It is not surprising that most of the Democratic Senators are playing along with the Obama-Biden filibuster scam. What is terribly troubling is: Why are the nominally progressive and honest Bernie Sanders, Sherrod Brown and Al Franken not speaking out about the stonewalling coming from the White House, pretending that they need 60 votes to break a filibuster. When Nixon was Vice President/President of the Senate, he stopped filibusters. So did Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, who ruled that the Democrats were forbidden from filibustering any of Gerald Ford’s nominees. Five years ago, Senate President Dick Cheney only threatened to use the Constitutional Option, or “Nuclear Option” as Republican Senators delivering the threat at the time called it. It is time for Obama and Biden to drop this filibuster scam. Biden and Obama are using this scam to push passage of a far-right-wing agenda. They crushed healthcare and banking reform that way.

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/34780

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/45617

If I were a vindictive person, I would remind Senator Nelson of how he refused to help those in other states the next time Nebraska gets hit by tornadoes, flood, drought, whatever and needs to be bailed out.

But then I remember the example set by my grandmother who was able to forgive even those who treated her in less than an exemplary fashion.

But it is often difficult to do.

As I paid for my food purchases today with food stamps, I could only offer curses to those hateful people who want to deny us any help. I agree with Norman, where is the WH? When I hear Obama down at the Gulf saying things like he will fix their lives I want to scream! They didn’t do anything wrong. Well Mr President, neither did I nor my other out of work colleagues. How about us?

“If they will not give you work, demand bread. If they deny both, take bread”. Emma Goldman

My god, we are going to see a reaping of the whirlwind.

I don’t understand why the American public is missing this. Is it because MSM is not blatantly stating “you don’t need 60 votes to pass all legislation”? I’m no scholar, dropped out of highschool twice before getting my GED at 21, but I remember that 51 votes is a majority for most things.

We have seen, over the last couple years, CongressCritters publicly saying they need 60 votes to pass everything. My understanding of the supermajority is a little shakey, I’m not clear on everything it applies to, but I do know there were ways to make it not apply in this case.

I’m really getting frustrated with the fact that all our congressman and administration officials, R, D, or I, seem hellbent on killing America. It doesn’t make sense. Even if one were to argue that suppressing the lower class funnels money up to the One-Percenters, that is only a short-sighted, short term explanation. If you kill the lower classes, you will have no one to buy your products and services. Trickle Down Economics don’t work when the ruling corporate class doesn’t distribute the wealth. I think its only a matter of time before our country looks like Darfur.

Yeah… Just havet’a keep that revenge in check… sucks but shit it is who we are… Can’t stoop to their level of pettiness!!

The Gopers want the Dem. base to defect and we will. Not because of they’re actions but because of the WH and the so called Dems. non-actions. It’s all over for the D’s and Obama.

Thank you, DNC, for spending $500,000 on this monster.
And you wonder why the base is staying home in the fall.

I’m sure that the thought of Snowe losing re-election will be very comforting to me under my bridge in 2012…if I’m still alive by then. It’s way [past time for Obama to start threatening the Republicans’ pork and earmarks to get something passed. If he wants to stay silent, I won’t be ABLE to vote for him in 2012, whether I want to or not.

David here is a question for you.
Jobs create wealth, revenues economic growth. What is the objection?

I’m afraid that I have to disagree. I have the right to forgive someone who does something to ME, but I don’t have the right to forgive someone who does something to others. It’s not okay for me to forgive Nelson for the harm that he is doing to other people when I am comfortable and not suffering from his actions.

Yes. Forgiveness is also based on the offender expressing sorrow for the damage caused and a change to corrected behavior. I think forgiveness is conditional but anger is probably useful only as a motivation to address the situation with necessary action. Generally anger hurts the well being of the holder.

I”m not angry in the sense that you mean. I don’t get angry like that – never have. As for the politicians in DC, and especially the Dems, I feel nothing but disgust.

Not to worry, they will be after your entitlements soon enough. But don’t worry your pretty little head, we can pay for the f’ing illegal war in perpetuity.

I just got back from Nebraska for my Uncle’s funeral. I think the state of Nebraska’s economy might have something to do with Nelson’s voit as well as attitudes that are rather deep seated.

Nebraska’s unemployment rate is 4.9. They have a small overall population compared to the size of the state. They big employers include Insurance, construction, data processing, telemarketing and health care. They also have light manufacturing and agribusiness giants as well as transportation giant Union Pacific. So in a lot of ways Nebraska isn’t hurting the way that other parts of the country are.

And they are a very Red state. many have successfully internalized the “Business good, Government bad” while missing just how much they benefit from Government. I see it in my own extended family.

And I also see the tribalism that doesn’t extend to “the other” very easily. If someone doesn’t have a job in Nebraska it isn’t because there are no jobs. There are lots of jobs, all the way down to lots of big box retail stores. With a lower cost of living some can swing it. So they can easily justify the thought, “Well *I* could get a job, even if I had to flip burgers, therefore the other people must be lazy.”

But for people who are looking for work in California, Michigan or Louisiana with 10-20 percent unemployment it is really a different story.

I’m not saying that these are the reason that Nelson did what he did, but I’m describing and attitude I’ve observed from people in my extended family.

He’s not going to threaten them, he is one of them.

To give Nelson his due, he is a stalwart defender of sperm rights, which according to him, should be able to take over the body of the host-thingy, against its will.

Unfortunately those of us in our fifties are too old to flip burgers and too young to be Wal-Mart greeters. Being conservative means being a certain amount of sociopath.

Obama/Biden are succeeding just fine.

In terms of enabling the corporate agenda at every level they have succeeded where NO Republican effort could have.

And there’s still SS and other entitlement programs to shoot down, a SCOTUS to collude with to enable corporate sovereignty and strike down Roe v Wade, Brown v Board, and maybe even a few amendments to the Constitution, too.

They do the bidding of the corporations. We all know that. It’s old news.

Might be useful to ask how many S-Corps Snowe is invested in, or how deeply.

This is one of those days when you TRULY realize your country does not work for you and also there are those in power who do all they can to work AGAINST you.

As a 4 year college grad who has been unemployed for nearly a year, I guess I am a dead man now. I have been without benefits for 2 weeks and even though I finally have a good job prospect coming up, the job is not starting until the end of next month. So what do I do until then? How do I pay bills, put gas in the car and oh yeah…eat?? These are the people in power? Those who would take away from the “have nots” Who should I be more angry at…The President, the Congress, this country??

I truly can’t believe it.

The corps don’t WANT that.

Simple.

Puts them at risk having an affluent and motivated and knowledgeable middle class.

Cuz with affluence and motivation, comes knowledge, gen by gen.

A big threat to them, as the 60′s DFH’s show.

What an outstanding observation, Spocko, thanks for sharing that with us.

You’ve touched upon a subject that really needs exploring in your posts about people in Nebraska and it is -and it’s not just them- the sense of ‘not being connected’ to the rest of the U.S.

If you have any insights into how such has come about or occurred, please share.

And BTW, great read David, once again.

This shit’s unsustainable, in all ways, so it WILL collapse upon the elites.

I’ts my only saving grace for not going pure loco batshit nutz.

I recently listened to a web based financial interview with a guy named Bob Prechter. The interview is titled ” Conversations with Bob Prechter on the End Game.” It is in the Saturday June 19th episode.

There is a debate on what is going to happen with the world economy going into this depression. Some believe in inflation. He argues for further deflation. One of his arguments is the fact that popular opinion is going against increased stimulus. He does not think that politicians have the fortitude to create the many trillions that it would take to out maneuver falling credit markets. He thinks that the FED will end up refusing to create more fed notes and that no-one will buy treasury bonds without a large increase in interest rates.

This is another confirmation of this. He argues that politicians that promote MORE credit and spending will be run out of office. That seems to be the case as the politicians are hitching their wagons to less spending.

Well anyway it is an excellent interview for those of you interested in protecting your families in the days ahead. He predicts 30% unemployment. He has been spot on with his forecasting. Only missing golds rise. Generally good information even if you don’t agree. He

I’ve been unemployed for about 18 months. I had an interview yesterday but that job is almost certain to go to a younger candidate. I’m 50 and have been working since I was 15. I have never seen a job market this bad or a Congress this ineffective. I quit. Screw it. They aren’t going to change anything and I can no longer devote any energy to advocating for it as I’ll need to use that just to survive. That’s part of their plan no doubt…

Yeah just look at the state of education for the masses. The Rich can pay for their kids to go to school. Big Business wants to turn public education into a profit making enterprise and I wonder who pays for their profit? US. Profit profit..

I got back in touch today with a Republican friend (or shall I say acquaintance, someone I know through work) who is interesting to talk politics with because I always get the “informed” side as opposed to the kneejerk Fox News version. He’s a smart guy, he has a young family, he works in the legal industry and probably makes a pretty good living. He believes that Obama has been great for “those below the poverty line” and that the middle class is paying for it. I don’t know enough about him to even guess whether he has ever been unemployed or poor, but I doubt it. I don’t know what planet you’d have to be on to think that those below the poverty line have benefited from anything Obama’s done. All he has actually done is increase their ranks. Margaret, I agree with you that you have to be part sociopath to be a conservative these days. You have to be in serious denial about the world around you, at the very least.

masaccio is upstairs!
Social Security Talking Points For America Speaks

Why doesn’t Sen. Harry Reid FORCE the culture of corruption, greed and BP-kissing Republicans to actually filibuster, FORCE the Republicans to put their gaping mouths where their raping-America ideology is located, FORCE them to actually stand-up for hour after hour explaining why they are blocking any attempt to help working American citizens and their families through tough economic times CAUSED by Republicans?

Thanks. I just might do that. (I’m a bit embarrassed by the typos in my post, I blame jet lag and vinegar.)

One thing that I see in my family is that they are actually very generous–to their family. And when something happens to someone in their family they finally get it. But they have to experience directly in their family first. They are the kind of people who need to have a gay son to get that it’s not a choice. So if they started losing jobs and their family couldn’t help them maybe they would get the pain others fell. On the other hand they might just blame the people who don’t have good family connections.

I’ve seen that too. My aunt’s medical financial problems were because of the Bush give away to the drug companies. She had to declare bankruptcy. This was clearly not her fault. She is now on medicaid. To my mom that is shameful. Why? She didn’t plan for her catastrophic medical bills that her insurance didn’t cover. The insurance companies, Bush and Drug companies are really to blame, but instead she blames the victim for not being rich enough going into retirement. . My mom chose her husband correctly, my aunt didn’t and like a Jane Austen novel that one life choice makes all the difference.

Calling this “Republican rule” gives Obama and his fellow Corporatistocrats a free pass on their Wall St lovin’.

It makes sense for Wall St. Congress, the WH, the military, and every federal agency are working for the interests of Wall St bankers, not us. When are people going to see that there is no US government anymore?
The American people are being forced into subservience or starve, for mega rich bankers.
They’re on a roll so I expect the really cruel shit to start flying now.

This has been the wet dream of the Federal Reserve since it began.

In the end it’s not going to come down to jobs anyway. It’ll be the cohesiveness of family and community interrelationships that will keep us going through hunger and illness and all of the usual afflictions that befall mankind everywhere. Skills and knowledge that mean little in the context of the job market today may be greatly valued tomorrow. Not by any of these bought-and-sold politicians. They don’t give a rank fart in hell about any of us. But families and communities dealing with real hardship issues may rediscover what the true meaning of ‘values’ really is. At least that is what I tell myself when I’m able to maintain some semblance of hope in life. Mostly, I think what the populace at large needs most right now is a kind of deprogramming, a reassessment of priorities, and a new and better model of bullshit detector.

Just a few thoughts, there. Greetings all.

The unemployment rate in my county is 14.1%. I haven’t worked in over two years; my son in a year and a half. I’m trying to help him out as much as I can but I can’t keep two households going. He will soon have to move back home.

I hope they all die in their fucking sleep tonight. And I don’t care if that sounds petty.

Why don’t they just make up the shortfall, in funds, with some of the unused stimulus money. It may be a bit short sighted of me, but wouldn’t helping people stay in their homes and putting food on the table be, some what, stimulative?

Josh Mull is upstairs!
McChrystal’s Revenge: Everyone Hates Karl Eikenberry

Worker control of our own lives is the only answer! I was a liberal for most of my life, but it doesn’t work! Reformist measures will not work when class war is being waged. Socialism is the only answer. We should take the reigns. The amoral capitalists will never help us. We should help ourselves. ***Edited in Moderation*** Obummer is not on your side, man, and the sooner you realize this the sooner you will be free!!!

***Mod Note: FDL does not countenance advocacy of violence of any kind***

BTW, blaming Republicans is such a crock it’s insulting.

Besdies the phoney 60 vote majority, where’s Obama, eh?

Man, when he really wants something boy, he sure can do some
serious horsetrading. When it came to his POS taxpayer funded health industry bonanza, he had no problem putting women’s bodies on the chopping block.

But when it comes to extending unemployment or creating a jobs bill, he prefers to hide behind the big bad Republicans. Well he hasn’t failed in his true agenda, yet.

The US of A is over! Whatever dream that was manifest by our collective aspirations as a nation are toast. This is not rant or speculation, it is hard, cold fact. The elite are in charge, we the ‘small people’, are fodder for whatever machine they want to grind us with, and we are doing absolutely nothing of consequence to end the trajectory of our eminent demise. Will the corp elite worry that once we are gone there will be no one to grind up…NO!..they can’t see past their megalomaniac greed and immorality and the only winds of change they can recognize is that which emanates from their fat arses.

Candidly, we (in the nation as a whole sense) allowed this to happen. We were lazy and complacent, when we should have been tough and demanding, but too much of the Nation have been drugged and in a state of somnolence for way too long.

We are caught in a web of deception and lies that turns the labels of things and actions upside down. Evil is good, corps are saintly people, free speech is anarchy, slavery is freedom, politicians can save us, the police are to protect and serve.The bullshit is like a tower of Babel.

…and this has been the game plan all along! If the environmental disaster in the Gulf does not wipe us out, the economic fiasco with all it’s minions of kabuki theatre and self centered enrichment and stupidity will surely make us a nation of very poor, very hungry, very sick, very depressed, and very fucked citizenry. And if we get out of line on our way to the end game, we will be tazered, droned, and screwed into oblivion.

After all that hopey/changey, fuzzy-wuzzy crapola, we are stuck with no additional unemployment for the desperate who need it, one of the worst health care systems in the world, a dark and bleak future for our precious children and elderly, the rape and blunder of the SS and Medicare, a food and drug cartel that poisons us daily, and a ruling elite that has all the cards in their hands, except for our souls.

It is fucking exhausting to even wake up some mornings!

Josh Nelson is upstairs…
Plurality of Americans Skeptical of Pro-Drilling Congressional Candidates

The government allows big businesses to take manufacturing to Mexico and overseas, the corporations donate to politicians for more tax breaks and favors, the Republicans and tea party people tell people to “stop being so lazy and take care of yourselves, why should we have to feed you?” when all the skilled jobs are becoming extinct. This is a cruel, heartless game.

Obama has got to get on the bandwagon for this,and I think he will. The dems have to shove this down the repugs throats with all the noise we can muster. People have to know for sure that every single repbug voted against it. Now is NOT the time to worry deficts. We have to fix this country after 8 years of a disaster under Bush and his cronies.

If you are unemployed today in America your on your own. You watch as everyone backs away from you as if you have the Plague and then they watch and if you don’t find work they start to fidget around you and you start to get that look from even people you’ve known all your life. If on the other hand if your wealthy and have never worked a day in your life everyone wants to be your friend and it doesn’t matter if all you’ve ever done is be rich. So in reality it’s never really about work or a job it’s all about money. The other day an old friend of mine who is retired came by and while he was visiting another friend of mine stopped by and he’s a big Corp. manager makes big bucks. The retired friend three times made it clear that he was retired and wealthy also . He was almost frantic in his declarations as to make sure this other person knew he wasn’t merely unemployed. Being unemployed today means you are somehow defective it ranks up there with being a criminal or a mental patient. I never tell anyone I’m unemployed ever ever ever. I have two phony shell companies that I have cards printed to show I’m a business man. Both are real they just don’t make any $$. But, saying your unemployed to anyone but unemployment is socially dangerous.

YOW!! I agree though. Some mornings it’s hard to even get out of bed. Unfortunately, I don’t believe it’s going to get better any time soon.

The Republicans don’t just not like paying people unemployment, they dislike the people who don’t have jobs, and think their drug addicts and Hobo’s.

They are responsible for the people not having jobs, responsible for the Economic situation, and responsible that things haven’t turned around.

Yet Their are people who still think the Republicans should run the show.

Even after they slap them in the face, slap their children in the face, and slap the whole Country in the face by their ideolgy on Healthcare, Social Security, continued Wars, and defense and protection of all the big money interests. Some people still think they are the white knights and the Dems are the devil in disguise.

That’s not the worst, because their base still thinks they will look out for them, even after they have proven they won’t.

One can understand the slimeballs in Washington, because their slimeballs, and what can one expect from a slimeball. The people who support them are the ones it’s hard to understand, because even when in power they gave those people nothing, didn’t push their agenda’s, and kept no promises to them. Those who support them lost property value like the rest of us, many must have lost on the Market, and their pension plans had to have taken a hit. If they own businesses they must have lost revenue, while seeing local taxes going up.

Those are Republicans in Arazona saying the Governments not doing their job on immigration, and Republican Governors wanting to secede from the Union, and Republicans bitching about Capital and the Economy. Yet they would like it to fall on Obama, but they are the party of no. They think BP is being mistreated, and the Banks should be left alone.

Yet those Repulican voters are so dumb that they want those slimeballs in Washington to get back in control, so they can screw them some more as well as the rest of us.

Just as an FYI,

“The tipping point for potential civil unrest among a populace is when basic food expenditures take 50% to 60% of their income.”

Can’t remember this large and powerful a group of politicians showing such open disdain for working people before. Politicians who helped rig the game that put these folks out of work to begin with. And the vast majority will be re-elected. One very dumb country this.

Our only chance is to hold Obama & the Dems feet to the fire until they either do the right thing or admit that they want to be replaced by crazy Republicans.

And if the Dems really do want to be replaced by crazy Republicans then we shouldn’t stand in the way. Republicans may destroy the country a bit faster but the Democrats are traveling down the same highway to hell.

Republican, republican and again republican. If only the democrats were in power this would change. They would save us.

This is an old story. The truth of the matter is that there is not a whole lot of difference between the democrats and the republicans. That is really starting to show now that there is a crisis. It really is the WWE in D.C. Don’t fall for the trap, again.

It will be the tea party people and the other “truly” independent groups that follow after them that hold the solution for this country.

They are responsible for the people not having jobs, responsible for the Economic situation, and responsible that things haven’t turned around.

I am not a republican nor much of a fan. That statement is crap.

Love the Jane Austen reference; it’s something to think about.

The other day an old friend of mine who is retired came by and while he was visiting another friend of mine stopped by and he’s a big Corp. manager makes big bucks. The retired friend three times made it clear that he was retired and wealthy also . He was almost frantic in his declarations as to make sure this other person knew he wasn’t merely unemployed. Being unemployed today means you are somehow defective it ranks up there with being a criminal or a mental patient. I never tell anyone I’m unemployed ever ever ever. I have two phony shell companies that I have cards printed to show I’m a business man. Both are real they just don’t make any $$. But, saying your unemployed to anyone but unemployment is socially dangerous.

I have been unemployed for two years and collecting unemployment for 82 weeks, which is three weeks into the 20 week extended benefit period. The Senate vote, which effectively killed the extended benefit program, means that I have exhausted my unemployment benefits.

I am unemployable because I’m a 63-year-old whistleblower, but I’ve never had any doubts or regrets that I blew the whistle and I would do the same thing again, if I could turn back the clock. I may be poor, but I haven’t lost my self respect, and if former friends criticize me behind my back and avoid me socially, I don’t feel disappointed because I figure they never were a true friend and they aren’t worth knowing. Anyone who believes or says that my long term unemployment is persuasive evidence that I am defective, lazy, or mentally ill is at best a misinformed fool, and at worst, a cruel and vicious liar who gets off on disparaging others and blaming victims for being victimized. I would never choose such a person to be my friend, and he or she would never be welcome in my home.

There is no point in feeling guilty when you did nothing wrong and there is no point in respecting the Senate when it did nothing right.

It is a comfort to find so many people that understand that the national legislature is a good cop/bad copy skit, acted out to conceal the fact that both major parties have the same rich peoples’ agenda.

As long as the American people buy into the illusion of a two party system, things will continue to worsen.

Sooner or later, revulsion with the corporatist agenda will reach critical mass. At that point, people will understand the real purpose of the patriot act and the department of homeland security.

Good luck to you all.

There was no vote on the legislation. There was a vote on cloture (ending of debate), which allows the legislation to proceed to a vote. According to the Senate’s rules (which the Constitution permits it to set), 60 votes are needed for cloture. Otherwise, the underlying bill cannot proceed to an actual vote.

Perhaps it is you that needs to brush up a bit?

But couldn’t the Dems continue debate and not move on to other issues as Sen. Reid says he will do? I guess no one thinks the unemployed are important enough to tie up the Senate business, but it would be a good way to let the country see who is opposing help for the unemployed.

Au contraire – Perhaps it is you that needs to brush up a bit?

In U.S. politics, the nuclear option allows the United States Senate to reinterpret a procedural rule by invoking the constitutional requirement that the will of the majority be effective. This option allows a simple majority to override precedent and end a filibuster or other delaying tactic. In contrast, the cloture rule requires a supermajority of 60 votes (out of 100) to end a filibuster. The new interpretation becomes effective, both for the immediate circumstance and as a precedent, if it is upheld by a majority vote. Although it is not provided for in the formal rules of the Senate, the nuclear option is the subject of a 1957 parliamentary opinion by Vice President Richard Nixon and was endorsed by the Senate in a series of votes in 1975, some of which were reconsidered shortly thereafter.[1] Senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.) first called the option “nuclear” in March 2003.[2][3] Proponents since have referred to it as the constitutional option.

How are the democrats not equally complicit in this? I simply refuse to believe that 57 democratic senators and 1 democratic president can’t do a thing in the face of this. It’s just beyond the pale. Democrats deserve to lose in November with this spineless display of ‘leadership’.

I don’t know the historical references you’ve made, but the Constitution says the Senate shall decide. It doesn’t say how it ‘shall decide’ and it clearly doesn’t say the President of the Senate (the Vice President) can dictate on the issue.

Maybe they had a Republican Congress? Not likely in those days. Anybody know if this is hokum or what happened?

Maybe we could find a place in Nebraska to dump some of the Gulf oil. Heh.

There is already a ‘threat’ of NO BUDGET if the Blue Dogs & Repubs keep yelling for deficit spending cuts while refusing to mention DEFENSE CUTS.

Many want to end the wars too, so there’s a strong effort to get a good budget with some defense cuts and fewer whining Republicans.

I simply refuse to believe that 57 democratic senators and 1 democratic president can’t do a thing in the face of this.

Reality persists, even in the face of YOUR inability to believe something.
Republicans are to blame for unemployed people having no money to live on.

Stop carrying water!

You have to love this country, where most politicians speak from both sides of their mouths to remain in office and could care less about their constituency, as long as they are receiving their paycheck! Well, now that I have been deemed by our illustrious Congress a “Welfare Recipient,” “Hobo,” Ne’er-do-well, and refusing to accept a position below that of my salary history, let’s cease the sublimated, caste system equivocating of our esteemed elected officials and look at my own real-life situation. No, I shall not be whining, just stating the facts.
I am the son of a Building Contractor, grew up working and learning the business and eventually took over and expanded the business for 15 years, while at the same time I attended and graduated from college. After spending two years in physical therapy learning to walk again (following a severe construction accident) I returned to school for a second graduate degree and became an Upper Elementary, Middle School and Continuation High School Teacher, teaching all subjects, but also being the Math/Science Resource Teacher for 11 years, at the various schools in the Inner City. While teaching, I received yet another Education related graduate degree and after 11 years in the classroom, I made the transition to being an Adjunct, then Appointed Professor of Teacher Education for the next 10 year. With the budgetary upheaval in the universities, state budget crisis, and cuts in Education (cut teachers, there is no need to train more); I became a member of the “Unemployed Hobo Association. It is at this point that things become quite interesting and makes Congressional opinions, attitudes and comments so supportive, resplendent and filled with the knowledge of myopic wisdom.
I have lost count of the number of positions I have applied for in the past year, most of which have gone unanswered or filed in the circular file, but when a hopeful response is received, you are told the department is on the edge of collapse (or has already done so), you are too highly educated to want to consider returning to the classroom or you do not meet the current standards as set by the office of the Secretary of Education (three quick notes, both Bush and Obama are guilty of promulgating the demise of Education most; even if you have an outstanding success rate in the classroom, they want younger, less experienced teachers whom they will pay less; and if schools don’t do exactly what they are told (teacher guidelines) they face having their funding cut or vaporized); or if I hire you to hang drywall, dig foundations, frame or even attempt to sell building materials, you won’t remain with us (if they indeed have any work and are hiring) for very long because you are too highly educated, will either be bored by those you work with or try and take away my business.
So with over twenty years of construction experience (in all trades/phases) and 21 years as an Educator (ok, I’m being snotty, but I am far more than simply a teacher) I have been turned down for jobs stocking shelves and/or off-loading materials at Home Depot, nor can I get hired as a Middle School Teachers Aide, but, oh, that’s right I’m a Hobo, a Welfare Cheat and won’t ever consider a job that pays less!
Mr., Mrs., or Ms., Congress Person, I guess you have either forgotten or it was beneath you to know that I am the person who may have educated, you, your children, grand-children, at the very least some of your constituents and/or was the person, who unclogged your toilets, fixed/remodeled your home, was the person you called, at any hour, after the flood destroyed the floors & walls in your house or when the tree caved in your roof, that I am merely a conman and a bum, who you have supported far to long, at such an exorbitant wage.
Since that is your belief and with all the available time I now have not seeking honest gainful employment, I suppose I am going to have to reassess your future employment and do everything I possibly can, to make sure you join me in the bread-lines and experience the Caribbean Cruise Life, firsthand, outside you polished marble, hallowed rotunda.
Mike V. Bennett