I hate the GOP leadership

How are we going to survive 4 more years?

Yesterday,s New York Times editorial was about the GOP leadership looking to cut, and possibly eliminate the Pell Grants that enable poor and worthy people to get a higher education Link . Now that the election is over, all holds previously barred are unbarred, including these massive strikes in Iraq, and the raping of our society here. The massive rout in Iraq was necessary, I suppose, given that we allowed the insurgents to run off with all the weapons, and then had to go find them to prevent a lot of future bombings. But still, we've destroyed a city to get them back. We've killed lots of people to get them back. What a major screw up.

But, back to the Pell Grants......... were it not for the grants, I would not have been able to go back to school. It would have just been totally beyond my reach. I was on welfare at the time, back in the late 1970's and '80's. I had a dipshit husband and two kids. Welfare sustained us, though I knew it wasn't how I wanted to fashion my entire life. I knew I needed to go back to school, or I really was going to spend the rest of my life on welfare or low-paying, non-sustaining jobs. I needed more, not just for the money, but also for my intellectual growth, and my self asteem. So, I applied for Pell Grants, was approved, and went to college. With the two kids, ten years, and additional student loans, I got my professional degree, a Bachelors of Landscape Architecture. I subsequently took the 3-day, misery making licensing exam, passed and now am a gainfully employed person.

I now make almost $80K/year, of which a substantial chunk goes to taxes. So, instead of supporting me on a sub-subsistence living for my entire life, the Pell Grants have enabled me to be a contributor to the general economy of this country. The Pell Grants worked for me and thousands and thousands of other low income individuals, allowing us to give back to the government over and over and over what they gave to us. In other words, by not paying into a significant program now, we will all pay through the nose later in the added costs to society, and the loss in future revenues. In fact, though, the cost to fund the Pell Grants is chump change compared to what the feds spend in overall budget expenditures. There is absolutely no savings worth a damn to be made by cutting these grants. It's short sighted bullshit.

This is sickening. And, adding insult to injury, the GOP leadership and all they misguided followers want to reduce, if not eliminate entirely, the entire welfare program. What the fuck are people supposed to do? How does giving tax breaks to people at the top going to stimulate the economy, when at the same time they are proposing to take away any assistence at the bottom. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to see that more and more people have become homeless, lost health insurance, and educational benefits under this oppressive GOP leadership crap, and are losing more and more of any hope of ever moving up. More and more people resort to drugs and crime, as poverty doesn't really allow much else, and the solution....... build more prisons to house the poverty stricken, outsource the adminstration and maintenance of them so corporations make tons of money on them from, yup, you guessed it, Uncle Sam. Or, should I say "Uncle Scam"? The far reaching ramificatations of defunding such a simple program is huge and wide spread.

I hate the GOP. I hate them so freakin' much. They are the most selfish, self-serving, short sighted, stupid, did I say selfish and self serving, ignorant assholes. No holds barred from me. I will continue to fight this crap for as long as it takes to unseat these assholes. I hate the leadership and I hate the people who support them. They are an insult to society at large.
16,918 views 42 replies
Reply #1 Top
Umm out of 80 k a year exactly how much do you pay forward to others less monitarily challanged?
Reply #2 Top
I hate the GOP. I hate them so freakin' much. They are the most selfish, self-serving, short sighted, stupid, did I say selfish and self serving, ignorant assholes. No holds barred from me. I will continue to fight this crap for as long as it takes to unseat these assholes. I hate the leadership and I hate the people who support them.


I would sudjest a yoga class to lower some of that rage you got there. We sould be lucky that you have the internet to let that rage get released. I would feel sorry for the next Republican you come accross if you didn't have this outlet.

That's My Two Cents

P.S. I am serious dabe.
Reply #3 Top
Unless you stop reading that rag (NYT), you're going to need some serious blood pressure medication real soon, dabe. Know what & where all this hate-spew is going to get you? Zip, nada, zilch and nowhere cubed.

Thanks for sharing. Maybe there was something in that Turkey?

Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #4 Top
To back up just a little, let me say congrats to you for what you've accomplished. Judging from your grit (as expressed here), I suspect you would have found another way had Pell Grants not been an option. As much as I disagree with the politics and tone of your post, your story is one of determination and success and is to be admired. Props to you.

Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #5 Top
I hate the GOP leadership

By: dabe
Posted: Friday, November 26, 2004 on Dabe's Site
Message Board: Politics
No holds barred from me. I will continue to fight this crap for as long as it takes to unseat these assholes. I hate the leadership and I hate the people who support them. They are an insult to society at large.


Your in for a helleva long fight. And if you hate people like me ( who support the GOP) then I guess it's alright if we hate people like you?

I would have to say you also are an insult to society at large.
Reply #7 Top
As much as I disagree with the politics and tone of your post, your story is one of determination and success and is to be admired. Props to you.


Thank you, Daiwa. Yeah the turkey was goooooood. As for my determination and grit, yup, I've got it. I also know truly that without the Pell Grant, I would have been screwed. Maybe I would have found a way, but that's missing the point of my article. Lots of people without grit and determination would not have found a way, Without being born with a silver spoon, a lot of people would have been screwed. So, why, when the cost to the overall federal budget is so, so insignificant, why do away with the program? It just doesn't make any sense at all. Particularly in light of the tax breaks to wealthy people who do not need the assistance. That's my point. Another point is that I am so completely sure that if we had a democratic administration, the Pell Grants would not be axed. This really is a huge separation between philosophies and ideologies of the left and the right.

By the way, Daiwa, you've put up with a lot of my verbal abuse, yet you come back with such a smile all the time. I know we will never see eye to eye on lots of issues, but I do know that I can learn alot from you. Thank you.
Reply #8 Top
And if you hate people like me ( who support the GOP) then I guess it's alright if we hate people like you?


drmiler, I will always hate you, and everything you stand for. You're a disgrace. As for which one of us is the insult to society at large, you're the fascist, homophobic, racist disgrace. You make me sick. As for whether it's alright if the GOP hates people like me, well, that's not anything that we give a rat's ass about.

Yeah, I'm in a helluva long fight; I'm in it for the long haul. That's my grit and tenacity at work.
Reply #9 Top
I would sudjest a yoga class to lower some of that rage you got there. We sould be lucky that you have the internet to let that rage get released. I would feel sorry for the next Republican you come accross if you didn't have this outlet.


I'm really not sure whether to say thank you for your concern for me, or just write you off for missing my point.

As for my rage, I'm not a gun-toting psychotic waiting to blow away the first GOPer who crosses my path. I'm just a person who is determined to express my outrage at what I see is an increasingly devisive and corrupt administration. So, I come here, having found this place via my interest in skinning, this predominantly republican blogsite, to express my views. I have no desire to go to a left blogsite and preach to the choir. There are plenty of people doing that. I originally came here with some sites I felt like sharing. Then I was accused of being condescending and patronizing. Then, accused of being downright kook and lefty pinko nutcase. So, I just let all my emotions over the politics hang out. I don't need to see a doctor to lower my blood pressure (which hovers around 110/70), thank you very much. Yeah, I have rage over what I see as global injustices being perpetrated by the Bush administration. Yeah, I will fight it till they are exposed for the frauds that they are. That's me. That's my tenacity.
Reply #10 Top
Umm out of 80 k a year exactly how much do you pay forward to others less monitarily challanged?


Truly, I don't understand what you're asking here. Do you want to know what I pay in taxes? Do you want to know how much I contribute to charities? How much I pay to pay off my debts incurred from being a single parent? Does "less monitarily challenged" mean make more money than me? Why would I pay forward to them? Hmmmmmmm..........



Reply #11 Top
drmiler, I will always hate you, and everything you stand for. You're a disgrace. As for which one of us is the insult to society at large, you're the fascist, homophobic, racist disgrace. You make me sick. As for whether it's alright if the GOP hates people like me, well, that's not anything that we give a rat's ass about.


Come on, dabe - don't hold back, let it all out. You bucking for Condi Rice's job?

Sorry, I cracked up laughing at that reply. Only thing I could do. Would have done Carlin proud.

And thanks for your kind words, however undeserved - I've gotten a little cranky with you on occasion, as I recall. And I think we all learn from sharing ideas, long as we don't let our emotions get too far away from us. Hopefully, we'll all come away a little more aware & understanding, though I doubt drmiler's in too understanding a mood just now. I may disagree about a lot, but I'm beginning to cotton to your style & sharp wit (fascist & racist might be a tad over the top, though).

Glad the Turkey was tasty.

Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #12 Top
It's posts like these that make me proud to be a Republican!
Reply #13 Top
Reply By: drmiler Posted: Friday, November 26, 2004
I hate the GOP leadership

By: dabe
Posted: Friday, November 26, 2004 on Dabe's Site
Message Board: Politics
No holds barred from me. I will continue to fight this crap for as long as it takes to unseat these assholes. I hate the leadership and I hate the people who support them. They are an insult to society at large.


Your in for a helleva long fight. And if you hate people like me ( who support the GOP) then I guess it's alright if we hate people like you?

I would have to say you also are an insult to society at large. hello drmiler, we have {gop members} be the larger person and NOT ALLOW whiner demoncrapick hate and rumor mongers drag us down.
Reply #14 Top
Hey moderato, I just blacklisted drmiler. Nothing he can possibly say has any interest to me whatsoever. Consider yourself plonked also
Reply #15 Top
I wonder what you would have done if there were no Pell grants? Was that the only thing that made it possible for you to succeed? How sad that you give the Government so much credit for your success and so little to yourself.

Everyone complains about the Government spending to much money. God help them if they cut the program that you support instead of the bad or stupid one that makes no sense to you.

If you read or study the constitution 80% of what the Government spends money on is wrong. The way it taxes its citizens is wrong. And your pissed about the Pell Grant. Beam me up Scotty.
Reply #16 Top

Democrats cut things too btw.  Jennifer Granholm, the Govenror of Michigan zapped the funding for the Michigan Competitive scholarship which helped me get thorugh college.

She also eliminated the small business loan garauntee program in Michigan that made it possible for small businesses to borrow money with less collateral.  Under the previous (Republican) administration, our company was able to borrow money to fund our transition from OS/2 to Windows.  Without that loan, we would have gone out of business.  If our current Democratic governor had been in place then, there'd been no loan, no company, no JoeUser and a a few dozen fewer jobs available.

Blaming the GOP is really unfair.  Both sides cut things when they think they have to. And everything that gets cut affects someone badly.

Reply #17 Top
I dont think you should blame all the GOP. I mean, I dont like this cut either but i dont think alot of cutting been done was a great idea, whether it be a republican or democrat decision. but, hey, look at whats happened to our economy. we gotta cut somewhere. i dont support this cut but, again, hey, someone will argue no matter what we cut, and i dont think its fair to blame and hate every last GOP member.
(note my ever increasing drift from liberal to moderate)

All your base
Reply #18 Top
It's pretty much open season on anything deemed "socially oriented" funding. I'm sure it won't be the last either.
Reply #19 Top
"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

"The quality of American life must keep pace with the quantity of American goods. This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor."

"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistant, persuasive and unrealistic."

I forget who said this...
probably some Republican.
Reply #20 Top
As you, I also used pell grants along with other grants available to work my way through college. So of those other grants I received some are no longer out there for young people today, but if someone wants to get an education there are a large amount of grants for specific areas (computer education, business programs, etc.) that can be found.

Now what helped me get those grants was 1) I came from a family of 10 (6 girls, 4 boys), and the fact I was handicapped (lost a leg because of Type I Diabetes).

I am a democrate (not a liberal), and I fully understand that things will change. Not all programs can be kept, and not all people have the right to these programs. Again if someone wants an education (college or vocational) there are many programs out there.

At times I find the GOP a bit of a nuisance, albeit they won't be there forever. Remember we had both houses for over forty years; the only reason we lost them was because we lost touch with middle America and the south. Instead of condeming the GOP get involved in your local Democratic Party to bring about change as you see it should. Just remember this little bit of advise; do not move to Idaho.

Pam
Reply #21 Top
Thanks, Pam. I will not move to Idaho.

I know that both parties have made unpopular cuts. But, as I said, in light of the tax cuts which do not really change the lifestyles of anyone, including the top 10% who don't really need them, to cut such a really helpful program that costs the government next to nothing is cruel. Absolutely cruel. I'm not saying dems are perfect. God knows, we have Zell Miller. But, if the dems controlled things, the Pell Grants wouldn't even be contemplated for cuts. It just doesn't save or bail out the government in any way, shape or form. It's just a cynical and hateful way of handling a poor voting base, that likely wouldn't carry the repubs in any election. It just sucks. I'm angry.

Yeah, I do blame the gop, cuz they're the one's in complete power right now. And, I will not dismiss this as just another minor effort, nor will I get over it. I will be working at the local level to get the bums out.

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."


Sometimes, no matter how hard you want to do something, you cannot do anything for your country because you're just working too hard at merely surviving. Take away the tools to do for your country, and the whole premise of this quote falls apart.

"The quality of American life must keep pace with the quantity of American goods. This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor."


Bingo! My point exactly. We are becoming a country of a materially rich few at the top, and the quality of life at the bottom can no way keep up with the quality of any goods, never mind American. These kind of cuts only serve to derail spirituality of the people to one of mere subsistence living. Think about it.

"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistant, persuasive and unrealistic."


Bingo again!! There are myths on both sides. This gop leadership is perpetuating the myth that everything will be hunky dory if only we just fund things like only abstinence education, and healthy marriage whatevers, which are steeped in Christian ideology, but have nothing to do with social reality, then cut a program that WORKED goddammit. Interesting that the worst divorce rates were correlated with the red states who support gop ideological myths, while the blue states, ie MA, has the lowest divorce rate. Also, speaking of myths, there are millions of Americans, myself included, who are not Christian, and I resent that this gop leadership is carrying the ideological myth that if everyone would just buy into their Christian beliefs, this country will flourish. Separation of Church and state is an imperative social reality to keep this country free from the crap that the GOP is pulling now. It's also unconstitutional to pull what they're doing, particularly bolstered by this myth-based gop leadership.

Ughhhhh.............. I'm rambling. but you get my drift. I continue to hate the GOP leadership of this country.
Reply #22 Top
What makes you think a tax cut won't change the lifestyles of anyone? What makes you think the 10% don't need them? That money has a better chance at creating new jobs directly supervised by people proven at creating wealth rather than passing through several layers of bureaucracy that each take their cut along the way. What makes you think the bottom isn't keeping up with the top? Have you seen third-world countries? That's how bad things can really get.
Reply #24 Top
Not to be too picky, dabe, but you're upset with the "old" Congress, the lame duck bunch, the one with the 51-49 Repub majority, the one with Daschle, the one with so much GOP control that none of Bush's judicial nominees got approved, the one that balked at passing the intelligence reform bill. The Republicans are not exactly "in complete power now" any more than they were in October. They'll have a larger majority in January, but for now your characterization flies in the face of reality. Hate to say it, but it's bordering on irrational now, too.

Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #25 Top
I agree with your statements entirely, but hate never got anyone anywere. I say just relax give them enough rope and the will hang them selves.