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The State of the Union is Strong?



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youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 20 2015, 10:48 pm
So anyone listened to the speech?

What did you think?

I literally stood up and clapped when the president acknowledged the difficulties in affording childcare, when he acknowledged that the US is the only western country without paid maternity leave and sick leave, and he proposed making community college free to expand educational opportunities for all.

And let's not forget, equal pay for equal work!

A speech does not a law make, but I'm glad he brought these issues up.

Foreign policy was not so great... the non-policy regarding Iran is downright frightening.

Thoughts?
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Bpmom8




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 1:21 am
youngishbear wrote:
So anyone listened to the speech?

and he proposed making community college free to expand educational opportunities for all.
Thoughts?
Nothing is free in this world. If you're not paying someone else is paying for it.
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youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 1:29 am
Bpmom8 wrote:
Nothing is free in this world. If you're not paying someone else is paying for it.


True. I guess I thought of it like public school. Why stop at grade 12 if so many of the jobs needed in this era depend on higher education?

And I like that he brought up the problem of childcare keeping many families from affording a second income. Not that he was clear how to solve that problem, but for me in my stage, these are real issues and I'm glad he opened the subject.
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DrMom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 3:03 am
youngishbear wrote:
So anyone listened to the speech?

What did you think?

I literally stood up and clapped when the president acknowledged the difficulties in affording childcare, when he acknowledged that the US is the only western country without paid maternity leave and sick leave, and he proposed making community college free to expand educational opportunities for all.

And let's not forget, equal pay for equal work!

A speech does not a law make, but I'm glad he brought these issues up.

Foreign policy was not so great... the non-policy regarding Iran is downright frightening.

Thoughts?


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fmt4




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 7:59 am
I don't agree with a lot of what he said, but objectively, it was a very good speech. He seemed more relaxed, confident and optimistic than he's been in years.
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Bpmom8




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 12:23 pm
These are possibly the 5 best sentences you'll ever read and all applicable to this experiment:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!

5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

Can you think of a reason for not sharing this? Neither could I.
--
Have a wonderful day.
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youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 12:30 pm
I'm having trouble connecting your post to issues like equal pay for equal work.

And better childcare systems so that people could actually go out and work to better their lives.

Or better or cheaper higher education (you're not against government sponsored education for younger kids, are you?).
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gp2.0




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 12:38 pm
DH and I were discussing free community college, and I was for it and he was against it, and then we started wondering - how awesome would it be if there would be some kinds of mandatory taxes, like to support the fire and police departments, and infrastructure, that kind of thing, and then there would be minimum-to-maximum optional taxes. Meaning for example, everyone needs to pay a very low minimum to things like social security and free schooling, but individuals can decide if they want to pay more into these or various other project funding. How awesome would that be? The taxpayer making active decisions about where their taxes are going. This would be sort of like crowd funding, which has actually proven to be very successful - when people are interested in supporting something, they give more, and happily, then they would have otherwise. Obviously this is a rudimentary idea that would need lots of ironing out, but it would go a long way toward people feeling proud and happy to contribute to taxes instead of feeling robbed.
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youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 12:43 pm
Gp2.0, as I like to say, if we would have people choosing what their taxes pay for all the whales in the world will be saved and people would starve on the streets.

Funding for police officers, for example, would drop in such times as just passed... precisely when we need them more than ever.

You are proposing a direct democracy, when this country is a republic where we choose representatives to make decisions for us.

You also are touching upon the economic problem of public goods, where studies have shown people will over time attempt to get away without contributing towards projects percieved as joint responsibilities.
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PinkFridge




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 5:14 pm
DrMom, thanks. I needed that. (Though to quote President Lincoln, I laugh to keep from crying.)
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a jewish woman




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 6:01 pm
youngishbear wrote:
I'm having trouble connecting your post to issues like equal pay for equal work.

And better childcare systems so that people could actually go out and work to better their lives.

Or better or cheaper higher education (you're not against government sponsored education for younger kids, are you?).

I think it would be more beneficial if he forgives/eliminates student debt that people already have instead of providing a free education to people in the future. Eliminating current student debt will allow people to spend their money on other things such as healthcare, childcare, as well as college for their children.
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youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jan 21 2015, 6:19 pm
a jewish woman wrote:
I think it would be more beneficial if he forgives/eliminates student debt that people already have instead of providing a free education to people in the future. Eliminating current student debt will allow people to spend their money on other things such as healthcare, childcare, as well as college for their children.


He's not doing anything yet... I'm just glad he brought these subjects up. And I agree eliminating student debt, and cutting middle class taxes would be great. Do I have any wishes left? Wink
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