On 3/25/04, sue wrote: > The difference is about caring for people. Repubicans pat their > wallets and extend all issues from that part of their anatomy. > > Here is what Bush has given us > > Republicans have given us the greatest budget deficit in the > history of the world. They have given us the highest energy costs > in American history. They have constantly given tax breaks to the > rich. They have done nothing to reduce unemployment. They have > encourged jobs to be shipped to other countries with tax breaks. > They have envolved us in a war in Iraq that they lied about. > > Now, tell me something good the Republicans have done.
Just what I thought ignore the issues that were put forth in the original mail. First my wallet is not part of my anatomy. I am a Disabled Vet and work with several veterans groups to help with homeless and incarcerated Vets. We work to get them drug and alcohol treatment, tools and jobs as well as a place to live while they are getting their life together. We do not give them handouts we give them a hand up. We don’t want to keep them in a welfare society we want them to become productive citizens with a sense of self worth.
I am self employed and cannot afford to hire anyone because of the high tax rates and regulations in the State of Washington. I want to keep the costs down for my senior customers and cannot do so if I have to pay the high rates of workmens comp and insurance to employee people. We need less regulation in our lives and more personal responsibility.
The Republicans have not given us the greatest budget deficit in the history of the world. And it is not the “Chicken Little” approach that “The sky is falling” that we all hear about. Our problem is that we cut taxes (like JFK and Republicans), but failed to cut spending (like Democrat congresses in the past). This creates a budget deficit. We will get better and life will go on in this country.
Tax breaks are not just for the rich they were for everyone. A flat tax would be better all around. If you make less than $50K (example) you pay nothing. Everything above that is taxed at 15%. You know exactly what you pay each month and there is no filing. No more getting back more that you had withheld on the backs of those who pay.
Jobs that have went to other countries mostly have ended up there as of a result of NAFTA (President Bush’s (the senior one) Administration and then President Clinton’s Administration) and WTO. The Unions have ran wages so high the price of good have had to be increased and then people like you and I cannot see that it was the Unions that drove the non-skilled jobs overseas. If you can get it done cheaper and charge less do you blame companies for doing it to help the bottom line? People say we are a world economy and want world support yet when we give developing countries support in the job market people complain. You cannot have it both ways.
The war in Iraq is an increasing success, as is the war on terrorism. Yes, the intelligence we received my have been less than accurate, but this was not a lie set forth by our Administration to mislead you into thinking something else. When President Bush took office Iraq was the issue not just Al Qaeda. We had a dictator who set up an attempt to assonate an American President and for years snubbed his nose to the United Nations on his weapons development and programs since he lost the war years ago. Saddam had to be removed from power to remove the killing, raping government in Iraq. If you are honest with yourself you know the world, not just the Iraqi people, are better off with him removed from power. This was sent to me by a fellow Vet in Jan 2004 and has gotten better since:
Marines and Sailors, with the new year I think it is important to share a few thoughts about what you've accomplished directly, in some cases, and indirectly in many others. I am speaking about what the Bush Administration and each of you has contributed by wearing the uniform, because the fact that you wear the uniform contributes 100% to the capability of the nation to send a few onto the field to execute national policy. As you read about these achievements that you are a part of, I would call your attention to two things: 1. This is good news that hasn't been fit to print or report on TV. 2. It is much easier to point out the errors a man makes when he makes the tough decisions, rarely is the positive as aggressively pursued. Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... · the first battalion of the new Iraqi Army has graduated and is on active duty. · over 60,000 Iraqis now provide security to their fellow citizens. · nearly all of Iraq's 400 courts are functioning. · the Iraqi judiciary is fully independent. · on October 6 power generation hit 4,518 megawatts-exceeding the prewar average. · all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools. · by October 1, Coalition forces had rehab-ed over 1,500 schools - 500 more than scheduled. · teachers earn from 12 to 25 times their former salaries. · all 240 hospitals and more than 1200 clinics are open. · doctors salaries are at least eight times what they were under Saddam. · pharmaceutical distribution has gone from essentially nothing to 700 tons in May to a current total of 12,000 tons. · the Coalition has helped administer over 22 million vaccinations to Iraq's children. · a Coalition program has cleared over 14,000 kilometers of Iraq's 27,000 kilometers of weed-choked canals which now irrigate tens of thousands of farms. This project has created jobs for more than 100,000 Iraqi men and women. · we have restored over three-quarters of prewar telephone services and over two-thirds of the potable water production. · there are 4,900 full-service telephone connections. We expect 50,000 by year-end. · the wheels of commerce are turning. From bicycles to satellite dishes to cars and trucks, businesses are coming to life in all major cities and towns. · 95 percent of all prewar bank customers have service and first-time customers are opening accounts daily. Iraqi banks are making loans to finance businesses. · the central bank is fully independent. · Iraq has one of the world's most growth-oriented investment and banking laws. · Iraq has a single, unified currency for the first time in 15 years. · satellite TV dishes are legal. · foreign journalists aren't on 10-day visas paying mandatory and extortionate fees to the Ministry of Information for "minders" and other government spies. · there is no Ministry of Information. · there are more than 170 newspapers. · you can buy satellite dishes on what seems like every street corner. · foreign journalists (and everyone else) are free to come and go. · a nation that had not one single element - legislative, judicial or executive - of a representative government, now does. · in Baghdad alone residents have selected 88 advisory councils. · Baghdad's first democratic transfer of power in 35 years happened when the city council elected its new chairman. · today in Iraq chambers of commerce, business, school and professional organizations are electing their leaders all over the country. · 25 ministers, selected by the most representative governing body in Iraq's history, run the day-to-day business of government. · the Iraqi government regularly participates in international events. · Since July the Iraqi government has been represented in over two dozen international meetings, including those of the UN General Assembly, the Arab League, the World Bank and IMF and, today, the Islamic Conference Summit. · The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reopening over 30 Iraqi embassies around the world. · Shia religious festivals that were all but banned aren't. · for the first time in 35 years, in Karbala thousands of Shiites celebrate the pilgrimage of the 12th Imam. · the Coalition has completed over 13,000 reconstruction projects, large and small, as part of a strategic plan for the reconstruction of Iraq. · Uday and Quesay are dead - and no longer feeding innocent Iraqis to the zoo lions, raping the young daughters of local leaders to force cooperation, torturing Iraq's soccer players for losing games, or murdering critics. children aren't imprisoned or murdered when their parents disagree with the government. · political opponents aren't imprisoned, tortured, executed, maimed, or are forced to watch their families die for disagreeing with Saddam. · millions of longsuffering Iraqis no longer live in perpetual terror. · Saudis will hold municipal elections. · Qatar is reforming education to give more choices to parents. · Jordan is accelerating market economic reforms. · the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for the first time to an Iranian -- a Muslim woman who speaks out with courage for human rights, for democracy and for peace. · Saddam is captured and is talking. · Iraq is free. President Bush has not faltered or failed. Yet, little or none of this information has been published by the Press corps that prides itself on bringing you all the news that's important.
Iraq under US lead control has come further in six months than Germany did in seven years or Japan did in nine years following WWII. Military deaths from fanatic Nazi's, and Japanese numbered in the thousands and continued for over three years after WWII victory was declared. It took the US over four months to clear away the twin tower debris, let alone attempt to build something else in its place.
Now, take into account that Congress fought President Bush on every aspect of his handling of this country's war and the post-war reconstruction; and that they continue to claim on a daily basis on national TV that this conflict has been a failure.
Taking everything into consideration, even the unfortunate loss of our brothers and sisters in this conflict, do you think anyone else in the world could have accomplished as much as the United States and the Bush administration in so short a period of time?
These are things worth writing about. Get the word out. Write to someone you think may be able to influence our Congress or the press to tell the story.
Above all, be proud that you are a part of this historical precedent.
HIGH energy costs? Do you think the present Administration has caused these high energy costs? If we went to war for the oil and not for the freedom of millions of oppressed people in Iraq under a dictator, then why do we have the energy costs that we have? Well first we did not go to war for oil. We do need a military strong hold in the middle east. There will be democracy in the middle eastern countries. And we all know a democracy is the best form of government. Energy prices are based on supply and demand. Simple economics. We (the American people) are exploring alternative sources of energy to lessen our needs for fossil fuels. We need to also drill for oil and natural gas in some of our more barren lands and other locations to reduce our dependence on other countries for our fossil fuels.
What President Bush has done since he has been in office: 1. You now have more money in your pocket than you had before, through the reduction in taxes. (Still not enough and unfair to people who don’t have children). His tax relief provided rebate checks and lober tax rates for everyone who pays income taxes in America. 2. He has increased pay and benefits for America’s military and is working to save and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. 3. He is also committed to ushering in a responsibility era in America, and has called on Americans to be “citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building communities of service and a Nation of charater.” 4. Already the United States military and the great coalition of nations have liberated the people of Afghanistan from the brutal Taliban regime and denied al Qaeda its safe haven of operations. Thousands of terrorists have been captured or killed and operations have been disrupted in many countries around the world. 5. Rural America is fortunate to have a committed leader in President Bush. In three years, president Bush has signed the Farm Bill of 2002, supported trade agreements to help rural America, and is working hard to pass sensible energy legislation. 6. Passed concurrent receipt for Disabled Veterans. 7. Accomplishments in Homeland Security are too numerous to mention. 8. The War on Terrorism has eliminated 2/3 of Al Qaeda. Counties like Libya have given up the Nuclear Weapons because they are afraid they were next on the list of countries that support terrorism networks. 9. He and his wife have brought dignity back into the White House and made the Presidency and President a role model again. 10. He has signed into law bold initiative to improve public schools by raising standards, requiring accountability, and strengthening local control. 11.
More Teacher Chatboards
Current Events Chatboard
