POLITICAL JUNKIES

kayb, I want to agree but our current government is a corporate oligarchy (noun: a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution) fueled by campaign cash. The monied give to both parties to hedge their bets. They run the show regardless of the will of the voters. I'm stunned that Bernie raised $44 mil last month with an average contribution of $27.

Think of the basic services we expect for our tax dollars. Our first priority is national defense, and that's pretty much controlled by the military-industrial complex. Health, education and welfare* services are being privatized. (Anyone else old enough to remember HEW?) In addition to using basic human need as a profit center, the private sector can deny services to tax-paying citizens. The public sector must serve all.

* Incl public infrastructure (bridges, dams & roads), public safety (police, fire & EMS), and yes, widows and orphans. I supported welfare reform under Pres. Reagan & Clinton and WI Gov. Thompson. I support work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependent children. I believe we need to reform the disability system big time. Social Security as an old-age pension should be means-tested. Millionaires don't need it but my mom sure does. Furthermore, all income should be taxable for Social Security. It's capped now at the first $117,000.

badger, in CT, the majority of those administering the Welfare to Work initiative are non-profits (which I work for and have worked with the WTW population for over a decade) and welfare reform is working very well in my State. We have never been allowed to turn any taxpayer away for ANY benefit unless they do not qualify financially or we are told by DSS they are ineligible. In CT, they are allowed 21 months of welfare with one six month extension for good faith effort or circumstances beyond control (lack of transportation in some rural areas for example) and then they can no longer receive benefits. All people are required to do 35 hours per week of an activity that will propel them toward employment or their cash is cut off. First they are sanctioned. Then they are cut. The enforce this absolutely!

The federal limit is 60 months and that is strictly adhered to nationwide and when someone comes here from another state, we know how many months of cash assistance they have had elsewhere. There are safety-net programs for people who age off such as child care subsidies, SNAP and help with security deposits if necessary but that is it. Then they can join the federal WIOA (workforce innovation and opportunities act) program if they need help finding work (this is the program I currently work with) and ABAWDS are REQUIRED to look for work and can only receive a small amount of SNAP benefits and insurance under ACA. That is the only thing available to them.

Just wanted to clarify things for people who might think that welfare is an easy road. It isn't. All people who exceed the FPL are taken off of cash. Also, if a child is conceived while receiving cash, the family is penalized 50% of the benefit allowable for the second child forever. Not just a month or two. So, in contrast to the belief that people have kids to get more money, that is not the case in CT and I suspect elsewhere. I think Wisconsin has always been one of the toughest of all states for welfare recipients. What is welfare reform like in Wisconisn?

april485 we speak the same language! Glad to hear and I agree with all of your points. Would add that the definition of work under TANF needs to change. Some folks just aren't ready to work a steady job. Those pre-vocational "soft skills" should be allowed to count as work so states would fund them.

I'm really hoping Trump it the R nominee. Hillary wins in a land slide

Thanks for the welcome, suersis.

I certainly won't imply that I speak for other Canadians, but the overwhelming opinion of those I know, are both alarmed and saddened by what has emerged in the political landscape in the US. No country or political system is perfect, but my belief is that the world is becoming more and more intertwined.....populations are more blended, ethnically and religiously and financially. The "me" vs. "them" mindset is less and less viable (imho) in the reality of today. That belief system is rooted in the past, and no longer realistically addresses the needs/wants of any country now or in the future. For what it's worth, my family member who is quite high in the US Military ranks, served in Afghanistan, and is now in the Security/Policy arm, is appalled at Trump statements/platform, and the damage it is doing to the US internationally.

Homemom- We have some things to discuss!!!

Let's start here: Trump wants to modify existing law that inhibits the sale of health insurance across state lines. As long as the plan purchased complies with state requirements, any vendor ought to be able to offer in any state. By allowing full competition in this market, insurance costs will go down and consumer satisfaction will go up. That is right from his website. They would have to include pre existing conditions to be competitive and he has stated that in many of his interviews.

I am 63 and my DH is 65. He has medicare and supplemental insurance which is working great for him. We are in the private sector ( We have a consulting business without employees. ) NYS private sector has only one PPO to offer for me. HMO is comparable In premium price but coverage is only brought to me in a 25 miles radius with a second opinion available not at any Cancer Institute. No Thank you. I did the local MO Cancer Center available and if I didn't privately pay for a second opinion at Dana Farber in Boston, I would be doing at 5th line treatment. Not only did they have dropped the ball on that, I went from May of 2015 until Nov 2015 without a confined diagnosis. They just could not understand why after 18 years of remission that I had a lytic lesion on an X-ray in my illiac and nothing in my breast. I was thinking I had back issues from 2008. Finally I had a bone biopsy in October and confirmed my stage 4. By that time I could not walk, and had to have a rod inserted in my leg to stabilize it. My bone biopsy results showed triple neg, in which my second opinion finally concluded Dana Farber that the calcification in any bone biopsy can remove ER/PR status and therefore suggested to my home MO that we should start Ibrance and letrozole as the first trial. This was in November and I was not eligible to even get the PPO that was offered until Jan 2016, so I could continue to be watched for at Dana. In December of 2015 I switched to a different MO but in network. He sees my TM rise 20 points and thinks we should stop the Ibrance/letrozole after a month on the protocol. Come January I get the PPO to get me to do to Dana. I pay $700.00 a month for the plan and $10,000.00 out of pocket to go there. Now you tell me, how OC care has helped me? I would have already been switched twice to two different protocols that are saved for later. BTW- Ibrance and Letrozole after 5 months have showed bones healing but TM still creep up each month.

I disagree with you on HRC winning in a land slide. They are petrified of him- Her favorables are not that much better than his. He is not under FBI investigation nor under his watch was he responsible for Benghazi. What I do believe though, is ... She squirms with BO and by having to support what has happened in the last 6 years but she cannot back track now. MR President confirmed that with Chris Wallace today.

Amen to that point Badger. In the early days of the reform, we were allowed to bring clients along in baby steps, addressing barriers and resolving them but now, they have to go from 0-100 mph in record time with less support than ever. It is not fair imho.

But, "HRC wins by a landslide if Trump gets the nomination" seems to be the likely outcome in my estimation as well. But, the key word is "likely" cause nothing has been status quo in this election year and I would not count the Donald out at any point in the fight. He is a resourceful SOB and he has the money to back it up.

@lovesmaltese......respectfully......how is using the label of "SOB", any different from "Lyin' Ted"??????

Is it not possible to keep the "playground labels" out of the conversation?

(editted for a typo).

Quote NI -" I haven't heard anything from Trump about working with Congress??"

He has stated over and over that he is a unifier. Is that ever broadcast by the Canadian MSM? He first wants to try and get the RP to unify.. He has called MM and PR- we are a country divided and have been for many years, this has to change.

How can someone who is a name caller, misogynist, and a bully be a unifier?

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, Maltese.

I don't understand how it is possible to be a "unifier", while profiling or targeting groups that are politically, racially or religiously different from others. As president, the job description demands a more encompassing view of embracing differences, doesn't it?

Not when it comes to terrorism- I don't agree. I believe we have got to get this figured out - So if it's vetting all muslims coming into the US-- until we do then that is what we should do. No finance visas etc Put into place something that has better vetting than we do now.We trained the muslims to fly a plane for 2 years before they crashed it into the trade centers. I will not call our President by his name until he can use the words Radical Islamic Terrorists-- Because that is what this is about. I still remember the night I watched his inauguration, I watched with tears of joy and although I did not vote for him, I trusted that "Change" was finally going to redefine this divided country. May I say no more.

The less fortunate that supported him are worse off than before. I promise you that HRC will not get the same number of support in that area that he did. No way, can you drag all of them to the polls again.

And for the record... my maiden name is "Fernandez"- I pray we all find peace with our choice, but more importantly I pray God leads the right person to the path to hold the office for the Free World. We are not so free.

How do you determine someone's religion? Last I checked, it was not on any piece of ID I possess

Caryn, We have to agree to disagree on this- I have already given my views why I think Radical Islamic Terrorists who are Muslims should be vetted.

Maybe this link could help support why we have to be careful. We have enough problems with our own terrorists that are Americans, i.e. Sandy Hook, South Carolina and the list goes on and on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Islamist_terrorist_attacks

I would ask i.e.: ISIS that question not me?? How do they identify Christians? .. I would go back to what I said when I first came on this thread.. that NOT all TERRORISTS are MUSLIMS, but mostly all Terrorists are Muslims which are Radical Islamic Terrorists and we need to find a way to keep them out of the US