

You know I should not have put that out it, but after how he handled the snow storm leaving the state with no one in charge and instead politicking he comes off more as a bully shoving his opinion down peoples throat; which I abhor I don't feel so bad.

Also he is not my Gov and I did not vote for him, but still not should have said that.

Besides he doesn't come off Jolly at all.

What a crappy Santa, drank the milk, ate the cookies, stopped up the toilet, and did not leave one present!

Christi/Trump 2012. Build you wind-powered generators NOW!

Ah Bob your no fun you already understand the republicans are a lame joke.