Shady Politics

In a move that seems straight out of a third graders playbook Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has changed his tactics to get State Democrats to come back home.  He is now threatening to punish their staffers by making them get their time sheets approved by his office, but the most childish and shocking news is that he plans to restrict access to office copy machines.  I have heard of playing hardball when it comes to politics but people, this is asinine to say the least.  Scott Walker knows exactly why the Democrats have left the State, he also knows that his plan to castrate Unionized Labor is unfair and truly a cowardly act, to unprotect the already unprotected.  Had it not been for Unionized Labor there never would have been a so-called Middle Class in this country and without Unionized Labor the Middle Class will never return.  Our society will quickly return to “The Haves and Have Nots”  For more detailed information please click on the below article:

Wisconsin GOP Targets Dem Staffers’ Access To Copy Machines

So Now It’s Okay To Threaten The President?

We of H.I.P hate to keep having to say this, but is it just us or does anyone else see the Blatant Disrespect that continues to be hurled towards our President.  This time not only is the display Disrespectful, but it also appears in the form of a verbal threat on the president’s life.  Had this same situation happened three years ago the individual would have been arrested and brought up on charges!  People we are not understanding how these types of things continue to be tolerated in this country!  Are we a nation so fixated on color that we are willing to allow the office of President to be belittled and tarnished?  For more in-depth information please read the article below:

Lawmaker condemns question about shooting Obama

Detroit School District’s Funny Numbers

More often then not in the past weeks it seems that we have been hearing some of the most outlandish reports in recent years in regards to the Detroit Public School District.  Classroom sizes being inflated to unheard of levels, the closings of more then half of the district schools, and now we hear that the graduation rate has increased to more then 62%!  Finally, we have received some good news about DPS, but hold the phone not so soon because these positive numbers come with a negative result.  In a recent report released by Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb the district graduation rate has hit its highest level since 2007 at 62.3%.  Unfortunately this good news is also shadowed by negative reports from the Michigan Department of Education stating that recent graduates are not ready for jobs or college.  With this said it would appear that students are being pushed through high schools just to make the graduation rate increase while their actually educational experience is being short changed.  The sad thing about all of this is neither the students nor their parents are acknowledging the fact that they are not learning nor are they showing concern.  Please read the full article below:

DPS announces 62% graduation rate

 

Wisconsin Governor’s Plan Exposed

In what seems to be a move straight out of Hollywood we are shown the true devious behavior of Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker.  True to form and representative of the double talking Right-Wing Republicans Walker has been exposed by a Blogger for what he truly has planned for State Democrats.  Please take the time to read the below article:

Wisconsin Dem: Now We Know Walker’s Master Plan

Why we need a Revolution

Listen to our in-depth conversation on the need for Revolution in the U.S. as well as unexplained phenomenon.

 

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Disaster in Detroit

The State of Michigan has notified the Detroit Public School District that it must shutter half of the schools in the district in an attempt to close the school districts budget gap.  If the school district closes that many schools, many issues will soon follow for those individuals that work and attend these schools.  First, of course class sizes in the district with rise to numbers that resemble college lecture hall rosters.  We are talking about anywhere from 60-65 students per class!  So the next logical mishap will be the ability for a teacher or teachers to teach a classroom size of that magnitude.  How does the state figure any learning can take place in a class double or even triple the size of an already chaotic classroom, where you have inclusion with students who require special accommodations.  The bottom line is that this may save the district money, but it will most certainly ruin any learning process that may have been going on in the classrooms of a city already living on the brink of meltdown.  If Detroit is not careful they may soon be headed down the same slippery slope of the Atlanta Public School District, which was placed on probation and threatened the loss of accreditation if improvements are not made.  For more information please read the complete article below:

Michigan orders DPS to make huge cuts

America’s Political Failure

America’s Health Care System has been touted as one of the best in the World for decades, but how great can it be if many of the citizens that live in the country are locked out of the system?  This question has been on the minds of many American’s and this very question lead to a Health Care Movement of epic proportions in our nation.  The Health Care Debate languished on in this country for several months and went from a Universal Health Care Debate to what is now so-called Obamacare by the Conservative Right-Wing of our government along with the glass sheltered Tea Party.  The strong Democratic Machine that started this debate soon was crippled and the result was a watered down version of the bill that was supported by so many.

According to the 2010 Census 50.7 million American’s are currently living in this country without health insurance, this translates into 16.7 percent of the United States population.  In a country that leads the free world as an economic powerhouse how can we as a people allow this to continue in our country?  As with many things economics plays a big part with health care as well. Many Americans simply cannot afford to pay the high health care premiums so they go without.  Many others who qualify based on their income level receive some type of government-sponsored health care.  In 2009 30.6 percent of the population was covered by government health insurance programs, of course a portion of this number 15.7 percent or 47.8 million were individuals who are currently covered by Medicaid and 43.4 million are covered by Medicare.  Medicaid and Medicare typically cover the elderly, children, and pregnant mothers, which historically are the most vulnerable groups in terms of illness.  These types of health care coverage’s only account for those individuals that qualify for some type of social assistance program and all others are left to fend for themselves.  The health care crisis also crosses over all racial lines.  This is not an issue that can be argued along racial lines, this is an issue that speaks to the human condition in this country for all Americans should have the right to a free, effective, and efficient health care system.  The major debate on this issue simply centers on economics.

Economic status of uninsured American’s in this country has a huge impact on whether or not people have insurance.  The 2010 Census stated that 26.6 percent of people who live in households with annual income less that $25,000 had no health insurance coverage.  The federal poverty level continues to hover around $22,350, only $2650 from the threshold of having or not having health care insurance.  If we look closely at these figures we can clearly see that once you drop below the poverty level individuals can fall into the Medicare arena.  So the fact that remains is a $2650 window that determines if you have insurance or not in this country in regards to government assisted health care.

Health Care in this country should not be based on an individual’s wealth.  Health Care should be a right held be all and not determined by employers, government statistics, or family privilege.  In a country that boasts itself as a free democratic nation it seems ironic to have a large number of its citizenry impoverished and living without health care.  How can we as a nation call ourselves the greatest nation on the planet and have people dying daily simply because they could not afford to go to the doctor.

 

Revolution in Wisconsin

Many of you may not have heard about the situation that is taking place in Wisconsin, so let us fill you in.  The newly appointed Republican Governor Scott Walker has come up with the bright idea to limit the bargaining rights of the states Organized Labor Unions.  Wisconsin has long been a hard-working blue-collar state that has depended on Unionized Labor to create a fair workplace for its Citizenry.  Wisconsin stands beside great Midwestern States like Michigan that helped build the infrastructure of this great nation.  Wisconsinites have long labored in factories and on Dairy farms that produced products that lead this nation to the forefront of the global economy and now those very individuals who toiled for decades are now being removed from the economic equation.  Please read the following article and lend your support in any way possible.  Click the link below:

Democrats and Teachers Go AWOL in Wisconsin Over Union Bill

Our Government’s Race Cars

This is where are Tax Dollars are going...

Maybe its just me, but I didn’t think it was the business of the Federal Government to be involved in NASCAR?  A recent article entitled Talladega fights: Democrats want Pentagon out of NASCAR explains how our Federal Tax Dollars have been used as endorsement funds for NASCAR as well as Drag Racing.  Please say it ain’t so, excuse me if I am wrong, but it seems as if NASCAR racers don’t seem to be hurting for money and International Speedway Corporation once of the sports largest companies earned some $450 million dollars in 2010.  So why are our tax dollars being used for sponsorship?  If that’s the case why not sponsor a sport that actual needs the help like the WNBA?  Please click the link above for complete details on this issue.

Time To Take a Stand

In recent months we as a nation have been faced with several issues that should have in the least caused some emotional stir within all who consider themselves “American”. The term American in this day and age refers to a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-religion based society that embraces and acknowledges these differences without making any group feel left out or isolated. With this said the recent news reports surrounding Poverty in America should have in the least had some type of effect on all Americans. Our country is now being faced with a poverty level that is the highest since poverty has been tracked in this country. Please see our earlier post Remnants of a Failed Regime for more statistical information. Poverty should be on the forefront of all of our minds. When we think of poverty, most only envision the depictions of foreign children with “big bellies” standing in front of the camera. The truth of the matter is most of us know someone who actually lives in poverty. Poverty in this country has a different face, one that is disguised by free breakfast and lunch programs and food banks. the reality is that 43.6 million of us were considered impoverished as of the 2010 census. If this is not a “Take A Stand” moment I don’t know what is! We must put pressure on our elected officials to change corporate policies that allow American Corporations to continue to remove jobs from our country. Next, we must demand that our education system encompasses all in its new push for change, we as American Communities must hold each other responsible for our children’s education so that they are guaranteed a bright future as a World Class Citizenry and not Global Bystanders.