Category: John Kline

by Dave Mindeman

Congressman John Kline is a fountain of nonsense. Here is his reaction to today's jobs report..........

?Today?s jobs report reflects the lack of confidence overwhelming America?s job-creators. During a recent regulation tour across parts of Minnesota, employers continually expressed their desperate need for certainty. Efforts to grow and hire new workers are being hamstrung by threats of higher taxes, more deficit spending, and new regulatory burdens. It is time we worked together to remove these unnecessary roadblocks to new jobs."

Yeah, those job creators sure have a mess of uncertainty.

How about those 30 Fortune 500 companies that paid ZERO taxes on over 160 billion dollars in profits? What is uncertain about that?

As for deficit spending, the Congressional impasse has made it impossible for the government to do much of anything. A bit of spending on infrastructure would be absolutely welcome in this economy. If they would do that, it would mark one of the few actual instances that jobs really have been created. But aside from that, how is deficit spending hurting business? Interest rates are at all time lows. Inflation has been well controlled. And a number of high profile businesses, like Defense, are dependent on government contracts. What uncertainty is involved with that?

As for regulatory burdens, the only really new area is in bank regulation. Is John Kline, the TARP supporter, going to tell us that banking regulations weren't needed? for a financial system run amuck? that nearly bankrupted the country? Uncertainty? Bogus.

In addition, Kline seems to be missing the fact that environmental restrictions have been eased or scaled back during Obama's tenure.

Congressman Kline continues to stonewall on what our districts need. Infrastructure for commerce. Government partnerships. A JOBS BILL!

In reality, Congressman John Kline doesn't have a clue about what is needed to make this economy work. All he wants right now is to make sure everything remains stagnant till the 2012 election.

The only uncertainty here is how long Kline can keep that up.

Category: Gay Rights

by Dave Mindeman

I would hope that nobody favors bullying. I used to think that this type of behavior was universally condemned. But now, I am not so sure.

In Michigan, a 14 year old committed suicide because of constant bullying. The legislature was pressured to respond and came up with an anti-bullying bill. Seemed like the right thing to do.

But curiously, the Republican controlled Michigan Senate decided to muddy the waters with this:

The bill lays out what exactly constitutes bullying, but in one key part it says that the legislation does not prohibit First Amendment rights, and ?does not prohibit a statement of a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil?s parent or guardian.?

Why would that appear in an anti-bullying bill? If a high school age individual badgers another and gets called on it, can he simply claim that he was basing his behavior on "moral conviction"? Would that condone the actions? Is that some sort of protective shield for bullies?

Not only is that ambiguous language a red flag but when the Michigan Democratic majority tried to add an amendment to clarify the intent of the law....

The Detroit News reports that Senate Dems tried to add language that would specifically prohibit bullying on the basis of race, gender, sexual preference, etc., but were unsuccessful.

This bill, that is named for that teenager that committed suicide, has now become not only an ineffective waste of statute, but could be used to shield the same behavior that led to this tragedy.

Why should bullying be condoned for any reason? How in the world would bullying behavior have anything to do with First Amendment rights?

For some unfortunate reason, bullying has been linked to religious behaviors towards gay individuals. Why there is any question about what that behavior should allow is a mystery in the boundaries of civil decency. Bullying involving race, gender or sexual orientation...or anything else... is simply wrong. It's wrong regardless of why. It's wrong regardless of intent. It's wrong regardless of degree.

It is just wrong. And if we can't even legislate that in a clear and concise manner.....then shame on all of us.