Since when is getting over on someone a new standard? It's the american creed, or did I miss something? Getting ahead any way you can has long since been the american way. i don't know what nation you're from. Oh, the land of ruby slippers and rose classes.

The Obama free cell phone nonsense was dubunked (shown to be not to be true) years ago but that does not stop the gulible from believing whatever is being fed to the sheep as long as its anti Obama. http://www.factcheck.org/2009/10/the-obama-phone/

Bob, Assurance advertises on TV. If someone gets food stamps, medicaid, etc. they can get a free cell phone. Obama did away with the resource limit for food stamps which is why we now have so many more people on food stamps. If a person can show no income, that is hide it, they can get food stamps. No need to trade in the BMW for a Chevy. They can keep the jewelry, too. This is what Romney meant about the 47%.

Bob - Who cares when it began? There is a lady from Cleveland whose video went viral who absolutely believes it's "Obama's money" that got her an "Obama phone" with zero clue as to who is paying for it. The telephone program under Lifeline began decades ago and was geared toward providing "reduced" cost phone service along with reduced cost utilities. The program was used oftentimes by the elderly who were on community assistance/Medicaid. The issue here is that under our current President the program has ballooned because his economy has collapsed.

Woops...forgot some people dont believe in fack checking. Try this one. Note that major components of the program were enacted while President Reagan and President George W. Bush were in office. I dont seem to recall seeing it called the "Reagan phone" or the "Bush phone"

http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/cellphone.asp

Bob, It used to be a good program designed to help those in need. Which is why Republicans supported it. There where reasonable limits. OBAMA did away with the resource limits. He turned what used to be good program that helped the poor into a program to bribe many for votes. Before Obama the poor where able to get "lifeline assistance". Phones for their homes for emergencies, follow up calls for employment, etc. Nothing wrong with that. But if you had resources you could dispose of and use the funds to support yourself instead of being dependent on a government hand out then that is what you had to do. You had to spend down your funds or resources. Then you could get assistance and the phone. Now, thanks to OBAMA, you can keep what most of us would consider luxury items. A lot of people can hide income and many have made an art of living well AND getting government benefits. Such as free cell phones. Obama phones,... it fits very well.
YOU look it up.
Obama now wants to do away with any work requirements for benefits. All the more easy for more free stuff to those who will support him with a vote. That is a part of your 47%.
Probably be called Obamawork. Taking notes watching paint dry or grass grass grow. Look that up. That really isn't much of an exaggeration.

Bob it is a real program and like all other government programs it is rife with fraud and while it was inteneded to help some, it is used to buy votes too.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/subsidized-cell-phone-program-nearly-doubles-in-oh/nRDqC/

The video of that woman is disgusting and shows at the core what the problem is. People are voting based on silly things and don't have one clue about the seriousness of the problems - $16 trillion debt and 25 million unemployed - as long as they feel they are given something. More debt does not create jobs. More taxes does not create jobs.

There was a video a few years where people voted for Obama. Do you support these beliefs and antics?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI

Jerseyswamps: You can add the comment about Obama wanting to do away with work rquirements for Welfare to the pile of misinformation being spread around. Every major fact check site said it is not true. http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/23/politics/fact-check-welfare/index.html

for what the phone companies are raking in on all the "great deals" they are giving everybody, they should be forced to pay for phones for poor. The government or better yet we the people, should force the phone companies to drop their rates by dropping the huge salaries and bonuses the head honchos rake in. But you all want to rake them in yourselves and so the unlimited me getn my most and first will continue.Is it true that we could put exxon out of bussiness by all not buying gas for a day? Then why don't we black mail them like they've been extorting us? no unity, and your all conquered. Let's stop the billions in big oil entitlements before we worry about free phones. we are all a bunch of phonies.

So you are going to use a video of someone screaming about a phone to form your opinions? Per fact checking, its not even true. I would be more worried about things like why the RNC Chair now sayes the Republican Party will support Todd Aiken. That is digraceful and something for every American to be upset about.

Janet - Bob has a way of avoiding your last question. He is wise to do so, because to answer it, would be quite the reality check.

Janet/Donna...sorry, I missed your last question. Of course there are some people that are lazy that want someone to take care of them. Its just that they are a small portion of Romney's 47% after you remove all of the people that are working (60% of the 47%), seniors whose only income is social security and those that are disabled.

Bob - Unemployment fraud nationally runs at about 12%. Social Security Disability is yet another interesting opportunity for fraud on a number of levels. It was estimated that in August nearly 25% of disability claims were illegitimate strangely enough coinciding with the applicant's termination of unemployment benefits. If that isn't bad enough, the feds have an opportunity to play with the unemployment figures as well. "People who qualify for SSDI are automatically excluded from the workforce, meaning that you can actually have an economy losing jobs while technically the unemployment rate will go down as more people received disability benefits and are subtracted from the workforce." If you are on Social Security Disability, you are no longer counted as unemployed. According to Investors.com, under President Obama a record 5.4 million have joined the disability rolls. It's fascinating that one can collect 99 weeks of extended unemployment benefits only to suddenly discover that they are actually disabled. Coincidence...I think not.

Social Security Disability is a picture perfect program scam for the Obama administration. It allows Obama to say that unemployment is going down, while adding to the rolls of people who are dependent on some sort of Democrat-Party enabled government assistance.

Bob, you have no how much fraud there is in our social service programs. The best you can do is repeat what you hear or read from a left leaning source. The waste, fraud and abuse is staggering because it is so easy. I always tried to visit clients unannounced. So may times it was supposed to be a mother and her 2-3 kids in the home. But then I'd see evidence of an adult male living there. "Oh, he's their father and he's just visiting". Or there would be un reported income. If it was a single healthy adult I'd make an appointment to see him in the middle of the work day when I knew it would interfere with his unreported job. Sure enough, we'd miss each other.
Any statistics you might refer us to are useless. Most fraud does not go down as fraud. If it is suspected then the client might be asked to provide additional documentation, etc. Most of the time the client will just stop committing the fraud and continue on the program. Or they might just give it up and go away. The case is then closed, client's whereabouts unknown, etc.
Only cases that involve substantial amounts of money or clear paper trails are pursued as fraud cases.

@beachy et al

I think you went a little overboard on the attacks. I didn't read any comments attacking your parents or people in need. I saw comments identifying people who think phones and gas and houses are free thanks to someone else and their is a mindset among many that the government is there to provide these things at all costs even if it means borrowing from your and my children. I disagree with that. Stop with the class warfare BS. My family fought in WWII also and they cannot stand Obama and his socialism. Romeny gives millions to charities and pays millions in taxes and you attack him for not caring. Come on and grow up!! Lots of people take advantage and you know who gets hurt people who really need help. Your hatred blinds you to the facts. What exactly has Obama done to help anyone except himself? Our cities are war zones and you know why because of people in those videos. Obama and Democrats don't care about them. They only USE them for votes and power. If they cared, there would be progress made in improving the cities. Instead they get worse and worse.

Beachy...over 60% of Reoneys "47 percent" are employed and paying other taxes such as wage taxes and state taxes. Another large group is made up of seniors whose only income is social security. Throw in the disabled (you have vets who are seniors and vets who are disabled)....That makes up a huge chunck of the 47%. The old Republican mantra used to be to remove low income people off of the federal tax roles like George Bush did when over 7 million people no longer had to pay federal income tax based on the income they were making. Romeny is acutally the last person who should be talking about not paying enough taxes.

So what is he trying to say? That people who are making just barely enough to scrape by should start paying some kind of minimum tax?? Tax all social security benefits? Dont forget this is coming form a guy who does not want to ask millionaires and billionaires to contribute another penny!!!

Beachy - It is for those noble causes that the fraud and long-term entitlement spending for those capable of work but who choose not to work must be addressed. Understand that when that 47% blossoms to 51% it is game over for our country. That will be the point where the producers in this nation (and the sole funding source for these programs) will simply stop working. Why work hard to support not only your family but the families of many who are perfectly capable of work and self-sufficiency? That is the problem with which we are faced. Surely, a hand up is not intended to be a life-long, multi-generational hand out. This President is building his base by increasing the dependency roles. It is the biggest threat to Americans, future generations and our national security. The 1% will have an escape plan....what about the rest of us?

I worked at a dot com just before 9/11 and half my company was laid off... I was out of work for close to 5 months Do you think I liked collecting unemployment? HELL no. and frankly it wasn't the lap of luxury. It barely paid my rent at the time. I burned through my savings... I remember when they extended the unemployment and what a relief that was. Did I feel guilty about future generations? ummm no. I was just glad I knew I could pay my rent and keep internet access so I could continue to look for work 24/7 and not have to travel to a library just to search for jobs.
This idea that people who have fallen on hard times are lazy or leeches is just not the case.

Patrick - People fall on hard times and we as Americans are generous in spirit. It seems as though you took whatever measures you needed to in order to gain employment in 20 weeks. Why do you think that you were successful at that task but so many others exhaust the last days of unemployment benefits? My gut tells me that you sensed an urgency in getting a job and becoming self-sufficient once again. However, how do you explain people collecting benefits for 99 weeks then applying for Social Security Disability benefits thereafter? I never heard Gov. Romney refer to the 47% as "lazy." The fact of the matter is that 47% of our population pays no federal income tax. The remaining 53% carry the federal burden. Mathematically, the system is unsustainable.

Ok...let's say you make 24k a year, and you get a refund on April 15th that is more then your federal tax.... You still pay payroll taxes, you still pay property taxes. You still pay sales taxes.
Let's take a retired person. They still pay property taxes sales taxes
An unemployed person, they pay tax on the unemployment benefit....
This idea that 47% of the nation is sitting on their ass and being fronted by the other 53% is just hateful and wrong.
And I bet there are some lazy people out there who might prefer a check over work, but I would doubt that the number even hits a quarter of the 47% .
As for the long term unemployed... You lay off a factory worker who has done the same job since 18, ship his job overseas at 50 he finds himself Ina new world with no job skills. You could re train this person, but then you'd need the American companies that are bringing in record profits to start hiring. Or they could borrow money from family like Romeny suggests, to start his own business. A business he is probably unskilled at, and I think we all know the numbers of failure for small business start ups. It just isn't as black and white as lazy vs hard working. And I wish as a nation we would be honest about where we are, and what needs to be done.

Patrick - Is the problem truly that we are not "paying" enough taxes whether it is 53% of the population or not? I would propose that we are "spending" and "wasting" too much. Why is it that the business climate is more desirable overseas than it is here in the greatest nation on earth? How is it that we have lost that international edge in such a short time? Simply, why are I-phones made in China? The reason being is we can buy one here made in China for $400. To produce it on our own homeland (taking into account regulations, tax liabilities, employee benefits packages, union wages) would increase that price to $1,000. Americans complain bitterly about jobs being shipped abroad, but NO ONE is prepared to pay more for products made in America. NOBODY goes into business to lose money. I do not work to lose money. I am certain that you do not get up in the morning and arrive at your job to lose money. Why do we expect corporations to function for anything less than a profit to its shareholders? To do otherwise would be irresponsible. I wish that our government functioned as efficiently as a successful corporation. And I wish our nation, as the shareholders of our government, held them more accountable. "Hope and change" would not run a Fortune 500 company for a week.

Donna - the production cost of an iPhone is about $189.00.

Clarence....I've seen that the production cost is anywhere from $90-$207/phone. That production cost, however, is reflective of Chinese manufacturing (and shipping back to the US). Reports from Business Insider indicate "there's the other problem that the U.S. doesn't have enough engineers to support the manufacture of iPhones." The report continues that "these estimates (of production costs" abroad vs. Made in the USA) are purely theoretical and don't factor in the full costs of moving operations to the U.S. including building new manufacturing plants and recruiting talent." They don't even get into the Research and Development investment aspect going into the technology creation. I'm more concerned about China now being the largest exporter of goods in the world and our growing debt load dependent upon a nation whose motives have yet to be determined.

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-04-24/tech/31390837_1_iphone-supplies-apple-profits#ixzz27xvFcumJ

Where are you getting your information that work requirements are being "dumbed down?" That is just not true.

To get a waiver, Governors must commit that their proposals will move at least 20 percent MORE people from welfare to work compared to the state’s past performance, States must also demonstrate clear progress toward that goal no later than one year after their programs take effect. If they fail, their waiver will be rescinded.

Nothing about the waiver lifts the work requirement on any individual. The waiver is about the state’s performance measurement. The federal work participation requirement is something that states must meet. … Nobody is suggesting waiving that.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/sep/10/bill-clinton/bill-clinton-says-obama-administration-trying-boos/

Jersey...Correct. 60% of the 47% group Romney referred to are employed. As mentioned above, another big chunk of his 47% only receive income from Social Security benefits (which they paid into.) All of those people (plus the disabled) are in his 47% who according to Romney, consider themneselves "victims" even though they do not earn enough to pay federal income taxes according to the current tax tables (which were last adjusted after the Bush tax cuts.) The 47% still have to pay wage taxes and state taxes. Does Romney think the rates on the working poor should be raised so they have to pay some federal income tax? If so, he should say so. That is the opposite approach that both Democrat and Republican Presidents have taken.

Without beating the subject to death, I dont think Romney had any clue who actually made up that 47% when he made his statements. If he did understand who makes up that group, I assume he would never had made such stupid remarks. As the President said, Romeny needs to get out more.

Bob - Rather than continuously point the finger of blame on one administration in defense of another, can you minimally agree that we have a major fiscal crisis in our country and that this crisis is being compounded by the man heading up our nation. In 2008, then president-elect Obama campaigned on having the answers. Four years later, he has left us with more questions than solutions. I cannot be so blindly supportive of an ineffective candidate for re-election at the expense my concern for the welfare of my children's future. If your team is losing for 4 seasons, wouldn't you want a new coach?

Donna...I am not pointing the finger at any administration...note though that the closest the this mess came to getting fixed was when the President, other Dems, moderate Republicans and the Speaker of the House were very close to finalizing what was called "the grand compromise" which would have cut future projected deficits by trillions. Unfortunately the extreme right Tea Party members of the House would not support their own Speaker...result...no deal.

Bob - The problem with the "compromise" was the tax increases. Whether the increases would have a greater impact on the wealthy or the middle class was a moot point in my book. Again, the problem is not that the federal government does not have enough money...it is that the federal government spends too much. To cut with one hand and spend with the other is foolish by any standard. The spending cuts and serious determination to rid programs of fraud must come first. Eliminate the Department of Education while you're at it and issue pink slips to 99% of the czars who answer to the President. I am not a believer in compromise on a bad idea. Lukewarm legislation produces lukewarm results. I'll pass on that. Thank God for the Tea Party patriots. Someone has to say that enough is enough. Time for our elected officials to come up with ways to trim the fat....much like we are all doing in our own households.

Donna...the only tax increase would have been letting the Bush tax cuts exprie on incomes of 250k or more. The President was also proposing to eliminate some subsidies such as the $4 billion that the largest oil companys receive of our $$$ even though they are making more profits ($30 billion+) in the history of the universe. On the spending side, the President (and almost everyone else) was looking at cutting and reforming future entitlements that would save trillions. That is the deal that the far right memers of the House would not accept, Note that every non partisan studey of debt redcution that I have ever seen concludes that a comibination of some addittional revenue along with huge spending cuts/entitlement reforms are needed. Since the speding cuts affect the low and middle income /peoplefamilies, its not an unreasonable plan to have the wealthiest contibute jsut a little bit more (basically putting the top rate back to what it was in 2000 since it should never have been cut in the first place at a time the country became involved in two unpaid for wars.)

Bob - The next downturn in the economy will be in January exactly when the Bush tax cuts expire (if Obama is re-elected). The more critical downturn (and perhaps the final blow to the economy) will be when the Obama healthcare taxes kick in and our medical delivery system morphs into a very different animal than we have been promised. That, my friend, has already started. Again, taxing ourselves into prosperity will never work. Allowing tax cuts to expire is a tax increase. Watch your home mortgage deduction....that's next. But I guess if they sell it as an "expiration of a deduction" it sounds a whole lot prettier. With the oil company subsidies, I might bite on that one if we also include losing the solar company and auto industry subsidies. The federal government ought not be in the job of picking winners.

"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what.... These are people who pay no income tax. Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes doesn't connect. So he'll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. I mean, that's what they sell every four years. And so my job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives." -actual Romney quote.... That is well beyond 47% don't pay taxes. and you wanna get rid of the cycle of poverty in the places you mention. Flat tax education through out the state... not just by local taxes... every student in the state is funded equally. not some kid in Princeton gets a great education while a kid in the same county in Trenton get a substandard education cause of where he lives.

Gary, the "dumb and lazy losers" of the 47 % might not be that dumb. They see their government, bosses and everybody else out only for themselves. Many of the winners in life really don't work to much for their money either. They just sit at the top of the pyramid scheme and tax all those below them. It has always collapsed because at it's core capitalism is every man for himself and so it shall be again. If you buy into the 250k college crap or don't have a brother or father in big biz, big government or some other crony position, you can easily say screw all the rest of society cause that's what they are doing or trying to do to me. Make sense? A so called "team" with a get as much as you can for yourself and screw the world, is a losing team. That truth hurts all the "self sufficient" winners that have illegals mowing their lawns etc.. etc.. Romney got to where he is on his fathers coat tails as did bush and many other of our "winners" movers and shakers. How's that for entitlements and handouts? We think we can capitalize on the weaker, dumber and make them our slaves in shanty towns around the world. Well, look to the past to see our future. really surprise you all can't see the fatal flaw of lawless capitalism with no purpose but gettn mine. The governments are all broke. Do you think it all went to the lower 47%.? lol. i bet the Haliburtions and exxon types took much more. But go after the little fish first. dah.

I of course was referring to Princeton public schools vs Trenton public schools, not the University... as I said both in Mercer but clearly opposite sides of the educational scale. And if you look at the way the state funds education, it is a joke. Ocean City, the nanny sea side community with a multi million dollar bridge get a huge increase in its school funding from the state, and uses it to have a scanner system to let students check in every day, to track skipping. OCEAN CITY. How about Camden or Trenton get that. NO. lets track Christian town USA. that is over funded on ALL levels.
as for personal responsibility.. It is pretty hard to think existential if you don't know where your meals are coming from, or how you might pay the rent.
and not to worry about Asbury Park... soon the poor won't be able to afford to live there as it becomes gentrified, and then the public schools will be fully funded, with all those poor people gone.

Patrick - You must therefore be a proponent of school choice?

Sure you can choose to send your kids to any school you like... just don't make me pay for it.

Patrick - So your preference is to throw good money after bad (and more of it) at failing, unaccountable school districts with a graduation rate of less than 23% (of incoming Freshman in Camden)? That definition of "excellence" escapes me. Alternately, you wish to contribute NOTHING to public education? Not an option. How about letting parents in on the decision making process? What a concept....parents get to choose the educational path for their own kids....can't let that happen in a free society, now can we?

Many of the iPhones and iPads are made in Brazil... and sure Apple would love to make the iPhone here, not that they would do it to help America or anything, but they can't. Forbes had a great piece about why Amazon can't make the kindle in the US even if they wanted to... http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/08/17/why-amazon-cant-make-a-kindle-in-the-usa/
The problem isn't that really that it is cheaper overseas, but that American companies had abandoned the R&D and investment is technology, leaving it to Korea and Samsung, Taiwan and Foxconn... etc etc.Tax breaks for companies isn't going to spur this sort of growth, in fact in some areas of tech we are so far behind it is doubtful even with full investment we will ever be competitive. Like TVs. Where is your American TV? RCA was sold off to Thompson who sold it off again. Zenith is owned by Korea's LG. So its easy to say we need to less regulation less tax etc etc to spur growth, but fact is we transferred from a manufacturing to a service economy in the 70's 80's and because a country of innovation in the internet boom... So we may not make the stuff anymore in a flat world... But we have to invent the stuff. That means educating people properly, and by that I mean critical thinking. So neither of us is going to solve the issues of this country here. But I would like you to have an open mind and read the forbes piece. It really explains a lot of our problems.

In my perfect world, teachers would teach. not to a test, not be babysitters. but teach. as in critical thinking. And after grade school, you'd go to a high school of your choice. IN THE PUBLIC SYSTEM. Want to study science. you study at the county science high school... same for vocational arts etc. I think we all know that if we are engaged in things we are interested in, and see a future in it we are much more motivated. But what do I know. I'm not a teacher and never went to public school.

Patrick - A point we can both agree on. Only difference is that I would have the $$$ follow the student from kindergarten through 12. Critical thinking, logic, comprehension...we're on the same page. Kids are indoctrinated early on and rarely is debate welcomed (even moreso at the college level). I truly believe that with a failing educational system internationally, we must be open to any and all alternative learning styles. Vocational/Technical training is crucial and an honorable alternative for many kids. There are a lot of plumbers coming out of the VoTech system with jobs in hand passing those college grads with teaching certificates. Clearly, what we have going on in public education is a bust.

Plumbers can easily make over 100k and same for electricians, HVAC ...
See I know your intentions are good, and I'd hope while we may disagree you at least understand that mine are as well.

That is another huge issue. There is so much cynicism and vitriol driven by the talking head pundits who really just have their next book to peddle, that we forget while we disagree as long as we have what we believe to be the best interest of the nation we can find solutions.

Gary..."enamored with increasing taxes?"...taxes are actaully lower under Obama for most Americans than the were at the end of Bush's term in 2008. Last week Romney finally admited that the President has not raised anyones income taxes. The only proposal the President has made to increase income taxes is to let the Bush Tax Cut expire on portions of income over 250k or more. That does not affect 98% of people and the rate goes back to what it was under Clinton which was also the last time there was a balanced budget.. Note the top rate should never been cut in the first place since two wars have gone unpaid for and added at $2 trillion+ to the national debt. If anything, taxes needed to be raised on the top brackets to pay for the wars.

By the way, Romney has pleanty of support from the "victims" as he calls them in the 47%. He does very well with seniors and 8 of the top 10 states with the highest percentages of people not paying federal income taxes are in red states.
...

So much interest in what Mitt Romney has "said" and so little concern over what President Obama has "done."

SNAP, more popularly known as "food stamps". 41% of SNAP recipients are members of income-producing households.

The percentage of "nonpayers", as the IRS calls them, has risen dramatically in recent years. The 47% number is a little high according to IRS statistics - the actual number of nonpayers, or people with zero or negative federal tax liability, is more like 41%. The 47% number includes people with some small tax liability which is offset by other considerations.

Regardless, the threshold for nonpayment has risen both in terms of real income and in proportion to federal transfer payments ("welfare", but inclusive of all federally funded assistance programs). Currently, a family of four with an income of $50,000 can have no federal tax liability after standard deductions and EITC.

In 2009, 11% of tax filers with incomes of $75,000 had no federal tax liability.

This disparity is not insignificant. The OWS crowd negatively targetes "the 1%" but what they don't talk about is the fact that the top 1% of wage earners pays more in federal tax than the whole of the bottom 90% and the gap between the two has widened substantially - the share of federal taxes paid by the top 1% has increased while the share paid by the bottom 90% has decreased.

Meanwhile, thanks to ObamaCare, the total tax burden for those making more than $200,000 per year ($250,000 for "married filing jointly) will increase even further.

Jersey...I don't know what percentage of thsoe people are eligible for or receive any other kind of assistance. I would think if it were two people in a familly making minimum wage (which might give them a family income of 25k/year) and they had children, they would qualify for some other type of assistance. Romney's main point was the 47% were not paying federal income tax and consider themselves victims.

Jersey...I am probably repeating myself here but to even get a waiver approved states must show how they will move 20% more people off of welfare. If they are not making progress towards that and it does not happen within 12 months...no more waiver. An example of what some of the innovative things states are doing would be for people to have additional training or obtaining more eductaion so they could get a job in the workforce.

well the problem is math.... as this Wall Street Journal article points out. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703859304576307632665599402.html

and just look at state aid to schools. Christie put a budget that gave a 64% increase is aid to Ocean City. While a district a few miles north that could have used a bump in Atlantic City saw a 9% decrease. http://www.njspotlight.com/assets/12/0224/0141

One of the methods used by governments to destroy taxpayers resolve consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls by the government are necessary hence Abbott /school funding

George - As Thomas Sowell stated: "I have never understood why it is greed to want to keep the money you have earned, but not greed to want to take somebody else's money."

one man's earned is another man's stolen, donna. But we can't see that because our pride and vanity has blinded us to that fact. I know, it's a free market and you don't have to buy etc.. etc../ That's what pharoahs said too. lol. Exodus is coming or we are all going to the hell this system is set up to end in.

George - That's only if you believe that we live in a zero sum gain nation. The America I know (or at least used to know) offered its citizenry unlimited opportunity to share in a pie of unlimited size. The only thing holding one back from success was oneself. Since when has wealth earned through honest means become so sinful? I've always admired successful people and have attempted to emulate their hard work philosophy. I can't imagine that we would point to a poor person and tell our children that is the future to which they should aspire.

donna, where is this unlimited pie you speak of? Made up money? With everything for sale, by giving this great wealth to any few give away everything for all. You wonder why laws are written deliberately to help rich get richer? Big government aide to big oil already crushing us? Your very democracy is a sham and is sold to china. You want it all and a big bank account in switzerland too? There is no unlimited pie. Just look at the charts. That ticker they show behind romney and ryan was made taken by whom exactly? We can't even follow the money cause that wouldn't be american to see where it all went. If you think the only one holding one back is oneself you better wake up. I think you give our country and it's free market too much credit and confidence in the system. We see all the rules being broken and changed so the few paying for these things pull away from the pack even faster till it all collapses and they wipe a bunch out say 47%ers. Where have you been while all this was happening? On the patch complaining about it? Me too, but that does no good. Better call you store bought reps in gov and see where that gets us. nowhere. So, as they say, a riot is a very ugly thing. And it's about time we had one. lol. Seems the only way to fix things is to break them first in this world. This system is already broken. Think romney will fix the loopholes, lies and aholes in power across this the land of the fee home of the nave? oops spell check.

George - First off, who is "giving" this great wealth of which you speak? Last time I checked, wealth is "earned." As a small business owner, I can assure you....I did build my business unlike the President has said. Long hours, lots of risks and a determination to be damn good at what I do allowed my family and I to live a comfortable life. For this, you seem to feel I need to apologize?!?! I've created jobs, I've paid my taxes, I have no debt and I've volunteered my time and money to charitable causes. For this, you wish to demonize me. As a child of immigrant parents, I was taught that one creates his own good fortune and to never put your hand out and take from another. I am not jealous of other's (including corporate) success. In fact, I admire it. I think that success has no bounds, hence the pie is limitless. I am concerned, however, that our government is moving toward a nanny state at such an alarming rate that those with wealth will seek an exit strategy. The overwhelming government intrusion into every aspect of our lives and the burdensome regulations created on a daily basis (e.g., Mayor Bloomberg's food police) are eroding our personal freedom. Who will pay your bills then, George?

Donna, you think you've built your little empire and it can last among the true powers or the big empire? you are truly mistaken. this is a dog eat dog rat racing after as much cheese as he or she can get as the ship we are on is sinking. You, being a small business owner must see that your are but a small fish in a sea of cannibal fish that is killing the school. Have you learned that yet? imagine your are a small speck on an infinite and dangerous universe fighting for the survival our your very speices. Because that's exactly what we all are in the big picture. you can bury your head in all you money laiden mattresses but the fact remains your only fooling ourselves by thinking it's every man for himselves and the best or fittest will and should survive. I hate to brake it too you all, but that'sl not how evolutions works. dah..... See the picture that's bigger then your fleeting private little heaven where you win and the losers lose alone. God, we are all so vain and arogant, Aren't we? Shall I have our God teach us this lesson the hardest and most painful way? I know you all must be smarter and more evolved then this. Don't I? Doesn't he trust we will come to our senses? shalom

George - You need a hug. I choose not to swim in the "victim" pool of which you speak. The world owes me nothing. I am not afraid of hard work and consequence. You may wish to live a paranoid life. I, however, choose not to do so. I'll keep you in my prayers....you need them.

Frank...none of those statements are accurate....There are several good articles on the net that debunk some of the crazy claims made on social security...link to a good one is below that address what you posted.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/socialsecurity/changes.asp

rodger

I just keep waiting for you to ask someone if they've ever been in a Turkish prison before...
Rodger.

I sure hope you are drinking. and power to the people and all that.

Nice. I made it to a rizzorant.