Let me explain: clearly many people on the public teat have problems
handling or managing money - let's say we come up with a way to
wean them off - it can't be a high school econ class. Clearly there is
something wrong here.

I think the end-goal will be to not have people starving to death in
the streets, so making a poor person go through some econ class
won't set them up with a sustainale income and they could end up
back on the streets.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not at all suggesting that yopu or Matthew
want the poor to get some bad service; I only say this to justify why I
personally, am afraid to give any ground politically on it.

But if we could all come to the table with realistic goals and
expectations, it could happen.

Why don't the churches do more? Have them earn their tax status,
you know?

Yet again, Mike and I agree on something.  However, one of the problems I've seen with a lot of destitute people is the lack of will into making themselves better. 

For example, the station I work at is right across the street from one of the cities homeless shelters, and next to that is a Christian Urban Ministries center.  Both yards are full of people standing around all day waiting for room for them to get inside and sit down or get a meal.  It's very sad to see.  Several times a year folks from the station go over and provide food and cook for them, as well as clothing and a toy drive every Christmas holiday season.  Less than 2 blocks away is a McDonalds.  There is always a sign up there saying "Help Wanted".  So, less than a 5 minute walk away from a job people would rather stand around waiting for their next free meal.

Now before someone starts with the "what about...what about...", I know that not everyone is able to work due to a physical or mental problem.  However, there are plenty of able bodied people out there that could work, but don't bother because someone else will provide for them.

To make matters worse, if I leave the comfort of my house and drive about 5 minutes or less out of town, I can easily find a trailer park with 3 broken down vehicles in the yard and some good-ol'-boy and his family just hanging out waiting for the next check from the evil gub'ment, so it's not a racial issue at all.

As a society, we must find a way to modivate people that to get ahead, or to even attempt to break even, they have to take the first steps.  There are programs in place to assist, but way too many people are too set in their own comfort zone allowing others to take care of them.

Otherwise, Victor has a good point about false equivilency. Either
way, that sort of image is an iffy idea, but it's not that bad. Note that
I never called out Palin for it. It's a kind of blase thing....

Except right now. When the country is at a time when politicians on
both sides (er, though more against dems; just saying) are getting
death threats and the mood is heated... partially because of the
dumb-shit tough talk of Palin.

Like... I'm still not going to really call her out for this - nor do I have
a problem with the Badu video. I don't get bothered by these things.
But I also don't misunderstand that Palin is stoking the crazy fire,
and then blows hot air on it with assassanation imagery.

It's a bad move; someone will likely end up shot or worse killed and
it could come back to haunt republicans.

Having said that, O'Reilly shook off the Tilson murder, so maybe not?

But there is a different climate now than in 2004, and that's why it's
not the same and your link about Cantor wasn't the same.

In all fairness, I didn't click your second link - it very well could have
been a 2004 threat - I'm doing all this from my phone, so...

Not sure how to spread pride though.

(And I say that as a San Franciscan.)

Just to be clear, Palin posted a map and the DLC posted a map.  I reposted the DLC map.  The way you wrote it made it sound like no body on the democrat side made a map using some kind of shooting image on it, when the democrats used the concept first.

And since you didn't complain back when the democrats did it, you can't complain now when the republicans use it.  So there!

Getting back to the healthcare debate....

Here's an article about the taxes involved.

Right now, nothing affects me.  But #8 may affect me in 2013.  It depends on raises and bonuses for me and my wife.