Cold, Cold Saturday!

It's 35 degrees out there. I moved my flowers under the carport last evening. The ones in the flowerbed on the east side of my apartment will just have to struggle. Then when they are dead, I will pull them up and bag them for the trash.

I finally turned on my furnace. Bob said he turned his on a week ago. My apartment stays pretty constant. Mr. Bishop said he insulated these apartments well. I believe it.

Today we talked about going over to Cherryvale and eating at "Just Us". We both have a free meal coming. However, I have pork cutlets in the frig and it's freezing out there as well as foggy. I may suggest we just stay here and eat. I'll see what Bob says after he comes over this morning.

Ted Cruz, the 31 year old upstart from Texas has presidential aspirations...that's obvious. God protect us from such a president! Anyone 31, controlled by the tea party, would be a disaster as a president.

I know what the power brokers want. They want to completely eliminate programs to help the poor. Most of them (billionaires all) think the poor brought their poverty on themselves. Some of that may be true. Young folks who drop out of high school can hardly expect to have a good life. Especially if they're not brilliant to begin with. Any more folks need a college education or at least a trade school education to have a decent life. But the poor will always be with us. I just think we need better oversight on who is really poor and who is "using the system". I have met perfectly able bodied folks who get disability because they're obese. They need a diet first..then a job. Clinton had a good idea...from welfare to work...but the problem is...who will hire these dropouts? Most have no idea how to apply for a job. Some come in for a job application wearing jeans and a t-shirt. That won't cut it.

If the government could come up with a program to help folks find a job and then supplement the low income they would make with more income to make a living wage, that might work. As long as employers only pay the minimum wage folks can't live on that. At least the supplement program would insist that they work to qualify for it.

So how would we pay for such a program? By taxing the rich their fair share. Many rich pay no income tax at all, thanks to their tax shelters. And they have more money then they could spend in four lifetimes. They need to share.