67 replies to this topic

[luvsmyncis]

Education is almost all I ever see Julian Castro talk about, which is good, because everyone in this city/state/country is so fucking stupid. When we vote in November, on the local ballot will be a tax increase to fund pre-K education. While I think it's a little weird to focus on 4 year olds, hey, we gotta start somewhere. He's good at talking, so of course his speech was uplifting but it's even more warming to know he actually means what he says.

This alone was on the local news though...

lol Girl has got some sass.

[Mishelle]

Totally agreed that we need to be investing in education, it's infuriating that education seems to be the first thing that politicians cut and that you can vote on education taxes, and of course people always vote no when it comes to extra taxes. In LA the LA Unified School District is practically in shambles. it's too big and the money is stretched too thin to the point where kids are graduating who can barely read. They're just being pushed through the education system because there's no room to keep them long enough to make sure they learn. Thank goodness for the teachers out there who really care about students and actually make sure they learn. I was lucky enough to have some teachers like those and they helped me immensely, other students aren't so lucky. We have to give young generations a means of getting a proper education and becoming a skilled laborer. Then those people won't have to settle for welfare.

I don't know how it is in other states but here if you're on welfare you have to have some other kind of source of income or live in abject poverty. I know people on welfare and they're usually also working a minimum wage job, or working under the table because it's not enough money. One friend of mine lives in a room that she shares with her 7 year old daughter, and she worked 2 jobs to get off welfare because it was not enough money. That's why I get so annoyed that people constantly jump up to bitching about these stereotypical (usually Black) welfare queens that are plaguing society. Yes there are people abusing the system but there are just as many people busting their asses just trying to get by, why not give them some attention first?.Since I've been going to college we get our tuition raised every single semester. 15% every Spring and 20% every Fall like clockwork. If it wasn't for Obama's increase in the Pell Grant and the sheer luck of being awarded some scholarships I would've been forced to drop out. It's already taking way more time than it should for me to graduate because they're putting units caps on undergrad students so we can only take so many classes a semester. This keeps kids in college longer, keeps them paying more money or going into more debt, and keeps new students from being able to be accepted. Our entire football team is on food stamps because with tuition so high and not being able to work during the season they can't afford not to be on food stamps. It's freaking ridiculous that just to get an education you have to risk going into crushing debt, and if you opt out you have to risk living in poverty because you don't have enough skills to find a decent job.

[Nymh]

Education is almost all I ever see Julian Castro talk about, which is good, because everyone in this city/state/country is so fucking stupid. When we vote in November, on the local ballot will be a tax increase to fund pre-K education. While I think it's a little weird to focus on 4 year olds, hey, we gotta start somewhere. He's good at talking, so of course his speech was uplifting but it's even more warming to know he actually means what he says.

This alone was on the local news though...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5w4yImGgiM
lol Girl has got some sass.

I haven't paid any attention to politics lately, but that guy really warmed my heart. You're right, we do have to start somewhere. In my state, Pre-K is a voluntary program that is aimed toward helping low-income families. You have to make under a certain threshold of money, or they won't accept your child into the program. WTF? It's at the same elementary school that they'll be going to kindergarten at, but really it's just free daycare in the eyes of the state. I don't know why the funding is any different than what the rest of the school gets, but Pre-K receives next to nothing. We have to provide all of the daily snacks and school supplies for the class. Of course, the school allows our kids to buy breakfast and lunch there though... Pre-K is something that I have pretty strong feelings about. What about the middle-income family that is struggling to get by because the mother has stayed home with the kid since she had it... or better yet, has gone back to work and is paying hundreds or thousands of dollars a month for the kid to be in daycare so that she can work. Why should these families be denied the chance to send their children to Pre-K just because they make more money? Education should be available to all students and families equally, not just the poorest or the richest.

Since I've been going to college we get our tuition raised every single semester. 15% every Spring and 20% every Fall like clockwork. If it wasn't for Obama's increase in the Pell Grant and the sheer luck of being awarded some scholarships I would've been forced to drop out. It's already taking way more time than it should for me to graduate because they're putting units caps on undergrad students so we can only take so many classes a semester. This keeps kids in college longer, keeps them paying more money or going into more debt, and keeps new students from being able to be accepted. Our entire football team is on food stamps because with tuition so high and not being able to work during the season they can't afford not to be on food stamps. It's freaking ridiculous that just to get an education you have to risk going into crushing debt, and if you opt out you have to risk living in poverty because you don't have enough skills to find a decent job.

Something that always worries me is that I feel I should have a job while I am in college, but if I do get a job, I won't be able to devote the time to school that I need to in the evenings to study and do homework because I'll be working. I already spend upwards of 40 hours a week on lectures and homework, how are full time college students supposed to do that -and- have a job? Something else fun that my state has done with the scholarship program that I am in is they're raising the GPA requirements every year on scholarships, and putting a maximum number of ATTEMPTED credit hours on the scholarship. It requires a minimum 2.75 GPA to start with, but by the end you have to be at a 3.0. You can only use it for up to 120 hours (most bachelors degrees are 120 hours, but if you drop a class to retake it later more than one time, you lose the scholarship forever - it doesn't just cut off at the 120 mark, it's gone for good when you drop that second class). Kids that are counting on scholarships to help them pay for school will find it harder to qualify as the years go on, especially if they are working while going to school. I think it's a shame that young adults should feel torn between school and work while they're trying to earn their degrees. I know how exhausted I am when I get my fall, spring and summer breaks, the thought of not actually getting a break and instead jumping right back into work would be a nightmare for me.

[Mishelle]

Last semester I worked full time and was a full time student but I'm pretty lucky in regards to the fact that I work at a school so I can only work during the week and my weekends are available for school work. It also bugs me that schools act like they're so progressive for paying us 1 dollar above minimum wage then they turn around and charge $300 for a parking pass.

[Nymh]

Tuned in to the DNC live coverage tonight just in time to hear Obama say this:

Government has a role in this. But teachers must inspire; principals must lead; parents must instill a thirst for learning, and students, you’ve got to do the work. And together, I promise you – we can out-educate and out-compete any country on Earth. Help me recruit 100,000 math and science teachers in the next ten years, and improve early childhood education. Help give two million workers the chance to learn skills at their community college that will lead directly to a job. Help us work with colleges and universities to cut in half the growth of tuition costs over the next ten years. We can meet that goal together. You can choose that future for America.

Perfect timing. It was uncanny.

I'm going back and watching the speech from the beginning now, but I just had to post that. Hell yeah, Obama.

Feel a cold coming on? Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call us in the morning.

LOL I love it!

[HappyAccident]

Tuned in to the DNC live coverage tonight just in time to hear Obama say this:



Perfect timing. It was uncanny.

I'm going back and watching the speech from the beginning now, but I just had to post that. Hell yeah, Obama.



LOL I love it!

He was fantastic.

[Glow]

Just going to pop in and say I agree with Kiwi and Cript on the subjects they bring up.

Okay. Have a great day, everyone~

[Bone]

Just going to pop in and say I agree with Kiwi and Cript on the subjects they bring up.

Okay. Have a great day, everyone~

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

[Jakerz]

Really enjoyed Obama's speech, as with Castro's. I also enjoyed Bill Clinton's speech, but it was long as fuck

I'm really hoping he gets re-elected.. scared to see where the states would end up with Romney as president

[luvsmyncis]

I typically don't give a shit what celebrities say about politics, but when I heard Eva Longoria say this..
"Mitt Romney would raise taxes on middle-class families to cut his own—and mine. That's not who we are as a nation, and here's why- The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy's flipping burgers, she needed a tax break. But the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets does not.""
I was like... AMEN!

This was cute.


The only problems I had with his speech are the assumptions Americans will work hard and work together for a prosperous future. That will never happen. Everyone is too selfish and concerned only about their own benefits to ever care about what needs to be done for the greater good. I have absolutely no faith in my fellow countrymen. Hoping people will do the right things for the right reasons is like hoping a unicorn will fly down from the stars and give me magical powers.

[Waser Lave]

Well Eva Longoria has certainly gone up in my estimation anyway, it's a shame more celebrities don't express similar opinions.

[luvsmyncis]

I would have liked her better if she had worked at Dairy Queen instead. Wendy's? Ick.

[Nymh]

I would have liked her better if she had worked at Dairy Queen instead. Wendy's? Ick.

Wendy's has Baconators. And spicy chicken sandwiches. And Frostys.

[Bone]

Wendy's has Baconators. And spicy chicken sandwiches. And Frostys.

My local DQ has a "buy one get one $.99" blizzard deal going on. Because one wasn't enough!

[Mishelle]

I typically don't give a shit what celebrities say about politics, but when I heard Eva Longoria say this..
"Mitt Romney would raise taxes on middle-class families to cut his own—and mine. That's not who we are as a nation, and here's why- The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy's flipping burgers, she needed a tax break. But the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets does not.""
I was like... AMEN!

This was cute.


The only problems I had with his speech are the assumptions Americans will work hard and work together for a prosperous future. That will never happen. Everyone is too selfish and concerned only about their own benefits to ever care about what needs to be done for the greater good. I have absolutely no faith in my fellow countrymen. Hoping people will do the right things for the right reasons is like hoping a unicorn will fly down from the stars and give me magical powers.

While I agree there are a lot of selfish American's out there who only care about themselves, 'd rather hear them be positive and promote people working together rather than the xenophobic ~all these illegals need to be shipped away cuz they're taking our jobs and boootstrappsss~ rhetoric from the GOP. I hope I wasn't the only one who laughed from a healthy place when Romney said that they need to lend a helping hand to those in need, paused for applause, and the entire audience was silent.

[redlion]

I apologize in advance for gigantapost. You guys are bombastic enough to get me out of the apathy shell

You're trying to re-elect someone whose presidency has resulted in fewer people being employed, and Food Stamp enrollment DOUBLING. Let's not forget the highest youth unemployment in history. Those food stamps might be free for those enrolled but if you ever somehow find a job someday, you get to pay for them.

Maybe you have a different conception of the President's job description than I do, but no where in the constitution does it say that the President shall have the power to stay layoffs. There's no granting a pardon if your private (or public) employer decides to fire you. I'm not quite understanding how unemployment is the sole responsibility of our chief foreign representative. Last I checked he can't create jobs by fiat.

Besides, it's intellectually dishonest to claim that all the job losses of the 2008-2010 period were due to really any policy set by Obama. TARP was signed into law by Bush if you remember. The economic crash started on his watch, not Obama's. All that deregulation? Bush, not Obama.

You do know that Democrats had the presidency, house, and senate for the first 2 years of his presidency, right? But hey, it's only been 4 years...why stop blaming the other guy now? The bare minimum expected of a senate? You mean like passing a budget? Cause the Dems refuse to do that...God forbid they be held accountable for it.

Yes, but in case you hadn't heard, the Senate can't do anything because of a tiny change in procedural policy. Formerly to filibuster a Senator had to stand before the Congress and speak. No food, no sitting. Now it's a matter of filing paperwork with the Senate clerk - any Senator can indefinitely postpone voting on anything. So please, stop acting like the White House (or democrats in general) are in sole control of three branches of government.

Weird, I go to the Dr all the time and never have issues. I worked hard, got a job, and have insurance. You and yours want me to work harder so you don't have to?

Congratulations, you were born into white privilege with parents that valued education. They didn't let you drop out, paid for your schooling, and supported you while you were an ignorant shit learning how to connect gateways to modems. Newsflash: not everyone comes from the same circumstances.

Since we're on the topic of lying at the convention: I'll address these in-quote to save space.

http://qvga.factchec...from-charlotte/

• The keynote speaker and others claimed the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, would raise taxes on the “middle class.” He has promised he won’t. And if he keeps his promise, he'll be the first politician ever to do so.
• The keynote speaker, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, also said there have been 4.5 million “new jobs” under Obama. The fact is the economy has regained only 4 million of the 4.3 million jobs lost since Obama took office.The president isn't responsible for jobs being lost. Companies consolidate departments, they take revenue hits and downsize, hell, they'll replace 10,000 employees with iPads (Medtronic) but they'll never consult the president before doing so. I don't understand your argument.
• Castro also insisted Romney and Ryan would “gut” Pell Grants for lower-income college students. Actually, the Ryan budget calls only for “limiting the growth” of spending for the program, and Ryan has said the maximum grant of $5,550 would not be decreased.Nitpicking. Inflation increases and the grant limit stays the same. Every social program gets slashed, but defense increases by a ridiculous amount. I can't remember if it was 2bn or 2tn over a fixed decade or so. I'll try to find some numbers on the Ryan plan.
• A Democratic governor said Romney “left his state 47th out of 50 in job growth.” Actually, Massachusetts went from 50th in job creation during Romney’s first year to 28th in his final year. This democratic governor have a name? And why should I care? My decision to vote against Romney wouldn't be swayed to a yes knowing the difference in final position.
• Two advocates of equal-pay legislation said women make 77 cents for every dollar men earn. That’s true on average, but the gap for women doing the same work as men is much less, and not entirely or even mostly the result of job discrimination. So it's true that women are paid less for equal work, but what about the gap for women doing the same job? I don't grammatically understand this sentence. Very ambiguous what is much less.
• A union president accused Romney of seeking “a government bailout” for “his company.” Not really. In fact, Romney negotiated a favorable but routine settlement with bank regulators on behalf of a former company, the one he had left to form his own Bain Capital firm. No taxpayer funds were involved.
• Multiple speakers repeated a claim that the Ryan/Romney Medicare plan would cost seniors $6,400 a year. That’s a figure that applied to Ryan’s 2011 budget plan, but his current proposal (the one Romney embraces) is far more generous. The Congressional Budget Office says it “may” lead to higher costs for beneficiaries, but it can’t estimate how much.
• Rep. James Clyburn engaged in partisan myth-making when he said “Democrats created Social Security” while Republicans “cursed the darkness.” History records strong bipartisan support in both House and Senate for the measure President Roosevelt signed in 1935. These last few points pretty much stand (IMO) but they're very nitpicky. I'd be interested to see a similar breakdown of the Ryan speech and Romney's nomination speech.

My favorite by far is the fact that there are FEWER people employed today then when Obama took office yet his entire party continues to lie about it.

No one is offended that these guys decided to use 2/2010 as the starting point for their job numbers instead of using the actual start of Obama's term? No? Kool-aid tastes that good, eh?

There is a distinct difference between driving down unemployment numbers, and driving down unemployment numbers to pre-recession levels. In 2008 we still didn't know how bad the crash was going to be, let alone have a plan for dealing with it. It's very one sided of you to claim the difference in employment levels as a con against Obama. I'm not offended he used 2010 as the starting point because that's a year into his presidency. He takes office Jan 20, 2009. A year later he's on the road to recovery.

I can call anytime I want and meet with a specialist within a week. You get that in Europe?

Yes, and moreover, it's free. Well, you pay some taxes, but then when you don't have a job, you can still get it for free. Isn't that a convenient solution to the predicament we face with the myth of the welfare queen?

I can't fathom why America doesn't do a reform and implement things such as that. They would be creating many jobs if they opened up offices that supported people and made mandatory schemes such as those I outlined, and they would be aiding people to take some pride in themselves and work for a living.

Reform is a bad word ever since the Reform party fucked up the 1992 election for Bush Sr. We don't talk about reform anymore.

This post by Cody hit everything else pretty much spot on. I'll not repeat him, but I'd say read his post if you haven't. lol Obama winning by the largest margin in history... oh, Mitt, you're hopelessly outgunned.

[WharfRat]

This post by Cody hit everything else pretty much spot on. I'll not repeat him, but I'd say read his post if you haven't. lol Obama winning by the largest margin in history... oh, Mitt, you're hopelessly outgunned.

Sorry to correct you, Patrick, but he didn't win with the biggest margin in history. Rather, he won with the largest number of (popular) votes in American history. This is largely in part due to population growth, laws in place in modern time to ensure women and minorities are not disenfranchised, and general enthusiasm during the election. My point about the vote count was actually that even if you added all of the black people and the welfare recipients in the entire country together you still wouldn't equal the number of votes Obama received. (Let alone considering only a fraction of that number cast a ballot.)



Sorry for what seems like a small correction but I want to keep everyone checked in on the facts! Thanks for vote of confidence, though!

[GoGoGoJon]

Clinton's speech alone had more charm than all of Romney's.