LC18 blog period 3

2005-11-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

Bush outlines $7.1B flu-fighting strategy http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/politics/13046446.htm

Anything with the letters Bush outlines doesnt sound like a good thing at all. If he can't help the country out during a major natural diaster to they really expect him to be smart enough to secure the country for when the flu hits. Hopefully he will be impeaced soon and somebody else will write up an adiquit plan to fight this new strand of flu if it does hit our shores. I don't really think that we are going to have a major outbreak of it I think country like africa and Iraq and so on will be more affected then we will and they will cause us some problems but if we are lucky we might have a small precentage of people actually get it and hopefully it will be contained and taken care of. If everybody goes and gets the vaccinations and we are more careful about who we actually allow into the country then I think we will be fine and not have to many problems but if it does become and epidemic we are screwed because i don't even think that Bush knows wat and epidemic is.

2005-11-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

No talk of troop pullout as Bush lauds Berlusconi
WASHINGTON - President Bush praised Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi yesterday as "a strong partner in peace," but the two leaders avoided any public discussion of Italy's plan to pull its troops out of Iraq.

I didn't even know we even had relations with italy actually I really didn't even know that had any troops in Iraq. I personally think we have no reason what so ever for being in Iraq and we should just get out while we still can there is no reason for our solidiers to die for those people if they wanna rule themselves then let them rule themselves we have no place to take control of the country yea Sudam was a nut but there could have been other means to get him out of power and now that he is out of power why are we still over there just let the people wipe themselves out the bomb there own people anyway all in the name of god. Countrys in that area of the world have been fighting since before jesus time and hold the same grudges that there parents had and the parents before them and so on and so on so how about we just let them do there thing and we will go back to trying to fix our debt eductae our people and find jobs for all those who have non. Our own country is not exactly in its best shape right now so I think we should be concentrating more on this contry rather then everybody elses

2005-11-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

Commuters tell their tales of woe

Im just happy ive gotta car and don't have to take SEPTA anymore. It sux for the people who have to find alternative means of transportation to get to where they need to go but i guess every employee has the right to complain about something even if it is over talking on the cell phone while driving. Why in the world they would need to use a cell phone unless for real emergency calls is beyond me people driving hondas on the phone are dangerous and they want to talk on the phone and drive a bus! I think there just acting like this because they can. Atleast we don't have to worry about getting killed by the crazy septa bus drivers for the time being. Maybe everyone will get lucky and they wil finally make a deal and everything will go back to be normal again and everbody will be happy till whenever the septa contracts up.

2005-10-31T15:44:00.000-08:00

In the voters' eyes, corruption is here to stay http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/politics/13040956.htm

Can you really blame people for not trusting politicians. Right now it seems like every politician is corrupt and it also seems like there above the law because they never get introuble for anything that they do its like the imbezal a million dollars and they get probation. If that was any normal person you would be sent straight to jail no questions asked. I am old enough to vote and i don't even want to becuase every candidate seems to be a scum bag or just plain stupid. They say power corrupts but there has to be a few people out there who actually do things for the people and not for themselves. If politicians are not seriously punished for there crimes people they are just going to contiune to act like idots and more and more people will not vote and more and more people will continue to get more angry with there governments because nothing is done to people who committ crimes in office its almost like treason when you steal money from the people you are betraying the people and your country.

2005-10-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

Senate passes bill to rein in spending
HARRISBURG - Legislation approved yesterday by state senators would make it more difficult for state spending to increase faster than major economic indicators in what Republicans say is an effort to impose fiscal discipline and to lower taxes.http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/politics/13007728.htm

When they say that it makes it harder to get dire public needs do they mean like fix pot holes in the road and pay for education? Otherwise I think that this could be a good thing this state has spent alot of money on stupid things like slot machines in pennslyvania we are not atlantic city or las vegas people are not gonna come to our state to play slot machines with the amish. That was a huge waste of money because an idot like rendell was elected they should of had something like this along time ago. Most politicians have something to gain personally when the bring things into a state wheater it be money or connections so I garuntee that Rendell has something personal for him to want slot machines he either owns a slot machine making company or whatever but has something to do with it that will gain him something. Hopefully this bill will be able to limit that by not allowing idots like him to use state money for really stupid things that the state doesn't need money should only be spent when I state needs something not when someone just wants something.

2005-10-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Derided in U.S., flat tax a winner in E. Europe http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/world/13050952.htm

A flat tax on personal income means that it is one rate for everyone with few deductions or exemptions. I think that a flat tax could be both a good thing and a bad thing if you had the right people decideing what the rate should be for everyone and the rate is a fair rate its not one that people of lower income could barley pay then yea I think it could be a really good thing, but with the way most of our politicians are I do not know if I would trust them to decide on a fair rate that would work with lower income families. If it was tried out and they used a very high rate what would middle class and lower class do would the middle class struggle to pay other bills as well as income tax or would lower class just not be able to pay it at all. I think our contry is very separeted when it come to money we have a small population of rich and a majority of middle class and more poor then there are rich I know in some eastern european countrys because of some sever economic problems you were either poor or rich I think that a flat tax may have worked in eastern europe because of that they didn't have to much separation if your majority is poor you are going to have a lower rate but in our country how would you decide what is fair will the rich be charged to little and the poor and middle to much I guess everything has a good and bad side but will the bad side out way the good in this country is a matter of trying it out otherwise your never going to know.

2005-10-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

An indictment-free hiatus comes to an end
Mariano is the first City Council member charged since Tayoun in 1991 - and the seventh since the mid-1970s.
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/politics/12996746.htm

I think that it is kinda funny that they think that 14 years without a scandel being caught is a good thing. I doubt that within those 14 years politicians were not doing anything illegal they just eaither were really smart about it or knew enough people to get around it. I think that the government needs a system were they can check up on the city leaders so that they know there not doing anything stupid. I understand that we are only human and people make mistakes but when people who have more money and more say in what goes on in politics then everyday people steal money from the everyday people they should just be thrown in jail and never be allowed to hold office again. People who are supposed to speak for the people and make decisions based upon the best intrest of the people should not be making decisions against the best intrest of the people and when those people do not get any type of punishment for it is worse. The artical says that Bellis was excepting bribes from airports he managed to stay out of jail and he still kept his seat on council! how is that possible he should have been thrown off city council and have some prision time he may not have killed anybody but he abused his position and didn't even get fired if you worked for mcdonalds and stole like 2 dollars from them you would get fired but if you work as a city councilman and steal 42000 you don't go to jail or get fired I think I want that job when I grow up I hope that they atleast made him pay it back.

2005-10-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Grand Jury indicts Mariano
Philly city councilman Rick Mariano took bribes tp help businessmen finagle schemes that cost tax payers 700000 crimes that netted him just 30000 a federal grand jury charged yesterday if you wanna read more of the artical you can go to http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/politics/12996716.htm you might have to have a account but its free to sign up.

I think that Mariano is one of the stupiedest people in philly by saying hes gonna jump off city hall just makes everyone think even more that he did do it. Im sure hes rich so he probably could have wezeled his way out of it somehow but not now I hope he goes to prison for a long time thats alot of money to be taking from a city that doesn't have any money to begin with because of street i think that they should throw everyone who is on any type of philly political office out of there office and try and start fresh cause everyone who is in there now seems to have something illegal going on. Why he would risk going to jail for a credit card bill and a gym membership is beyond me doesnt even look like he has been going to the gym now he may go to federal prision for 10 years over it i think he is screwed hes not going to a prision like martha stewart hes going to federal prision and I don't think anyone will make a documentary on his time spent in there. If he does have to go to prison its most likely not going to be 10 years it will be like 3 yrs with good behavior I think that they should make it so that if you are every conficted of money laundring or declaring bankrupcy or whatever that you should not be able to hold and position that has anything to do with a major city or country finances just tell them to become a septa bus driver what can they do there sell septa tokens illegaly.