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Thanksgiving Day message from Rep. Kathy Hochul

By Howard B. Owens

From Kathy Hochul:

This Thanksgiving Day, as we count our blessings, let us also be mindful of those brave men and women away from their families, serving overseas to protect our freedom and defend others around the world. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. I wish Western New York and the nation a safe, peaceful, and happy Thanksgiving.

bud prevost

I'd like to say thank you to Mrs Hochul for her tenure in Congress. I am not a Democrat, but I appreciate how well she represented our rural district. Mr. Collins, please take notes and be a part of the solution, not the problem. Gridlock in DC starts in the House with your GOP cohorts.

Nov 22, 2012, 6:39pm Permalink
bud prevost

John, I'm pretty certain the big issue is the House, though the Senate is fairly inept as well. And I don't feel Hochul is the idealogue that Schumer or Gillibrand are. How about this....we agree the whole thing is a clusterphuck and hope that things change with the next Congress? Only thing is, same speaker of the house, same minority leader of the house, senate majority leader is the same,senate minority leader is the same and the same President....
change is probably improbable :(

Nov 23, 2012, 8:44am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

The problem isn't the politicians. Most of them, at least at their core are good people. The problem is the two party system. Partisan politics is the problem. It's the system not the people. Term limits won't fix that.

Nov 23, 2012, 10:52am Permalink
John Stone

The Founders of this great Republic actually warned us NOT to allow "career politicians". They knew that it would only be a matter of time before these "representatives" would throw us under the bus.
They were quite right, of course, as can be easily seen in Amerikkka today. The citizens who still have the capacity and will to engage in "critical thinking" are a rare breed anymore. Most Americans just want to do what they usually do, and as long as they aren't directly affected, they believe that all is well...
At this point, the biggest issue we have in this nation is one that can ONLY be addressed in the House of Representatives, but won't be addressed because of the career politician mentality.
That issue is the quite necessary step of initiating impeachment proceedings against the Pretender-in-Chief. Once those are started, it wouldn't take long to determine that the pResident is actually an undocumented (illegal) alien, and we could get on with cleaning up the illegal actions this traitor has taken. The best thing America of old could do would be to expunge everything that has his 'signature'.
I'm sure that the ignorant will do as they seem always to do, and will try to ridicule me over this "settled" issue. They don't have a problem putting HOURS of effort into bagging on those they call "birthers", but, ironically, they won't put in the vastly less amount of effort to actually check the facts for themselves.
News-flash: If you take this time, you cannot help but to become a 'birther' yourself as soon as a few facts become apparent, but as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, most Americans don't WANT to do that... It takes them out of their comfort zone.
It's just so much easier to toe the line that the media sets before you, because you have been taught WHAT to think instead of being taught HOW to think.
So, go ahead and show us your ignorance and hit me with the "facts" that "prove" Obama is eligible to sit in the office he has usurped. I'll be able to refute EVERY one of these fabrica... er... "facts" 10 times for every 'fact' you have. But... likely I won't waste my valuable time trying to enlighten the ignorant, as no matter what facts I show, they won't be believed because your "impartial" media doesn't want you to.
Just follow the lemming in front of you as he shouts "FORWARD!!!" The results will then simply prove themselves as 'splash-down" occurs!
Now... Turn on CNN, and go back to sleep, unless you REALLY want to have the hell scared out of you...

Nov 23, 2012, 11:05am Permalink
C. M. Barons

Gridlock is the logical result of a legislative body comprised of two, intransitive parties- unwilling to compromise, who's goals and leadership are polarized. There are only two solutions to gridlock: give one party or the other decisive advantage or include a third party. The ball is in the court of voters.

Nov 23, 2012, 2:27pm Permalink
mike nixon

Brother John! Preach On! Have you seen Obama 2016. Pardon my English here, It is some seriously scary shit! Keep your lamp lit brother, People will see the light or it will crash down around them. Either way, I will be ready, my family will be ready!

Nov 23, 2012, 2:41pm Permalink
John Woodworth JR

John, you will always get a negative result on this “majority” liberal site. I am sure the ones who gave you thumbs down are the ones who you spoke dearly about. However, they could be the "Voted for the Evil they know voters." Like Mike we should be scared, I do not believe we have seen the real Obama yet. This country is taking a deeper nose dive and we are not going to be able to pull up. America is online for a rude awakening. What is more disturbing is no one can truthfully tell you, where Obama really stands or what he really believes. The man is off limits to everyone. We have never had such a secretive President before yet, people and the media support this unknown person. Obama fancy himself like a modern day Robinhood. He is more like the Sheriff.

We need to set term limits. Look at Slaughter who has reap millions over her years as a politician and we still do not have any real change. We have more than two political parties. We just need to get rid of the electoral votes and go with the popular vote and we need to allow all Presidential Candidates' voices heard during the debates and have more than two choices. We need to get rid of negative campaign ads and start asking for realistic ideas of positive changes (Which Americans need to educate themselves on the issues and their candidate), Americans need to stop with the idea there is nothing we can do and start making their representatives answer and take responsibility for their failures. Stop believing you are weak. Look at the petitions started to separate from the Union. Texas is leading the 30 state petition. We have a President who has demostrated he is a weak leader.

It is funny that we have more control over state level politicians. So, maybe we should go with the state level policies and regulations and get rid of the federal level BS!

Nov 25, 2012, 6:36pm Permalink
Dave Olsen

Here's something that really bugs me, Louise "Methuselah" Slaughter is getting a 158 grand salary as a Representative, but still collects over 50 grand in Social Security and can't figure out why the system is going broke. Double Dippin' much there Lou?

Nov 26, 2012, 7:45am Permalink
C. M. Barons

Walmart is public-funded by more than $1.2 billion in tax breaks, free land, infrastructure assistance, low-cost financing and outright grants from state and local governments around the country.

Walmart policies increase reliance on public assistance:

80% of Walmart workers use Food Stamps; employees rely on $2.66 billion in help each year. That is $420,000 per store.

Store employees are the top recipients of Medicaid in many states.

When you count in all of the negatives: the public money expended on tax deferrals, subsidies and grants to support Walmart; public health care costs for Walmart employees (Medicare), food stamps and SSI for low-wage Walmart employees; and the lost jobs from businesses put out of business by Walmart; the loss of tax dollars from businesses put out of business; the lost wages from businesses put out of business; empty commercial buildings removed from the tax rolls; local wealth siphoned-away to Benton, Arkansas and overseas (where the products are manufactured); no one is better off except for Walmart owners and stockholders. ...Unlike businesses that are vested in their respective communities, that pay decent wages and pay local taxes; businesses that retain local wealth. Walmart vacuums wealth away and just moves on when the money dries up. In its wake is failure. The reason Walmart may be cheaper: taxpayers are underwriting their bottom-line. ...And that is more expensive than the perceived savings at the register.

Even if you've never set foot in a Walmart, you still subsidize the corporation and its employees.

Nov 26, 2012, 2:48pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

There's more data on Walmart because more opponents have studied it as emblematically of big boxes. Much of the same data applies to Target. Kmart I'm not as sure about. It's been around a lot longer and in it's early days may not have received the same level of government assistance. There's also Home Depot, Lowes and Best Buy to throw into the mix.

Nov 26, 2012, 5:10pm Permalink

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