Sick and Tired

The winds of change are mighty. Yes, Change is coming to the USA. The people are sick and tired. The workers are sick and tired. The families are sick and tired and
April is here. Ah spring, spring and Taxes. We are all getting ready to do our Civic duty and sift through all our crumpled receipts, fill in all forms and pay our taxes.
Woe is we.
It's stressful to think out of what little we have we have to pay more into a system that basically chews us up and spits us out. They waste our precious money on War after war and never have any left over for our basic needs, like education, health, and sustainable living. Many who are traditionally employed already have these taxes taken out of their weekly paycheck.

If you make a living wage, say $20 an hour and you work a 40 hour week That's $800 before taxes. that's 3,200 a month before taxes. Say, you take %30 in taxes that leaves about 2,400 for the month. It's super tight for one person, stressful for two and I'd say impossible for a family. And how many really make a living wage?

Now, let's look at the Corporation like Exxon who in 2009 made a profit of 19 billion dollars, paid no taxes and got a 156 million dollar refund. So not only do they make a ginormous profit, but they are rewarded a tax rebate because the IRS thinks 19 billion dollars, plus government subsides in the millions, is not enough. Exxon is also responsible for environmental disasters, for spending millions of dollars for junk science on climate change and they refuse to pay the remaining 4.5 billion dollars for the Exxon Valdez Spill oh so many years ago. Exxon tops the list of worst corporate tax evaders.

Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Saunders was kind enough to put together of the 10 most offensive Corporations evading their taxes. You know who they are by now, Exxon, GE, Bank Of American, Goldman Sachs. The ones that rape and pillage the world and it's inhabitants and were bailed out by us the "taxpayers" to the tune of 800 billion dollars. Because without that bold move, the they gave dire warning that entire US economy would have crashed. We haven't been the same since.

And the reason, the far right tells us, the depression lingers on is because of the collective bargaining rights and benefits for the teachers, the firefighters, police officers, the nurses, plumbers,service employees, garbage collectors, dockworkers, electricians, truck drivers. The workers have to anti up.

Wall Street stole our money,hedged their bets, lost it somewhere, we still don't know where all our savings, investments pension funds went to, but no one feels the need to explain it. No one except Michael Moore in his film, Capitalism, a love story. It's pornography really.

The new Republican assemblies and governors are adding insult to injury by stripping the working class of their civil rights of collective bargaining. Governors are telling these folks to take pay cuts, contribute more for health care and shut the hell up while the Federal government continues to subsidize ,reimburse and continue tax cuts for the rich and infamous who feel none of the pain of this economically treacherous era we are shackled to.

The uprisings in Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan in the face of such hubris and arrogance is exciting. I say Bravo! What a thrill it would be to see President Obama show up to one of these states and speak to the history, value, bravery, courage and necessity of American workers and the unions that protect them.

This was the middle class and now they are hanging like a chad. They are The ones he's always going on about, yeah the middle class, His pet. I know he's never talked about the poor, and while paying lip service to the middle class, other wise known as the working class they are tumbling into poverty where we won't have to mention them at all.

Imagine if Mr. Obama took the bully pulpit and made an executive order that until American Corporations and it's Multi Billionaires pay their fair share of taxes, we the American people are excused. None of us will be required to file anything. That's 138 million taxpayers that would not participate in support our own indentured existence. Imagine if we Forget about those credit cards, forget your student loan, Interest on you car payments. forget the debt, until the richest remember theirs.

And while we are at it, how about a general Strike? Yeah, If the state governments feel that all these working people are such a burden and so insignificant their portrait should be removed from the halls of Maine's Labor department to the economy, then let's give them a taste of something strong and bitter.

At least call in sick and tired for a week. No fanfare, no protestors out to get bashed by private security companies, just call in sick, The Wisconsinites have shown us amazing courage and solidarity. Oh, America find your will call in Sick and Tired and let them
empty the bedpans, mop the floors, drive all night,unplug the toilets,make the beds,pick the tomatoes,put out the fires.