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'The American Families Plan, an investment in our kids, our families, and our economic future'

Please read this plan. if you want to be excited about the future; if you want your families to be secure and hopeful; if you want to be proud to be an American; if you want to live in a vibrant democracy; if you are ready to be even more enthusiastic because you have great news to tell everyone, PLEASE READ THIS PLAN, (see the link below).

Here are just a few details and headlines:

'Add at least four years of free education. Investing in education is a down payment on the future of America. As access to high school became more widely available at the turn of the 20th Century, it made us the best-educated and best-prepared nation in the world. But everyone knows that 13 years is not enough today. The American Families Plan will make transformational investments from early childhood to postsecondary education so that all children and young people are able to grow, learn, and gain the skills they need to succeed. It will provide universal, high quality preschool to all three- and four- year-olds. It will provide Americans two years of free community college. It will invest in making college more affordable for low- and middle-income students, including students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and institutions such as Hispanic-serving institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions, and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs). And, it will invest in our teachers as well as our students, improving teacher training and support so that our schools become engines of growth at every level.'

'Provide direct support to children and families. Our nation is strongest when everyone has the opportunity to join the workforce and contribute to the economy. But many workers struggle to both hold a full-time job and care for themselves and their families. The American Families Plan will provide direct support to families to ensure that low- and middle-income families spend no more than seven percent of their income on child care, and that the child care they access is of high-quality. It will also provide direct support to workers and families by creating a national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program that will bring America in line with competitor nations that offer paid leave programs.'

ADD AT LEAST FOUR YEARS OF FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION, CLOSE EQUITY GAPS, AND MAKE COLLEGE MORE AFFORDABLE

UNIVERSAL PRE-SCHOOL FOR ALL THREE- AND FOUR-YEAR-OLDS

FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND OTHER POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION INVESTMENTS

EDUCATION AND PREPARATION FOR TEACHERS

CHILD CARE

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE REFORM

TAX CUTS FOR AMERICA’S FAMILIES AND WORKERS

TAX REFORM THAT REWARDS WORK – NOT WEALTH

(AMERICAN FAMILIES PLAN)

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/28/fact-sheet-the-american-families-plan/

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Oh what that January 6 Investigation can accomplish without Republicans! No more limit on how long it will take. No more nuts like Jim Jordan to fast-talk his way through a witness’s testimony. And this time, as it was the last time, when they all line up to complain outside of the room, Nancy can always say that they weee invited but refused to participate.

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I took immediate note of the reference to Ronald Reagan. The day Reagan was announced as the president, I told a coworker it was one of the darkest days in our nation's history. I intuited the darkness of Reagan. I came to call him "The Great Destroyer".

Today's column speaks volumes to me. I learned years ago that our electric grid has not been updated or modernized since the days of Dwight Eisenhower. I read how our infrastructure is forty – forty! -- years behind schedule. Reagan's and the Republican Party's travesty has resulted in a tragedy of insurmountable proportions. Reagan put a knife squarely into the back of working Americans, all the while subtly touting his racism and his hatred of gays and lesbians. (Reagan diverted MILLIONS of funds set aside for HIV/AIDS research to other programs. He and Jerry Falwell Sr. joyfully declared HIV/AIDS was "God's punishment" for being gay. The evil from that White House lives on.)

As a one who spent five decades in the private business sector after my honorable Military service, I know about the importance of planning and development. My career in real estate property management, development and construction was a continuum of learning. Structures, small and large, are assets that must be properly maintained, preserved and protected. "Our" government has failed at that along national, state and local lines. I applaud the Biden administration for its effort to regenerate the plans and practices that have been set aside for far too long.

In the meantime, we must relegate Mitch McConnell and his cabal of evildoers to the dustbin of history. To me, this is not about a particular political party. It is about good vs. evil. Republicans at large have become the body of consummate evil. When a person (McConnell) refers to themself proudly as "the Grim Reaper", we have a problem.

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Wanted to share this with my boomer sisters and brothers:

Gee Wally - If most Republicans believe Antifa, BLM and violent left-wing activists stormed the Capitol on January 6th, then why do they oppose a commission to investigate it? (image at the link)

https://bluerootsradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GeeWally.jpeg

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This is so badly needed. I am old enough that I remember the post WWII highway building. Rt 128, 493,495, taking down the buildings for the elevated highway through Boston, and then taking that down and re building the SE expressway underground etc, Time to rebuild our country's highways and bridges before more fall down. Time to make our train system modern, time for the wealthy to pay their share of taxes, fix up schools, have free pre-school for children, etc. This needs to happen, I will not live long enough to see all this done but my children and grandchildren will and what I wish for them is a United States that is united and a democracy that honors all inhabitants of this country. "sigh" so tired of the hatred spewed out of the mouths of so many.

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When you see what Trump supporters post that offer no review of our nation's physical, fiscal and functional challenges, just personal attacks and name calling. When you hear about building failures, bridge and transportation decay, water and power grid stress and breakdowns. When you hear and experience "heat domes" and heat waves at temperatures and during periods of the year that aren't just 2 degrees above normal, but 20+ degrees above normal. And then you see fires and storms that destroy billions of dollars of private and public life, land and property. You would think that Americans cannot expect to continue to ignore what we are doing to ourselves and our planet. We do have a disconnect with life that seems rooted in entertainment media that for purposes of maximizing monetary gain, has replaced all forms of education, productive work, intellectual activity and communication.

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On March 21, 1861, Alexander H. Stevens, Vice President of the newly-proclaimed Confederate States of America gave a speech in Savannah Georgia, in which he laid out what the new nation was about. The speech is known in history as The Cornerstone Speech for his extended discourse on what "the cornerstone" on which the Confederacy was founded was. (Take a guess) He also explained the economic system on which the Confederacy was founded, which is worth a read tonight, given the topic of HCR's post:

"This new constitution. or form of government, constitutes the subject to which your attention will be partly invited. In reference to it, I make this first general remark: it amply secures all our ancient rights, franchises, and liberties. All the great principles of Magna Charta are retained in it. No citizen is deprived of life, liberty, or property, but by the judgment of his peers under the laws of the land. The great principle of religious liberty, which was the honor and pride of the old constitution, is still maintained and secured. All the essentials of the old constitution, which have endeared it to the hearts of the American people, have been preserved and perpetuated. Some changes have been made. Some of these I should have preferred not to have seen made; but other important changes do meet my cordial approbation. They form great improvements upon the old constitution. So, taking the whole new constitution, I have no hesitancy in giving it as my judgment that it is decidedly better than the old.

"Allow me briefly to allude to some of these improvements. The question of building up class interests, or fostering one branch of industry to the prejudice of another under the exercise of the revenue power, which gave us so much trouble under the old constitution, is put at rest forever under the new. We allow the imposition of no duty with a view of giving advantage to one class of persons, in any trade or business, over those of another. All, under our system, stand upon the same broad principles of perfect equality. Honest labor and enterprise are left free and unrestricted in whatever pursuit they may be engaged. This old thorn of the tariff, which was the cause of so much irritation in the old body politic, is removed forever from the new.

"Again, the subject of internal improvements, under the power of Congress to regulate commerce, is put at rest under our system. The power, claimed by construction under the old constitution, was at least a doubtful one; it rested solely upon construction. We of the South, generally apart from considerations of constitutional principles, opposed its exercise upon grounds of its inexpediency and injustice. Notwithstanding this opposition, millions of money, from the common treasury had been drawn for such purposes. Our opposition sprang from no hostility to commerce, or to all necessary aids for facilitating it. With us it was simply a question upon whom the burden should fall. In Georgia, for instance, we have done as much for the cause of internal improvements as any other portion of the country, according to population and means. We have stretched out lines of railroads from the seaboard to the mountains; dug down the hills, and filled up the valleys at a cost of not less than $25,000,000. All this was done to open an outlet for our products of the interior, and those to the west of us, to reach the marts of the world. No State was in greater need of such facilities than Georgia, but we did not ask that these works should be made by appropriations out of the common treasury. The cost of the grading, the superstructure, and the equipment of our roads was borne by those who had entered into the enterprise. Nay, more not only the cost of the iron no small item in the aggregate cost was borne in the same way, but we were compelled to pay into the common treasury several millions of dollars for the privilege of importing the iron, after the price was paid for it abroad. What justice was there in taking this money, which our people paid into the common treasury on the importation of our iron, and applying it to the improvement of rivers and harbors elsewhere? The true principle is to subject the commerce of every locality, to whatever burdens may be necessary to facilitate it. If Charleston harbor needs improvement, let the commerce of Charleston bear the burden. If the mouth of the Savannah river has to be cleared out, let the sea-going navigation which is benefited by it, bear the burden. So with the mouths of the Alabama and Mississippi river. Just as the products of the interior, our cotton, wheat, corn, and other articles, have to bear the necessary rates of freight over our railroads to reach the seas. This is again the broad principle of perfect equality and justice, and it is especially set forth and established in our new constitution."

Does this economic system sound familiar? Consider Republicans back in 2014 not wanting to spend "their states' dollars" on emergency aid to New York City after Hurricane Sandy. Consider just about every economic policy put forward by Republicans in the past 40 years. "Southernomics" IS "Republican Economics."

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Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! There is so much that needs fixin', and it'll always be that way. I get the sense Biden is picking his battles with due diligence.

Last Sunday (6/27/21) on Meet the Press, Joshua Johnson made what to me was a compelling comment regarding the infrastructure bill. Referring to the horrific event in Surfside, Florida, he said, "There's nothing like a disaster to focus the mind. I have never spent a night in a building and wondered whether or not it was going to hold me up by morning." He also cited a National Institute of Building Sciences report, to wit, "For every dollar you spend on hazard mitigation you save $6.00 on disaster relief." Also, "...so I understand all these political calculi that are playing, but there's nothing like a disaster to remind the American people the home you sleep in may not stand by morning, and there's something you can do about it." https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press-full-episodes (Quote at around 34:05)

I don't know why I deleted the story I was reading yesterday about the folks in West Virginia who once a week drive to a water source and fill up their tanks for their next week's water supply. Here's what I did find in its place. It's in video form...happy, happy! (NBC News from a week ago) https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=news+about+west+virginians+who+have+to+get+their+water+from+a+creekek&docid=608035578158713164&mid=8FA9F61BAC211BDCA25B8FA9F61BAC211BDCA25B&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

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I don't believe in a literal Hell -- I think we make our own Heaven or Hell here on Earth -- but if I did, I'd be certain that one of the hottest places in Hell is reserved for McConnell.

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This is off topic, briefly, because watching a program last night of coverage on the collapse of the condo in Surfside called for attention to the families waiting. Having learned about the nature of this collapse, hope does not appear realistic. We can be with the families in spirit.

A big leap now to our president. It seemed as though I was seeing a page from a book by Heather Cox Richardson when I read this piece. Truly, I couldn’t believe my eyes, until I could:

‘The larger story, which often gets lost in the daily news cycle, is the enduring scale of Biden’s ambition. Simply put, he is trying to remake American domestic policy in a way rarely seen outside wartime. Looking at the scale of his proposals to tackle climate change, expand the social safety net, and check rising income inequality, the only comparable Democratic initiatives are the New Deal and the Great Society. Even those comparisons are a bit misleading: F.D.R. and Lyndon Johnson both enjoyed large majorities on Capitol Hill. Biden’s Democrats have a narrow, nine-vote majority in the House, while in the Senate he must rely on his Vice-President to break a tie. That’s if he can cajole the likes of Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema into supporting him.

Pulling off this double-play is a mighty challenge, but Biden seems fully committed to doing so.’ (The New Yorker by John Cassidy) See the link below:

https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-big-story-is-still-joe-bidens-mighty-ambitions

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/collapsed-florida-building-residents-told-it-was-safe-despite-major-n1272507

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Off topic but wasn’t sure of the best way to contact you.

This is a very well written article which, while humorous, illustrates how close we are to a second war of secession.

https://m.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2021/06/28/inside-gun-surrendering-criminal-mark-mccloskeys-very-sad-st-louis-rally

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Took a vacation from life and the news. I felt safe to do so for the first time in years, trusting that others would pay attention. I came back to messages like this from HCR that speak of work to be done, positive work beyond the continuing need to protect democracy. Perhaps the tide has finally turned towards a better shore. Good morning everyone.

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Heather, thank you so much for this letter - especially the explanation of the two-track infrastructure bill. I thought I'd lost my mind when the Republicans acted stunned and amazed that the plan was to have two tracks for the bills, and that the Democrats would present the second bill and pass it through reconciliation. I knew that had been discussed at length on television prior to the bipartisan bill's approval, and couldn't reconcile the righteous indignation of the Republicans at being "deceived" by Biden. Even CNN and MSNBC were glad to throw Biden under the bus and never mention that this plan was common knowledge to anyone who was paying an attention. It frustrates that the media stirs the pot by pointing to Biden's missteps, after what this country has been through the last five years, and Mitch McConnell's malevolent behavior since 2010. I'm not blind to the fact that Joe Biden isn't perfect, but he began before he was even sworn into office to try to put this country back together, and I believe the media is obligated to tell the truth. The Republicans knew exactly what they were agreeing to, and so did the press.

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I love it that McCarthy has "consultation rights" only. That means no one the likes of Jim Jordan or Lauren Boebert can be on this "select" committee. I hope McCarthy is soiling his pants as he awaits being called to testify. The truth shall set us free, or in his case get him thrown out of office. And, McTurtleneck is as sly as he can be, but someday he's going to get caught in his own trap. Can't wait.

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Meanwhile, these are such big issues that everyone goes on break first. The Dems have honed the art of slow-walking to its finest point. https://nader.org/2021/06/25/leaves-must-be-canceled-all-hands-on-the-congressional-deck/

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Good morning, Professor! We are getting closer to a true renewal in the US. The Retrumplicans are even taking the time to attack you here. McConnell is sputtering like a gas engine trying to run on diesel. When the wealthy start paying their taxes and companies begin paying their "fair" share and those green jobs fatten the payroll tax, we won't be spending into the red.

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