The Real News: Video: Jaisal Noor Interviewing Annelise Orleck: A True ‘War on Poverty’ Would Place Poor People at the Forefront

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Derik Schneider


The New Democrat

I love what Annelise Orleck is talking about here. Which is sending money out of Washington the Federal Government, directly to the communities that the money is intended to serve so these communities can build their schools, their health clinics, their housing especially for homeless people. Their day-care centers so single parents can get themselves the skills that they need to get themselves good jobs. Their private non-profit job training programs. Encouraging business’s to hire in these communities so good jobs can be created.

I probably blogged this last week but what America actually needs instead of this experiment. With fifty years of the so-called War on Poverty that at best has produced mixed results for us. What would be better is a national campaign to end poverty and this would be done by actually empowering people in poverty to get themselves out of poverty inside the communities they live with the resources they need to make these things happen for them inside of their communities. Getting help from people who actually live in these communities. And perhaps came from poverty themselves as Annelise Orleck said in the video. The real experts of poverty are the people who live in poverty.

This is what we should be doing creating a bottom up grassroots approach. That brings in the people who are on the front lines so to speak when it comes to poverty in America. And empowering them to tackle this huge problem with the resources that they need. To empower the people who are in poverty to get themselves out of poverty and off of public assistance. All together and into the middle class.

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Reason Magazine: Legalize Prostitution to Fight Sex Trafficking? Sex Workers Say Yes

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Ederik Schneider

Source:The New Democrat 

This is a tough issue for me and certainly not an issue at the start of my day I was expecting to blog about. Because we are talking about a very dangerous business whether it is legal or not. And prostitution will always be a business in America illegal or otherwise. It is not the oldest profession in the world for nothing. Dangerous business, but then you also have the side that I tend to fall down on as a Liberal that we are talking about what adults do with their own lives both personal and economic lives. Who should make that call the state meaning government or the individual.

I look at prostitution similar to how I look at illegal narcotics and gambling. How many people do we really want to arrest and lock up for what they do with their own personal lives. This is not a profession that is going to go away there will always be a market for it. That is just type of country we’ve always been and will always be and if anything it will just grow. Because again of how liberal and libertarian we are becoming as a country.

Again I look at prostitution the way I look at gambling and marijuana.

1. Legalize it and then tax it and regulate it to make it as safe as possible. Regulate prostitution like alcohol. Twenty-one or over to work in the profession or be a customer in it.

2. Require workers and customers to be licensed by the state they work in.

3. Random medical tests for customers and workers to make sure they are healthy and not spreading diseases.

4. Tax profits made by workers and companies in this business. And tax the customers for what they pay for these services.

That is just how I view government that it is not the job for government to protect us from ourselves. But to protect innocent people from predators who would hurt us. And to make the activities that we choose in life as safe as possible through smart commonsense regulations.

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Newsmax: The Steve Malzberg Show: PJ O’Rourke, Author of The Baby Boom: How it Got Away

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Rik Schneider

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Source:The New Democrat 

First of all I love PJ O’Rourke, you know platonically because he’s one my favorite political and cultural commentators. And why is that because first of all his deep honesty and consistency. He’s what is called a Conservative Libertarian. Probably not a pure Libertarian, but a Barry Goldwater Conservative whose politics is built around government should mind their own business and not the business of the people. Meaning that government’s job is to defend the people’s freedom, not try to run their lives. Not one of the fake Conservatives who bash big government as they are sticking up for other parts of big government.

The exchange he had with Steve Malzberg about marijuana in this interview is a perfect example of what a conversation between a real Conservative like PJ and a fake Conservative. I’m not very familiar with Steve Malzberg enough to know if he’s a fake Conservative or not. But how they were talking about marijuana where PJ basically saying the cat is already out of the bag on this. Marijuana prohibition is a failure and besides we are only talking about a drug that has similar effects as alcohol anyway. With Steve Malzberg making the establishment drug warrior argument of why should we legalize another dangerous drug in this country. The same argument that could be made about alcohol.

I’m not a Libertarian but definitely a Liberal who takes the same viewpoint about government that PJ O’Rourke takes that it is not the job of government to run my life for me and try to protect me from myself. But protect me from people who would hurt me. By punishing them not by prohibiting what I can do with my own life. And if you are a real Conservative or a Conservative Libertarian, you have a very similar view about government as well.

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VOA News: Video: President Obama Looks For a Political Comeback in 2014

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Erik Schneider

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This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on Blogger

What President Obama and Democrats need to do is to switch the national political focus to the economy. On issues like unemployment, Unemployment Insurance, a minimum wage increase, the income gap, infrastructure investment, energy, immigration to use as examples. And all of these issues have something to do with the American economy. Manufacturing would be another example all things that create American jobs in America. And then they need to have an agenda that can move people to supporting them.

House Democrats as well as the President already have this and speak to these issues on a regular basis. Democrats do this and 2014 is not about ObamaCare because people are now getting health insurance and not losing it. And enjoying the benefits of their health insurance and we are starting to see sings of that. The 2014 mid-terms could be very successful for them and they’ll be able to at least hold on to the Senate and perhaps even make gains in the House as well.

If 2014 is basically nothing but ObamaCare and President Obama’s popularity rating continues to sag, or stays roughly flat then Republicans will probably eat up Democrats at the elections. And Democrats will struggle just to recruit good candidates and raise enough funds to protect vulnerable incumbents. And the Republican Party will have huge year adding to their House majority. And probably winning back the Senate which is what Democrats need to stop most of all.
President Obama

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PBS NewsHour: Marcia Coyle: Supreme Court Considers Definition of Recess Appointments

Posted on January 13, 2014 by kireschneider

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Source:The New Democrat 

This is all about Senate Republicans ability to block President Obama’s recess appointments. Simply by having a large enough minority to prevent votes on legislation or executive appointments they do not like or agree with. Or do not believe that position should exist in the first place. Because of partisan ideological positions they have with Democrats. And I believe the Supreme Court will rule on the side of Senate Republicans on this simply because of the fact that Congress was technically in session when these supposed recess appointments were made. And technicalities tend to be very important in these close cases. Which tells me at least that Congress needs a better definition of what it means to be in recess. To prevent these partisan tactics from either the majority or minority from happening again. Especially the Senate that deals with executive appointments.

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Reuters: Video: Egyptians Prepare For Controversial Constitutional Referendum Vote

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Ederik Schneider

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This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on Blogger

Sounds like the Egyptian military is trying to expand their legal authority over the country. Whether or not they are able to put in another Hosni Mubarak like strongman to run the entire country or not. Which is a shame if the Egyptian statists are successful, because Egypt could become a great place and country if the people there just had the freedom to make that happen. And whatever is left of the liberal democratic movement there stood up and demanded their freedom for the country. Egypt is clearly not ready for liberal democracy and a liberal form of government based and society based on checks and balances and individual rights and freedom. Which should not be very surprising considering how long they’ve lived under statist authoritarian rule.
Egyptian Democracy

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: It’s Time for Better Ideas

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Rik Schneider

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Source:The New Democrat 

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell actually sounding constructive instead of obstructive here in talking about expanding educational and job training opportunities for unemployed workers as part of a deal that would extend Unemployment Insurance for these long-term workers. Who definitely need that income right now and is something that Senate Democrats should at least allow for a vote on. It is relevant to the legislation and would get these workers additional skills that would make to easier for them to find a good job and finally get off of Unemployment Insurance. If you’re unemployed right now, but already have a good education, but are having a hard time finding another job in your profession, the, the more you can improve your skills, the better your chances of finding a good full-time job.

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CNN: A Governor’s Solution to Ending Poverty

Posted on January 12, 2014 by kireschneider

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Source:The New Democrat 

Senator Marco Rubio actually makes some good points here. As long letting the states doesn’t come with fewer resources and that Congress funds them appropriately, but then says the states can run them under basic fundamental standards. Meaning everyone whose eligible for program A or B or whatever when it comes to public assistance get’s that assistance. Instead of Washington telling Florida or Texas, or California or whoever how to manage these programs for their citizens. Or Washington trying to manage these programs for everyone with very little if any input from the states.

I also like Senator Rubio’s work requirements idea for anyone on public assistance, as long as it just covers mentally and physically able people. That if you are on public assistance even if you are working, you are doing everything you can to do as much for yourself. Including getting job training and additional education so you can get yourself a better job. And taxpayers will help you out where you come up short to pay your own bills. And if you are on public assistance and not working, you are either finishing your education or looking for work. Or a combination of both.

These are the first two times I’ve agreed with Senator Rubio on anything in 2014. And perhaps the only two times I’ll agree with him in this Congress. But when people come up with good ideas, even from party that is close to filing for bankruptcy when it comes to good ideas, I like to give them credit for it.

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Sky News: Video: A 5-Year Fixed Parliaments a Mistake?

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Ederik Schneider

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This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on Blogger

When the British Conservative-Liberal Democratic coalition agreed to a five-year Parliament and government, it meant that the British wouldn’t be able to vote at the national level or the closest thing they come to that by voting for their member of the House of Commons for another five years. Which means their national elections are less social democratic than America’s because we vote for Congress every two years in the House and Senate. And we vote for president every four years. Even though the United Kingdom is supposed to be a great social democracy and America is a liberal democracy. If you like to vote and you judge democracies by how often you get the right to vote and are able to take advantage of that, you’ll like American democracy more than Britain’s.
U.K. Parliament

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ABC News: VThis Week Powerhouse Roundtable

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Erik Schneider

‘This Week Powerhouse Roundtable – YouTube.

Source:The New Democrat 

Chris Christie, unless something else breaks that suggests that he either knew what was going on. And was either in on it or knew about what was going on and let it happened anyway and didn’t try to stop it. Unless something like that breaks, Governor Christie I believe will survive and perhaps have a rough three years. And get roughed in New Jersey by Democrats and others and Democrats will hit him with this story nationally. But unless some new evidence breaks against Governor Christie in this story or another bad. Story effecting his administration breaks, he’ll survive and be able to run for president in 2016.

As far as Bob Gates book goes, he looks like the third wheel or the odd man at the party. And someone who may of served a president of the wrong party and had plenty to disagree with. When it came to President Obama and Vice President Biden, as well as Secretary of State Clinton. Yet he served his president very well and when he was Secretary of Defense in the. Obama Administration, he made it very clear that he supported his president.

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