The Skinny on Obama's & Romney's Views

I have heard so much about President Obama and Mitt Romney.  I really didn't know what to believe, so I researched it.  I went to their websites, their official websites, to get the real facts.  I have tried to be unbiased, but honestly, I am a bit surprised.

Here's what I found:

Topic	Obama	Romney
Higher Education	·   Has doubled Pell grants ·   For student loan reform ·   Created American Opportunity Tax Credit for college education	·   Against student loan reform ·   Will drastically reduce the number of Pell grants.
Healthcare	·   "Obamacare" ·   Affordable health care act ·   Calls for transparency in medical insurance ·   Children up to age 26 can be on parents insurance ·   Pre-existing conditions not reason for denial of coverage ·   Illness not reason to cancel coverage	·   Will work to repeal Obamacare ·   Cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits (in other words, you can't get punitive damages) ·   Empower individuals and small businesses to form purchasing pools ·   Prevent discrimination against individuals with pre-existing conditions who maintain continuous coverage (if you change jobs, you lose your coverage) ·   Facilitate IT interoperability (universal medical records so your medical records follow you.)
Medicare	·   Strengthened Medicare: ·   47 million Medicare beneficiaries now have access to free health services to help detect and treat medical conditions early. o  an annual wellness visit, o  mammograms, and o  other health screenings ·   Working to close the donut hole	·   Will phase out Medicare for those currently 55 and younger (Dismantle it.) ·   Will work for a "medical savings plan" for those people.
Medicaid	·   Will work to simplify application process ·   Will work to simplify Medicaid medical reports/claims. ·   Will work to improve coordinated care (have your doctors all work together)	·   Will defund and dismantle Medicaid
Social Security	·   Working to strengthen social security ·   Cracking down on fraud ·   Against privatization	·   Wants it privatized ·   Will raise eligibility age, ·   Will lower benefits
Military	·   Wants to expand and improve benefits: ·   Healthcare § fully fund the VA § make mental health a priority § speed up claims process § improve access for vets in rural areas ·   Education and training ·   Job assistance (Veterans Job Corp initiative) ·   Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior tax credits	·   Will increase federal spending on military ·   Will increase number of military weapons ·   Will increase number of active military ·   Wants to privatize the VA ·   Wants to raise Tricare premiums
Israel	·   Has raised US security assistance to Israel to unprecedented levels. ·   Recognizes Israel as a Jewish state and homeland. ·   Working to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.	·   Against a Palestinian State ·   Will support Israel to his fullest ability
Iraq war	·   Is ending the war in Iraq while working to ensure the safety of our troops.	·   Wants to get out of Iraq immediately.
Women's body/rights	·   Signed Lily Ledbetter equal pay act ·   Established the Equal Pay Task Force  supports the Paycheck Fairness Act ·   Created the White House Council on Women and Girls ·   Increased funding to enforce the Violence Against Women ·   Supports birth control coverage ·   Supports low cost and free health care for women ·   Supports ending gender discrimination against women for medical insurance ·   Passing the Affordable Care Act, helping to improve access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans and ensure that being a woman is no longer considered a pre-existing condition	·   Supports the Hyde Amendment, which broadly bars the use of federal funds for abortions. ·   Wants to defund Planned Parenthood ·   Supports Blunt amendment, a bill that was introduced to restrict access to birth control by allowing any employer the right to deny health insurance coverage for any benefit based on a “moral” conviction. ·   Will support a state's right to ban contraception ·   Supports equal pay for equal work. ·   Believes poor women should be required to work to receive federal assistance.
Abortion	·   Pro-choice , although he says he’s not pro-abortion. ·   He believes in a women’s right to choose and ·   in Roe vs. Wade. ·   Supports Planned Parenthood ·   Reversed the global gag rule, ending the ban on government aid for international groups that provide abortion information ·   Fought against Republican attempts to defund Planned Parenthood	·   Pro-Life ·   Will work to overturn Roe v Wade ·   Condemns China's 1 child policy ·   Life begins at conception
LGBT issues	·   For gay marriage ·   Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” so that gay men and women can serve openly and honestly in the military ·   Passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act—adding the words “gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender” to the federal register for the first time in American history ·   Declaring the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” an unconstitutional and unfair burden on America’s LGBT families ·   Implementing our first national HIV/AIDS strategy	·   Against gay marriage ·   Will work to pass Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
Gun Rights	·   agrees to an individual's right to bear arms, in principle, but does not take it as an absolute right and considers it as a negotiable subject	·   Will expand rights of gun owners
Education	·   Passed the Recovery Act to save 300,000 education jobs, ·   Offers assistance to school districts in need. ·   Worked to raise grade school standards.	·   Supports no child left behind ·   Wants to get rid of Dept of Ed. ·   For vouchers for private schools ·   For abstinence only sex ed. ·   For evolution taught, not intelligent design ·   For prayer in school
Taxes	·   Tax cuts for families with income less than $250,000/year.	·   Raise tax rates for middle class. Lower tax rates for corporations
Energy	·   Lowered our reliance on foreign oil ·   Supports use/growth of alternative energy ·   Supports fuel efficiency goals	·   Will lesson regulation and will support nuclear energy growth.
Stem cell research	·   Passed Wall Street Reform ·   Passed Consumer Protection Act ·   Passed Credit Card Bill of Rights	·   Will work to ban stem cell research
Welfare programs	·   Trying to strengthen welfare ·   In favor of welfare to work; however, would allow for waivers.	·   Welfare to work only.
Banks and Wall-street	·   Will hold Banks and Wall Street responsible ·   Enacted Credit Card Bill of Rights for consumer protection ·   Enacted Consumer Protection Act ·   Consumer Financial Protection Bureau	·   Will work to deregulate both.
Climate Change	·   Will reduce the federal government's greenhouse gas emissions from direct sources such as building energy use and fuel consumption by 28 percent by 2020.  ·   He also directed Federal agencies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from indirect sources, such as those from employee commuting, by 13 percent by 2020.	·   Denies it exists

One Step at a Time

Human rights are for everyone.  Every single person on the planet has a right to live a life free from war,  violence and fear.  No one has a right to threaten, abuse, rape, or kill another.  Nothing should cause one person or group of people to hurt another, not race, religious beliefs, nationality, gender, or anything else. Ever.

It's pretty talk.  They are the right words.  They are the right words to say we believe so that we are acceptable to others. They are the words we spout cause we think they are the right ones to say.   But, do we really believe them in our hearts? Do we live them? Do we teach them to our children?

We try to out dress, outperform, outdo each other. We bully people who are different yet we idolize people for being wealthy, or outrageous such as Snookie or the Kardashians.  We watch "reality tv" such as Real Housewives, Basketball Wives,  The Bachelorette, Jersey Shore, Teen Mom and more.  We happily discuss these shows and people and their antics over our $6 cup of coffee.

We battle over what is right and wrong.

We condemn gays and lesbians for wanting to make a life, get married, adopt unwanted children and give them loving homes.

We tell women who have been abused and raped that they have no control over their bodies.  They can't take birth control or have abortions.

We cut and condemn healthcare benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, thus denying those most in need of the most basic health care. Yet, we go to the doctor for every scratch, sniffle and cough.

We throw out tons of food daily. We waste fresh water with leaky faucets.

In the meantime, there are children who go days without food and don't know what fresh drinking water is.  People who have no medical care.  No bed to sleep in.

They are hungry.             

                Sick.

                                Sad.

                                                Cold.

                                                                Fearful.

Let's stop judging. Let's stop carping.  Let's stop bullying.  Let's stop competing to be the best dressed in the biggest house with the fastest, snazziest car.

Let's stop bickering and killing each other over whose religion is the right one.

If we take this wasted energy, this wasted time, and lives and turn them around to do something good we can:

Feed the world

                Provide healthcare to those in need.

                                Provide shelter and clothing  to the homeless and cold.

                                                Provide safety and security for those who live in strife and fear.

We can change the world. 

It begins with one step.

Changing ourselves.

All the children of the world...

We have learned all we need to know in kindergarten it is said.   I think we learned it in Sunday school.


Civil rights should have been a given. Everyone is equal.  No matter what.  We learned that in Sunday school, didn't we?  I seem to remember the first bible song we all learned.

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world

ALL THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD.   I don't seem to remember a caveat about homosexuals or women.  He loves us all. Without judgment.  Without question.  Everyone is equal in Jesus' eyes.

Weren't we taught that Jesus died for our sins? A friend once said that it was a comfort to her to know that no matter what she did or thought, it could be forgiven because Jesus died for her sins, too.  If we are truly forgiven for all of our sins in the eyes of God, then how can we judge something as sinful because we disagree with it?

Speaking of judgment, we were taught in Sunday school that God judges us.  GOD JUDGES US.  Not the minister.  Not the guy down the street.  God.   By judging others are we not usurping God? By condemning gays and taking away their civil rights, are we not saying that we do not trust God and His judgment?

The ten commandments were taught to us as children.  They are in the Old Testament, the Torah and the Koran alike.  They are the basis to a civil society and, to be honest, just common sense in many ways.

Need an explanation?  Let me explain it.

Don't worship any gods other than God.  When we worship gods, we lose focus. We forget what is important.  Our fellow man.  Our families.  Taking care of the stewardship of the beautiful planet that we were given.

Do not make and worship idols of any kind. Again, when we do this, we get off of the track.  It's like on the movie, Bug's Life.  The ants work themselves to death to gather food for an offering to the crickets. They let themselves and their children suffer to make sure that the vengeful,  crickets have enough food to make it through the winter. We shouldn't do this.  God wants us to be healthy, happy, loving, caring of each other as we would take care of and honor Him.

Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God.  No, this doesn't mean don't say god-damn or anything like that.  It means, don't do things in the name of God that are unkind, unloving, judgmental,  hateful, harmful or in any other way detrimental to anyone.  A few wild things that come immediately to mind... The Spanish Inquisition.  Witch Burning. Slavery.  Jim Crowe Laws. Gay Bashing.  Women Hating.  Yes.  Gay bashing, and making women subservient is as bad in the eyes of God as Hitler's genocide of the Jews. It really is.

Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Everyone needs a break. Everyone.   No one can work 24/7/365, day in, day out, year in, year out.  It diminishes our souls and our sense of self.  Everyone needs a break.  When we don't, we get careless, grumpy and make mistakes in dealing with each other and in life.  Moms, dads, bosses, employees, and  even kids need to stop, take a nap, think,  and get centered again.  It's  a go-go-go world and always has been.  We need to stop for ourselves and each other.

Honor your father and mother:  Generally, our mothers and fathers love us and mean the best for us.  As children and teens, we need to listen to our parents.  Even as adults, sometimes we need to listen to our parents as they continue to love us and want the best for us.  However, some  people use this commandment to abuse their children.  Being honored, as God directs, means that we as parents must be honorable.

Do not murder.  This one is simple.  We shouldn't kill others.  Life is a precious commodity and way too short.  Life is to be treasured.  No one has the right to take life away from anyone else.   Doing so diminishes us all.

Do not commit adultery.  When we marry, we make promises to each other to love, cherish and honor our spouse and by doing so, ourselves.   One way we can honor, and love our spouse is to stay faithful.  That bond, when given freely and kept, is a precious connection which enriches us all.

Do not steal. We should be able to trust each other. We should be able to enjoy the bounties of this earth without worry, without locks and security systems.  We all work hard for what we have.  If you need something, ask.   We should treat each other with kindness and respect, and that means  respecting others possessions.

Don't lie about others.  Gossip.  Telling tales out of school.  Bullying.  We all know that we shouldn't lie about others.  It doesn't mean just perjury in court, it means in life.   Abuse isn't just physical,  it's verbal and emotional.  These scars are harder to heal. Saying something that is mean, cruel or hateful spreads negativity throughout the world.  "What you do to one, you do to me."

Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else your neighbor owns.   Jealousy is bad for everyone involved.  Working hard to buy things to make  your neighbors/friends jealous is just as wrong as being jealous.  We should be happy for those that achieve honestly.  We should endeavor to do the same ourselves.

What it all comes down to is this:

We should strive to be good people, hard workers, and honest, supportive friends, siblings, parents, children, neighbors and citizens of this Earth.

We need to stop judging, stop condemning.  

We need to start loving.

Everyone.

Propaganda Check

I get so frustrated with the blatant lies told by candidates and their supporters. I want the unbiased truth before I make a decision.  Otherwise, as a wise woman once told me, it’s propaganda.  I endeavored to find sources which are independent and do not side with one political view over another.

First, the economy and national debt:

Since President Obama has taken office, the national debt has risen $5 trillion.  Of that, $5.1 is due to the policies set into place by President Bush BEFORE President Obama took the oath of office. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/adding-to-the-deficit-bush-vs-obama/2012/01/31/gIQAQ0kFgQ_graphic.html)(based on figures from the center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

Timeline:

<·  Jan 2009 President Obama sworn into office

<·    February 2009 job losses slow dramatically and has risen from a negative 800,000 in January 2009 to a positive 100,000 in April 2012.

<·   February 2009 GDP begins moderate growth after falling during President Bush’s term.

>·  June 2009, the economy begins moderate growth which continues on today. 

Secondly, the budget:

President Obama, not MR. OBAMA as many disrespectful people say (but that is a subject for another day), has submitted a budget proposal which includes the following:

    ·     Restoring the estate tax rule which taxes an estate over $3.5 million, (raising ~$119 billion for the budget.)

<  ·  Corporate Tax Reform, including limiting “pass-through” entities, reducing the breaks for corporate debt financing and overseas investments.

Governor Romney’s proposals, which do not balance the budget requirements, include cuts in

<  ·    Medicare,

<  ·   Medicaid,

<  ·   veterans disability compensation,

<  ·  SSI,

<  ·  SNAP (food stamps),

<  ·  WIC and

    ·  other programs

Why would we cut the funds for those of us in need – our VETERANS, our poor, our children, our sick and our senior citizens?  (http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3658)  Currently, 2/5ths of households which participate in the Food Stamp (SNAP) program are below the poverty line.    Our disabled veterans served with honor and without question and now, we want to cut their benefits?  They served and now no medical care, no education, no assistance at all?  Our senior citizens paid into Social Security and Medicare and now, we are going to say “Sorry”?  We call ourselves a “Christian” country, but we want to starve the poor, ignore the indigent and the sick? 

Contrary to popular belief, 9/10ths of all entitlement benefits go to the elderly, disabled or working households, not to slackers or those who chose not to work.  Assistance with medical care, food, school lunches, low income energy assistance, rental assistance and so many other programs go to this population.  These programs are not turning us into an entitlement society as Governor Romney suggests, but into a society where one gives a hand up. (http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3677)

So, in essence, we want to vote for and place into our highest office a man who will run over the poor, the soldiers, and the elderly while calling himself a godly man whose policies benefit the wealthy?  Is this what we want?  Really?

Not me.

Lastly, spending:

Another fallacy is that President Obama is lying about his great spending record.  The truth is in the facts.  Spending under President Obama has only increased at 1.4 percent annually in his first term (through FY 2013), lower than any president since Dwight Eisenhower.

Annual Spending Growth by Administration
	Total Spending			Primary Spending	Non-Stabilizer Spending
Administration	Nominal Growth	Real Growth	GDP-Adjusted Growth	Real Growth	Real Growth
Kennedy/Johnson	8.2%	5.4%	0.6%	4.4%	5.6%
Nixon/Ford	10.5%	3.8%	0.9%	3.8%	3.4%
Carter	14.1%	2.8%	2.3%	2.7%	-1.1%
Reagan	6.5%	2.6%	-0.8%	0.6%	2.7%
Bush I	5.4%	1.5%	0.3%	-2.3%	1.4%
Clinton	3.5%	0.9%	-2.0%	-0.6%	0.9%
Bush II	7.8%	5.2%	3.7%	4.5%	5.0%
Obama*	2.4%	0.3%	-0.9%	-1.4%	-0.2%

^{Sources: CBO, OMB, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CRFB calculations
*Uses President's budget spending for FY 2012 and 2013}

So there are the facts.  President Obama is not lying about his spending or his record. 

Please, do something for yourself and for all of us:

    ·  Check out your facts before making your decision about for whom to give your vote. 

<  ·  Don’t spread propaganda.

<  ·   Don’t let anyone or any group tell you what to believe. 

<  ·   Check your sources of information.  

And, vote or the person who supports your goals whether they be education, feeding the poor and taking care of our veterans, our ill and our elders.

Don't grow up too fast

I admit it. I do.  I really enjoy a lot of "kids movies".  Despicable Me and Up are two of my favorite movies.  I just can't imagine missing these wonderful gems!  They both have tried and true formulas.  A crusty, lonely person ends up taking care of a child or children unexpectedly and even though they resist, they find their humanity. Everyone is the better for it.

There are movies with extreme violence, hatred, bigotry, infidelity.  Movies with sex, car chase scenes, murder and mayhem.  These movies sell out year in and year out.  Yet, people miss out on such laughter, joy and sheer entertainment simply because the movie may be classified as for children.   Are we that jaded?

I have watched Despicable Me 10 or more times.  My husband and I have watched Up so often that we can quote lines from it. There is something in these movies for everyone, no matter the age.   In a scene in Despicable Me, the main character channels a dancing John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. In a scene in Up, a ferocious, scary Doberman Pinscher tries to deliver his sinister lines while sounds like he has been inhaling helium.  These movies are bright and uplifting.  They help us to remember not to take things for granted, to love, to just be happy.

So, do your heart and your soul a favor.  Watch Up or Despicable Me or Ratatouille or any of the great animated movies.  You will be glad you did.

Why not upset the neighbors?

We have a new neighbor who has a dog that they allow to run unleashed. This
dog is vicious. It runs after children, adults and other animals, growling and snarling
the entire time. Evil was unleashed into our neighborhood in the guise of this dog. The
owners could not care less what effect it has on their neighbors. But, I was told that I
should just let bygones be bygones and not upset them!

Last evening, the dog went after 2 small children and their mother who were
taking an evening stroll. Then, it went after a woman walking her dog. Both times,
my son ran out to help the screaming, frightened people. Then, he called the police to
report the dog. Later that evening, I went out front to put something in my van when
another neighbor came by walking his dogs. I stood there and watched as he passed
the dog’s house. Nothing happened as the dog was not outside. The dog-walker
noticed my relief and commented on the dog. I said that I wish someone would do
something such as call the police and report it. His response: why upset them?
What? I should not upset the vicious dog owners by calling the police or animal
control? Excuse me? What about all of the people they upset, scare, offend and
maybe even bloody by letting this beast run loose?

Where is the logic in this? Do we not imprison murderers, rapists and other
offenders as we don’t want them angry? Do we not correct our children as it might hurt
their feelings? Do we let this vicious dog continue on until someone is hurt, bleeding or
Me, I am offended by this neighbor’s actions. Maybe they better worry about
upsetting me. I just might smile and wave hello or *gasp* bake them a cake!