Aaron Thomas wrote to Mike Powell <=-

While watching the bill get higher and higher, the whole time I've wondered "Do Democrats allow utility companies to rip us off?" Because
it sure seems like it.

That reminds of how ignorant some people can be about economics.

Background: the condo that I live in has the fees for the water in the monthly assocition fee.

Our city had a large factory that needed clean water. It made more than it needed and, so, let the city buy the extra water. But that factory is gone and the city had to create its own water treatment facility.

So, one year, the water fee went up a great deal. When the announcement was made (and it was made a few months BEFORE the fee went up), we were told that the city was charging us more and the association was passing on those increases to us. They even included the calculations to show how each unit went up, announcement from the city, etc.

It was amazing how many people were mad at the association because someone else raised the cost of water.


... Seeing is believing, Touching is convincing..
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So, one year, the water fee went up a great deal. When the announcement was made (and it was made a few months BEFORE the fee went up), we were told that the city was charging us more and the association was passing
on those increases to us. They even included the calculations to show
how each unit went up, announcement from the city, etc.

It was amazing how many people were mad at the association because
someone else raised the cost of water.

The president gets more blame than they deserve, probably. However, what causes electric bills to double in price? If it's because of oil prices, then that's the president's fault. If it's because of labor disputes, then that's the president's fault too. We need our president to act like our manager, and our stuff is not being managed well.

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I do not believe he, or Kamala, are "chosen by God." Beliefs like that when it comes to someone in politics will get you in a lot of trouble.

Relying on a candidate being chosen by God would be a mistake, because we've got to do a lot more than just chant slogans.

Agreed.

Praying for Trump's victory is the way to go. I do it every day, sometimes twice a day.

A good thing about this country is that we are free to pray about
whatever we want to whichever God(s) we want.

You brought up cutting power bills in half. That sounds pretty pie in the sky that, I am guessing, could become true for some. I don't think he can promise that to everyone and have it work out, though, without a really good plan.

Has your bill gone up drastically since Biden became president? I've been watching mine climb, and I just paid a very ridiculous bill of $267 for August
which is more than double what it was last year. I used to only get bills this
high in the winter, and only in the coldest months like January and February.

I thought it had, but I was recently shreding some older documents and
realized it has been about 50% higher for longer than I thought. Still
since Biden took office, though.

While watching the bill get higher and higher, the whole time I've wondered "D
Democrats allow utility companies to rip us off?" Because it sure seems like it.

No, but they do other things that make the cost of electricity for the companies higher. Also, some of the big companies (who sell to the smaller ones like we have here) probably are donating to one side or the other.


* SLMR 2.1a * Anything good is either illegal, immoral or fattening.
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I am on the fence about taxing OT. I think that should depend on how much money you make overall. I have worked places where people are not making much and are working their tails off. I have also worked places where people are making plenty but are intentionally pissing about during their alloted 40 hours so they winding up earning OT (and causing others who don't want it to get some, too). They should be taxed as they are now.

It's kind of a gimmick, but not necessarily a bad one. And definitely not a gimmick that causes division.

Like I said, people who are making below a certain amount shouldn't have
their OT taxed. People above that amount maybe should. I don't want to be working OT so they can pay off their lake house or big boat.

I suspect that all of these things he is suggesting regarding "no tax on"
will not really pan out the way people think, though. The President won't have any control over what states do, and I am sure most of them will continue taxing whatever they are taxing now.

He's got to be talking just about Federal income tax. That will be a bigger amount than the state tax anyway (in most states at least.) So having that extra income not subject to Federal income tax sounds like something we could all probably live with.

Agreed. I hope the people he is promising that to realize that, though.
Some will take it litterally, which is what I was getting at.

She probably knew what he was saying, regardless of which state, has been
debunked and that only die-hard never-gonna-vote-Harris people would

Right - she probably knew that he was referring to Virginia, but I think she would have looked (kinda) smart if she corrected him on that. Then she could have went on to correct him for inaccurately describing the abortion law itself, but she failed. She doesn't actually know that facts any better than Trump does.

Well, in that case, I can't remember now but avoiding the correction in
order to stay on topic (which I doubt happened!) would not have been a bad thing.

Stuff like that is why I don't get what anyone means when they say "Kamala did
good."

She did a heck of a lot better than most people thought she would, so she
did "good" compared to what was expected. People who don't like Trump
probably noticed that she did a decent job of triggering him a bit, getting
him to go off topic and on rants... something he didn't do during the Biden debate where, IMHO, he had a much better performance.

She got him off on tangents where he ranted about already-debunked or now-debunked situations at least twice, which played well to her supporters.

The fact that she did better than Biden probably made a lot of her
supporters think she did "good."

Most of it. She wasn't word-salading for the most part. Now, she completely ignored some questions for sure, but she was coherent.

That's more like it. She evaded questions. ("Is the USA better now than it was
4 years ago?") But how can you call that "coherent?" Because she evaded the questions in a coherent way?

She spoke coherently, which was more than I expected from her. Performance wise, I think she did "good" because she exceeded my expectations regarding coherent speech. Content wise, I don't really think she did "good" because
I don't agree with her.

A Kamala/Democrat/left-leaning supporter would disagree with me on the
second point and say she did "good" because they either agree with her, or
just cannot stand Trump.


* SLMR 2.1a * Catastrophe n. an award for the cat with the nicest buns
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The president gets more blame than they deserve, probably. However, what cause
electric bills to double in price? If it's because of oil prices, then that's the president's fault.

It is only the President's fault if his/her policies caused the price to go
up.

If it's because of labor disputes, then that's the
president's fault too.

No in most cases it is not.

We need our president to act like our manager, and our
stuff is not being managed well.

The office of President has certain responsibilities. We don't need a President who oversteps their bounds and starts getting involved in things
that others are responsible for.

What your are suggesting should happen is what big government liberals want.


* SLMR 2.1a * We're lost, yes.....but we're making good time.
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While watching the bill get higher and higher, the whole time I've wonde "D
Democrats allow utility companies to rip us off?" Because it sure seems it.

No, but they do other things that make the cost of electricity for the companies higher. Also, some of the big companies (who sell to the smaller ones like we have here) probably are donating to one side or the other.

That was also part of my fear, that the extra money was being used against
me. Apparently my fears aren't as irrational as I thought.

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She got him off on tangents where he ranted about already-debunked or now-debunked situations at least twice, which played well to her supporters.

I don't remember Trump repeating debunked claims, but debunking is a word that means a lot of different things to lots of different people. For example, my friend Alan thinks that debunking means reading typed words on websites. Do you remember when nobody ever used the word "debunk?" It was like 9 years ago.

The fact that she did better than Biden probably made a lot of her supporters think she did "good."

That's probably true. They are told what to believe, and the media has been telling everyone that she did good.

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The president gets more blame than they deserve, probably. However, what cause
electric bills to double in price? If it's because of oil prices, then t the president's fault.

It is only the President's fault if his/her policies caused the price to go up.

What about us needing a president who will be our rock?

If it's because of labor disputes, then that's the
president's fault too.

No in most cases it is not.

He or she needs to be on top of those things instead of taking a beach vacation. They need to solve problems before they become problems - that's effective management.

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Has your bill gone up drastically since Biden became president? I've been watching mine climb, and I just paid a very ridiculous bill of $267 for August, which is more than double what it was last year. I used to only get bills this high in the winter, and only in the coldest months like January and February.

While watching the bill get higher and higher, the whole time I've wondered "Do Democrats allow utility companies to rip us off?" Because
it sure seems like it.

I mean, you could live in Ohio, where the Republican controlled government was in cahoots with First Energy. Our bills have more than tripled. We went from $0.042/kWh to $0.149 in less than a year. We're 100% electric here, so a $400 bill has become the average in the hot AND cold months.

Part of this is inflation as well, which is an issue that infuriates me to no end to hear being tossed at the feet of the current administration. Quantitative Easing was Trump's big play in 2019 and 2020.

The result was pumping out something along the lines of a 40% increase of paper money in circulation. That, combined with the already escalating GLOBAL inflation issue, means that Trump and the Fed should be holding the bag on the current inflation issue. That this isn't a major point of discussion is disgusting.

They've just done an incredibly amazing job of passing the buck.

Not really sorry about the pun. :)

... My life's an open book, but it's poorly written and I die in the end.

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Aaron Thomas wrote to Dr. What <=-

The president gets more blame than they deserve, probably. However,
what causes electric bills to double in price? If it's because of oil prices, then that's the president's fault. If it's because of labor disputes, then that's the president's fault too. We need our president
to act like our manager, and our stuff is not being managed well.

That's because it's not being managed in our favor - as the President should. It's being managed in favor of the Elitists and their stupid ideas about how economies work.


... I'll get to it on the 2nd Tuesday of next week.
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While watching the bill get higher and higher, the whole time I've wond
"D
Democrats allow utility companies to rip us off?" Because it sure seems
it.

No, but they do other things that make the cost of electricity for the companies higher. Also, some of the big companies (who sell to the smaller ones like we have here) probably are donating to one side or the other.

That was also part of my fear, that the extra money was being used against me. Apparently my fears aren't as irrational as I thought.

Note that I said "probably" as I have no proof. There is a big gas and electric company on the West Coast that gets in trouble a lot but then
seems to wiggle out of it, and it is a common belief that they are doing so
by above-or-under-the-table donations.

If a company is really smart, they probably "butter both sides of the
bread" and donate to both parties.


* SLMR 2.1a * A seminar on Time Travel will be held 2 weeks ago....
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She got him off on tangents where he ranted about already-debunked or now-debunked situations at least twice, which played well to her supporters.

I don't remember Trump repeating debunked claims, but debunking is a word that
means a lot of different things to lots of different people. For example, my friend Alan thinks that debunking means reading typed words on websites. Do yo
remember when nobody ever used the word "debunk?" It was like 9 years ago.

They didn't use that word as often, but it still got used some. IMHO, it
gets used a lot now because so many people get fake news from social media sites.

Trump mentioned that Virginia was pushing for infanticide, which was
already debunked, and repeatedly brought up the Springfield pet-eating
claim, which has since been debunked.

The Virginia claim the GOP likely knows is false but they keep bringing it up because it plays well to their audience. The Springfield claim, which initially appeared to have eye-witnesses, is probably something his team
should have researched better before the debate (assuming they even knew he planned to bring it up!).

The fact that she did better than Biden probably made a lot of her supporters think she did "good."

That's probably true. They are told what to believe, and the media has been telling everyone that she did good.

That is part of it, but I am sure her supporters heard stuff they liked,
too.


* SLMR 2.1a * The bold print giveth and the fine print taketh away.
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The president gets more blame than they deserve, probably. However, wha
cause
electric bills to double in price? If it's because of oil prices, then the president's fault.

It is only the President's fault if his/her policies caused the price to go up.

What about us needing a president who will be our rock?

But isn't God your rock? Isn't needing a President to be your rock some
form of idolitry?

If it's because of labor disputes, then that's the
president's fault too.

No in most cases it is not.

He or she needs to be on top of those things instead of taking a beach vacation. They need to solve problems before they become problems - that's effective management.

I agree that is not a good look, but we live in a free market economy where
the government should normally keep their noses out of things. We don't
live in a Communist or Nazi dictatorship where the business and union
leaders get replaced, or executed, at the will of the government when those leaders do something our leader doesn't like.


* SLMR 2.1a * My other vehicle is a Galaxy Class Starship
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Part of this is inflation as well, which is an issue that infuriates me to no end to hear being tossed at the feet of the current administration. Quantitative Easing was Trump's big play in 2019 and 2020.

The result was pumping out something along the lines of a 40% increase of pape
money in circulation. That, combined with the already escalating GLOBAL inflation issue, means that Trump and the Fed should be holding the bag on the
current inflation issue. That this isn't a major point of discussion is disgusting.

My understanding is that the current administration did continue printing money, when they could have reversed the policy, so they are not innocent in this.


* SLMR 2.1a * STICK \'stik\ n. 1: A somewhat nonfunctional boomerang.
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That was also part of my fear, that the extra money was being used again me. Apparently my fears aren't as irrational as I thought.

Note that I said "probably" as I have no proof. There is a big gas and electric company on the West Coast that gets in trouble a lot but then seems to wiggle out of it, and it is a common belief that they are doing so by above-or-under-the-table donations.

If a company is really smart, they probably "butter both sides of the bread" and donate to both parties.

Good point. Yes, it sounds like a smart idea.

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Part of this is inflation as well, which is an issue that infuriates me end to hear being tossed at the feet of the current administration. Quantitative Easing was Trump's big play in 2019 and 2020.

The result was pumping out something along the lines of a 40% increase o pape
money in circulation. That, combined with the already escalating GLOBAL inflation issue, means that Trump and the Fed should be holding the bag the
current inflation issue. That this isn't a major point of discussion is disgusting.

My understanding is that the current administration did continue printing money, when they could have reversed the policy, so they are not
innocent in this.

The current administration's print order was primarily for the bank bailout, which might even be worse from a policy standpoint.

RS

... People say I act like I don't care. It's not an act.

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Trump mentioned that Virginia was pushing for infanticide, which was already debunked, and repeatedly brought up the Springfield pet-eating claim, which has since been debunked.

How is it debunked? Didn't they agree that they were not going to
perform lifesaving treatment on abortion survivors, but that they would keep
it comfortable until it died? Technically that's not infanticide,
but it's still neglect, abuse, and homicide. And if that's what Trump is talking about, then I agree with him.

Trump mentioned that Virginia was pushing for infanticide, which was already debunked, and repeatedly brought up the Springfield pet-eating claim, which has since been debunked.

Debunked how? There were also reports of migrants killing livestock back in 2021 when Biden first ripped the border open. This doesn't mean that all the
migrants are doing it, but it could mean that it's happened before.

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My understanding is that the current administration did continue printing money, when they could have reversed the policy, so they are not
innocent in this.

The current administration's print order was primarily for the bank bailout, which might even be worse from a policy standpoint.

Agreed. In the long run, printing lots of money (for whatever reason) is
part of the recipe for inflation. Print too much and you can even cause runaway inflation.


* SLMR 2.1a * Ultimate office automation: networked coffee machines.
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Trump mentioned that Virginia was pushing for infanticide, which was already debunked, and repeatedly brought up the Springfield pet-eating claim, which has since been debunked.

How is it debunked? Didn't they agree that they were not going to
perform lifesaving treatment on abortion survivors, but that they would keep it comfortable until it died? Technically that's not infanticide,
but it's still neglect, abuse, and homicide. And if that's what Trump is talking about, then I agree with him.

No, he was talking about babies who are not born viable there. That *could* include abortion survivors but, as they were not talking about allowing abortions up until birth and with infanticide being illegal, that is not
what was being discussed there.

To put it another way, if it was an abortion attempt, why would they need
to consult with the parent(s) to determine what to do next when they already know the parent(s) want to have the pregnancy terminated?

I asked this before but, if a birth is not viable (i.e. the kid will not
live no matter what you do), I am not sure what people who are supposedly
all about babies get so upset about wanting to keep a dying infant
comfortable.

Trump mentioned that Virginia was pushing for infanticide, which was already debunked, and repeatedly brought up the Springfield pet-eating claim, which has since been debunked.

Debunked how? There were also reports of migrants killing livestock back in 2021 when Biden first ripped the border open. This doesn't mean that all the migrants are doing it, but it could mean that it's happened before.

Springfield authorities, including their mayor and law enforcement, have
stated that there is no evidence of pet-eating in Springfield. I posted a
link here about it where the mayor pointed out other *REAL* problems they
were having with strained resources... schools, police, housing, traffic violations.

The alleged examples used in Internet memes... the cat eater who is
actually a US citizen who doesn't live in Springfield, and the goose killer which also didn't happen in Springfield... have been debunked by local newspapers. I posted such a link to an article from the Canton newspaper
that said straight up the person who killed the cat was a known citizen
with mental issues, and the incident happened in their town, not
Springfield.

Now, the migrants killing livestock on the border has been reported before,
but that is *NOT* the claim that Trump made during the debate. He
repeatedly mentioned Springfield, Ohio, and the Haitians.


* SLMR 2.1a * Software Independent: Won't work with ANY software.
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How is it debunked? Didn't they agree that they were not going to perform lifesaving treatment on abortion survivors, but that they would it comfortable until it died? Technically that's not infanticide,
but it's still neglect, abuse, and homicide. And if that's what Trump is talking about, then I agree with him.

No, he was talking about babies who are not born viable there. That

Babies that are not viable are babies that are not expected to survive, so they're not going to provide lifesaving treatment to them. To me, that's homicide. That's not what they were discussing, but I'm glad it was brought

Trump might have stretched the truth by calling it "infanticide" when in reality it's just "homicide."

I asked this before but, if a birth is not viable (i.e. the kid will not live no matter what you do), I am not sure what people who are supposedly all about babies get so upset about wanting to keep a dying infant comfortable.

We want more to be done to help the infant instead of just giving up. When a patient or their family feels that the doctor at one hospital isn't trying hard enough to save their loved one, many people seek a 2nd opinion and/or a transfer to a different hospital. Also, if the abortion method performed was the cause of the live birth of a non viable fetus, then that method of abortion needs to be banned.

The alleged examples used in Internet memes... the cat eater who is actually a US citizen who doesn't live in Springfield, and the goose killer which also didn't happen in Springfield... have been debunked by local newspapers. I posted such a link to an article from the Canton newspaper that said straight up the person who killed the cat was a
known citizen with mental issues, and the incident happened in their
town, not Springfield.

Trump might have chose a bad example to relate to dealing with migrants, but like you said, there are a lot of other migrant-related issues that can be tackled by bringing back Trump's border policies.

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Babies that are not viable are babies that are not expected to survive, so they're not going to provide lifesaving treatment to them. To me, that's homicide. That's not what they were discussing, but I'm glad it was brought

That is not what he said.

We want more to be done to help the infant instead of just giving up. When a patient or their family feels that the doctor at one hospital isn't trying har
enough to save their loved one, many people seek a 2nd opinion and/or a transfer to a different hospital. Also, if the abortion method performed was the cause of the live birth of a non viable fetus, then that method of abortio
needs to be banned.

Which is why they discuss it with the parents before doing anything.

Do you think taking a dying adult off life support is also murder, because
that is what this is, just with a baby instead of an adult.

I tire of this discussion as it is obvious it is going to either continue down the same path of no matter what evidence is provided, or get resolved only to pop back up the next time Trump or Vance or some other MAGA mouthpiece re-presents it as something that really happened.

The alleged examples used in Internet memes... the cat eater who is actually a US citizen who doesn't live in Springfield, and the goose killer which also didn't happen in Springfield... have been debunked by local newspapers. I posted such a link to an article from the Canton newspaper that said straight up the person who killed the cat was a known citizen with mental issues, and the incident happened in their town, not Springfield.

Trump might have chose a bad example to relate to dealing with migrants, but like you said, there are a lot of other migrant-related issues that can be tackled by bringing back Trump's border policies.

Yes.


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Do you think taking a dying adult off life support is also murder,
because that is what this is, just with a baby instead of an adult.

I tire of this discussion as it is obvious it is going to either
continue down the same path of no matter what evidence is provided, or
get resolved only to pop back up the next time Trump or Vance or some other MAGA mouthpiece re-presents it as something that really happened.

Same here, but for different reasons. Everyone might as well just keep their abortion to themselves ;)

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