Friday, September 30, 2011

Pulmonary Hypertension ~ Have Questions ? Get Answers Here


An Evening with Dr. Robbins (upper right) and Dr. Hemnes(upper left)
Pulmonary Hypertenion Specialist...Vanderbilt


WHEN: Saturday, November 12, 2011

5 PM -7 PM

WHERE: Darfons Restaurant & Lounge

2810 Elm Hill Pike

Nashville, TN 37214

(615) 889-3032



RSVP: Please RSVP by 3:00 PM, Tuesday, November 8, 2011.

There is limited seating, so please reserve yours early.

CONTACT: Evette Britton (615) 230-7040 or

e-mail > ebrit0164@comcast.net

DIRECTIONS:

From Nashville: Take I-40E toward Knoxville/ Huntsville.

Take TN 255/ Donelson Pike/ Exit 216C.

Turn right onto Elm Hill Pike.

Darfons is on the left.

From other locations, please use Mapquest below


> http://www.mapquest.com/ ) for directions .


This meeting is sponsored by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association's Support Group Central Fund. The Support Group Central Fund is made possible by a Platinum level sponsorship from Actelion Pharmaceutical & Pfizer Inc., and a Gold level sponsorship from Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Republicans Get One Right !



Teacher Evaluations Questioned as Time-Consuming
By Jane Roberts
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Posted September 29, 2011


Tennessee Legislators across the state say the new process for teacher evaluations -- starting this year -- happened too fast and needs to slow down before teachers and principals rise up in revolt.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is mapping out scenarios they expect the legislature to consider when it convenes in January, including delaying or modifying the evaluations, the centerpiece of the state's $500 million Race to the Top allotment. "We need to evaluate what is in place and what has been put in place," said Rep. Ron Lollar, R-Bartlett. "I am very concerned about what is going on with evaluations and how they are being conducted," he said, adding that lawmakers understood the bill they passed in 2010 would not take away from teachers' time in the classroom. "It looks far more complicated than it was intended to be. It takes more teacher time, more administrative time, which means it takes away from the classroom," Lollar said. Under the new model, tenured teachers who were observed once every five years are now being observed and critiqued four times a year. Apprentice teachers must be observed six times a year. In Memphis City Schools, that means 500 certified administrators will conduct 29,000 observations -- each at least 15 minutes long -- followed by the estimated 30 minutes it will take to compile the details and share reflections with teachers. MCS teachers and officials say there is little rancor in the city system because teachers were invited to design its own metric. But in Shelby County Schools, teacher Rep. Jim Coley, R-Bartlett, said it took him nine hours to prepare lesson plans for a 50-minute history course at Bolton High. "The paperwork is going to be overwhelming," he said, adding that lawmakers were assured the change would require less paperwork and less time. "That is not going to be the case. People are anxious and sooner or later, they will change it. It's an unrealistic goal." Teachers and boards of education are also lobbying Nashville for proof that teachers have a reasonable chance of scoring high enough on the 1-5 matrix to keep their jobs. Under a law passed last session, tenured teachers could lose seniority if they dip below 4 or 5. Apprentice teachers must score that high in the final two years of their five-year probation or leave the profession. "When you have got teachers who have been doing excellent work for many, many years, going that extra mile, and they are told they probably only going to be a three, which is rock solid, but not a four or five, that is demoralizing to those people," said House Education Committee chairman Richard Montgomery, R-Sevierville. "We've got to clear this up and make sure they are recognized for the work they do. I have voiced my concerns to the commissioner," he said. State Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman e-mailed assurances to teachers statewide last week, admitting the "system is not perfect" but saying it is a significant step toward improving student achievement. In a video posted to the Department of Education website, he said the state would be analyzing the scores. Administrators in schools or districts "not identifying 4's or 5's" will be immediately flagged for retraining "to ensure that we have alignment about expectations." But he also says teachers should expect changes over the summer.
"We will make some changes and continue to tweak the system," he said. Sen. Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, wonders where administrators will find time to conduct all the evaluations. "If you've got a school with 70 teachers, that is not unusual in Memphis, you have four evaluations times 70 teachers, which is 280 in 180 days.
"When are you running the school? When are you doing other things like planning class schedules or sending truancy letters?" he asked. "It's going to take teachers to stand up and say no, this is not working. School boards and superintendents are going to have to back them up and say 'this is causing problems.'"

Jane Roberts: (901) 529-2512


Editorial : Republicans and Democrats get this one RIGHT ! Give credit where it is due !











Your Pension Safe ?


Goodyear Pension Fund ?


Click below to read more.

#2: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT)
Under Funding as a % of Market Cap: -102.82%

2010 Projected Benefit Obligation: $8.337 billion

Total Amount Under Funded: $2.549 billion

Source: UBS


http://www.businessinsider.com/10-companies-getting-crushed-by-pension-costs-2011-9?op=1#ixzz1ZRfarCne


Falling interest rates and volatile stock markets are putting pressure on pension fund returns.

UBS's Janet Pegg warns that lower expected returns will eventually lead to higher pension expenses as companies try to improve the deteriorating funded status of their plans. Pegg's report identifies the 25 most underfunded pension plans, based on a percentage of market cap. We've pulled the 10 worst.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-companies-getting-crushed-by-pension-costs-2011-9?op=1#ixzz1ZRfarCne


Editorial : If we move all plants offshore, can we keep our pensions ? Goodyear is number#2 !

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Job You Save May Be Your Own...Voting on Trade !











Get Ready to Act ! Call Your Congressman


Contact your Congressman > http://www.house.gov/


Call Washington DC Switch board > 866-311-1889


Tuesday, October 4th - National Call-In Day to
Oppose the Pending Free Trade Agreements


Click here to find your Congressman> http://www.house.gov/


Cong. Stephen Fincher, Tennessee District#8 - 202-225-4714



According to many sources, we could see votes on the free trade agreements soon. We know these agreements will harm all workers involved. That’s why we need another wave of action – both in D.C. and across the country – to keep up the pressure!

Let’s also make sure to tell our Representatives that we need to get our focus back on real efforts to secure and create jobs. The President offered a plan – the American Jobs Act – that would put significant resources into infrastructure spending. That’s the kind of spending that secures and creates manufacturing jobs while strengthening our nation’s ability to compete globally.
These jobs support our communities, paying on average 10-50 percent more than service sector jobs. Manufacturing jobs also have a huge ripple effect on the economy, with every one supporting five additional jobs.

Call Your Representative on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 !


Dial the Capitol Switchboard toll-free at:
866-311-1889


Ask for your Representative.

Tell your Representative that you are a constituent and you want him or her to

OPPOSE the Colombia, Korea and Panama free trade agreements. Also note that we should be focusing on real efforts to secure and create jobs!

If you have any difficulty getting through using the toll-free number, you can call your Representative directly. To look up his or her name and contact information, go to http://www.house.gov/ (find the lookup feature at the top right of the page).


Editorial : The JOB you save me your own ! Congressman Stephen Fincher, District#8-Tennessee webb-site below. His/our office phone in Washington DC is below web-site




His/our office > Phone# 202-225-4714























Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Those Who Benefit More...Should Pay Tax`s !



Long Overdue ! You Bet~Cha




Click below to sign petition >



Dear Don,



Last week, President Obama stepped up to propose the so-called Buffett(upper right) rule, which would close some of our deficit with new revenue from those making over $1 million a year, rather than relying simply on cuts to middle-class programs. Contrast that with the Republicans trying to leverage the deficit debate to cut Social Security and end Medicare as we know it. That contrast will make the Republican position almost indefensible with voters. And all the signs point to the president getting ready to go all in on this.

But to make the gambit work, we need every Democrat behind him.

Sign my petition today and show that you're behind President Obama's Buffett rule to make sure millionaires aren't paying less in taxes than middle class families.

This is smart policy. It is fundamentally unfair to allow some middle-class families -- who have seen their median income levels drop over the last decade -- to pay a higher effective tax rate than millionaires and billionaires.
Plus, this proposal can raise serious revenue that can help us protect programs like Social Security and Medicare from the cuts Republicans want to impose. It is my goal for some proposal along the lines of the Buffett rule to come to the Senate floor for a vote. With the president traveling around the country, pushing the issue, we can win this fight. You and I and Democrats around the whole country really need to show our unity on this one to make the case that millionaires and billionaires should pay their fair share. Sign my petition today and show that Democrats are unified behind the Buffett rule -- then forward this petition to your friends and family, too.
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5660/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4799&track=20110927_Buffett_rule_petition&tag=buffet_rule_e1
This is the most encouraged I've been about our ability to turn the tax debate around on the Republicans.
I hope you'll stand with us for victory.

Thank you,





Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator (upper left)

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs & Trade, Trade, Trade




Hypocrisy...You Bet`Cha !

Contact your Congressman > http://www.contactingthecongress.org/


Thousands upon thousands of middle class jobs are being eliminated, our nation’s infrastructure is falling apart and critical middle and working-class programs are facing cuts or elimination - all in the name of deficit reduction. At the same time, those who say that the extreme wealthy should contribute their fair share are denounced as wanting to tax job creators and start “class warfare.” Even America’s second-wealthiest person, Warren Buffet, pointed out a few years ago that “there’s class warfare, all right. But it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” Buffet has repeatedly called for increasing the tax rate on the very richest. President Obama’s recent proposal known as the “Buffet Rule” would do just that.

Consider this:

The IRS compiles data on the 400 Americans reporting the largest incomes. This group paid 16.6 percent of their income in federal individual income taxes in 2007, down from 30 percent in 1995. The drop works out to a tax cut of $46 million per filer in 2007, or a total of $18 billion in tax cuts per year. Why? Investment income – a huge chunk of the money – is taxed at much lower rates. The money is not being spent to create jobs. It is hoarded and sheltered from tax rates that workers have to pay to amass even larger personal fortunes, leaving workers and the middle class holding the bag!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
News on the trade agreements: A group of executives from 32 major companies ranging from General Electric to Dow Chemical recently sent a letter to Congress urging immediate action to pass the trade agreements saying that “U.S. goods, services, and farm exports are losing ground every day” without them. What they fail to mention is that 18 of the 32 companies are on record as outsourcing U.S. jobs – at least 18,600 jobs since 2001 – according to trade adjustment assistance data. Get ready to send a message to Congress on Tuesday, October 4. We’ll need to ask all to make calls to their Representatives/congressman . > http://www.contactingthecongress.org/ < on the free trade agreements. A labor-wide lobby day will also be taking place that day. If you can make it to D.C. for the lobbying, let us know!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Roy Herron a Voice for Tennesseans ~ You Bet`Cha !



Tennessee Senator Roy Herron, District#24, Working for You !



Below is an opinion piece I wrote for the Memphis daily newspaper, The Commercial Appeal. Taking away citizens’ right to vote infuriates me. But that is exactly what is happening to many, as this essay seeks to explain.


GOP’s Photo ID Law is More Voter Suppression.
By : Roy Herron


When my 94-year-old mother was born, women were not allowed to vote. But then Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment, and for seven decades Mother has voted faithfully. This year, my Republican colleagues in the legislature took away that right when they made it harder for her — and as many as 675,000 other Tennesseans — to continue to vote. Ironically, legislators from the party that supposedly favors less government and more privacy passed a law requiring my mother to obtain a “big-government” photo identity card in order to vote. When the law goes into effect with the March 2012 presidential primary elections, poll workers will no longer accept her voter registration card as sufficient proof of identity. Mother has not driven in at least two decades, so she has no driver’s license. But when she is pushed in her wheelchair to the polls, not one election worker will mistake her for another 94-year-old trying to cast a felonious, fraudulent vote. My mother is one of 675,337 Tennesseans age 18 and older who, according to the Department of Safety, either have no driver’s license or have a license that does not carry their photo. These citizens may be registered to vote, but unless they obtain a photo ID from a driver’s license station or can produce another type of government-issued photo ID that the new law accepts (such as a military ID or a passport) they will not be allowed to vote. This new requirement creates several problems. First, one cannot get a government ID card from the state Department of Safety without producing a “primary proof of identity,” most commonly a birth certificate. Not surprisingly, my mother’s 1916 birth certificate has been misplaced. So she and thousands of other registered voters like her will have to get new birth certificates, which is where the next problem arises. To apply for a birth certificate, my mother must either travel to the state Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records in Nashville, submit her request online or telephone the office. Traveling nearly halfway across the state is not feasible for many elderly, disabled, mobility-challenged, poor or employed Tennesseans. My mother and thousands of other Tennesseans are not computer literate, so they cannot order a birth certificate online. I recently asked Annie Prescott, a Nashville attorney, to navigate the third option — a phone call to the Office of Vital Records. She spent the better part of an hour on the phone trying to speak to a live person. Over 15 menu options offered by a series of recorded messages led to three busy signals and four hang-ups. Finally, Prescott got a real person on the phone, who instructed her to call another number. That number was for a company that charges an additional $15 to process the $15 request. And unless you pay another $5 to expedite service you must then wait weeks to receive the birth certificate. So the total cost of what is supposed to be a free state-issued photo ID card so far is $35, not counting the long-distance charges for the phone call, the cost of \one’s time or the frustration of the process. And applicants still have to take the birth certificate to a driver’s license testing station, where they may have to wait in line for hours. Only 43 of Tennessee’s 95 counties have such centers. Half the counties in West Tennessee, and two-thirds of the counties in my state Senate district#24, don’t have them. Some of the rural Tennesseans I represent will have to drive from their county through a second county and into a third to reach the closest driver’s license center — a trip of 40 to 60 miles each way. Taking a day off work and with gas averaging $3.58 a gallon, even at minimum wage the expense of travel and lost wages will cost people perhaps an additional $80 to $100 to exercise their constitutional right to vote. This cost of this process—in many cases totaling $110 to $135, if not more — is such a burden that for many voters it will amount to disenfranchisement. Not Voting. My Republican colleagues claim this legislation is necessary to prevent voter fraud, citing a state Senate election in Memphis in 2005 in which votes were recorded from two deceased people. But the fact is that the culprits in that case were dishonest election workers, not voters. Photo ID cards would not solve that problem. My mother has children who live in West Tennessee, and we’ll do what has to be done to ensure she can continue to vote. But what about the other mothers and fathers, the blind, the hearing-impaired, the disabled, the elderly, the poor and the working people who already struggle to pay their bills, much less these new “poll taxes” of $100 or more to meet the requirements of the photo ID law? This law is simply the latest in a long chain of outrageous actions designed to keep those who don’t look or think like the controlling politicians from voting. People have died trying to register to vote. Now even those who are registered may still be denied the right to vote.


Editorial : State Senator Roy Herron, may be writing about his Mother, He`s Talking about Tennesseans. Better wake up Folk`s ! We need a voice in the Senate, for the middle class. We have it. Thank You, Senator Herron !

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Vote for Your Political Hero`s & Villains




Your Vote Count`s !


Today we're launching a nation-wide grassroots campaign to keep the Senate and take back the House in 2012. We're calling the campaign "Beat Boehner."

Help us start off strong by telling us the progressive Heroes in Congress you think we should work to defend -- and who the Villains are in Congress that we should defeat.


http://heroes.democracyforamerica.com/?akid=1346.1654342.gN8VZJ&rd=1&t=2
Find your Heroes and your Villains and cast your vote right now. Click below.



The members of Congress that get the most votes as "Heroes" will win DFA's endorsement and will be our top electoral priorities in 2012. We'll send the campaign 2,500 new grassroots donors and 500 pledged volunteer hours to help them win.

On the other hand, the members that get the most votes as "Villains" will win our "anti-endorsement." We'll run a TV ad against them in their district, and we will work to defeat them on Election Day.

Who should we help? Who should we defeat? Vote now.

Is your hero Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who led the fight to pass marriage equality in New York and is working hard to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act in Congress? Or how about Rep. Raul Grijalva who fought this year for a budget that would make corporations pay their fair share?

Who do you think is a villain? Is it Paul Ryan, who had a plan this year to destroy Medicare as we know it? Or is it Michele Bachmann, who actively campaigned to de-fund Planned Parenthood and said the organization engages in sex trafficking?

We're ready to win in 2012. We're ready to beat Boehner and all his cronies. Now all we need is your help.

Vote now for your Heroes and Villains, and tell us where to begin. Click below.


SOS ~SAVING SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE



Saving Our Social Security


Click Here > http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/soc_cut_2/


You can also click on the title of this blog !


Dear Underdog Readers,

President Obama may no longer be proposing cuts to Social Security or raising the Medicare eligibility age but the Supercommittee is still meeting. And they are looking at ways to slash Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid while protecting tax cuts for millionaire$ and billionaire$.

Our friends at CREDO Action have been organizing around the Supercommittee too, and we wanted to share an important action they’re leading. I thought you’d want to take part.




Thanks,


Don Jones = Underdog
Strengthen Social Security Campaign

Thursday, September 22, 2011

What we Need is a "Little Good News Today" !



America at the Crossroads !
by: Don Jones = Underdog


9/22/11


Click here to keep Social Security Safe http://democracyforamerica.com/activities/622?t=eshare




Anne Murray recorded a song about America "A Little Good News Today" ! On days like today, it is most difficult remain an optimist. I love our Country/America. Our Congressman/Senators are talking Government shut-down again,. President Obama is still trying to appease the Republicans. Republicans seem to hate Social Security and middle class people in general Click here to help http://democracyforamerica.com/activities/622?t=eshare . Politician`s are sending all of our manufacturing jobs to foreign country`s. We have cut tax`$ for the rich, they have all their cash and taxable items off-shore. There are not enough working tax payers to make up that huge RICH Tax Cut ! We have troops all over the world. The Stock Market had a very bad day, today. Now, who is to blame for this mess ? Our elected politicians. It does`nt take a rocket scientist to realize that with no jobs, we have fewer tax payers. Yet we still send millions to foreign countries for foreign aid ? Charity/Love is a marvelous attribute. I too, believe in helping our neighbors. However, Charity/Love begins at Home ! It seems our politicians are so busy helping themselves and those who give them money, they have forgotten US-A ! What to do about it ? I`m not sure ? At one time, I thought, I knew how to cure this problem, and to be sure, I think, I still have some answers. It`s just that our politicians are so busy jockeying for position, they are allowing our Country to fall into an abyss. It is not the grassroots Americans that are the problem, it is our elected and appointed career government workers. It is a bad day for America. Things will not get better, until we bring our jobs back. No jobs, no tax-payers. It is as simple/difficult as that. The ball is in President Obama`s court. It must be his decision. I say, "Give Em H*** "! Harry/Barack ! Bring our great country back from this great abyss/oblivion ! Click here to Help http://democracyforamerica.com/activities/622?t=eshare ! Not a pretty picture ! Can we rebound ? Yes. Only if we have a Franklin D. Roosevelt or Harry Truman or Dwight Eisenhower, take the reins. Unfortunately, I do not see one yet ! Politicians "The Real Problem"! You Bet`Cha !

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

China is Eating Our Lunch !






China is Stealing Our Jobs...One Manufacturer at a Time !

Help Stop the China Job Drain: Tell Congress to Take Action on China's Currency Manipulation

Dear Friends,

Unfair trade with China continues to cost us jobs, and our manufacturing sector has been hit the hardest.

According to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a staggering 2.8 million U.S. jobs have been lost over the last decade as a result of the U.S. trade deficit with China, including 1.9 million in manufacturing. The new report concludes that China’s illegal currency manipulation is a major cause of our rapidly growing, job-killing trade deficit with China.

Every state in the nation has experienced job losses as a result of our growing trade deficit, with California and Texas leading the pack in highest net losses. Click HERE >
http://www.americanmanufacturing.org/china-job-loss/ < to find out how many jobs China has cost your state.

We need your help to stop the China job drain. Click HERE > > > > > > http://capwiz.com/americanmanufacturing/issues/alert/?alertid=21669501&type=CO <
to urge your members of Congress to take immediate action to curb China’s currency manipulation.

Reducing our trade deficit and stopping China's unfair trade practices can grow jobs, lower our trade deficit, and put the U.S. on a more sound fiscal footing.

Together, we can Keep it Made in America. We have lost so much now. Our Politicians are not helping this situation at all !


Sincerely,



Underdog = Don Jones


Anonymous comment
I know you won't post this, but at least read it: it agrees with your point of view and mine, and every other American:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/09/28/cant-create-jobs-without-taking-on-china/

Traffic Light Camera`s ~ Scam, You Bet`Cha ! Steals Your Idenity.




Traffic Light Camera Scam Steals Your Identity

Traffic light cameras are annoying at the best of times, but while some people manage to escape the fines, most of us simply pay up without thinking about it or questioning whether the charge is valid. Tricky scammers are taking advantage of that lazy human tendency, making a handful of money and stealing identities in the process.

Scare tactics:


The scam is simple. A no-good type picks your phone number at random and, once you answer, tells you that you have an overdue red light camera fine. The only way to avoid a significant late fee, a court case, or even jail time is to pay the bill right then and there over the phone. If you don't pay up, you're threatened with a warrant for your arrest. Of course, there was no camera, no photograph, and no overdue bill. The scammer really has no ability to arrest you, fine you, or take you to court.

Taken off guard:

The voice at the end of the phone line identifies itself as that of a police officer, possibly even giving you a (phony) identification number. As well as trusting you to be lazy and not do your fact checking, the scammer is working on the element of surprise. It's scary to be told you may be facing a jail sentence over something you have no recollection of doing, and you'll be more inclined to overlook a few simple signs that should tell you that the phone call is anything but legitimate. After convincing you to pay the fraudulent fine, the "traffic cop" will ask for your credit card information, including the security code. That's required information for paying any bill from a remote location. Alarm bells should start ringing as the questions continue, though, as the caller asks for your billing address, date of birth and Social Security number. Surely, the police would have some — if not all — of this information on file. They have your license plate in the photo from the red light camera, after all.

That's not our style:

No American police agency currently conducts business like this; in fact, no agencies anywhere conduct business like this. The police do not use the telephone to chase down or collect overdue fines or tickets. They use the postal service or, in more dire cases, a process server or law enforcement officer. Even if things did get to the third-party debt collector stage, all correspondence would be carried out in writing, creating an official paper trail that can be traced back and audited if necessary. The police (and most other authorities) will not ask you for personal information over the phone unless you initiated the call. Dialing the cable company to pay your bill by credit card is one thing — you dialed the numbers, and you can be relatively certain you are connected to the right party. But even with Caller ID, there is no real way to verify incoming calls; if questioned, scammers can come up with a quick excuse. Perhaps they are "calling from a different office" or "a new number that hasn't been set up yet."

Other variations:

While this red light camera scam is relatively new (originating in Texas, by the way), it's very similar to another popular identity theft attempt. In that instance, you'll receive a call informing you that you have missed jury duty and — you guessed it — must pay a fine or be slapped with a late fee, along with possible jail time or a court case of your own. Just like the traffic camera scam, there is no missed jury duty, and the "court official" on the other end of the phone is after your money and your personal information.

Throwing you off the scent:

In a particularly nasty twist, you might receive a second call a few days later. The operator made a mistake — it wasn't your car in the photograph, or it wasn't really your name on the jury duty list. Gushing apologies, the caller will fall over himself to reassure you that your credit card will not be billed and that he is very sorry for wasting your time and causing you undue stress. This second call, of course, is a distraction. You are so happy that you aren't really in trouble that you don't think back over the phone calls too closely and don't think to check your bank account to double-check the transaction. By the time you do check, it's often too late.

Common sense prevails:

Fortunately, this simple scam has an equally simple method of prevention. Never, ever provide personal or financial information over the phone, email, text, or mail when solicited by a stranger. At the same time, find out as much as you can about the caller. Get a contact number, name, account number, job title, and any other relevant information that will help you identify them later. Tell them a story about wanting the information in case you need to call back later, if you must. (Hint: They're not going to want to give their details freely.) If you believe you may have been sucked in by this scam, call your credit card company immediately and cancel your card(s). Look carefully at your statements to see if there are any fraudulent transactions, and report those as soon as you can. Consider getting fraud alerts placed on your credit report by contacting your credit bureau, too; these can be free and well worth your time, if you're concerned.

If you've handed over your Social Security number, slap yourself on the wrist and report that to the authorities, too. You will, unfortunately, need to take further steps to protect yourself from more serious fraud and identity theft


Editorial : This writer believes that the "Traffic Light Camera Scam" is just that , A SCAM, participated in by local government to obtain revenue, with no involvement ! So Sad ! Thanks to Mike Stanley for this one.









.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Social Security A Solemn Promise ! Order Out Chaos


Don`t Cut Social Security & Medicare ! Make it Stronger !

Contact Congress > http://www.contactingthecongress.org/ <


Contact White House > http://www.whitehouse.gov/


Why should we/older Americans be made to sacrifice, when we did`nt borrow from Social Security, Politicians Did !


This morning President Obama announced his plan to reduce the federal deficit—and it did not contain a penny of cuts to Social Security. He also did not renew his offer to raise the Medicare eligibility age to 67. In the past several months, tens of thousands of you have joined this movement to deliver exactly that message—Social Security does not contribute a penny to the federal deficit, so don’t cut it.
Today’s announcement marks an important victory. It shows that when we work together to deliver the message that Social Security works for all Americans, we can win. But it also shows our vulnerabilities. The president’s plan still proposes steep cuts to Medicare – most of which, thankfully, will NOT come out of peoples’ benefits – and large cuts to Medicaid. And the powerful Supercommittee of 12 members of Congress has two months to put their deficit-reduction plan on the table. They are not bound by what the president proposed today. So we still have our work cut out for us in coming weeks. Despite these ongoing challenges, today you should feel good about all you have done. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Eric Kingson & Nancy Altman & Underdog = Don Jones
Co-Chairs
Strengthen Social Security Campaign


ordo ab Chao

Saturday, September 17, 2011

United Rubber Workers & United Steeelworkers ~ Last Family Picnic


UnitedRubberWorkers & UnitedSteelWorkers Last Family Picnic !

by: Underdog = Don Jones

9/17/11





Dear Brothers & Sisters;

Today I went to my/our last union family picnic in Union City Tennessee. On my drive to Union City from Martin to the fair grounds, I wondered if anyone would show up ? I thought about the early days, Please remember, I was the first director for this wonderful event. It all began in 1984, when Mike Stanley was President (upper right) of Local#878 United Rubber Workers. He called me into his office, sat me down and preceded to ask me to chair/direct the first ever Union Local#878-Picnic. He told me to do this job assignment, first class, keep him informed and no alcohol allowed. I could choose a union worker to co-chair with me. I did. Safety Man and lifelong friend, Guy D. Foster was my choice. Little did I know,What a perfect choice, I made. Together we built this family picnic from nothing, to one of the nicest events in the state. Now, do not misunderstand me, we had lots of volunteer help. Remember, we had little local union money. We put in long hours for many days. However, it became a labor of love ! We went as far as Memphis to get concessions and rides for the kids. I could mention a lot of names of those who contributed their time and money to our picnic. I won`t, I would miss someone and hurt feelings.Today`s picnic was magnificent. I`m not sure how many people were there ? However, I feel it was one of the largest crowds in our history. How appropriate for our last picnic ! My guess is 5,000 ! Damrons Bar BQ in Martin catered this last hurrah. As usual his Bar BQ was GREAT ! Union families are nice families ! They are not thugs or hoods or vandals, as a lot of political pundits refer to you and I as. They are Fathers and Mothers trying to make a living for their families ! Ricky Waggoner, President (upper left) of Local#878-L Goodyear Tire plant in Union City Tennessee, gave his all to trying to save Union City, if you see him, tell him "Thank You" ! For all that he tried to do ! It is now Closed. I worked there almost 25 years. I hate that it is now a part of history. Today, I saw a lot of old acquaintances/fellow workers and some, I did not see, they have gone on to their rewards in heaven. We re-newed old times, and talked about the future. I had one fellow worker ask me about a home coming event next year ? I laughed, I told him at my age, next year was a gamble ! I`m wondering if it would work ? Maybe, just maybe. I`ll talk to Guy D. About it ? I would like to say Thank You to those who were working in the plant when it shut down. You were magnificent ! You won and still Goodyear Corporate/Richard J. Kramer and Todd Turner, shut you down. To those rank and file members on the floor. Keep the faith and God`s Speed to all of you ! Remember, until your poiliticians fix trade, nothing will get better. With warmest and solidarity regard, I remain


Lux e tenebris


In deo fiducia nostra

P.S.


Editorial : I said that I was not gonna mention politics on this blog. I`ve changed my mind. Remember, REPUBLICANS are not your/labors friends. It is as simple as that !



Great job Don, as usual !
Thank you my friend and brother for all you do and have done for humanity !
GOD truly will bless you richly both here on earth and in heaven. Your treasures and crowns shall be many!


Your friend and brother,
Mike Stanley

Friday, September 16, 2011

Tennesseans Need Jobs...Good Paying Jobs ! Republicans Do Nothing !







Strengthen Tennessee's Fiscal House By Putting Tennesseans Back to Work



Tennessee's unemployed not impressed by the Haslam-Ramsey 'bond rating dog-and-pony show'

NASHVILLE — State Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester urged Tennessee's top Republicans to consider a jobs plan to keep the state's fiscal house in order.



"The surest way to strengthen our state's fiscal house is to put 300,000 Tennesseans back to work. If Ron Ramsey (upper right) and Governor Bill Haslam(upper left) put half the effort they expend wooing corporate campaign donations into a common sense jobs plan, Tennessee would get there a lot faster." Forrester pressed Gov. Bill Haslam and Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey for action on the state's job crisis in statement Wednesday following the Republicans' meeting with Wall Street bond rating agencies. At 9.8 percent, Tennessee's unemployment rate remains well beyond the national average. "This bond rating dog and pony show for Wall Street executives looks obnoxious to the 300,000 Tennesseans who are struggling to find work and provide for their families," Forrester said. "They'd like to see a day when the numbers we brag about are Tennessee's low unemployment rate and high economic output. "There's no doubt Wall Street was impressed with Governor Haslam's contingency plan to fire 5,000 workers and eliminate crucial services that keep families healthy, children educated and the disabled properly cared for. However, Tennesseans who've seen this extreme plan are not so enthusiastic," Chip Forrester said. "Haslam's slash-and-burn budget would send our state into an even more severe economic tailspin and prompt a societal crisis that would diminish the quality of life for every Tennessean."
This summer
Gov. Haslam instructed state department heads to plan for 30 percent budget cuts to be enacted if Tennessee receives less federal funding.

Online at: http://tndp.org/blog/2011/09/14/tndp-strengthen-our-fiscal-house-by-putting-tennesseans-back-to-work/

More Americans/Tennesseans fell below the poverty line last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday. The nation's poverty rate rose to 15.1% in 2010, up from 14.3% in 2009 and to its highest level since 1993. Last year marked the third year in a row the rate increased. All told, 46.2 million people are considered in need. In addition, real median household income last year was $49,445, a 2.3% decline, the Census Bureau reported.


Editorial : Tennessee is now completely Republican controled ! How do you like it now Tennesseans ?

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

"The Lords Prayer" ! Amazing Grace ! Hope you Enjoy...



The Lord`s Prayer & Amazing Grace ! So Beautiful !


May the God of Love and Peace, Delight to Dwell With and Bless You. Please enjoy ! Just click on link`s below !


Amazing Grace >




Lords Prayer >



Colors > Now Try This ! Awe Go on, take the time !




In Christ,


Underdog = Don Jones <>Thanks to Terrill King for these !

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Gov. Bill Haslem(R)Tennessee~Falls Short !


Gov. Bill Haslam Falls Short !
By Eric Lyons
9/12/11

http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/topics/Elected+Officials


“We really are doing everything we can in Tennessee to create jobs here,” insisted Governor Bill Haslam (R-Knoxville) last week when asked about Tennessee’s growing unemployment rate by a reporter for the Nashville City Paper. A few days earlier at a round-table jobs discussion in northeast Tennessee, Haslam stressed the need for “elected officials who understand business.” As the former president of Pilot Corp. (his daddy’s petroleum company), Haslam should know a thing or two about business and job creation. Indeed, the governor ran on a jobs platform last year, concentrating on Tennessee’s economic needs and more or less avoiding adopting his Party’s divisive stances on social issues. But today Haslam, whose hands-off approach has failed to reign in conservative zealots in the General Assembly, is being widely accused of failing to deliver on campaign promises. In an interview with the Nashville City Paper, Haslam challenged this perception, countering that the legislators control Capitol Hill, and his real achievements as governor, such as his efforts to “to drag us out of the bottom when it comes to education,” have been overshadowed by the media’s focus on zany antics of cowboys in the legislature. Despite these attempts to disassociate himself from his ineffectual peers, Haslam has eschewed criticisms of Republican legislators, fearful that he might incur the ire of Party elites. “I don’t think we can create jobs by legislative work or we would do that,” Haslam averred when the opportunity arose to condemn the unproductive General Assembly’s refusal to pass ‘socialist’ stimulus legislation, but several other states, such as Florida, Alabama, and Colorado, have seen found success providing tax credits and loans to small businesses to jump-start their economies. In Tennessee, a dozen similar bills, all sponsored by Democrats, died in committee. In addition to tax credits and loans, the Democratic proposals would have favored Tennessee contractors for state bidding projects and created temporary tax holidays for small businesses. According to House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley), the Democrats’ bills for economic development “just didn’t get anywhere … not even out of the starting block,” because the Republicans’ single-minded social agenda “took precedence over more business-minded job creation efforts.” Likewise, Republicans would not dare allow a Democrat-sponsored solution to pass, lest the Democrats boast a record of job creation once election time comes around. In an interview with Nashville Public Radio, Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey claimed that doling out tax credits “social engineers where the jobs go,” but Haslam, to his credit, has pointed out that such ‘social engineering’ is necessary to focus on needy rural counties with eighteen percent unemployment. To Ramsey, what’s more important is “recruiting industry” and designing tax deals with big business “on an individual basis.” And yet, in the months since Haslam’s Democratic predecessor Phil Bredesen left office, Republican leaders have only hindered the deals Bredeson made, reluctantly permitting his agreement with Electrolux to build a plant in Memphis and actively trying to undo his contract with Amazon.com that built distribution centers in our state and freed Amazon customers from Tennessee’s exorbitant sales tax. The do-nothing Tennessee Republicans appear unconcerned with boosting small businesses or attracting industry; instead, as Haslam told business leaders, the General Assembly wishes “to make certain that what we’re doing is not tying [business] up unnecessarily” with regulations. And, in the eyes of Haslam’s Republican cohorts, one such ‘unnecessary’ regulation was a Nashville ordinance applying to city contractors that protected Nashville’s LGBT community from discriminatory hiring practices. Earlier this year, Haslam signed a law that nullified all such local regulations to remove the “potential burden on small businesses.” Though the move was supposed to help companies, the Knoxville-based Scripps Networks alleged that the bill actually hurt their ability to recruit and retain top employees, while the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, AT&T, FedEx, UnitedHealth, and Nissan all opposed the bill, emphasizing that uniformity of law is less important than “diversity and inclusiveness.” Predictably, Haslam acknowledged the controversy surrounding the bill but nevertheless capitulated to the party line. While Haslam has a few years before he’ll be held accountable for his indecisive blathering, if the Republican legislators do not solve Tennessee’s rising unemployment before next November, they will no doubt soon find themselves out of a job.

Eric Lyons is a columnist for the Vanderbilt Political Review and member of the Vanderbilt debate team. He can be reached at eric.c.lyons@vanderbilt.edu.