Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on March 27, 2009 at 5:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

January 87. That was Regan's second term. The whole country had high unemplyment and the National debt had quadrupled then. We went through a massive military buildup with failed projects like the B-1 and B-2 bombers, arms to the Contras, while sending money to Iran. Yeah that was a "great" time in American history. A president that couldn't remember his name after his dog and pony show that Ollie North got caught fumbling. And they tried to blame it on Eugene Hassenfuss, who knew it was wrong. Seven years into his presidency Regan gave us high unemployment and debt through "Reganomics", give to the rich and it will trickle down. Now eight years after Bush, same policies, same result!

Posted by mrjones0913 (anonymous) on March 27, 2009 at 7:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Most of the blame can be placed on Bush, but if I recall the democratics have been in control of the House and the Senate for the last two years and they have paseed the measures that have lead us to crisis that we are in. The banking mess is due to Bill Clinton's a home for everyone and his admin. twisting of arms to get secondary loans for people that should have never been around a loan office till they got their lives and fiances in order.

Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on March 27, 2009 at 7:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thank you Mrjones! By your statements, Republicans were in charge of congress from 92 until 06. And what you are blaming on congress for the last two years, you can blame on congress for the whole Clinton Administration. You want Republicans to be the second coming of CHRIST, NEWS FLASH! They are just as much low life politicians as dems. The difference is at least the dems stand up for blue collar workers. Whereas the repubs are white collar, corporate driven bloodsuckers.

Posted by November162000 (anonymous) on March 27, 2009 at 8:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"failed projects like the B1 and B2 bombers...", I don't understand what you mean. They are both expensive but they are both very successful projects. The B1 was about to go into production when Carter stopped it, and some other worthwhile military procurements, while the Soviet Union steadily built up and we built down. After that clown was sent out of Washington, Reagan started re-building our military in more ways than one. It cost a LOT of money, but with his and Margaret Thatcher's firm stance and leadership we eventually won the cold war. Now, you might not think that a worthwhile project, but I sure do. Unfortunately, if we survive these next four years we will have to re-build our military again, and once again it will be expensive. Your new president has decided that we are no longer fighting a "war on terror", but instead we are in an "overseas contingency operation". Janet Napolitano has decided that we haven't had terrorist attacks, but instead we had "manmade disasters". Good God, what a bunch of politically correct fools.

Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on March 27, 2009 at 9:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

We can both put our spin, or regurgitate Sean Hannity and Keih Olberman. But a working man voting for a repube is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders!

Posted by November162000 (anonymous) on March 27, 2009 at 9:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Keith Olberman would sure make one regurgitate, that's for sure.

Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on March 27, 2009 at 9:30 p.m.

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by eagle1 (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 8:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

You're getting started early, kw. You have regurgitated this same philosophy on the Bush admin. and "repubes" prior to on several occasions, same song, same ol dance. When are you going to give it a break?

Posted by mrjones0913 (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The liberal left aka KW can not accept the fact that they the Democratics were also part of the problem with their free hand out programs. If we as a nation keep on this path we will be like Germany in a few years with all their hand outs and broke. Before KW starts how do I know how Germany works and their economy my mother-in-law is a Germacitizen and the Dem. have modled these free hand out programs after Germany. Look for no limt unemployment benifits next. There are jobs out there if the unemployed would not worry about their pride and go do what ever is nesseary to find work. They will not though because our goverment has empowered them to stay unemployed by all the incresese in time they are allowed to stay on unemployment.

Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 10:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, that one got removed for quoting General Patton. The Advertiser's sensitivity level meter has a hair trigger today.

Posted by michelle8n38 (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 10:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

mrjones, I take issue with your comment that "There are jobs out there if the unemployed would not worry about their pride and go do what ever is nesseary to find work." My husband has been out of work since January because the business he was working at closed down. He has sent in over 100 applications and resumes since then to no avail. He has been told he was overqualified at some businesses (fast food, stock positions at grocery stores, etc.) and under-qualified at others. He received no unemployment benefits and believe me, has done everything necessary to find a job. I realize that there are those who "milk" the system and stay unemployed for as long as possible to get all the "free" money they can, but not all unemployed people do so. This type of blanket statement just increases the ire of those who really are trying.

Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I believe a lot of the blame can be attributed to those idiots that applied for loans they could not afford to begin with. They ran credit card debt up, bought cars and SUVs on home equity lines, and took the stupidest invention ever, The adjustable rate mortgage. However, the numbers don't lie. We are in the same position after eight years of a repub president this time as we were 20 years ago. Remember the Dow crashing Oct 27, 1987? Ironically the same result happened at the end of Bush's administration.

As for government spending on "Star Wars Defense System" and those B-series bombers, history and intel has proven the USSR fooled America by building cardboard mock ups of missiles and tanks. Of course, we went deeply in debt to win the cold war. And our adversary knew that. Most of the policy makers, repub and dems, are the ones to blame. I am all for the largest military in the world. But no-bid military contracts going to foreign companies to build our hardware is just plain stupid. That's what Bush did. And overspending is just as stupid. I remember, in the summer of 88 at Ft. Riley Ks, we had to yell bang bang because we had no ammo for training on our opex's. And in 1989 as a platoon leader I signed for 9 new HMMWVs at a total cost of 9million dollars. You can buy them for $45,000 at the dealership. That's the spending that our government knows is wrong but continues to do. $500 dollar hammers under Regan. $5000.00 toilet seats.
Like General Patton said, "those policy makers in Washington don't have a clue." (Didn't have his quote calling them illegitimate children this time). Everyone is quick to blame Obama for what has been building for the last 40 years. Nixon opened the door of trade with China. And now they own us. They will never have to defeat us militarily. They've got us with a calculator, pencil, spreadsheet, and debt notes. And when they call that note, woe unto us.

Posted by November162000 (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 11:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

You should have been in the Air Force. We dropped real bombs and shot real bullets from real jets. The only yelling going on was from the people on the ground.

Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 11:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Michelle, why not draw unemployment? That is his money. It's not free money. It's money you earn as a result of working. Unless his employer was not paying it. Which is illegal. The field I work in, we work project to project. When the project is finished you draw your unemployment until the next one starts. By travelling and working multiple states, the law allows you to draw from any state as long as you qualify and have qualified earnings. I draw Pennsylvania from my account. Penn pays $1129.00 every two weeks. Combined with saving 25% of each paycheck, there is no need to work fast food. But, I learned to diversify and go take a job that pays much more if I feel I need to. Maybe your husband is not willing to step out of his comfort zone. I don't know. But you have to do what you have to do. I used to think drawing unemployment compensation was wrong until I educated myself on how it works. Then I realized I was letting the government keep my money. And trust me, I have NEVER, "laid out" of work. I have only taken 3 sick days since 1990. I try to work projects that run 6-10s or 7-10s. That's just me. Some people don't want overtime. But, it helps make rainy days easier.

Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Refresh my memory Nov. The only bombs dropped under Regan were on Tripoli. The Grenada invasion was all ground forces. And the little skirmish in my favorite country down south happened under Bush sr. The bullet holes in Ft Amador are still there. Or at least they were when I was at Ft Clayton last time. If you were dropping real bombs stateside and people were yelling, your aim was off a little. Which doesn't surprise me at times. An AF jet dropped a training bomb on Las Vegas Blvd last summer, striking a parked pickup. We were only a few blocks away.

Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on March 28, 2009 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

GO AIR FORCE!!

Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 11:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Dude, football season isn't until Sept! DOH!

Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on March 28, 2009 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, that was a training bomb, kw. So he missed his target by a few blocks, huh? Your lucky day ... DOH!

Posted by mrjones0913 (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 11:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

KW you are right in some of your thinking. Let me first state unemployment is not wrong, living off of it is. Alabama at one allowed 36 weeks of unemployment now that number is up to 52 i think. I know people that can work but refuse to because with unemployment, foodstamps and familly assitance they live better than I do as a retail store manager working 65 hours a week. We can not blame just on side for this mess it is both.

Posted by November162000 (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

During the eighties, the various units I was in upgraded from Vietnam era F4's to brand new F-16's. We upgraded to newer models of the F-16 twice during the eighties. We got a substantial pay raise twice that I can remember during the eighties and facilities were the best money could buy. We did A LOT of real world training at bases all over the country, including Nellis, and all over the world. Then came Desert Storm and we put all of that equipment and training to use, and it worked. I won't say that we never missed a target, but there's a whole bunch of fine muslim folks that didn't get to participate in subsequent terrorist attacks. Oh, I'm sorry, as your president's administration calls them, "man-made disasters". So, I don't know what the deal was, but we got everything we needed to do our jobs starting in the eighties. Later on in the nineties things started taking a real change for the worse.

Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 11:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Agreed Mrjones and Dude. I can honestly say I have NEVER drawn government assistance. And feel fairly confident I never will. If I get to that point, it's time to change my state of being.

Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on March 28, 2009 at 1:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I don't know if I would make that drastic of a change, kw. There's not but two conditions of "being" ...

Posted by PlainJane05 (anonymous) on April 2, 2009 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There's nothing wrong with receiving unemployment compensation, it's wrong if you abuse it. As a Boilermaker, my dad works in different states and between jobs he accepts those checks because he's worked for them. Personally, I'm thankful each day that my husband and I still have jobs. I do agree that there are jobs available that people don't take because they feel it's beneath them, but I'm not saying you're one of them so don't jump on me yet. Both sides are to blame for this economic downslide, not just Dems and not just Repubs. I just hope things start looking up soon.

Posted by kittycreek (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Where do some people get that attitude that a person who has a misfortune such as a job loss, is just a sorry freeloader living off of handouts....what kind of hateful judgemental monsters must they be. Also, if I've educated myself to perform a certain kind of work, I shouldn't have to rush out and take the first crappy job out there. It takes time to look for work in your field. The unemployment gets you by while you do that. Besides that a lot of your (wonderful Corporate American) companies will find any excuse to fire people, instead of laying them off just so they will not have to pay the higher unemployment rates. Only a short time ago, you could only draw for 6 months, anyway.

If you are a skilled worker making $50,000 a year and you loose your job are you supposed to hurry out to the first available McJob? If you can't draw unemployment, you might have to. Otherwise, you should go for it!