Entries Tagged 'USA' ↓

Today I had one of them 24-7 “news” stations on and they played Obama’s speech in Oregon.

Obama dissed Bush as a President, and all I could yell out to the TV (knowing the fool can’t hear me) “You’re the law making body of this government!”

I find it rather ironic that any Senator can call the President of the United States out as bad, while they are elected as our law makers….. they have the power to write NEW laws of which the President can vote for or against. At no point whatsoever did the senator say that he wrote laws of which the President marked as veto.

The topic was on cost of living….. and Senator Obama could only find the words to shame President Bush while he’s holding a Senate seat.

Kettle… this is black, Black…. this is kettle.

Take this quote from a channel 4 news story:

The goal is for people to spend those checks on goods and jump start a struggling economy.

President George W. Bush recognized many will use the money on necessities.

President Bush said, “This money will help offset high prices at the pump and grocery store.”

and Consider this…. New York Average Gas & Fuel Prices
Diesel $4.32
Super Unleaded $3.74
Unleaded Plus $3.55
Unleaded $3.39

and this…

Lowest State Avg: $3.04 - New Jersey
Highest State Avg: $3.66 - California
National Average: $3.29

“economic stimulus package”???? Check this: Vendors and the poor alike getting squeezed by food costs
Price hikes are worst to hit U.S. in 17 years

Keep in mind: Persons below poverty,(US census 1999)

Rochester: 25.9%
Buffalo: 26.6%
Syracuse: 27.3%

Yet this chart tells another tale and a different scale:

Now take a look at this next news story …. Thruway authority voting toll increase 10% for next couple years

and this… Coal price hikes boost electric rates, more increases coming

So the President thinks we should be rewarded because we’re forced to spend more no matter what…. then he’s hoping we’ll put our “economic stimulus” check towards shopping at the mall? WTF? If we don’t pay the electric bill (no matter what increase is added) we’ll have to go without. I hope these government rewards come every month because despite this one-time lumps sum…. OUR COST OF LIVING ISN’T GOING DOWN!!!!!!!

It’s a rock and a hard place that we’re stuck between. Americans have to drive to work to earn a wage, then we’re (all) forced to tighten our belts when the cost of living gets to be too much because minimum wage was increased…. and like clock-work, the cost of living increases as it always does, but I don’t recall such a sudden impact like this one.

As if the President of the United States didn’t realize “a struggling economy” is the result of the working class poor of Americans struggling to survive day to day life.

I know this is a little late, but I hadn’t knew of the whole story until now (life gets in the way of news). To be perfectly honest… I’m still shocked as all hell though.

For a diehard like myself who not only exercizes my rights of freedom of speech, freedom of the press and my responsibility to question our elected leaders from time to time… all I can say about Tom Christy being forced off the air is WTF?

This is just another fine example of “Managed Media” by elected officials whom feel they are above being questioned by the people in a Country designed for the people.

The station said in the Buffalo News:

“During the past several months, Mr. Christy has begun interjecting his personal opinions, which have often been critical, about government activities, particularly those of the Niagara County Legislature and the Niagara County Industrial Development Authority. This has resulted in complaints from viewers, and several officials, including the county manager, will no longer agree to appear on the program,” wrote Thomas Riley, LCTV’s executive director.

While the Constitution of the United States of America says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It’s a sad day in America when one is stripped of their First Amendment right for the appeasing of a TV station’s ability to indecently protect the people we elect into office.

I hope to see/hear Tom Christy on the airwaves some time very soon in the future. He’s too good of an interviewer to be held down when “accountability” means so much, especially in a place like Western New York!

They’re fedup, and they have every right to be. From here in Buffalo throughout the entire Country, today’s protest is no April Fool’s. Truckers are taking a stand by shutting their trucks down, a stand that is fully moral of supporting, especially in this time when the cost of everyting keeps rising. We have state and federal leaders who continue ignoring the people of whom they are to represent.

Some truckers hit brakes to protest gas prices

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - - At Jim’s Truck Stop in Cheektowaga, Sammy Johnson is parking his rig for the day, not hauling freight to protest the cost of deisel now well over 4 dollars a gallon.

Sammy Johnson, trucker, “We all stick together it might work, but a couple trucks ain’t gonna do it. It’s gonna take all America, all the drivers to shut it down to get fuel rates that we want it to be.”

But on the cb radio it was hard to find many other independent truckers doing the same.

Sammy Johnson, trucker, “How many of you drivers gonna strike today.”

Ron Mumme, trucker, “There’s a lotta talk about it, talk of violence, and that’s childish and ignorant.”

Ron Mumme decided not to protest, but agrees with the reasons for it.

Ron Mumme, trucker, “It’s about rates, it’s about us getting what we need to get to keep our trucks on the road.”

Tim Francis, trucker, “Everything’s gone up, tires, oil fuel.”

Tim Francis, trucker, “Everything goes up but the rate and Buffalo is the worst place in the world to get a decent rate.”

This was the scene in Chicago this morning, where some truckers parked their rigs in protest on a busy highway. In New Jersey some truckers proested outside of a service stop and then slowly drove down the new jersey turnpike, but around here, by talking with truckers in Cheektowaga and Pembroke we found most trucks were on the road.

Although you are not protesting today, what would you want the general public to know?

Dee Francis, trucker, “They can expect their prices in produce and groceries in general, everything’s gonna continue to rise simply because we can’t afford to be out here at these prices.”

Story by George Richert (WIVB)

I’m going to give a great quote from a great song (by Joe Diffie) “we bitch about a dollar, when there are those without a dime”.

The economy? not a factor.
The war? not a factor.
The poor? not a factor.
Crime rate in America? not a factor
Homeless vets? not a factor

When selecting the next candidate for whatever office, have we nothing left but to reduce our questions to the status of their Sexual Orientation first?

Gov. Paterson
Gov. Spitzer
Gov. McGreevey

I got this in an email today:

There was a lot of talk last week about John McCain’s blatant hypocrisy on ethics and integrity in Washington.

Here we go again.

McCain is now breaking the law by ignoring the campaign spending restrictions for the Republican primary that came when he asked for federal matching funds — funds he used as collateral on a loan that helped keep his campaign going.

But now that the lobbyist and special interest money has started pouring into his campaign, he’s trying to back out of the promise he made just a few months ago. They’re feeding so much cash into his bank account, this “reformer” wants nothing to do with federal campaign finance laws anymore.

That’s why today, we’re filing a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission demanding that John McCain be held to the campaign finance laws. Trying to back out shows a total lack of integrity and honesty — he made a deal with the American people to to abide by the law, and in return, he was guaranteed taxpayer money that he used to back a loan.

I’d like you to add your name in support of our complaint, and ask as many people as you can to sign on. American taxpayers made a deal with John McCain — now that he’s flush with lobbyist cash, he wants to pretend that it never happened.

Sign on right now:

democrats.org/McCainBusted

Here’s the background on the situation.

A few months ago, John McCain applied for and was approved to receive federal matching funds. Because he couldn’t find enough people to fund his campaign, he was also forced to apply for a $4 million line of credit, which he secured by using the federal matching funds as collateral.

By taking the federal funding, he agreed to spend no more than $57 million until the Republican convention. But so far, his campaign has spent at least $49 million — leaving him with less than $10 million to campaign with through September.

Now that he’s won the nomination and has the support of the Republican lobbyist and special interest machine, he’s trying to ignore that the whole thing ever happened. He recently wrote a letter to the FEC telling them that he was backing out, even though the FEC is very clear that any request to withdraw from the agreement must be approved; you can’t just change your mind and take it back — legally, you have to be given permission.

McCain isn’t asking because he knows he’ll never be granted permission, and he doesn’t want to have to accept the funding restrictions he agreed to when he used the money as collateral for a loan. He’s ripping a page right from George Bush’s playbook: ignoring the laws when they aren’t convenient and hoping no one will notice.

Stand up and show him that hundreds of thousands of people have noticed — he can’t change the rules in the middle of the game because he doesn’t like how things are going for him:

democrats.org/McCainBusted

Using government programs when it’s politically convenient and breaking the rules when it’s not … remind you of anyone?

Just like George Bush, John McCain thinks he’s above the law. McCain poses as a reformer, but seems to think reforms apply to everyone but him.

Time to send him a message.

I left that line on Buffalo Geek’s blog while reading comments.

I made a second comment:

To Jim, how is loss of America jobs to China & Mexico helping us here? Tell me how a middle age hard working man is supposed to support his family when one morning he wakes up, goes to work and finds his manufacturing job has been shut down over night and moved to Mexico?

In the mean time America children are playing with toys tainted with lead-based paint.

I went to the Town Hall meeting at “the Church” and I listened to what was being said. I looked back on living my entire life in Buffalo, NY and I remembered how much industry & manufacturing we have lost. I cheered when John Ratzenberger talked to the audience about questioning our politicians on such losses of American jobs.

In my comment, I asked of one man losing his American job but it probably covered over 1,000 men or women in Western New York in recent years. I asked on the principle of “the American Dream” and how one day it’s all cut short… forcing the-working-class-poor into the servicing and sales industries. The tech industries, the medical, the lawyers, the government vs. the factories & manufacturing of American made goods that Buffalo, Erie County, Western New York once had. In 6 year’s time, New York lost nearly 200,000 manufaturing jobs. I bet everyone is or knows someone of that statistic.

There is nothing wrong with working a service job though. I work in customer service/sales, part-time minimum wage and I’m doing all right in supporting my family, but for how long I wonder.

To the commenter on Geek’s blog who said: “I’m getting very frustrated with the whole “decline of America’s manufacturing base” idea.” Take a ride down in Riverside, Blackrock or the east side of Buffalo and look at the abandoned buildings that were once American manufacturing. That’s where the real frustrations are for Western New Yorkers.

This loss of manufacturing is an epidemic of which will only get worse for the next generation of Americans that our children are now growing up in. What’s their future going to be like for the next 50 years if we can’t (or won’t) show them the way?

For my readership, take a few minutes to browse these links

AmericanManufacturing.org

ManufactureThis.org

AmericansWorking.com

And together we can help “Keep it Made in America”

I got an email this evening & I’m looking forward to attending:

A national “Keep it Made in America” Town Hall meeting, hosted by John Ratzenberger, will be held in Buffalo, NY at 6:30 pm on Thursday, Nov. 29, at Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202. New York media (including bloggers) are invited to attend and cover the event. A brief summary:

1. The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a national, non-partisan organization based in Washington, DC, is sponsoring the event.

2. The meeting will be hosted by TV’s John Ratzenberger (‘Cheers,’ The Travel Channel’s ‘Made in America’).

3. The event will focus on New York manufacturing jobs and what voters can do to demand answers from Presidential candidates about what they’ll do to help strengthen U.S. manufacturing.

4. Attendance is free, and is open to the general public.

I hope to see/meet many bloggers.

Little thing you probably didn’t know about me. I have this enjoyment of the manufacturing history, primarily what is local, I also have a collection of old milk bottles made in Buffalo, NY. This is a good time to show them off a little

I saw this picture posted on Rus Thompson’s blog and I have to sound off on it.

How are we expected to give a man our vote for President of the United States of America when he doesn’t have the respect to put his right hand over his heart during our National Anthem?

Obama: No Hand on Heart for National Anthem
By Mark Finkelstein | October 20, 2007 - 16:50 ET

During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. — United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171

Turns out that not wearing a flag lapel pin isn’t the only way Barack Obama chooses to show he’s a different kind of Democrat.

Have a look at the photo from the October 1, 2007 edition of “Time.” It shows Obama, Hillary and Bill Richardson at the Steak Fry of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) on September 17 in Indianola, IA during [according to the photo caption] the National Anthem. Richardson and Clinton have their hands on their heart. But not Obama. Does he perhaps believe that, like wearing the flag pin, the hand on the heart isn’t “true patriotism”?

“Time” ran the photo without comment. I haven’t seen coverage of this anywhere else in the MSM. Perhaps some enterprising reporter can ask the Illinois senator about his decision to spurn this American tradition.

Meanwhile, does Obama have some third act or omission planned to demonstrate that he’s not falling for those corny, old-fashioned displays of patriotism?

H/t reader J.S.

NOTE: The original version of this item, based on a reader submission, stated that the photo was apparently taken during the Pledge of Allegiance. I’ve now located the original “Time” image, whose caption states that it was taken during the National Anthem.

A “different kind of Democrat”? WTF does that mean? To me, it means he’s unAmerican. It means he doesn’t hold true to the words that define our Country as “the home of the Free”.

THE UNITED STATES CODE
TITLE 36
CHAPTER 10
The “FLAG CODE”

§171. Conduct during playing The Star-Spangled Banner

During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should render the military salute at the first note of the anthem and retain this position until the last note. When the flag is not displayed, those present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there.

——————————————————————————–
§172. Pledge of allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, ‘I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’, should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.

…. as the “The Pierogy Pocket Capital of America…”

HT Christopher Byrd over at In da Buff for the links.

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Buffalo, New York isn’t taking its 2006 Capital of the Pierogy Pocket title for granted and has even enlisted the support of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for this year’s campaign! In order to defend last year’s title, Corpus Christi Church held “Buffalo’s Biggest Pierogy Party” on September 9th — during which Reverend Anzelm Chalupka shared his own pierogy pride through an original song — and established a “Pierogy Hotline” for Buffalonians to talk about their love for pierogies. Several politicians, including Senator Clinton, sent letters in support of Corpus Christi’s quest and students at Buffalo’s City Honors School created original pierogy-inspired artwork for the contest. If named Capital of the Pierogy Pocket, Buffalo would use the prize money to restore the headquarters of the Parish Nurse Ministries to allow the group to continue providing free health services to local residents.

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