The Many Faces of US Politics...

[Puckoon]

Was thinking the same. Were you not an"illegal immigrant" yourself at one time Stew? Or is that term only for non-white fruit pickers?

Why would that be an assertion/question? It is possible to be in the USA legally from Day 1 you know!

Stew by the way - you probably paid more taxes this year because you should have received more in each pay check (i.e. paid less taxes monthly), and you may not have adjusted your deductions for this and so got hit with a bill in April.

I received about $700 tax back in 2010 and without adjusting my taxes in the slightest last year I had to pay $3.

[stew]

If you can't see what is wrong with extrapolating the experience of the entire United States from a sample size of 1, there's no point in carrying on the conversation

I went to a town hall meeting to complain about the tax increase, there were three thousand one hundred and sixty four people that signed a petition to have the taxes lowered, the meeting had to be held outdoors due to the large numbers, this is a village? town with less than twenty thousand people, that said it is a pretty affluent place for the most part and so now we are up to$3,164, in one village ffs, the state has nigh on 6 million people, do the math.

Was thinking the same. Were you not an"illegal immigrant" yourself at one time Stew? Or is that term only for non-white fruit pickers?

Why would that be an assertion/question? It is possible to be in the USA legally from Day 1 you know!

Stew by the way - you probably paid more taxes this year because you should have received more in each pay check (i.e. paid less taxes monthly), and you may not have adjusted your deductions for this and so got hit with a bill in April.

I received about $700 tax back in 2010 and without adjusting my taxes in the slightest last year I had to pay $3.

I wouldn't set foot in any country illegally, two sisters came here that way and I completely disagreed with that decision political refugees are fine and I dont give a shite what colour someone is, we are all people ffs.

Non white fruit pickers eh, nah, not me, wrong on both counts chap!

[trileacman]

Was thinking the same. Were you not an"illegal immigrant" yourself at one time Stew? Or is that term only for non-white fruit pickers?

Why would that be an assertion/question? It is possible to be in the USA legally from Day 1 you know!

Stew by the way - you probably paid more taxes this year because you should have received more in each pay check (i.e. paid less taxes monthly), and you may not have adjusted your deductions for this and so got hit with a bill in April.

I received about $700 tax back in 2010 and without adjusting my taxes in the slightest last year I had to pay $3.

I know that but alot of Irish are initially working illegally in the States and I thought it might be likely that Stew was at one time an illegal immigrant.

[trileacman]

If you can't see what is wrong with extrapolating the experience of the entire United States from a sample size of 1, there's no point in carrying on the conversation

I went to a town hall meeting to complain about the tax increase, there were three thousand one hundred and sixty four people that signed a petition to have the taxes lowered, the meeting had to be held outdoors due to the large numbers, this is a village? town with less than twenty thousand people, that said it is a pretty affluent place for the most part and so now we are up to$3,164, in one village ffs, the state has nigh on 6 million people, do the math.

Was thinking the same. Were you not an"illegal immigrant" yourself at one time Stew? Or is that term only for non-white fruit pickers?

Why would that be an assertion/question? It is possible to be in the USA legally from Day 1 you know!

Stew by the way - you probably paid more taxes this year because you should have received more in each pay check (i.e. paid less taxes monthly), and you may not have adjusted your deductions for this and so got hit with a bill in April.

I received about $700 tax back in 2010 and without adjusting my taxes in the slightest last year I had to pay $3.

I wouldn't set foot in any country illegally, two sisters came here that way and I completely disagreed with that decision political refugees are fine and I dont give a shite what colour someone is, we are all people ffs.

Non white fruit pickers eh, nah, not me, wrong on both counts chap!

Aw personally I'd have no qualms about your sister staying in America illegally, I'm sure like alot of the Irish they would have paid there way at the end of things.

[stew]

If you can't see what is wrong with extrapolating the experience of the entire United States from a sample size of 1, there's no point in carrying on the conversation

I went to a town hall meeting to complain about the tax increase, there were three thousand one hundred and sixty four people that signed a petition to have the taxes lowered, the meeting had to be held outdoors due to the large numbers, this is a village? town with less than twenty thousand people, that said it is a pretty affluent place for the most part and so now we are up to$3,164, in one village ffs, the state has nigh on 6 million people, do the math.

Was thinking the same. Were you not an"illegal immigrant" yourself at one time Stew? Or is that term only for non-white fruit pickers?

Why would that be an assertion/question? It is possible to be in the USA legally from Day 1 you know!

Stew by the way - you probably paid more taxes this year because you should have received more in each pay check (i.e. paid less taxes monthly), and you may not have adjusted your deductions for this and so got hit with a bill in April.

I received about $700 tax back in 2010 and without adjusting my taxes in the slightest last year I had to pay $3.

I wouldn't set foot in any country illegally, two sisters came here that way and I completely disagreed with that decision political refugees are fine and I dont give a shite what colour someone is, we are all people ffs.

Non white fruit pickers eh, nah, not me, wrong on both counts chap!

Aw personally I'd have no qualms about your sister staying in America illegally, I'm sure like a lot of the Irish they would have paid there way at the end of things.

Correct, well one of them did.

I claim 1 as a dependent just because I want to have my taxes paid with a return from the federales and not have to dig out of our savings, it's cleaner that way and I don't have to worry about it.

[stew]

Was thinking the same. Were you not an"illegal immigrant" yourself at one time Stew? Or is that term only for non-white fruit pickers?

Why would that be an assertion/question? It is possible to be in the USA legally from Day 1 you know!

Stew by the way - you probably paid more taxes this year because you should have received more in each pay check (i.e. paid less taxes monthly), and you may not have adjusted your deductions for this and so got hit with a bill in April.

I received about $700 tax back in 2010 and without adjusting my taxes in the slightest last year I had to pay $3.

I know that but alot of Irish are initially working illegally in the States and I thought it might be likely that Stew was at one time an illegal immigrant.

I married an American citizen who grew up in Newry, it took us three months to get visas for myself and my two daughters, they are now Irish citizens and American citizens.

We were doing rightly at home, I had my own business and my wife was a district Nurse, I did not want to go initially right up until a group of loyalist scumbags kicked my sisters best friend to death after getting pissed up in a Glentoran supporters club were the boyfriend was playing in a band.

That hit me hard and we decided the north was not going to be a place I was going to raise our children and that is why we went stateside, it is a decision we did not regret but it is hard at times, I miss the family and I was an Armagh junkie, I get to watch maybe two games every two years or so. I also miss my mates and going to the local and the Harps club to quaff a few pints of black but you make your choices and you live with them.

[heganboy]

but you make your choices and you live with them.

you chose to live under in the US with US elected officials, you chose to live in a town with high and increasing taxes, you chose to live in a country with an outdated immigration and economic policy. you chose to live in a country where the middle class will be taxed increasingly highly because their sway on elections is insignificant. You chose to live in a country where the education and healthcare for your family will take up an entirely unreasonable proportion of your expenses, because americans demand cheap gas, and don't realise that the US tax code is written by a congress that is entirely in the pocket of lobbyists who are not interested in the middle class or indeed the US economy, but rather protecting the wealth of those in charge of the corporations and associations who contribute nothing to the governments revenue. Those lobbyists are also the ones that decide who gets the nominations for election, and they sway those nominations on the likelihood of those candidates doing what they want them to when elected.

I say that you chose to do that because I made the same choice.

[Declan]

Good to see the Ole south is changing.

Governor condemns Mississippi church's refusal to allow black couple to marry
Friday, August 03, 2012 - 08:22 AM

Mississippi's governor has described the refusal by a predominantly white church to allow a black couple to get married there as "unfortunate".

Phil Bryant said the state should encourage the union of any couple - as long as they were a man and a woman.

Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson say they were not allowed to marry at First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs, a small town south of Jackson, last month.

The Rev Stan Weatherford, pastor of the church, married the Wilsons at a predominantly black church nearby. The wedding was moved after some congregants at First Baptist told Mr Weatherford they opposed allowing black people to marry in the church.

"As hard as we work to try to convince the rest of the world that Mississippi has changed - and, in fact, we have - to see an unfortunate situation like that occur is very disappointing," Mr Bryant said.

The Republican governor spoke to reporters after a speech at the Neshoba County Fair, an annual gathering in the red clay hills of east central Mississippi.

Mr Bryant, who is Methodist, has campaigned throughout his career as a conservative who opposes same-sex marriage and abortions. He also has close ties to the Tupelo-based American Family Association, which boycotts corporations it believes are too friendly to gay rights.

He said the denial of a wedding for a black couple at a traditionally white church had "tainted" Mississippi's image nationwide.

"I'm sure there are very good people of Crystal Springs and in that Baptist church that don't feel that way and are supporting that effort," he said of the Wilsons' desire to marry in the church.

"Look, when people want to get married, we ought to let them get married. We have enough people that won't go and get married. I want to make every opportunity I can for any couple that wants to, to go get married."

But Mr Bryant said that did not apply to gay couples.

"I wouldn't say gay couples, no," he said. "I'd say a man and a woman. Let me make sure, let's get that right. When I say couples, I automatically assume it's a man and a woman."

In the November 2004 general election, 86% of Mississippi voters approved an amendment banning same-sex marriage. Mr Bryant, who was state auditor at the time, publicly supported the amendment.

[Rossfan]

Obviousy Christianity hasn't penetrated to Baptist Mississippi yet.

[seafoid]

Why is Paul Ryan, an Irish Catholic, praising the dogmas that drove the Great Hunger?

"In pushing for draconian cuts in Medicaid, food stamps and other programs that aid the needy, Mr. Ryan isn't just looking for ways to save money. He's also, quite explicitly, trying to make life harder for the poor — for their own good. In March, explaining his cuts in aid for the unfortunate, he declared, "'We don't want to turn the safety net into a hammock that lulls able-bodied people into lives of dependency and complacency, that drains them of their will and their incentive to make the most of their lives.'"

http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2012/08/why-is-paul-ryan-an-irish-catholic-praising-the-dogmas-that-drove-the-great-hunger.html

[stew]

but you make your choices and you live with them.

you chose to live under in the US with US elected officials, you chose to live in a town with high and increasing taxes, you chose to live in a country with an outdated immigration and economic policy. you chose to live in a country where the middle class will be taxed increasingly highly because their sway on elections is insignificant. You chose to live in a country where the education and healthcare for your family will take up an entirely unreasonable proportion of your expenses, because americans demand cheap gas, and don't realise that the US tax code is written by a congress that is entirely in the pocket of lobbyists who are not interested in the middle class or indeed the US economy, but rather protecting the wealth of those in charge of the corporations and associations who contribute nothing to the governments revenue. Those lobbyists are also the ones that decide who gets the nominations for election, and they sway those nominations on the likelihood of those candidates doing what they want them to when elected.

I say that you chose to do that because I made the same choice.

Did you come legally or better still, come legally from the get go?

I chose to come here because I was appalled at being a second class citizen on my own country, I came here to give my kids a shot at a life devoid of sectarianism and bigotry, I came here knowing we would take a big step backward but considered it worth it if it meant my children would have more opportunities open to them.

You don't know me or me you, so don't presume to know my motives for emigration.

I know it is not cool to think illegal immigration is wrong but the fact remains it is wrong, it is a burden on the country and every illegal immigrant should be forced to feck off back to were they came from and then apply for a working visa, regardless of race, color or creed.

[stew]

Why is Paul Ryan, an Irish Catholic, praising the dogmas that drove the Great Hunger?

"In pushing for draconian cuts in Medicaid, food stamps and other programs that aid the needy, Mr. Ryan isn't just looking for ways to save money. He's also, quite explicitly, trying to make life harder for the poor — for their own good. In March, explaining his cuts in aid for the unfortunate, he declared, "'We don't want to turn the safety net into a hammock that lulls able-bodied people into lives of dependency and complacency, that drains them of their will and their incentive to make the most of their lives.'"

http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2012/08/why-is-paul-ryan-an-irish-catholic-praising-the-dogmas-that-drove-the-great-hunger.html

There are plenty of people both here and in Ireland that could work but are too fecking lazy to, if they are able bodied and refuse to work why the feck should the taxpayer carry them?

If it was a case of a single mother or father for example that had young kids and it would be a hardship for him or her to leave them to go to work then the tax payer should pay for their unemployment/ food stamps etc.

If there is no jobs to be had obviously the same thing would apply but there are too many spongers over here and there are plenty of jobs about.

[theticklemister]

but you make your choices and you live with them.

you chose to live under in the US with US elected officials, you chose to live in a town with high and increasing taxes, you chose to live in a country with an outdated immigration and economic policy. you chose to live in a country where the middle class will be taxed increasingly highly because their sway on elections is insignificant. You chose to live in a country where the education and healthcare for your family will take up an entirely unreasonable proportion of your expenses, because americans demand cheap gas, and don't realise that the US tax code is written by a congress that is entirely in the pocket of lobbyists who are not interested in the middle class or indeed the US economy, but rather protecting the wealth of those in charge of the corporations and associations who contribute nothing to the governments revenue. Those lobbyists are also the ones that decide who gets the nominations for election, and they sway those nominations on the likelihood of those candidates doing what they want them to when elected.

I say that you chose to do that because I made the same choice.

Did you come legally or better still, come legally from the get go?

I chose to come here because I was appalled at being a second class citizen on my own country, I came here to give my kids a shot at a life devoid of sectarianism and bigotry, I came here knowing we would take a big step backward but considered it worth it if it meant my children would have more opportunities open to them.

You don't know me or me you, so don't presume to know my motives for emigration.

I know it is not cool to think illegal immigration is wrong but the fact remains it is wrong, it is a burden on the country and every illegal immigrant should be forced to feck off back to were they came from and then apply for a working visa, regardless of race, color or creed.

Ah stuff the poor in the world just because they were born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Is there any a conscience in there stew??

[J70]

You think children of illegals who were bred from a young age in the US should be kicked out for something that is not their fault Stew?  Just shipped off to Mexico City or Guatemala city, basically foreign cities to them, when they're, apart from their parent's legal status, as American as your or my kids?  What about deportation were one parent is illegal and families are split? Seems very cruel to me, and is just one of a multitude of reasons I find the Republicans, a party that never stops going on about "family values", so objectionable.

[heganboy]

Did you come legally or better still, come legally from the get go?

You don't know me or me you, so don't presume to know my motives for emigration.

I know it is not cool to think illegal immigration is wrong but the fact remains it is wrong, it is a burden on the country and every illegal immigrant should be forced to feck off back to were they came from and then apply for a working visa, regardless of race, color or creed.

Stew- I did come here legally- and from the get go, but I don't see that as being relevant. The fact is that the immigration policy that is in the US is absolutely horrible for the economy of the US. Not only do I not know your motives, quite frankly those are none of my concern nor are they relevant to my post. However by moving here from Ireland you chose to come here, its not something that's forced on you. If the situation at home necessitated your leaving, there are at least 205 other countries that you could have selected.

For me this was the best choice for me and my family in terms of opportunity. There are other places that have a political and economic system that I much prefer, unfortunately for my idealistic tendencies, none of those could come close to offering me the upside that was available to me in the US. So I made the choice that was best for me and my family, and in doing that I take the rough with the smooth. I do try and change opinions when I can, I can't vote here unless I decide to take citizenship, and despite my children being american, I haven't as yet seen a compelling argument to take the plunge.

So whilst I do appreciate your "send home the illegals" argument, the simple truth of the matter is that in the United States that is a facile argument and completely untenable. If you took a phased approach and presented a workable visa program with a route to permanent residence- if not citizenship and in the process opened the door to the immigrants from which the US actually would benefit then we could start making progress.

Whilst the equally failed tax system in the US is a big factor in many jobs going overseas, many firms are in the catch 22 of wanting to hire skilled people  for a job in the US. There aren't people in the US that have that skill set, at any price. So that leaves the only viable option of opening an office in an area where those people with that skill set can be found. That reduces the knowledge base and skill set in the US and also reduces the tax income received here.

I know it is not cool to think illegal immigration is wrong but the fact remains it is wrong, it is a burden on the country and every illegal immigrant should be forced to feck off back to were they came from and then apply for a working visa, regardless of race, color or creed.

First up Im not sure exactly what you're saying is wrong, however the burden on the country part is nonsense. Well, in as much as it is a burden on any country to have citizens or legal immigrants. The illegal immigrants in the US contribute more to the US economy than it costs to have them here. In fact if you were to actually try to get them to "report and deport" tomorrow the economy of a significant number of states in the Union would shut down overnight.