SLAVERY IS ALIVE AND WELL
The recent statements by the Republicans in Congress concerning Obama's plans to increase taxes on the rich and raise the minimum wage belie the truth and suggest two things: the Repubs are either far more ignorant than is believable or far more greedy than anyone could have imagined.
Their moaning and lamenting that this is a sure-fire recipe for recession is ludicrous. The facts, as recently reported in the New York Times, are that 1 percent of the wealthy elite of this world owns more than everyone else on the planet combined. To suggest these fat cats would miss a blink or a hiccup or halt a fart at a little tax increase is beyond pornographic.
Simple economics says that if the vast majority currently making next to nothing in comparison to those at the upper end of the wealth totem pole had more disposable income, it could not help but be a boon to the economy.
It will be very interesting to see what convoluted logic the Repubs put forth to justify continuing to deny equal pay to qualified women getting paid less than their male counterparts. Perhaps they will come up with something called a "penis clause." If you got one, you qualify for more pay, if you don't you are SOL.
The rate at which the wealthy elite are increasing their wealth is staggering. The 80 wealthiest people in the world are worth some 1.9 trillion U.S. dollars, which is about the same amount owned by the 3.5 billion people on the lower end of the world income scale combined.
Just a year ago it took 85 billionaires to account for the 1.9 trillion figure, which means that in one year the people at the top increased their wealth by an unbelievable amount. Since 2010, in spite of improving economies around the world, those outside the wealthy zone have seen their net worth decreasing.
As long as the rhetoric continues and the wealthy are bound and determined not only to keep getting richer but also ensure that everyone else gets poorer, the rest of us will keep getting screwed. Slavery will continue to be alive and well, as people continue to labor under unfair laws and inequitable pay scales.
—Marco
IN REPLY TO "THE TERRORISTS HAVE WON" (1/14)
Dear Victoria,
We have something called freedom of speech and thankfully that applies to media. The Source isn't afraid to print the word "fuck." It's a word. Who cares????? Not a big deal. I love seeing that in at least one local paper and it's why I'll always read the Source. Kudos to the Source.
—Nate
Steven Humphrey,
Stick to your juvenile blathering about TV programs—reviewing movies is for adults that haven't built their reputation on foul-mouthed bathroom humor.
—RJ via bendsource.com
IN REPLY TO "LOOK OUT FOR THE BIG ONE!" (1/21)
To Jim Anderson's excellent article on NW earthquakes, I'd like to add a book title people can find in the library for more depth on the subject—Sandi Doughton's "Full-rip 9.0: The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest." Very readable, but like Jim, you'll want to sleep with your flashlight within reach.
—Carol Elwood via bendsource.com
IN REPLY TO "ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST" (1/23)
I wonder if they'll change the tag line for their Loser Pale Ale. "Corporate Beer Still Sucks."
—Steve Langenderfer via bendsource.com
IN REPLY TO "SHOOTING UP" (1/21)
Seems like most doctors these days treat their patients as drug-addicts, even when they are seeking treatment for acute injuries. It's not surprising that treating people like drug addicts and turning them away from legal medicine results in increased illegal drug use.
—TheGuyThatSaysThings via bendsource.com
IN REPLY TO "ARE YOU MY MAYOR?" (1/21)
I believe that direct election of the Mayor would be a positive step for Bend for all the reasons suggested by Jim Clinton. But, more importantly, we should be looking at how the City Council interacts with city staff--how the policymakers work with those charged with implementing policy. The Bend City Council has a historical tendency to over-rely on staff to make what really amount to policy decisions. The City Manager and City Attorney frequently say at Council meetings that the Council needs to make a policy decision. But too often the alternatives offered by staff to the Council are narrow (if more than one proposal is even suggested). Council can and should take a more active role in governance and direct the City Manager to come up with a wider range of options on major policy decisions; there should be public discussion of these options at Council meetings, not just in work sessions. Changes like this would not require changing Council/Mayor status from what is largely volunteer public service to paid public service. That's a whole other question.
—Michael Funke
IN REPLY TO "THE MODERN PRIMAL FOODIE" (1/14)
Just another B.S. food fad associated with gluten-free hysteria. Just like all fad diets...it's all about making money off people's gullibility.
—eat_whatever_and_exercise via bendsource.com
CORRECTION: In the last "Free Will Astrology" (1/21), we mislabeled the horoscopes for Taurus and Gemini. We regret the error and hope our readers suffered no astrological ill effects.
