I'm gonna recommend a nice Mexican restaurant, NL. Mexican restaurants are what make California great and give work to so many illegal aliens in Kern County.  What's the go-to Mexican restaurant in Bakersfield?  In my neighborhood here in the Coachella Valley, it's *any* one of them. They're ALL over the top fantastic.

Sorry Ray. My choice of resturant would be Tahoe Joes here in Bakersfield.  Best steaks in the world.

Never, you have the right to say and write any damned thing you feel like, but could I ask that we all stop with this "hate America, hate the Republic" crap? 

No one in here (unless there is an Al Qaida hanging out) hates America. People would take you a lot more seriously if you would talk sense instead of gibberish.

If he don't hate America why is he trying to destroy it?  Hummmmn.

Destroy what? Your idea of America? He is not, repeat, is not trying to destroy this country. He is trying to restore it, following the chaos and destruction of the previous 8 years of incompetancy, bigotry, theft and militarism. Maybe we can make it, but not if people remain blind to the truth.

I think some of the answers your looking for have already been answered. He (Obama) believes in redistribution of wealth. In observing him, I've come up with....He wants to redistribute wealth around the globe. He was not talking about just in the USA. I think he would love to bring up 3rd world countries, while taking us down to a point were we are all the same, financially. 

This is the only thing that makes sense. As it stands right now, most are pinching pennies tighter than they have for many years. Our utility bills are skyrocketing. If cap and trade gets past, as well as health care we won't barely be able to keep the roof over our heads, let alone keep the lights on and food in our tummies.

Enlighten me proam. How is going to redistribute this wealth, both here and around the world? And please, be specific - with direct quotes and references. 

He wants to redistribute wealth around the globe.

The people who are against this need to come up with a cogent argument for why redistributing the wealth is a bad thing.

Well....Wall street is staying rich...so are the Aig's and such companies that took tax-payers monies so that they wouldn't fail---they got their bonuses....

And now we are giving monies to a country that has no wish in defending their own country....Hey---worked in Iraq...how much money again went to these turds....

Ling, that is the Republican version of wealth re-ditrubution. 

"The people who are against this need to come up with a cogent argument for why redistributing the wealth is a bad thing."

The "global" part.  The degree of economic globalization in which we have tangled ourselves is dangerous and unsustainable, in energy demands, limitations of natural resouces, and population growth impact.

Neverleft, to AD's comment I would like to add that there are or will be strict limitations on the way Americans use energy, while the same standards are not, cannot, will not, be applied elsewhere.  While I might agree with being careful with our energy sources, my own idea is not to be careful so that other countries can benefit from our good husbandry.  I'm writing, here, about the people in the countries who don't give a flip about wasting energy.  China, for one.  Let's put an energy cap on China, shall we?  Pardon me while I fall off my chair laughing. 

I'm sure you'll pardon me, Never, for not coming up with any links (good grief!) for the edification of one of your commenters. 

Alicen, you need to catch up with what is going on the world. China, while continuing to be a major polluter, is also becoming a leader in utilizing solar and wind energy; with a view to reducing their pollution. We need to catch up.

Pogo. I hope you are happy in your "dream" world.  The best, or worst is still to come.

Never, I generally like (but disagree with) your posts. So I am respectfully asking what you base your certainty on that the "worst is still to come"?

And yes, I am much happier now than I was before the election last year, wish I could say the same for everyone else. I don't think it is a "dream" world.

Alicen, spare you what? Becoming more informed? Don't bring what up again? And what is pointless about pointing out what is going on the world? 

Is Alicen Land so devoid of intellectual curiosity that information is "pointless"?

Spare me, lady! Better yet, spare us all.

Pogo. Yes, I am certain that the worst is still to come. I just hope our Republic can stand for another three years until we can change the guard.

Heck I like to take the President out myself~ say the Dutch Frontier or something. My questions would be different of course.

As to this global business~ we can not take responsibility for the whole world. Most countries do not want us up in their business. It is up most hubris to think we are that smart.

That being said and digested: with the communication and travel opportunities being what they are it behooves us to remember one small concept. The earth is a small ball hurtling through the universe. We all live here.

Never, I don't want to get  into an arguement with you, just a discussion. I ask again: How do you know things are going to get worse? What experience have you had in this area? What is your expertise?

I'm warning you, Neverleft. You'll end up paying $22.95 a plate at that steak house (if not more). Show your true conservative soul and get Value for your bucks.  Mexican food! Starts about $9.95 for the combination plate and tops out at about $16.00 for the enchiladas trio. And you get chips and salsa - all you want! Makes a great take-home meal, too.

Pogo, if I want to become more informed about something, it will not be by means of one of your blog comments.  I had said once before that I was done with you; you made a sensible comment to a blog of mine this morening, and I responded in kind.  Please do not assume that you know the extent of my "education" about any subject whatever.  You have no idea what the extent is.  Please do not write as though you have a complete understanding of what I know or what I do not know; nothing could be further from the truth. 

As I have said before, particularly with you, it's fine to disagree, and there are people with whom I do disagree.  However, I do not then accuse them of the equivalent of living in la-la land, and it would be to your credit to behave the same way.  Until you can do that, forget about it.  If you cannot understand that, then........................

Just be aware that if people disagree with me, I do not call them devoid of intellectual curiosity.  It's not polite.  Goodbye again.

Ray. As a good conservative I not only look for value but a different eating experience once in a while.  I can't afford to go to Tahoe Joe's but about once a month but it would be a treat for the occasion. Don't get me wrong, I like Mexican food but Mexican food is a pretty often thing and I still can't find Chile Relentos to my liking.

Neverleft~ I knew we would find something to bond over... Chile Rellenos. *Note to self make some soon*.

BTW ..I think you may have missed it but your post yesterday brought me to tears. Good job.

Never, Have you tried Sinaloa?  Or the hidden one that's next on my list Camino Real?

One that's hidden from the rest of town for fear of  being mugged by tweakers is Si Senor on Airport Drive right near China Grade Loop.  Also Los Amigos out by 178/Niles.  The old Cadillac Ranch.

What industrialized society, including the US, does not redistribute wealth?  What are taxes, schools, parks and hospitals?

Unfortunately inthis country when we have the chance to redistribute wealth, we build pretty stadiums and give welfare to corporations in the name of Trickle Down. 

Ya'll are falling for Plumber Joe logic.

Alicen, I can only judge your intellectual capacity by what I see you post. My questions to you stand. Sorry if you are offended, but you will get over it.

djdavedodgerfanor whatever...The people who are against this need to come up with a cogent argument for why redistributing the wealth is a bad thing.

Because I work hard for my paycheck.  You sit around and post inflamatory blogs all day.  For that, you deserve to be poor and I deserve what I work hard for.  You still don't get it, do you?

I like sushi.  I'd take him to Akira's.

I'll take him anywhere that has a "C" on the window.

Pogo, if I want to become more informed about something, it will not be by means of one of your blog comments. 

I suppose you'll become more informed by watching Fox News?

"The people who are against this need to come up with a cogent argument for why redistributing the wealth is a bad thing."

It will be a difficult climb to find that argument, casooner90. There has been a lot of analysis this decade on just how wide the disparity has grown between the most wealthy among us and the rest of us. In Michael Moore's latest film, Capitalism: A Love Story, Moore cites a CitiGroup memo that states 1% of America's population has more financial wealth than does 95% of the population. Here is a link to PolitiFact.com on the topic.

The rich are quick to point out they already pay the highest percentage of taxes in the land. That additional taxes stymie growth. I would point out that since so many Americans today have very little in both earnings and savings with wages having stagnated completely for three decades the only money left for tax revenue must come from the group that has all the money, and earns the lion's share of distributed money everyday. I am not sure this is redistribution of wealth. It is sound policy for keeping a nation healthy and not at war with itself. It stimulates competition and opportunity in the marketplace.

Although America in the 1950s had many social problems that were coming to the surface over gender, race and foreign policy the country was building roads, highways, cars, trains, appliances, planes, dams, bridges, schools, homes and businesses here at home establishing the highest standard of living the world has ever seen. Prosperity was the word for the decade for white male America, and the tax rate on the wealthiest in the nation stood at 90%.

Race and gender inequality during this decade was beginning to rub against this societal segregated dominance and would surface dramatically in the 1960s as America split into separate and unequal camps of interest groups. We began to see the most wealthy chip away at the tax burden while the common people divided over race, religion, the pill and war. Conveniently these social forces enabled the top earners to make real headway over a two decade period of time which culminated in Ronald Reagan reducing the tax rate on the highest earning class to 50% at the start of his term with the final number going to 28% by the end of his term.

What killed the chances of a second term as President  for George  H. W. Bush was raising the tax rate on the most wealthy to 31% in 1991. He infuriated his base. Clinton moved the tax up to 39.6 in 1993 when the country was still in recession. The rest of the decade boomed with business. But the second Bush was elected and as payback moved the tax on the highest earning brackets down to 35%. We feel the results of those tax cuts every day with no jobs, higher prices on vital services and goods, no savings and fewer social net services to aid the most disadvantaged. Our public schools fail more than they graduate. The costs for higher education cripple the average family and is now out of reach for most Americans.

The anger of the current situation grows more palpable by the day, and you can see the result right here n this little blog outpost, although most people do not seem to realize who they are really angry with. It appears to me the anger of many here gets focused on anyone who disagrees with their point of view.

Think of a small tax hike on the top end as really providing a pump to help with the flow on the old "trickle-down" theory.

This is the amount of incredulous influence the--OPEN BORDER--lobbyists (business power brokers and ethnic zealots)) have on certain Democratic devious rabble? Once again the senate top echelon have huddled secretly (BEHIND CLOSED DOORS), recklessly placing E-Verify worker identification system in jeopardy. The obnoxious

R-O-P-E Senate group as its being called on the Internet and nationwide, who are marked  as Reid, Obama, Pelosi  Emmanuel have indifferently pushed American Workers in the background, allowing the millions of illegal aliens to take their jobs. They have driven into the ground amendments from appearing in the final Homeland Security "conference committee" bill.  They eradicated--ANY CHANCE--of a Senate's permanent authorization of the E-Verify program.

They have religiously under-funded, undermined the Senate's mandate to beef up and complete the final 300 mile Mexican border fence. Then again it was never the original border wall as designed by Rep. Duncan Hunter. Illegal Aliens would have first had to scale the--FIRST--fence, run across the two lane highway for the Border Patrol vehicles, then scale an identical--SECOND FENCE. Under funded and weakened just like E-Verify, the police 287(g) arrest and detainment and ceasing the massive ICE raids. Finally the ROPE group strangled the Senate (already) passed ability of countrywide businesses to run their previous hires employees through E-Verify. So you can guess this is a harbinger to drop on the AMERICAN WORKER YET ANOTHER ULTIMATELY EXPENSIVE BLANKET AMNESTY. THOSE TAXPAYERS WILL BE FORCED TO PICK UP A TRILLION DOLLAR TAB. Be advised that Reid D-NV , Pelosi D-CA have one of the largest population of illegal immigrants in the country, who they are subservient too. Remember to expend your frustration and anger at 202-224-3121on your lawmakers. They are juggling with millions of American Workers job lifeline, by pandering to people who shouldn't even be here?

 MY SUGGESTION IS DON"T BUY ANY SERVICES FROM BUSINESS THAT DOESN'T DISPLAY THE E-VERIFY PLACARD. Remember the real conniving happens in rooms hidden from the public awareness in conference committees. In addition, Remember Harry Reid as an incumbent Senator who carries the blemish of being anti-American Worker, Anti-Sovereignty must not be re-elected. Speaker Pelosi must go? So must Emmanuel? They have proved they cannot be trusted As NUMBERSUSA president says," With no chance now of E-Verify dying in any minute, because they couldn't annul the 3 year extension?  The pro-amnesty forces no longer can try to use it as a bargaining chip.  States, counties, cities and businesses can now be quite confident that they can set policy based on the E-Verify program being around." IT'S NOT PERMANENT YET THANKS TO ROPE. This group has given preference to illegal workers instead of the 15 million authorized AMERICAN WORKERS. COMPREHEND MORE OF THE CORRUPTION THAT CANNOT BE DENIED BY POLITICIANS AT JUDICIAL WATCH. NUMBERSUSA will explain in detail the consequences, that includes the 2010 Census, Health Care, hidden welfare programs, Anchor babies, criminals amongst the illegal immigration occupiers. CAPSWEB for OVERPOPULATION information.

Brittanicus, I would submit to you that the reason we have such an increase in illegal aliens in this country is not because of some 1/2 completed fence that couldn't keep a roadrunner out; but because of greedy capitalist interests who have outsourced our manufacturing since the Reagan administration. We have reduced our work force to menial jobs that cannoth support a middle-class family and now these jobs are eagerly filled by people from across the border. 

The fault lies within us my friend.