It’s a busy day, here in the CatBox. WWWendy and I will be de-stinking the TomCat and doing chores, so this is today’s only article. Also, tomorrow is semi-annual eye-torture, so please expect no more than a Personal Update. Ellipsoid Orb Hugs to all!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:02 (average 4:23). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Cartoons:
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: When last we checked in on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, operatives there were starting to panic over the “nightmare scenario” of losing the Republican Senate and White House. The results of elections in Virginia and Kentucky, along with big early spending from Democratic groups in key Senate states, have them in palpitations.
“We expected it to be bad. Nobody expected it to be this bad,” Scott Reed, the chief political strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said of the onslaught of Democratic ads against Republicans in Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and Iowa. “The right-of-center groups have got to get moving. Elections have consequences, and the Senate is the backstop against all-out craziness.”
This might be the problem for the Chamber—calling itself “right-of-center” when it’s propping up the most far-out extremist Republican party the nation’s been saddled with in decades.
People like the Chamber of Commerce don’t care who they screw or what miseries Republicans inflict on the American people, as long as they get their welfare and evade paying their fair share. They are the reason we need a President like Liz Warren and a Democratic Senate and House. RESIST!!
From NY Times: “Yes, billionaires will have to pay a little more,” Senator Elizabeth Warren said of the revised tax package she introduced recently, “six cents on each dollar.”
This modest-sounding proposal, though, would have a far-reaching impact on the wealthiest Americans when combined with her other tax plans — shrinking colossal fortunes over time and making it much more difficult to hand down multibillion-dollar legacies.
The tax bite for any individual would not equal the $100 billion that Bill Gates jokingly cited, but over time it would still sting, according to estimates by two economists who advised Ms. Warren. If her wealth tax had been in effect since 1982, for example, Mr. Gates, who had made his first billion dollars by 1987, would have had $13.9 billion in 2018 instead of $97 billion.
Poor Bill! Only $13.9 billion? How could he possibly survive! Even if Liz gets every penny she has requested, it will take five or more decades to claw back half the welfare Republicans have forced the poor and middle classes to pay to billionaires since 1980. We’ve waited far too long to start! RESIST!!
From YouTube (a blast from the past): Kansas – Dust in the Wind (Official Video)
Ah… the memories! RESIST!!
Vote Blue!!
14 Responses to “Open Thread – 11/10/2019”
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TYVM!! My birthday festivities continue….I feel very blessed. Every day, actually, though I do feel old..sometimes. 😉 Thank you.. and Birthday hugs.
Cartoon: Aww…poor Abe!
DK: Enabling the rich, and lining their pockets…They get richer, while we get poorer.
NYT: Good for Ms. Warren. Rich folks can afford it easily, while others (like us) struggle.
BFTP: Groovy song!
Hi WWWendy! Hope that you have a good afternoon/evening. Take good care, and best to you tomorrow at your eye appointment. Thanks, Tom.
*This just in: Watched the game too – pb “Alabama had not lost a home game in 4 years, winning 31 straight. Then dt came (to the game) … they cheered him, and Bama lost. LSU 46 – Bama 41” !! ~anon~
2. “It was just 3 months of radiation. It’s not like I had bone spurs or anything.” ~ RBG ~
3. re: dt – “Change your name and move to Russia.” ~ pb ~
4. “He was a fattish but active man of paralyzing stupidity, a mass of imbecile enthusiasm — one of those complletly unquestioning devoted drudges on whom, more even on the thought police, the stability of the party depended.” ~ George Orwell ~
Speaking of Orwell –
“Did I get it right, or what?” – George Orwell
“Hold my beer.” – Margaret Atwood
4:18 High-end oreos.
Hoping for the eye-torture to go as smoothly as possible. And don’t wear WWWendy WW out today. She’s a treasure.
Cartoon #1 –
Cartoon #2 – Works – whether he did it himself, or whether it was done to him in order to shut him up.
DK – Always glad to hear about the Chamber of Commerce on a fainting couch. You know, I always thought small local Chamberf of Commerce served a useful purpose – and maybe they did – maybe some still do. But the national organization has been corrupt as long as I can remember.
NYT – “We’ve waited far too long to start.” That’s it in a nutshell. Of course, humans in general don’t really like change, even if it’s obviously for the better. Can anyone think of a revolution, any time in history, that they didn’t wait too long to start?
Joanne, love your comment, re: Mr. Orwell/Ms. Atwood.
The cake is delicious!
I share the same birthday as the USMC. Happy Birthday, Marines!! Semper Fi
Thank you, Ladies for my well wishes on my birthday.
I certainly did notice you share “my” birthday … except that “i”‘m 244, and you’re … not that old.
Cartoon 1: Happy Birthday Pat. Hope your day full is a special one full of lots of festive fun with your friends and family.
Cartoon 2: Silent Abe?
DK: Awful to see how these organizations get mixed up and go wondering in the wrong direction.
NYT: Ms. Warren has this plan, but whether it would actually be excepted is another issue. They can afford paying for it. I’d gladly like to see all of the rich ones paying their share of taxes. But I’m not going to hold my breath.
BFTP: Good tune.
Hope you and Wendy have a good time taking care of the things you both do.
That you get some rest tonight so you will be ready tomorrow for your Eye Exam. Hope it isn’t that bad.
Take care.
Thanks TomCat
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DK: When you support the scum of the Earth, there just might be, ought to be, consequences!
NYT: Liz remains my favorite.
Kansas: I love the piece, but the video makes them look like they’ve swallowed too much dust.
TC, good luck with the eye torture!
Happy Birthday Pat.🎂🎈
Good luck with your appointment tomorrow, TomCat.
2:23 Bland
Have a great day, Pat!
DK: You must be kidding, even the US Chamber of Commerce is completely politicised, Republican and in fact run by the 1%. Is there anything left that is independent, non-partisan or at least bi-partisan?
NYT: It’s about time those billionaires, even the lefties among them, stop shedding those crocodile tears and start paying their fair share of taxes. But with global economies collapsing, they probably never will.
BFTP: I close my eyes and… Yes, those memories.
Good luck with eye test TC.
Happy BD Pat!
Small Business Association members in CA have been leaving the CA Chamber and doing their own legislative input ever since the CA Chamber began to resemble the national one as a corporate lobbying effort for large corporations. Doug DeVos was chair of the US Chamber as I first read small business voices disagreeing with their positions on policy and legislation.
Warren was wise to borrow some of Sanders’ recommended approaches to address rising wealth and income inequality.
Thank you, everyone, for your lovely BD wishes!
Now..I’m off to two schools for the Veteran’s Day programs.
Thanks, Hugs and Amen to all.
A day late – but a heartfelt “Happy Birthday!” …
Sen. Warren provided a handy-dandy calculator for all those billionaires out there so they can see how much they’ll pay: