It reads as if E. Michael Taylor, Essex’s director of housing and community development found a stash of cash under the county mattress. Yesterday, Taylor handed out checks to Essex municipalities and non-profits from “a decades-old federal community development block grant” package. Checks ranging from $4,000 to $1.6 million were passed out, mainly for road improvements, senior and handicapped services, municipal face lifts – and Baristaville was one of the big winners, according to The Star Ledger. Taylor then made a surprise announcement – that an extra $4 million in federal stimulus funds was on its way to Essex.
For one, Alastair Bate, sporting the uniform of a major at the Salvation Army’s Montclair Citadel, came to pick up a ESG [Emergency Shelter Grant] check to help keep a roof over the head of the homeless — one of seven such grants totaling $269,207 for emergency shelters.
The $29,000 will support men, women and families who frequent the 21-bed Cornerstone House for overnight stays to remain beyond the typical 3 months. “In this economy, it’s very difficult to leave in 90 days,” said his business manager, Michele Kroeze.
When an official from Essex County Public Works Department picked up a large, mock check for $1.65 million, Kathryn Weller, a Montclair councilor-at-large, was pleased.
“Grove Street (Montclair) is on the list. This summer,” she said of a repaving project on that main county road.
Kathy Rempusheski, assistant to Nutley Mayor Joanne Cocchiola, was there to collect $98,000 to buy a senior-citizen bus and $115,400 for facade improvements — the biggest such award.
I sure hope that they re-surface some of the roads with 1,000 pot holes in less than 1/4 of a mile! I could suppy them with a good listing.
One hand giveth…
And Bloomfield taketh away.
Proposed BOE budget is a $4,000,000 increase to taxes versus last year, and work in progress municipal budget is 10% increase.
Is it any surprise the biggest award went to Nutley? I’m sure that had nothing to do with the fact Joe D lives there. No way. What a clown.
Where is the voter outrage over the confiscatory budget being advocated by the President? He expects the wealthy to fund his projects to give away money. And since we don’t have enough ‘rich’ people, you have to see how his budget will ‘trickle’ down and tax the middle class. How bout his plan to reduce the ability to fully deduct interest on the mortgages for ‘rich’ homeowners?
Come on, here, this guy is on a rampage to penalize Americans who work hard and are financially successful. He is going to create an environment where people won’t want to succeed because they will be unfairly penalized.
It is time for the taxpayers to revolt.
Got to love that Democratic sentiment. Lets tax the shit out of ’em and then things will get better!
Yaaaaayyyyyy!
Brilliant.
Hey Annette,
You spelled million incorrectly, with one too many ‘l’s; or was it intentional…
🙂
Come on, here, this guy is on a rampage to penalize Americans who work hard and are financially successful. He is going to create an environment where people won’t want to succeed because they will be unfairly penalized.
——————-
Yep, this is the liberal philosophy-to resent and punish those who are successful.
Paris Hilton neither works hard nor is financially successful (on her own, at least). Obama can tax 90 percent of her income for all I care.
“Come on, here, this guy is on a rampage to penalize Americans who work hard and are financially successful. He is going to create an environment where people won’t want to succeed because they will be unfairly penalized.”
Exactly. He’s penalizing investors and the entrepreneurial spirit. If you thought capital gains taxes under Bush were bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
Come on, here, this guy is on a rampage to penalize Americans who work hard and are financially successful. He is going to create an environment where people won’t want to succeed because they will be unfairly penalized.
All Obama is doing is repealing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, while giving the tax cuts to the middle class where they belong.
How bout his plan to reduce the ability to fully deduct interest on the mortgages for ‘rich’ homeowners?
At higher prices, all the mortgage interest rate deduction accomplished was to encourage people to buy more house than they could afford. As you’re aware, that’s what got us into this mess in the first place. Obama’s budget removes that incentive.
Yep, this is the liberal philosophy-to resent and punish those who are successful.
Yes, that makes total, logical sense. Take a look at jobs growth and the economy under Clinton and get back to us.
I am really upset about the BOE budget article in yesterdays Montclair Times.
Here we are in the 3rd year of a recession and with the largest drop in GDP in a quarter and the BOE has the chutzpa to ask for an increase?
Do people realize that the estimated tax revenue for our town might actually come out short? More Layoffs forcing people to leave, increased social expenditures, increased expenditures for crime fighting, less tax income from businesses are just some things which come to mind. And as far as raising additional money via Municipal Bonds goes, I believe the current credit markets is not ‘favorable’.
That the BOE contemplates increases at this juncture is appalling.
Heads need to roll…
I’m pretty steamed about the misspelling of million in the headline.
Hey folks, if you have your health, some food and a warm place to sleep tonight, all this moaning and groaning is just more piss in the wind. You sound like a bunch of wussies and babies. Suck it up and quit bitching.
Mike,
Clinton lovers (myself included) who tout his economy fail to include two points:
1) the Peace Dividend; and
2) the internet bubble
With that in mind his economy is not what some claim it to be.
With that, I love how no one mentions that 250k is a lot for a family– in Ohio, but perhaps not the same in Baristaville or NYC, SF…. I’d like to see these figures indexed to cost of living…
But that’s asking too much.
If you’re a family that can’t live on $250,000, then you need to find somewhere to live that’s more affordable. That’s a large chunk of change.
Earlier this month, the New York Times detailed how hard it would be for someone in NYC to live on $500,000 a year. The story lists all of a rich person’s expenses, including $45,000 a year for a nanny.
The Times reporter didn’t mention how the nanny manages to live on $45,000 a year.
Nick,
Can you get that same income if you move?
No.
Or is this how you, Obama, and other fellow dems like it: everyone lives in an apt. or a small ranch on 50k a year?
(While they live high on the hog? Kinda like Obama screaming about the importance of public schools, yet CHOOSES to send his angels to a private school? C’mon….)
“That’s a large chunk of change.”
From a national perspective, yes. But for a family of four living in Montclair, it doesn’t go all that far, nanny or no nanny. Certainly not poverty level, but not wealthy, either, as defined by Obama.
Maybe 250,000 a year isn’t enough for someone to buy a new car every year, and own a couple vacation homes. But to live a good life on 250k a year in this area isn’t even close to difficult provided you don’t get in over your head with needless things and living right up to your means.
Seriously, what financial hardships need to be faced at 250,000 a year anywhere? Sure that money is going to go a ton farther in 90% of the rest of the country, but to say 250k a year isn’t a lot of money is insane.
“Sorry honey, we had to buy you this two year old BMW for graduation, times are tough.”
So I’m suppose to feel sorry for a family of 4 “scraping by” on 250K? How about the family of 4 living on 150K? Are they not worthy because they made the tax cut?
“Are they not worthy because they made the tax cut?”
It’s not a question of how “worthy” they are. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s expensive to live in places like the NY metro area, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, DC. There’s a reason salaries are higher in places like these.
Considering that, yes, I DO live here, I have noticed. I don’t make anything close to 250K and manage just fine thank you very much. If those that are making 250K are having problems, perhaps they should reevaluate their priorities.
Confiscatory is a mighty big word Ice. Did you get that from Hannity?
Face reality people – the only way we are going to get the deficit down is to pay it down. We got here because we had a bunch of idiots who thought it was okay to cut taxes on the wealthy while funding two wars and then forking over money to a bunch of failed banks with no oversight.
I won’t feel penalized if my cuts are repealed and I never ever understood why people who get most of their income in the form of capital gains pay less than the rest of us. You know, like those hedge fund managers?
And Ice, if I’m no longer allowed to deduct the mortgage interest on my second home, I’ll live. The whole concept of being able to deduct interest on mortgages in the first place is to make it easier for people to buy a home. If you can afford the second one, you don’t need help on the interest.
“It’s not a question of how “worthy” they are. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s expensive to live in places like the NY metro area, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, DC. There’s a reason salaries are higher in places like these.”
And that’s why companies are moving jobs to other countries. Location strategy is and will continue to cause hundreds of thousands of layoffs for the forseeable future.
MB – it’s also because they don’t have to pay benefits like health care and pensions in other countries because the governments take care of that.
It’s not only hedge fund managers, JG. Last year, my siblings and I had to liquidate my late mom’s estate. Yes, I knew that we were going to have to pay capital gains taxes on it since it was not our primary residence, but I didn’t know HOW much until my accountant ran the numbers. Ouch! Do I think it was unfair? Yes, because I ALSO had to pay a fair amount of income tax as well. So, I got screwed twice and no one bought me dinner.
No, you didn’t get screwed. First of all, the estate had to have been over $600k since that much is exempt from taxes.
And inheritance tax is still lower than income tax. So how did you get screwed? You got the first $600k tax free? I’ll take that.
Not quite. If you sell a home that is not your residence (in other words, an investment), you have to pay capital gains on it. No matter if it costs $100,000 or $600,000. That’s the law. In addition, any money you earn from the sale of said home is recognized as income so you pay income taxes on it as well.
Welcome to Socialism people…take from the haves and give to the have nots. Pretty simple, if you don’t make $250k, you are happy with this and can’t wait to get your grimey hands on that tax cut money basically handed to you by the haves. If you make over $250k, you are not going to like this because you have worked hard to achieve a high level of success and are being penalized for it. What this country has been built on is being torn down. The fact that there is no distinction between $250k in NY/NJ and $250k in Nebraska is a joke. Find some measure from state to state where this number can be scaled to the cost of living. And yeah, I’m rambling!
So it wasn’t an inheritance, it was capital gains on an asset you sold. I don’t know who your accountant is, but you either have a capital gain, or you have income. Unless you were renting the home and getting “income” you should have only paid a tax on the capital gain.
I have a family and friends who are unemployed and shovel ready. Local government, get them back to work!
This economic slump is going to really highlight the group of baristaville residents I call threadbares. The people that live above their means yet feel entitled to do so and are outraged over the taxes, despite this area always being taxed more then the rest of the country. 30 years here and it never changes.
My favorite were the neighbors who were always borrowing money from neighbors to pay off credit card debt, but then looked down on those neighbors for not driving a BMW or belonging to BBTC.
Ahhh Montclair. Where my childhood memories of honeysuckle bushes and games of jailbreak are pressed against those of snarky housewives and vicious gossip.
No Corzine — I DO like this. I am tired of people like you and Ice being the spokespeople for those of us in the over 250k bracket. The money has to come from somewhere and the wealthy have been getting a great deal for years. The disparity in income levels between the top 1% and the rest of the people who also work very very hard for much much less is approaching that of many third world countries.
Ahh Jerseygurl, the dreaded limousine liberal. I work hard to have what I have, I deserve what I have, and I live within my means. Now I have to pay for the greed of the banks, the borrowers, and the gov’t that did not have the balls to put a stop to it b/c the economy was artificially booming. Now its the Haves mess to clean up. I don’t agree with that and am upset that I have to get bent over by Obama to fix it.
“It reads as if E. Michael Taylor, Essex’s director of housing and community development found a stash of cash under the county mattress.”
He did. And, if I know anything about County politics in New Jersey, there are many more mattresses out there…
What NoCorzine said.
I would get into this argument, but I would have to give myself a raise to qualify as a “have” and give up some wealth to be a “have not.” So I will let all y’all figger it out.
The real reason Baristanet is better than Talk Radio is that it is a lot more peaceful: it is still a veritable font of mis-information, but at least you don’t have to listen to it…
I feel the same way you do nocorzine. I work hard for what i have, I live within my means and always have. I have never borrowed. I lived with a 60 year old kitchen with no dishwasher in a tiny house in Bloomfield for 13 years and I buy my cars used and drive them until they break and now i have to pay for the greed and stupidity of others too. I would personally love to have the benefit of tax cuts but it’s just not freakin’ possible. We have giant giant mess.
Jerseygurl, not looking for a tax cut…but I am also not looking to get my taxes raised from the already high level that they already are at. I am by no means a millionaire, so don’t get that impression. I fall into the over $250k category, but by no means live high on the hog, which I think are the people most upset and affected by this.
Well we’re all affected by the economic collapse regardless of income level and there’s a lot of blame to go around but the reality is that we are still paying for two wars and bailouts and other people’s mistakes but something has to be done to keep it from getting even worse. So let’s try it Obama’s way for while because you and I both know it’s not possible to spend trillions and cut taxes and have it turn out okay in the end.
And why can’t I live the way I want if I can afford it?
Don’t hate on me (or tax me to death) because I saved, did without, and now have enough to buy a new car every few years.
And looking at who pays the taxes, it’s clear the MAJORITY of folks are getting the free ride (with the top 5% already paying about 60% of taxes…).
If you want fairness, let’s get a flat tax……
You live like a pauper and yet you have a house on the cape? Jerseygurl, make up your mind which persona you want to create, and stick with it. Good grief!
Welcome to Socialism people…take from the haves and give to the have nots. Pretty simple, if you don’t make $250k, you are happy with this and can’t wait to get your grimey hands on that tax cut money basically handed to you by the haves. If you make over $250k, you are not going to like this because you have worked hard to achieve a high level of success and are being penalized for it.
Obama is repealing the tax cuts given the wealthy by the last administration. It’s not like he’s raising these taxes to historic highs. Get a grip.
I love the “grimey hands” reference too. May I have more gruel govnah, or will I get whipped again?
I am stunned and appalled that far too many strings of comments on Baristanet seem to devolve rather rapidly into oh-so-repetitious attempts by a few folks to fling political sound bites at each other and (sadly) the rest of us. I am grateful not to have to listen to this poor excuse for dialogue, so I guess this IS marginally better than talk radio or cable TV punditry.
young@heart:
I love you.
Hey young@heart,
Since we disappoint, why don’t you find some academic (and boring) blog to read.
Or give us approved (by you, of course) talking points every morning since we’re oh-so-repetitious……
Who, exactly, is being “taxed to death”?
Crank, it’s when you keel over after looking at your new tax bill.
I don’t know about your family (likely) and friends (pretty unlikely), Comrade laserboy, but I do know that most everything you post is in fact “shovel ready.”
Jerseygurl, I wept, wept, do you hear me!?, as last I did for the Babylonians marching on Jerusalem, to learn that you lived with a 60-year-old kitchen with no dishwasher. And then I near lay down and died when I further read that you buy your cars “used.”
But do tell, is your house on Cape Cod at least better furnished with appliances? Does it have an ocean view? (Do you wear the same threadbare designer gown to the Grammys every year if it comes to that?) And do your “adventures in modern poverty” really call out for the literary services of either Charles Dickens or Jacob Riis?
And yet, and yet, through this all you clearly state that you don’t mind paying taxes! You are truly a princess compared to the rest of the plebs above. It is therefore probably YOUR turn to play at Lady Bountiful and to host and feed walleroo under your porch, to give Liz a rest there.
This liberal-conservative “philosophical” debate is getting pretty old. We’re talking about a very minor adjustment in the tax brackets. It’s not like Obama is increasing the marginal rate to 90 percent for toffs like jerseygurl who have homes on the Cape. And the poor (again, like jerseygurl, who lives on beans and rice) aren’t about to get rich.
Top earners have had a pretty good run in the past 30 years, as income disparities have widened. That’s come about as a result of tax and other policies, by the way, not some natural law that says anybody “deserves” what they’ve been getting during the bubble years, as though it’s some natural law of the universe that we disturb at our peril.
We’re all hurting here, and those of us lucky enough to still have jobs that pay anywhere near $250k are pretty well off. So quit your bellyaching.
It’s just that we’ve been at this so long, young at heart, that each of us already knows what the other will say before he says it. So why not skip through the arguing and go right to the personal insults?
So, Mr. Roo, what is enough?
Should the top earners just write checks directly to others? Or should we just wait till the top 5% pay ALL the tax instead of just 60%?
Your point fails to impress me because you cannot continue to ask so few to pay for so many.
At some point folks have to take some responsibility for their lives and decisions. (Not to suggest a progressive rate is not needed, I accept that, but looking at who pays should give everyone pause…)
Do I make my check out to Walleroo or is there another name for you? Let me shift my wealth over to you so it’s more evenly distributed. You have done nothing to deserve it, but since The One says its the right thing to do, I am fine with it.
I still think this is wrong on so many levels. Not to mention the underlying sentiment that people who make more than $250,000 are somehow evil capitalists while those who earn less are angelic in some way.
Nobody ever said the world was fair, people. There will ALWAYS be those who earn more money than others, no matter who is in the White House. It has nothing to do with who “deserves” it. That’s just life.
Evil sure, but we’ll happily take their cash!
LOL, yes. I’ve never know a lib to turn down the money.
JGurl…it is almost laughable. Everytime you respond to my posts you don’t try to refute them but rather make sarcastic remarks and assume everything I say is from Hannity. Funny, I still haven’t heard you defend Obama’s policies. I never see where you name your sources. Why the blind allegiance to a man out to destroy our capitalist system in favor of a failed European nation-state?
Like Conan wrote…this forum is more fun than talk radio cause we can’t hear the verbal bashing between the right wing nut jobs and the left wing commie liberals.
(the prof does not associate himself with the “man out to destroy our capitalist system in favor of a failed European nation-state?” comment.)
So when did Obama say he was stripping those valiant 250K+ earners of their hard earned wealth, and was giving to the grimey, lazy sub 250K class? I guess I missed that part in his speech.
But if so, this grimey one says thanks!
Those interested in the “philosophical” aspects of this debate may be interested to know that several studies, most recently by a prof from Syracuse, have rather conclusively established that those who define themselves as “conservative” are in fact much more likely to be personally generous in terms of charitable giving.
The usual reason for this disparity is ascribed to liberals’ traditional conviction that it is the state’s “duty” to fund charitable endeavors, thus that they then deserve a pass themelves when it comes to giving since they already pay taxes to the state.
In any case, I was rather curious to read above that Nutley accepted a rather whopping 98k for seniors’ transport (used school buses cost that much?) and another 115k for “facade improvements”….which is what, exactly, and where are such improvements being done?
But I was happy to read that the charity I personally try to support most generously, the Sallies, received a grant. Perhaps it stems from mere familiarity with the passing in church of the collection basket, but it’s been many years since I’ve ever passed a kettle without giving. And despite my own lack of a dishwasher, jerseygurl.
Ice, I actually did refute your comments. Maybe you couldn’t tell? And your response is to call me a “commie”?
FYI, my entire family came here with nothing because their homes and businesses were seized by the Soviet regime. So enough with “commie” and “failed European nation-state” comments, as funny as they might be they don’t quite accurately reflect Obama’s plan. As of today I know about 35 unemployed people, just today a man I know was laid off and he has a special needs kid who deserves to get health care despite the fact that a bunch of greedy assholes destroyed the economy.
“The man out to destroy our capitalist state”?
Are you serious?
You do know that Obama himself is a capitalist?
You do know that he earned more in his private life than most if not all of the folks who post here?
And I’m curious — which are the “failed European nation-states”?
France? The UK? Germany? Ireland?
All are hurting right now, as is the entire world. But by and large these countries have been quite OK, thank you very much. The average citizen or subject lives well, and has access to all of the little extras that you have right here in the USA.
Oddly enough, their life expectancies are longer, and they are less likely to fall victim to violent crime.
So it really isn’t all that bad in those “failed” states at all.
As for “libs who never refuse money” well, Gov. Palin has taken a shovel to the federal trough to get her fellow Alaskans plenty of cash> So has Gov. Jindal in Louisiana.
Interestingly, if somewhat anecdotally, I’ve read several places that applications to graduate business schools are way up this year. And in part because of layoffs elsewhere.
This is despite that it seems a fair bit of the blame for our current economic problems in fact comes from, well, MBA’s with sliding attitudes towards ethics and overriding interest in lining their own pockets. Plus ca change….?
Alright, Cathar. I was just trying to point that many of us who did live within our means, and still continue to do so, will be the ones paying for the mistakes of others. C’est la vie. Throwing a quarter into a Sallie kettle may be quite generous of you but I’d love for you to post more information about that study.
I think most of the people getting MBAs, Cathar, are looking to change careers. I think it will take some MBAs, in part, to get us out of the mess we’re in. Hopefully, this time around, there will eb some checks and balances in place.
The usual reason for this disparity is ascribed to liberals’ traditional conviction that it is the state’s “duty” to fund charitable endeavors, thus that they then deserve a pass themelves when it comes to giving since they already pay taxes to the state.
Did you make that up, or is it in this profs ‘report’ you mention. Cause it sounds like a guess to me.
Couldn’t this also be explained by the fact that very wealthy people also happen to be conservative? Of course there are more ways to be charitable than just money, like volunteering for the Peace Corp, and Teach for America, all of which I’m sure are stocked with Young Republicans.
It’s never a quarter (that was quite below what should be your standards but never is), jerseygurl, it’s always paper money and during Christmas season it’s 4-5 times daily. Plus checks in a “real” amount to Sally hq twice yearly.
The Syracuse prof is Arthur Brooks, and his recently published book (which sums up previous studies very well) is “Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide.”
There are many nuggets in Brooks’ work, alongside his core insistence that the real key to charitable giving is religious belief (never much in evidence on Baristanet, although claims of “spirituality” sure are) and affiliation, along with a comparable surety that the majority of these folks also define themselves as, lo!, conservatives.
Brooks mystifyingly does not, however, go into how many, or even how few, charitable givers suffer from a lack of dishwashers in their usual residences, own 2nd homes on the Cape or buy their cars “used.” (You also never specified which make of auto you buy used; there’s a big difference between a Dodge and, say, a Mercedes, after all.)
All of you would-be skeptics above, read Brooks’ book. Or at least a digest of it somewhere. Please also try to bear in mind that Brooks apparently expected to come to very different conclusions than he did. (And no one else is surprised, as I usually am, when politicians release their tax data and we learn for ourselves how little most of them actually give to charity?) How did all you people expressing economic concerns miss the discussion when Brooks’ important book was actually released?
Mrs. Martta, yes, it may well be that those applying to grad business schools are looking to “change” careers, though I suggest that many are simply trying to enhance their prospects in their chosen fields. Nonetheless, I feel pretty sure that an influx of newly minted MBA’s 2-4 years down the line won’t prove, on balance, much of a boon to either the economy or society in general.
And Mike 91, no, I was not, as you wrongly assumed, “guessing.” I’ve long been interested in the (presumed) politics of giving and the realities.
Nor do I or you have any even vague idea what the actual politics may be of members of either the Peace Corps or Peace for America, although I personally support compulsory service of some kind for all Americans and either of those two groups would do just dandy as well as the armed forces for those lacking a martial bent.
The last president had an MBA. The government is not a corporation so it’s not likely any number of MBA’s will help. Cathar, I will read the study although I suspect that religion plays a very large role since most “charitable” organizations are tied to some form of organized religion and most secular liberals would rather not want to give to organizations that are anti-abortion or anti – gay marriage. charity Precisely why I don’t give to the Sallies but do give money to animal groups.
Darn iPhone. Sorry about the typos.
All of you would-be skeptics above, read Brooks’ book. Or at least a digest of it somewhere. Please also try to bear in mind that Brooks apparently expected to come to very different conclusions than he did.
Oh I’m sure that the President of the American Enterprise Institute was absolutely ‘surprised’ by the conservative-friendly conclusions his survey came out with. Give me a break.
The Sallies, jerseygurl, while indeed listed in many such lists as a denomination(though General William Booth would probably have disagreed fiercely), qualify more as “disorganized” than organized religion in most ways.
And even to a lifelong Papist like myself, they seem to best reflect the charity-towards-all spirit of both Christ and St. Francis of Assisi. Whatever your concerns or apposite beliefs about issues like abortion and gay marriage, would you really rather see the poor and hungry go uncared for because of relative doctrinal nitpicking? (And would you just donate dishwashers to those who support gay marriage?) Such a moral clasping unto yourself is most un-Christian, one might plausibly suggest.
I think it could play out nicely as wedge politics.
Reaganism threw together poor and working class white fundamentalists (call it group A) with rich corporate types (call it group B) to create his coalition.
Obama’ s budget affects group B in a big way, so those folks are trying to scare group A (who are severely pissed at group A at present) back into the coalition so as to hold the whole rotten thing together. Look for a run on duct tape.
That you may not like the AEI, Mike 91, is one thing. That you might not share its head’s interes in the conclusions of Brooks’ book is quite another. That kind of rigid skepticism-by-way-politics is quite unbecoming to anyone. Doesn’t even go with the new spirit Obama is urging upon us all.
And while I have no idea if you yourself profess to be an open-hearted liberal, surely too if you’re one you might also wish to open your mind to conclusions which challenge much of the old conventional wisdom re charitable giving?
Hey Crodouche, as usual you are so far off base that you belong in the swamp. The narcissistic Euro states are depopulating into penurious dhimmitude as we speak. Already Britain censors and bans films and speakers who tell about Islam as it is. Our new head of Homeland Security is more concerned about hurricanes than dirty bombs or containership-launched cruise missles. France has regularly scheduled riots as we will soon. Germany’s gov’t is frozen much like ours has been. Ireland will soon be revisiting the reformation as they have for the last century once their economy devolves. Holding Europe as any model for anything is a bad historical joke. I curse the day that Wilson brought us into WW1 because we’ve squandered so much blood and treasure into cleaning up the uncleaned up shit that they have constantly produced time and time again from Ypres to Bosnia. We should never have been there and not be there now. The O has no sense of history and ability to manage his way out of a paper bag. His horrendous appointments of Clintonian montebanks and pwn’ing by the lamo Pelosi, Reid, Biden triumverate clearly demonstrates his lack of experience.
JG, my folks also had all their property confiscated by the communists, given your proclivities I suspect your family was a member of the useful idiot brigade that made it possible.
I beg to differ about MBAs. It will take a “biz brain” to get us out of this mess. Who better to understand how banks, Wall Street and the global economy work? It sure as hell ain’t Joe the Plumber.
It’s admirable that you give to animal groups, JG, as do I. But I don’t see how this is being charitable to people.
I think it could play out nicely as wedge politics.
Reaganism threw together poor and working class white fundamentalists (call it group A) with rich corporate types (call it group B) to create his coalition.
Obama’ s budget affects group B in a big way, so those folks are trying to scare group A (who are severely pissed at group B at present) back into the coalition so as to hold the whole rotten thing together. Look for a run on duct tape.
Mrs. M, I have an MBA, I would not think that makes me a great candidate for work in the public sector. I am charitable to people as well as animals. When I have been able to give time, as well as money, I have. I just don’t give money to religious organizations.
Hey Crodouche, as usual you are so far off base that you belong in the swamp. The narcissistic Euro states are depopulating into penurious dhimmitude as we speak.
The increase in muslim immigrants to Europe is due to the fact that the European quality of life was far superior to their homestates. Which kind of proves cro’s point. In any case it has nothing to do with ‘socialist failed states.’
The rest of your post is either anti-Muslim or rantings against our involvement in World War I. I’d switch to decaf if I were you.
When a term like “crodouche” is thrown out, it tends to stifle genuinely spirited debate. That one was totally unnecessary, and something like it tends to only confirm the already considerable predjudices towards sites like this of someone like young@heart. It also just sounds like sputtering bitterness, resentfulness that one cannot find “real” words with which to continue the debate. (In fact, it reminds me of lasermikey’s tactics!)
Aha, none other than jerseygurl herself, has an MBA! Yeehah! (Yet for so long lacked a dishwasher and was forced to perform in a 60-year-old kitchen.)
With that one, I am going to take a nice nap. One fueled very well this afternoon by the resulting relief I feel after jerseygurl’s “bombshell” of an admission.
But, Mike 91, the infux of Muslim immigrants to nominally Christian Europe is a bit more complicated a matter than just the seeking of better living and working conditions.
“I am charitable to people as well as animals.”
JG,
This sentiment will make me a perfect candidate for your largesse! My kitchen project is running a little overbudget and my cats need some new scratching posts and catnip toys.
Please send a check to :
MellonBrush
P.O. Box 1929
Indialla, HT
I don’t know. I kind of like “crodouche”. It has a nice Celtic-French flavor to it. Like Hennesey cognac, if you will.
And the fact that a world class moron like theproblem dubbed me with the name, well… I’m honored.
One can imagine theproblem’s ancestors being driven off their lands by Cossacks or Prussians or what have you. All the time muttering “douchebag” in their charming native language. Perhaps they’re from Upper Silesia (Wodehouse once pondered “If this is Upper Silesia, one can only wonder what Lower Silesia is like.”)
So there we are. Some interesting thoughts, good banter, and just a little bit of idiot thrown into the mix.
Good times.
Holy mackerel! jerseygurl has an MBA! Pass the defribrillator! Oh jersey, you are such a stitch. I may be falling in love with you. Or maybe it’s just bad pastrami from lunch.
You, NoCorzine, on the other hand… I have no idea what you do for a living (and I don’t want to know) but whatever it is, as a fan of unbridled capitalism you should understand that your recompense has nothing to do with what you deserve–whatever that means–but rather what price the market sets for your labors. Markets change when, say, one company succeeds in buying up all the railroads, or when demand falls for buggy whips, or when Big Pharma suddenly must suddenly negotiate over Medicare prices of drugs. I can think of a lot of deserving people who get paid crap, and a lot of undeserving people, like the geniuses who invented mortgage backed securities, who get gazillions.
By the way, your assumption that I fall on the short side of $250k is entirely your fantasy–I haven’t made an indication either way.
Mellon, i would love to help but if you haven’t noticed I’m a tightwad. I only re-did my kitchen when it was time to sell. Although my current home does have a dishwasher, it will be a long time before I contribute to someone else’s granite countertops although I’m more than willing to share all the research I did regarding appliances and cabinets. I hardly ever buy ANYTHING I don’t really need. That said, if you ever need a free meal, a helping hand or a place to sleep I’m happy to help out.
Cathar, I hardly think my MBA is a “bombshell” revelation. My undergrad degree is from NYU’s film school if that’s more in keeping with the image.
“..for those of us in the over 250k bracket.”
I don’t know how they uh – “roll” in Eastern Europe or in your circles of Ma. and NJ. But I can tell you that here in America, talking about how much you may or may not earn is gauche.
(prof wondering if he taught jerseygurl…)
Funny teller. Last time I looked NJ and MA were in America and I’m surprised a conservative like you would even consider using a French word like gauche. Being open about one’s income bracket is perfectly acceptable. Rudeness, however, is quite gauche.
Crank, do you really want to come off sounding like hansi/franz?
And are you even sure you can tell the uniform the Sallies wear from that of a hotel doorman, a Knight of Columbus or a “soldier” in the Fruit of Islam?
That you were a film student, jerseygurl, perhaps, just perhaps, explains your willingness to stay so long in a 60-year-old kitchen lacking a dishwasher. You know, the better to feel how Rossellini or Ken Loach once lived and felt.
I lost a lot of respect for the Sallies after one of their “officers” used his bulk rudely to slam me against a NYC subway station wall as I was trying to walk up the stairs. That f*cking hurt. He was an arrogant SOB, perhaps an exception in the organization but definitely a poor public ambassador for his cause. I never gave them a dime after that encounter. Perhaps I should be more forgiving.
So I guess it’s other folks’ contributions that are erecting their whopper of a new Citadel in the heart of Baristaville. Hopefully both the construction & the future occupants of the building will stimulate the B’ville economy.
The S.A. Citadel
Quite sure. Why would you even ask such a question?
Sound like hansifranz? I think not.
There are plenty of reuptable charitable organizations in this world. I simply prefer to support the ones whose members haven’t physically attacked me.
“Physically attacked” sounds like a projection, crank, if not a baldfaced exaggeration. Which is why I was trying to be gentle.
And yes, you resorted needlessly to “dirty words” in the best tradition of hansi/franz.