"Like Comparing Alexander the Great to Sponge Bob Square Pants."

Comparing Representative Paul Ryan's rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union Address would be like comparing Alexander the Great to Sponge Bob Square Pants.

So let's not.

Representative Ryan bellowed that future generations will have to pay the nation's current deficit, while he and the Tea/Republican Party are responsible for our "fiscal inferno." What does Mr. Ryan offer to address this issue? A re-packaged version of tax cuts for the wealthy and of course--smaller government. The so-called "Principles" of the Tea/Republican Party is nothing more than empty, baseless rhetoric punctuated by doom, gloom, and fear to frighten the citizens in the Republic. Haven't we heard this song before?

Mr. Ryan didn't present one--not one "concrete solution" to lowering the deficit so that his three children will not inherit it, a way to provide health care for millions of uninsured Americans, and solutions for creating jobs for the millions of people that are out of work. Representative Ryan is touted as fiscally brilliant, but what I witnessed was an individual who is "fiscally incompetent" and more hype than substance.

Representative Ryan's response was nothing more than a cheap, flat, and flimsy infomercial that should have been presented at 3:00 a.m.--when most Americans are asleep.



"Progressives will bring balance to the Republic."
Anthony P. Johnson

“Woefully Pathetic”

I see that there are some citizens that could care less about others. For the record, I am not naïve to think that they were not always among us in America, but they used to have a standard. They used to direct their discontent and apathy towards adults only, but now, not even the children are spared.

We reside in a society where some believe providing a quality education for all youth is not an important issue as we witness entire school districts placed on probation and threatened with losing accreditation. To add insult to the proverbial “down for the count,” school breakfast and lunch programs for students--the "only" meal many of them receive--is getting the axe.

So much for the "charitable spirit."

As layoffs of law enforcement, fire fighters, teachers, and the de-funding of social service programs continue to mount, and IOU’s are replaced with more IOU’s many of our elected officials at the city, state, and federal levels stand pat and complain that the "Foreigner from Kenya occupying the White House is the sole cause."

When did America become a nation of "pass the buck"?

We continue to wail about the rise of the wayward youth and the violent behaviors that appear to have enveloped them like a warm place in the sun, all the while treating them like a 2nd class population by revoking every opportunity that would allow them to flourish. Have you ever met an illiterate, hungry, and angry youth at midnight?

The fact of the matter is we could eradicate child poverty and illiteracy if we wanted to. America is capable of dismantling the cradle-to-prison pipeline, including full funding of Head Start Programs, making sure that children can read by the fourth grade, and eradicating child poverty by 2015. However, all of this boils down to a lack of commitment by our society. Let's hypothesize for a moment. Had the tax cuts for the top 1% richest Americans been repealed, it would have yielded a $57 billion surplus. To put it in perspective, the wars in Afghanistan/Iraq has cost over $450 billion through 2007, which amounts to about $100 billion a year. There is plenty of money for wars, but America lacks the compassion and the will to assists its most vulnerable poor--its children.

Conversely, 500 years from now our Republic will be judged by the way we effectively and most importantly, humanely address the needs of our children. Sadly, as of 2011, America’s treatment of children is woefully pathetic. Today is our opportunity to finally create an environment that will provide every youth with an equal chance to succeed.



"Progressives will bring balance to the Republic."
Anthony P. Johnson

“But is that Good for Philadelphia?”

You may win re-election, Mr. Nutter, but is that good for Philadelphia?

Polls, polls, polls! The polls say 45% of Philadelphians' would vote for you--but 39% would vote for a "New person". The latter number says a great deal about what many Philadelphians' think of you as a leader. Imagine the possibility that if the "New person" was "Skree Rock" from the corner of "Boo Boo" Street, they could achieve 39% of the vote.

You may win re-election, but is that good for Philadelphia?

In an "alternate" city of Philadelphia; schools and statues would be erected in your honor for the horrendous rise in unemployment that has enveloped our great city. If 11.9% unemployment was an achievement--It would be one of your crown jewels.

You may win re-election, but is that good for Philadelphia?

You now have the support of the unions for this election cycle, but you had their support when you ran for mayor the 1st time and yet, once elected you treated the unions as if they had contracted the Ebola virus. My, my, my, how soon they forget.

You may win re-election, but is that good for Philadelphia?

Candidly speaking, your fiscal portfolio and Jurassic budget remedies hearken back to a time which led to America's Great Depression and why our city cannot break the grip of financial ruin that has plagued us since 2007. You, sir, are the quintessential, modern day, "Rip Van Wrinkle of Economics".

Alas, you may win re-election for mayor, but damn it--Is that good for Philadelphia?



"Progressives will bring balance to the Republic."
Anthony P. Johnson

"Chasing Windmills."

I am always open to having an intelligent dialogue with those that disagree with what they term "Obamacare," and how in their opinions the law "kills" jobs, the environment and a host of other issues. But the stark reality is that many of those that are complaining, including their elected officials (which is equally unnerving) is that they haven't read the bill.

For the record the health care legislation will NOT:

* Increase the deficit
* Hinder job creation
* Bankrupt small businesses

nor will it:

* "kill" Grandma, Grandpa or Aunt B

The GOP recently patted themselves on the back for voting in the House of Representative to repeal health care despite the fact that the legislation itself will--wait for it, never be repealed.

Now that they've vanquished this windmill, what will Don Quixote, aka the GOP tackle next--repealing DADT?




"Progressives will bring balance to the Republic."
Anthony P. Johnson

"Focusing on the Real Issues in the Republic."

What if the so-called "Lame Stream Liberal Media" as Sara Palin calls it, stops wasting ink and precious air time dedicated to her misquotes and misadventures?

Imagine if the liberal media focused "solely" on important issues facing the Republic such as:

* A dysfunctional public education system

* High unemployment

* Exposing political corruption

* Providing affordable health care to every American

* Intelligently, humanely, and effectively addressing illegal immigration

* Repairing our national deficit,

* Eradicating poverty and homelessness

* Removing harmful ingredients from our foods that are detrimental to our children.

and

Leaving Afghanistan once and for all.

Oh sure there are some journalist that address these issues, and in many instances, very effectively, but there are far too many from the press and cable television that have focused so intently on Mrs. Palin that it borders on the psychotic. Like Limbaugh and Beck, Palin has no insight of how to implement clear domestic and foreign policy solutions that our nation requires, so why continue to talk about her?

The media has to stop berating her because when they partake in this senseless behavior, they make her a "victim." If they leave Ms. Palin to her own devices, rational and intelligent Americans will continue to see her for what she is--an intellectually inept, selfish, angry, and irrational American that believes in two America's--Sara Plain’s America and the Evil Liberal America.

In comparison, Nancy Pelosi, America's first woman Speaker of the House of Representative--and according to some political scholars, the best there ever was--up until a week ago was finally lauded for her numerous accomplishments during her tenure from January 2007 until January 2010. Unfortunately, while Palin receives front page news for seeking martyrdom, Pelosi's successes have been relegated to a Western Union Telegram.


"Progressives will bring balance to the Republic."
Anthony P. Johnson

"Blossoming Beyond the Status Quo"

I knew that some Americans were going to rail against "change" in the nation but not like this. They've gone too far.

In every generation there are some individuals that find it difficult for America to blossom beyond the status quo. Unfortunately, the very thought of change can lead to violence simply because we're frightened of the nation’s journey towards a new, exciting, and unknown future.

I am thoroughly convinced that some citizens are irrational and will remain so until death. They cannot be spoken to rationally, depended upon to be respectfully disagreeable, or reasoned with. Alas, some of the citizenry merely desire to witness the Republic enveloped in a smorgasbord of chaos and darkness.


"Progressives will bring balance to the Republic."
Anthony P. Johnson

"The Darker Angels...Revisited"

Everyday we--the adults of this nation--tell the youth that violence solves nothing. We tell them that we are all the same with the exception of our views and if we don't agree, then let us respectfully agree to disagree.

Unfortunately, no sooner than this philosophy is spoken, there are weak-minded, cowardly adults manipulated by infamous, arrogant, racist, fear mongers that injure and murder innocent men, women, and children simply because of a different belief system.

The senseless tragedy in Arizona reinforces that there are some people in the Republic that are willing to set America aflame with violence rather than accept compassion, understanding, and respect for human life.

During the last political cycle, some candidates’ platforms focused on fear, hate, and intolerance, and they were elected.

It’s easy to place complete blame on Fox News, Palin, Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh, Congressman King, Sharon Angle, Rand Paul, and a host of others for feeding the public's appetite with this orgy of vulgarity. However, in Arizona, none of them pulled the trigger that left Ms. Gifford fighting for her life and 6 others murdered in cold blood including a child. A child who was there because of her commitment to be a future leader in America.

Some will say,”Anthony, Liberals, Democrats and Progressives are just as guilty at fanning the flames of terror in America." Well, from where I'm from, Liberals, Democrats, and Progressives have never said, "If we lose an election we should get our guns." I, for one, am willing to lay down all of my joys and give my life to ensure that every American has an "opportunity" to go as far as talent takes him or her, but from a legislative and the electoral process--not by way of violence.

Consequently, what occurred in Arizona is partly the fault of the Palin's, Angle's, Beck's, Limbaugh's and some elected officials that project their narrow minded rhetoric on the nation. The other perpetrators, however, are the ordinary 9 to 5'ers that have willingly given in to the darker angels within.



"Progressives will bring balance to the Republic."
Anthony P. Johnson