demnewswire:

Santa Fe New Mexican Endorsement: For President, Barack Obama

“President Barack Obama has earned four more years.

He inherited an unholy mess — an economy teetering on the edge of a second Great Depression and two foreign wars top the list of disasters. Slowly, steadily and with his eye fixed firmly on the needs of the country, the president has worked hard every day to improve our collective good. It was President Obama who bailed out the auto industry, salvaging 1.1 million jobs and keeping manufacturing alive in this country. It was President Obama who made the gutsy call to invade a compound in Pakistan, tracking down and killing Osama bin Laden. It was President Obama who finally signed comprehensive health reform so that no American has to fear bankruptcy because of a medical catastrophe. More work remains for a second term.

Despite 31 months of consecutive job growth, too many Americans still need jobs. Despite ending the war in Iraq, the United States still must leave Afghanistan and repurpose our military strength. Despite passing the Affordable Care Act, we need a President Obama in office to ensure that citizens do not lose their dearly won access to health care. Despite progress on equal rights — passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act ensuring equal pay for women, ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the military so that gay and lesbian troops can serve openly and announcing his support for equal marriage — more progress is needed.

And it is that word — progress — that we urge voters to keep in mind when casting their ballots. Voters are not simply choosing between two men — President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney — they are selecting two philosophies of governing and of life.

In the world of Barack Obama, raised by a single mother and grandparents, propelled to the top through his own hard work, intelligence and drive, we all do better when we come together. He has never forgotten the struggles of his youth, understanding better than most the necessity of individual initiative. To Obama, government is not the enemy. It is not dispenser of all wisdom or wealth, either. Government is the safety net that catches the weak, the sick, the old and the very poor. It is also our collective will in action — building, defending and securing our nation. Obama will not privatize Social Security or reduce Medicare to a voucher system that costs too much while not guaranteeing treatment. He understands that Medicaid, which underwrites medical care for the very poor, must be protected from budget slashers who think nothing of leaving sick people at the emergency room door while asking for more tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.

Mitt Romney’s world is very different, one of privilege and wealth, where in his view, 47 percent of all citizens are takers who won’t assume responsibility for their lives. He had the good fortune to be born in a two-parent home, and should be credited for taking his comfortable start and building a fortune with it. He is a model of a citizen, a good father, husband and church member, contributing to his greater community with both his time and treasure. However, his vision for the United States — with almost half the population moochers — will not lift the least of us up. Instead, it will continue to divide the country along class lines, further splitting us between the haves-a-lot and everyone else.

This election — aren’t they all? — is an important one.

The next president will appoint one, perhaps two Supreme Court justices. Those unelected justices, as the entire country knows, extend the influence of a president long after his term ends; we much prefer a Sotomayor or a Kagan to a Scalia or Thomas.

The next president must continue navigating the dangerous shoals of the Middle East — it is disconcerting to realize that many of Gov. Romney’s foreign policy advisers are the same people who drew us into the unnecessary war in Iraq. They seem hellbent on attacking Iran, another disastrous war the country does not need. The next president must cut spending and raise revenues, smartly and with precision, so that the nation continues necessary investments in education, infrastructure and innovation, while at the same time reducing the deficit. The next president must pass comprehensive immigration reform, finding a path to citizenship for the many people now living in the shadows, while at the same time securing our borders.

So much accomplished in four years. So much remaining to be done.

For president of the United States, The Santa Fe New Mexican endorses Barack Obama.”

reagan-was-a-horrible-president:

President Obama has been on vacation 78 days from 2009 to 2011.  At the three year mark into their first terms, George W. Bush spent 180 days at his ranch in Crawford, Texas and Ronald Reagan spent 112 vacation days at his ranch in California.

Calls to several Presidential libraries reveal that President Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, was on vacation more — 1,020 days — than any U.S. President since Herbert Hoover and possibly more than any other President in history.

(via silas216)

demnewswire:

“So here’s the thing — listen up — so when people ask you what this President has done for our country, when you’re running into folks who are deciding who will keep America moving forward for four more years, here’s what I want you to tell them — just a few things.  I want you to tell them about the millions of jobs Barack has created.  Tell them about all the kids in this country who can finally afford college.  Tell them about the millions of lives that will be changed because of health reform. 

Tell them how Barack ended the war in Iraq. Tell them how, together, we took out Osama bin Laden.   Tell them how Barack fought to get veterans and military families the benefits they have earned.

Tell them about young immigrants who will no longer live in fear of being deported from the only country they’ve ever called home. Tell them about the brave servicemembers who will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.

Look, I could go on and on and on, but here’s what I really want you to tell them — tell them that Barack Obama knows the American Dream because he’s lived it  and he is fighting every day so that everyone in this country can have that same opportunity no matter who we are, or where we’re from, or what we look like, or who we love.”

-First Lady Michelle Obama

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more-commonsense:

The Irony:

You Pay over 15% of your Salary into the Social Security/Medicare System Every Year.

Republicans Call It an “Entitlement”, Implying You Feel “Entitled” to Other People’s Property.

Picture above used via Creative Commons License thanks to Flickr user DonkeyHotey who has no connection to this blog or blogger.

Explanation: As a self-employed individual I pay both sides of the Social Security payment towards the Social Security/Medicare system.  That’s 15.3% of my income each year.  I was shocked when I saw the rate, since as an employee I paid half of that.  A little checking led to the realization that an employer paid half of the total amount, matching my contribution. But I’ve also learned, that employers maintain that if they did not have to pay their portion of the “payroll” taxes they would instantly transfer that money to their employees.

And, if you believe they would actually funnel the money into your paycheck, I’ve got a brand spanking new Ford Model T to sell you!  But it shows the mindset of the business community, and they probably do take it out of your salary. I know its completely taken out of mine.

So for the years you’ve worked the government has taken 15.3%  of your salary for all intents and purposes for the purpose of your retirement and late life medical care.

But for thirty years or more mainstream news media have joined the GOP in proclaiming that the Social Security program an “entitlement” like something wholly unearned passed down to you as an inheritance (a windfall that Republicans actually believe you should get in entirety without paying taxes on it) and the GOP has acted like it’s something you are demanding from poor starving billionaires.

I checked out a while back and found that even 6.2% interest applied to what is taken from only your paycheck for your Social Security alone (okay that’s 6.2 also) would make a nice nest egg and keep you living at the same standard of living (as you averaged) for 20 years past your retirement.  And the calculator I used only paid the interest yearly.   Social Security payments are not paid out at the amount you were receiving, but substantially less, so you should receive them for substantially longer than 20 years without costing the government anything.

Also there is the charge that the government doesn’t pay out interest on payroll taxes funds because they don’t make interest on them.  But if the government avoids higher interest charges because it has the FICA funds sitting around waiting for people to retire, then it is receiving a kind of interest on them most of that benefit should be passed on to you.

And we need to put to bed the idea that young people pay for older people’s retirement.  The numbers show they don’t, and I only used the amount that each person is taxed for SS, not the employers contributions. so you should be set up for 40 years post retirement at the same income.

So don’t let anyone call your Social Security an “entitlement”.  You earned it, you saved it.  It’s yours! But the Republicans want to take it away for tax cuts for fat cats and war.  JUST SAY NO TO THEM AT THE POLLS THIS YEAR or they may be gone forever.

Here is the compound interest calculator I used for the above calculations.

(via oldenough2burmom)

communism-kills:

In spite of Republicans making his ouster their “number one priority” on the very day he was sworn in.

(via reagan-was-a-horrible-president)

demnewswire:

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The local elections ARE CRITICAL to pushing back on this “dream” - this stuff is starting at the local level and it’s damned time WOMEN got out there and got involved in politics. Activism isn’t ONLY running for office, it’s staying informed and making noise when our rights are being taken away as we watch.  DO NOT BE SILENT.