Would you buy a used car from…

Technorati Tags: New York Times,Republican Party,U.S. Senate,President Obama,Education

Mitch McConnell?

If you would, why?

In a New York Times article discussing the President’s concession to the Senatorial Republicans’ holding middle class tax cuts hostage, McConnell is quoted as saying nice things about Mr. Obama’s “openness to preventing tax hikes.”

The package will reportedly cost $900 billion dollars which will have to be borrowed.  At some point the $900 billion will have to be repaid—with  interest.  That’ll push the total cost of this package quite near the trillion dollar mark. 

Does McConnell think the re-payment will be made without raising taxes?

“Borrow and spend” makes much less sense than “tax and spend.”

Nothing implies a failure of the American education system more than the fact that the Republicans continue to get the public to vote against its own best interest.

Trust, but verify.

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A quick question

Technorati Tags: Elections,Money,Politics,Corporate Accountability

It’ll never catch on, Dear, Gentle Reader(s), but what do you think would be the result if, at every Congressional committee hearing which allowed, or requested, non-Federal government testimony, to have the very first question for each testifier be, “How much money, and to whom, have you contributed to a Federal election campaign, either at the general election level or the primary election level, in the past five years?”

That would be one way to keep track of monies expended in political campaigns, as well as to whom it was directed.

Cui bono—who benefits?  Until we know that, we don’t know enough.

Trust, but verify.

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Really, Dave?

My old pal at The New York Times, David Brooks, has an interesting column today (sorry, folks, it's a Times Select--ain't free) in which he writes "Children do better when raised in stable two-parent families."

Now, on the face of it, you might agree with the statement. It sounds plausible. On second thought, though, and in the light of our experience over the past 40 years (since the '60s--the beginning of vast social changes), you might wonder--"Really?"

I wish Dave had cited a source for the statement, but he didn't. To give him credit, he did write later on that a government program could offer "Nurse practitioners who make home visits can stabilize disorganized, single-parent families." That sounds, also, plausible.

Isn't there another problem, though? Doesn't the tenor of the two statements assume a certitude about single-parent families? Doesn't that certainty assert all single-parent families are unstable and disorganized?

Again, Dave, you needed to provide a source for this assertion. Otherwise, your entire column is called into question; and I don't want that. I liked it--we do need to educate more thoroughly than we have been lately. Our economic viability demands a better educated work force.

Sorry, Dave. I have to fall back on Trust, but Verify. Cite sources.

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Castro, No! Cuba Exports, Yes!!!

It was bound to happen. Who exports a lot of food to Cuba?

U.S. farmers, that's who.

According to an AP story by Will Weissert, "Since December 1999, governors, senators and congressmen from at least 28 U.S. states have visited Cuba, most to talk trade."

Read the article. There are a lot of red state governors looking for a piece of the "more than $1.5 billion for American food and agricultural products..." A lot of blue state govs have gone, too; but the Republicans have "owned" the Miami Cuban expat vote for a long time.

Trade defeats communism. Economics defeats communism.

Isn't it time to look at facts (including the fact that Venezuela and China are increasing aid to Cuba) and end the boycott of our near neighbor?

Maybe Florida could benefit from a trade with Cuba. Maybe that trade would hasten the fall of the communist influence on the island.
Cuba
Trade
Cuban Boycott

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