Over Half Of U.S. Children Will Be On Food Stamps

Mark Rank of Washington University and Thomas Hirschi of Cornell University has announced the results of a new study they have completed -- a study published in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The results of this study should make all decent Americans ashamed.

The survey included a look at American children through both good and bad times, including the recession of 1980. It determined that about half (49%) of all American children will be on food stamps at some time before reaching the age of twenty. Did you hear that? Half of all children in this country will be on food stamps!

And that doesn't even include the current recession (depression?) that we find ourselves in, which is deeper than any since the Great Depression. That means as more and more jobs are lost, we can expect that 49% figure to rise even further.

Stanford pediatrician Dr. Paul Wise says, "The current recession is likely to generate for children in the United States the greatest level of material deprivation that we will see in our professional lifetimes. I find it terribly sad, but not surprising."

This is not a new thing. It started with trickle-down supply-side economics that saw unions busted, wages depressed or stagnated, and jobs being shipped overseas. The rich and the corporations stopped caring about community responsibility or working folks. The only thing became making bigger short-term profits and screw the future.

Now we are having to pay the piper. But as usual, it's not the rich that has to pay. It's the working-class -- especially the children. Isn't America wonderful?

Recovery ?

Political Cartoon is by Monte Wolverton at caglecartoons.com.

Getting Rich Off Tax Dollars

I spent most of my working life in a state job, where I came to know and have dealings with many people who worked for non-profit organizations. Some of these organizations received government funds (taxpayer dollars), some survived on public donations and others got a combination of the two.

But one thing that was pretty common to all of them was that the people who worked for them did not get paid a whole lot. These people knew this when they applied for the jobs. They weren't in the industry to get rich, but to help other people. These were very nice and very caring people, and I came to like and respect them a whole lot.

But sadly, there are a few people in the non-profits who think they should be able to get rich off public donations or taxpayer dollars. For example, look at the case of Edward and Marcia Dawson. The Dawsons run a California non-profit called Social Vocational Services, which operates oon taxpayer dollars. They provide job training, life skills instruction and group housing for developmentally disabled people.

Just in the last five years, this couple has earned over $7 million in salary and deferred compensation. And this doesn't count the money they received from renting vans and property to the non-profit organization -- they're receiving over $700,000 a year in rent. One of the properties the non-profit rents from them is a San Francisco apartment (and the only people who stay there are the Dawsons when they're in town).

While most of us thought that non-profits weren't supposed to turn a profit, the Dawsons have figured a way for their non-profit to make them filthy rich. In addition to their exorbitant salary and rental incomes, all off the taxpayer dollars the non-profit receives, they have been able to buy millions of dollars worth of property.

They defend their largesse by claiming that CEOs of non-profits deserve the same kind of salaries and benefits received by leaders of private corporations. Personally, I think that's a load of crap. If you want to get paid like those in private sector, then go get a job in the private sector. But no one deserves to get rich off of taxpayer dollars or public donations.

Non-profits are not given those donations or tax dollars to make some jerk rich. They receive that money because they are supposed to help needy people with it. Those working for the non-profits should make a livable wage, but the Dawsons have gone far beyond that.

Evidently this is not illegal, but it should be. It is certainly immoral and unethical and greedy beyond belief.

Non-Union

Political Cartoon is by David Horsey in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Being Christian Doesn't Automatically Make You Good

From the blog of Yellowdog Granny.

FBI Investigating Sheriff Arpaio

We've discussed before on this blog about how Arizona's Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio plays fast and loose with the legal system, by abusing prisoners and using racial stereotyping against Hispanics to wage a one-man war on immigrants. He is even being investigated by the Justice Department regarding these matters.

Now it looks like that was just the surface elements of his illegal behavior. According to KPHO Channel 5 news in Phoenix, Sheriff Arpiao may have used his office (and his deputies) to get back at political opponents and others he doesn't like. This is a clear abuse of power of his elected office, and is now being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Arpaio has sent his deputies to Maricopa County Board meetings, where they have arrested members of the public merely for applauding the speeches of Arpaio opponents. It seems to be an obvious and rather heavy-handed attempt to have a chilling effect on free speech.

But the sheriff didn't stop there. Political opponents and critics of the sheriff have received visits from the sheriff's deputies. The deputies have never found any evidence of laws being broken, but that is not the purpose of the visits. The visits are simply to remind these people of the power wielded by a sitting sheriff. Her is a list of some of the people he has tried to intimidate in this way:

-- Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, who sicced the Justice Department on Arpaio for his racial-profiling practices.

-- Mesa Police Chief

-- Dan Saban, who ran against the sheriff in 2004 and 2008

-- Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard

-- Maricopa County Manager David Smith

-- The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors

-- Superior Court Presiding Judge Barbara Mundell

-- ACLU attorney Daniel Pochoda

Of course, this kind of abuse of power is illegal, and that is why the FBI is investigating. Hopefully, he has overstepped his bounds enough that the FBI will be able to gather enough evidence to arrest and try him and remove him from office.

He has been an embarrassment to honest and decent lawmen everywhere for far too long.

The Party Of Joe

Political Cartoon is by Steve Sack in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Brainless School Officials

My fellow blogger Badtux the Snarky Penguin tells us that school officials are like zombies -- brainless. The more I read and hear about schools nowdays, the more I think he is absolutely right. If school officials have brains, some of them are certainly not in the habit of using them.

Many of us thought the issue of student first amendment rights had been settled back in the sixties with the case of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District. The case involved three high school students who decided to wear black armbands to school in opposition to the Vietnam War. The school board heard about their plan and banned the wearing of armbands.

The students sued and on February 4, 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of the students. Justice Fortas wrote, "It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights...at the schoolhouse gate." One would have thought that settled the matter of student first amendment rights, but school officials can be hard-headed (brainless).

But just last year, the Holmes County School District decided to ban all rainbows and anything else that could be construed as supporting gay and lesbian rights. The school said the symbols were "likely to be disruptive"and were indicative that students were part of a "secret/illegal organization".

That was ridiculous of course. The only thing on display was the brainless and homophobic overreaction of school officials in their rush to deny student rights. A student, Heather Gillman (pictured above), went to court and student first amendment rights were again upheld in Gillman v. Holmes County School District.

Now we have another incident that has popped up in Wesson, Mississippi. It seems that a young lady named Ceara Sturgis has been told by school officials that her photo would not be allowed inclusion in the school's yearbook. And what crime did she commit that would bar her picture from the yearbook? She had her picture taken in a tuxedo rather than the traditional drape worn by other girls.

Once again, it looks like school officials are having a homophobic overreaction to a student's free expression. Why can't school officials just realize that the law forbids them from using their homophobia (or religion) to deny a student's first amendment right to free speech and expression? Why is that such a hard concept for school officials to understand?

Maybe my blogger friend is right. Maybe school officials are brainless. Maybe there's some kind of test that a person must fail before they are allowed to become a school administrator (or school board member).

The HR Rep

Political Cartoon is by David Fitzsimmons in the Arizona Daily Star.

Legalize Pot

From the excellent blog of Yellowdog Granny.

NY Republican Withdraws From Race

The representative from U.S. House District 23 in New York, Republican John McHugh, was appointed and confirmed as Secretary of the Army. That necessitated an election to choose a successor to McHugh in District 23. The Republican candidate was chosen by the 11 Republican county chairmen in the district.

The Republican chosen was Dede Scozzafava (pictured), who was a state assemblywoman from the area. She was a moderate, and the Republican county chairs believed she could appeal to a large cross-section of voters and keep the seat in Republican hands. But then things started to get weird.

Scozzafava was supported by both the state and national Republican Party officials, but that wasn't good enough for the right-wing purists in the party. Noting her belief in choice for women and support of gay marriage rights, they decided she wasn't right-wing enough to be a good Republican.

Even many national right-wing Republicans like Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum came out in opposition to the official Republican candidate (Scozzafava). They chose instead the candidate of the New York Conservative Party -- a rabid right-wing teabagger named Doug Hoffman. Because of this, it started to look like a fairly safe Republican seat would now go to either the Conservative or Democratic Party.

Yesterday, that became a reality. Dede Scozzafava withdrew from the race and released her supporters to back another candidate. There is now no Republican candidate in what was once viewed as a fairly safe Republican seat.

Scozzafava said, "In recent days, polls have indicated that my chances of winning this election are not as strong as we would like them to be. The reality that I've come to accept is that in today's political arena, you must be able to back up your message with money, and as I've been outspent on both sides, I've been unable to effectively address many of the charges that have been made about my record. I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so."

I have to believe this helps the Democrat, Bill Owens, more than it does Hoffman. The two candidates were running neck-and-neck with Scozzafava trailing. It is highly unlikely that the moderates who were supporting Ms. Scozzafava will jump to support the ultra-right-winger Hoffman. Those who do go to the polls will likely pull the lever for Owens. Although the district has been regularly electing a moderate Republican, a majority of the district did vote for Obama over McCain.

It is hard to believe the actions of these Republican "purists". They obviously desire to kick anyone out of the party that is not a right-winger -- no "big tent" for these people. This is exactly why the party is growing smaller with each passing day.

The fact is that there is not a right-wing majority in America, nor is there a left-wing majority (as much as I wish that were the case). For either party to win, they must appeal to that large segment of the population that considers itself moderate.

Personally, I hope the Republicans continue to boot the moderates out of their party. It will just mean more Democratic victories for many years to come.

Traitor Joe

Political Cartoon is by Bob Englehart in The Hartford Courant.

Could TCU Be The Best Team In Texas ?

I guess it's time for a little "purple love". Although I now live in the Texas Panhandle, I was a Tarrant County resident for over 20 years. So it's only natural for me to follow the sports exploits of that county's largest university -- Texas Christian University (TCU).

I'm old enough to remember when TCU had the longest losing streak in the nation among major colleges. I think it was more than 80 games. Do you know how many years it takes to create an 80 game losing streak? Suffice it to say, there were a lot of very lean years. But those days are long gone.

For several years now, TCU has earned its way into the top 20 teams in the nation. Currently they are ranked #6 by the BCS. They were #8 until they took BYU to the woodshed and spanked them properly last week (remember that BYU beat Oklahoma this year, and Oklahoma was only a 3-point loser to #3 Texas). After beating BYU 38-7 last week, TCU gave UNLV a 41-0 drubbing this week.

Unless they fall asleep and underestimate someone, there is a very good chance that TCU will finish this season undefeated, and I seriously doubt that Coach Patterson will allow the team to overlook anyone. The only team left that really has a chance to beat them is Utah, and Utah is not nearly as strong as they were last year. It should still be a great game to watch.

Frankly, TCU is a very good and well-balanced team. They have an excellent defense and an equally good offense. The special teams play well, and they are well coached. They may not have as many superstar players as some other teams have, but they make up for it by playing together as a team.

There have even been some Fort Worth sports columnists calling for a Texas-TCU game to determine the mythical "Texas championship". It won't happen, but if it did I don't know who would win it. Both are great teams with great coaching.

Could TCU actually be the best team in Texas? I don't honestly know. But I do believe they are good enough to compete with any team in the country, and I like that.

Celebrating The Recovery

Political Cartoon is by Nate Beeler in The Washington Examiner.