One of the big solutions to climate change and global warming...

Fare-free public transportation... bus and rail: city, state and nationally.

Wages and Poverty

A wage study from the Social Security Administration no one wants to talk about... people work so they aren't poor... yet, here are the facts that working often makes people poor:

https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/netcomp.cgi?year=2014&fbclid=IwAR3sfvx3eYzOb1LvZyKtOw0lio6hDBuxL9NDyD-N1ka1ECdW_8NVyeusvtU

This study below is from 2014...

Now check out the latest study from 2018:

https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/netcomp.cgi?year=2020


Facts do matter:

Note: None of these studies take into consideration wages versus the actual "cost-of-living." When the real "cost-of-living" factors are figured in, the working class as a whole, which produces all wealth, is more impoverished now than in 2014.

Question:

What kind of society allows those who produce all the wealth, the working class, to live in worsening social and economic conditions after creating so much wealth?

Question:

Should we be discussing wealth and poverty and wage labor and capitalist exploitation?

Question:
How do we correct this?

Social Security Online	Automatic Increases
Office of the Chief Actuary	Wage Statistics for 2014

Enter another year? Year must be after 1989

Automatic increases Development of the AWI

The national average wage index (AWI) is based on compensation (wages, tips, and the like) subject to Federal income taxes, as reported by employers on Forms W-2. Beginning with the AWI for 1991, compensation includes contributions to deferred compensation plans, but excludes certain distributions from plans where the distributions are included in the reported compensation subject to income taxes. We call the result of including contributions, and excluding certain distributions, net compensation. The table below summarizes the components of net compensation for 2014. Net compensation components for 2014 Compensation subject to Federal income taxes $6,797,372,805,419.35 Deferred compensation plan    Contributionsa    Distributionsb + 255,336,805,992.78 - 2,450,397,767.58 Net compensation 7,050,259,213,644.55 a Wages on which contributions were paid by 53,592,754 workers. b Distributions, to the extent included in reported wages (see text above), paid to 60,572 workers. The "raw" average wage, computed as net compensation divided by the number of wage earners, is $7,050,259,213,644.55 divided by 158,186,786, or $44,569.20. Based on data in the table below, about 67.2 percent of wage earners had net compensation less than or equal to the $44,569.20 raw average wage. By definition, 50 percent of wage earners had net compensation less than or equal to the median wage, which is estimated to be $28,851.21 for 2014.

Distribution of wage earners by level of net compensation

	Wage earners			Net compensation
Net compensation interval	Number	Cumulative number	Percent of total	Aggregate amount	Average amount
$0.01 — 4,999.99	22,574,440	22,574,440	14.27075	$46,647,919,125.68	$2,066.40
5,000.00 — 9,999.99	13,848,841	36,423,281	23.02549	102,586,913,092.61	7,407.62
10,000.00 — 14,999.99	12,329,270	48,752,551	30.81961	153,566,802,438.45	12,455.47
15,000.00 — 19,999.99	11,505,776	60,258,327	38.09315	200,878,198,035.07	17,458.90
20,000.00 — 24,999.99	10,918,555	71,176,882	44.99547	245,317,570,246.88	22,467.95
25,000.00 — 29,999.99	10,192,863	81,369,745	51.43903	279,865,461,187.05	27,457.00
30,000.00 — 34,999.99	9,487,840	90,857,585	57.43690	307,828,947,411.16	32,444.58
35,000.00 — 39,999.99	8,578,215	99,435,800	62.85974	321,200,755,103.44	37,443.78
40,000.00 — 44,999.99	7,553,972	106,989,772	67.63509	320,563,569,965.15	42,436.43
45,000.00 — 49,999.99	6,542,882	113,532,654	71.77126	310,391,706,424.23	47,439.60
50,000.00 — 54,999.99	5,723,269	119,255,923	75.38931	300,016,377,448.51	52,420.46
55,000.00 — 59,999.99	4,846,517	124,102,440	78.45310	278,354,367,841.41	57,433.90
60,000.00 — 64,999.99	4,201,232	128,303,672	81.10897	262,203,932,128.68	62,411.20
65,000.00 — 69,999.99	3,573,471	131,877,143	83.36799	240,948,179,180.40	67,426.93
70,000.00 — 74,999.99	3,094,739	134,971,882	85.32437	224,145,278,103.36	72,427.85
75,000.00 — 79,999.99	2,684,481	137,656,363	87.02140	207,853,372,824.62	77,427.77
80,000.00 — 84,999.99	2,297,338	139,953,701	88.47370	189,370,862,869.17	82,430.56
85,000.00 — 89,999.99	1,975,400	141,929,101	89.72248	172,719,042,418.70	87,434.97
90,000.00 — 94,999.99	1,714,370	143,643,471	90.80624	158,442,931,588.44	92,420.50
95,000.00 — 99,999.99	1,486,636	145,130,107	91.74604	144,858,203,365.61	97,440.26
100,000.00 — 104,999.99	1,309,068	146,439,175	92.57358	134,083,282,259.67	102,426.52
105,000.00 — 109,999.99	1,117,128	147,556,303	93.27979	120,020,513,136.11	107,436.67
110,000.00 — 114,999.99	977,055	148,533,358	93.89745	109,855,105,705.14	112,434.93
115,000.00 — 119,999.99	865,889	149,399,247	94.44483	101,693,061,676.62	117,443.53
120,000.00 — 124,999.99	773,339	150,172,586	94.93371	94,660,281,091.31	122,404.64
125,000.00 — 129,999.99	673,971	150,846,557	95.35977	85,886,152,964.93	127,433.01
130,000.00 — 134,999.99	595,827	151,442,384	95.73643	78,899,843,713.01	132,420.73
135,000.00 — 139,999.99	527,341	151,969,725	96.06980	72,476,546,845.30	137,437.72
140,000.00 — 144,999.99	466,992	152,436,717	96.36501	66,519,743,635.12	142,443.00
145,000.00 — 149,999.99	419,003	152,855,720	96.62989	61,787,674,520.19	147,463.56
150,000.00 — 154,999.99	384,581	153,240,301	96.87301	58,607,775,121.57	152,393.84
155,000.00 — 159,999.99	335,391	153,575,692	97.08503	52,801,735,517.69	157,433.37
160,000.00 — 164,999.99	296,048	153,871,740	97.27218	48,087,213,596.86	162,430.46
165,000.00 — 169,999.99	265,309	154,137,049	97.43990	44,426,198,104.69	167,450.78
170,000.00 — 174,999.99	239,515	154,376,564	97.59131	41,304,379,348.95	172,450.07
175,000.00 — 179,999.99	216,255	154,592,819	97.72802	38,370,042,895.27	177,429.62
180,000.00 — 184,999.99	200,592	154,793,411	97.85483	36,588,064,085.78	182,400.42
185,000.00 — 189,999.99	179,005	154,972,416	97.96799	33,554,727,208.93	187,451.34
190,000.00 — 194,999.99	165,277	155,137,693	98.07247	31,807,897,759.84	192,452.05
195,000.00 — 199,999.99	154,070	155,291,763	98.16987	30,425,466,536.83	197,478.20
200,000.00 — 249,999.99	1,039,897	156,331,660	98.82726	230,863,458,226.21	222,006.08
250,000.00 — 299,999.99	565,105	156,896,765	99.18450	153,945,762,663.99	272,419.75
300,000.00 — 349,999.99	333,584	157,230,349	99.39537	107,708,119,615.81	322,881.55
350,000.00 — 399,999.99	219,923	157,450,272	99.53440	82,117,070,706.61	373,390.10
400,000.00 — 449,999.99	151,162	157,601,434	99.62996	63,997,346,472.50	423,369.28
450,000.00 — 499,999.99	108,881	157,710,315	99.69879	51,583,042,398.64	473,756.14
500,000.00 — 999,999.99	345,935	158,056,250	99.91748	230,331,407,862.96	665,822.79
1,000,000.00 — 1,499,999.99	65,548	158,121,798	99.95892	78,672,933,288.58	1,200,233.92
1,500,000.00 — 1,999,999.99	24,140	158,145,938	99.97418	41,431,838,733.52	1,716,314.78
2,000,000.00 — 2,499,999.99	12,137	158,158,075	99.98185	26,997,226,154.27	2,224,373.91
2,500,000.00 — 2,999,999.99	6,871	158,164,946	99.98619	18,747,446,313.27	2,728,488.77
3,000,000.00 — 3,499,999.99	4,799	158,169,745	99.98923	15,507,304,422.66	3,231,361.62
3,500,000.00 — 3,999,999.99	3,258	158,173,003	99.99129	12,166,741,762.34	3,734,420.43
4,000,000.00 — 4,499,999.99	2,353	158,175,356	99.99277	9,970,953,222.98	4,237,549.18
4,500,000.00 — 4,999,999.99	1,822	158,177,178	99.99393	8,633,941,395.34	4,738,716.46
5,000,000.00 — 9,999,999.99	6,468	158,183,646	99.99802	43,887,775,808.42	6,785,370.41
10,000,000.00 — 19,999,999.99	2,230	158,185,876	99.99942	30,065,006,121.19	13,482,065.53
20,000,000.00 — 49,999,999.99	776	158,186,652	99.99992	22,450,911,983.01	28,931,587.61
50,000,000.00 and over	134	158,186,786	100.00000	11,564,829,969.82	86,304,701.27

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Wage Statistics for 2018

Enter another year? Year must be after 1989

Automatic increases Development of the AWI

The national average wage index (AWI) is based on compensation (wages, tips, and the like) subject to Federal income taxes, as reported by employers on Forms W-2. Beginning with the AWI for 1991, compensation includes contributions to deferred compensation plans, but excludes certain distributions from plans where the distributions are included in the reported compensation subject to income taxes. We call the result of including contributions, and excluding certain distributions, net compensation. The table below summarizes the components of net compensation for 2018. Net compensation components for 2018 Compensation subject to Federal income taxes $8,068,989,240,801.19 Deferred compensation plan    Contributionsa    Distributionsb + 317,553,567,481.16 - 3,002,179,766.84 Net compensation 8,383,540,628,515.51 a Wages on which contributions were paid by 61,607,387 workers. b Distributions, to the extent included in reported wages (see text above), paid to 63,661 workers. The "raw" average wage, computed as net compensation divided by the number of wage earners, is $8,383,540,628,515.51 divided by 167,669,326, or $50,000.44. Based on data in the table below, about 67.4 percent of wage earners had net compensation less than or equal to the $50,000.44 raw average wage. By definition, 50 percent of wage earners had net compensation less than or equal to the median wage, which is estimated to be $32,838.05 for 2018.

Distribution of wage earners by level of net compensation

	Wage earners			Net compensation
Net compensation interval	Number	Cumulative number	Percent of total	Aggregate amount	Average amount
$0.01 — 4,999.99	20,912,646	20,912,646	12.47255	$43,795,099,366.21	$2,094.19
5,000.00 — 9,999.99	12,993,812	33,906,458	20.22222	96,170,371,134.60	7,401.24
10,000.00 — 14,999.99	11,550,542	45,457,000	27.11110	143,915,223,674.78	12,459.61
15,000.00 — 19,999.99	10,937,984	56,394,984	33.63465	191,083,130,375.42	17,469.68
20,000.00 — 24,999.99	10,930,426	67,325,410	40.15368	245,963,571,026.59	22,502.65
25,000.00 — 29,999.99	10,649,685	77,975,095	46.50528	292,595,699,011.64	27,474.59
30,000.00 — 34,999.99	10,157,201	88,132,296	52.56316	329,598,837,106.29	32,449.77
35,000.00 — 39,999.99	9,281,197	97,413,493	58.09858	347,575,046,812.88	37,449.38
40,000.00 — 44,999.99	8,242,459	105,655,952	63.01448	349,799,179,987.80	42,438.69
45,000.00 — 49,999.99	7,405,906	113,061,858	67.43145	351,372,718,041.82	47,444.93
50,000.00 — 54,999.99	6,542,812	119,604,670	71.33366	343,025,577,206.83	52,427.85
55,000.00 — 59,999.99	5,612,864	125,217,534	74.68124	322,379,314,296.40	57,435.80
60,000.00 — 64,999.99	4,920,595	130,138,129	77.61594	307,114,651,240.23	62,414.13
65,000.00 — 69,999.99	4,239,330	134,377,459	80.14433	285,846,106,689.33	67,427.19
70,000.00 — 74,999.99	3,682,829	138,060,288	82.34081	266,740,577,128.07	72,428.17
75,000.00 — 79,999.99	3,208,818	141,269,106	84.25459	248,463,045,944.21	77,431.33
80,000.00 — 84,999.99	2,780,381	144,049,487	85.91284	229,208,728,016.53	82,437.88
85,000.00 — 89,999.99	2,403,623	146,453,110	87.34639	210,164,860,939.67	87,436.70
90,000.00 — 94,999.99	2,117,062	148,570,172	88.60904	195,678,875,591.61	92,429.45
95,000.00 — 99,999.99	1,836,034	150,406,206	89.70407	178,907,004,914.35	97,442.10
100,000.00 — 104,999.99	1,625,690	152,031,896	90.67365	166,523,614,588.61	102,432.58
105,000.00 — 109,999.99	1,410,799	153,442,695	91.51507	151,582,528,351.71	107,444.45
110,000.00 — 114,999.99	1,251,905	154,694,600	92.26172	140,759,527,453.30	112,436.27
115,000.00 — 119,999.99	1,112,417	155,807,017	92.92518	130,658,936,970.24	117,455.00
120,000.00 — 124,999.99	1,008,410	156,815,427	93.52660	123,445,569,084.30	122,416.05
125,000.00 — 129,999.99	893,730	157,709,157	94.05964	113,899,350,244.55	127,442.68
130,000.00 — 134,999.99	795,949	158,505,106	94.53435	105,394,346,162.49	132,413.44
135,000.00 — 139,999.99	704,467	159,209,573	94.95450	96,825,136,762.18	137,444.53
140,000.00 — 144,999.99	632,559	159,842,132	95.33177	90,103,990,021.70	142,443.61
145,000.00 — 149,999.99	568,126	160,410,258	95.67060	83,773,312,894.63	147,455.52
150,000.00 — 154,999.99	514,078	160,924,336	95.97721	78,345,402,361.02	152,399.83
155,000.00 — 159,999.99	457,177	161,381,513	96.24987	71,980,277,465.39	157,445.10
160,000.00 — 164,999.99	413,863	161,795,376	96.49671	67,227,968,053.70	162,440.15
165,000.00 — 169,999.99	369,549	162,164,925	96.71711	61,877,593,240.22	167,440.84
170,000.00 — 174,999.99	327,834	162,492,759	96.91263	56,534,539,025.14	172,448.68
175,000.00 — 179,999.99	297,171	162,789,930	97.08987	52,729,141,686.28	177,437.04
180,000.00 — 184,999.99	275,711	163,065,641	97.25431	50,292,801,283.59	182,411.30
185,000.00 — 189,999.99	246,893	163,312,534	97.40156	46,281,835,141.84	187,457.06
190,000.00 — 194,999.99	227,017	163,539,551	97.53695	43,688,908,036.57	192,447.74
195,000.00 — 199,999.99	213,964	163,753,515	97.66456	42,253,967,707.90	197,481.67
200,000.00 — 249,999.99	1,422,744	165,176,259	98.51310	315,840,558,223.01	221,993.95
250,000.00 — 299,999.99	770,463	165,946,722	98.97262	210,183,088,243.46	272,801.01
300,000.00 — 349,999.99	465,576	166,412,298	99.25029	150,344,927,027.33	322,922.42
350,000.00 — 399,999.99	301,514	166,713,812	99.43012	112,548,961,845.06	373,279.39
400,000.00 — 449,999.99	207,014	166,920,826	99.55359	87,659,845,451.61	423,448.88
450,000.00 — 499,999.99	145,935	167,066,761	99.64062	69,122,112,993.00	473,650.00
500,000.00 — 999,999.99	446,625	167,513,386	99.90700	296,291,408,374.06	663,400.86
1,000,000.00 — 1,499,999.99	79,292	167,592,678	99.95429	95,099,320,931.96	1,199,355.81
1,500,000.00 — 1,999,999.99	28,756	167,621,434	99.97144	49,367,971,329.43	1,716,788.54
2,000,000.00 — 2,499,999.99	14,321	167,635,755	99.97998	31,866,540,833.10	2,225,161.71
2,500,000.00 — 2,999,999.99	8,173	167,643,928	99.98485	22,303,744,889.78	2,728,954.47
3,000,000.00 — 3,499,999.99	5,302	167,649,230	99.98801	17,132,086,593.98	3,231,249.83
3,500,000.00 — 3,999,999.99	3,634	167,652,864	99.99018	13,569,833,052.39	3,734,131.27
4,000,000.00 — 4,499,999.99	2,719	167,655,583	99.99180	11,502,119,789.27	4,230,275.76
4,500,000.00 — 4,999,999.99	2,024	167,657,607	99.99301	9,581,300,012.15	4,733,843.88
5,000,000.00 — 9,999,999.99	7,861	167,665,468	99.99770	53,257,917,392.30	6,774,954.51
10,000,000.00 — 19,999,999.99	2,684	167,668,152	99.99930	36,478,246,019.07	13,591,000.75
20,000,000.00 — 49,999,999.99	963	167,669,115	99.99987	27,613,022,901.01	28,673,959.40
50,000,000.00 and over	211	167,669,326	100.00000	20,201,257,572.92	95,740,557.22

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Poverty and Wages

Low-Wage Workers:

Poverty and Use of Selected Federal Social Safety Net Programs Persist among Working Families

GAO-17-677: Published: Sep 22, 2017. Publicly Released: Oct 23, 2017.

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Contact:

Cindy Brown-Barnes
(202) 512-7215
brownbarnesc@gao.gov

Oliver M. Richard
(202) 512-8424
richardo@gao.gov

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(202) 512-4800
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What GAO Found

According to GAO's analysis of data in the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS), on average, low-wage workers worked fewer hours per week, were more highly concentrated in a few industries and occupations, and had lower educational attainment than workers earning hourly wages above $16 in each year GAO reviewed—1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2016. Their percentage of the U.S. workforce also stayed relatively constant over time. About 40 percent of the U.S. workforce ages 25 to 64 earned hourly wages of $16 or less (in constant 2016 dollars) over the period 1995 through 2016. The combination of low wages and few hours worked compounded the income disadvantage of low-wage workers and likely contributed to their potential eligibility for federal social safety net programs.
About 20 percent of families with a worker earning up to the federal minimum wage (currently $7.25 per hour), 13 percent of families with a worker earning above federal minimum wage to $12.00 per hour, and 5 percent of families with a worker earning $12.01 to $16 per hour were in poverty in each year GAO reviewed (see figure).The extent of poverty varied considerably by the type of family in which a worker lived. For example, single-parent families earning the federal minimum wage or below comprised a higher percentage of families in poverty. In contrast, married families with no children comprised the lowest percentage of families in poverty, and generally had family incomes at or above the poverty line.

_{Note: All references to the “federal minimum wage” are based on 110 percent of the hourly federal minimum wage in effect that year or the equivalent hourly calculated wage for salaried workers. Brackets are used to represent margins of error of estimated percentages at a 95 percent confidence level.}
Families with a worker earning $16 or less per hour consistently used selected federally funded social safety net programs between 2005 and 2016, with varied factors affecting eligible families' participation. GAO estimated that the percentage of these families enrolled in Medicaid rose significantly over the past 2 decades, almost tripling among families with a worker earning more than the federal minimum wage between 1995 and 2016. In contrast, an estimated 5 percent or less of these families received cash assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program at least once in the prior calendar year from 1995 through 2016. A low-wage worker's family type also influenced the extent that families used selected social safety net programs. For example, among families with minimum wage earners in 2016, GAO estimated that about half or more married families used none of the programs GAO examined—Medicaid, TANF, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Earned Income Tax Credit, and Additional Child Tax Credit—while more than half of single-parent families used three or more. Program officials and others told GAO that eligible working families may not participate in programs for a variety of reasons, including time needed to apply for benefits, low benefit amounts, and assumed ineligibility.

Why GAO Did This Study

According to the Department of Labor, private-sector employers have added millions of jobs to the economy since the end of the most recent recession in 2009; however, many are in low-wage occupations. GAO was asked to examine several characteristics of low-wage workers and their families, including their use of federally funded social safety net programs over time.
This report answers the following questions: (1) What are the characteristics of the low-wage workforce and how have they changed over time? (2) To what extent are families with low-wage workers in poverty? and (3) To what extent do families with low-wage workers participate in selected social safety net programs and what factors affect their participation?
GAO analyzed CPS data from 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2016 on worker characteristics, family poverty, and participation in social safety net programs. GAO defined low-wage workers as those workers ages 25 to 64 earning $16 or less per hour. In addition, GAO interviewed officials with state and local social safety net programs and other experts in four metropolitan areas—Atlanta, San Francisco, Santa Fe, and Washington, D.C.—representing a range of local minimum wage levels relative to the federal minimum wage, costs of living, and participation rates in five selected federally funded social safety net programs.

For more information, contact Cindy Brown-Barnes at (202) 512-7215 or brownbarnesc@gao.gov and Oliver Richard at (202) 512-8424 or richardo@gao.gov.

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Trump takes the wrong approach to the coronavirus

Trump and Pence are approaching this coronavirus in almost the exact same way Eisenhower, the American Medical Association and the pharmaceutical industry approached the polio epidemic, as a money-making opportunity, which Dr. Salk described as “doing everything wrong.”


Polio was only eradicated when Dr. Salk and those working with him finally convinced Eisenhower that it would take a massive public effort from research through getting the vaccine out to the people for free to eradicate polio.


The effort to eradicate polio took massive public health measures including:


Public funding.


Public administration and coordination.

Public research and development for the vaccine.

Public and free distribution of the vaccine.

Dr. Salk pointed out that if left to the free enterprise for profit health care industry it was very unlikely polio would be eradicated...


Unfortunately, many people had to suffer the consequences of polio before Eisenhower came to his senses and established a public health care approach towards eradicating polio.


Dr. Salk was a firm believer and advocate of socialized health care just like Frances Perkins and Floyd Olson were two decades before him.


Had Dr. Salk not brought this discussion into the public square in a way that convinced the American people to act in a way that forced Eisenhower to come to his senses, polio would not have been eradicated here in our country.


The first thing the moron Trump has done wrong with this coronavirus is to place an ass-kissing imbecile advocate of free market for-profit health care Mike Pence in charge of overseeing this grave (pun intended) health concern.


What we are now getting is “the vaccine will be long in coming” because the pharmaceutical industry has to asses the profitability of developing the vaccine and then whatever the market will bear will determine who will be able to afford the vaccine. Once again, profits come before the health and well-being of the people. Isn’t anyone going to have the courage of a Dr. Salk to come forward and challenge Trump in a way that mobilizes the American people to demand a massive public approach to this dangerous health care crisis?


Is there such a total commitment to for-profit health care now in the health care community that no one dares to challenge the utterly stupid approach Trump has taken which has been proven wrong over and over again?


This is going to require a massive public effort.


It was the American Public Heath Association which mobilized health care workers and the American public to seek a massive public approach to solving the polio epidemic... and they had to fight tooth and nail against the private free market for-profit health care industry and the politicians that were being bribed by this industry in order to win their position.


Why isn’t the American Public Health Association (ALPHA) showing the same kind of leadership role today in fighting the coronavirus that it did with the polio epidemic? Do they fear being branded as “socialists?”


The unhealthy political environment in this country today with attacks on everything “public” in defense of the “free market for-profit” approach may leave many sick and dead... do we really have to live through such a “learning experience,” again?


Just like capitalism itself, the health care system it has spun is sick... the result:


Needless human misery and death from a disease that could be treated and prevented if only the efforts wasted on militarism and wars became a public effort.


By the way, China is a socialist country without a socialized health care system which has largely relied on profit-making entrepreneurs to provide health care with an “insurance” scheme... hopefully this coronavirus has brought Chinese leaders to their senses that they need to get rid of this method of providing health care which was pushed on them by capitalist corporations who found socialized health care to be “too great a burden” in developing joint enterprises... see the article in the Wall Street Journal: “Is Socialism Too Great a Burden for Foreign Investment?” in which a publicly owned Chinese auto manufacturing plant was providing workers with free health care.

Do we need paid sick-leave for all workers?

From friend Liane Gale:

What a socially un-caring country this is. "Employees in the service industry especially, like food workers or personal care assistants, are much less likely than their peers in more lucrative fields to have paid time off if they get sick. But they also make less money in general, meaning a lost day of work hurts their families’ budgets more. That gives them a strong motivation to go into work — even if they’re not feeling well.


There is no federal law guaranteeing paid time off for illness, and paid sick leave is comparatively rare for lower-wage workers. Just 63 percent of people working in service occupations have paid sick leave, versus more than 90 percent of people in management positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For people working part-time, just 43 percent can get sick leave from their employer."

The coronavirus makes a good case for America finally guaranteeing paid sick leave.

A "great economy?"

I wonder why Trump has stopped boasting about how well the stock market and 401k’s are doing?

Something to think about... U.S. military spending compared

A thought to ponder as the economy goes to hell...

Here is a thought you may want to ponder:


Even when the economy is in economic recession or depression, the economy remains booming for the rich as they never suffer from poverty.

Capitalist selfishness; can we cure this disease? Working class consciousness is the anti-dote.

Capitalist selfishness permeates our society and even infects the working class. We see this with Obamacare. Some workers praise it because they benefit from it and don’t consider others who are left to fend for themselves.


We saw this same kind of selfishness expressed by the crooked and corrupt millionaire leaders of the Culinary Union in Nevada, lacking all class consciousness, who would deny other workers health care because they are making (and stealing) millions of dollars from managing their union’s health and welfare funds.

The only real health care reform that will benefit all working people just like public education does would be a National Public Health Care System...


Publicly funded.


Publicly administered.


Publicly delivered.


I challenge anyone to refute that this would be the best health care system for the working class.
Free health care for everyone provided through a network of neighborhood and community health care centers... just like public education.


Much better than we have now; and better than this campaign gimmick being pitched by the Bernie Sanders and his Democratic colleagues and middle class Greens being called “Medicare for All” which even if implemented maintains a market-driven for-profit health care system.


Working people need to think this through for themselves and not be so quick to grab onto these campaign gimmicks... that is all they are: gimmicks intended to trick you out of your votes getting nothing in return until you get another worthless promise come the next election.


“Medicare for All” has been used as a campaign gimmick by the Democrats since 1948... used them as a cheap trick to hoodwink workers to vote for Harry “Atom Bomber” Truman instead of the progressive Henry Wallace who had a real plan for full employment with real living wages providing the American people with things required to live a decent life like socialized health care.


And, just like with Harry “Atom Bomber” Truman... we now get this slick talk about health care reform along with the introduction of another round of anti-Communist red-baiting... from the Wall Street Democrats who are no better than Trump... and these Wall Street Democrats still deliver wars along with the Republicans even when they promise peace... another of their campaign gimmicks.

Thoughts about the coronavirus.

What the coronavirus is proving are two things:


1. The failure of the scientific and medical community to work together in cooperation internationally thwarted by the profit-driven free market of those greedy business people seeking to get rich from our suffering; and,


2. The failure of the profit-driven free market health care system manipulated by the millionaire and billionaire monopolists.


China, limited by their reliance on “entrepreneurial” health care, is fortunate that over-all they have a socialist political system in place which has enabled them to respond very quickly to this coronavirus...


Compare the Chinese response to what Trump and Pence have to offer...



“Healthy people have nothing to worry about; they will just go through a process and that will be it.” Trump


In the meantime... one person in a nursing home in the state of Washington has died from this coronavirus while one-hundred other people living in the this nursing home went unprotected and without being tested; most of these people had people coming and going visiting them unaware of the danger they were being subjected to; with some two-hundred nursing home employees coming and going without any testing or protections... all of these visitors and workers out mingling with family, friends, co-workers and the general public... while Trump assures us he is doing everything possible to protect us... ya, sure; you betcha.


All the while the for-profit companies and health care industry will make trillions of dollars in profits.
It’s called capitalism...


Don’t shake hands with anyone and wash your hands often... kind of like suggesting kids should “duck and cover” in case of nuclear war.


Isn’t anyone else sick of this shit already?


Quite frankly, the only real hope we have in fighting this coronavirus seems to be coming from “public enemy Number One,” little socialist Cuba with a fully nationalized scientific and research community and a fully socialized health care system.


And, in spite of what anyone says, from what I see going on with the massive hate campaign against socialist China coming from Trump, all these pathetic Democrats including Bernie Sanders, the media and ilk like Steve Bannon, I am convinced this coronavirus comes from a CIA laboratory and demented Frankenstein-like scientists- monsters- found a way to deliver this virus through injecting it into animals as a way to evade detecting where it originated.



Whether or not this is what happened here is something to think about:


Why are our tax dollars funding these monsters calling themselves “scientists” to work in laboratories creating and concocting these horrendous biological weapons intended to create massive human misery aimed at our “enemies” when they should be working on finding vaccinations and cures for the coronavirus, cancers and heart diseases?


If anyone thinks this coronavirus was not concocted in one of these CIA laboratories; how do you explain the government funding this kind of research while leaving the cures for the coronavirus in the hands of profit-driven Wall Street corporations?


Sheer madness.


If anyone thinks my thinking on this is crazy... how do you describe this government engaged in such barbarity when it comes to planning for such massive death and destruction? Is this not crazy and sheer madness?

Looking forward to meeting with Tulsi Gabbard tomorrow...

I will be discussing some things on my mind with Tulsi Gabbard tomorrow.

Will Trump try to stop the Election?

Will Trump use the nation under threat of the spread of the coronavirus to “suspend” the 2020 Elections?

Mayor Pete has dropped out...

Good riddance!

Let's have some openness conducive to a democratic society.

We have never seen the full “Church Commission” report that included the joint FBI-CIA report known as “The Family Jewels” that remains mostly redacted and highly censored with complete sections blacked-out.


Perhaps if this document was released to the American people in its entirety without censorship the American people would have a better understanding of just how dirty and rotten this government has been in suppressing and repressing democracy since the end of World War II, both at home and abroad.

And let’s have all the FBI’s “COINTELPRO” files fully disclosed.


Why would anyone who believes in democracy continue to support anything other than full and open disclosure?


Why are these CIA biological warfare laboratories still operating if the horrors they create are not being used? We know they were used against Cuba; why wouldn’t they be unused against China?
We know the way anti-Communism and red-baiting were used in the past to pervert U.S. foreign policy... aren’t we going to stand up and question why these ideological poisons are still being used today?


The Democratic Party establishment, using the most vicious and pernicious anti-Communism and red-baiting, is trying to cripple liberal, progressive and left thinking which is critical to having a peaceful foreign policy towards other countries and integral to domestic policies intended to make life better for the working class.


Do we want to go into another long, protracted era of anti-Communist red-baiting and all that that entails from never-ending wars making us all poor to an attack on worker’s rights and livelihoods?

For a just solution to the problems in the Middle East there needs to be a peaceful and just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump’s Peace Plan for the Middle East”

On its face Trump’s “Peace Plan” is nothing but the epitome of imperialist arrogance since it was being conceived in secrecy for over two years without so much as seeking the input, let alone approval, of the Palestinian people or even our own members Congress.

Jimmy Carter explained the problems in his response:

https://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/2020/jimmy-carter-denounces-middle-east-proposal.html

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Denounces Middle East Proposal

January 30, 2020

For Immediate Release

(بالعربية)

Atlanta – President Trump’s plan for unilateral annexation to Israel of a large piece of the occupied Palestinian territories offers the Palestinians fragmented statehood, without control of their borders, in four years and subject to certain conditions, and leaves the status of large parts of the West Bank to be determined in the future. Prime Minister Netanyahu has called for the immediate annexation to Israel of all settlements in the West Bank.
The plan violates the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, which is codified in a long line of United Nations Security Council resolutions from 242 (1967) to 2334 (2016). Further, the proposal breaches international law regarding self-determination, the acquisition of land by force, and annexation of occupied territories. By calling Israel “the nation state of the Jewish people,” the plan also encourages the denial of equal rights to the Palestinian citizens of Israel.
President Carter said, “The new U.S. plan undercuts prospects for a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians. If implemented, the plan will doom the only viable solution to this long-running conflict, the two-state solution.” President Carter urged member states of the United Nations “to adhere to UN Security Council resolutions and to reject any unilateral Israeli implementation of the proposal by grabbing more Palestinian land.”

                                                                          ***********

Because we lack a broad-based mass anti-imperialist movement, the American people have no say in any peace process; or for that matter, we lack a voice in all foreign policy matters.

Any citizen based initiative must include all U.S. support and funding of the Israeli killing machine must end, and support for the Palestinians having a seat at the table.

The United States, Great Britain, France and Germany must finance the burden of Palestinian development including building homes, schools. hospitals, farms and orchards and an infrastructure enabling the Palestinians to recover from the destruction they have been the victim of.

Many survivors of the Nazi concentration camps have pointed out that the Israeli government has done to the Palestinians what Hitler did to the Jews; these criminals must be fully prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

 All walls blocking free access to Israel by the Palestinian people must be removed.

Without imperialist meddling inciting racist animosities, Jews and Palestinians can, and will, find the ways to live in peace through citizen initiatives based on mutual understanding and respect for one another.

Meir Vilner, a staunch anti-imperialist and anti-fascist proponent of socialism--- prominent both as a founder of Israel and a most respected politician by both Jews and Palestinians, always pointed out that unless Israel enforced full equality and full civil rights for all of its citizens along with living in peace and harmony with all of its neighbors, Israel would fail as an independent country… and this remains true today.

The money- our tax dollars- being squandered on armaments for Israel would be better spent funding our own schools and health care

No more arms for Israel!

Justice for the Palestinian people!

What you can do:

* Circulate this statement.
* Organize forums and debates.

* Write letters to members of Congress and your local papers.

* Demonstrate.
* Citizen participation in formulating a just and peaceful foreign policy is required.

A concerned citizen/activist organizing package to help build the movement to free Rodney Reed

A concerned citizen/activist organizing package to help build the movement to free Rodney Reed

Everyone is asking me:

“What is with this Texas Governor Greg Abbott that he refuses to recognize the overwhelming evidence that Rodney Reed is innocent and is proceeding to allow his execution while the real murderer of Stacy Stites, Jimmy Fennell, is allowed to go free?”


Quite literally, everyone is asking this question.


Well, it’s the same thing that has driven this case, this frame-up, of Rodney Reed from the very beginning:


RACISM.


Racist hate drove Jimmy Fennell to carry out this premeditated heinous brutal murder of Stacey Stites.


Racist hate, combined with corruption and a long legacy of historical, institutional, cultural and political racism is what is blinding Texas Governor Greg Abbott to the real facts involved in this case to the point where he has no respect for Rodney Reed’s right-to-life.


This movement for justice for Rodney Reed now involves millions of people, all across the country and here in Texas as it spreads across the globe... everyone is looking on in horror and in disbelief that the Governor of the State of Texas is allowing the execution of Rodney Reed to move forward in spite of overwhelming testimony from witnesses together with real medical and scientific evidence that Rodney Reed is innocent and everyone, except Governor Greg Abbott, can see that Rodney Reed is innocent recognizing that Rodney Reed should be exonerated without further delay and this execution halted.


With time running out as the scheduled day of Rodney Reed’s execution approaches, Governor Greg Abbott’s refusal time act in accordance with what human decency and justice demands can only be considered to be mean and spiteful with his actions intended to feed his small and dwindling racist base of support.


No doubt, at one time, Texas Governor Greg Abbott was thinking that with so few people concerned about the plight of Rodney Reed, because no one knew what was being passed off in the name of justice here in Texas, he could get away with executing Rodney Reed and that would be the end of the matter.


But, now, with a growing population having been informed and educated as to all the facts in this case, Texas Governor Abbott is having a great deal of difficulty carrying out his original plans, not because he has a conscience, but because he has been caught as a participant in this hideous racist frame-up of Rodney Reed.


The final decision of whether or not to execute Rodney Reed is not going to be a decision Texas Governor Greg Abbott makes on his own... the determination will be made in the ultimate court... the court of public opinion.


Can we build and organize the kind of massive and overwhelming movement in the short time left to force Texas Governor Greg Abbott to do what is right and just: stop this execution and exonerate Rodney Reed.


Texas Governor Greg Abbott comes looking for votes but he doesn’t want to hear from the people when it comes to what is right and what is wrong and what basic human decency requires.


Texas Governor Greg Abbott turns his back in indifference to millions of people now on record calling on him to do what is ethically and morally right in this case... only more people raising their voices is going to convince Texas Governor Greg Abbott to turn around and face the people and do what is right.


This is no time to give up... we must intensify and bring many more people into this struggle for justice for Rodney Reed.


We can not allow the execution of this innocent man to take place in our name.


Talk to everyone you know; get on the phone and talk to everyone- friends, neighbors, politicians, journalists, clergy, community leaders and grassroots activists.


We must ask, where are the voices from the labor unions? Rank-and-file workers are speaking out but we have yet to hear from union leaders. We are talking about the life of an innocent black worker, the victim of a racist frame-up. Organized labor must add its voice to this struggle for justice.


Take this plea for justice into every union hall for action.


Time is running out.


Look around you; do you know someone who hasn’t spoken up but who will speak up if they are educated to the facts in this case... talk to these people... don’t procrastinate.


Sign the petition and pass it along to others:

Stop the Execution of Rodney Reed!
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-execution-of-rodney-reed

Here is some good basic information on the case for you to use to educate people...


Dr. Phil:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEphVV4LbrY

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7mk087


Democracy Now... this is excellent:
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/11/6/rodney_reed_calls_to_stop_execution?fbclid=IwAR3iPOYXr4X2i8qr1lodITdx1L5xwrAdr_xUwJmvVragzBkGs0mtEKnodBU


The Intercept:
https://theintercept.com/2019/11/08/rodney-reed-death-row-texas/?fbclid=IwAR1qq2aevrdhoNtTM_KEDHm-bSV3fZ7rIJDfpDvfgejh_6_TFFiAdQu-470


Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/crime-law/2019/11/06/texas-plans-execute-man-this-month-murder-his-lawyers-say-someone-else-confessed-crime/?fbclid=IwAR3GfwL1Vf0Z4xCTXgZGlbg6GzQjW8T5EaH7hIb9huCYYKJMcbUImBMK2A4

Bishop Joe Vasquez speaks out (includes video)
https://austindiocese.org/bishop-pleads-for-rodney-reeds-life?fbclid=IwAR0tT4L2jccidJg1TpwdeoHa_oq0_h8aY1QHBP3xp6CA_bwctk0NCwFUE48

Bastrop County Democratic Party resolution:
https://bastropdemocrats.org/resolved-to-achieve-exoneration-of-rodney-reed/?fbclid=IwAR0b0xeXdi1sO1l3UuOo3Ycg8iOBqn8H6gz_jq5id-hy2o40pIoCWYWSF8I

Polk County Republicans:
https://www.facebook.com/maki.alan/posts/2737127873034463

Austin-American Statesman
https://www.statesman.com/opinion/20191106/editorial-donrsquot-execute-rodney-reed-while-doubts-remain

Oprah Winfrey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCfDLaEN0rk&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3TEKJ2iEb0OZ2Pmxz53GIEPTBYO5U2s71ccgUGkStITp_BP888g53y0P8

New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/us/rodney-reed-death-row-texas.html

History of racism and the criminal justice system from the New York Times "1619 Project:"
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/prison-industrial-complex-slavery-racism.html?fbclid=IwAR2veEKhDnDEZUWsHjFZyNFE4h6DfsEq67agLjbg5mKCima2FvpdzwO6e9E&mtrref=www.facebook.com&gwh=515BF6EC60792FA4D0F6E71A217C2AE7&gwt=pay&assetType=REGIWALL


Letter from Texas State Senator Kirk Watson to Governor Abbott:
http://www.kirkwatson.com/featured-posts/request-for-reprieve-for-rodney-reed/


Letter from Texas State Representative Vikki Goodwin to Governor Abbott:
https://twitter.com/VikkiGoodwinTX/status/1190003004906364928



Letter from bi-partisan group of Texas State Legislators to Governor Abbott:
https://files.constantcontact.com/ad1cddb9001/edecbf75-f862-4b6a-a4da-a6d3e434bd61.pdf


If you need more info and people to contact let me know.


Here is the contact information for Texas Governor Greg Abbott... write, call, visit his office:
(512) 463-2000 - Office of the Governor Main Switchboard
(office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST)
Call 711 for Relay Texas - Citizen's Assistance Telecommunications Device, if you are using a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD)


Mailing Address
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428


Just a note as to how this struggle for justice to save Rodney Reed is shaping up:


Texas Governor Greg Abbott and his cabal of racist bigots are gearing up for a battle over Rodney Reed as they turn to some of the most vicious and vile racism not seen so openly in Texas in many years:


**********************
CNN reports today:

In a now deleted tweet highlighting the growing divide in the case, the Texas District & County Attorneys Association posted: "Not sure how Reed's supporters have turned him into the most popular serial rapist since Michael Jackson."
***********************


This is just the beginning.


These arrogant racist bigots who hold all levers of state power in Texas are intent on executing Rodney Reed as a way to opportunistically and sadistically mobilize their racist base.


Greg Abbott and his cabal of racist bigots can’t figure out how to get themselves out of this racist mess they created for themselves and they are now turning to this vile racism as their last bastion of defense.


This is sick!

A comment:

Alone our individual voices are like one little raindrop, we don't amount to much; but, let it pour... working together we become a powerful flood like a dry stream-bed overflowing its banks.You can find a lot of other information by doing a Google search: "Rodney Reed"
Please share the link to this blog post.
Yours in the struggle to save Rodney Reed,
Alan Maki
512-517-2708

Stealing from the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for wars.

Why do politicians now talk about Social Security as being part of the federal budget? Because it is; it shouldn’t be; it was never intended to be...


But it is:


Social Security has become part of the federal budget because Congress has been “borrowing” (stealing trillions of dollars) from the Social Security Trust Fund and now they don’t want to pay this money back so they are developing all kinds of devious schemes to undermine Social Security... raise the age of retirement instead of lowering it, increasing the price of Medicare Part B, failing to raise the employers’ contribution, refusing to make Social Security the living income it was intended to be, etc.

Instead of using the Social Security Trust Fund for the purposes intended- to finance Social Security programs- Congress has mainly used these funds to finance militarism and wars since it has mixed these funds into the general fund with the biggest share of the general fund going to the defense budget.



This “borrowing” (theft) from the Social Security Trust Fund must be stopped as a prelude to any real Social Security reform.

The case for socialized health care.

The private, for-profit health industry can’t meet the needs when it comes to emerging diseases... one more reason for socialized health care.


And poor diplomatic relations between countries can’t stop the spread of communicable diseases.
Scientists need to be able to work together in cooperation across borders.

Trump with his creating animosities with the entire world is an obstacle to maintaining the health and well-being of people all over the globe.

A thought about reforms.

I constantly get apologists for the Democrats lecturing me about how we can’t enact broad sweeping universal reforms, or even very modestly reform existing legislation like Social Security.


They tell me we should be satisfied with “baby steps” and “incremental reforms.”


Here is my answer to this self-serving crap:

If these Democrats really believed in “incremental reforms” and “baby steps” they would have been making sure the Minimum Wage and Social Security was kept in line with the actual cost-of-living ever since these pieces of legislation were enacted.


Instead, these Democrats dumped Claude Pepper the most forceful advocate for maintaining the Minimum Wage and Social Security as real living incomes and they helped destroy the plans for Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” by supporting the war in Vietnam... then they stabbed George McGovern in the back and supported Nixon.


And now these Democrats counsel us to be “patient” that if we elect them they will take “baby steps” and implement “incremental reforms.”


Now that they want our votes, just like Obama did, they claim they are for everything that will solve our problems. Are we supposed to believe them this time around? Why?


Somebody tell me why we are supposed to believe any of these Democrats who are trying to convince us that they are going to work for us.

What is "philanthropy?"

From Diane Gee; how true:


Philanthropy (n): The act of throwing crumbs at the poor to hide the fact that you are the cause of their poverty and avoid paying taxes for their safety nets.

A profound thought from a Canadian worker about democracy...

Thoughts, very thoughtful and concise, on capitalist democracy from Glen Wreggitt...


'Democracy' is the shell hiding the game; the sheepskin clothing the wolf. If we look carefully, we can glimpse the teeth flashing beneath the costume. The teeth are stained with blood. Some pretend not to notice, perhaps believing that we must accept the wolf along with the sheep. However, the wolf, being a wolf, is insatiable and will wear the sheepskin only until he believes that it continues to benefit him. Some of us know about the wolf, some suspect, and others do not believe he exists.

Everything Trump...

1

The politics and economics of livelihood.

Trump’s “State of the Union” speech was nothing but a litany of lies with the Democrats rising with the Republicans to cheer his imperialist agenda and they even rise to applaud their fascist Guaido, their designated president of Venezuela- the whole thing was shameful and disgusting.


Instead of adequately responding point by point to Trump’s speech, Nancy Pelosi- after rising to applaud Trump’s warmongering, she merely ripped up the speech.


Democrats offer no alternative to Trump’s Wall Street agenda.

Working people need our own party.


Working people need our own politics and ideology- the politics, ideology and economics of livelihood: Marxism.

Nancy Pelosi was right to tear up Trump's State of the Union Speech... it was a litany of lies and racism.

Nancy Pelosi tore up Trump’s speech and this has irked some people; however, Trump has shredded the Constitution and Bill of Rights and these people say nothing about this.

Defend public education.

Trump has a complete disdain for public education.


In his State of the Union speech he said:


“For too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools.”


Public education is by far the most important universal social program ever enacted and it is just as universally supported by people all over the world.


No social programs works so well.


To the extent public education anyplace is failing it is because it is being sabotaged and underfunded and funded through regressive taxes like the property tax with teachers being pressured by the right wing business community not to teach science and the truth about history.


To the extent public education is failing is the result of politicians like Trump appointing right wing nut jobs like Betsy DeVos to oversee public education finding underhanded ways of spending tax-dollars supporting private religious schools.


These right wing politicians like Trump berate public education on the one hand as they push prayers and Bible studies in place of reading, writing, math, science, history and the arts.


For over two-hundred years society has known how to educate people to be competent in reading, writing, arithmetic while nurturing an understanding of history and creating the kind of thinking skills required to advance science and technology.


For over one-hundred fifty years public education in this country has made education available to everyone- not just the wealthy few... and the obscenely wealthy few like Trump and Betsy DeVos have been opposed to the children of the working class receiving any education beyond what is required to do the jobs required in the process of exploiting us from which they have derived such tremendous wealth.


Who is responsible for failing public schools? Ironically, it is Trump and these right wing bigots and all the millionaires and billionaires who are so adamant that they not be taxed to pay for the public education of working class children so these bigots sabotage the public schools in any way they can.
It is public education that we should be able to point to as a world class system of education because it is properly funded, properly administered and properly delivered.


The viability of any universal social program depends on three key components:

How well it is funded.


How well it is administered.


Adequate delivery carried out by properly trained and dedicated staff to accomplish its goals and objectives.

Public education in this country is not adequately funded- when it is, the wealthy few opposed to public education rush in to profit from the public trough they claim to despise.


Reactionary politicians appoint over-paid administrators who have no commitment to public education in the first place other than their own selfish interests to receive high salaries for undermining the very system they are hired to oversee.


And dedicated teachers are forced to buckle under to the most reactionary and bigoted local school boards made up of people who often don’t even send their own children to public schools... the John Bircher Betsy DeVos appointed by Trump to oversee the Department of Education is the classic example of this.


How can a person who is opposed to public education be appointed to oversee public education?


Trump publicly stated his disdain for public education when he appointed Betsy De Vos to oversee its destruction and then again he stated his disdain for public education in this comment that was
disgracefully applauded with Betsy DeVos leading the cheers:


“For too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools.”


Disgusting. Shameful. But very typical coming from a president who chooses to cut funding for public education as he transfers these funds for militarism and wars.


This one sentence from Trump tells us just what kind of arrogant rich fascist bastard he really is.


Anyone with such a thoroughly reactionary outlook shouldn’t be holding any elected or appointed government position, let alone being the president of the United States.