"It Is Up To All of Us" — Locals React to State of the Union

KathyD February 13, 2013 at 10:26 pm

I've lived in Texas and I've lived in California, and all I can say is, you get what you pay for. There is no way I'd ever move back to Texas.
For some reason, regressives don't understand, until they have to, that the highest quality employees demand quality of life. The retailing behemoth of Bentonville AR tried mightily for years to attempt to attract top-quality technical talent to live and work there in the web services division for their retail website. They finally gave up, and they now have their web services division located in SF on 101.

KathyD February 13, 2013 at 10:37 pm

@Ralph: Why yes, my civil, human and Constitutional rights to privacy and personal bodily autonomy - the SAME rights that you and every other male citizen were endowed with at birth (or naturalization) - ARE my prized possessions. As they say in Texas, "Come And Take It".

Frank Geefay February 14, 2013 at 12:20 am

I wonder is conservatives know the true definition of socialist? They seem to through this term around to mean something.

Frank Geefay February 14, 2013 at 12:33 am

Yep. Mitt Romney made millions and paid his fair share of taxes. What was it again, did he say 14%? I wouldn't mind paying 90% if I had his income. Too bad I don't work hard enough so I deserve what I get.

Frank Geefay February 14, 2013 at 01:02 am

I really didn't find the president saying very much new. He seems intent on continuing essentially where he left off last year. Perhaps that is as is should be. I was hoping that he would engage Republicans more. Perhaps he has given up out of frustration. In any case I hope he succeeds because if he does we all come out ahead. I'd wish the same for a Republican president.

haveapizza February 14, 2013 at 01:19 am

Thanks Steve. Fair enough. Let be more nuanced. Many of those on food stamps and their families. Hows that? The point is the same. The individuals responsible, of course, have dragged their families into being owned by the state and being provided for by others. As far as college student, point is exactly the same. There are many, repeat, many, college students, who draw a variety of state programs, including food stamps, that do not require it. I know some. Parents are middle class. The student has no need. Its just....well "free".
Elderly? If someone spent their lives making horrific decisions...if someone spent their life making money, spending it all on fun stuff and now they are retired and broke that means they are owed something by others? I know people like this. I know people who spent their lives making bad decision after bad decision. And yeah they are 62 or 65 or 55 or 59 or 71. They have spent their lives living a lifestyle far beyond their means. So now they automatically qualify for societal support? Why? What sense does that make? And how do they live with themselves?

Mark Burns February 14, 2013 at 02:56 am

Is there a need to go over this again with income taxes and Mitt Romney? It is pretty simple Frank; he made a dollar, he paid taxes on that dollar, he saved a portion of what was left. It went into an investment account. When that investment money (that had already been taxed) produced a dividend or a capital gain, he paid 15% Federal tax (which, thanks to our President, is now closer to 24%). That would be a tax on the passive earnings from the money he already paid taxes on and he saved rather than spent.
Additionally, crying poormouth about your own station in life with the income, retirement, investments, home, and rental property you have is completely disingenuous. The minute you suddenly earn an additional million dollars from the sale of a fourplex or your own home (capital gain), I doubt you would freely part with $900K as you say you would.

Ralph Hutchinson February 14, 2013 at 03:24 am

@Kathy D---Your entitled to your rights just don't ask me and the rest of the public to pay for them.

Ralph Hutchinson February 14, 2013 at 03:29 am

@Vanessa---When most immigrated they worked in NY and New England factories tanneries, and later the rust belt in steel, railroads or coal mines. They didn't fence a plot of land. If you're speaking of the Land rush out west, those pioneers had it tough and settled. They worked hard and took risks and opportunities. They didn't whine about handouts.

Ralph Hutchinson February 14, 2013 at 03:34 am

There was no concept of retirement a few decades ago. Why now the entitlement society? Welfare creates these attitudes. Social Security was meant to help only those elderly that needed it who were unable to work or had no other means to survive. Today, everybody takes and they all don't need. Needs based welfare is one thing but this is way overboard.

Justin February 14, 2013 at 12:14 pm

Frank--pay no mind to JoTog. He's one of those people you see on corners holding signs about how the socialist regime is taking over our country (as he adjusts his tinfoil hat). He's an amusing man, though his mom really would like him to move out of her garage someday.

Lorie February 14, 2013 at 01:41 pm

Justin, as much as you'd like to use comedy to make your point, I am more inclined to believe that Jo Tog actually has a job and pays taxes, otherwise why would he care that taxes are being w-a-s-t-e-d ?
...unless you speak from experience.

Sierra Salin February 14, 2013 at 06:56 pm

Drill baby, Kill, while the drones band on...
Shame on ALL of us, bickering and jabbering monkeys on a sinking ship fool of holes. Nature IS tanking, oops, too bad. Lets continue to exploit and pollute Nature and reduce it to dollars and wastelands. I, am ASHAMED to be an American, and proud of it. We are fool of manifest density and short ignoranted rantings. Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie, as we profess along, while others freeze, starve, get irradiated, and sprayed. What ARE we leaving behind in our wake folks? Endless wars, Fracking, Nuclear spews, Legitimate Rapist Bankers, Tarsands, etc. Gimmie gimmie gimmie....... Nature IS gonna kick our butts folks, regardless of our jabbering lunacy. There is always hope, but certainly very little unless we start taking care of Nature, which supports ALL life. Oops.

Kevin February 14, 2013 at 07:59 pm

So be it. Humans are the smatest animal on Earth and nothing will change because of that. We will destroy this world and it will rise again in another billion years. You cant do anything about China polluting the world. It just a matter of time.
Also, why dont you move to another country and denounce your citizenship? i'm sure you and John Walker Lindh will have a wonderful time together.

Tina McMillan February 15, 2013 at 02:48 am

You grossly underestimate the power of nature and overestimate the impact of man. In the end nature will win. We can't live without it and what we destroy directly impacts our survival.

Wire February 15, 2013 at 04:07 am

OMG! GNP! What the Demo's having going for themselves is the murder rate.
Cal. gnp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuzhwkaNC40

Sierra Salin February 15, 2013 at 04:48 am

So, just how do you equate J.W.L. & I, anyway, and what does any of it have to do with denouncing my Citizenship? Sounds like you believe only folks who agree or think as you do have any rights?
Wave yer flag Kevin. Most likely it WAS made in China.

Frank Geefay February 15, 2013 at 05:28 am

Wrong. Their very hard working and well educated brothers and sisters and children and grandchildren, many of whom contributed heavily to the success of Silicon Valley and high tech innovations and now earn good livings because of their hard work and contributions have more than paid for any welfare Chinese migrants in any part of history have ever received. Jo, you chose the wrong example to use.

Frank Geefay February 15, 2013 at 05:58 am

It is more than unfortunate that so many people still don't understand cause and effect and that everything man does to try to dominate over nature will be met in kind with nature’s wrathful defense against such assaults. We are like a virus trying to invade and dominate the planet earth. Earth is responding by sending antibodies of global warming heat to fight off our assaults. In the end we will lose the battle if we do not scale back our assault to a level that does not elicit a reaction. CO2 is the poison that is destroying the earth as are the byproducts of viruses that attack a person’s body. Global warming due to the greenhouse effect is the fever that mother earth is using to fight off the virus mankind. By assaulting mother earth with more toxic CO2 the fever of global warming will continue to increase until mankind ceases to exist.

Ralph Hutchinson February 15, 2013 at 02:44 pm

I'm going with Frank on this one Jo. Asian immigrants typically work very hard in the early years to support themselves and in the 80's their families supported them and most came over with substantial wealth already in hand. Bad example agreed Frank.

TGD February 15, 2013 at 03:51 pm

"this case provides evidence of around one and a half million invalid voter registrations in the state of California alone."
That number is way off, I registered 2 million times myself.

Wire February 15, 2013 at 04:01 pm

Worked with two immigrants one from Mexico another from Vietnam, the Hispanic was the shop foreman was legal great guy., only fault he had eleven kids,by the age of 55. His wife left him because he was a very hard worker. I'm guessing on this. The youngest was a year old. She had nothing to do with this family any longer and he and the other kids had to take care of each other. Well he died at the age of 63.
Now the Vietnamese, another big family he said he wanted to catch up with the boss don't remember the kid count for him when he was let go. I asked one day why you want such a large family, so they would support him at their older age. My other experience with an Asian I didn't know his history as he lived in LA and we loved the same sport. He own a business in Korean Town during the Watts Riots he was up of his roof top ARMED with simi automatic rifle to save his store. He died the first of this year but haven't had contact with him for years. We both had same health problems, I don't know who is better off now. I go along with voter ID! Seniors need one to get discount on mass transit. Students need for one same reason. Now in SF I'm guess they did away with student discount and calling it youth discount. No ID needed. HUM!

Vanessa Castañeda February 15, 2013 at 04:26 pm

@haveapizza This is a complex problem with no simple solution. I agree that people should take charge of their lives and only have children when they're financially stable. However, not everyone has the courage to lead the kind of life they want to lead. And sometimes people need a little bit of help to get up when they fall down. Are social welfare programs really the biggest drain on the American government's budget? I don't have the data in front of me, but I suspect that the government spends more on defense than on social welfare programs.

Ralph Hutchinson February 15, 2013 at 06:35 pm

Write Congressman Mike Thompson if you live in the First District about these issues, concerns and suggestions. he's a straight shooter and works across the isle. Not much is solved on a blog. we have a representative government. I'm not as supportive about out Senators.

Mark Burns February 15, 2013 at 08:46 pm

That's too bad that mankind is a virus in your mind, Frank. We've evolved this far just to have Mother Nature kill us off with her antibodies. Facts might be a little harder to come by so let's scare the children with tales of a vengeful Earth. It is not cause and effect until you study solar cycles and have other meaningful and historical data that generally excludes man.
You wait about a month and roll this stuff out over and over again. You need to show some real proof and not your usual 'Thousands of Scientists Agree' claims.

Frank Geefay February 16, 2013 at 12:22 am

Disprove my claim with scientific facts of your own then. Prove that 99% of climatologists do not believe in global warming and that man is the primary cause of it. There is simply not enough text space available here to prove it but I can get the proof that you will simply deny with no explanation. So even if I presented a sound argument you will still reject it out of spite.

Mark Burns February 16, 2013 at 01:40 am

Not too much to restate on this. I did not make representations about global warming; you did. I asked you to prove that man is the cause of it and I also asked that you not use the claim that 'Thousands of Scientists believe it to be true. . ." Now you claim that 99% of climatologists agree (or not agree or whatever your comment really means). Show me the list of 99% out of 100% of ALL climatologists.
There is plenty of space left for me to ask you to prove beyond doubt that man-caused global warming is going to kill us all. The more likely answer is that we don't know that the characteristics of climate change are linked to man; we don't know how solar cycles (generally in excess of 1500 years) affect a planet 4.5 billion years old; we don't know how accurate temperature readings and CO2 readings are from 150 years ago; we don't know from a perspective of 150 years out of 4.5 Billion how global warming or CO2 affects us; etc,. Tell me Frank, what post-graduate-level expertise on global warming do you possess? Yeah . . . me neither.

Sierra Salin February 16, 2013 at 01:49 am

O.K. Mark, look around at the once diverse interconnected living systems which make up our "biosphere" which supports all life, and tell me that humans are acting in the best interest of anything's future which is larger than an insect?
Humans ARE a plague on Nature, ripping, shredding, and laying wast, and leaving toxic landfills where life once lived. We value $ profits, and endless wars, above a future worth living in, and we are choosing, with every waking $, our future. What ARE we leaving behind, or creating?

Mark Burns February 16, 2013 at 02:16 am

Yes, Sierra, you have a voice. You are not alone. Thanks for being mindlessly distractive. For making no sense what so ever. Good job!

Wire February 16, 2013 at 03:39 am

Congressman Mike Thompson lied about not knowing about anti depressants that the mass killers were on. Saying there's no record and that the NRA is stalling the FDA in checking law. Yes they need a new law!
Do you know a reporter can't ask the police if they were on depressants because that is private information, like Obama's history. The only time the drug use can be reported legality is if it comes out in court! So does the Feds keep those kind of records NOPE! They need a study. Ask Mikey! To hard to read the books or news paper reports. OMG!