Politics: Where we struggle to kneel in the muck.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Oops. Sorry for stealing your schtick. But you seem to think that the sole determinant of pay is how risky income from the job is. While, sure, that's one component, but there's also a value-added aspect that greatly outweighs the risk involved. While teachers may add little value, I very much doubt you think that, seeing as you're willing to pay sizable amounts of money to put your kids through private schools (which, it has been shown, do not themselves add much to ultimate income).

I'm not paying the money for the teacher. Didn't you read my post? You buy the name, and the connections being at such schools create. Our society is based on a false scholastic meritocracy. Its a brand name pay to play scheme - nothing more, nothing less.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Who are these government workers of which you speak? The ones fighting in Iraq or defending the country elsewhere? The ones who will douse your housefire after you leave the joint blazing on the sofa? The ones you don't want teaching your kids in public schools?

All but those who can prove they provide a necessary service. That, my estimation concludes, would wipe out about 35% of them, which is a good place to get some more cash for the soldiers.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Who are these government workers of which you speak? The ones fighting in Iraq or defending the country elsewhere? The ones who will douse your housefire after you leave the joint blazing on the sofa? The ones you don't want teaching your kids in public schools?

I think he's talking about me.

[Diane_Keaton]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.) there's also a value-added aspect that greatly outweighs the risk involved.

Cue, No Value Addled

[ilikenewsocks]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I think he's talking about me.

Do you work at the DMV? After reading the post that's who I figured was the target of the Sebwrath.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by ilikenewsocks
Do you [RT] work at the DMV? .

Well, that would explain how she's still on the road.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Well, that would explain how she's still on the road.

Lord help me, now I have witnesses that can confirm my driving, uh, skills.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I think he's talking about me.

God, I sounded like a harsh nut today. I don't hate all govt employees. I really hate all bureaucracies. I just don't see the usefulness of bureaucrats and the waste of money on them drives me nuts. Its like the small people who work with interogatories and discovery stuff and check cites and make admin rules their bible. All of these things in which the bureaucrats revel impede progress. To get anything done, I have to fight five bureaucrats who put me through artificial hoops to justify their paychecks. Just once, I'd like to make a decision and not get the "what about R. 4:14-6(b), relating to sworn affidavits not containing local notary stamps"? or call the state and get somebody to answer how I change title on a vehicle without transferring me three times and referring me to a site that doesn't work. Its not my job to deal with paperwork like that - that's the bureaucrat's - but he doesn't do it. So why not skip the process entirely and eliminate both the paper and the paper pusher?

[sgtclub]

"The prime minister and the president are here obviously to put their best face on the policy, but the fact is that the CIA estimates, the reporting, the ground operations and the troops all tell a different story," Kerry said.
Allawi told a joint meeting of Congress that democratic elections will take place in Iraq in January as scheduled, but Kerry said that was unrealistic.

"The United States and the Iraqis have retreated from whole areas of Iraq," Kerry told reporters outside a Columbus firehouse. "There are no-go zones in Iraq today. You can't hold an election in a no-go zone."

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by sgtclub Kerry comments

I am in the middle of reading this. Seems to be saying that things are sort of grim in Iraq right now. I don't see how it's possible to register people, much less hold elections at this point.

[SlaveNoMore]

Once again shirking his primary responsibility:

From Geraghty at the Kerry Spot

• On Wednesday, the Senate voted on whether to approve Porter Goss as the next CIA Director.
  
  On August 10, Kerry issued this statement: “I believe we must have fair, bipartisan and expeditious confirmation hearings on the nomination of Porter Goss to run the CIA. This is a key position in fighting the war on terror and should not be left vacant. But the most important position is one that hasn’t been created yet, National Intelligence Director with real control of budgets and personnel. We need to move urgently on this and other recommendations by the 9/11 Commission to make America safer. The most important thing we can do right now is reform and strengthen our intelligence services as the 9/11 Commission has recommended. I hope that Congressman Goss shares this view and will now support the creation of this important post.”
  
  Also, a Kerry release from August 12: “While the appointment of Representative Porter Goss fills a vacancy, it does nothing to address the urgent questions of how this administration will reform our nation’s intelligence system.”
  
  The vote result: YEAs 77, NAYs 17.
  
  Not voting: 6, including Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina.
  
  John Kerry says he has this "detailed plan" to fix intelligence. But when the next guy in charge is being voted on, Kerry doesn't even show up to vote? Had he done so, he could have gotten huge attention on his own ideas on how to fix intelligence. It would have looked presidential. Instead of his usual attack on Bush, Kerry would have looked like a guy who can't wait to get under the hood and fix what's wrong

[Not Me]

Originally posted by taxwonk
And yet, I don't hear you crying for the kids starving here in America, or living on the streets.

Where are kids starving in America? Cite please.

One of the biggest problems of the poor in the US is obesity. In the US, the lower your income, the more likely you are to be obese. Get your facts straight wonk.

Where are kids involuntarily living on the streets in the US? Cite please.

Everywhere in the US, if a child was living on the streets, they would be placed in a foster home. The only kids who live on the streets are runaways and they could easily walk into any DHS department in the country and asked to be placed in a foster home.

You are (once again) spouting off about things you nothing about.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Once again shirking his primary responsibility:

[stuff]

But when the next guy in charge is being voted on, Kerry doesn't even show up to vote? Had he done so, he could have gotten huge attention on his own ideas on how to fix intelligence. It would have looked presidential. Instead of his usual attack on Bush, Kerry would have looked like a guy who can't wait to get under the hood and fix what's wrong

This is a nifty debating point, but I'm not really convinced by an argument that in order to be "meeting his responsibilities," he should be sitting in the Senate chamber instead of travelling the country and campaigning, like every other presidential candidate in the modern era does.

[Not Me]

Originally posted by Gattigap
This is a nifty debating point, but I'm not really convinced by an argument that in order to be "meeting his responsibilities," he should be sitting in the Senate chamber instead of travelling the country and campaigning, like every other presidential candidate in the modern era does.

Some of them choose to reliquish their Senate seats so that their constituents are better served. But not this schmuck.

[Diane_Keaton]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I am in the middle of reading this. Seems to be saying that things are sort of grim in Iraq right now. I don't see how it's possible to register people, much less hold elections at this point.

…Three years after the attacks on the World Trade Center, attacks in which they played no part, the people of Iraq….

Um…..the people suffering right now in Iraq shouldn’t be suffering because they were not one of the hijackers? I can’t believe this crap passes so easily. If the writer really wanted to bring in historical events to discuss hardships to the Iraqi people the writer could have led with any number of events, including the initial imposition of sanctions and their effect on the Iraqi people as their leader refused to do what was needed to end them.

…have been liberated from one tyranny only to be remanded to another:

Well who’s tyranny are we talking about here? I think a Kurd (if there are any left) might prefer the current “tyranny” to the former tyranny. And what’s with this “remanded” stuff? As if the people of Iraq are completely powerless, unable to do anything but be "remanded" somewhere?