Tea Party Economics!

[Crossbow]

Tea Party Economics!

John Raese who is running for the now open seat in the Senate for the state of West Virginia (due to the recent death of Senator Robert Byrd), who is a Republican, who is a multi-millionare, who is a proud supporter of the 'Tea Party', and who was recently endorsed by Sara Palin, now says that the minimum wage is "arhaic" and it should be abolished.

Raese also says that the federal Department of Energy, the federal Department of Education, and the Internal Revenue Service should be abolished as well.

Check it out yourself at:

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201010121023

By the way, Raese has never held an elected office and this makes his fourth run for a major political office (governor twice, and senator twice). Also, there are any number of other whacky things that Raese has said as well.

 

[daenku32]

When you don't know what they do, abolishing things is easy.

 

[headscratcher4]

Fortunately, miners are treated so well in West Virginia that things like the minimum wage, labor standards, enviornmental protections, etc. are no longer necessary.

 

[Unabogie]

Tea Party Economics!

John Raese who is running for the now open seat in the Senate for the state of West Virginia (due to the recent death of Senator Robert Byrd), who is a Republican, who is a multi-millionare, who is a proud supporter of the 'Tea Party', and who was recently endorsed by Sara Palin, now says that the minimum wage is "arhaic" and it should be abolished.

Contrast that stance to his feelings on inheritance taxes for the rich.

I made my money the old-fashioned way, I inherited it. I think that’s a great thing to do. I hope more people in this country have that opportunity as soon as we abolish inheritance tax in this country, which is a key part of my program.

I just cannot process what makes a person believe that the poorest among us make too much while the richest among us make too little.

What a truly awful way to be.

And in West Virginia, of all places, those poor folks would vote for this guy?

 

[Suddenly]

And in West Virginia, of all places, those poor folks would vote for this guy?

It isn't the poor that causes these things. It is the stupid. Hang out around here for awhile, just the coal company propaganda, and there is a lot of it, is enough to make one lose hope about these things. Did you hear coal was carbon neutral? No? Sound insane?

Among coal, the bible, and guns there is enough crap to prevent any attempt to seriously address the issues.

Raese isn't one of those Democrats that want to take away your guns, your bible, your doctor, and make your kids want to be gay. Never mind that the Democrat, Joe Manchin, is about as liberal as Robert Dole. He's a democrat!!!

That is about as far as it gets.

 

[uk_dave]

Did you hear coal was carbon neutral? No? Sound insane?

[qimg]http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk31/Elbow_Jobertski/coalbillboard2.jpg[/qimg]

.

Well, I suppose a young earth creationist might consider coal to be part of the current carbon cycle.

 

[GreNME]

Tea Party Economics 101:

1. Economy in a boom: Cut Taxes
2. Economy in a bust: Cut Taxes
3. Claim that supply-side mercantilism is actually consumer-side capitalism.
4. Accuse anything that's not supply-side mercantilism of being socialism.
5. Profit (but only for about 2-5%)

The funny thing is how many folks-- even non-TP-ers-- actually buy this strategy as sound economics. It's even more ironically funny when they claim to be basing their arguments off those made by Adam Smith (who actually argued the opposite of the above). Most Tea Partiers couldn't give a breakdown of Wealth of Nations or anything else by Smith anyway, much like most of the Religious Right couldn't quote much from their own bible. It's a walking, screeching movement of pure hubris.

 

[WildCat]

Fortunately, miners are treated so well in West Virginia that things like the minimum wage, labor standards, enviornmental protections, etc. are no longer necessary.

Miners actually make quite a bit of money, none are making minimum wage. These are some of the best-paying blue collar jobs in the state.

 

[Praktik]

I just cannot process what makes a person believe that the poorest among us make too much while the richest among us make too little.

What a truly awful way to be.

And in West Virginia, of all places, those poor folks would vote for this guy?

I like the cognitive dissonance of the first sentence:

"I made my money the old-fashioned way, I inherited it."

Well then you didn't actually make ANY money then, Richie Rich!!

 

[Suddenly]

Miners actually make quite a bit of money, none are making minimum wage. These are some of the best-paying blue collar jobs in the state.

True. With coal miners federal oversight is more of a safety issue than a wage issue. Not that support for coal is an issue in this one.

Manchin is a pretty vocal supporter of the coal industry, to a point where I suspect he eats it for breakfast. At least Manchin knows what a mine disaster is like though, while Raese probably figures the guys stuck in the mine dying should have had the better sense to be born rich.



If Joe Manchin isn't conservative enough for you, you are out there on the fringe.

 

[headscratcher4]

Miners actually make quite a bit of money, none are making minimum wage. These are some of the best-paying blue collar jobs in the state.

Indeed. That is, in part, because of unions. Even non-union minors get better pay because of it.

 

[Dr. Keith]

even non-union minors get better pay because of it.

think of the children!!!

 

[Bikewer]

NPR's Morning Edition just interviewed a group of Tea-Party supporters from the Virginia area.
They are all proud of the fact that the movement has no "leaders" in the normal sense; one fellow likened the Tea Party as the wind, rather than the ship...
They were all heavily concerned with the economy, with the rising debt and government spending, and all ascribe to the "smaller government" idea.
None expressed any idea whatever as to what to do about these things; how to maintain highly-desired services while addressing the debt and not raising taxes....
All seemed blissfully unaware that much of the funding for Tea Party activities is being furnished by large corporate interests and wealthy right-wing types.

 

[BenBurch]

Miners actually make quite a bit of money, none are making minimum wage. These are some of the best-paying blue collar jobs in the state.

And the least safe.

Miners are cheap. Safety is expensive.

And fewer and fewer of them per ton every day.

And benefits are going down the drain.

 

[Spindrift]

NPR's Morning Edition just interviewed a group of Tea-Party supporters from the Virginia area.
They are all proud of the fact that the movement has no "leaders" in the normal sense; one fellow likened the Tea Party as the wind, rather than the ship...
They were all heavily concerned with the economy, with the rising debt and government spending, and all ascribe to the "smaller government" idea.
None expressed any idea whatever as to what to do about these things; how to maintain highly-desired services while addressing the debt and not raising taxes....
All seemed blissfully unaware that much of the funding for Tea Party activities is being furnished by large corporate interests and wealthy right-wing types.

I listened to that. One woman said (paraphrasing) "I started watching Fox News and I was awakened to what was happening."

They all want to do "something", but the only "something" they seem to be able to think of is to elect as many arch-conservatives as they can. No plan after that though.

 

[Suddenly]

NPR's Morning Edition just interviewed a group of Tea-Party supporters from the Virginia area.
They are all proud of the fact that the movement has no "leaders" in the normal sense; one fellow likened the Tea Party as the wind, rather than the ship...
They were all heavily concerned with the economy, with the rising debt and government spending, and all ascribe to the "smaller government" idea.
None expressed any idea whatever as to what to do about these things; how to maintain highly-desired services while addressing the debt and not raising taxes....
All seemed blissfully unaware that much of the funding for Tea Party activities is being furnished by large corporate interests and wealthy right-wing types.

Virginia? Those people are losers.

On the border area it blurs a bit, but the political history, traditions, and trends of that silly state and West Virginia are way different.

 

[easycruise]

Tea Party Economics!

John Raese who is running for the now open seat in the Senate for the state of West Virginia (due to the recent death of Senator Robert Byrd), who is a Republican, who is a multi-millionare, who is a proud supporter of the 'Tea Party', and who was recently endorsed by Sara Palin, now says that the minimum wage is "arhaic" and it should be abolished.

Raese also says that the federal Department of Energy, the federal Department of Education, and the Internal Revenue Service should be abolished as well.

Check it out yourself at:

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201010121023

By the way, Raese has never held an elected office and this makes his fourth run for a major political office (governor twice, and senator twice). Also, there are any number of other whacky things that Raese has said as well.

Ahem. Many studies have shown the minimum wage to be a job killer.

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/attack-of-the-minimum-wage-increase/

http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba292

And I agree with Raese that the Dept. of Education and the Dept. of Energy should be abolished. The states should run their own affairs in these areas and then compete against other states for getting businesses to locate there and remain there and bring jobs.

It isn't the poor that causes these things. It is the stupid. Hang out around here for awhile, just the coal company propaganda, and there is a lot of it, is enough to make one lose hope about these things. Did you hear coal was carbon neutral? No? Sound insane?

[qimg]http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk31/Elbow_Jobertski/coalbillboard2.jpg[/qimg]

Among coal, the bible, and guns there is enough crap to prevent any attempt to seriously address the issues.

Ahem. Maybe you should read this..

http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/cleancoal/

Tea Party Economics 101:

1. Economy in a boom: Cut Taxes
2. Economy in a bust: Cut Taxes
3. Claim that supply-side mercantilism is actually consumer-side capitalism.
4. Accuse anything that's not supply-side mercantilism of being socialism.
5. Profit (but only for about 2-5%)

The funny thing is how many folks-- even non-TP-ers-- actually buy this strategy as sound economics. It's even more ironically funny when they claim to be basing their arguments off those made by Adam Smith (who actually argued the opposite of the above). Most Tea Partiers couldn't give a breakdown of Wealth of Nations or anything else by Smith anyway, much like most of the Religious Right couldn't quote much from their own bible. It's a walking, screeching movement of pure hubris.

And your suggestion is more Keynesian economics I suppose? If so, how's that working out for you? Has it ever worked out for you?

All seemed blissfully unaware that much of the funding for Tea Party activities is being furnished by large corporate interests and wealthy right-wing types.

Might you have some evidence to support this claim?

 

[drkitten]

Ahem. Many studies have shown the minimum wage to be a job killer.

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/attack-of-the-minimum-wage-increase/

http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba292

Yes, and there are also many studies that have shown cigarette smoking to be actively good for your health. The second group of reports were generally written by tobacco lobbyist think tanks, the first group of reports by anti-government think tanks. The NCPA is a good example -- by it's own admission, "The NCPA's goal is to develop and promote private alternatives to government regulation and control," irrespective of whether those alternatives are actually safe and effective, because government is bad, m'kay?

Neither group of studies has any actual credibility.

 

[Crossbow]

Ahem. Many studies have shown the minimum wage to be a job killer.

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/attack-of-the-minimum-wage-increase/

http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba292

And I agree with Raese that the Dept. of Education and the Dept. of Energy should be abolished. The states should run their own affairs in these areas and then compete against other states for getting businesses to locate there and remain there and bring jobs.

...

While I am sure that eliminating the minimum wage, cutting taxes of rich people, and hacking down the size of the government would make some people very happy. However, I seriously doubt that one can win elections with such goals since the vote of a poor person is just as valuable as the vote of a rich person and since there are many more poor people than there are rich people.

 

[drkitten]

While I am sure that eliminating the minimum wage, cutting taxes of rich people, and hacking down the size of the government would make some people very happy. However, I seriously doubt that one can win elections with such goals since the vote of a poor person is just as valuable as the vote of a rich person and since there are many more poor people than there are rich people.

It's astonishing how many poor Republicans can be persuaded to vote against their own best interests.

Indeed, the entire population of Alaska seems to qualify -- Alaska's economy is utterly dependent upon federal handouts and earmarks, and yet that seems to be one of the hotbeds of anti-earmark, anti-pork barrel sentiment.