France has more of a Muslim problem than we do also. I think the whole world has to look at what has been promised in terms of benefits and what can be delivered. I grew up in a time where people expected to retire with comfortable incomes but they expected to work to 65. In Europe retirement came earlier and with better benefits. It sounded good but now how do they pay for it? How do we pay for it? Some of the state employees in Oregon retired at full income. It has made hiring new people all but impossible. Those lush pensions are part of the expenses of the schools but with no benefits. it's a bit problem and not just for France.
 

big not bit...
 

"How do we pay for it?"
The same way we're paying for everything else these days...
OBAMACASH...
It'll STIMULATE the economy!
 

Like Bush never did that! We're still paying for his tax cuts and wars. Not to say it's better when it's a democrat but it pays to be aware they all do the same thing. We'll see if these tea partiers, when they get in, change any of it or just do the same things. You can't cut taxes without spending and not expect your deficits to grow or rather explode.
 

Hey Rain-
I hate to break this to you...
Bush is no longer President.
 

But... but... but...
What about all the signs?!!!
;>)
 

OBAMACASH!!!
 

ah and you tea partiers and Issa bots, you think nobody cares where that money went? Interesting as the argument has been no jobs came from it and that's why throw out the bums. Don't tell anybody and that's the ticket.

But you know I am about to see how it all works when your guys are running things. You know balancing the budget and no silly wasteful spending.. investigations to find a reason to impeach Clinton worked so well for us as al Qaeda was building up their power but hey, congress does nothing anyway might as well have them figuring out how to impeach another president while the terrorists get to play convincing the frightened people that only Republicans can keep them safe-- for evil liberals...

At any rate, lots of luck with the bunch you are putting in there. I plan to take a very welcome hiatus from even reading about it beyond the superficial until we gin up for the next election *s* By then I hope the Republican will have solved ALL of our problems. After all Obama only had two years to ruin things so completely by worrying about health care for citizens or stimulus. We won't have to worry about any stimulus now for sure... or government spending on anything other than the usual payoff of fat cats and wars which they don't pay for.
 

Incidentally I truly hope you guys are right with what you are putting in. I don't threaten revolution or wish someone to fail. I hope it works for our country's sake. I'd love to see something help the middle class to keep their jobs, people to not have to fear health crises, a world like it used to seem like it was. Too bad life doesn't go back. I think though it seemed that way because I was a child and the problems weren't mine. Actually they aren't now. I am in that group who is okay no matter what happens. It's empathy that ruins my day, caring about others and wanting a world for my grandchildren where they can get jobs that give them the kind of life I have known. I had my shot at it and it was good. Now I want to see it be good for them and not just a few fat cats.
 

Last year I did a stimulus project and it cost $5000 for the Obama signs. This years stimulus project was cheaper because they reused the signs but I had to have double signs one set for the Bond measure that is paying for 90% of the project and one set for the 5% that is paid for by stimulus dollars. The other 5% was local money.
 

In our state they don't mention Obama on them. It just says here is where the stimulus money went. That's bad? The right is busy saying it didn't do anything and a lot of people are voting based on that. To see it did should make people feel at least something happened. We had up here a lot of road projects that likely would not have happened without it given our state's economic woes.

I also know that some states still have at least some of that money and don't know how to use it. I know this because my husband is consulting small start up businesses, and they talk to the ones who would hand it out. A lot of stimulus never went anywhere regarding the state's 1/3. One problem was no requirement but since the right thinks the feds shouldn't make requirements, that probably is fine with them. The problem was them understanding what shovel ready meant maybe...

Possibly he should have been more dictatorial about where it could be used but the idea was the states knew...
 

Yeah, "more dictatorial"!
Please... if only he had been more of a Martinet prior to this election.
 

it's not like I admire dictatorial power in a leader. I leave that to the righties. The point was he left it up to the states and that ended up probably being a mistake. More actual projects might not have changed this election though. American are divided and even among those who know what they want, a lot haven't a clue what is possible or that often their desires conflict with their other desires.

I think this is a good time to take a hiatus from politics which is what I am doing. Although I will be happy to continue writing about culture and the ideas that make a strong one-- eventually.