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Write A Letter To The Editor Supporting School Uniforms?

Via Krugman's blog, David Dayen reports that OFA, the Obama organization, is asking supporters to write letters to the editor supporting the President's pay freeze initiative:

The economy is growing again, yet all across America families and businesses have been tightening their belts. The President knows their government must do the same. Yesterday, he announced a proposal to freeze pay for non-military federal employees for two years[. . . . W]e need your help to get the truth out there.

Will you take a few minutes and write a letter to the editor today to set the record straight?

I think that's dumb policy so I wouldn't write such a letter. But I would write one supporting school uniforms. That was pretty harmless I thought. Maybe Obama should adopt the physicians' code, first do no harm.

Speaking for me only

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  • Display: Sort:
    Why doesn't Obama take no (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by observed on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:19:53 PM EST
    pay?

    Would be unconstitutional. nt (none / 0) (#8)
    by inclusiveheart on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:41:41 PM EST
    Couldn't he pay himself $1? (none / 0) (#10)
    by nycstray on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:42:40 PM EST
    That's what a certain NYC Mayor does . . . .

    Parent
    I don't think so. (5.00 / 2) (#13)
    by inclusiveheart on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:49:47 PM EST
    Anyway, that is going entirely in the wrong direction.  The GOP's dream would be for all government positions to be unpaid.  The only people who could take the positions would be trust fund babies or people who would accept bribes.  That was the whole point of making government work paid work instead of volunteer.

    Parent
    Organized Fleecing of America (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:23:50 PM EST
    cares about THIS???

    where the hell were they on health care reform?

    Supporting the insurance companies' (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by inclusiveheart on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:42:17 PM EST
    interests.

    Parent
    Haven't you heard, the only thing wrong with (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by ruffian on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 03:06:25 PM EST
    the HCR was the messaging and selling of it. Hence this attempt to sell Obama as a federal belt tightener.

    Parent
    Doesn't bode well for Obama/Dems. (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by oculus on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:29:29 PM EST
    receiving union PAC funds and/or boots on the ground.  

    No better time than now for the third party. (none / 0) (#6)
    by rhbrandon on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:31:42 PM EST
    What shall it be named?

    Parent
    I am reading "Saul Bellow's Letters." (none / 0) (#7)
    by oculus on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:33:31 PM EST
    He called himself a "revolutionist."  Trying to figure out why he wasn't dragged into the HUAC mess.  

    Parent
    BTD, you might not write such a letter, (5.00 / 3) (#16)
    by Anne on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:58:05 PM EST
    but I'm sure more than a few of the "you had me at `hello'" OFA-loyalists are tapping out letters even as we speak...because enough of them will just do what they're told, and never question the policy.

    Yes, American families and some businesses have been tightening their belts - but I see there is no mention of those that haven't had to, those whose incomes and wealth and bottom lines have increased - often at the expense of those who are already sacrificing and have little left to give.

    If the President "knows" that the government needs to tighten its belt, he doesn't know as much as I, at least, would like him to; the federal budget is not, in any way, shape or form, like a household or business budget.  Why does he continue to advance the myth - and Republican position (at least with respect to things they don't want to pay for) - that it is?  Inquiring minds...

    What Democrat is his or her right mind would agree that freezing anyone's pay is the smart thing to do in a struggling economy desperate to maintain what marginal increases in demand there have been?  What person of any political persuasion thinks this is the right message to send at the beginning of the holiday spending period?  Why would you want to give people any more reason to be afraid to spend?

    And I guess you will have to pardon my laughter when I consider the request to "get the truth out there."  What is being requested is for more Republican propaganda to be disseminated via a media that is already with the anti-government, anti-old, anti-poor and anti-sick campaign, and still on board with WAR! WAR! WAR! And TERROR! TERROR! TERROR!

    It's disheartening to know we have a so-called Democratic president who doesn't understand the power and ability of the government to help the millions and millions of ordinary, average Joes and Janes who comprise the population, and has, instead, chosen the Republican fork in the road.

    Ugh.  Just...ugh.

    "You had me at hello" (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by shoephone on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 06:49:39 PM EST
    That is funniest encapsulation of Obama's fellow travelers I've seen yet.

    Parent
    Anne, that's a second post of yours (none / 0) (#19)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 04:26:42 PM EST
    today I agree with completely. Often we have differences on parts of issues, but not on these. Rec'ed one million.

    Parent
    I've got a couple (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by masslib on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 09:57:07 PM EST
    of letters for Obama.

    Just wait: Obama will negotiate (none / 0) (#3)
    by observed on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:27:51 PM EST
    the Republicans into making the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy even steeper!

    Wile-E.-Coyote-11th-dimensional chess brilliant. (none / 0) (#5)
    by rhbrandon on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:30:59 PM EST
    Just call it the OFA-Acme Corporation organization.

    Wonder how the Kossacks are repackaging this?

    No one on the front page is (none / 0) (#11)
    by inclusiveheart on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:46:51 PM EST
    expressing any support - in fact the OFA crowd that has been so dominant in recent years is positively apoplectic about the negative response to this pay freeze.  They are very upset at the "name calling" because one story on the FP was titled "President Gimmick" lol.

    Parent
    What is this "truth" (none / 0) (#12)
    by talesoftwokitties on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:48:03 PM EST
    we're supposed to get out "there"?

    I was wondering the same (none / 0) (#14)
    by nycstray on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:55:55 PM EST
    not too sure they would agree with the 'truth' I would blast with their LTE tool  ;)

    Parent
    Hell yeah BTD... (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 02:56:04 PM EST
    I've been saying we need a hypocratic-esque "first do no harm" oath from pols for years.  

    I wrote a letter using their site (none / 0) (#18)
    by msobel on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 03:09:48 PM EST
    A Federal Worker Pay Freeze Is An Excellent First Step

    President Obama's proposal, which has to be passed by the GOP/Tea Party House, will freeze all non-military government workers' pay (not including GOP/Tea Party elected officials or staff) for two years.  

    Since the sole purpose of this action is to show fiscal discipline, if we freeze pay on all government workers we must include all employees of government contractors, and reduce contractors costs to the equivalent government job they are replacing.

    For those contractors with overhead expenses like wasteful executive pay (in excess of the equivalent government executive), obviously we cannot afford with our budget deficit to keep them on and would have to save money by bringing the jobs into the government.

    Since on average government workers are paid 22% less than the equivalent private sector worker, this would apply to most contracts and would result in a vast saving especially if we apply it to Defense contractors.

    We shouldn't use government workers in cases where private contractors are more cost effective (with equivalent benefits and working conditions).

    For deficit reduction, we must put a freeze on lobbyist pay to the equivalent of the standard unrepresented voter.  In order to hire a lobbyist, the hiring firm would have to freeze pay increases for two years also.

    Lawyers pay in suits where the government is involved must be limited to the equivalent pay for the government lawyers. This will make business more efficient and increase profits.

    Yes, I am eager to see the Obama Administration and the GOP/Tea Party cut back on inefficient contractors, wasteful lobbyists, and high priced lawyers. It will reduce our deficit which is the only important thing these days.

    Re: Contractors (none / 0) (#20)
    by christinep on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 04:35:09 PM EST
    Great remarks about contractor costs. And, I suspect that pressure to tone down the burgeoning number of contractors will build. After the huge growth spurt in the past 20 or so years (farming out anything in sight to contractors--often with the general contract at the GS14 level), the contractor spree has even come in the cutting sights of--guess who--Simpson and Bowles. (They recommend a minimum 20% cut.) Seriously, if we want to apply reinvention pressure anywhere in the civilian force, a good place to focus would be the contractor costs.

    Parent
    North Korea will sell us school uniforms (none / 0) (#22)
    by Ben Masel on Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 08:26:53 PM EST
    cheap.