(2007-10-25) — With the deadline looming to fix or repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) before it pinches an additional 19 million Americans, House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel, D-NY, today had planned to introduce what he called “the mother of all reforms” to the U.S. tax code.
However, this morning he learned that his measure had gone to Kansas overnight for a late-term abortion.
Given the bill’s questionable paternity and the certainty of a rough life ahead, Rep. Rangel said, “as a Democrat, of course, I couldn’t argue with that choice.”
Meanwhile, House Republicans plan to introduce a conservative alternative to the Rangel alternative to the Alternative Minimum Tax.
The GOP measure would repeal the AMT, and make up for the $65 billion in lost tax payments by levying a 4.6 percent surcharge on Americans who download alternative rock music through iTunes.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi immediately condemned the Republican proposal because, she said, “It places an unfair burden on people who already carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.”
86 responses so far ↓
1 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 25, 2007 at 9:06 am
God Bless America
2 camojack // Oct 25, 2007 at 9:10 am
Ouch.
3 boberinyetagain // Oct 25, 2007 at 9:11 am
Oh my! Those poor people!
4 gafisher // Oct 25, 2007 at 9:15 am
“It places an unfair burden on people who already carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.â€
A Democrat arguing against a tax? In your dreams! (Besides, if listening to alternative rock music causes obesity, it really is a taxable offense under the Dem worldview.)
5 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 25, 2007 at 9:16 am
Hey! Wait a minute! Why Alternative Rock!?! Why not hippity-hop!?!
I smell bigotry, racism and communitarianism here.
6 conserve-a-tips // Oct 25, 2007 at 9:54 am
“plan to introduce a conservative alternative to the Rangel alternative to the Alternative Minimum Tax.”
Great line, Scott!!! I’m wondering how this will affect those of an alternative lifestyle.
7 boberinyetagain // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:04 am
Just levy a tax on stupidity, we’d never want for money again.
Oh wait, the states do that now…the lottery. Ours went one better with slot machines. People line up to contribute, it’s quite touching
8 woodnwheel // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:13 am
boberin:
“Just levy a tax on stupidity, we’d never want for money again.
Oh wait, the states do that now…the lottery. Ours went one better with slot machines. People line up to contribute, it’s quite touching”
I don’t think we agree on much (based on previous threads) but for the record, I agree with you totally here!
9 Maggie // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:15 am
Instead of the AMT bill,the Dems are introducing the ‘ATM’ tax bill. Special ATM machines will be set up on the floor of the Senate and House and a debit card will be issued to each member to withrdaw directly from the taxpayers bank accounts as needed. This will help elininate some of those time consuming debates and votes and give our hard working legislatures more time on the golf course.(((( Fore))))
10 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:16 am
BTW I get hit $2 for using an illegitimate ATM machine so who needs an AMT when you got an ATM. I hope the POTUS vetos any such bill.
Or something of that sorts
11 Maggie // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:18 am
…….hmmmm…..or is that Four?hmmmm….
12 Maggie // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:21 am
Ms Righty re#10….”great minds”….. and all that stuff. :>)
13 boberinyetagain // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:40 am
WW, see? Anything is possible
Maggie, the ATM is a fine idea but they pretty much do that now. It’s called “income tax” and, far more shamefully “social security”
Why does no one address the fact that if they hadn’t spent that money there would be no “crisis” at all?
14 University Update - Nancy Pelosi - Rangel’s ‘Mother of All Tax Reforms’ Gets Abortion // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:53 am
[...] Clark Rangel’s ‘Mother of All Tax Reforms’ Gets Abortion » This Summary is from an article posted at ScrappleFace — News Fairly Unbalanced. We Report. You [...]
15 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 25, 2007 at 12:03 pm
re: 12
Gee, I never looked at the back track. Yup, great minds indeed. LOL @ ATM/AMT/AFLCIO
16 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 25, 2007 at 12:33 pm
The GOP needs to 187 the AMT bill STAT ASAP. When finished please RSVP
17 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 25, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Here’s yet further evidence that Pelosi…..I’m out of words…..
18 woodnwheel // Oct 25, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Jameson re. #17: Pelosi isn’t the only one trying to take advantage of the wildfires for political gain… The state rep. for Louisiana’s Lower 9th Ward is also getting in on the act…
19 da Bunny // Oct 25, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Maggie re: #9…very funny, but don’t be giving them any more ideas!!
boberin, people lining up to “contribute” their “stupid tax” at slot machines and in lottery ticket lines isn’t as “touching” as it is “touched,” eh? I find myself resenting the fact that many of these “gamblers” are welfare, Social Security and/or disability recipients, who expect the govt. incomes to keep flowing while they willingly throw it away on gambling. If these people can afford to gamble, then they don’t need my money to do it with!!
20 Tinman // Oct 25, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Ms. Rightwing, Ink
ATM/AMT/AFLCIO
Jeez, now I have M-I-C/K-E-Y/M-O-U-S-E running around my brain.
21 Darthmeister // Oct 25, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Rangel’s pro-choice mother gets an abortion? Isn’t that about 77 years too late?
22 boberinyetagain // Oct 25, 2007 at 4:56 pm
bunny, it’s the circle of life so to speak! The government gives them money, they go to the casino and give it back. It’s quite a neat little package really…
23 Fred Sinclair // Oct 25, 2007 at 5:29 pm
GOOD NEWS DEPT.
I just returned from eye surgery - drooping eyelids that interfered with my vision - the local has worn off and I hurt like two black eyes from being punched. Waiting for Tyenol to take effect. Eyes definately WIDE OPEN now!
Heirborn Ranger
24 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 25, 2007 at 6:03 pm
re:20
The only thing I can suggest is setting a cranial mouse trap to catch the singing critter. If that doesn’t work then may I suggest the Democrat style of removing voices and that is to take a rather large hammer and beating one’s self senseless.
I think they do that before they go and vote on election day.
25 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 25, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Fred
Good luck. After one week I still can’t see out of my right eye (very well), though my surgery was a bit more radical, it is/was a pain in the lower regions.
Here’s to you and a quick recovery of swollen eyelids
26 da Bunny // Oct 25, 2007 at 7:46 pm
boberin re: #22
Well, the government is giving them the money that’s been confiscated from the wage-earning taxpayer, but the recipients are giving the money to the casino operators, and then asking for more money from the taxpayers for their prescription drug benefits, etc. When someone gives you a gift, do you tear it up, waste it, or throw it away? I sure don’t. But, these same “gamblers,” who don’t seem to have any problem at all feeding cash into a slot machine, scream bloody murder if they have to pick up the tab for a prescription or a health insurance deductible. At that point, they’re conveniently “on a fixed income.”
I know that this doesn’t apply to all government income recipients, but I sure have seen a lot of chronically unemployed/disabled/”seasoned” citizens standing in lottery lines or sitting in casinos wasting what has been generously given to them. That rattles the rabbit hutch.
27 egospeak // Oct 25, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Two things are certain about Rangel’s bill.
1. If it survives the abortion, it will only pass under a Democrat Congress and President, and just as Carter paved the way for Reagan, it will pave the way for a Republican Congress and President shortly thereafter.
2. While it is the “Mother of all Tax Bills”, if it is defeated it will be the biggest orphan ever.
Has anybody asked Eddie Vedder what he thinks of all this? Oops, my bad… I forgot, he’s been spending all his time writing protest songs about the horrors of life under the totalitarianism of the Bu$Hitler regime. Besides, I’m sure a rich alt rocker like him would love to pay higher taxes, much higher taxes… in fact I’m certain that every year he sends extra money to the Treasury Department just to assuage his guilty conscience. Ya think???
Regards,
28 Darthmeister // Oct 25, 2007 at 9:19 pm
egospeak,
Why hasn’t Eddie Vedder been picked up by a black helicopter yet? Maybe he’s been sending in extra tax payments as protection money and greasing someone’s palm inside the IRS. I’m sure good ol’ Eddie has voluntarily doubled his tax burden FOR THE CHILDREN!
29 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:13 pm
From the local press:
“In San Bernardino County, a man suspected of starting a small fire was arrested and another man was shot to death by police after he fled officers who approached to see if he might be trying to set a fire.”
A fitting punishment for those who started the fires. According to the report the FBI is still on the prowl for arsonist. I return to my question from several days ago. Who is to say the arson problem could not be linked to terrorist?
30 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:28 pm
I didn’t know about H.R. 505, the Native Hawaiian Reorganization Act, a bill that would create a new, race-based government within the borders of the United States which the House of Representatives passed yesterday and which is, apparently, poised to pass the Senate (S. 310) as well.
I don’t get it; is it really about casinos?
31 conserve-a-tips // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Well, good evening all. Boberin, speaking of stupidity, I have a confession to make to all. After my last post this morning, I guess I hit the wrong title and wound up on the thread about Bin Laden and His Sissies (new singing group don’t ya know?). Anyway, all day I have been refreshing that thread and nobody was posting. I would look again and mine would always be the last post. I scratched my head and decided that Scrapple face must be down. I have checked back from time to time and no change. Just now I sat down and noticed the title of the story and smacked my head…stupid, stupid, stupid.
Charlie Rangle is just taxing.
32 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Ms RightWing, Ink~~
Today or yesterday, I read somewhere (I fergit where) that there is evidence that some terrorists have actually considered setting our forests on fire, so the threat is feasible.
Also, I should have put quotes around most of the first paragraph in my comment #30 which I copy/pasted.
33 conserve-a-tips // Oct 25, 2007 at 10:53 pm
James, I read the article that you posted and I don’t understand the surprise. The Indian tribes have been sovereign nations forever. Here in Oklahoma, the tribes have their own governments, own laws and own courts. While they are also under US law, anything that happens on Indian land comes under their nation’s laws. That is why they have casinos that don’t have to pay the kinds of taxes that other casinos pay and why tobacco shops don’t have sales tax. That is nothing new. I wonder if the author of the article knows that.
34 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 26, 2007 at 12:29 am
I honestly do not see a correlation between Hawaiians and Native Americans and I can’t help but agree with Alexander (R-TN) when he says, “Becoming an American has always meant giving up allegiance to your previous country and pledging allegiance to your new country, the United States of America.â€
Native Americans never voted to become Americans while, in 1959, 94% of Hawaiians did and were American citizens for 50-some years before that.
35 Darthmeister // Oct 26, 2007 at 8:19 am
AP - Los Angelos
Racial cleansing is occuring in L.A. as Latino gangs target rival black gang members and black civilians.
The mayor and the city council have concluded law enforcement is “stirring up a hornets nest of violence.”
Said one council member, “If we redeploy the police force to a municipality where rival gangs do not exist, then we believe the problem will go away and peace will return to our city.”
This view was also shared by those involved in gang violence. One high ranking, anonymous source within one Latino splinter group of La Raza stated, “Get the pigs outta here. They’re the ones putting pressure on us and causing us to act out our inner child against rival gangs and innocent civilians.”
Several Latino gangs have become unified in their efforts to extend their peace in the areas of their influence by hiring a lawyer to argue their case before the U.S. Supreme Court for a gun-free zone throughout the Southwest.
36 conserve-a-tips // Oct 26, 2007 at 9:02 am
James, I’m not saying that I agree with sovereign nations within nations. I have Native American heritage (like the majority of Oklahomans) and I think that the day has passed where we should be claiming sovereignty as a tribe. Either we are Americans or we aren’t. My point is that I don’t understand the sudden outrage because there are new tribes forming all the time, here on the mainland and Hawaiians of original heritage are Native American. They were indigenous Indians when the white man decided to use their islands for Leper colonies. I guess I’m just not surprised because we deal with it in our state so much.
37 conserve-a-tips // Oct 26, 2007 at 9:10 am
What I’ve been feeling all along about Mike Huckabee. I don’t want another “preside by emotions” president. I’ve had it with that type. He is very involved with the Purpose Driven movement too and I will have none of that. Fred Thompson is looking better and better.
38 egospeak // Oct 26, 2007 at 9:26 am
OT - for those who might be interested, The American Mind (#12) on the blogroll has a hilarious YouTube featuring Mary Katherine Ham called “The Cure is Hillary.”
Regards,
39 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 26, 2007 at 9:29 am
Well Ohio has its Democrap governor now and it is time to let the liberals run the nut house. This bill would have destroyed a small business like mine. The federal bill was bad enough. Oh well, everyone is happy when mom is happy.
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/14428459/detail.html
40 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 26, 2007 at 9:45 am
This is a cool site for angry people like myself who see handicapped parking spots abused. I know not everyone looks handicapped and oft times gets remarks not warranted, but come on now. The ones the get my tail feathers up is when the handicapped person sits in the car listening to the ball game while the healthy one shops. Ooops no parking spot.
And don’t even get me started on the obese people using up all the electric carts at Wal Mart.
http://www.handicappedfraud.org
41 MargeinMI // Oct 26, 2007 at 10:01 am
Hey c-a-t, I had an email bounce back. Do you have a new address?
42 Maggie // Oct 26, 2007 at 10:12 am
Good Morning Marge……..WoooHooo!!!!
43 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 26, 2007 at 11:10 am
I received an e-mail from a friend near Riverside this morning after I sent her the article about the arson suspect they shot and killed in San Bernardino County.
It turns out he was an (drum roll please) illegal resident from Guatemala. Seems like he tried to run down the policeman’s car after fleeing and being ordered to stop in the required 14 languages of LA, he kept running. (Last part my sick humor)
I would post my friends comments but it was dotted with expletives. She said everywhere they go a mask is required because of all the smoke from the Lake Arrowhead fire which was 30 miles from their house.
I guess I too would have to choose my words carefully when describing an arsonist.
44 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 26, 2007 at 11:10 am
pushing with all my might
45 boberinyetagain // Oct 26, 2007 at 11:16 am
Good morning gang. Seems like CA is cooling a bit. That’s good
46 its-just-me // Oct 26, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Re #43:
That can’t be right, MsRightWing…
All undocumented immigrants are simply peaceful peasants looking for a better life!
/sarcasm
47 boberinyetagain // Oct 26, 2007 at 12:44 pm
And the illegals from Guatemala want California to burn because????
I’m sure there’s an excellent reason, it just escapes me.
Perhaps he was hoping to collect the insurance money on his house??
48 conserve-a-tips // Oct 26, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Boberin: Or perhaps he’s just mean and gets a thrill and feeling of power by lighting fires.
49 its-just-me // Oct 26, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Has my post been aborted?
50 its-just-me // Oct 26, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Hey, there’s my post!
Yep, bob, those arsonists are always pretty reasonable - I’m sure there would be some kind of logical explanation for an otherwise upstanding citizen to have done something silly like killing trees.
Oh, wait - he isn’t an upstanding citizen…
51 conserve-a-tips // Oct 26, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Its-just-me: He isn’t upstanding and he isn’t a citizen. Being a firebug means theerrreeee strikes, yer out!
52 conserve-a-tips // Oct 26, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Marge, I sent you an email. Do you have the allegiance.tv one?
53 boberinyetagain // Oct 26, 2007 at 2:17 pm
I just wasn’t sure of the connection between illegal alien and arsonist. That seems to be a coincidence but again, I guess that’s just me.
54 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 26, 2007 at 2:24 pm
It’s obvious the “connection” is that he is a Guatemalan illegal alien and an arsonist. How hard is it to connect two dots?
55 boberinyetagain // Oct 26, 2007 at 2:50 pm
then it follows that if there were no illegal aliens in this country that we would not have had 6 different large fires and hundreds of smaller ones.
and if we had no homosexuals then the terrorists (were they legal or illegal?) never would have hijacked planes.
Taken in that light it’s dawning on me why you folks are so passionate about these things. Life would be perfect if not for these people/situations.
56 DrivebyMeteor // Oct 26, 2007 at 2:55 pm
Catalino Pineda, a Guatemala native, was scheduled to be arraigned Friday on one count of arson. He was being held on $75,000 bail.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/10/24/state/n125813D95.DTL&tsp=1
Ah, but we must ask: what are the root causes?
57 always right // Oct 26, 2007 at 2:59 pm
About lotteries and slot machines (”gambling”):
If it is my money, I get to choose how I want to spend it, and how much I want to “contribute”.
Not like tax, which I have no alternative choice.
(Note: welfare recipients don’t pay taxes, right?)
58 Darthmeister // Oct 26, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Alluding to previous thread:
If a Muslim military-aged male dies a “sissy for Allah” in an act of jihad, would he at least get 72 virgin goats?
59 Darthmeister // Oct 26, 2007 at 3:18 pm
boberin engaging in more argumentum absurdum to prove his pointless point.
If that particular illegal had not been in the country because our government has been effectively enforcing the borders and applying the full weight of the law against illegal aliens during our lifetime, then its pretty clear this Guatemalan firebug in all probability wouldn’t have been here to start the fire.
And neither would have the murders committed by illegal aliens have happened here in America if Jose and Pablo were still back in their wonderful mother country that they are so fond of remembering on the Latino street here. You know Mexico/Gautemala/Columbia/El Salvador/etc.
Yes, enforcing immigration laws already on the books would decrease murders, fires, rapes, and theft by a proportionate number. No amount of snarky obfuscation will change that equation.
If they legally don’t belong here, then would someone in authority please get them the helk out of our country? And now is as good a time as any for our federal and state governments to actually enforce the laws already on the books and give these ungrateful troublemaking illegals the boot back to their beloved hellholes where they belong.
60 Darthmeister // Oct 26, 2007 at 3:20 pm
… but then bober would probably argue if the illegal Guatemalan hadn’t started the fire then some other illegal would have stepped forward to fill the void! You know, free market supply and demand arsonists. Sigh.
61 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 26, 2007 at 3:25 pm
This is a TEST
62 boberinyetagain // Oct 26, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Danged Hank, I’m obscuring things? Once again we resort to the comfort of this weeks boogeyman. This guy started all 6 major fires?
How absurd yet, to some, comforting.
Has an illegal ever done anything good? Has one ever saved a life, helped a little old lady cross the street, gotten a cat down from a tree, perhaps helped supply lower cost food to all of our tables? Probably
W/O the “illegals” none of those good things would have heppened either, now would they? If we were willing to pay farm workers and others living wages then Americans would clamor for/demand those jobs and the “illegals” would have no reason to come, there would be no work. But, this nation of Walmart junkies just wants the cheapest product. We rarely if ever choose to see how those low prices were acheived, even in many, many instances enslaving children with nary a care.
Just so we can get inexpensive stuff. As long as they stay in their own country so we don’t have to witness it, is that about it?
Now you want to come off high and mighty. Give me a break! “Those people” are here because we want them here
63 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 26, 2007 at 4:56 pm
No, “we” don’t, you do.
64 conserve-a-tips // Oct 26, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Boberin: I am afraid that you are lumping all of “us” just like you accuse Darthmeister of lumping all of “them”. Personally, I thought that you liberals were all about raising the wages of the downtrodden to “liveable” levels, whatever that nebulous amount is. For 50 years the Democrats have been telling us that we have poverty and low wages and blah, blah, blah and how they are the party to fix it and here we are today, after numerous Democrat administrations and only 12 years of a Republican congress in those 50 years until a present Democrat congress, and you all are still whining that we have poverty and low wages and your party is the one to fix it. Right. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Frankly, coming from a state where farm labor is the norm and where manufacturing is also a basic, I know that there are lots of Oklahoma kids who work the farms (my son and his roommate having been two) and I know what base pay in most operations here is. It is way over minimum wage. We have just had 25,000 illegals leave our state and miracle of miracles, the economy still chugs along.
65 nylecoj // Oct 26, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Criminy! We all know this guy did not start all of the fires.
We do know that he is a criminal. He was a criminal before he touched hand to match simply by being here.
66 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 26, 2007 at 6:40 pm
It turns out, according to what I saw on FOXNews this afternoon, that the Guatemalan arsonist is here legally-he is already on probation for making false 9-1-1 calls-although they did not say if he was on some kind of visa or what.
67 its-just-me // Oct 26, 2007 at 7:08 pm
No one is saying that the guy started all six fires. That was quite a leap, bob. Was that done for effect?
This is why everyone here takes you so seriously.
68 its-just-me // Oct 26, 2007 at 7:11 pm
boberin says: “how dare you demand lower prices! how dare you oppose a livable wage!”
Does anyone else find these two statements contradictory?
69 nylecoj // Oct 26, 2007 at 7:26 pm
OK, I stand corrected, thank-you JL3, he was some other kind of criminal before he started the fire.
70 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 26, 2007 at 7:47 pm
nylecoj~~
Don’t feel bad, I had already made 2-3 comments as to his illegal-ness.
Funny, but it was a bit hard to admit, to be honest-it took me a couple of hours to do so (I kept waiting for someone else to say it) (I hate being wrong, even when I’m using wrong information I had no way of knowing was wrong).
71 Darthmeister // Oct 26, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Did I or anyone else say the guy lit all six fires? Another patent-worthy canard from babblerin.
The fact of the matter remains, if our government had been doing its job in securing the border going back decades, this illegal arsonist wouldn’t have been in the country to light the ONE fire that he did.
Of course your whole dissembling screed hinges on the fact a person is innocent until proven guilty, a courtesy that those on your side of the aisle didn’t extend to the Duke lacrosse players, Tom Delay, Karl Rove, et al. So I suppose you might be able to find it in your great big enlightened heart of yours to forgive us for making the irrefutable point if this guy is an illegal, if he did set a fire, and if our government had been seriously enforcing immigration laws and southern border security, then we would only be talking about five fires today and not six.
Or is that too hard for your “enlightened” mind to wrap itself around, bober?
72 Darthmeister // Oct 26, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Okay, so the guy is a legal Guatemalan arsonist. I feel better already. I stand corrected, but does anybody not think that there is such a thing as illegal aliens who are arsonists, rapists, murderers, thieves, bank robbers, or extortionists? Everything I’ve said about illegals who engage in criminal activity in this country stands, bober’s spew notwithstanding.
With illegals it should be one strike you’re outta here and if you’re caught without the proper immigration papers you’re outta here. You come back here and we catch you we’ll put you in a prison tent city in the Arizona desert for ten years turning rock into more sand. Come through the front door, not the back door.
Yes, immigration policies should be simplified and streamlined for those who are willing to leave all previous allegiances and become Americans. NO MORE FLYING MEXICAN/GUATEMALAN/COLUMBIAN FLAGS! If the old country means that much to you when it couldn’t even provide you with a decent job … go back. We’re not hyphenated Americans here. We’re the only America in the world. We have our own culture, our own identity and our own way of doing things. Quit trying to turn us into your old country. Your old country failed you, it’s not worth the tears. You want to legally immigrate? Well welcome to America but for now on we don’t want to hear about how wonderful the old country was when it couldn’t even provide you with a decent education, a worthwhile standard of living or a respectable job. THAT’S WHY YOU ARE HERE! You lived in a hellhole otherwise you’d still be living there. Don’t tell us how we’re supposed to run our own country.
73 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 26, 2007 at 8:20 pm
All that I know is what I read in the paper
M.Twain
74 DrivebyMeteor // Oct 26, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Freeing the slaves was such an uplifting experience, the Democrats want to import more slaves from Latin America so that we can free them too!
But wait! It was the Republicans who freed the slaves, the Dems were - - uh - -
Whatever …
75 egospeak // Oct 26, 2007 at 10:16 pm
Hank, re 3rd paragraph of #72; it may well be the best thing I’ve ever read about the immigration question and the finest piece of writing I’ve read since I came to Scrappleface a year ago. Well done!
Regards,
76 MargeinMI // Oct 27, 2007 at 6:23 am
Mornin’ all!
Hear, here on that #72, and may I add: the $$$ spent incarcerating the criminals we do catch. I can’t quote the source offhand, but does 30% of California inmates are illegal sound correct? Gang bangers and drug lords, but they’ll vote dim, so let ‘em stay. sigh.
77 MargeinMI // Oct 27, 2007 at 8:18 am
Time to share….
I received a call from the school counselor on Wed. She was very serious and wanted me to talk to the Boy. She put him on speakerphone and prompted him to tell me what he had done. [insert gut sinking feeling here] “Mom,” sniffle, sob. “I pointed a weapon at Mr. K.” Counselor, “This is very serious and I need you to come in and talk with me. Is there anything you want to say to Boy, Mom?” “I’ll be right in!”
Ten minutes later, in her office, “Tell me exactly what happened.”
The Boy was getting ready to peel his banana for snack time, the teacher turned around and the deadly piece of fruit was pointing in his direction. There was nothing said on my son’s part; no ‘bang, bang’ or ’stick ‘em up’ or ‘my name is Achmed.’
No. The teacher immediately told him to go into the hallway. Then a trip to the office. Then to the counselor. Then talk to the ‘liason’ local cop at the school. Then mom gets involved.
“Well, Marge, what do you think?”
“Truthfully, J., I think it’s completely silly. A banana? My kid is packing a piece of fruit?”
Her,”Yes, I know it’s a piece of fruit, but he was using it as a weapon, and it says right in the Student Handbook that you are NOT allowed to use anything to simulate a weapon! As I explained to Boy, some things can BECOME weapons that we have every day, like your hands. And if he had that banana in his pocket and went into a store and pointed it at someone, they wouldn’t know it wasn’t a gun.”
Me, “Yeah, but it’s a banana.”
Her, “Yes, I realize it’s just a banana, but you know in this day and age, we can’t be too careful. You have to put yourself in the teacher’s shoes-what would you do if a student was pointing something deliberately at you-whether it was a banana or this stapler or whatever?
N. (the principal) is very concerned. She’d like to have him evaluated by Community Mental Health, no big deal, it won’t be on his record, or go any further, but they might make recommendations, blah, blah, blah [feel free to interject as much Edjuspeak as possible here].”
Me, “Evaluated for what?”
Her, “To see if he’s a danger to himself or others.”
With. A. Banana.
I had been quite proud of myself that morning that I had two selections of delicious fruit to offer Boy for school snack. He chose the banana, and yes it was a big one.
Do you think if he had chosen the shiny red Delicious apple, pulled the stem out and raised it to take a bite, it would be considered a hand grenade?
What other deadly foods have mothers over the years sent to school? Dorito ninja stars? Canolli pipebombs? Help me folks!
78 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 27, 2007 at 8:22 am
While this article didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, I think it is useful in that I’m going to share it with my wife (who does not get into politics at all and whose eyes glaze over when I start “spouting off” about this or that) because it defines, in a concise manner, who is who in our political landscape by comparing, side by side, conservative and liberal philosophies on a variety of topics.
79 onlineanalyst // Oct 27, 2007 at 8:53 am
Marge,
As a former teacher with a considerable number of years under my belt, I have to say that your teaching, guidance, and administrative staff are a bunch of nudniks.
[deleted]
Sometimes those in authority have to make common-sense judgments about the silliness, the innocence, or the hostility behind behaviors. The personnel in your school obviously haven’t that capability.
80 Beerme // Oct 27, 2007 at 9:49 am
MargeinMI,
I’ll echo the comments of OLA, here and say also that this is another example of the dreaded “zero tolerance” policy. This policy should actually be called the “zero reason” policy, as it requires our school officials to abandon all mental activity before making their decision.
My advice, after having put up with some similar escapades in my local schools, is not to submit to anything and make them use the reasoning skills that the good Lord gave them. It’s your duty to teach these poor slobs how to think!
Good luck!
81 its-just-me // Oct 27, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Wow. The logic doesn’t surprise me.
See, you weren’t supposed to take responsibility for your son’s healthy food choices.
The school is supposed to do that.
If you had just known your place, and minded your own business, the school would have provided your son with safely cut-up pieces of banana that did not resemble anything Big Brother doesn’t want the little people to have.
82 its-just-me // Oct 27, 2007 at 3:24 pm
I guess that’s reason # 593 that I thank God my kids got scholarships to the Christian School down the street…
83 prettyold // Oct 27, 2007 at 10:16 pm
It sure is a good thing Boy didn’t point something as dangerous as a staple GUN. I’ve had those pointed at me in the past and it is seared ,seared in my memory.
Marge ,I’m sorry ,this situation isn’t funny at all. It is so serious it makes me sick.I’m praying for you and Boy ,that you can find a way to resolve this problem ,without the school system starting to treat him like a criminal,watching his every move and making mountains out of molehills. Could you get a lawyer? Perhaps take it to the School Board. It makes me heartsick that they forced Boy to say he “Pointed a Weapon.”
Don’t these so-called educators realize the lesson they are teaching these children? It’s certainly not the one they think they are teaching.
84 MargeinMI // Oct 28, 2007 at 8:52 am
The thing that irks me the most is the mountain they are making out of this molehill. Even if he WAS pretending it was a gun:
a. He’s an 11 year old boy. It’s what they do.
b. Other than deliberately placing the peel for someone to slip on, bananas are not weapons.
c. Make the punishment fit the ‘crime.’
That they had him talk to a cop before me pisses me off! There’s someone coming from Community Mental Health to ‘evaluate’ him on Monday. I want to be there to talk to this person.
I explained to Boy about the school’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy. In fact, about a month ago I saw he had drawn a pistol in his homework folder. I made him scratch it out and explained if the school saw it they would go ballistic!
The principal’s reaction was so weird, I just don’t get it. “It’s like he didn’t even THINK about what he was doing! Where did that come from?!?” Huh? He’s 11 years old. Kids do stuff without thinking about 99.99% of the time. Where are YOU coming from lady?
Now, you folks that have been around here for a while know that Boy has issues. The school has been absolutely WONDERFUL with helping us over the past five years. They know Boy well, and have special accomadations in place for him and his behaviors. I am in communication with all of his teachers on a daily basis through his homework journal that I sign every day. I talk to the counselor or the principal at least once a month (stopping in to drop something off-whatever).
Other Big Factor: I mentioned to the counselor a few weeks ago that Boy was no longer on any medication. Gee, do you think this has something to do with their attitude?
I took him off the last little bit he was on (from 4 different pills, 4 times a day at the height of it, to 1 dose each of 2 meds, just in the morning). His pediatrician was uneasy prescribing psychotropic drugs he was unfamiliar with, and we were no longer in the program that had originally been doing so. I forgot to bring them on a camping trip in August, and we discussed it on the way home. I told Boy that his behaviour would determine if he stay off them or not. Since then, he’s been doing well. The meltdowns he used to have 10 to 20 times a day have diminished to 1-2 a week. He can focus, do his schoolwork, etc. He’s on Safety Patrol, which he LOVES (and the school uses as an incentive for him to behave).
I’m not sure how far this will go. I think I will be writing a Letter to the Editor of the local rag, lambasting the extremes zero tolerance have gone to. I’ll keep y’all posted.
One more little aside: Imagine my friend’s surprise when Child Protective Services showed up at her house recently. I seems her 12 year old daughter had a bruise the size of a dime on her arm. When asked by the teacher, she said she had been wrestling with her stepfather on the living room floor. Good grief!
Anyway, it just convinces me all the more that the whole world has gone insane!!!!!
85 MargeinMI // Oct 28, 2007 at 10:29 am
Long puuuuuuuuuush for a long comment…..
86 Beerme // Oct 28, 2007 at 11:55 am
I recall many years ago when the schools around here tried to coerce us into placing our son on meds. We foolishly did so for a month or two. The sight of that happy, engaged boy staring dully into space…it made me sick! I took him off them forthwith and never regretted it!
I also remember-after we had taken him off and not told them-when the teacher, in class, asked him if he had taken his medication today. The wife and I were livid and we got a little understanding between the family and the school that day…
Good luck!
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