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01/26/22 05:13 PM #23603    

Bob Fleming

David - Read more of him.  

In the early 1900's Chesterton opposed both alternatives on offer - Laissez faire capitalism and socialism.  He offered a middle way that he called Distributism.

It might best be described as and economic system in which Private Property and Income are widely distributed among families.  There was a bias towards small communities or neighborhoods and small business as well.  Lot of bias towards subsidiarity as a political principle too.   

I think it would be fair to say that the Meta-Principle is Family Well-Being as defined by sufficient income, safety, efficient education, and healthy neighborhoods for everybody (rich or poor.)

The name shouldn't be confused with distributism as understood in political circles currently.

The political group that I have belonged to for 30 years is not formally Distributist but works on those principles I would say.  All of our work is local at the city and county level, though the 10 organizations come together to work at the state legislative level as required.  We do not work on the federal level.

We do not endorse candidates, make politcal contributions, or work on political campagins.  We do advocate vociferously and effectively for our issues.  We say that Our Issues are Our Candidates.  We have been able to make headway on our issues with both R's and D's.  Depending on the issue.

After extensive meetings with families in our member churches, we identify leadership and work only on issues that THEY, not the political talking heads and experts, tell us is important.

For the past two years we have all worked on 4 issues we defined after intense discussion.

Rent Assistance during the Pandemic.  (I am proud to report that Harris County/Houston has been nationally recognized for their work in this area having efficiently passed out $300M in rent relief to apartment owners in rent payments to date).  This initiative made a big difference.

Workforce Development and Training (an ongoing 20 year commitment made more important by covid economic disruptions)

Police Reform (Houston has an very good police force.  We believe in community policing and have consistently and always advocated for a larger police force in Houston since our force is undermanned for such a huge city.  We have had success in expanding CIRT teams into our force (mental health teams to intervene in certain situations) and homeless intervention teams too.  Less success in one or two other areas.

Vaccines.  In consulation with Dr. Peter Hotez, we have  vaccinated 10,000 people at our member parish and chruch locations (entirely in low income areas) and we are still on task. 

Probably next year, we will again go through our process to confirm these issues and/or add new ones.  I hope to God it's not flood relief (which we have beome expert at)

Update from Today's Board Meeting:  I am proud to say that the last two graduates of the workforce development project we operate, just received their two year nursing degrees.  Both of them were working in low wage jobs upon entering our program.  One accepted a job in January at $86,000/yr; the other at $91,000/yr.  That'll work.

That's my politics.

 


01/26/22 06:35 PM #23604    

 

David Cordell

Bob,

Excellent! A hand-up rather than a hand-out.

What can you do to lower the number of out-of-wedlock births? I suspect that, in the long run, that would have the greatest effect on bootstrapping the underprivileged as a class.


01/26/22 06:35 PM #23605    

 

David Cordell

 




01/26/22 07:26 PM #23606    

 

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

David,

Did you notice that in the place where the young men are being transferred to airports in Brownsville, the people operating the NGO have put up blackout sheets over windows and doors, so that the public cannot view what is happening, and cameramen can't film much of anything?

Why would the folks want to be secretive?


01/26/22 09:08 PM #23607    

 

Wayne Gary

Sandra,

That is a good dig cartoon you posted.  I guess this helps to offset the ones digging Biden and Dems. This site deserves the opposing view.


01/27/22 06:41 AM #23608    

 

David Cordell

Two very active seniors (Jacob, 92, and Miriam, 89), living  in The Villages, Florida, are all excited about their decision to get married.


They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding, and on the way they pass a drugstore and they decide go in.

Jacob addresses the man behind the counter:  "Are you the owner?"

The pharmacist answers, "Yes."

Jacob: "We're about to get married.  Do you sell heart medication?"

Pharmacist: "Of course we do."

Jacob: "How about medicine for circulation?"

Pharmacist: "All kinds."

Jacob: "Medicine for rheumatism?"

Pharmacist: "Definitely."

Jacob: "How about suppositories and medicine for impotence?"

Pharmacist: "You bet!"

Jacob: "Medicine for memory problems, arthritis and Alzheimer's?"

Pharmacist: "Yes, a large variety.  The works."

Jacob: "What about vitamins, sleeping pills, Geritol, antidotes for Parkinson's disease?"

Pharmacist: "Absolutely."

Jacob: "Everything for heartburn and indigestion?"

Pharmacist: "We sure do."

Jacob: "You sell wheelchairs and walkers and canes?"

Pharmacist: "All speeds and sizes."

Jacob: "Adult diapers?"

Pharmacist: "Sure, how can I help you?

Jacob:  "We'd like to use the pharmacy as our Bridal Registry."


01/27/22 07:09 AM #23609    

 

David Cordell

Happy Birthday, Steve Keene!

Be careful at Old Warsaw. Something was stolen from my valet-parked car there several years ago.


01/27/22 07:41 AM #23610    

 

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Steve,

Hope you have as wonderful a day as is possible for a man as wonderfully sweet and nice as you.


01/27/22 08:13 AM #23611    

 

Wayne Gary

My friend Dale that is on the prayer list died last night.  His wife ,Melody is very distraught and need prayers.


01/27/22 08:13 AM #23612    

Bob Fleming

David,  "What can I do" to prevent unwed mothers from having children?  Nothing.  Though in my defense, I have onlny ever impregnated my wife.

The problem is complex I am sure and several rungs higher than my pay grade.  Though when last I looked, pregnancies among single women was going down, not up.  So something is happening.


01/27/22 08:47 AM #23613    

Bob Fleming

David,  I thought I should give a more considerfed, not flippant,response, 

There is a high correlation between delay in pregnancy & continuation in school and increase in income.  Witness the decrease in births among women in upper middle class families like ours.  So . . . that's the way forward I imagine. 

To give you an idea of the scope of the problem.  My numbers ae somewhat dated but the last time I paid attention, the median wage in Harris County, Texas was $11.22/hr.  Meaning of course that 50% of the jobs in our county pay LESS than $11.22/hr - or a llittle over $23,000 a year - before payroll taxes are deducted.  And, of course, these jobs are the first to be cut (in terms of hours per week) or eliminated in economic downturns.

We can call this ghe secondry labor market.  No living wage, no benefits, no opportunity for advancement.

The way forward, I think, it to qualify people for  job openings in the primary labor market, help them start their own small businesses, and on the government level, increase wages either directly or via various programs like the earned income credit (EIC) or child tax credit.

In a phrase - Anytime a man or woman enters the primary labor market (livable wage), pregnancy rates go down.


01/27/22 08:55 AM #23614    

 

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

I laugh out loud everytime I hear or read where someone has stated "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps". Physically, it is impossible to do that and should be used with sarcasm rather than sound advice.  To suggest to someone down and out, poor or otherwise hampered by circumstances that merely gathering some sort of inner strength, will power, or determination will somehow solve their issues is, in my opinion, a joke.  Yes David, I am laughing at you.  Sorry about that. 

The Origins of the Phrase “Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps”

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Jess Zafarris From this website

The phrase “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” originated shortly before the turn of the 20th century. It’s attributed to a late-1800s physics schoolbook that contained the example question “Why can not a man lift himself by pulling up on his bootstraps?”

So when it became a colloquial phrase referring to socioeconomic advancement shortly thereafter, it was meant to be sarcastic, or to suggest that it was an impossible accomplishment.

Eventually, however, the phrase’s commonly-accepted meaning evolved, and now when we tell people to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” it’s implying that socioeconomic advancement is something that everyone should be able to do—albeit something difficult.

Also: Boots with bootstraps—or at least the shoe parts commonly called bootstraps, since boots with straps are much older—weren’t popularized until ~1870, so the character Bootstrap Bill in Pirates of the Caribbean, which is set in the late 1700s, is an anachronism.

This idiom is also the source of “booting” a computer, as well the mathematical Bootstrap Method.

 


01/27/22 09:06 AM #23615    

 

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

David,

I would also like to take issue with your comment to Bob about unwed mothers.  Sigh.

Having been pregnant three times, two times with misscarriages, and giving birth to one healthy son I feel I am an expert on how a woman becomes pregnant.  Big surprise.  It took two people to get that way.  Me and my husband.  Wedding though I was, but in defense of marriage, I have been married twice.  It took two times for me to get it right and make it stick.

Back to those pesky unwed mothers.  I would like to suggest rather strongly, that we have a campaign to slow the rate of unwed fathers.  Perhaps if we got at the issue through the other partner in this debate, we might come to a quicker solution to the problem.  To hang it all on the girls seems a bit one sided, don't you think? 

Free condoms (it is one of the GOP symbols - right?)   More sex education in schools!  Marriage pre-counseling at age 13 or may 12 for both sexes!  Make it a crime to divorce!


01/27/22 10:04 AM #23616    

 

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

Jim,

It is a joke.  Laugh.  It will do you some good.

Also:  Your depictions of the Left are just as you described my depiction (or joke) of the right.  You have little understanding of my values or beliefs.  Touche.


01/27/22 10:05 AM #23617    

 

Lowell Tuttle

Jim, you get it.


01/27/22 10:55 AM #23618    

 

Steve Keene

Thanks to all that wished me well on my birthday.  I told you that one could never go back.  My progeny declared at the last minute that for a variety of reasons, my suggestion of going to Old Warsaw for my birthday was nixed.  It was too far to drive in traffic for one, conflicted with an early morning flight to Scottsdale for a bachelorette party for another, and out of the financial reach of a third.  This all happened after a call to me saying the three of us will take you to eat anywhere you like.   As far as the girlfriend, I dreamed her up and she is the nicest lady I never met.

Tell Tommy that I appreciate his sentiments but I would rather poke needles in his condoms than share forum space with him.  My health continues to be fantastic so far as I can tell from the lack of medical professional input.  I know I am living on borrowed time, but I keep getting the opportunity of paying interest only on the note.

Tommy tries to give the impression that his freshman year at UT was crammed with philosphical discussions of Joyce and Lawrence and his time was spent contemplating his place in the universe of ideas and philosophies.  I was there and know better.  He never brought one of those discussions back to the Castillian dorm and his passions consisted totally of playing Spades, Hearts, Risk or playing the needle backwards on the White Album.  The major discussions were where do we find girls, and is Led Zeppelin's guitarist better than Jeff Beck.  On weekends his focus was putting down as much SML (Schlitz Malt Liquor) as is humanly possible.  For kicks he and Lance swapped hijinks like shit in a soap dish.  You can't pull the wool ever the eyes of an eyewitness like me.

 


01/27/22 12:31 PM #23619    

Jim Bedwell

Sandra,

I did have a GREAT laugh - although such laughter on my part is always mixed with EXTREME SADNESS since I used to "think" like the left does. Anyway I deleted the post.

Lowell,

You said "you (I) get it", which, with your political leanings, I don't get (I'm not a genius, just a super-informed ex-liberal - thus, I'm even more like the left in being VERY intolerant of hearing what comes out of their mouths, likely as intolerant as your side seems overwhelmingly to be of my side - like an ex-smoker, which I also am, although I'm actually pretty tolerant of that odious smell from smokers). But if you're wising up & moving right, GREAT! If not, whatever, we can still be friends. With my few (remainiing - can you imagine that I would run some of them off?) liberal friends, we just don't talk politics and that seems to work.

No Stache,

Now I need to go back and read whatever you've written so I can lay into you (in good humor always - YEE HAW!).
 


01/27/22 12:51 PM #23620    

Jim Bedwell

Driving to and fro between house & storage space recently, I've noticed a lot of single men dressed warmly walking around by themselves. They don't seem to have any destination in mind, there is no luggage, just very decent clothing, walking slowly, aimlessly on the side of the road. Not white. and usually not Hispanic-looking either so definitely foreigners. And then on FNC recently we've seen secret video of all the movement of the illegals, MOSTLY SINGLE MEN, by the abettors of the illegality. Obviously these are the illlegal aliens (sometimes you see groups of men but a lot of these are probably still the (prior illegal?) Hispanics before this last illegal, impeachable INVASION of the last year, post-Trump). And this is all being done in collusion with the airlines, taxi/bus/transport companies all without our permission or knowledge, often in the wee hours, but most offensive is this is being done with our tax dollars, this illegal distribution of problems to our country EVERYWHERE (are you paying ANY attention, Sandra?). The numbers I'm hearing are 2 million known illegals the past 12 months, but I think 4-5 is a minimum. So I'm guessing about 20 million more illegals if we even last that long by the end of the admin of President Roadkill.

Don't know about anybody else, but this to me is an OUTRAGE!


01/27/22 01:34 PM #23621    

Jim Bedwell

Chief No Stache,

Thanks for the clarification on the girlfriend. I was wondering about that, although really I shouldn't have since I did see you in the flesh in October for the first time in 42+ years!

Kinda reminds me of a thought about myself I've had a lot lately. Wondering what my next love will have to be like to pass muster in my mind after my 2 dismal marital failures, I think He's really showing me that, any lovely female who could get over that HIGH hurdle, well, what in the world would a PERFECT creature like that want to be doing, having ANYTHING to do with somebody like I am? hahahahahaha!!!!!!!

Also when you poke those holes in your friend's condoms, can you take a picture of that? I want to see that as well as all those other photos you told me about. Better yet, can you video it, and show some water running through the holes, after you poke them?

Chief No Stash


01/27/22 01:35 PM #23622    

Kurt Fischer

NIce story by Tim Cowlishaw in the Dallas Morning News about the Richardson Eagle basketball team.

https://www.dallasnews.com/high-school-sports/basketball/2022/01/26/these-eagles-are-boldly-going-where-no-richardson-team-has-ever-gone/


01/27/22 02:43 PM #23623    

 

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Jim B.,

Have you seen the 51 minute footage recorded at the Westchester NY airport by a candidate for governor in the upcoming 2022 election, named Rob Astorino?  He hired a FOIA film crew to video events recently.  It shows illegal aliens arriving in the wee hours, with the airport security manager able to get just minimal info from these covert, government 'hired contractors;' only a general explanation of them working for the Dept. of Homeland Security and the US Army.

Look up this title:  'Betraying the American People:' Leaked Video Reveals Biden's 'hush hush' Migrant Invasion.

One contractor stated that Biden knows the American people don't want their country invaded by millions of illegals, so he is instructing all of us to keep quiet.


01/27/22 03:38 PM #23624    

Jim Bedwell

Janalu,

No, I hadn't known of that video but it's exactly what's happening. That's the Marxist, totalitarian way. There's NO legal or moral or other justification for this IMPEACHABLE AUDACITY.


01/27/22 04:11 PM #23625    

 

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

Jim - since you addressed me in a post, I am responding as follows:

You stated:

Driving to and fro between house & storage space recently, I've noticed a lot of single men dressed warmly walking around by themselves. They don't seem to have any destination in mind, there is no luggage, just very decent clothing, walking slowly, aimlessly on the side of the road. Not white. and usually not Hispanic-looking either so definitely foreigners.

My response:

Interesting observations, Jim.  So anyone not white and “usually not Hispanic looking” (how exactly does that happen? And I can’t wait to see your detailed description of this!) “is definitely foreign”.  Wow.  I am trying to wrap my head around this.  Not much room for the melting pot there Jim!   If you are dressed warmly, a man, and walking by yourself and you are not white, and not usually Hispanic you must be a threating foreigner.  That is quite a statement all alone and reveals a great deal about your thought process and your belief system in general. 

And then you posted:

And then on FNC recently we’ve seen secret video of all the movement of the illegals, MOSTLY SINGLE MEN, by the abettors of the illegality. Obviously these are the llegal aliens (sometimes you see groups of men but a lot of these are probably still the (prior illegal?)

FNC (Fox News Channel)  Ok.  Sorry I didn’t see the secret video, I don’t watch FOX.  My bad.  MOSTLY SINGLE MEN.  Oh dear, are we to fear the single man???  I am so glad my son got married this summer.  That gets him off this list.  I shall inform all of my friends with sons who are single, this is a definite threat!!!   Abettors of the illegality….The Judges who “set them free”, the ICE agents, who by court action had to let them go to await trial and deportation?  Prior illegal?  You mean they were legal before they were illegal?  Confusing….

Lastly you posted:

Hispanics before this last illegal, impeachable INVASION of the last year, post-Trump). And this is all being done in collusion with the airlines, taxi/bus/transport companies all without our permission or knowledge, often in the wee hours, but most offensive is this is being done with our tax dollars, this illegal distribution of problems to our country EVERYWHERE (are you paying ANY attention, Sandra?). The numbers I'm hearing are 2 million known illegals the past 12 months, but I think 4-5 is a minimum. So I'm guessing about 20 million more illegals if we even last that long by the end of the admin of President Roadkill.

Don't know about anybody else, but this to me is an OUTRAGE!

My response:

So after Trump anything illegal was legal, but now it is illegal and impeachable, and this only refers to Hispanics, that by your definition are “usually not Hispanic, but definitely not white”.  Next, all the collusion wrapped up in “the airlines, taxi/bus/transport companies (I suppose that must be reason they are walking aimlessly with no luggage, no destination? Or not, if they are taking transporation).  Again, I am confused.  Tax dollars spent in the wee hours….and to add icing to the cake, “distribution of problems to our country EVERYWHERE.   You have a way of really scaring the reader.  Your numbers are not backed up with real data (not Fox News Data – please – it is far right wing media).  President Roadkill – now I am offended.  Really?  Ok, I laughed, but only a little.

Jim, you have a gift of inflaming passions in your following.  I grant you that.  Am I outraged?  No.  Not a bit.  Not worried either.  Nice try though! 


01/27/22 10:46 PM #23626    

 

David Cordell

OK. Let's be nice.

Kurt: were you on the forum when I mentioned that I went to an Eagles basketball playoff game last year with Tim and Pat Cowlishaw?

Bobby, I feel certain that the vast majority of incarcerated men are from one-parent homes, and the one parent is always the mother. Now, admittedly, the mother may have been married to the father at some point, but I'll stand on that statement. I don't have a solution, but I believe that people must take responsibility for their own actions. Unfortunately, the child is the one who suffers most, but it is not society that is at fault

Sandra, I agree that, obviously, it takes two to tango. But it takes only one to sit out the dance. Shocker: men want sex. In the famous words of Nancy Reagan, "Just say no." Yes, it is possible.

Separately: we had dinner tonight with a former colleague in a national organization who has stage 4 melanoma and had a brain tumor removed a few weeks ago. I infer that he will be lucky to survive for a year. Seeing that situation does a lot to put things in perspective.


01/28/22 06:32 AM #23627    

 

David Cordell

Sandra,

Do you believe in open borders? I do not. I believe that immigration should be controlled and monitored and should be consistent with current law. President Biden is deliberately not enforcing current immigration law. 

It is easy, common, and unproductive for liberals to deny anything that appears on Fox News. However, perhaps this quotation  from Newsweek on Tuesday, providing the same numbers as Fox News, will help:

On Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released its migrant encounter figure for December, reporting that authorities confronted almost 179,000 people at the U.S.-Mexico border during the month. That takes the total to over 2 million for 2021.

This figure represents a historic high, with the total outnumbering the combined number of crossings reported over the past two years by over 565,000, according to CBP data.

https://www.newsweek.com/over-2m-migrants-came-border-2021-565k-more-past-two-years-combined-1672691

These are "encounters", which category does not include those illegal immigrants who were not encountered -- the "got-aways" who are not even seen by border patrol agents who are overwhelmed. Hence, Jim's estimate of four million illegal immigrants. But let's pretend that no one sneaked past the border agents. Are you happy with 2 million illegal aliens per year? (Note: illegal aliens, not the euphemism "undocumented immigrants".)

Keep in mind that the combined populations of Austin (962,000) and Fort Worth (928,000) are less than 2 million.

Related: do you care at all that the Biden policy is leading to thousands of deaths from fentanyl smuggled through the southern border?


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