Thank you, Mitt Romney, for this: "[Obama] wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more fireman, more policeman, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It's time for us to cut back on government and help the American people."
It was easily the biggest Romney gaffe yet. Actually, I hesitate to call it a gaffe since a lot of Republicans agree with what he said and Romney was simply so jittery and undisciplined that he unknowingly blurted it out in public. Not only did Romney say something universally positive about the president (framed as something negative), but he also illustrated one of the most glaringly obvious conservative contradictions regarding government programs.
There are several layers to this, so let's begin with what many conservatives secretly believe.
While they insist they're the party of "first responders," "law and order" and so forth, Republican leadership really doesn't like the idea of police and firefighters working for state and local government -- in other words, they don't like law enforcement and the like working directly for We The People. As we've seen in privatized neocon utopias like Iraq, they'd prefer that these services be run by corporate profiteers. Republicans prefer that every government service be handed over to private industry. Let the marketplace handle the services, allowing unaccountable corporations to charge a fee to either the government or to the people on, say, a pay-per-arrest or pay-per-fire basis. What could possibly go wrong? Can't afford to have your burning house extinguished? Sorry. Get a job, freeloader.
As for education, conservatives are well on their way to privatizing it. School vouchers and charter schools are actively -- right now -- sucking money out of public education and pumping it into private services, leaving public education in a deeper hole, and momentum remains in favor of more charter schools and less funding for everyone else.
For-profit education, security and rescue are growing larger in the window. The danger, of course, in this agenda is that private corporations are solely in business for the sake of profit. If it makes financial sense to, for example, ban disabled or slower children from school because they pull down test scores and drive away higher income students, then so be it. If it makes sense to only rescue homes owned by people who can afford the fee, then so be it. Profit is the only result worth measuring in the corporate world. Fact. We've already witnessed what happened when network programming and the profit-motive transformed broadcast news, much to the chagrin of Americans across the political spectrum.
This is the Republican leadership agenda. Bleed the government to death, "drown it in the bathtub" and hand everything over to KBR, Monsanto and Walmart.
Meanwhile, Republican voters don't even really understand what their leaders are up to. While they crap on the notion of "socialism," most Republican voters like the idea of a reliable police force and firefighters -- we all simply expect these services to be free and available, even self-identified anti-government conservatives.
Republicans send their kids to public schools, too. They send their kids to public colleges. They crowbar their kids into public school sports programs -- proudly and with thunderous applause, especially in notoriously conservative states like Texas (see also Friday Night Lights). They expect well-maintained and accessible public roads, national parks, clean water, tunnels that don't flood, bridges that don't collapse and, most importantly, military watchmen standing guard on the wall. Some of them, like George W. Bush, didn't mind giving piles of government money to the financial sector, socializing every failure. They heartily offer government subsidies and incentives (corporate welfare) to businesses all across the country. Oddly, however, they draw the line when it comes to making sure we can be treated for an illness or injury without going broke. They're selective socialists -- even the hardest of the hardcore American conservatives. Case in point: Ron Paul, the most conservative member of Congress in nearly a century, is on a government-employee healthcare plan.
So I don't imagine Romney's remarks about the evils of government services like police, firefighters and education will resonate very well with Republican voters -- especially the ones who, like most of us, still applaud units like the NYPD and FDNY. Speaking of which, I assure you, if this had been a Democratic remark about firemen and policemen, the Republican response would have been a reel of every second of videotape from 9/11 crammed into a 60-second commercial and aired nationwide.
Yesterday, Romney continued to cynically lie and weasel his way out of this hole. He told supporters, "Of course, teachers and firemen and policemen are hired at the local level and also by states. The federal government doesn't pay for teachers, firefighters or policemen. So obviously that's completely absurd."
Wrong. Clearly, Romney is unaware of basic civics and how federal, state and local governments are interconnected.
In addition to billions in annual federal dollars helping to finance local police, firefighters and teachers, we know that Romney has been opposed to the president's stimulus, which pumped billions in federal money to state and local governments in order to save the jobs of teachers, firefighters and police officers. $4 billion for state and local law enforcement. $2.1 billion for Head Start. $53.6 billion to prevent cuts in local school districts and state colleges. Why? Because the "free market" wouldn't do it. Who else was supposed to step up?
This is part of the role of the federal government, contrary to the ridiculous notion that government should be "run like a business." Unlike businesses, government is not tasked with making a profit. Instead, and in times of economic distress, it's in a unique position to be able to pump money into the economy when no one else will. Yes, sometimes this increases the deficit and debt. If that worries you, see also the Reagan years and the tripled debt and doubled deficit following a considerably less serious recession.
Mitt Romney operates under the false assumption that government is like a business. This drives his distaste for spending federal money on our most crucial public servants. He said so, and he needs to be asked why. A lot.
I'm seriously looking forward to hearing Mitt Romney tell us that it was OK to lay off hundreds of thousands of these valuable public servants due to state and local cutbacks. I'm looking forward to hearing Romney tell us that we have enough teachers and firefighters and police and that, in order to roll back the pro-firefighter, pro-police, pro-teacher Obama agenda, we should perhaps fire even more. After all, they're government workers. This is what Romney might want, especially if his business partners might profit from privatizing these services, but I assure you: across the political spectrum, this will be wildly unpopular.
Crossposted at The Daily Banter.
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Marlo Thomas: Message to Mitt Romney: No More Passes...Talk to Us About Bullying
Michael Busch: Corporate Power and International Trade
Jason Stanford: Austerity Roulette
Jerry Lanson: Memo to the President: Find Your Voice Now or Face Losing
 |
 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
The last time first world democracies were taken over by fascists was when the conservative pro-corporate leaders of Italy, and Germany were able to convince the population that:
a) the government was broke and broken,
and
b) The corporations and wealthy were the only ones who could save them and keep them secure.
This "the government can't afford..." B.S. is the biggest lie they've foisted on the middle class in a hundred years....
Where we run into trouble is when special interests are allowed to pull billions of dollars out of the mainstream economy, when we engage in wars (justifiably or not) without making provisions to cover the incredible costs associated with those actions, and when the people we send to Congress to serve our interests instead focus on partisan gamesmanship, putting their respective political parties ahead of the good of the country.
From my view the PROBLEM simply lies in the fact that those supposedly working for us on Capitol Hill continue to collect their paychecks and benefits while the gridlock games that they are engaged in cause untold millions of American citizens to suffer. We need elected officials who remember who they work for and pass sensible laws for the common good. I know... dream on.
(Note to all readers - notice there is no partisanship stated or implied that this is a problem from one side or the other - simply a statement of truth - because both sides do it)
As far as school vouchers go if the school you take your kid to does not perform you can sent your child where YOU want to send them not the government telling you. Fact competition creates better goods and services and gives the consumer a better product. If a privet enterprise is running a school and they are not giving you better results they loose the students and money it behooves them to produce there is nothing that behooves government and unions to be better. It give you the choice where to take the tax dollar allotted to your child and takes it away from the government telling you what to do.
I have not heard about privatizing the police and fire someone might have to give me some proof on that one.
Where in the constitution did we promise free schools? And it’s not free someone pays for it. And so if privet schools make millions so this is the same millions that goes to public schools so what do they do with the money? If a privet school can pay teachers and have a building etc. and give the same education public schools do and make millions where is this money going in the public schools? (read this Rand report http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB8018/index1.html) Sounds to me that public schools are waisting millions.
And the voucher system is NOT for rich people it was created for POOR people to take them out of the horrible government schools and try to give them a SAFE education.
The US government spend more money per student then every industrialized country in the world besides one and we still suck. Money is not the problem.
Want to send your kid to a private school? And it costs $5,000/year - hey no problem - we'll create a voucher for $2,500 available to all who live in the area. Those that can afford it and are spending for private schools get a $2,500 reduction in their bill - those that can't afford an additional $2,500 per child per year - you're stuck in an underfunded public school with poor teachers, increased classroom size, poor textbooks and crumbling buildings.
But seriously, do the republicans want to go back to the time when only the landed gentry and clerics were allowed to read and write. Serfs and peons to be burned at the stake for attempted reading.
They always said you need an education to get a good job, but if there are no jobs . . .
Think people! Why would anyone be against police, fireman and teachers, that is just the begining!
They want to turn people against people like hiter did, devide and conqer the suck*rs!!!
And yes... in Wisconsin, and Ohio and everywhere else the red state governors have attacked public sector collective bargaining people really are against police, fire fighters and teachers...
The turning people against people began 30 years ago when Reagan convinced a bunch of morons that the US Government was the enemy and "For the People, by the People..." became Us vs. Them....
We are both the "Us" and the "Them"... the sooner we wake up, take that responsibility and kick all the liars and hypocrites who ARE the government but waste our time and money Rallying against the government out of their government funded and staffed offices, the sooner our country will start moving back up the cultural ladder to "Great Nation" status again...
"I am the government, and government is the problem" means "I am the problem"...
I am a conservative and when I read this stuff I feel that the person who made it up is probably suffering from some sort of paranoia or detachment from reality.
The founders were Locke liberals fighting the Burke conservative 1000 richest families of the British Empire. Our conservtaives then were on the side of the British. Conservative ideology today is a blend of Imperialism governed by a Plutocracy, with longings of a Feudalistic society.
Or, more simply, the society the colonists fled, fought to break free of, and upon which this country was founded.
only lasting thing we ended up with was one trillion more in debt. This is what Mr. Romney understands. Hire more when you get the economy going not when you do not have the money
to pay.
Obama has added less to the debt than any other president in 30 years with the exception of Bill Clinton.... Democrats adding the least to the debt--- not a coincidence.
Most of the debt is owed on W's wars... He started the two longest wars in our history, cut taxes on his wealthy friends and put the balance on our credit card-- high interest and penalties included...
But you all can go back to making up your numbers--- How many card-carrying communists are at the state department this week?.... How many jobs did Romney create? How big was Obama's tax increase? (clue... there hasn't been one), how much has Obama added to the debt?.... How many jobs is Romney going to create in his first term?.... (clue, about the same number as the CBO and GAO both calculate were going to be created in the first place...) Can you translate all that into that into dog years?.... How about converting it to yen, cause that is going to be what the jobs Romney "creates" are going to be paid in....
The favorite tactic of the extremist- left is to try to scare the public with the threat of curtailing essential services when they want a tax hike. Sorry, but you have been playing that tune for too long and it no longer resonates.
and the Democrats . . . but you described the "Republicans" to a T!! Scare
tactics is the "trade mark" of the Republicans!! From the day Obama took
the oath of Office, the Repubs have launched a "scare tactic" campaign that
still thrives today. Some examples: "he is a radical", "he is a traitor" "he
is NOT a citizen " and on, and on, and on, and on!! The Repubs
lie about Obama wanting a "tax hike" [and un-informed lemmings like you
repeat it like you have good sense]. Obama or ANY Democrat has not one
time suggested a a tax hike!! Only the Repubs have mentioned a "tax hike".
One headline quoted R. Sen. Corny: "Biggest tax hike in history" demanded
by the Dems. The Repubs like to call "ending the tax cuts for the rich" a
"tax increase" 'cause that confuses people. However, STOPPING a free
pass and requiring them to START paying the taxes they have been avoiding
paying . . . . is not "a tax increase" by any streatch of the imagaination.
Makes same speech evey day and he believes it is a new speech. Causing same
disease in his yes men like Holder. Sad this increase in Alzhemiers - will cost us dearly.
It will LOOK painful, but it will put money in pockets!
That money will be spent. Bills will be paid. Businesses will hire. More money in pockets!
Building will start up again. Business will grow. Money lining more pockets!
Taxes will be paid. The debt will decrease. Taxes will go down. More money in more pockets!
However, we must also reform the tax code. Businesses must pay their fair share.
Money earned here cannot go to offshore banks to evade taxes. Talking about Romney's pockets!
It's not as if business profit is made in the boardroom. It's created by American laborers, and those of us doing the work are already paying our fair share!
We're tired of carrying the burden and being pushed into poverty for the sake of the privileged. We don't mind a helping hand to those who need it, not at all, but the wealthy MUST PAY their share.
After all, the wealthy and wealthy corporations are not going to leave here in droves and go elsewhere -- they have influence here and can participate in our political process, but they have to pay for every concession they get in China and elsewhere and that price is going up as their influence goes down! They know that, but pretend not to for short term gain.
I want the wealthy and wealthy corporation off my back and my money in my pockets!
So STIMULATE me already!
.
"How are the wealthy and wealthy corporation on your back?"
The wealthy and wealthy corporations are the ones paying for lobbyists to insure that the laws written are to their benefit. The wealthy corporations (Chase, B of A, Wells Fargo, McDonalds, Toyota, Verizon, etc.) are provided no interest loans to purchase U.S. Treasury securities that we, the tax payers, pay the interest on. The wealthy receive most of their money from capital gains, and pay lower tax rates than the median income family does.
" to they tax you?"
Indirectly, yes. They buy the candidate of their choice with the promise of tax cuts and subsidies for them with increased taxation of the middle class"
" to they make laws?"
Again, indirectly yes. You don't seriously believe that a corporation or individual (like Adelson) is going to contribute $30,000,000 to a campaign without expecting a return on that investment do you?
" Do they make regulations? "
No, they fight to have them removed. Or, perhaps you don't remember or weren't around when our rivers were catching fire from the levels of pollutants being poured into them. Then again, you had to have been around long enough to see the results of no banking regulations - that was so good for our country - right?
And who runs the government? (Hint, it's not me and it's not you)
"If you don't like a corporation don't use their goods or services."
Often times, not an option. Bush (the lesser) negotiated a deal with big pharmaceuticals to force Medicare and others to pay premium dollars for drugs and disallowed going to other companies or countries for those drugs.
People in my county stood in line to pay our taxes -- with good grace. We know the score.
I'm guessing Romney DID NOT stand in line to pay his taxes in the Caymans!
.
Lets hope Romney can create wealth for America when he is elected in November.
Obama has not been very successful at it.
And, above all, our citizens are too fearful to comprehend what is really happening to America and how it will affect our future as a nation.
Instead of rebuilding our failing education system (that 87% of those in office received the benefits of when they were growing up) so that we can have the future generations learn to think critically about our problems and begin to tackle them collectively with rational solutions, the GOP wishes to cut education.
It figures. The uneducated masses are so much easier to control.
Conservative ideology is a blend of Imperialism governed by a Plutocracy, with longings of a Feudalistic society.
Or, more simply, the society the colonists fled, fought to break free of, and upon which this country was founded.