The 9/17/11 issue of the Daily Kos included a feature editorial by Joan McCarter. The full article relates to a recent piece by Ian Millhiser (Center for American Progress: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/09/tea_party_constitution.html
" While the House of Representatives pushes Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) plan to phase out Medicare, numerous members of Congress, a least one Supreme Court justice, and the governor of America’s second-largest state now proudly declare that most of the progress of the last century violates the Constitution.
It is difficult to count how many essential laws would simply cease to exist if the Tea Party won its battle to reshape our founding document, but a short list includes:
Small business in California - Sunol CA
1. Social Security and Medicare
2. Medicaid, children's health insurance, and other health care programs
3. All federal education programs
4. All federal antipoverty programs
5. Federal disaster relief
6. Federal food safety inspections and other food safety programs
7. Child labor laws, the minimum wage, overtime, and other labor protections
8. Federal civil rights laws
9. Many state lawmakers even embrace a discredited constitutional doctrine that threatens the union itself.
It's a radical agenda, and just a glimpse into why the tea party continues to plummet in polling.
But what's important to recognize when looking at this extremist movement is that it's not really just the tea party we're talking about—it's the Republican party. Sure, not every Republican is going to talk about Social Security and Medicare as unconstitutional programs, but they are just as committed to seeing those programs end as any "crazy" in a tricorn hat.
Much of the US infrastructure was constructed in the 1940s and 1950's with Federal subsidies - but now we need repairs and maintenance - Federal spending is required - Railroad and auto bridge, Portland Oregon
"Establishment" Republicans can't be let off the hook for their own extremism by applying the label "tea party" to other Republicans, when the only distinction between the two groups is that the tea party faction is willing to say the crazy stuff Republicans believe out loud.”
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It is a puzzle to me how the tea party folks (and many Republicans) think these changes would make for a stronger, better America.
The wealthy would gain a great deal – The large financial and business interests dream of a world without controls and restrictions, removal of worker protection laws, and greatly reduced corporate taxes.. it would be a return to the economy at the times of Charles Dickens –
Homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk in San Francisco -
where those without, starved or died for lack of medical care… Quality education would be for the elite and the poor could do without. A vast pool of hungry workers would struggle to accept any wage.
Unions and the middle class would diminish to the point of vanishing.
Another of my difficulties in understanding the Tea Bag movement (and the Republican position) Is why they are so resistant to raising taxes – (our founding fathers certainly recognized the need for taxes to pay for a well run government. ) Most people that I speak with would willingly pay more taxes to support a government "of the people - by the people - and for the people". What do we gain by becoming a self impoverished nation? Nothing but benefits for the wealthy few...
What the conservatives do not know or don’t want to tell us is that, higher taxes cause businesses to re-invest most of their profits into the corporation. US Congressman Flemming last week was complaining that he only had four hundred thousand dollars left over after using two hundred thousand to feed his family. If he buys another building to expand his business, or buys a new stove for his restaurant, that 400k is no longer taxable!
His reinvestment, creates more jobs. It directly creates construction jobs, or jobs for the people that make stoves, etc.
What conservatives never tell you is the only reason a business hires a person to make sandwiches or to work in a UPS store is if there are customers. If there aren’t any customers, he doesn’t hire, and if his business realizes a drop in customers he may even get rid of some of his employees.
America the beautiful - lets keep it that way - Put Americans back to work! - Point Reyes CA
So my friends... it is time to get off the side lines - Please visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/jobsact#overview.
"Must Read Editorial" of the Week: http://www.pissedonpolitics.com/?p=4108
----If you agree with the need to get America back to work by supporting President Obama's jobs bill please forward my blog to others... Cut and paste this address and send this blog to others: http://johnzlatnik.blogspot.com/
