New Blog in Town

Please look at my new blog, The Quintessential Curmudgeon.

The Amarillo Independent: ABC 7 News investigates the Amarillo Commerce Buil...

The Amarillo Independent: ABC 7 News investigates the Amarillo Commerce Buil...: ABC 7 News was to run this story on the 10 p.m. news Thursday, but technical difficulties prevented this story from airing. It aired this mo...

Something Positive

It is wonderful to see, on television, sports events, entertainment, news programs and in the public eye in general the wonderful diversity of gender, ethnic names, races, ages, and orientation compared to just a few short years ago.

We have a long way to go, but as an eighty-two year old person, I certainly can remember times when none but white men (often old, white men) ruled the roost, and we didn't have the pleasure of enjoying the intelligence, articulation, wit, confidence and positive attitudes of these folks.

Keep it up, U.S.A. and only get the percentages more balanced in all these areas.

Jim Restine

Don't Confuse me - I'm Trying to Think!

Why do you think the repubs can't discuss, much less vote on more than one thing at a time? They stay hung up on something forever (ACA, Deficit, Veterans' Benefits, Balanced Budget, etc., etc., etc.) and can't think about considering anything else at the same time!

With all the things the government needs to help with, the repubs are at a loss if they try to think about something besides The Topic of the Day!

Jim Restine

Two Branches

Wouldn't it be nice if the plan made by our country's founders would be true today?

We only have two branches of government (true, only functioning at a below average rate!), but at least functioning.

The Executive, as spineless as it is, is still making some attempt to do some things for the betterment of our country. And even though our congress has tied the judiciary's hands by the lack of appointing judges, it is functioning to some degree - frightening in the case of the right wing supreme court, but none the less functioning.

Where is the third wing? Opposing everything, going on vacation, and campaigning. Whoopee!

Jim Restine

So Simple!

The solution to the U.S. financial stress can be helped along with two easy fixes:

     1. Tax capitol gains at the same rate as the general tax payer is taxed (right now they are taxed NOTHING!

     2. Take the wage cap off Social Security tax.

See - If only we had  a congress that would wake up!

Jim Restine 

What Are We Thinking?!

What would our country look like if, instead of the adulation and fascination with athletes and movie stars and 15 minute celebrities that make them worth millions and zillions in salaries and perks to our citizens, our folks would suddenly realize that teachers are the priceless ones in our society, culture and economy. Without our teachers we would be an uncivilized, ignorant, uneducated country, lacking skills, knowledge and the know how to innovate, create and produce the bounties we now have and should only get better in the future.

Teaching would become so lucrative, so challenging and satisfying that our best and brightest would gravitate to it and do amazing things. Until that time our teachers will continue to do the best they can with limited resources and financial rewards, and instead continue to be satisfied with the personal satisfaction of knowing they have touched precious lives of their students, and will continue struggling in a society that thinks more of  its' stars and football players than they do of some of the most important people in our country - our teachers!

Jim Restine, Liberalator

Let's Get It Straight!

It's amazing how convoluted and twisted the repubs can write their talking points, either not understanding or more likely intentionally distorting statements by Democrats. When Harry Reid commented about repubs not having the right to "pick and choose" which departments get funded it was in reference to the panic repubs went into, after they shut down the government, when some of their base discovered what they had done (for instance closing the federal park system) and the TP's wanted none of that. So the repubs wanted to start opening select departments that their base was ticked off about to placate them. Of course congress can select what bills to debate and pass, but not just the ones to make only the teapartiers happy! And our local nameless editors in the local rag jumped right on it, using the same distorted talking points!

The Liberalator  

More Promises

Greg Abbott in town yesterday bragging about keeping Texas  number one in job creation. The only problem is that Texas leads the country in the number of minimum-wage jobs, and most of them don't offer health care! (Texas, by the way, shares this honor with Mississippi.) Come on down for a minimum wage job, rankings at the bottom in education, health care, poverty, and the list goes on and on.

We would certainly like to see continued increase in employment, but in jobs that offer a good standard of living.

The Liberalator

Free Tickets!

Isn't it nice that our congress critter 4 price sees nothing wrong with accepting free football tickets to Texas University football games? He said he took them so  he could get to "know the school." After all he said it is a "common practice" amongst Texas legislators." I wonder if he sat down in the bleachers where he would come in contact and "get to know"  the student body or in a glass enclosed $1000 suite with buffet, beverages, and wait service?

I worked for a state agency for twenty years and a basic rule was that the staff was to accept nothing, even as inconsequential as a stick of gum from a constituent. Obviously our upstanding legislators have a different standard. I wonder how many other "gifts" (aside from cash) are accepted without a blink of an eye.

Could old 4-P not afford to buy his own ticket? HAH!

The Liberalator

Will He Ever Sober Up?

Ole Teddy the Cruiser is still shouting at the world that "Obamacare is hurting millions", Obamacare will triple your healthcare premiums, blah,blah, blah, etc.

Teddy boy, the Affordable Care Act won't go into effect until January 1, 2014, and NO-ONE has paid a cent or been hurt by the plan - just who is getting hurt?

GET A GRIP!

The Liberalator

How To Begin fixing the Budget

What kind of military does the U.S. need now? Do we need huge armies of foot soldiers armed to the teeth, massive aircraft carriers plowing the seas, monstrous armored tanks by the thousands (by the way all presently parked in storage!), planes the air force don't even want and a HUGE arsenal of atomic bombs, enough to annihilate continents?

Or would extremely mobile and well equipped response teams, available at a moment's notice anywhere in the world, and only the size needed for the situation solve the problem? Personnel trained in counter-espionage, with the ability to search out difficult to find terrorists world-wide and with a support team of tech savvy computer knowledgeable staff working 24/7?

Who is our enemy? Are we confronted with invading hoards of armies overrunning our country? Aircraft unable to be detected and destroyed threatening our cities? Giant sea craft threatening our shores?

Of course not! Terrorists, single and in groups constantly plotting to harm our citizens and country are the principle threat.

The military budget must be cut drastically, not by giving to the massive military, command, support and infrastructure, to bases not needed around the world, to costly and unworkable weapons systems and a to huge uniformed military personnel all over the world, but to fund the type of military we need - small, smart, quickly available, top shelf equipped and supported unequivocally and totally by our U.S. citizens.

The Liberalator

Do you think it will work?

I read in the paper yesterday that our congress critter ole Mac the Thorn voted against paying our country's outstanding credit bill and it gave me an idea. I've always been under the impression that our monetary system is based on trust and faith that we'll pay what we owe on our bills on time, but I'm going to write Visa and tell them that I have been spending too much money and charging it on my card, so I'm not going to pay them until I can figure a way to cut back on my spending and then I'll send them my payment. Do you think it will work? Mac the Thorn does!

The Liberalator

Too Gracious

Why do you think the prez felt he needed to thank speaker boner and the turtle for passing the budget and debt ceiling bills? After all the lies, distortions, fudging, side-stepping and down right meanness they did to make sure they didn't pass them until their backs were against the wall, the least they deserve is a snub and really ought to get a tongue lashing for what they did to the country and our fellow citizens. He's got to have a bigger heart than I have!

The Liberalator

A Long Absence

How hard it is to sit down and write on a blog! I make notes of what I could write about, clip articles, LTEs and columns, all kinds of ideas, but I never make it to the computer - willpower is a short commodity with me. I am going to make every effort to write something, no matter how short every day, hopefully something of more value than this note! We'll see.

Liberalator

The Amarillo Independent is changing

To my friends and those following the Panhandle Truth Squad, effective Sept. 1, The Amarillo Independent ceased publication in its previous form as a news website. My farewell column is here, but we’ll be taking the main Indy site down soon.

However, I have set up a politically oriented blog HERE and I am experimenting with two “for fun” blogs, here and here.

Please come over and take a look.

You can still email me at my Amarillo Independent address.

George Schwarz

What Courage

Thank you Newtown parents. I can't imagine how these wonderful people summon the strength and fortitude to keep presenting our case for Weapons Safety/Gun Control after what they have suffered.

Thank you for being on 60 Minutes Sunday, April, 7th. Thank you for confronting the Connecticut legislature with pictures of your beautiful children that were murdered with assault weapons and clips.

Thank you for going to the United States Congress with pictures and stories of your children.

Sadly, it appears that state legislatures are unmovable until another tragedy happens in their state. Do you think a massacre like Newtown would affect Ted Cruz and John Cornyn? I'm not sure.

Thank You Newtown parents.

The Liberalator

Almost a truism

Just heard Buddy Roemer (former repub LA guv and turn-coat Democrat) make an excellent statement, but needs a little fixin'.

He said Washington is not broken - it's bought."

Almost correct. It is bought, but it's absolutely broken because of it!

The Liberalator

Oh the conservative Hubris!

Jonah Goldberg (one of the Amarillo Glub News right wing columnists) I think unwittingly expressed the unspoken feeling of superiority of all his conservative pals in his column Friday, February 22nd. He wrote "The popular BBC series 'Downton Abbey' is shockingly conservative in many respects. The aristocrats are decent, compassionate people, and the staff is, if anything more happily class conscious than the blue bloods. And yet,as far as I can tell, liberals love it."

Obviously Mr. G. feels decent and compassionate as a member of the right wing aristocracy. But his obvious inability to see that the servant class ("the staff") are not happy and are trapped in their role for life, forced to accept the fact that they are to be at the beck and call of their employers or will suffer the consequences.

We liberals can clearly see the relationship between the serving and the served in the show, and feel empathy for the folks that will never break out of their servitude, and we are always hoping a chance will arise for them to move on and up.

The Liberalator

Will Their Brain Explode?!

First a black, Muslim, socialist is re-elected. What happens now if the College of Cardinals in the Vatican select Peter Turkson, Ghanaian Cardinal as the new Pope? Will heads explode?

The Liberalator