2016 Presidential Elections in the US

Everything in the US is now with only short term goes in mind - with no thought about the long term. It's a game of kick the can down the road with everything - economics, foreign policy, social security, medicare, etc.

The only people that seem good at making long term goals are the Dems to win elections.


Reagan actually use to be a new deal supporter till he realized that government is not the solution but the problem. Although yes, deregulation has been especially profitable for the people in the inner circle so has increased regulation as certain groups or people in the know are awarded government contracts and receive special treatment. Yes, the new deal did great things with social security, housing, infrastructure, etc. I'm not going to argue that - it was a great long term strategy.... at the time. It was great for the average American and I really do believe FDR had the peoples' best interests in mind. However, the problem though is that it set a dangerous precedent - it increased the debt massively, bloated government bureaucracies, and worst of all it sent a precedent for bills like this in the future which wouldn't be based on the peoples' best interests but rather by lobbyists and corporations who seek to profit from expanded government spending.

The problem is that even when some sort of law is passed that is supposed to protect consumers, it's written by lobbyists from some industry or some company that screwed over the consumers in the first place. Take Dodd-Frank "Consumer Protection Act" for example - it was written by banking lobbyists, especially from Citibank, after the banks were bailed out by taxpayers and consumers lost their life savings, their investments, their homes, etc. Consumer Protection Act my a$$...

Okay, let's take it a step further then. What about genetic screening? They draw some blood and tell you which diseases you inherited, and which one will possibly kill you one day. Every time you go to the doctor, they enter data into their system, so why not your DNA data as well as some insurers already proposed? Now, will they still cover you once they know that you inherited some nasty genetic condition from your parents, and after they have done their risk assessment? At what cost?


Well, he called for "negotiating Medicare drugs" to save 300 billion, but that claim was rated false already, and Trump's call/ policy to require insurance companies to cover individuals with pre-existing conditions is not even listed on his website, AFAIK. The one thing I agree with Trump though is his idea that to "allow consumers access to imported, safe and dependable drugs from overseas will bring more options to consumers." About time that they lift the import restrictions!


That is roughly 3.2% of the population. Too many, don't you think?


Provided that a potential GOP president/ government won't cut most (if not all) social programs to fund the significant increase in military spending, that is. Good jobs are mostly to be found in the big population centers, which - unfortunately - are extremely expensive. Your public assistance, if there's money left in the public coffers, won't get you very far. Try to survive on 30K in the Bay Area or Orange County.


Nice in theory. In real life, try to find a job that pays enough to sustain your family when you come from a certain neighborhood, live in a trailer park, are a highschool dropout, or are of any other race than white or Asian. Manufacturing jobs have almost disappeared, and Trump won't bring them back unless he reduces corporate taxes to zero and axes minimum wage in each and every state. Americans, get ready to work three jobs for $5,- an hour each...


A couple of hundred, yes, but I've never seen anyone paying $2600,- a month for two. That's crazy.


Have you shopped around? In my opinion, you're paying too much.

Capitalism is very different though from place to place. Capitalism is very different in the US than in the Nordic model which is still a bit different than the Continental model which is yet different than the Asian model which has a lot of state control and investment.

The capitalism that FDR promoted was in a way the beginning of Anglo model - which would be fine now if it stayed the way it was in FDR's time and we had low taxes with welfare made for poor, increased regulation but also increased rights for workers, etc. However, we have neither anymore - we don't have any of the benefits of the Nordic and Continental model. We have high taxes yet we don't receive universal healthcare, we have regulations and labor laws yet we don't have the same type of labor unions and collective bargaining that Europe does - and many corporations like Walmart seek to destroy labor unions before they spring up. The regulation we do have, which was meant to help consumers and workers, but in reality only helps politicians and their corporate buddies.. It's all b.s.

We get the bad with the bad... at least in Europe the taxes are high but it's not only the poor that take advantage of government programs and likewise there is lots of regulation but it actually protects average workers and guaranteed even store clerks and cashiers a decent wage, paid vacations, healthcare, etc.

If only 3% of full time workers are in poverty - that's not a bad statistic. According to the Census report, the people who are working part time (15%) and those not working (82%) are the ones that in poverty. If they worked full time, there's only a 3% chance they'll remain in poverty.


Like I've said - a minimum wage, full time job - which is not hard at all to attain. I see at least one 'now hiring' sign everyday just going to the gas station, grocery store, etc. $7.25 (federal minimum wage - much higher in some states) x 2080 hours (full time, year round worker) = $15,080. That is well over the $11k a year poverty level. Plus, a person that makes $15k would qualify for food stamps and a bunch of other government programs. If he or she has a family, they'd qualify for even more and wouldn't have to pay rent. So no, it's not that hard to find a job and sustain a family if you're working and taking advantage of government programs. The problem is, that most people don't want to work and the government only gives so much and the total of the benefits the government gives falls under that 'poverty' threshold.

Although yes, I do agree that even with that amount of money a person will have a very, very Spartan lifestyle. I make decent money for my age and I still have to budget accordingly even though I don't have debts like student loans, mortgages, etc.

I really wake up some times and think to myself it would be so much easier if I could just lay around the house, work for cash whenever I feel like it, and just live off the government. If I started working construction under the table and got on a bunch of government programs it'd be the same as if I was making well over $100k a year and I'd have hardly any expenses plus I'd essentially be forced to squirrel away all my cash because you can't have any assets worth over $8k to qualify for welfare.


The prices are very similar - it's an exchange. There's not much of a difference in price between one insurance over another.


It is entirely possible if both people are older, have preexisting conditions, expensive medicine, are smokers, etc.

yes we did eventually comes out the same they either have higher co pay or higher deductable this one we have is blue cross B shield.31k a yr hurts but gotta live.I was reading the chart you posted says AVERAGE* in NJ rose 25%.My neighbour who is in cash business still pays almost half what we pay.

I just browsed the Blue Cross Blue Shield web site. Man, the deductables and out of pocket expenses are horrible for almost all plans. Finding an employer that offers health insurance isn't an option for you or your spouse?

Try that when you're over 50. Not even Walmart would consider hiring you anymore because there's too much competition from the young ones who can't find a job.


Well, and there's the problem. To fund his ideas, Trump would need to slash almost all social programs plus public education. No money left for government programs, and no new jobs either.

Problem is that today, in contrast with thirty some odd years ago, a 50+ worker, ethnicity notwithstanding, is often snidely labled "prostate case" in numerous employment firms where such an applicant goes looking for any sort of honest job! The more respectable, erudite, English-native speaking, and cultured, the more aggressive the manhandling bouncers at the door will see to it this person is put out of the office....as a quickly as they can, by warning if possible, by force if necessary! The latter represents high salaries and even (shudders) an occasional raise, health benefits and "troublesome" stuff like that:-)

Firms today are typically looking for drones, foreign-born wage slaves aka college-age women who ask for little and may expect even less, who can be jerked around, usually know next to nothing, but have a nice stack (and I AIN'T talkin' pancakes)!

Guess no,we are semi retired live off rental income (which is not easy as assumed, spending days in courts to collect)and pushing mid 50s plus have to travel to Poland for the same where atleast the tax rate is low.
Welcome to fuging Obama care.Atleast in Poland Medicover is almost 5300pln a year each which is not bad.

Thx god so far we are healthy so far:) and none smokes.

assets worth over $8k to qualify for welfare.
lol being self employed we are not even elligible for unemployment go figure that.

Very true - especially for the rank and file employees. A college kid is lucky if he or she lands a job right out of school making $45k a year. Over $50k is rare unless they went to an exceptionally good school, have connections, and/or majored in something like chemistry which commands higher entry level salaries. Even $40-$42k is considered pretty darn good for a person with a business degree coming out of an above average university considering there's so many that aren't able to find a job or have to work a job that doesn't require a degree. Some of the jobs like social work pay even less - $30k. I know quite a few people that graduate with like a degree in accounting or marketing or entrepreneurship and after graduation were working as bartenders, electronic store employees, or installing invisible fences for dogs..

This is why so many elites support unchecked immigration - it brings down wages and brings in more cheap workers.

It's truly sad what's going on - a person can easily end up $200k in debt just by going to a slightly above average university and can't land a job for $50k a year right out of college, let alone afford things like a starter home in the near future.

And the knowledge worker of yore is often consigned to the dust heap of history, politely referred to as the march of REgress (cleverly masquerading as PROgress)!

No folks, knowledge is never obsolete, except in a super dumbed-down Reaganist society such as ours which doesn't have a friggin' clue what to do with it! If gamers out there actually heaven forbid thought for a moment about what their games are worth except on the level of mental pinball, they'd probably choose another line of work, an honest job which might well yield less, but not be a slap in the face to those who achieve much more.

It's unfortunate porky. My parents are also self employed and despite paying extremely high taxes, we aren't able to enjoy government programs - with the exception of CHIP when I was younger since no other insurance would cover me and even that cost $900 a month. The Continental and Nordic model of capitalism is great because all taxpayers, rich and poor, are able to take advantage of government programs. Here it's only for people in poverty and people that don't feel like working.

On bad days I really think to myself how much easier life would be if I just went on welfare. I mean literally I could sleep till noon, then wake up watch television, drink some beers, smoke some pot, maybe go to work if I felt like it - or go take a nap if I don't - doesn't matter the government will still make sure I don't starve and I have a roof over my head. That's the problem - these bums who don't want to work don't face any consequences (and there's tens of millions of them that are out of the labor force according to the BLS - 'not wanting to work' is a specific category in the BLS 'out of labor force' survey just as the categories of out of labor force because of school, kids, sickness, have given up looking for work, etc. are individual categories). Whereas a normal working tax paying citizen will lose their homes, not be able to provide food, etc. - the 'out of labor force because they don't want to work' types don't have to deal neither with the stress of working or losing their homes and starving because they lost their job. It's a win win.

I would never have any stress about finances. Plus, if I ever needed any extra money I could just go work construction, wash cars, tutor, or even collect scrap metal and make some cash. Plus, you'd essentially be forced not to buy an expensive car or other stuff because you can't have an asset worth over $8k so you'd actually be saving quite a bit of money if you were working under the table full time plus collecting welfare.

Being on welfare is essentially equal to having a $20 an hour full time job... BUT you get to stay at home and not have to worry about anything and if you want you can get an under the table cash job...

That is what quite a few of the legal mexicans do - they claim welfare and TANF for themselves and their 4 kids, then they get a big nice 3 bedroom apartment for $50-$100 a month (section 8 - taxpayers cover the remainder), a couple hundred to a grand a month for food (I know a single mother with 1 baby I believe gets $400 a month in food stamps - so with 4 kids I'd expect that number to be closer to maybe even $1k), all their bills are subsidized - gas, electric, etc. plus they make extra money by landscaping which they're paid in cash. So when you add it all up - the $30k or so they'll make landscaping plus the $50-$60k a year they're getting from the government - they're living at like $80-$90k a year if not more.

Sweden has long since cut back on her formerly "Nordic" generosity:-)

Hey, Bern! Feel the EARN!!! You're more than a wee bit out of date with your dreams of a Scandinavianized America! Even the Scandinavians seem to tire of staring at the Nordic Model. Apparently, she's lost at least some of her sex appeal.
lol

I will feel much better when Trump gets our military built back up again to where it should be.
Obama has cut military spending in order to support more welfare give a way programs.
His way hasn't worked and cost America a debt that our great grandchildren will be paying for.
Raeganomics was proof that the trickle down effect works and the best thing that ever happened in government in our life times.
Then comes along those who want to fix something that is not broken and look at the mess we are in now.
Obama has had 7 1/2 years to "fix" it (with his shovel ready jobs - lol) and we now have more people on food stamps, more people out of the work force and he created a debt that is greater then all the rest of the presidents put together created.
And these idiots that voted for him (twice) want Hillary who will be an Obama on steroids.
Trump is our man to make America great again.

Honestly if I had to start all over I would never work hard and still live very stress free,one reason we didnt want our kids to go in business rather go work enjoy life and paid off there colleges instead.I see section 8 people living life while we pay for them.We worked hard and think twice before we spend our dollar while these people have rent free apartments food stamps and what not while we pay over 12k in house tax and worry if its not paid they will take the house away.
lets see what Trump gonnna do cuz Hillary is a waste anyway,how bad can it get really.SOB obama just made a mess domestically and internationally.

In the end, it's not so much about working hard, but working smart:-)

In the end it is about working very hard which creates great work ethic and gives you a sense of personal accomplishment.
You can work as smart as you want to but in the end if it is meaningless and you didn't enjoy it, what was the point.
Everyone else gets to brag on here so I will just say that I have worked very hard for what I have, lived within my budget, invested smartly, stayed in tune with the Lord who has blessed me, lived humble and still do, and now in old age have my independence and freedom.
I have only one person in this life to impress and that is myself.
I still work (I don't have to) but it isn't a "job" anymore, it is pure exercise and fun doing exactly what I want to when I want.
I have sacrificed, I have gone without, I know what broke is yet NEVER have I borrowed money from anyone and never bought anything on credit in my life.
If I didn't have the cash money to buy it I worked and saved until I did.
Some of my friends called me eccentric (which I am) and mocked my ways.
Today most of them still don't have a pot to **** in or a window to throw it out.
My point is that MY WAY seemed to be the best way to stay independent and free from debt.
Their way didn't seem to workout real well for them and they now rely on the government to take care of them.
When they come visit me and look around they say, "boy, aren't you ever lucky".
No, I tell them, I am blessed.
Government welfare programs make you a slave to the government.
The government hates independence so much that they have criminalized most of it.
Hard for the government to control independent people.
The liberals distorted views and claims have destroyed this country from what it was founded upon.
I am a conservative constitutionalist and we are sick and tired of paying other people's distorted way who prefer to sit on their dead asses with their handout feeling sorry for themselves while giving up freedom after freedom for free handouts.
This is why Trump is so popular and will win the general election. (if they don't kill him first)
We want our country back which Trump has a shot of doing while Crooked Hillary is all about her personal political platform to further her corruption and greed.
Oh gee, I am feeling a little femmy today so I guess I will use the girls bathroom......THE FUKC has this country come to !
Trump for President in 2016 and Crooked Hillary for prison in 2016.

some interesting info coming out about major Clinton sponsor ,Soros..hes also beloved KODorasty sponsor..arm trading companies,shared with binladen familly...naughty naughty
just to remind ppl foundations sponsored by Soros in Poland:
Refugees Welcome Polska, Hejt Stop, Fundacja Batorego

Just hold on as Hiltery's skeletons are just starting to surface.
I have pages upon pages of them but can't post them because it would "VIOLATE" the copy and paste rule.
Just wait until Trump starts in on her.
I mean just try to name one good thing that Crooked Hillary has done in her entire career.
You can't.

Benghazi was one another covert arms operation Crooked Hillary was behind.
Wanna talk about the arms to destabilize Lybia ? Clinton again.......
The libs can't defend Clinton or Obama because they both have been complete crop failures.
How could anyone vote for them ?
I can't wait for President Trump to redden that wrinkled up old face of hers.

Donald Trump appears to be making rapid progress in unifying Republican voters behind his presidential bid even as Democratic discord between backers of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders reaches new highs.
The poll also suggested that hopes among Democrats of an easy win over Trump are misplaced.
Tuesday's poll had Clinton with an edge of just 3 points in a hypothetical match-up: The former secretary of State led Trump 48 percent to 45 percent.
We predicted this as Crooked Hillary is slowly starting to be exposed.
Trying to run on her husbands shirt tail was a huge mistake as Bill's reputation is ruined by his 27 trips on the Lolita express to the island in the Caribbean of under aged girls.
Trump will be leading her in the polls in the next three months and win to be our next president.

I feel you 100%. That is how the city of Chicago is divided - the north side is predominantly white and hispanic tax payers and home owners while the south side is predominantly black renters and section 8 with a small spattering of adventurous whites living near the hospitals and some local barrios like Pilsen. The mayer just raised our property taxes even further - 17% increase over the next 4 years for homes and businesses worth over $250k (which gets you a big shack basically in a half decent neighborhood in Chicago) while lowering property taxes for homes and businesses worth under $250k. Naturally, it affects the white north side far more than the black south side.

It's honestly not worth the stress anymore. This is why I'm looking at moving abroad - the US just isn't the place for me and my family anymore. It seems things changed drastically after the Great Recession. No longer is hard work, entrepreneurship, and suburban home ownership looked as a positive by the liberal society here - now you're looked as an evil capitalist making money off of people while others are 'forced' to live in bad neighborhoods. If you are ambitious and you do want to make something of your life, you're hit with taxes and bills left and right and even if you live frugally you have hardly any money left over. It's really not worth being middle class - you have more stress but still can't afford much - you've living a subpar, subsistence lifestyle just hoping that you'll make enough money and not get fired so your house isn't taken away and your family doesn't go hungry. If you're not rich, you might as well go on welfare because you'll still have a middle class lifestyle without the stress. I have pride so I won't do that but still I think about it when I see the things going around my city.

I'm fairly young and I put a good portion of my money into investments. Now with Hillary looking to drastically raise the capital gains tax under her proposal, it's just not worth it anymore. Unless you're like an executive at a major company or a hot shot plastic surgeon, the best thing to do is either just live off the government and work a cash job or be a white collar criminal. Working a salaried job gets you no where and just makes you a debt slave - especially if you have things like car payments, mortgages, etc.


Same - especially the Polish women of my parish. They'd mock my family saying 'Oh I hear your son's not in college anymore' since I took some time off to work so I didn't have to take out a student loan. It's funny because fast forward a few years and now I'm in a way better position than their kids. A few have even asked me if I could get them a job. I drive a 19 year old Mercedes because it runs great has low miles because I refuse to waste money on something that depreciates so rapidly.

So three of my friends all decided to become lawyers. They all went to DePaul and studied law. They're in they're 2nd or 3rd year now and I can tell you they all hate it. They wake up at 5-6 AM, are in their respective offices by 7-8 AM, and don't get home till 7-8PM and even then they have to sit in paperwork. Most of them are making around $55k-$60k a year - which doesn't get you very far here. It's enough for them to be able to all live together in a cramped apartment in a yuppie neighborhood (Bucktown) where it takes them 20 minutes just to find a parking spot after they come back home from work. Yes, they all drive a new Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, etc. but they're all on leases or payments. Aside from driving a nice car which they don't own and a couple suits - they're struggling even with 3 of them living together. Saving money for a home? Hah, forget about it!


Media and brainwashing is quite powerful. Instead of focusing on the economy or foreign policy fxckups, the dems talk about raising corporate taxes (which of course people who don't pay taxes or work think is an excellent idea) and giving more rights to minorities, trannies, and other crap. It's all about detracting from important things that tax payers actually care about. Of course the people who live off welfare are going to be pro-big government - more government means an easier life for them.


I do agree - it appears that Walmart seems to hire seniors as door greeters. The reason why is because seniors have worked their whole lives having a decent wage and expect the same kind of wage now. A lot of people over 50 don't have a college education because it wasn't necessary at the time. Just about anyone could get a job at a plant and be able to support a family of 3-4 on one income. Not anymore - now you have dual income households that can hardly survive.

It is much harder to get a job when you're older unless it's some specialized senior job (i.e. Director, Manager, Executive, etc.) and you have the experience and education for it. However, many do not. There's not suppose to be age discrimination but we all know it happens. The worst thing is that a lot of these people don't have an education and demand a higher wage than some young ambitious college grad.

Apropos your sentiments expressed in the first sentence in which you state that working very hard will invariable lead to success, aehh, the Brothers Koch and the "elite" investor class might gently disagree:-)

Your philosophy would seem to lead to a nation of dutiful workaholics, letting others who can 'goof off' earn millions while those working "very hard" are only allowing others to benefit off of their labors!

The investor class is all about having the check sent to their house, for their cleverness at being able to play the markets and a la Warren Buffet, make mega mullah.

In all respect though to people like Messrs. Buffet and Gates, they worked their bleedin' tail off in their youth, therefore I have oodles more admiration for them than for someone who merely sits home, picks a stock, calls their broker, and collects the dough.

I would much rather have a nation of workaholics than half the country supporting the other half - 47% of people in the US don't pay federal income taxes.

The funny thing is, the year WW1 broke out - only 1% of Americans paid taxes - the top 1% and those taxes alone funded 1/3rd of the cost of WW1. Plus, the US had a budget surplus. After the Fed was created they got greedy - it rose from the top 1% of Americans being taxed, then the top 3% then 5%, then 7% till we got to the point were at now where everyone pays income taxes unless they're on welfare or makes too little money

Also, if those millionaires want to 'goof off' that is their right... Not all millionaires got their money through inheritance - actually only a small number did in the US. Most are self made. They thought of a good idea, worked hard to implement it, cashed in, and now they are entitled to goof off - whether that idea was a company, invention, or simply buying into the right IPO.

Surprise, Johnny! I agree with at least the first part of your post. I too don't see why a hard (but also smart)-working fellow such as I should have to support a lazy rabble through tax subsidies which end up going into someone else's pocket rather than mine.

However, as I posted in another related thread prior, as the gap widens between people who by dint of their labor earn less and less and those who contribute little except to line their own pockets earn more and more, sooner, and not later, there's going to be a backlash like you wouldn't believe.

You people expect a heck of a lot of forebearance from those whom you seek to exploit. One day, and I don't know when, the bitten will bite back!!

I heard a rumor today that Crooked Hillary plans on picking her husband Slick Willie for her vice president.

Dream on lyzko.
When you get some time read what it is really about buddy.
Google this:

Club of Rome | New World Order

It ain't a rumor, JohnnyBoy!

She ain't the first, and she sure as heck ain't gonna be the last:-)

That's the politics game, junior, wake up dude.

I see President Trump now leads Crooked Hillary in the polls.
I knew it wouldn't take long.
Once Bernie bows out and Trump gets his votes it will be a shoe in for Trump.
I want to ask Hillary how our poor and oppressed in America get so fat.
lyzko, ya got me scheduled to give your class a one hour lecture on Constitutional Conservatism yet ?

Lectures from you on stuff I already know, I DON'T NEED!!!!
Thanks. Anytime I can enlighten you, just give a holler:-)

Cheers,

If you really knew it you would know you really need it.
Proving you are hopeless so that is why I want to lecture your students so they know the truth and not the brainwashing liberalism that you teach them.
They need to know that the Right is always right.

I heard something funny from this black dude on the radio yesterday evening while driving home from work:

'Trump wants to make America white again!'

It's true - that's why the minorities and leftists are so scared. It's not a coincidence that his supporters hold 'silent majority' signs.