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Forum Post: For all you Billionaires out there, and for some of you other folk....

Posted 9 years ago on Jan. 18, 2015, 12:15 a.m. EST by Shule (2638)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

A poem;

So there you are,

I mean here We are,

On this mountaintop.

They say never look back,

Though the trail to here was a good one.

And for heaven's sake never look down.

Here we are on this mountaintop,

Looking into that vast ocean of sky.

Do we leap, and be swept up by the winds of humanity,

Or should we just stand here forever and stare?

16 Comments

16 Comments


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[-] 0 points by StillModestCapitalist (343) 9 years ago

Brutal Shule. Just Brutal. What a profound psychological jab you've taken at those 'billionaires'. What a creative approach. To address them as a group in poem here at OWS without uttering one word or even a hint of actual criticism. Brilliant. They must be shaking in their boots.

Now, how about pressuring our sold-out leaders to raise the corporate tax rate, the Capital Gains tax rate, and the marginal income tax rate? How about pressuring our sold-out leaders and those who will be running for office next year to close a few individual and corporate tax loopholes? All of which would effect 'billionaires' in particular.

Would you like to create a page for that purpose Shule? What about you SerfingUSA, turbocharger, johannus, flip or flip's wife?

No? Gee what a shock.

Alright, aside from marking this comment down and promoting Russell Brand, how do you propose we limit the income, power, government influence and social acceptability of those 'billionaires'?

Let me guess.

Don't vote?

By the way Shule, if you don't spell 'billionaires' correctly in the title, it won't even be web searchable. Care to make the correction? That is, if you actually want this page read.

[-] 2 points by Shule (2638) 9 years ago

Thanks for the spelling catch.

[-] 1 points by turbocharger (1756) 9 years ago

I have to say that if your on-the-streets organizational skills are anything close to what you display online, just wrap it up dude. You are turning off more people than you are inspiring. You are actually hurting your cause.

[-] 1 points by StillModestCapitalist (343) 9 years ago

Wrap this.

Child Homelessness and Poverty Are Rising So Republicans Plan Harsh Program Cuts

There have been several encouraging economic reports over the past two years, and compared to directly after Republicans crashed the economy in 2008, they are indicators of recovery for the nation, and simply outstanding for Wall Street, corporations, the oil industry, and the richest  Americans. Along with every good economic report over the past year, there has been an accompanying shameful report for the richest nation on Earth revealing that the least advantaged Americans are sinking deeper into despair. There have even been reports that America’s storied middle class continues losing economic ground due to stagnating wages, and is declining at about the same pace as the poor who are getting much poorer. Despite the good economic news, the poor particularly find nothing whatsoever encouraging about the “outstanding recovery for the rich.”

In October, 78% of voters said they were worried that their financial situations will continue getting worse while the wealthy, Wall Street, and corporations get richer and richer. Some financial experts and pundits cannot understand why the poor and middle class are not celebrating the good news about the economic recovery. Despite promising economic trends, millions of Americans who have found work are barely surviving with poverty wages that are not keeping up with inflation, much less afford very modest housing for their families. A new report should clarify why most Americans, particularly poor Americans are not impressed, or encouraged about the recovery; no matter how good economic news appears.

The shocking report on the plight of the poor by the National Center of Family Homelessness (NCFH) revealed that as of 2013, one out of every 30 children in America is homeless. That works out to a shameful 2.5 million children (and rising) who are living on the streets, in cash-strapped shelters, in tents, in cars, or crammed together in “unstable housing with other families, relatives, or friends who are suffering equally financial and housing instability.” According to the NCFH director, Dr. Carmela DeCandia, “The impact of the Great Recession has really lingered for poor families despite other positive turns in the economy. Poverty is the driving factor behind family homelessness.” In fact, according to government statistics included in the report, 45-million Americans live in poverty and struggle to survive on an income at or below $19,530 for a family of 3, according to government statistics highlighted in the report. Of that 45-million, nearly half, or 22-million Americans, live in extreme poverty with incomes less than $11,157 for a family of four.

Family homelessness was not a big problem in America until the 1980s when cuts to social programs, particularly programs for low-income housing, sent many poor families into the street. Those who have a memory likely remember that it was in the 1980s that Republicans’ man-god, Ronald Reagan, told Americans that “government is the problem,” and their mortal enemy, and promptly slashed social programs for the poor. Reagan pulled a similar inhumane stunt while governor of California and ordered all of the state’s mental institutions shuttered killing countless jobs and sending thousands of mentally ill patients, en masse, into the streets. It is the Republican  lack of humanity for those least advantaged, particularly America’s children, that Republicans pant to repeat when they take control of Congress.

In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the number of homeless children increased temporarily, but the statistics appeared to decline as victims found housing. However, thanks to the Bush-Republican Great Recession destroying millions of jobs, and GOP banking deregulation that created the housing crisis, child homelessness shot back up to a sickening 1.6 million by 2010. Due to Republican obstruction and cuts to housing assistance, and failure to even consider raising the federal poverty wage, the rate of child homelessness continues to climb. According to the report, child homelessness surged by 8% nationally by 2012 and it is down to poverty wages that are declining against the rise in the cost of living. Coupled with inhumane austerity cuts, the GOP is getting precisely what they apparently live for; more despair and destitution among the poor, especially children.

Obviously, child homelessness, like child poverty, is rampant across the former Confederacy where Republicans enacted right-to-work for less laws keeping wages at poverty levels. For example, 59,349 Alabama children were homeless during the 2012-2013 school year up from 35,239 the year before. Alabama’s minimum wage is $7.25, while a two bedroom apartment requires that tenants make at least double that rate; food is another issue altogether. 27% of Alabama’s children live in dire poverty and the incoming  Republican Congress will make sure that percentage rises. In Mississippi, 26,108 children are without homes and with the minimum wage at $7.25, the child poverty rate is 35% and rising. In Arkansas, 29% of children are homeless, live in dire poverty, and like New Mexico and most of the South, the income required to rent a tiny two-bedroom apartment is at least double the minimum wage.

The NCFH report offered a “very simple solution” to address the nation’s epidemic of child homelessness. The solution starts with “agreeing as a nation that children living doubled-up in basements and attics with relatives and friends are homeless and need our help. The next step is to ensure an adequate supply of safe, affordable housing combined with essential services. To remain housed, parents need employment opportunities that provide adequate income; this necessitates education, job training, transportation, and childcare.” President Obama has called on Congress to address all of those “simple solutions,” but they have instead offered up tax cuts for the rich, environmental and workplace deregulation, and threats to eliminate the federal minimum wage.

There is a reason Republicans have ignored indicators of economic recovery that primarily benefited their wealthy supporters over the past five years. Despite the stock market is at record highs, the budget deficit at a record lows, taxes and spending lowest in 60 years, they intend to slash spending on social programs and cut taxes for their wealthy supporters. It is why the Republican Congress will expedite passage of the Path to Prosperity budget to inflict more, much much more, damage on the poor and middle class and give more wealth to the one percent. It is just what Republicans do regardless that their precious donors have reaped all the economic recovery, and with this latest report that their inhumane austerity has increased child homelessness and poverty, they will be emboldened to do what they do best; inflict more harm on the poor, especially poor children.

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/11/18/child-homelessness-poverty-rising-republicans-plan-harsh-program-cuts.html

[-] 0 points by flip (7101) 9 years ago

ain't that the truth - i am sure he never does any real organizing work - mostly likely any work of any type - he seems like a little boy - no?

[-] 2 points by turbocharger (1756) 9 years ago

Gotta love the wide spectrum of people that political organizing attracts.

Does anyone even know what city this person lives in?

[-] -1 points by flip (7101) 9 years ago

not me.

[-] 0 points by StillModestCapitalist (343) 9 years ago

Hey flip. Has your user rating of 7101 been frozen by the site operators? What sort of behavior on your part could result in such a thing? Did it have anything to do with the several hundred points you were docked recently? Seriously. Just how many times have you marked your own comments up using multiple IDs?

http://occupywallst.org/forum/it-wont-work-turbocharger-shule-johannus-flip-and-/

[-] -1 points by flip (7101) 9 years ago

the answers to your questions are as follows - don't know - don't know - don't know and never - any more questions to waste my time about little boy obsession with points

[-] 0 points by StillModestCapitalist (343) 9 years ago

Let me get this straight. You have no idea why the site operators would dock you several hundred points and freeze your user rating? You don't know much do you?

By the way, how is your wife's ID holding up?

http://occupywallst.org/forum/it-wont-work-turbocharger-shule-johannus-flip-and-/

[-] 2 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

the point is only a few have the power to grant money and we best kiss their ass

a problem is money is distributed to support war

[-] 0 points by flip (7101) 9 years ago

correct - i know very little abolut how exactly this site works. don't care either - as for my wife you should ask her. oh, i forgot you don't have her id - she could be anyone - why don't you ask your crystal ball - it seems to know everything. and why on earth would you post that link again where you attack someone you do not know anything about - like their id. very much against the principles of ows no?

[-] 1 points by StillModestCapitalist (343) 9 years ago

It was your bright idea to admit, after being all but proven into a corner that you had a second ID within your family. If you hadn't made your multiple ID stalking so obvious, it never would have come to this.

http://occupywallst.org/forum/it-wont-work-turbocharger-shule-johannus-flip-and-/

[-] 0 points by flip (7101) 9 years ago

you are not rational - plenty of comments from me about my wife going back a few years. search for them - you seem to have too much time on your hands. now man up and say you were wrong to attack my wife because you do not know her id - do not know anything she posts or comments on. do you have any intellectual honesty - no i doubt it - prove me wrong little boy - come on prove me wrong for once! you have been trying for a while now to prove me wrong - here is your chance - i predict you cannot apologize to a woman you attacked for no reason at all. as a matter of fact she agrees with most of what you say about voting for dems. as a matter of fact she is a local democratic party official - how about them apples you little quisling

[-] 0 points by StillModestCapitalist (343) 9 years ago

Get a legitimate user or two who actually believe in the 1% mantra with no exceptions for hypocrite celebrity pigs to back that up and maybe I'll take it seriously. In the meantime, go mark down some more of my old comments.

http://occupywallst.org/forum/it-wont-work-turbocharger-shule-johannus-flip-and-/

[-] 1 points by turbocharger (1756) 9 years ago

You openly vote for 1%ers, and for a company that is some of the best centralized power for 1%ers (the DNC).

Seems to me it is you who is the hypocrite.

Some people like to listen to actors, some like to listen to war criminals. too each their own I suppose.

You should put your last sentence in italics. It gives it a much more impactful message.