Bedlam Erupts At Townhall In Orlando As GOP Rep. Defends Ending Medicare, Tax Breaks For Rich

[Tx4obama]

Run time: 03:58 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4JY9-rdhYc   Posted on YouTube: April 26, 2011 By YouTube Member: ThinkProgressVideo Views on YouTube: 92   Posted on DU: April 26, 2011 By DU Member: Tx4obama Views on DU: 7749

 

Dan Webster (R-FL) Town Hall

Article here: http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/26/webster-town-hall-backlash-medicare-medicaid/


I'm loving it!

I hope the GOP gets their ass chewed in every state all across the USA!

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. My how the tables have turned, since the "Summer of Hate". Move over Teabaggers...

you've just eff'd with the wrong demographic. Seniors ain't buyin' it. :rofl:

[flamingdem]

5. That's right, thanks teabaggers for teaching about how useful media

from a town hall can be!

[bjobotts]

20. Even his charts are lies.End the Bush tax cuts and you can erase the red ink

[bjobotts]

21. It's not about spending it's about revenue.$334 billion is owed the IRS right now but he voted to no

not hire more IRS help so they could collect it. Roll back the Reagan tax cuts and close corporate loopholes and the revenue would be there to prevent cutting spending on Medicare and Medicaid. These typical republicans only want the debate to be about spending cuts and refuse to discuss tax cuts for billionaires and their trans national corporations.

[bjobotts]

22. Plus this Ryan plan ends the Food stamp program.The #1 economic stimulus.

[bjobotts]

23. The Ryan plan will turn us into a third world country.Notice how they ran on jobsyet ignore it now

[stockholmer]

57. your numbers do not add up, (there has to be huge changes to keep your social safety net)

Taking the highest year (2001) and subtracting 2006 (844.0 5 years later tax revenue was still down from 2001) you come up with only a $106 billion difference. Taking the lowest year (2004) from the 2001 totals you get $252 billion. These numbers are dwarfed by the spending on the war machine alone.

For just 2011, over $1.2 trillion will be spent on defense, black ops, previous military debt, etc.

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175361/tomgram%3A_chris_hellman,_$1.2_trillion_for_national_security/


The overall deficit is $1.6+ trillion. $100 to 200 billion year in lost income tax revenue is not going to come close to making serious dent in the deficit. Your $334 billion a year figure certainly doesn't.

I completely agree with you that the wealthiest individuals should have not received extensions of the Bush tax cuts, but this is just a start. The US has to stop the empiric war spending and finally hold the financial systemic controllers (banks, the US Fed, the largest multi-national firms, etc) to account.

Throughout the history of the last 65+ years, whatever the tax rates were for individuals and corporations have been, the most total revenue the Federal government has ever taken in is around 20% of the GDP. It fluctuates between 15% and 20% no matter what they do. Plus, the US GDP is now, as a percentage, composed to higher level of financial, banking transactions (not tangible good production, etc) than at any other time in its history.



The entire system is designed (over the course of the last 60 years or so) to slowly, grindingly, relentlessly strip-mine your wealth, concentrate it in the hands of less than 0.1% of the population, use government powers to crush small and medium businesses in favour of the multinationals, devastate your entire infrastructure (both public and private), dismantle your industrial capacity, turn your health care into a huge 'for-profit' matrix, and bankrupt the 50 states so they cannot resist the national government's (as dictated by their true owner, the systemic controllers) tyranny.


What is needed is a 1% Tobin tax (a Wall Street sales tax, if you will) on all financial transactional turnover (with a $1 million bottom floor exemption on the first million dollars).

Combine that with at least a 50 to 60% reduction in war machine spending, and you have a balanced budget, the ability to start to pay down the national debt, and finally justice where the banksters are forced to pay their fair share of national upkeep. As of now they exist in an almost pure fascistic state, where they keep private 'profits' in the trillions, and yet get bailed out by having the trillions of real losses dumped onto the citizens.

The US dollar is getting crushed last couple of months. The other reasons, (Q2, monster Federal deficits, states on verge of default, etc etc) are why the dollar is down 30% versus our currency, the krona (and many others), over the last 8 months.

If the US DX breaches the 72 support level (it is now under 74), which on this track it will in less than a month or two, expect a waterfall down to the low 60's or even high 50's, with disastrous effects on global commodity prices and the US standard of living in particular.

scary chart :
http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/US/M

Dollar crisis/huge inflation is probably on the way, especially if the Fed launches QE3 and doesn't raise interest rates.

But, if they do not do QE3, the economy tanks further, plus raising interest rates just several hundred basis points will add hundreds upon hundreds of billions to the deficit in terms of debt service.

Sooner or later (within the next 2 to 5 years max) there simply will be a bond-market enforcement of this huge and ever growing debt, forcing rises in the T-Bill price/yield spreads that will bring the country to its knees, just like what happened in Greece. Ireland, Portugal, soon Spain, Italy, etc.

Then the true meaning of enforced austerity will truly be known in the States.

[rainy]

25. and our guys are genuine and not bussed in and propped

up by corporate money!!!!!!

[curiousdemo]

27. For a moment, I felt sympaty for

the sorry bastard, and then I thought about what he done.......:nuke:

[louslobbs]

2. Beautiful, real townhalls with real people not bused in by Koch brothers astroturf inc.

Lou

[liberalmike27]

7. This is Beautiful

I love seeing this awakening by all the folks who put the guys in office. I just can't help but wonder where in the world they've been? Does anyone even watch what Republicans do, what they've been doing for 30 years? Truth is it isn't tax cuts for the rich, but tax transfers from the rich to the poor and middle class.

[DFW]

32. You touched on the problem

"Does anyone even watch what Republicans do?"

No. They watch Fox and believe what Fox tells them Republicans do. If Fox had been telling them what
Republicans REALLY do, Republicans would never get elected in the first place. But since Fox is an
arm of the Republican Party, they will tell their viewers what they want them to believe, and in a
land where education budgets have been suffering for years, believe it they do. If Fox tells them
that filling your lungs with water is a good idea, plenty of them will do just that, and their
survivors will say that the drowning of their loved ones was "God's will."

[colorado_ufo]

49. And that sums it up.

[KansDem]

3. BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

They're appearing with bodyguards now! :rofl:

[flamingdem]

4. yayyyyy !! give 'im 'ell nt

[fascisthunter]

6. I Said this Before and I'll Say it Again

the right wing politicians and leaders don't have to only worry about the left, but more so their own voters, those who they have been fooling for years now. There is a lot of anger out there and I hope the anger is directed right at the source.

Oh, the left has been RIGHT AGAIN!

[Populist_Prole]

8. Wunnerful! GOP overplayed their hand in a BIG way

They honestly thought the 2010 elections were a mandate for the teabagger party. I have to say that hearing of these town hall meetings backfiring on the right has restored my faith somewhat in seniors. I have to say, I thought they would have gladly taken their 30 pieces of silver, but I was wrong. Of that, I'm glad.

[onethatcares]

9. that I 4 corridor is where they are starting to wake up.

our gov managed to piss just about everyone off, except the talk show radio hosts, by shooting down the train from Tampa. He's also been cutting the safety net, giving handouts to his cronies and acting like he owns the place.

As soon as those folks in the Villages get their dander up, we might see some super changes here.

[Poll_Blind]

10. When real people get to ask the questions it gets ugly- but that kind of accountability...

...is beautiful.

PB

[HolyCity2012]

11. Kick & Recommend

A W S O M E !

[Ramulux]

12. This is what those dumbasses get

for voting in this ass clown over Alan Grayson. I get the feeling Grayson is gonna be happy to see this video.

[Kurovski]

15. I'll bet the election was tampered with on a number of levels.

Those are not ill-informed people in that video. And I do seem to recall that it is a fairly conservative district?

[axollot]

34. Everything north of the I-4 corridor is pretty conservative but

since Gov Scott has been running the state like a dictator. The people are fed up. I'll be at the next town hall meeting. Cliff Stearns had one recently but didnt show up. He never shows up tho he always sends an aid. bastard.

Even my conservative neighbors are WAKEING UP! This is HUGh!!111!!! (lol)

Cheers
Sandy

[spooked911]

36. Cliff-- 9/11 first responders may be terrorists-- Stearns never shows up?

Shocking!

[axollot]

46. I have been ragging on him for 6 months about getting his name on

a bill...this isnt what I WANTED. Bloody hell. :facepalm: Becareful what you ask for....

Cheers
Sandy
Who will call them, and write them again (I've really given him hell for being such a sit back do nothing congressman lmao)

[indy legend]

47. Of coarse he doesn't show up because every last one of these

damned, fucking,lying, pieces of shit are first and foremost, fucking cowards without exception. the have no morals,no conscience and no guts. They are slime. Have I mentioned yet how much I hate these mother fuckers.

[Kurovski]

13. Vote 'em out of office, or recall the one's you can.

Did the fuckwits campaign on trashing medicare, giving your money to billionaires? I didn't think so. Recall them if you can.

[TheCowsCameHome]

17. Most of the Teabag old geezers can't recall their own names.

let alone sign a recall petition.

[Kurovski]

19. Those are not teabaggers.

I have said this enough on DU, but I'll say it again: PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR OWN SURVIVAL. "Old geezers" especially do.

Some people can be misled by their own hate or racism if they are financially comfortable enough. That's the "Tea Party", I tell you what.

[juajen]

58. Please don't make fun of the elderly. They are much wiser than you think! NT

[ChiciB1]

52. If I'm Not Mistaken Florida Is A "No Recall" State. Correct Me If I'm Wrong...

PLEASE! I was told we couldn't recall Scott, but haven't researched it, but would LOVE to start a petition to RECALL him ASAP! Which of course would take some time since he just kind of got elected.

Voting them out will also take time and they can do a LOT of damage in the meantime.

[Kurovski]

53. I think you are wrong on that, here's some info I haven't vetted too well...

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2011/02/dem-lawmaker-files-bill-allowing-recall-of-gov-and-cabinet.html

http://www.google.com/search?rls=RNWE%2CRNWE%3A2004-35%2CRNWE%3Aen&hl=en&source=hp&q=florida+recall+of+governor&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=


Here is a facebook page to get rid of Scott, my friend CB1:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Recall-Florida-Governor-Rick-Scott/183133285056947

[Kurovski]

55. And this google page too, that I forgot to include:

http://www.google.com/search?rls=RNWE,RNWE%3A2004-35,RNWE%3Aen&hl=en&q=florida%20recall%20of%20congressman&spell=1&sa=X

[ChiciB1]

60. THANKS So Much "Kurovski", I Should Have Done My Homework...

BUT I wanted to post quickly, now I want to do something to rid this state of him and many of his cohorts!

Thanks again...
:hug:

[Kurovski]

61. You're welcome, I had the time so I was happy to start you out.

I also wanted to know for my own edification.

It looks like you even have elected officials in your corner, so go "throw the bums out." :)

[The Wizard]

14. They are not packing heat

nor are they dressed for Halloween.

[Kurovski]

16. +1

It's for realz.

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. What I saw was mostly white haired men (including Dan Webster)

using every excuse to push the Republican policies. Dan Webster had tear jerking worry that he didn't want to pass the costs over to his grandkids, and then when someone criticized him for cutting taxes to the rich, another white haired man became unglued and yelled, "Because we can't afford it! Moron!"

So I can't help thinking that this demographic is just thinking about themselves. If they were really worried about the grandkids they would pay up and shut up.

[Populist_Prole]

24. I see that same thing

My hard right tea party father is the consummate "I got mine, the hell with you" wealthy ( or at least comfortable ) retiree: Even though he got f*cked over by his ex-employer, is rabidly pro-corporate and anti-labor and comes unglued about hearing the government spending money on anything other than the military ( or his SS ) yet with a straight face will moan crocodile tears about his grandkids dealing with the deficit blah blah blah. Like he really gives a shit. There's no reaching the conservative well-off seniors, free from finacial worry themselves they have the wherewithal to direct their hate to anybody but themselves; but it's great to see the seniors that are just getting by wake up to the reality of the neo hard right.

[The Backlash Cometh]

26. They have completely flipped the meme.

Just ten years ago, if you engaged this same people in conversation they would have told you that they were planning to spend their money on themselves and were happy to leave behind a debt after they died. Didn't care who buried them or how they were buried. They weren't planning to leave anything behind for anyone.

So I don't believe them now with the grandkid meme.

[heppcatt]

43. Look at reverse mortgage adverts on TV

They still do not care about the future generations.

[brewens]

59. Imagine a guy like that having finished his working days before

the labor movement. We've only ever had a few generations retire comfortably. Before that it was poverty. They were lucky if their kids could feed them. No traveling and golf back in those days, and in many cases they wouldn't be healthy enough anyway.

It's amazing there has ever been such a thing as a working class Republican if you think about it. How did they ever pull that off? Using hate and fear to exploit their ignorance I guess.

[Jack Rabbit]

28. Note to Dick Armey and the Koch Brothers . . .

. . . this is what a real grassroots movement looks like.

[florida08]

29. This is the guy that replaced Alan Grayson

Sarah Palin had targeted Grayson and the district was blitzed with negative ads. And yes these people are not the TeaCorp they're the ones who've been watching the coup unfold. They know how bad the situation is with the new medicare fraudster Rick Scott who is pretending to be a governor. Florida is not a rich state by any means..only sections of it. Housing has come to a grinding halt aside from condos or apartments. Job loss high. It is as someone stated..survival mode now.

Democracy in action..gives hope..thanks for posting

[florida08]

30. a little info on the 8th district

Median income: 41,500 Pop 640,000
Voted for Obama

Under Ryan's plan

[SadPanda]

31. YUMMY YUMMY TABLES TURNED... ANSWER MY REAL QUESTION

They can't answer.

[axollot]

33. Woo hoo! Florida shows they are sick and tired and not taking it

anymore!!

:woohoo:

Cheers
Sandy
living in Flora-hell

[humanityisfree]

35. give 'em HELL

is there an awakening happening? or is it just the american partisan pendulum swinging its ever quickening arc?

[dotymed]

37. It is really detrimental to all Americans

that the corporate owned MSM will not cover these meetings and broadcast them often. They did when the people (a lot of astro-turfed "movements" too) shot-down the democrat pols at town hall meetings in 2010.

We MUST Re-Instate the Fairness Doctrine, so that Americans are informed. Not just the corporate viewpoints (which are pro-screwing America) but all news and views, just like it was before Reagan killed the Fairness Doctrine.

[spooked911]

38. the last guy is the best

though I wish people would have nailed Webster's ass even harder

[spicegal]

39. Is it possible that Americans are finally waking up to what's

been going on in this country since Reagan, i.e. policies that largely favor the wealthiest Americans and squeeze the life out of the middle/working class and poor? The Republicans are literally pushing the same agenda as Bush that clearly failed after 8 years of trying. But no, we mustn't raise taxes. Frankly, I don't care if they let all the Bush tax cuts expire. I got a tax cut, but it was so minuscule that it didn't much matter in the grand scheme of things.

[marias23]

40. People Smartening Up

A beautiful thing. BTW I have Medicare it is so efficient and so necessary. When you are ill, not having to worry about the bill is truly wonderful and aids healing - which, for the bean counters - saves money.

[A wise Man]

41. Did you notice the post response

A house has fallen on their heads and they are still ignorant to the fact that rethugs want you to die. VOUCHER MY ASS!!!!!!!!!

[HolyCity2012]

42. majority.fm w/ Sam Seder

[boycottfaux]

44. ABOUT TIME!!!

Jeez, it's about time the people in Florida WOKE UP!!!

'Cause they all got duped by the GOP.  You teabaggers voted
for change, well don't choke on it!

[Plucketeer]

45. I'd loved to have eavesdropped

on that Rethug conference call these thugs had. :yoiks:

[colorado_ufo]

48. A few months ago my repub friend

started on how we should eliminate Medicare and Social Security, since they were "bankrupting" the economy. She likes to pick political arguments. So I decided to go along with her and said, "We need to address that! Why don't we go to a nursing home - you choose - and we will have a meeting with the seniors there and tell them why we need to discontinue their Medicare and Social Security."

Funny how she changed the subject.

[ChiciB1]

50. As A Floridian I'm THRILLED To See This Happening! AND Especially In

ORLANDO, a bastion of "religious zealots" by and large. Orlando is part of the HUGE I-4 corridor that many politicians FIGHT hard to have on their side.

Now, if we could only GET RID of the "alien" Rick Scott, who for some weird reason always trailed Alex Sink in the polls, UNTIL HE DIDN'T! Not that Alex Sink was left leaning, but by far I would have been happier, especially because the legislature here is controlled by Repukes. THIS is one state that has some very harsh legislation when it comes to the middle class people and those of lesser means. And just trying to organize something like what happened in WI seems very far-fetched from any experiences I've had in the past. I live in a very RED county and have tried organizing in the past, and getting even 50 people together is really, really difficult.

So GLAD to see this, ROLL on Repukes, ROLL ON! Maybe people are finally listening, but it MUST be sustained!

:thumbsup:

[AlbertCat]

51. "Bedlam erupts!" Love the phrase!

[valerief]

54. Wonderful! nt

[teabaghater]

56. T Party

realizes the've been had---priceless!!!