Election 2023

[Ball Security]

Local election, school board. Harry Jackson. The GOP endorsed this gem. He did take a pounding on Tuesday losing by about 45 points.

 

He was making fun of a student playing the national anthem on guitar. The student, now studying music at Berklee School of Music, is autistic and is the son of a school board member. His “apology” was he didn’t realize that performer was autistic. (Highly doubt he didn’t know who the student was). That’s not the point. This fake patriot, running for the school board, is at ease laughing at a student playing the national anthem. Think about that. Despicable. 
 

This is who the GOP endorses. What a loser.

 

https://wjla.com/amp/news/crisis-in-the-classrooms/harry-jackson-fairfax-school-board-candidate-was-arrested-three-times-for-assault-and-battery-of-wives-gop-student-with-autism-national-anthem-batterer-intervention-certificate-arlington-county-court-documents

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/09/22/fairfax-harry-jackson-lawsuit-porn-account/

 

 

 

 

[LadySkinsFan]

How do Republicans vote in the legislatures, federal, state, and local? They vote the party line. Voting rights issues are almost entirely about denying people of color their right to vote, and to fair representation without gerrymandering voting districts. The other people they are trying to deny the right to vote is young people, saying we should raise the voting age, and saying that their student IDs aren't relevant to their addresses for voting purposes. 

 

It's white supremists who now dominate they party hierarchy that are putting forth these vile actions. They are putting past thought into action. 

 

What you are referring to is past Republican party beliefs that are long gone. Today's party almost exactly resembles the John Birch Society of the 50s and 60s. Study who formed that organization and see who's sons now billionaires fund these vile actions. (Koch, now do some research)

[LadySkinsFan]

9 minutes ago, MintHillSkinsFan said:

The the hardcore right wing Christian faction is without a doubt extreme and many of their views are reprehensible.

But when you say things like subjugation and subservient category of subhuman, that sounds a bit extreme as well.

There are more women entrepeneurs and CEOs than ever before and that number continues to grow, as it should.  There is still plenty of work to be done for sure and I back it 100%.  I still have not seen or heard anyone speak of taking away womens voting rights but I will be sure to do more research on the subject.

I mentioned common ground on abortion.  You mentioned bodily autonomy which is a term I hear a lot.  Many(not all) of the recent proposals I've seen on abortion bans seem to be set at 15-16 weeks.  I'm interested in your opinion on this, is 3 1/2 months not enough time to decide if you are ready to be a parent?  If not, what would you say the appropriate timeframe is?  At that point, and with every day and week goes by, it's not just your bodily autonomy in the equation as there is literally another life growing inside you.  I'm not trying to be combative, I just truly want to know your view on this.  You're one of the long time respected members here so I value your insight. 🙂

 

Because genetic anomalies of life of the fetus aren't discovered until after 20 weeks or later or the life of the woman is in danger if pregnancy continues, these are the reasons for no ban. If you read articles of women who's life is in danger because of these draconian bans on abortion, and trying to get the medical care they need, it's barbaric. Basically, women have to be in a septic condition before doctors even consider providing the medical care she needs. And young children who were raped will be forced to wreak their young bodies giving birth to their rapist's child?  And in 31 states, rapists have access to these children because of parental rights. 

 

No pregnancy is the same even multiple pregnancies with the same female. Each one can evolve into a life or death situation. The wonder is that perfect children are born every single time. Because we know that isn't true either. 

 

And some women decide that they never want children but they can't independently decide that they want their tubes tied. I tried that in the early 70s and my doctor told me no, that my future husband might want children. I told him I had no intentions to marry but that didn't make a difference. I knew right then that someone other than me essentially owned my fertility. I wasn't free. 

 

I've since had an abortion and had a child. Both my decisions. I've never married man or woman, and that's my decision too, and at 72 I'm unlikely to ever change my mind. 

[Fergasun]

@MintHillSkinsFan

Don't take this the wrong way, but I very strongly disagree with your opinion.  I don't think that 100% Democrats are awesome, because they are also flawed.  But the GOP party has gone crazy, especially embracing someone who clearly has no interest in government save his personal one, like Trump. 

 

You have got all the GOP calling for a 

war with Mexico and the leader giving speeches where he talks about the "largest mass deportation program in history" (within the last 2 weeks) and there's no racism. 

Quote

But for the most part, I think Republican lawmakers want everyone to have an equal opportunity to succeed.  They want everyone to be able to achieve the original American dream.  Work hard, raise a family, live a comfortable life, and have the ability to go as far as your ambition and work ethic will take you.

I am sorry, but the above is BS.  They want you to believe that if you give your life to the corporations, you will get to achieve the "American dream".  NEWSFLASH! Corporations may hire many American workers, but "ambition and work ethic"?  Please... the only trulty "original American dream" jobs left are within the government.  The same governments that the GOP love to cut and starve.  That offer jobs with base 40 hour salaried workweeks, overtime and health care.

 

But let's boil "original American dream" to something like healthy, homeowner with good education.  The GOP actively pushed for so many years against a modest health care reform.  They also pushed against studen loan forgiveness.  How does opposing those measures square with "they just want everyone to have a good life"?  Because they couldn't and can't stand corporations having to actually be regulated.  Do you remember the fit they threw about Obamacare?  Maybe you don't, I do. 

 

Don't even get me started it the expanded tax credits under Biden that drastically reduced poverty.  Why are these unpopular for Republicans?

[The Evil Genius]

I mean, if the GOP truly was for the average Joe, they'd be on board with simple things like the Dem Drug Price caps plan. Instead, the GOP is trying to repeal the existing one for insulin.

 

For ****ing insulin. 

Edited November 9, 2023 by The Evil Genius
Typo

[Fergasun]

@MintHillSkinsFan

And what is objectionable about: Shiela Jackson Lee, Omar, Tlaib, and Maxine Waters?  People who represent minority districts in Congress.  Think about it....  these women of color just happen to randomly be really high in the "GOP bad people list"?  

And the same thing with the rampant, vehement hatred against Barrack Hussein Obama.  We just happen to always emphasize his middle name.  Nothing to do with racism... just pure political diagreements.

 

Do you 100% really believe it's not about racism? 

 

I will be honest. It took into my 30s to actually contemplate and think about.   "Huh... I think it actually is racism."  And once you see it, it's really hard to not see it.  And Donald Trump and all the fringe supportors he has... it's really hard to think it's not latent racism. 

[MintHillSkinsFan]

23 minutes ago, LadySkinsFan said:

 

Because genetic anomalies of life of the fetus aren't discovered until after 20 weeks or later or the life of the woman is in danger if pregnancy continues, these are the reasons for no ban. If you read articles of women who's life is in danger because of these draconian bans on abortion, and trying to get the medical care they need, it's barbaric. Basically, women have to be in a septic condition before doctors even consider providing the medical care she needs. And young children who were raped will be forced to wreak their young bodies giving birth to their rapist's child?  And in 31 states, rapists have access to these children because of parental rights. 

 

No pregnancy is the same even multiple pregnancies with the same female. Each one can evolve into a life or death situation. The wonder is that perfect children are born every single time. Because we know that isn't true either. 

 

And some women decide that they never want children but they can't independently decide that they want their tubes tied. I tried that in the early 70s and my doctor told me no, that my future husband might want children. I told him I had no intentions to marry but that didn't make a difference. I knew right then that someone other than me essentially owned my fertility. I wasn't free. 

 

I've since had an abortion and had a child. Both my decisions. I've never married man or woman, and that's my decision too, and at 72 I'm unlikely to ever change my mind. 

I'm sorry, I should have clarified.  I absolutely do not agree with 100% abortion bans.  All the things you mentioned; rape, incest, life or death situations. Those should never, ever be included in any kind of ban and you're right, it is despicable and draconian to force those women to continue their pregnancy.  I'm a little more undecided on genetic defects such as downs, but I tend to lean more towards that child deserves to live.  I'm talking more about the everyday "surprise" pregnancy.  In those cases, I think at some point the mother has to decide and after a certain point that baby has developed enough that it is cruel to end its life. 

[MintHillSkinsFan]

6 minutes ago, Fergasun said:

@MintHillSkinsFan

And what is objectionable about: Shiela Jackson Lee, Omar, Tlaib, and Maxine Waters?  People who represent minority districts in Congress.  Think about it....  these women of color just happen to randomly be really high in the "GOP bad people list"?  

And the same thing with the rampant, vehement hatred against Barrack Hussein Obama.  We just happen to always emphasize his middle name.  Nothing to do with racism... just pure political diagreements.

 

Do you 100% really believe it's not about racism? 

 

I will be honest. It took into my 30s to actually contemplate and think about.   "Huh... I think it actually is racism."  And once you see it, it's really hard to not see it.  And Donald Trump and all the fringe supportors he has... it's really hard to think it's not latent racism. 

I do not for one second believe that racism is gone.  There's plenty of it and it's reprehensible.  I just don't see the racism boogeyman behind every corner, every policy and every statement that people make.  And that was my original point that started this whole conversation, is that when that's the first place you go, that it waters down and makes it more difficult to recognize and root out the things that are truly racist.

And for the record, I don't like Obama because he always came off smug to me.  Kind of like Tom Brady. lol

13 minutes ago, The Evil Genius said:

I mean, if the GOP truly was for the average Joe, they'd be on board with simple things like the Dem Drug Price caps plan. Instead, the GOP is trying to repeal the existing one for insulin.

 

For ****ing insulin. 

I don't see how anyone on either side can still be on the side of big pharma.  It's absolutely ****ing criminal what they do.

[LadySkinsFan]

19 minutes ago, MintHillSkinsFan said:

I'm sorry, I should have clarified.  I absolutely do not agree with 100% abortion bans.  All the things you mentioned; rape, incest, life or death situations. Those should never, ever be included in any kind of ban and you're right, it is despicable and draconian to force those women to continue their pregnancy.  I'm a little more undecided on genetic defects such as downs, but I tend to lean more towards that child deserves to live.  I'm talking more about the everyday "surprise" pregnancy.  In those cases, I think at some point the mother has to decide and after a certain point that baby has developed enough that it is cruel to end its life. 

 

The real question is: are you the one to decide what women should do with their bodies?  Is any one person the person who gets to decide? 

 

The correct answer is: No. No person or legislature gets to decide those questions.

[MintHillSkinsFan]

18 minutes ago, LadySkinsFan said:

 

The real question is: are you the one to decide what women should do with their bodies?  Is any one person the person who gets to decide? 

 

The correct answer is: No. No person or legislature gets to decide those questions.

I think that if I'm the father that I should have some say, especially if we are in a relationship.  That's a whole other conversation.

And again, at some point, whether that's 15 or 20 weeks or whatever that number is, it's not just about the woman's body, but also about that whole other body that's growing inside her. 

I don't expect to change your mind but I do appreciate and thank you for your insight and civil discourse. 

[MintHillSkinsFan]

1 hour ago, Fergasun said:

@MintHillSkinsFan

Don't take this the wrong way, but I very strongly disagree with your opinion.  I don't think that 100% Democrats are awesome, because they are also flawed.  But the GOP party has gone crazy, especially embracing someone who clearly has no interest in government save his personal one, like Trump. 

 

You have got all the GOP calling for a 

war with Mexico and the leader giving speeches where he talks about the "largest mass deportation program in history" (within the last 2 weeks) and there's no racism. 

I am sorry, but the above is BS.  They want you to believe that if you give your life to the corporations, you will get to achieve the "American dream".  NEWSFLASH! Corporations may hire many American workers, but "ambition and work ethic"?  Please... the only trulty "original American dream" jobs left are within the government.  The same governments that the GOP love to cut and starve.  That offer jobs with base 40 hour salaried workweeks, overtime and health care.

 

But let's boil "original American dream" to something like healthy, homeowner with good education.  The GOP actively pushed for so many years against a modest health care reform.  They also pushed against studen loan forgiveness.  How does opposing those measures square with "they just want everyone to have a good life"?  Because they couldn't and can't stand corporations having to actually be regulated.  Do you remember the fit they threw about Obamacare?  Maybe you don't, I do. 

 

Don't even get me started it the expanded tax credits under Biden that drastically reduced poverty.  Why are these unpopular for Republicans?

It's not racism to want people to emigrate legally.  I have to have a passport to travel to any other country in the world and expect the same for anyone who comes to visit us.  If I want to move to any other country and become a citizen, I have to go through a process, and in many cases, prove what contributions I can make to their society.  That's not racist, it just makes sense.

Student loans:  Our higher ed system is broken and needs to be fixed.  At the end of the day, it doesn't cost $25K-$100K a year to provide an education at a public university, or even a private one for that matter.  But as far as loans go, it's a loan that you agreed to pay back.  Why should that be "forgiven"?  Nobody forgives my car loan or my mortgage?  When they address the education costs and predatory lending practices, then we can talk about "forgiving" some of those loans.

Obamacare: Oh, I remember.  I work in health insurance so I live it every day.  Obamacare took a broken system and broke it further.  Don't get me wrong, I feel good when I talk to someone and I am able to help them get health insurance for $0 or $50 or $100 a month and I am able to help a lot of folks that way.  What I don't like about it is that it is driving costs up for those that don't qualify for the subsidies.  It doesn't cost the hospital and doctor $30,000 to remove a benign tumor from a patient's neck yet here they are charging it.  That's a real life scenario of one of my clients.

Last but not least, Corporate America.  I don't know if that's necessarily the American Dream or not.  Maybe for some.  Mine is being able to run my own business without being taxed into oblivion.  It is virtually impossible for a small business to survive and thrive these days due to taxation and over-regulation so how do we encourage and help the little guy from that standpoint?

I think there's probably a lot of common sense solutions we could (mostly) agree on but it seems like extremists on both sides are tearing us further and further apart.

[The Evil Genius]

Fwiw, you can rather easily walk away from a car or home loan. Student debt, on the other hand, is very hard to discharge in bankruptcy. Tbh, I'm not sure if there are any other debts comparable to student loan debt. 

Edited November 9, 2023 by The Evil Genius

[dfitzo53]

3 hours ago, MintHillSkinsFan said:

It's a fair question.  In the halls of Congress I don't think it's anywhere in the same hemisphere as to what the left side of the aisle would have us believe.  Yes, there are the MTGs and Boeberts and a handful of others who are straight up bigots and awful human beings.  But for the most part, I think Republican lawmakers want everyone to have an equal opportunity to succeed.  They want everyone to be able to achieve the original American dream.  Work hard, raise a family, live a comfortable life, and have the ability to go as far as your ambition and work ethic will take you.  I certainly don't believe that the "system" is inherently racist and set up to keep women and minorities down.  We definitely have work to do on salary equality and things like that but there is more open opportunity now than there ever has been.  We just need to continue to make forward progress.

One more thing on that; for every MTG and Boebert, there is a Sheila Jackson, Maxine Waters, Tlaib, and Omar.  I have other thoughts on racism in the democratic party but you asked about the GOP.

 

Now the GOP base, I think there is significantly more there, especially at the lower end of the economic scale, and it's ignorance that's been handed down from generation to generation and shows no sign of letting up.  I wouldn't even know where to put a number on that faction as that's where the spotlight is so the perception is magnified.  10%, 20% of the overall base? I don't know.  Those people see their station in life as the fault of people that don't look like them, like in the South Park "took our jobs!" episodes.  They are perpetual victims whose station in life is always someone else's fault and not a reflection of their own actions.  Which ironically, in my view, fits better with the ideology of the democratic party.

 

Obviously there's way more nuance than can be discussed in an internet forum but that's my high level view.

You see this *very* differently than I do, but I appreciate that you actually took the time to answer the question directly. 

[LadySkinsFan]

Taxes on the poor and middle class are the result of tax cuts and lower rates for the wealthy and big corporations. Individuals and small businesses are ****ed. 

[dfitzo53]

26 minutes ago, MintHillSkinsFan said:

It's not racism to want people to emigrate legally.  I have to have a passport to travel to any other country in the world and expect the same for anyone who comes to visit us.  If I want to move to any other country and become a citizen, I have to go through a process, and in many cases, prove what contributions I can make to their society.  That's not racist, it just makes sense.

Student loans:  Our higher ed system is broken and needs to be fixed.  At the end of the day, it doesn't cost $25K-$100K a year to provide an education at a public university, or even a private one for that matter.  But as far as loans go, it's a loan that you agreed to pay back.  Why should that be "forgiven"?  Nobody forgives my car loan or my mortgage?  When they address the education costs and predatory lending practices, then we can talk about "forgiving" some of those loans.

Obamacare: Oh, I remember.  I work in health insurance so I live it every day.  Obamacare took a broken system and broke it further.  Don't get me wrong, I feel good when I talk to someone and I am able to help them get health insurance for $0 or $50 or $100 a month and I am able to help a lot of folks that way.  What I don't like about it is that it is driving costs up for those that don't qualify for the subsidies.  It doesn't cost the hospital and doctor $30,000 to remove a benign tumor from a patient's neck yet here they are charging it.  That's a real life scenario of one of my clients.

Last but not least, Corporate America.  I don't know if that's necessarily the American Dream or not.  Maybe for some.  Mine is being able to run my own business without being taxed into oblivion.  It is virtually impossible for a small business to survive and thrive these days due to taxation and over-regulation so how do we encourage and help the little guy from that standpoint?

I think there's probably a lot of common sense solutions we could (mostly) agree on but it seems like extremists on both sides are tearing us further and further apart.

I would love to hear some examples of specific regulations that you think put undue stress on businesses.

[Fergasun]

Common sense solutions.    

 

Re: Immigration

Compreshensive immigration reform, amnesty for those who establish US residency or have US citizen children, allow DACA (back to 2021 and before). I have some idea on enforcement and mechanisms that rely on lawsuits against corporations that hire non-Americans which the GOP would never allow.  But private lawsuits to enforce abortion  is okay?

 

Re: Student loans / education costs

Have no idea how to fix long term moving forward. Trump floated some type of national university.  Part of this is related to rising costs for housing, etc. that drive up cost of living on campus. 

 

Bring back discharge of college loans in bankruptcy is one no brainer.

 

Re:Obamacare

If it broke the system further than maybe "for-profit health system" is the issue. We had a quality healthcare system years ago built on non-profit... wasn't that "great"?   .  Profit for health companies is too much (I swear some of them even had bought stadium naming rights).

 

Re: Small business and taxes

This is a ridiculous partisan talking point with no basis in reality.  If you can't pay taxes as a small business owner, or deal with regulation,  you have a business-plan problem -- not a tax problem. 

[Fergasun]

@MintHillSkinsFan

Thanks for engaging as well here.  I know you might feel overwhelmed, but we rarely have these types of discussion without people feeling attacked. 

 

I generally just think that our politics are driven by partisan voices and we never dialogue.  Politics is so election driven that any dialogue gets picked up and used in ads.  If you have ever seen what Charlie Kirk does on colleges --and I know name dropping him makes most folks here recoil -- he's actually a good ambassador for his viewpoints and I think his program is a positive.

 

Edit: By "program" - I don't mean when he sets up on college campuses and enrages students to yell at him and maybe trolls them. 

 

  I mean when he gives a 20 to 30 minute speech on conservative and has an intentional dialogue to grasp common ground.  He opens his floor for all questions from all viewpoints.  Even if I see that he is still holding his viewpoint and defending his viewpoint... that program is what I am talking about.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Fergasun
Added clarification

[TheGreatBuzz]

@MintHillSkinsFan Glad to see the way you're engaging here.  Most 'conservatives' just come in here to throw **** at the walls and leave.  Thanks.

 

I'm probably one of the most conservative posters regularly here.  You remind me a lot of where I was in about 2015.  Very tired of the GOP.  Them always saying they are for one thing but doing something else (see deficit spending).  I believe in small government that stays out of your business unless needed (though that road leads me to being pro-choice).  Anyways, I was already tired when Trump rolled around.  I wrote someone else in on the 2016 ballot.  Was disgusted with the party but still thought it could be changed for the inside out.  I believe everyone has their point where they say enough is enough.  For me, because of my own history, it was the muslim ban.  I left the party the next day.

 

I say all that because we are so similar.  I've been posting here long enough that you can go see my history if you'd like.  I think if you start looking around, you may see that you've already hit your point and just haven't realized it.  The things people here share will really open your eyes if you're willing. 

 

Pick any topic you'd like and you'll find peoples positions are from a place of wanting to help others and make the world a better place.  We can disagree on how to get to that place but until the GOP becomes a sane party again, we can't even discuss policies.  Take an honest look for yourself at what each party is doing.  Today, the House GOP are voting to reduce the salary of the Press Secretary to $1 per year.  Do you think this comes from a place of wanting to make the country better?  Once you open your eyes to the mess the GOP has truly become, you'll realize they are too far gone for you also.  Yes, they aren't all MTG level crazy but notice how quiet they are about addressing it.

 

I'll end with the four letters that made me realize I just needed to vote blue for the near future.  I actually saw it on a tshirt a few years ago while listening to a women tell me we should shoot immigrants trying to cross the border illegally. 

 

WWJD       Remember when that meant something?

Edited November 9, 2023 by TheGreatBuzz

[Larry]

Actually, I would estimate that more than half of the "liberal echo chamber" in here are former Republican voters.  

 

(Including myself.  My first vote ever was for President Gerald Ford.  First Democrat I ever voted for was Bill Clinton.  The Republicans lost me with their Civil Asset Forfeiture laws, that Bush 1 signed.  "War on Drugs.")

[Ball Security]

@MintHillSkinsFan

Good for America?

The ordinance:

Thus, under the Ordinance and the incorporated definition, any acts that are 'homosexual' in nature or any material or event even suggesting homosexuality, could be considered indecent and subject to civil and criminal penalties."

 

Thanks for posting, @The Evil Genius

Edited November 9, 2023 by Ball Security

[Captain Wiggles]

Quote

A decent sized city in Tennessee has banned public homosexuality.

 

I looked at MTSU in Murfreesboro when I was applying to colleges. The campus and "downtown" left a lot to be desired. Only good things about it were the music tech program at MTSU and it's not far from Nashville.

 

Tennessee, Tennessee, there are plenty of other places I'd rather be. 🤣

[Jumbo]

@MintHillSkinsFan

 

I too appreciate the thought you put into your posts and the manner in which you conduct yourself.

 

I don't share many of your perceptions, though there are several I can lean into somewhat if not as far as you do. There is enough meat in your positions that at least I think there's room for intelligent and civil disagreement.

 

These days when I find the stakes so high it's hard for me to have room for giving much latitude to the right wing of our political dodo bird. I make no bones about how intensely "anti-maga"   or "anti-trump" I am.

 

For me much has gone way past regular politics and involves basic human decency, sanity, and intelligence levels that can determine facts and engage in rational reasoning, as well as recognize some level of objective  reality and separate it from delusion, nonsense, obvious lies, bigotry of many forms, arrogant ignorance, and hateful emoting.

 

Fwiw, and it's up to you of course determine my credibility in what I'm about to say, but I'm not some "basic" liberal or lefty and have identified as an independent since my first vote in 1972. I reluctantly and regrettably voted for Nixon though I loathed things about him but thought McGovern would be actually be worse overall in those times. And I came to regret it. It was the first of many "Sophie's choices" for me.

 

I am one who thinks, given our political designs from founding to now, that our two major party system needs the best of both conservative and liberal ideas, positions, and policies and a healthy debate usually leading to consensus, compromise, and occasionally overwhelming agreement.

 

I can go on all day about weaknesses, flaws, and shortcomings of the dems and the left but throughout most of my sixty nine years I find more of the more reprehensible level of flaws on the right. Right now I, unfortunately by my standards, find it hard to support any republican that isn't fully committed to being anti trump and anti maga (and it's tea party roots) and has as their priority cleaning them out of the party ala the Lincoln project and similar groups.

 

I vote for a good mix of right, left, middle, over the years from local to national but do have "biases". I'm "biased" toward inclusion and diversity. I'm biased against all the "classic" forms of bigotry directed at people over their sexual identity, race, national origin, religion, or rejection of religion. 

 

I'm biased towards facts and science. I'm biased to managing emotional reactivity and avoiding fear driven decision making. I'm very biased against what I call "arrogant (and often militant)  ignorance."

 

And I don't have any latitude to give anyone that could ever support such a totally disgusting, repulsive, and sick minded garbage dump of a human being like Donald Trump. It defies basic decency, all reason, and goes way deeper than his "politics."

 

The left, as you point out, has a lot of issues too, but it's a fraction of the ugly and dangerous that maga land offers imv.

 

I'd like left and right to argue and debate, and intelligently work out solutions. Naive and idealistic, but that's the hoop to shoot for imv.

 

Thanks again for your thorough and measured posts.

[MintHillSkinsFan]

3 hours ago, Fergasun said:

Common sense solutions.    

 

Re: Immigration

Compreshensive immigration reform, amnesty for those who establish US residency or have US citizen children, allow DACA (back to 2021 and before). I have some idea on enforcement and mechanisms that rely on lawsuits against corporations that hire non-Americans which the GOP would never allow.  But private lawsuits to enforce abortion  is okay?

 

Re: Student loans / education costs

Have no idea how to fix long term moving forward. Trump floated some type of national university.  Part of this is related to rising costs for housing, etc. that drive up cost of living on campus. 

 

Bring back discharge of college loans in bankruptcy is one no brainer.

 

Re:Obamacare

If it broke the system further than maybe "for-profit health system" is the issue. We had a quality healthcare system years ago built on non-profit... wasn't that "great"?   .  Profit for health companies is too much (I swear some of them even had bought stadium naming rights).

 

Re: Small business and taxes

This is a ridiculous partisan talking point with no basis in reality.  If you can't pay taxes as a small business owner, or deal with regulation,  you have a business-plan problem -- not a tax problem. 

See, we do have common ground on most of these points.

Comprehensive immigration reform for sure.  I'm torn on DACA because they did come here illegally but with some framework around it, I think it's workable.  Definitely go after companies that hire illegals. 

Student loans - I agree with all you said and I have no idea how to fix it either.  I am fortunate that I had the foresight to sign my twins up for the Florida Prepaid program when they were two months old.  I paid around $250 a month for 18 years and they both have their tuition and two years of housing fully paid for.  I'm big on personal responsibility so this is one of the reasons I'm against student loan forgiveness.  In general, we are so self indulgent as a society that we don't plan for the future and want someone else to bail us out when we get in over our heads. 

Healthcare - Again I tend to agree.  The independent local family doctors office has all but ceased to exist.  They are all selling out to the conglomerates to leverage their power.  It's almost like de facto unions.

Small businesses - Here I still disagree.  One example off the top of my head is the self employment tax.  Why impose an additional 15% on top of a self employed individuals income tax?  I know I can file LLC, S-Corp, etc... but that has it's own tax structure as well.  Ridiculous $15+ minimum wages is another "soft tax".  It actually de-incentivizes hiring and puts the load back on the business owner.  Minimum wage was never meant to be a full time career wage.  For example, if I want to open a mom and pop coffee shop in a small town, I would want to hire local kids to work the counter.  It gives them something to constructive to do and puts a little money in their pocket.  If I have to pay $15 an hour, I can only hire one when I could have hired two at $8 an hour.  Or, I have to raise my prices which then runs the risk of running customers off. 

Not that there aren't plenty of poor business plans out there but the government doesn't make it any easier.

[Larry]

41 minutes ago, MintHillSkinsFan said:

Small businesses - Here I still disagree.  One example off the top of my head is the self employment tax.  Why impose an additional 15% on top of a self employed individuals income tax? 

 

It's not (an "additional tax"). 

 

It's a 15.3% tax which is exactly equal to:

1) The SS/Medicare everybody else pays.  Plus

2) The SS/Medicare that "their employer pays for them"  

 

Since a self employed person is both the employee and the employer, he pays both parts. 

Edited November 9, 2023 by Larry

[MintHillSkinsFan]

I appreciate all of you who have engaged my posts as well.  I've been a site member for a long time but don't post all that much.  I know I have opposing views to 90% of the posters here so I fully expected to be attacked, ridiculed, etc.... It was a breath of fresh air to have healthy conversations so again, thank you!  I have a little more hope for our country than I did this time yesterday!  😁