Judging by the latest trend of Tea Parties taking place across the country it seems history class has long been forgotten. What we do actually remember can apparently be manipulated to suit our needs. Economics is another subject that has been on the chalk board lately but that too can change depending on where you sit in the classroom. Politics, government, and social science have also become frequent victims of the edit and rewrite desk. The one subject that remains off limits is that factual, finite topic of numbers. History deceives us. Politics amuse us but numbers do not lie.
The first number we look at today is 200.
200 is the number of protesters who showed the city the full thrust of their movement by marching from the Rockford Public Library to City Hall, eventually throwing their tea away in a garbage can on the east side of the State Street bridge. 200 is the number of protesters who held various signs reading "I am not your ATM" and "No Taxation Without DeLiberation". 200 protesters stood outside the local newspaper building yelling "Tell the Truth". 200 protesters were reminded that they needed to remain on the sidewalk and stay out of the street because of their lack of permit. 200 protesters showed us all how angry they were about what their signs called "Generational Theft". Two hundred.
The next number we look at is 168,138.
As of 2006 the population of the city of Rockford was estimated to be 168,138 people. This estimate made it the third largest city in Illinois, after Chicago and Aurora. That brings me to the next number...
0.12
0.12 is the percentage of people in Rockford who turned out to protest taxes. Zero point twelve. 0.12 % of 168,138 people said to the government that they were "not going to take it" and that they did not stand behind the current stimulus package or the money needed to make the stimulus package effective. 0.12% of people in Rockford feel that they should not have to pay to fix their roads, they should not have to pay for better educations for their children, they should not have to pay for more public safety and they should not have to pay for basic tax-funded health and human services. 0.12 % of the city's population took a stand.
14
14% is the current unemployment rate in Rockford. 0.12% of people in Rockford don't feel that the 14% should receive an extension of their unemployment benefits. 0.12% of people in Rockford don't believe that the 14% should receive a 65% reduction in cost of COBRA health insurance. So when the 14% are done spending most of their unemployment benefits on health insurance the 0.12% want them to do without. When the 14% have exhausted their unemployment benefits the 0.12% want them to remember their fun slogans and cool signs and how they came to downtown Rockford to throw tea in a garbage can. The 0.12% do not want to pay for the 14%. They don't care about their successes or failures. Of course 0.12 is less than 14.
1011
1,011 foreclosed homes are listed for Rockford right now at 1:08am. 0.12% of people here don't want expanded funding for the city's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which helps to mitigate the problems caused by foreclosures, high-risk mortgages, and high numbers of abandoned or vacant properties. The "0.12 percenters" don't want to protect people left behind in these half empty neighborhoods to receive additional law enforcement, prevention and education, drug treatment programs, and support services and advocacy groups for victims of crime and domestic violence. The 0.12 percenters don't want victims to receive assistance money. The 0.12 percenters don't want money spent on improving our local justice system but of course, remember the cool colonial style hats they wore?
Remember math class? 0.12 is a little, almost insignificant number. It's not even a whole number! It's not even 1. The bigger numbers are (14%) those unemployed here, (.60%) those whose homes are recently foreclosed here, (13.8%) those in Rockford living below poverty, and finally $19,781, the 2006 estimated per-capita income here.
I ask the 0.12 percent of the cities population to tell the 14% what they should they do when their unemployment benefits run out. Maybe bring them a comforting cup of tea.
Posts
Finally, a Rattlesnake
5 years ago
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that your so in touch with 99.88% of Rockford area residents. If someone isn't at a protest they automatically believe your point of view? I'm glad you feel the Goverment can continue to spend our money at an alarming rate. Where's the end Sarah? How long before everyone needs the Goverment to support them? I don't believe I know one person in the entire United States that says we do not need some taxes. No one is disputing the fact that we need police, fire, parks benefits for those that cannot help themselves and we need taxes to pay for them. I even think we need some unemployment benefits.
While posting numbers next time, try posting the percent of our income that needs to be taxed to make you happy. The next number is how much debt do we take on before all our problems are fixed. Please post those numbers.
Lastly, I have made several responses to your post but don't see them on here. Am I doing something wrong or did you decide not to post them? I have never been a poster until your site. If you decide not to post my comments then I will quit posting.
Respectfully,
Tony
I want all to understand that the TeaParty was not a last stand or an only stand but a continued stand in our common purpose of bringing a fair and equitable tax code to the USA. We are not asking to completely eliminate taxes since we know that they are required to operate our government. We just stand for a Fair and equitable tax code that eliminates the 156,000 page code we have now. So we must be diligent, consistent, vigilant in this effort. We cannot shrink. We cannot back off. We must forge ahead with our goals and purposes peacefully but prominently. Our purpose is to raise people out of their apathy. Make our voice known and heard to the authorities whom we put in authority. Our purpose is to elect leaders who will join the effort to institute a fair tax. And for those who won't, we will vote them out of office.
ReplyDeleteWalking away feeling like your job is complete will require you to stick with this for a long haul. It won't happen overnight. Through consistent effort and continuing to chip away we will bring fairness, balance and reason to America's tax system. Look at your paycheck when you get it to remind yourself this fight is not over. Look at your property tax bill, your sales receipt, your cell phone bill, and a multitude of other sources where taxes are levied often times without our permission against our will. I hope they will remind you that our future is in our hands, and our children's future is in our hands. Our nation's future is in our hands.
Thanks
David Hale
Director, RockfordTeaParty
Tony,
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, I thank you for your comments and please know that I try to put them up as soon as possible. It is my policy not to post comments until I have a chance to respond to them. After all, this is my forum. I'm sure you can understand that reasoning.
That being said, everything I list in the above mentioned article is being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, specifically those funds that are going to Illinois. You can find the information about what spending is being done on what projects simply by visiting www.recovery.gov.
Tony, the New Deal has been proven effective. It put people back to work in dignified jobs, earning dignified wages whilst improving and building up our infrastructure. It has been proven that a massive spending economic stimulus... the kind that provides jobs... is effective in pulling the nation out of depression.
Again, I ask you. WHat do you suggest? Many on the tea bagging side have criticisms, inflammatory remarks, conspiracy theories and so on but I have not heard one suggestion, feasible or not, for how we can overcome our current economic crisis. Is it less government? Really?
When the 1.8% of Rockford residents making over $200,000 a year are suggesting to the 98.2% making less that they don't want to take a tax increase to improve and save our city and country we should ask ourselves whose side they are on, and who they are trying to keep down.
I am part of the larger group, the 98.2%, and I have already seen the increase in my paycheck.
Sara
Mr. Hale,
ReplyDeleteDedicate yourself to fighting taxes and social responsibility. Offer no solutions and continue your attempt to slowly deconstruct all our country built only two generations ago.
I will continue to write for 98.2% making less than $200,000 in our city... those who need this economic recovery the most. I will continue to think of that 14% group of unemployed and I will continue to share with anyone who will listen the real and factual basis of my argument.
I should thank you, though, for a peaceable, orderly protest. Thank you also for throwing your tea into a garbage can rather than the Rock River.
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your previous article's link to Counterpunch, and for effectively reminding the teabaggers not to litter! It is my sincere hope that, with patience and perseverance, many who attended yesterday's protests across our nation will soon realize who their real enemies are. It is not "big government","God-hating liberals" or "socialists". The real enemy is here at home: the economic terrorists of the "financial services" industry.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThanks for clearing up the posting issue.
Now, I believe there are several ideas that have been brought up about how to handle this current situation. How about a flat tax rate? How about term limits? How about bailing out every tax paying American versus bailing out pet projects that have no lasting economic effect. I think you mentioned something about a sewer project to Loves Park. How many of those jobs lasted more than a year? Necessary project but it isn't a long term money earning situation. Maybe it was a bridge to a better job, maybe. If you truly believe the way to bring this country out of this situation and insure the long term viability, based on the history of 1929, you may need to reread your blog about nostalgia and reality. I'm sorry Sarah but I can easily pull up 15 different reasons for The Great Depression and 15 reasons why it ended. It, as you say, all in how you want to see it.
Secondly, and I really hate to go down this road but here goes. If you want me to believe that sharp criticism, inflamatory remarks, and conspiracy theories are from conservatives only, you are greatly mistaken. One of the reasons I started on this site is because of my location and I didn't want to get into the viciousness of conservative/liberal blogs. Please don't go down that road. I don't repsect anyone I have listened to on MSNBC and very few at Fox. I know you like Rachel Maddow She may thinks she is cute and funny but her remarks very mean spirited from where I sit. C'mon "teabagging" Do you know what that means???
Lastly, I am here to first and foremost take care of and support my wife and child. Secondly, I go to work to live to the means I want. I work long hours to make as much money as I can so that my family can have nice things, go on vacations, eat good food, keep my cars and house nice. I am supposed to do that. That is how I was brought up. I was taught to rely on myself take care of my family. Since I graduated from high school I have done that. I've never once had to use unemployment and hope I never have to. All that being said, the people that can't do for themselves are welcome to part of my paycheck. People who have served and protected me and my family can have part of my check. But I refuse to be held accountable for, feel guilty for, and want to help those who won't help themselves, made bad decisions, squandered away their lives and expect a free ride period end of story. If an American citizen wants to go out and make $80,000,000 a year I say more power to them. As long as he/she doesn't break the law to do so. Who are you, me or anyone else to tell he/she can't????
Sarah, we have been paying taxes in this country for 200+ years. If things like poverty, homelessness, welfare etc.. haven't improved by now why should I believe that throwing more of my income at the problem is going to fix it? How about teaching people real skills.? Educate them. Train them. Give them purpose and pride to at least pull themselves up versus living on the Govermanet dime.
Thanks for your ear. I doubt you will agree with any of this but I am going out to play with my son. The one who is going to have to deal with this debt when he becomes of age. That is alot for a 6 year old to bear.
Tony
Dear Tony: The concern for your son's future and debt burden are quite understandable and laudable. However, I feel you are confused about what Sarah is actually advocating. She is not championing anyone "...living on the Government dime". Quite the contrary,it is the ideological right wing of this country who were quick to defend the recently disbursed AIG bonuses as inviolate. Never mind that the cash necessary for these undeserved "bonuses" were made possible by all of us who pay taxes. Therefore, who is really living off "the Government dime", or rather, off our sweat and toil?
ReplyDeleteAs to your criticism of the WPA's extension of sewer/water links to Love's Park: would it have been preferable not to have built it at all? Who knows how long it would have taken to wait on the proverbial "private sector" to undertake such a project? If past is prologue, it probably would not have happened at all.
During FDR's administration, the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) was tasked with bringing huge swaths of our rural mid-west, inter-mountain west, and south into the 20th century by linking them to the electricity grid. For historical context, this was over 60 years after Thomas Edison invented the light bulb! Corporations pursue profit, and don't and won't see the wisdom or greater public good by underwriting such a project. Such an enterprise was only made possible by the right-wing bogeyman of "big government".
Countless towns and villages across our nation are more hospitable today thanks to the efforts of the New Deal over 70 years ago. Whether through the REA,TVA,CCC, or WPA, their public works, great and small, are a shining monument to what can be accomplished when all unite under a collective purpose, to pursue the common good.
As to what caused the Great Depression: There are two common threads between this current collapse and the calamity 70+ years ago. They are reckless financial speculation coupled with an over-expansion of consumer credit in lieu of wages keeping pace with the cost of living.
Since 1973, according to U.S. Government statistics, real wages have stagnated or have declined for an ever increasing share of the labor force. At the same time, a gradually accelerating tide of financial industry deregulation has resulted in the abolition of usury laws, as well as the creation of financial behemoths (e.g. AIG/CitiGroup/JPMorganChase, etc) that are now proverbially "too big to fail". These new, ever larger financial institutions then lobbied for and won further deregulation of their industry. This resulted in the creation of ever more complex investments (e.g. Credit Default Swaps) which have now sunk our economy.
Meanwhile, these same mega-banks grew ever wealthier on the backs of consumers, gouging them with usurious interest rates and fees that would even make a loan shark blush. Indeed, there are those token anecdotes of individuals or families that were living well beyond their means. By and large, however, the single largest cause of personal bankruptcy in this country is the lack of access to comprehensive health care. With ever fewer employers providing it, and the purchase price for it out of reach to most of us, is it any wonder then why this is the case?
Harry,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your response. You win! Lets see if we can fix all of our problems with lots of spending. All of our issues are a direct result of Right wing thinking. If we allow our Goverment to control banks, automakers and any other business that they deem irresponsible they will fix all our problems.
As I asked before, when will we spend enough to fix our problems? What is the taxation limit to fix all our problems? Is throwing money on top of money the real answer? When will you address these questions. Maybe we will just throw the fate in the hands of our leaders with blind faith and it will all work out. And I don't know if healthcare costs are the single most reason for personal bankrupcy but I will give it some thought. I have healthcare and so does my wife. We aren't bankrupt. I'm sure you have some stats or comparisons to prove your point. I can't wait to hear them. I'm sure if we put in another trillion dollor spending package that will fix all health care issues.
And to answer the reason to the cause of our current pickle, I could have swore it was the collapse of the housing market. Maybe I'm wrong. Funny, was the housing market collapse caused by overbearing banks? Or maybe it was all the mortgage loans that were to risky but were goverment backed. Did congress push that with Freddie and Fannie? I'm sure they had something to do with it.
Well back to work. I have debt to pay.
Thanks for listening,
Tony