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Nov 3, 2010 13:16:47 GMT -5
Post by clarencebunsen on Nov 3, 2010 13:16:47 GMT -5
Now that the election of 2010 is over (except in places like Minnesota & Alaska) it's time to turn our attention to the next big thing, congressional redistricting for the election of 2012.
The census numbers dictate that New York will lose a representative. We will need to redistrict.
My prediction: For all of 2011, the issue will be dead locked. In early 2012, under the threat of a court mandated plan, a compromise will be reached. The district eliminated will be an upstate one represented by a Republican with low seniority.
Due to tweeking of boundries another upstate Republican with low seniority will find that his home is now in an adjacent district represented by a 3rd Republican. His old district, having had some of its Republican areas moved out and some Democratic areas moved in will be an open district with a left of center plurality. All other incumbents will be protected although each will complain about being treated unfairly.
The prime district for disolution will be the 24th. Richard Hanna will find that his home will be in a district centered in Syracuse and the rest of the counties making up the 24th will be split among at least 4 districts.
You read it here first.
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Nov 3, 2010 18:07:53 GMT -5
Post by corner on Nov 3, 2010 18:07:53 GMT -5
you are probably right the only way democrats can win anything is by subterfuge and lies.
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Nov 4, 2010 3:25:13 GMT -5
Post by Ralph on Nov 4, 2010 3:25:13 GMT -5
I'll take "Let's move out of New York before I swallow a box of razor blades" for $500 Alex!
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Nov 4, 2010 8:05:20 GMT -5
Post by stoney on Nov 4, 2010 8:05:20 GMT -5
You can also expect an end to unemployment extensions due to Republican influence & pressure. After all, there's TONS of jobs out there, right??
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Nov 4, 2010 14:55:38 GMT -5
Post by Clipper on Nov 4, 2010 14:55:38 GMT -5
Stoney, we all can say what we want and what we can "expect". The republicans ARE human beings with families. There ARE republicans that are out of work also. I doubt that you will see extended unemployment go away, no matter what has been said in the campaigns. Why don't we just wait and see if there is any possible move toward a little cooperation on issues of dire importance. Most republicans and independents that I know don't want policy to move completely to the right. They simply want some of the extremely liberal ideas to moderate a little and come toward the middle of the road somewhat.
Even on hotbed issues such as healthcare I think that they will see that it will be too expensive the way it is written, and there will be compromise. I don't think anyone wants people to be uninsured. They simply want a program that is not going to break the country and one that won't kill those of us that already have insurance that we pay good money for.
I actually think it is good to have the house and senate under different majority leadership. No one party will be able to jam anything through, and they WILL be forced to work for a bipartisan agreement and compromise of some sort in order for either party to get legislation passed. Can't have a law without the approval of both houses and the signature of the president. That is what I hope happens rather than the "gridlock" that many are pessimistically forecasting. I think that even a damned politician has enough smarts to know that something has to give.
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Nov 4, 2010 17:52:01 GMT -5
Post by denise on Nov 4, 2010 17:52:01 GMT -5
Yes, exactly. In addition, the politicians must now realize that the we, American Public, really do pay attention to what's going on in Washington, and when we don't like it or we feel that we aren't being listened it, we will do something to change it!!!
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Nov 5, 2010 7:50:30 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2010 7:50:30 GMT -5
Now NYS has Cuomo who will be doing the same thing Paterson was doing in terms of cutting money. Paterson wasn't liked so I quess the whole thing starts over again with Cuomo. Nothing lost and nothing gained.
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Nov 5, 2010 10:30:33 GMT -5
Post by stoney on Nov 5, 2010 10:30:33 GMT -5
I was merely pointing out that people can expect any unemployment extensions to end, therefore more folks will be signing up for benefits such as welfare, Medicaid, etc. You're going to be paying somehow.
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Nov 5, 2010 13:40:37 GMT -5
Post by Clipper on Nov 5, 2010 13:40:37 GMT -5
As I stated earlier Stoney, I really DO think that even with the Republicans running the house, there WILL be another extension to unemployment benefits. The federal government almost HAS to fund and support an extension. I can't imagine the federal government dumping that many people onto state and county welfare programs considering the critically high unemployment figures NATIONWIDE and the already shakey financial status of the states. It would potentially bankrupt states and counties and that certainly would not bode well for Washington. Especially since the voters have already sent the message that they don't think job creation is moving along fast enough.
While I obviously am not a fan of the left, I am no happier with the Republicans than I am with the Democrats. Everybody is going to have to lay down their arms and at least be civil long enough to pull our country back from the brink of total financial failure. Dems have SOME good ideas, but they also have some programs that I don't think are going to be effective. The problem can't be solved simply by throwing more and more money at it, and paying employers to hire and create jobs that are going to go away again when the federal incentive money is gone.
In all reality, Americans can't complain about the lack of employment while they are buying imported meat, produce and consumer goods. For the difference in price Kathy and I shop at our farmer's market during the season, and at a grocery chain owned by a local family. They sell Granger County Tennessee vegetables in season and their meat and dairy all comes from SW Virginia and other parts of the US. NO Argentinian or Mexican beef, and as little imported goods as they can manage to get along with. The chickens come from about 15 miles from here, and the seafood is ALL caught by American fishermen. Very little imported frozen stuff.
It costs a little more to shop, and it might be difficult for a family with a lot of children to afford to shop that way, but that is the only way to bring jobs BACK to our country. The saddest part of it all is that you absolutely cannot buy electronics made in the USA any more. It has even become hard to find major household appliances that are made in the USA. Other than still being able to buy maytag washers and dryers manufactured in Galesburg Ill, I really don't know where you can buy American made kitchen appliances. Our lawn tractor is made in Columbia Tn, and our furniture is all manufactured in North Carolina. Americans can't continue to buy foreign goods because they are priced lower and then turn around and bitch that there are no manufacturing jobs left in the USA. Instead of buying solid wood furniture from a North Carolina company, people would rather see wood exported to China and Japan to be chipped into sawdust, reconstituted as particle board and sent back as cheap computer desks and entertainment centers to be purchased at walmart.
Companies that take their jobs off shore should be penalized and taxed in order to make it less desirable. When the goods come back into the country, the import taxes and duties paid should make it more desirable to purchase American made goods instead.
Several years ago I made a conscious decision to keep my money here as much as possible. It is admittedly more expensive, but gratifying. We may have less in the line of durable goods, but what we DO have is American made and higher quality.
If Americans would stand up against all the trade agreements with other countries like Mexico etc, we might see more jobs stay here in the USA. Government needs to draw a line somewhere while there is still ANY manufacturing left here. It seems to me that government touts and brags about the jobs they create here, while on the other hand they are making these agreements with other countries that are sending jobs in wholesale quantities off shore and to other countries.
I predict that unemployment benefits WILL be extended, and I predict that with the Republican house, job creation will HAVE to be addressed in a bipartisan manner of sorts and the results will almost have to show some moderation from programs put forth by EITHER party.
I don't see the gridlock that so many are pessimistically predicting. I see an opportunity for both parties to see that the time for infighting is over, at least temporarily, and that it is an absolute CRITICAL necessity for them to come up with some solutions, no matter how badly it hurts their party pride and no matter how much they would love to resist the other side. I actually think that the situation has reached a critical point where both sides have to recognize the "do or die" necessity to legislate to turn it around.
Even the politicians in DC pull their heads out of their ass long enough to do something productive once in a while. Now is on of those times when they need to pull it out, wash their hair and get down to business.
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Nov 5, 2010 15:05:24 GMT -5
Post by clarencebunsen on Nov 5, 2010 15:05:24 GMT -5
Would it be possible to hope for a little more focus on employment from our elected help amid all the concern for benefits?
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Nov 5, 2010 16:40:00 GMT -5
Post by chris on Nov 5, 2010 16:40:00 GMT -5
Well if our benefits are changing then it's high time the Governments change also. They don't approve of us getting raises but help themselves to lining their pockets with our taxes. No wonder our taxes go up and up. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander. Maybe then we'll see some "change".
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Nov 6, 2010 12:35:51 GMT -5
Post by stoney on Nov 6, 2010 12:35:51 GMT -5
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Nov 6, 2010 20:22:08 GMT -5
Post by clarencebunsen on Nov 6, 2010 20:22:08 GMT -5
You do realize that the first 2 are strictly opinion pieces and the 3rd is a "sky is falling" piece from last June predicting "the end of unemployment as we know it" for July. Mostly what I remember from last summer was people trying to hold Speaker Pelosi to her self-imposed "paygo" concept.
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