Wednesday, December 13, 2017

The Republicans have never been good at governing.

They are convinced if they throw money at a problem it will go away. Not so.

December 13, 2017
By Cristina Marco

...GOP lawmakers (click here) said after a closed-door meeting on Wednesday that assistance for communities affected by recent hurricanes and wildfires could also be included in the funding package. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) told lawmakers that a final aid measure isn't ready yet, though it is likely to be higher than the Trump administration's $44 billion request, according to Rep. Dennis Ross(R-Fla.)....

The climate problem is never going to be solved by throwing money at it. It has to be solved with regulation of greenhouse gases. Hate might be an interesting motivation for elections, but, it doesn't solve anything.

October 4, 2017


...Male participation (click here) in the workforce was 73.3 percent in 2005, while today’s is 69.2 percent. Opioid use, now seen as a factor keeping men out of work, wasn't yet regarded as a national crisis, and immigration restrictions weren’t as tight. That made it easier for construction firms to find laborers in a hurry when it came time to fix things up.

In contrast, monthly job openings in the United States reached a record high this summer at 6.2 million. Then came the hurricane season's aftermath, adding on to those vacancies as communities began to put themselves back together.

Employers nationwide are complaining about a labor shortage, especially in traditionally male-dominated fields, such as manufacturing and construction. Business owners say a lack of skilled workers who can pass a drug test has stalled their growth....

Congress needs to fund the government period with a continuing resolution, NOW!

The Republican Congress hasn't got a clue about solving problems. All they understand is politics and not much of that. Their spectrum to their politics is narrow and does not allow for bipartisanship that will solve problems.

The natural disasters are not over in the USA. Devastation will continue and continue until greenhouse gases are under control. This is not my rule, it is Earth's rule.

The Republicans need to throw away their idea of a $1.5 trillion addition to the national debt. That money is already spent on disasters that haven't happened yet.

...From late August to mid-September, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma destroyed property across Texas and Florida, causing up to $200 billion in damages, according to an early estimate from Moody’s Analytics....

There is no end to a climate crisis when Congress continues to fund it with crony policies. There needs to be regulation or simply write a blank check to Earth going forward.

Let's see. $200 billion? Hm? I suppose there can be about 50 more tornadoes, hurricanes, landslides and wildfires that can occur before the national debt becomes so bloated, it will be tighter than a tick.

It is time for the USA scientists within the government to perform an assessment of the escalation of costs of natural disasters over the past 100 years and convert it to today's dollar. Be specific. Tornadoes increased in numbers, especially outbreaks, costing plenty of insurance dollars. Hurricanes have reached incredible costs, two of the most disastrous hurricanes occurred this year.

What happens to a First World country when it can no longer recuperate from natural disasters.

And, oh, yeah. Don't forget about sea level rise because the melting of Greenland, Iceland and Siberia has accelerated beyond any estimate out there.

Flooding of major coastal cities is the next nightmare for The West. Don't put it off long, you'll be sorry if you do.

Surviving the climate crisis takes KNOWLEDGE, PLANNING and REGULATION. The USA hasn't even begun to take on the future realizing Earth has control.

The words and identity below belong to this man.

US Senator Elect Doug Jones (click here)

He has known the middle class and hard times. He has valued family and the love and security it brings. He is a died in the wool Democrat and no one can deny that. He understands the value of UNION.

I congratulate US Senator Elect Doug Jones for running a good and decent campaign after living a life of dignity.

I congratulate the people of Alabama for electing a man that reflects their values and HOPE.

I expect a lot from Doug Jones. He was elected by the majority in Alabama, but, he would not have been elected if the African American vote didn't come out in full strength to turn the corner on abusive policies in Washington, DC.

When Senator Elect Jones gets to Washington, DC, he needs to be prepared for hard work and write bills that return fair voting rights to all Americans. I expect Senator Jones to seek to end poverty and low wages for the African Americans in Alabama.

Election Results (click here). Alabama is blue and not red.

Below are some statistical highlights, if they can be called highlights.

HIGHLIGHTS (click here)
  • Alabama ranks in the top 10 in maternal mortality, lifetime intimate partner violence, excessive drinking, homeless family households, infant child care cost, and high childhood immunization coverage.
  • The state ranks in the bottom 10 in the behaviors and outcomes categories.
  • The prevalence of diabetes in women is the highest in the nation, along with high rates of obesity and physical inactivity in this population.
  • Alabama ranks 49th in infant outcomes due to poor scores in infant mortality, low birthweight, neonatal mortality, and preterm birth.
  • The state ranks in the bottom 10 in child mortality, protective home environment (ages 0 to 17), and neighborhood amenities.

I expect Senator Jones to bring about an Alabama the people desperately need. They need health care, they need good paying jobs, they need to work themselves into a home and begin to appreciate and bring about personal wealth. 

I expect a great deal from Senator Jones. I expect him to set higher standards for the people serving Alabama and bring about the much needed changes it requires. The people of Alabama need Senator Jones and he needs to make their dreams come true. 

Median Household Income in Alabama (click here)


Median Income Under 25$23,534
Median Income 25-44$41,342
Median Income 45-64$52,014
Median Income Over 65$38,847

Every one of these people need to have life better. 45-64 year olds never break into Upper Middle Class with an income over $60,000. 

The upper middle class (in the USA) grew to 29.4% of the population in 2014, up from 12.9% in 1979, according to a new Urban Institute report. It defines this group as having household income of between $100,000 and$350,000 for a three-person family.

So, adhering to the national standard that defines Upper Middle Class (click here) as beginning at $100,000 annually, Alabama is a far cry from normal. There is absolutely no Upper Middle Class in Alabama. Heck, I expect even the MDs and Lawyers cry about their income.

August 11, 2016
By Leada Gore


...NerdWallet recently looked at the counties (click here) with the greatest number of personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents. It found the median bankruptcy rate in the U.S. from April 1, 2015 to March 31 was 224 filings per 100,000 people. In the 10 counties with the highest number of bankruptcy filings - including one in Alabama - the rate was nearly four times greater, an average of 856 per 100,000 people.
The two counties with the highest bankruptcy rates are Shelby County, Tennessee (1,285 per 100,000 people) and Clayton, Georgia (1,096 per 100,000 people.) At number three nationally is Houston County, Alabama, with a bankruptcy rate of 940 per 100,000 residents....

...Overall, Alabama had 529 bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents, second only to Tennessee.
I guarantee many of those bankruptcies are linked to health care costs in Alabama.

March 31, 2017
By Brian Lyman

And the Alabama Legislature hasn’t changed its mind.

The failure of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) (click here) last week – at heart an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – breathed new life into the expansion of Medicaid offered under the ACA. Some states that turned away from it, like Kansas and Virginia, are pursuing the expansion. For years, Alabama’s hospitals have pressed officials to expand Medicaid to make up for potentially devastating cuts to uncompensated care funds.

But the state’s General Fund budget chairs said this week they remain opposed to Medicaid expansion. Expansion would extend a limited program that chiefly covers children, elderly and the disabled to all able-bodied adults making up to 138 percent of the poverty line: $16,643 a year for individuals; $33,948 for a household of four....

I am very happy for the people of Alabama. I expect a lot of reform coming to that state, because, the people have spoken. Senator Doug Jones will bring a fresh new voice to Washington, DC on behalf of the people of Alabama. I expect the elected officials in Alabama to continue to change in realizing how much reform is drastically needed. Senator Jones can't do this by himself, he needs people in the Alabama state house to be willing to bring the kind of change Senator Jones can ask for in Washington, DC.

The people of Alabama want a moral voice in their government and one that puts the well being of the people first. The current state house doesn't even listen to the medical doctors that treat Alabamans. 

Enough of the poverty and impoverishment. US Senator Elect Jones needs to take care of the people that had faith in him. He needs to put the people first and speak to their needs and well being.

There is one more thing. How does Senator Jones view Alabama football?

December 13, 2017
By Charlie Potter

While Alabama's game plan for top-ranked Clemson (click here) will be near the top of its to-do list in the coming days, so will monitoring the health of a bevy of UA's injured players...

Who's identity is this?

Born into a blue-collar family in Fairfield, Alabama – to a father who worked for U.S. Steel and a stay-at-home mom, one grandfather who was a steelworker and the other a coal miner – I am a product and lifelong resident of Alabama. I, too, spent some time working a union job in the steel mill between school. The respect I learned for my parents and grandparents – the hard work they did has shaped my respect for those who work to feed a family – and try to make their children’s lives better....

Who's words are those?

I will bring integrity back to Washington and back to Alabama politics. The people of Alabama have been embarrassed by corruption and a string of ethics investigations and convictions of people they placed into positions of power and trust. They deserve better. We all deserve better.

We are all tired of politicians who have been bought and paid for by special interests and who view the world through a partisan lens instead of considering the best interest of those they are supposed to represent. I will work for the betterment of all of the people of Alabama without regard for partisan politics.

Throughout my career, I have tried to demonstrate honesty, integrity and character while treating everyone as equals. I not only fulfilled my term as U.S. attorney, but continued as a special prosecutor to ensure the successful prosecution of two men who bombed a place of worship, killing four innocent little girls.

This race is not about Democrats or Republicans. It is about the people of Alabama – giving them honest answers while working to protect their health care, rights and economic interests.

I swore an oath to the Constitution. I vowed to protect the people of the United States against all enemies. I upheld that oath and ensured the folks who committed heinous acts never walked our streets again. I will take my oath as senator just as seriously and ensure I not only represent all the citizens of Alabama, but do so with integrity.