Where do you come up with this crap?

Free cell phones ? The “Obama phone” or free cell phone program she’s touting doesn’t give out free phones to minorities. And it wasn’t started by President Obama. . The free cell phones began back in 1996 under the Telecomunications act of 1996.

Holy cow. I thought that the headline had to be a joke and then I actually read this steamy pile. This author must be a little schizo, because I just looked at her article history and her last article was about how we need more government to control our obesity.

I still can't tell if this article above was suppose to be for real or is this one of those hyper-exaggerated pieces that are suppose to be funny because they are so absurd; kind of like a Colbert skit.

This short but hysterical sounding rant has all the stupid right-wing buzzwords right in it! "Death panels", "socialist" "abortions". All rolled up into one strident plea that has so many ridiculous statements that it's hard to know if this lady is serious (jeez, wouldn't that be a shame?) or just demented and raving (my guess). Either way, it does come across as a naive rich lady who might be better served reading the society pages and not trying to understand or follow politics.

What stuff???? George W. and Pickles made sure that none of us have any stuff-like jobs! The problem with our current situation is that we have a black man in the white house. From day one of his office white Republicans vowed to tussle over any agenda the President put forth and they kept their word. It's Tea Baggers like Kathleen that really prove that ignorance in this country is truly bliss.

To support Obama at this point one must either be a socialist, a supporter of class envy, a blind political hack or just looking forward to the coming downfall of the American way of life. Look at how low this country has sunk in the past 3+ years under Obama - he's systematically attacked our way of life and successfully blinded so many to his goals - he won't talk about his record for fear of drawing attention to what he has really accomplished so far. This is no regular election. If this guy gets another four years the America left to us will undeniably be unrecognizable and by that time those of you who foolishly voted for him to have a second term will realize the error of your vote and that it is, sadly, too late to do anything about the largest mistake in American presidential history.

Be afraid, be very afraid. I'm coming after your wig.

Wow, this article has to be a joke... Right?

What I have found astounding in this election cycle is the lack of courage displayed by Republicans in their posts. The President will win the election because the people don't respect the Chicken Little "the sky is falling" message from the Republicans. Can you imagine where the country would be if cowardice was allowed to prevail in past difficult times in our history?

You need to stop watching Fox News, Kathleen.

From an historically overt left leaning newspaper:

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20120928-we-recommend-mitt-romney-for-president.ece?fb_comment_id=fbc_161210317336542_261451_161412923982948#f3d52223d4

Frankly, I just about fainted when I read the DMN article. Its the first left leaning journalistic publication to rationally approach our candidates, their positions and accomplishments with facts and a fair analysis. No screaming, no emotion, no artificial constructs....really worth a read!

DEAR AOL: If Patch is going to be taken seriously in the new era of journalism, it needs to actually vet its bloggers and other contributors before allowing them to publish. I know Patch has rules regarding blogger approval; please enforce them.

@Ed Fisher...well, maybe no one gives a hoot as to what the Dallas paper writes. My point is that DMN is a left leaning newspaper. In my opinion the 'editorial' was a common sense assessment of our candidates accomplishments and plans.

I admire your optimism as to a future with President Obama. What you are saying is that everything is looking up, and just keep on keeping on with the same type of decisions and leadership. As to the Dow, many investors worry that the recent gains by stocks aren't justified. The jump in spending was a big jump but it was driven by higher gas prices, rather than by spending on general merchandise.

Setting that aside, our debt and deficit need far more attention than hope from a rising stock market. Discontinuing the tax cuts as of January first will bring in enough $ to run the government budget for only 8 days. As to outsourcing, Obama gave $50 billion to GM and GM started building cars in China and Mexico to save on labor. The unemployment rate has been above 8% for 43 months...and it is not even the TRUE unemployment rate, its actually higher.

So...we both have our assessments of hope for the future....my hope rests with a change in leadership.

I agree with you Ed F., our society has come to expect instant gratification. Throughout American history when a severe economic meltdown has occurred it has taken a long time to recover. This instance will be no different. Those who have educated themselves as to the underpinnings of this systemic meltdown know that an individual in an Oval Office is not capable of waving a magic wand thereby erasing 15 years of economic sin in 4.

ROFL. This lusional article is what happens when a person ODs on FAUX/GOP propaganda services!

Kathleen forgot to complain about all the horrible government regulations that protect citizens from Wall Street scammers, consumer ripoffs, and poisoning of our environment. She also forgot to advocate for an increase in military spending so that the USA can continue to be the police force for the world. Just kidding! The republican party has gone to a bad place ..... the lunatic fringe.

I agree that some of these rants are ridiculous bordering on the hilarious. The problem is though, if the election does not go the Republican's way, then their sour grapes will lead them to freeze Washington at a most critical time in the country's history. That will be no laughing matter.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6 19:21

In order to remove the desire for wealth and material possessions as an obstacle to faith, some Christians have taken vows of poverty. Christianity has a long tradition of voluntary poverty which is manifested in the form of asceticism, charity and almsgiving.

Maybe it's time to really be a Christian, instead of just offering up lip service.

Ahhhh.......a zealot AND a shrink. Proves my point.

ROMNEY THE RACKETEER: Romney & Priebus Led RNC Are Engaged in Election Fraud, Voter Suppression & Other Criminal Acts:: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&note_id=10151023931102030

Obama phone yo!

Wow Kathleen I almost soiled myself when I read this! You are about 2 blogs away from being s full on zombie doomsday prepper. When I think about little innocent children going trick or treat in Avon Lake - the thought that they may knock on your door scares the heck out of me. You need to go see a doctor and tell him about your hallucinations. My only question is "where do you get your weed?"

Kathleen - your writing is incredible. You solved a mystery that has remained in Avon Lake for many years. Many people think that the water is polluted and there is a significantly higher risk of cancer to Avon Lake residents. Well you finally proved it! The water is definitely contaminated and I'm certain your neighborhood has been affected the most. It is obvious your body has reacted and it likely that you have suffered severe brain damage. If I had a grenade I would stick it in my mouth and pull the pin so I would never have to read something as dumb as your article again. You should send it to the President, I'm pretty sure after reading your blog he would lose faith in humanity and quit.

At first I thought this was a joke - something from Onion. But now I think she might be serious. She seems like she's having some sort of nervous breakdown or paranoia attack. Maybe she's off her meds. Who knows. But she definitely needs psychiatric attention, especially on election day.

wow. thanks kathleen. this is just what i needed to wake me up and get me giggling on a monday morning.

you are seriously, without a doubt, 100% out of your friggin' mind.

Thank you for the chuckle over my morning coffee. Most of my relatives are Republican, and therefore are basically paranoid, so this isn't new. However, the care to which this was drafted was... wait, nevermind. There was no thought to it. Just more paranoid ranting. Funny as all get-out, though.

Lyn's numbers are correct on this point Ed F. That said, a $25B stimulus to save so many jobs, in my opinion, was warranted. I don't like government bailing out private industry but I can't imagine the carnage on the Ohio economy had they not.

The President has had to spend his entire first term cleaning up the wreckage left by the Bush administration and trying to save the auto companies from bankruptcy and deal with the unnecessary war in Iraq that the Bush administration started. The Bush administration spent 8 years letting Wall Street and the big banks do whatever they wanted; ignoring and weakening numerous environmental laws and regulations; engaging in reckless and ill advised foreign policy decisions and generally screwing up everything they touched. Ignorant people like you are attacking the guy that's trying to clean up the mess instead of the guy that caused it; the worst president in US history; George Bush. The truth is, the POTUS has very little effect on the economy. Blame the large corporations that are sitting on trillions of dollars hoping we elect a president that will let them destroy labor unions, ignore environmental regulations and stop giving their employees health benefits before they expand or hire new employees.

Hey Mike S., where is the Tea Party's concern with the Constitution in Florida? Seems like the Tea Party was caught red-handed, at the Republican Party's own admission, creating fraudulent voter registrations. Do you have to abide by the Constitution as a whole or can you pick and choose when it's applicable?

Kathleen, you poor, uninformed, misguided soul. You probably aren't even aware that unrestrained hatred has overtaken your life. It’s not too late to seek help from a professional. Please do.

Regardless political affiliation or how you feel of about the President's policies, Ms. O'Brien Wilhelm's post here is so full of ridiculous assertions and ignorance it has moved from sad to simply dangerous. It is so full of illogical paranoia and so devoid of facts that Patch editors ought to be ashamed of themselves and delete it immediately.

There is no room for falsehood and insane rants in this political process. Please let's stick to facts and data that you can prove. If you truly believe Romney is the better choice for President, present his plan and credentials, and if they are better, then that should be all you need. This type of irrational paranoia and threats from either side only turns people off from the process entirely.

Phyllis, GM and Chrysler could not go the bankruptcy route. That would have necessitated large inflows of capital at a time when the credit market had seized up.

You're essentially right Phyllis but this particular situation was vexing. GM and Chrysler debt aside, they both needed huge infusions of money to continue to operate. There were no buyers to be had. Experts generally agree that they would have had to close down operations and sell off their operations piece meal to car companies around the world. There wouldn't be a GM or Chrysler w/o government intervention. When the credit market froze up, car sales fell off a cliff and money to continue operations was not flowing in.

Lyn, with all due respect, I think you have it backwards. The reason for the 2008 financial meltdown was the the Wall Street banks "owned" the government. They took ridiculous risks to maximize profit knowing the government would have to bail them out if things went wrong. Wall Street used the government and it's people as a total tool. The fools in Washington were owned by Wall Street and not vice versa.

Not sure what you are getting at.
Are you replying to my comment:
"I do think the government needed to intervene with the financial institutions because it just might have meant a collapse of our economic system."

I'm enjoying talking to you both Lyn and Phyllis. There is a new book on the market that I think you two would love. It is written by a women named Sheila Bair and is entitled "Bull by the Horns". I've enjoyed Sheila's interviews throughout the years. Her unemotional and unbiased intelligence just jumps right out at you. You know many believe if women were in charge of the government and Wall Street that 2008 wouldn't have happened. Anyhow, Sheila Bair was head of the FDIC for the years just prior to 2008 and just after. The FDIC, as you know, secures bank deposits as well as protects the taxpayer's money. She tried her best to head off the problem and then resolve the problem when it hit. She doesn't try to impress the reader with sophisticated jargon, rather, she gives a great overview of the egos and special interest that resulted in the bail out of Wall Street and the no concern for Main Street. I highly recommend this book ladies.

Thanks, Murphy...same goes here! Will see about getting a used copy on Amazon. From the date of publication she was on top of this before the 'get-go'.

Phyllis, I've followed Sheila Bair for years now and she's one of the smartest people I know of. She doesn't try to impress with her intellect nor does she place a political slant on things. It's such an easy read for such a complex subject. As a funny aside, a few months ago I purchased an iPad 3. Don't get me wrong, I love old bookstores and books, but I'm inhaling books on this tablet. And how it's changed publishing. I was watching CNN one night and she was being interviewed about her new book. With this iPad, by the time the interview was over, I had downloaded the Kindle edition for $12.99 and was flipping through the initial pages. These ebooks have become impulse purchases like the products at a store register are. It's wild I tell you.

Phyllis, you sound just like me. I bought the iPad for other purposes than reading books. My attitude was that you would have to pry an actual book from my cold dead hands. The iPad quickly changed all that. The display is so eye- strain friendly and you can read from any position w/o the logistical problem of holding a book. You can highlight sections and print out your highlights to easily refresh the important points quickly. Heck, I'm reading as the notification of your posts show up in the middle of my screen. Some think that you need to buy a Kindle to read a Kindle book but Apple has an Kindle eReader app at no charge so that you can read their books on the iPad. Apples new retina display is incredible.

Welllll.....I will explore! Your resounding advocacy is making me think about some consideration. I assume it must connect to the internet and where I live in out in the boondocks I cant really access the internet thru a 4G type tower (even though I pay $20 per mo for the service from ATT. I access the internet on my computer and phone from a separate (not ATT) provider tower that is not yet equipped for high speed. I wonder if down loading a book from the internet would take an eternity. They say that they will upgrade the tower in the next few months....

I can't speak to that Phyllis, but I have AT&T high speed and by the time I've ordered the book off the Amazon website and return to my bookshelf, the book is just finishing the download process....about 15 seconds in all. Another nice feature is that you could read in the dark and not have to disrupt a significant other.

When my tower upgrades....I will definitely seriously consider it! Thanks, Murphy!

Who wants to talk about why we're in this mess? It took 8 years to get us here! Did people really think it could all be reversed in 3 to 4 years?!!!!!

How do dreck & lies - poorly written ones, at that - like this get published on Patch? I know it's easy to get a blog post published on this site, but it really tarnishes Patch's integrity & news believability when any old Joe can click "publish" on her uneducated, nonsensical views & share them with the community. I wish Patch would rethink its blogging policy to ensure that posts are, at the very least, coherent - even better, truthful.

Gee, Kate, whatever you think of the presentation, free speech is alive and well in the USA. The Patch is pretty decent and tolerant to allow a forum for any and all. Are you one of those who want to control what we read, eat, wear, hear??? Isn't it great that you can express your opinion...but the inclination to decide for others what they should think, write or read is a bit off putting. Express your disagreement with what you read but to want to make decisions that are not yours to make is a bit disappointing.

I think that Kate's pont is, yes, everyone has a right to their opinion, but, when you are trying to maintain some form of professional style writing, you probably shouldn't post a piece that sounds like it was written by your confused Grandmother who forgot to take her meds. This lady literally sounds drunk or at the very least medicated. Doesn't matter what side you are on, this story is ridiculous.

Anyone who wants to praise this blog post should go and read a few other gems by this author. No joke, she sounds drunk. You'd think that patch would have a better political point of view to publish than what sounds like a bored housewife on Xanax.

All of you bashing this woman don't have to agree with her.
There have been extremes on both sides blogging here.
But, you have to admit it also generated a discussion of other topics other than her statements. It is hard to tell if she is trying to make a statement by stating the extreme. It did get peoples attention. There are 73 comments so far, and not all are about analyzing her motives. It did provoke some intelligent exchange on here.
A blog is a persons opinion. If you have another, write it.

I believe that the net effect of the 24/7 talking head networks like Fox and MSNBC has led to a cranking up of the volume in the heartland. I don't believe it to be a coincidence that the hardened political positions in the heartland have coincided with the hardened political positions in Washington. It is my hope that, when the election is over, Democrats, Independents and Republicans will prevail upon Washington to find common ground in order to address the major issues that confront us as a nation. Are we willing to put aside our pride and egos for the good of future generations?

This is what happens to a woman who has lost her mind living in the darkness of misguided fear

Hey you guys - Come on don't pick on Kathleen. It's not her fault she thinks Obama is gonna steal our stuff. After all Kathleen lives in a semi-gated (all Strictly White) suburban Avon Lake neighborhood - so she has never seen a black person before, and Due to the way her father raised her, she assumes immediately, that the black guy is gonna steal your stuff. The pain killers she has been hooked on since her knee injury 8 years ago probably don't help, but at her core it's the racism that really drives her paranoia. However wacky we may think she is - she does have a right to post her opinion (and random paranoid thoughts) just like you or I do in whats left of America. So here's to Kathleen! Make it a double 10mg hydrocodone night & throw in a Gin and Tonic so your more comfortable throwing around your racism.

Note to editor of the patch. This post is strictly my opinion, and in no ways represents the actual Kathleen Obrien Wilhelm person who posts blogs on your site. This is a fictional representation for comical purposes only, similar to her post on our President. Awww who am I trying to kid. Anyone who thinks Im tellig the truth just add a reply with "truth" in the body.

Bottoms up count chocula!

TRUTH!

Thanks for throwing the humor into this. Sure did need it. I guess these threads become too serious most of the time. I get caught up in it, too. I'm a supporter of the President, and have been personally offended by Romneys attitude toward a group of Americans that I'm a part of ( the 47%). But I have to lighten up some. Sincerity causes us to become far too dry. We all need to laugh at this stuff a little more.

Has the President actually kept any of his many promises regarding the economy?

You have asked a question that you believe you already have the answer for. This is a tactic to either provoke or prove superior mentality. Doesn't matter. At this point, I think most peoples minds are made up. We know who we are voting for, and we know why. The rest is just pointless rhetoric.

This is why we cannot agree on anything. A lot of you are acting like ignorant uneducated bullies by belittling Mrs. Wilhelm. She may have her own opinions and views because it is a "free" country and freedom of speech is one of our constitutional rights last time I checked. If you have such a problem with what she has written, write your own blog. I might not agree with what she wrote, but I am not going to become a "psychiatrist" and diagnois that she may be a substance abuser or needs psychiatric help. There are other candidates to vote for besides Romney and Obama. Democrats or Republicans should stop voting in the same people year after year that have not continued to help this state or any other!

@ Garry....even an 'armchair' psychiatrist can have opinion, but these opinions are usually based in no knowledge of psychiatry, and grounded in vitriol.

I agree that some of the responses were out of bounds. That said, the blog writer did not put forth a logical argument. You must know your audience. The people on this site expect more than just flame throwing. If you through a ball against a wall softly, it returns to you softly. If you throw a fastball against a wall it just might come back and smack you in the head.

Class division

Capitalism is the social system which now exists in all countries of the world. Under this system, the means for producing and distributing goods (the land, factories, technology, transport system etc) are owned by a small minority of people. We refer to this group of people as the capitalist class. The majority of people must sell their ability to work in return for a wage or salary (who we refer to as the working class.)

The working class are paid to produce goods and services which are then sold for a profit. The profit is gained by the capitalist class because they can make more money selling what we have produced than we cost to buy on the labour market. In this sense, the working class are exploited by the capitalist class. The capitalists live off the profits they obtain from exploiting the working class whilst reinvesting some of their profits for the further accumulation of wealth.

This is what we mean when we say there are two classes in society. It is a claim based upon simple facts about the society we live in today. This class division is the essential feature of capitalism. It may be popular to talk (usually vaguely) about various other 'classes' existing such as the 'middle class', but it is the two classes defined here that are the key to understanding capitalism.

It may not be exactly clear which class some relatively wealthy people are in. But there is no ambiguity about the status of the vast majority of the world's population. Members of the capitalist class certainly know who they are. And most members of the working class know that they need to work for a wage or salary in order to earn a living (or are dependent upon somebody who does, or depend on state benefits.)

In capitalism, the motive for producing goods and services is to sell them for a profit, not to satisfy people's needs. The products of capitalist production have to find a buyer, of course, but this is only incidental to the main aim of making a profit, of ending up with more money than was originally invested. This is not a theory that we have thought up but a fact you can easily confirm for yourself by reading the financial press. Production is started not by what consumers are prepared to pay for to satisfy their needs but by what the capitalists calculate can be sold at a profit. Those goods may satisfy human needs but those needs will not be met if people do not have sufficient money.

The profit motive is not just the result of greed on behalf of individual capitalists. They do not have a choice about it. The need to make a profit is imposed on capitalists as a condition for not losing their investments and their position as capitalists. Competition with other capitalists forces them to reinvest as much of their profits as they can afford to keep their means and methods of production up to date.

As you will see, we hold that it is the class division and profit motive of capitalism that is at the root of most of the world's problems today, from starvation to war, to alienation and crime. Every aspect of our lives is subordinated to the worst excesses of the drive to make profit. In capitalist society, our real needs will only ever come a poor second to the requirements of profit.

It is widely assumed that capitalism means a free market economy. But it is possible to have capitalism without a free market. The systems that existed in the U.S.S.R and exist in China and Cuba demonstrate this. These class-divided societies are widely called 'socialist'. A cursory glance at what in fact existed there reveals that these countries were simply 'state capitalist'. In supposedly 'socialist' Russia, for example, there still existed wage slavery, commodity production, buying, selling and exchange, with production only taking place when it was viable to do so. 'Socialist' Russia continued to trade according to the dictates of international capital and, like every other capitalist, state, was prepared to go to war to defend its economic interests. The role of the Soviet state became simply to act as the functionary of capital in the exploitation of wage labour, setting targets for production and largely controlling what could or could not be produced.

We therefore feel justified in asserting that such countries had nothing to do with socialism as we define it. In fact, socialism as we define it could not exist in one country alone—like capitalism it must be a global system of society.

It is also possible (at least in theory) to have a free market economy that is not capitalist. Such a 'market economy' would involve farmers, artisans and shopkeepers each producing a particular product that they would exchange via the medium of money. There would be no profit-making and no class division—just independent producers exchanging goods for their mutual benefit. But it is doubtful whether such an economy has ever existed. The nearest that may have come to it would have been in some of the early colonial settlements in North America. Some Greens wish to see a return to this kind of economy. We do not think that it is a viable alternative for modern society. Such a system would almost inevitability lead to capital accumulation and profit making—the definitive features of capitalism.

This concludes the lesson of "What is Capitalism". Thank you and have a nice day.

Wow, Rex, why don't you start a blog so we can discuss this and the pros and cons? I find what you have written interesting. I am not sure what I can conclude by your excellent dissertation. It is a 'definition' without an analysis of advantages and disadvantages. And...what is the alternative?

An article like this just makes the Stow Patch look like a joke and not a reliable place to come to for news. Makes me want to find another website to go to for local news.

You neer- do -wells Bully a person who gave her free speech and opinion, and you didnt even read her entire Blog. Wow how pathetic. How predicable you are. kathleen will survive another day, but you?? Barack Hussein Obama failed me as a citizen I gave him a chance, and just like a bad plummer or investment company he didnt please me " he's fired..

Elayne, punctuation. Try it.

I essentially agree with you Phyllis. I would like to point out that there is a distinct difference between the bailout's affect on jobs and an improving credit market's affect on jobs. Also, it is correct that China demands a 50/50 partnership requirement for any foreign company doing business in Chinese markets. I understand why GE has to compete there butvI don't care for China's heavy hand.

The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of this country was recently downgraded to 1.3%.
This is abysmal. The upcoming jobs report will show America to have a 44th month of unemployment over 8%. When you figure in those that have given up looking for work, it's closer to 19%. THAT is abysmal.

Median Family Income has dropped $4,000 under Obama. More people are out of work now then when Obama took office.

The above are the facts. Why are some Americans continuing to support a president who's only experience was as a US Senator in his first term, who spent most of that first term running for higher office. Before that he was a state senator in his first term who voted "present" over 100 times instead of a yea or nay vote.

Romney has run a business, a successful Olympics and a state.
One has "Executive Experience" , the other is still trying to figure out what that is after almost 4 years.

Keith Best, I compliment you on your accurate facts but disagree with your interpretation. A financial meltdown and the resultant housing meltdown that it created equals a tough, hard road. I voted for McCain but didn't delude myself into thinking that "happy days are here again" could be achieved in 3 or 4 years. 15 years of economic sin will take longer than 4 years to resolve. It would be helpful if Congress would quit bowing to the banking industry on loan modifications at the expense of Main Street. Until the housing market recovers, we're just farting in the wind.

It is pure lunacy to make the President of our country one of the most dishonest, deceptive, hollow fraudulent con-men to ever seek political office; a vulture capitalist who during a period of increasing globalization, basically led the effort to gutt America's industrial heartland, extract American wealth and ingenuity, bankrupt companies, lay off workers and collapse communities so that a handful of suits could stuff $100's of millions in the Cayman Islands. This is not the kind of capitalism that I support. As stated by Conservative Republican Newt Gingrich:

“The Bain model is to go in at a very low price, borrow an immense amount of money, pay Bain an immense amount of money and leave. I’ll let you decide if that’s really good capitalism. I think that’s exploitation.” He added: "Criticizing one businessman for one set of practices is not an assault on capitalism. I am totally for free enterprise, I'm totally for capitalism,” Gingrich said. He “believes the big institutions are dangerous, whether they're big banks, big government, or big labor. I find powerful rich people rigging games very distasteful."

Romney is running around America like he is a true builder and titan of American industry, the veritable reincarnation of Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller or Michael Dell and he is not. Romney is the Mormon Madoff, a Gekko who is a Racketeer: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&note_id=10151023931102030

Romney And Ryan: The Right Kind Of "Welfare Queens" http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2012083422/romney-and-ryan-right-kind-welfare-queens

@ Mr. London: I have to say that was a well written article. But some of the conclusions based on fact are a little skewed. Interesting that all the companies that he lists that Romney was involved with took advantage of what various states offered as enticements to build businesses in those states would be classified as 'welfare' or government help. I think, you might look at these as 'incentives' to boost the economy of what ever state that offers them. Maybe Romney's companies should have turned down these incentives? Is that what is implied? Or maybe not even try to start or improve businesses....is that what the author is saying?

And should Ryan have turned down the social security benefits for 2 years from his father's death to help with college? Even though his father had paid in to SS or all his working life for purposes such as helping the children of a dead parent? His father, dying at age 55 probably paid in more than the 2 years of support Ryan received. And Ryan's mother, after the death of his father went back to school and started a small business. This disqualified her for SS death benefits from her husband's death. Just think, she could have kicked back sat at home and eaten Doritos and received SS benefits (to use a 'metaphor' supplied by the author).

BA, you keep insisting that I don't understand chapter 11 , then go on to avoid my primary question: Yes chapter 11 would have given GM relief from their creditors but that just one side of the balance sheet. car companies have huge cash burn rates per month. Once again, in a frozen credit market where was GM to raise additional capital? The bond holders?

Phyllis, if you lost your job in 2008 as a result of the financial meltdown then it seems to me that those folks needed legitimate help every bit as Ryan did. Secondly, if Romney can use tax loopholes to stash money in the Caymans then why would one be a bum to take advantage if the child income tax credit? I wasn't responding to tax abatement w for businesses per se.

Sure there is Phyllis. It's called life. If we kicked middle class seniors out of nursing homes by taking away their Medicaid subsidies, then business interests would definitely be affected.

I don't think the plan is to take away Medicaid subsidies. Also, those in nursing homes if 'penniless' are required to apply their SS income to the nursing home costs. As a former DON in a few nursing homes I observed interesting financial machinations. One very wealthy elderly lady had 4 kids who made sure that all her assets were in their hands so she could be declared penniless and the government would pay her fare. One son headed up the company she founded which had evolved into providing McDonald's fried pies, one son had a huge cattle ranch, another son retired to Wimberly, Texas and would visit her twice a year in one of those huge RV's with bedroom, etc. She was such a delightful lady, I will never forget her....or the manner in which her kids rigged the system. She could have been is a 'high dollar' nursing home, or at least have a room in one of those mansions the kids lived in. She was not bed-fast or incompetent.

You missed my point Phyllis. My point was that, be it tax breaks for business or subsidies to the people, business in general is affected by government policy.

Well BA, we've reached a stalemate in our discussions. We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. Enjoyed the back and forth.

I don't disagree with you...business and subsidies to the people ARE affected by government policy. So..does that make businesses which take advantage of policies 'Welfare Queens'? I don't think so. And there is a difference in looking to the government to 'provide', which the $$90 billion to green companies in the past four years seemed to have done, from and using legal means to 'save' money and increase profit.

I think he overstated his case with the "welfare queens" label Phyllis. Businesses would be foolish not take full advantage of the system. I do take exception to your green energy comments. The Apollo program comes to mind when the green energy issue is debated. New frontiers in science always have a high failure rate in the early years. That is the nature of the business. Solyndra was troubling because the government had a heads up about their issues but, in general, as you see in medical research, when we expand the frontiers of our knowledge we should expect to experience a certain level of failure. In the past the U.S. has had the luxury of turning it's back on green energy but now the rest of the world is forging ahead in that field and we would be foolish to forfeit our place within the green energy field. Enjoyed talking to you Phyllis but I'm going outside to enjoy the day..Talk to you later....

Well, for when you come back to you computer....(LOL). I am all for Green research and alternatives to current fossil fuel usage. However, before we cut the pipeline by shutting down coal mines and stopping oil and gas recovery, lets have that green system assuredly in place. Its far from that and we are paying the price. The ethanol (corn additive) gas has been discovered as more polluting than if we had not added it. It reminds of the retooling of 'smaller' toilet tanks to save water and it ultimately demanded greater water usage. We are simply led around by the nose, victims of the passion of the idiocracy which has the restricted tunnel vision of their idealistic goals overlooking a common sense approach to think out all the consequences of jumping on the bus with a snowstorm coming forgetting your coat and gloves.

Phyllis, I had a great bike ride yesterday. I think we've had a pretty balanced approach to energy. We've drilled for more domestic oil than we have the past 20 years. Natural gas is an exploding industry in this country. Texas has been the beneficiary of high oil prices and states like Ohio will be increasingly benefitting from the vast reserves of natural gas we have beneath us. This natural gas situation might prove to be a game changer for this country. I'm excited about it's prospects. I would like to take this moment to put in a good word on behalf of toilets everywhere. Don't give up on toilets Phyllis!!! The original water-saving toilets did require two flushes thereby defeating the purpose. The situation has changed. It has become a "you get what you pay for" proposition. A couple of years ago I purchased and installed a Koehler toilet for my mother in her advancing age. My original intent was to purchase a seat level toilet which is higher than the old toilets so she could have an easier time in her fragile condition. It was a water efficient toilet that works perfectly with one flush. The Koehler uses 1/2 of the water as a traditional toilet and it's new design passes with flying colors. My brother, on the other hand, purchased a Chinese-made toilet and one flush is not satisfying let's say. So please Phyllis, don't lose faith in toilets..........

I'm not opposed to the pipeline per se Phyllis. Canada seems willing to redirect the pipeline around the aquifer that was at the heart of the debate and that's fine with me. What I think a lot of folks don't realize though, is that the purpose for extending the pipeline to the ports of Louisiana is ultimately to ship the oil overseas to the world market. The highest bidder is going to receive that oil. Excluding the estimated 5,000 jobs, it really doesn't matter if the pipeline is directed to the southern ports of the U.S. or the western ports of Canada. It's less expensive for the Canadian oil interests to use our infrastructure and southern ports as opposed to their geographically challenged infrastructure. It just seems to me that this issue has been used by both parties as a way to incite political passion more than true American interest.

Phyllis, if the Canadian oil companies built a pipeline to their western port cities, then their transportation costs would be much greater. They would have to ship the oil down the west coast of the U.S. and continue down the west coast of Mexico, through the Panama Canal and then over to Europe. By directing the oil to our southern ports they avoid significant transportation costs. They just have to transport the oil around the tip of Florida and then on to Europe. Canadian oil interests care about $$$$ and not necessarily U.S. interest. Well, off to Sunday brunch, will catch up to you later. Enjoy your Sunday Phyllis.

This column puts the Cuyahoga Falls Patch in league with the low-life "National Enquirer" and "Dog Fancy" magazine. Get real, LOL.

MITT ROMNEY’S TOP DEBATE LIES AND DISTORTIONS

1. Romney said Obama is “cutting $716 billion from Medicare.” FALSE
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/factchecking-the-first-presidential-debate-of-2012/2012/10/04/9d47934e-0d66-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_blog.html

2. Romney said there are 23 million Americans out of work. FALSE, the correct figure is 12.5 million, or about half that number.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PRESIDENTIAL_CAMPAIGN_FACT_CHECK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-10-04-03-00-20

3. Romney said there is no tax provision that gives companies a tax deduction for moving jobs overseas. FALSE
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/factchecking-the-first-presidential-debate-of-2012/2012/10/04/9d47934e-0d66-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_blog.html

4. Romney said that Obamacare “puts in place an unelected board that's going to tell people ultimately what kind of treatments they can have.” FALSE. The law explicitly prohibits the board from rationing care.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PRESIDENTIAL_CAMPAIGN_FACT_CHECK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-10-04-03-00-20

MORE OF MITT ROMNEY'S TOP DEBATE LIES AND DISTORTIONS

5. Romney disagreed with Obama saying that Romney planned a $5 trillion tax cut over the next decade.” HALF TRUE. Romney does plan such a cut, and Politifact said Romney hasn’t explained how he will fully make it revenue neutral.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/oct/04/barack-obama/obama-says-romneys-plan-5-trillion-tax-cut/
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-fact-check-debate-romney-tax-20121003,0,3813713.story

6. Romney accused Obama of double the Federal deficit. FALSE.
http://factcheck.org/2012/10/dubious-denver-debate-declarations/

7. Romney said incomes are down $4300 since Obama took office. FALSE.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/10/03/fact-checking-the-debate/1612241/

8. Romney said he “…will not reduce the share (of taxes)” paid by high-income individuals.” FALSE. Romney wants to cut personal taxes by 20 percent for everyone, including the wealthy, as the Romney campaign website states.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/10/03/fact-checking-the-debate/1612241/
http://www.mittromney.com/issues/tax

What else is Mitt LYING about? His promises to the American people?

You can’t trust lying extremist, Mitt Romney.

Read about the 27 total Mitt Romney debate lies at:
http://factcheck.org, http://mediamatters.org , http://thinkprogress.org and the Washington Post Fact Check Blog at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker

Biden says he, Obama want to raises taxes by $1 trillion

If you think he is going to stop there, you are crazy

I have to wonder what would happen to all that "stuff" everyone worries about if the electricity stopped and the oil was gone. No need for any of it. Can't take it with you anyway. You know the saying, "You can't eat money." You also can't eat all that stuff you've worked so hard to hoarde. The best things in life are free. If you can't truly see that, my condolences to you. The sun rises and sets without money, without stuff. Seeds grow and die all without money, without stuff. Your heart pumps blood, your lungs process the air, all without money, without stuff. Children laugh and play without worrying about money, about stuff. Maybe you'd be a happier lady without all your "stuff" that you're so worried about losing. Travel the world and see how those exist without mountains of "stuff". Drive through the state and see how others live. "Walk a mile in their shoes", as they say. Those cheap clothes can keep you warm just like the expensive ones. Life is short. Life is what you make of it. And all the money and stuff in the world isn't going to change that fact. Look around at what really matters and learn to see with your own eyes. Stuff is just stuff. If your house burned down but your family and pets we're all alive and well, I'd like to think you'd realize how blessed and lucky you are. But I fear you'd just be worried about your stuff...

Life was so much simpler back in the day. A women could only judge you based on the quality of horse you mounted................

Steve Field

I have posted this, after reading the rhetoric, to inject maybe some observations of my own from real life experience.

I am a Resident Alien since 1979, apart from not being able to vote, I live as any American, paying taxes etc.

I am a professional in manufacturing that has allowed me to work in several different countries for financial gain.
One instance had me working in the middle east for several years where I was exposed to the Hebrew / Islamic population. As a useful visitor I was accepted.
My observations and personal experiences, .......

The Jewish people and the Israelite, wish to live free.

The Islamist hate everything western. It is preached in their places of worship, and has been witnessed by myself in conversations with these people as a visitor.

Our current president is an Islamist, our latest coin does not include the words "In God we trust"

A previous democrat could have eliminated the threat that concluded in the Tower attack, Bush warned the democratic majority congress in 2007 about the excessive spending and its repercussions. Our current president did not attend memorial day at Arlington Cemetery. Do you see a trend here ?

I feel he holds the American constitution in contempt.

Hey Field, go back to where you came from. Your vitriol is not helpful.

I don't see why it has to be anyone's fault. The bank bailout and auto bailout straddled two administrations. Bush and Obama did what they felt they had to do given the info they were receiving.

I see it the following way Phyllis. For about 15 years American society behaved badly on all levels. The government overspent, greed brought our banks to the verge of collapse, regulators looked the other way when the banks (their future employers) behaved badly., the accounting firms and rating agencies were more interested in protecting their client bases than report honestly, mortgage lenders doled out ridiculous loans because the resultant risky mortgages could quickly be sold to Wall Street, mortgage brokers allowed profits to prevail over common sense, the people were living beyond their means by carrying too much mortgage and credit card debt. My point Phyllis is that for 15 years our society acted foolish and I derive two unescapable truths from this; First, to blame a single individual or party for the fallout is an attempt on the American people's behalf to avoid responsibility and second, no man or woman is capable of resolving this problem in short order, we're going to have to pay our dues for many years to come, no instant gratification will emerge to wipe away years of foolishness.

I agree with every thing you say. But the political trend is to blame and take no responsibility in order to get votes. I am tired of that. If you familiarize your self with the Community Recovery Acts...quite a few of these since the 70's, there was government push for giving mortgages to less qualified buyers. There was gov't pressure to do so. The lenders carried it to the extreme. If lenders had followed traditional and acceptable standards for credit worthiness we would not have had such a mess. It says to me, gov't interference in private enterprise never turns out well. I see it over and over and over again.

I don't totally agree with that Phyllis. The big banks came up with a scheme to print money. They bundled risky mortgages and securitized them into investments. They filled these investments with subprime garbage that the ratings agencies slapped AAA ratings onto. Then the banks bought credit default swaps betting that the very investments that they created and sold all over the world would fail. The mortgage lenders are normally the gatekeepers. They don't want loans to fail because they lose money but in the brave new world mortgage securitization, they new they would sell the mortgages to Wall Street within a month and the risk would be off their books. Therefore, the gate came down. Finally, in Sheila Bairs book "Bulls by the Horns", she describes how 73% of these bad mortgages were refinanced mortgages. Within the backdrop of low interest rates, mortgage brokers were marketing people with 30 year fixed into sophisticated mortgages with high resets. That's what the brokers new customer, Wall Street desired. The homeowner extracted equity out of their houses and Wall Street had a steady supply of mortgages that were likely to fail in which they could place their bets against. Wall Street's obsession did not lie in helping the unfortunate access housing. There intent was to lure safe money out of home equity and into the marketplace for their own greedy manipulative purposes.

Obama’s Plan for Ohio
Making suburban taxpayers prop up failing Democratic cities.

President Obama aims to help Ohio’s Democrats bail out your state’s struggling cities by forcibly transferring suburban tax money to urban treasuries. It’s a bold plan to redistribute the wealth of Ohio’s suburbs. It also calls for halting the sort of highway and commercial development that brings jobs and taxes to the suburbs. The shorthand for this is “regionalism.” Should Obama be reelected, a redistributive city-based regionalist agenda will likely be imposed on Ohio’s suburbs. The best way to envision the future of suburban Ohio in a second Obama term is to see how close this regionalist agenda came to enactment in Obama’s first four years.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/329613/obama-s-plan-ohio-stanley-kurtz

Republican Leaders Agree that Mitt Romney Cannot Be Trusted

“We are going to cut taxes on everyone across the country by 20 percent, including the top 1 percent. “ (This is contrary to what Romney said in his first debate.)
– Mitt Romney, Republican politician and presidential candidate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJzUQwJFW7k

“This is someone (Romney) who doesn’t have a core. He has been on both sides of almost every single issue in the past 10 years. “
–Rick Santorum, Republican leader and former Republican Senator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av3q7-a-ayc&feature=player_embedded#!

“He’s certainly beings dishonest about his own record? When he says that he had the endorsement of the NRA, he did not. When he says he didn’t raise taxes, and in fact, there were $500 million in fees raised during this time. When he talks about my record or John McCain’s. “He’s making up stuff, it’s just incredible. In Arkansas, we call it DISHONESTY.”
- Mike Huckabee, Fox News commentator and former Governor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av3q7-a-ayc&feature=player_embedded#!
(P.S - Sound familiar with Romney’s dishonest tactics in his first debate?)

“This is someone (Romney) who will say anything to get elected.”- Rick Santorum
–Rick Santorum, Republican leader and former Republican Senator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av3q7-a-ayc&feature=player_embedded#!

Republican leaders agree – Romney Can't Be Trusted! Most voters agree!

I don't know this columnist and have never read anything of his before, but this column is quite detailed and it seems researched. Since it is discussing Ohio and its 'tax redistribution' future, it is should be mandatory reading for all Buckeyes.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/329613/obama-s-plan-ohio-stanley-kurtz?pg=2

I honestly don't know whether it is a good idea or not. Its up to you Ohioans to decide.

Phyllis, I've never been a fan of this regionalistic approach. The wealthier suburbs of Cleveland do not support this approach for obvious reasons. From my observations, I don't believe this movement has the legs that the article you sourced suggests.

Well, people have left the city of Cleveland and it's inner suburbs for the outer suburbs in droves for various reasons. That has left those areas in bad shape fiscally. I understand the concern but I'm pretty confident that the people won't except regionalism as a solution. Though, the ring of urban decay seems to be expanding farther outward. I don't know what the solution to this problem might be. It is unsettling though.

Sure, like take the largest redistribution of wealth in this country's history. The financial fraud on Wall Street in 2008 drained pensions, 401k's and homes of their equity while the fat cats walked away with millions never to see the inside of a court room let alone a jail cell. The gap between the top 10% and the bottom 90% is wider, adjusted for inflation, then at any time in American history. I guess that's redistribution that you can believe in.

How about Enron....why wasn't that bailed out in Bush's reign? Regardless, I resent the 'too big to fail' bail outs. Jon Corzine former gov of NJ and CEO of MF Global, Inc., lost hundred's of millions of investor's funds in 2011. He was allegedly offered 12 million severance upon his resignation but turned it down. He was already wealthy enough, I guess. Why wasn't he and his MF cronies indicted?

From what I've read Phyllis, the government has been trying to figure out where all the bodies are buried in the Corzine mess. Their still trying to find the Madoff money. Politically though, Corzine has no political allies and it's just a matter of time until he gets his. As for the bank bailouts, may I suggest that is easy to sit here in 2012 and criticize the bailout. If you recall, when the original vote was taken in Congress to authorize TARP it failed. The stock market lost 692 points that afternoon and the whole financial system was on the verge of seizing up. I can't fault Bush here at all. When the Federal Reserve chairman, the Secretary of the Treasury and numerous others are telling you that by not bailing the banks out the country and world could slip into the grips of a depression, If you were Bush, what would you have decided?

I know, I know...but when you fail, you fail. If I ever flunked a subj in school, there was no bail out. Lesson learned. If it is incompetence...tough, if its criminal off, to prison. There should be consequences for their actions. Where are the lessons or consequences for these guys? AIG had a ball after their bail out. It is so ridiculous. It is all politics. And in the GM bail out, union pensions saved, Delphi (20,000 employees), ignored. There is such inequity in the system. Vote for me and I'll save you.

Complete lack of excitement for Romney is what will solidly Democratic victories at the state level.

Look's like Romney's debate bump was smaller than most people thought and not a game changer:

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/oct-7-national-polls-show-signs-of-settling/

Mr. Watts,
apparently you "don't know anyone who voted for Nixon". Excitement is high in my corner of the woods to see the next President of the United states on Tuesday.

Watts-Another California Patch Invader

Go back to your own local Patch, at least your own state. I wouldn't mind if you had an interest in this area. But I have a problem with all of you spreading your garbage on other Patch networks just to promote you agendas, for free and going unchecked.

Christopher London-Another out of the area poster

I guess the new way to get free advertising and to promote your candidate is by using the Patch throughout the country.
When will the Patch editors around the country start catching on to the strategy of their form of media being used? Or are you condoning this because of who is benefiting by these tactics?

Lyn, what tips you off that a post is from out of the are? I can't seem to get a reading on that.

Lyn, short of telling Mrs. B that she's out of luck, what do you suggest?

You know Lyn, after thinking about it, I must point out a major contradiction here. Ohio's state elections are being heavily influenced by a couple of billionaires from Texas by way of heavy television spots. The Republicans defend this in the grounds of freedom of speech. This Watts fella posts his thoughts to a finite group of people and yet you consider this an undue influence?

Well Dan, Phyllis is a good example. I've enjoyed talking to Phyllis. In my opinion Phyllis has been a good contributor to this patch. She is able to offer a Texas perspective that I've found very interesting. The benefit of the Internet is to expand our horizons. I welcome Phyllis.

I would "attack" her if she wasn't from this area and didn't have an interest in this area. Also, I would do the same if I saw she was plastering 20 Patchs with the same comments.
If you think I'm being hypocritical, so be it.
But, then you haven't read anything I have written about this issue.

I've read some of your posts Lyn and have been impressed with the depth of your thoughts. I don't mean to sound dismissive on this particular issue. I just haven't noticed the influx from other patches. You've piqued my interest on this issue and I'll watch more closely in the future.

Now in all fairness Watts, Lyn has been a substantive thinker on this patch. I like your overall argument but let's play fair dog.

OK, then lets see how you feel when you are on the wrong end of a false description of the Patch policies and a bold face lie about your posts being deleted for having violated these policies that do not actually exist.

You can sing Kubaya with lyn, but until she actually provides a link to such policies for posting on Patch sites outside of your signed in region or proof that I have ever had a post removed for violating any such post, to me she is somebody who is not above lying to manipulate people on here.

And if local people were not inclined to question that post of hers, then maybe her posts are only as substantial, in as far as nobody has questioned them or delved deeper to see how truthful they were.

So lyn, the floor is yours. Are you going to prove your accusations against me or are you going to apologize to me and your fans for your lies about the Patch policies and that I have had posts removed for having violated these fictitious policies?

And on a side note, not everybody lives or has personal interests in just one location. For instance, I currently reside mainly by the beach in SoCal, but have residences and/or operate businesses based in 7 states. So once you start paying taxes into so many locations, your interests are certain to follow.

And I would agree that if somebody was posting opinions on topics for which they have no possible knowledge or interest (for example, to be commenting on local zoning decisions), that they are simply trying to muck things up for the fun of it. But if the topic is of a national interest, where would be the concern of lyn's that somebody from another part of the state was contributing to the dialog? Except if that person's opinion did not match her own.

Watts, I've conceded already that you have a valid argument. You dilute that argument when you use words like "fans". Calling Lyn hypocritical is to impugn her integrity. My observations, based on her posts, is that she is deserving of better consideration. The hard headed Irishman in me does not provide for fanaticism.

I agree with you in principal Watts. Sadly, I've never been to California

Regulars is cool. Well I'm going to hit the sack. A good nights sleep might do you well to Watts because when Phyllis catches up with the nights posts in the morning........She'll team up with Lyn and leave you feeling like you live in Watts. LOL

MITT ROMNEY – THE MOST FRAUDULENT CANDIDATE IN AMERICAN HISTORY

Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour

Mitt Romney's life is a highlight reel of hypocrisy: see the evidence below:
1) The Mormon Madoff: http://tinyurl.com/9dusohs and
2) Romney the Racketeer: http://tinyurl.com/9h2xstg
3) Republicans on Romney: http://tinyurl.com/9nydqtg

Regardless of which candidate we as Americans choose to support or which party we may traditionally support, we must recognize, accept and understand that with Willard Milton “Mitt” Romney we have a character of an entirely different beast than we are used to evaluating for President; a pathological liar with sociopath personality disorder. Romney's shape-shifting on taxes for example, a central economic issue for families, individuals & small business owners & ultimately the solvency of our republic does not reflect an evolution of understanding and policy sincerity being articulated thoughtfully by the Romney campaign but rather a deceptive level of opportunism which quite clearly goes to the heart of his trustworthiness. In that vein, when you consider Romney’s position on taxes, consider that he has chosen to maintain a great percentage of his wealth in secret off-shore accounts outside the purview of the United States government and he has also chosen to provide not even the most minimal level of disclosure that candidates for the Presidency traditionally provide to the American people.

Lyn, it's interesting that you mentioned Jon Huntsman. He was my favorite Rep. candidate as well. It frustrated me that he could not get traction. The Republican Party does not accept a moderate influence anymore. That was his undoing but he stayed real to his beliefs and I respect that. Romney, on the other hand, has a past moderate record but he does this ultra conservative dance which puts his leadership ability at question.

MZ, I think you miss my point. Good moderate Republicans are finding it hard to coexist with the far right. Many moderate Republicans have announced plans not to run for re-election. Those moderates, like Lugar, who haven't left voluntarily are being kicked out by the Tea Party. I'm an Independent, therefore, this purging of moderates has estranged me from the Republican Party. If moderates were being purged from the Democratic Party, I would be equally concerned. Truth can usually be found in the middle. For w/o a middle we're left with extremes and that never ends nicely.

I think its too bad that a local forum has now been hijacked by these outside posters.
Thanks for diminishing and trashing a site where many of us came to discuss local and national events with our neighbors and those who care about our area.
These outsiders have found a place to spread their agenda and ruined why we were first drawn to the Patch.

Where is the LOVE!!!

Lyn, I'm from the Solon patch not the Salon patch. For the record, I've never set foot in a salon despite what you might have heard.....LOL

To think I used to be proud of living in North Canton where neighbors were friends and co workers got along no matter your race, religion or political views. A town where you felt safe, a "hometown"where you could raise your family and live the "American Dream" ! A place where people came together to help others in need. I believe everyone should be allowed "to agree to disagree" and have "freedom of speech"! For all of you who wanted "Hope and Change" and voted for Obama, there is a saying "Fool me once, shame on you"..."Fool me twice, shame on me"..."None are so blind as those who refuse to see" what is happening to America, when two Communists, "Chavez" and "Raual Castro" have endorsed "Obama" . You still have a chance to save the "America" we have grown to love and save it for our children, grandchildren. If you want a "Socialistic Country" why don't you leave America and move to one. "A Wise Man changes his mind...A Fool Never Will" I pray for our candidates and for our country! God Bless America, the land of the free and the home of the brave.

A wise man once said "you are a fool to try and reason with a fool" I am no fool!!!

My above comment was aimed at Murphy-Solon Patch!

Another wise man said " I've seen the enemy and it is I" Educate yourself Fairchild

Actually John, I bear some responsibility. I like to debate issues but when I see a post that is just meant to slander, I should just ignore it. I gave her what she was seeking....my bad.

Murphy ,This is Mr. Fairchild this time ... my wife is not "Fairchild", she is "Mrs. Fairchild "... poor manners and a lack of respect for others is unacceptable to those of us who have had a proper upbringing. The correct quote is "I've seen the enemy and it is us"! We are conservative Christians, we would have backed any Republican who won the Primary, in order to get Obama and his Marxist ideology out of the people's "White House". We are voting for Mitt Romney! Maybe you should watch "Fox News Channel" and see "fair", "balanced" and "honest" debates from all sides!

Well Fairchild, I should not have responded to your wife. She wasn't interested in debating policy but rather just spew hate. I thought your mention of upbringing and Christianity coupled with referring to our duly elected leader as a Marxist was really rich. I want no further contact with you two.

Actually Tom M, I'm an Independent who voted for McCain in 2008. You can check my past posts and you won't find me referring to Romney as bleep this bleep that. I've debated folks on this patch w/respect to issues. It's counter productive to refer to our President as a Socialist or Marxist. You can't seriously debate words like that. Not to worry though, I won't be responding to the Fairchild's of the world in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4BuMcXdmDc&feature=related

We need to do ourselves both a favor John and just ignore them.

Kathleen,
You are several slices of bread short a sandwich. Is the staff at Laurelwood looking for you?

Lyn, I don't know how you feel about it but this charge that Obama is a Socialist or Marxist seems wild eyed to me. It seems made up of the same kind of stuff that the Dems used to call Bush a war criminal and intellectually stupid. I think the monied special interest lobbying in Washington has hijacked this country. They run the show and a socialist system is not in their interests. Furthermore, the Executive branch, under our Constitution, cannot appropriate a dimes worth of spending. There exists no scenario by which a man w/o spending authority with a Congress that is bought and paid for by special interest can turn our system of government Socialist. In fact, the exact opposite has happened. Take the Wall Street example for instance. These cats placed risky bets with our money to maximize their profits and brought the whole economy down in the process. Not a single one of these fools have seen the inside of a court room let alone a jail cell. They effectively privatized profit and nationalized their losses. To this day the Fed still has the overnight lending rates to the banks pegged at zero percent. That's akin to giving the banks a printing press to print their own money. I could train a fifth grader to take interest free money from the government and buy Tbills and make endless amounts of money on the spread. I don't make enough money on my CD's to keep up with low inflation because my interest has been sold by the government to the darlings on Wall Street.

You see Lyn, that's the part of the Republican argument that I take offense to. Wall Street destroys the economy and walk away with untold millions. Those people that lost their jobs and were left wanting our receiving the lions share of the blame. Did you want Obama to say to them "look, I know Wall Street collapsed the economy but you people who paid the highest cost our just going to have to starve. In the meantime, we'll keep the overnight lending rate at zero so the perpetrators of this collapse can make millions more". Is that how you think it should have gone? And let's be clear about one thing. I've heard this same redistribution argument out of the Republicans my whole adult lifetime. Now, 30 years into my adulthood, what do you find? You find that the wealth gap between the top 10% and the bottom 90% is wider than at any time in our history. Either the Dems have done a poor job of this redistribution over the last 30 years or the Repubs were full of it. Also, the 2008 financial collapse was the largest wealth redistribution in our history. The average Americans equity in their homes, 401k's and pension plans tanked and was redirected to Wall Street. I challenge you to show me a time in our history where more wealth changed hands. That wealth went from the bottom to the top and not the other way around. Even GM, was affected. The immediate reason for their failure was a frozen credit market brought to them by their friends on Wall Street.

Republican Leaders Agree that Mitt Romney Cannot Be Trusted

“If Governor Romney would like to give back all the money that he has earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees, over his years at BAIN, then I would be glad to then listen to him. “
-Newt Gingrich, Republican leader and former Speaker of the US House of Rep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoWkmYrp818

“This is someone (Romney) who doesn’t have a core. He has been on both sides of almost every single issue in the past 10 years. “
–Rick Santorum, Republican leader and former Republican Senator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av3q7-a-ayc&feature=player_embedded#!

“He’s (Romney) certainly being dishonest about his own record! When he says that he had the endorsement of the NRA, he did not. When he says he didn’t raise taxes, and in fact, there were $500 million in fees raised during this time. When he talks about my record or John McCain’s. He’s making up stuff, it’s just incredible. In Arkansas, we call it DISHONESTY.”
- Mike Huckabee, Fox News commentator and former Governor of Arkansas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av3q7-a-ayc&feature=player_embedded#!

P.S - Sound familiar with Romney’s dishonest tactics speaking in the first debate with Obama!

Republicans and Democrats alike agree; Romney cannot be trusted!

Learn about Mitt Romney’s campaign promises, from Mitt Romney!

1.5 million views this week!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPgfzknYd20

That's the conundrum Lyn, I feel the same way. With the European debt crisis winding it's way down an uncertain path, I don't want to touch the stock market. Even the bond market is overextended but CD's are paying zippo. There really isn't a decent option.

Look Lyn, I've told you in the past that our society behaved badly in this housing mess straight up and down the chain of command. I've also accepted that government policy to expand home ownership was too aggressive. But if you think the Wall Street shenanigans had anything to do with some moral imperative to help the homeless, then I don't quite know what else I can say to you on the subject. Don't want to sound like a broken record, but, I think you would find Sheila Bair's book " Bull by the Horns" to be ver enlightening. P.S. proud of the way you're not responding to those other posts.

LOL, you're an able combatant Lyn. I can sense the softer side of you. Eat a good breakfast. Catch up to you later.

I missed you Phyllis. I've always liked Mentor particularly Headlands State Park and Pickle Bills (Grand River). Ohio is actually doing better than the national norm right now Phyllis and the natural gas potential that is being developed can turn out to be a boon for us like oil is for Texas. I've always thought that Ohio has an exceptional metro park system. In your opinion, how does the Texas park system stack up?

Phyllis, I've never been to Texas but was planning to visit your state in November for a Browns - Cowboys football game. Unfortunately, my mother's health is in a precarious position and I had to tell my friends to plan the trip w/o me. That bums me out because I've always wanted to visit Dallas. I'm a history buff and for years I've wanted to visit Dealy Plaza and the Texas Book Depository and the phenomenal new stadium that Jerry Jones built.

I am sorry to hear about your mother. Prayers that all turns out well for her.

Dallas is filled with Yankees, so you would not feel as though you are in a foreign land. You would have to go to Fort Worth to the Stockyards to get a sense of Texas. I take my Ohio friends there when they come to Texas. It is really pretty great, museums, country music, twice a day cattle drives, etc. Dallas is a pretty sophisticated city, also a lovely place but only traces of true identifiable 'Texas' character!

I can't believe I'm just finding these articles! These are amazing!

Oh and how'd that election work out for you there....?

I work my ass off for $34,000 a year while the rich enjoy the riches they were either born into or happened to be in the right place at the right time. It has nothing to do with what you "worked for." Obama's plan sounds fair to me.

No, it's deer that are going to take your stuff.
And they're going to take it because that dang gomint constructed deer signs everywhere to let them know where they can cross to get to your house.

So if President Obama gives your stuff to the deer, it'll be all good, right?

Geez, you two are bored. You're just looking for an argument on a blog that's months old. I understand, I'm kind of going through withdraw myself. C'mon Danarino, write a one line blog like "is Obama a socialist?" and then it will be on.