Talk to Me is Home Sweet Home

1451 posts for FLORIDA TODAY later, Talk to Me is back home.

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Talk to Me

Tuesday Zen

 Roxanne
You don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right


Roxanne.  The Police.

One Last Dance

The party is over.

(...)

As of Feb. 6, FLORIDA TODAY will be discontinuing the citizen-opinion features on (the) Public Interest pages, in print and online. FLORIDA TODAY is relaunching under a new business model, to include online subscriptions and new host technology. The same changes has forced updates to our content. For you, it means:

1. ...Opinion Matters blog will disappear Feb. 9.
2. ...The final "Monday debate" will publish Feb. 6.
3. ...Other semi-regular blogs and guest columns also will drop from our lineup the week of Feb. 5-11.

What that means for Talk to Me.

This will be my final post for FLORIDA TODAY, followed tomorrow by a  final Weekend  Zen, albeit the zen will fall on a Tuesday. 

I wish to thank all those who followed this blog.  For some, we may have vehemently disagreed, but I thank you all the same.  I extend a special thanks to the vets who reached out to me as well as those disenfranchised by Florida law.

Thank you to my Sunday/Monday writing partner Marshall Frank and my former community blogger partner, Right Turn blogger, Jim Manely.

And of course, many thanks to  my former FT editor, John Glisch.

I have a couple of irons in the fire, but for now, those who wish to keep in touch can find me at my Twitter feed (Talktomememe) or at Talk Shatsky on Facebook and of course, at my Blogger archive Talk to Me, found here at www.talktomeblog.net.

It's been a great 5 years, almost to the very day.

I leave you with a couple of thoughts.

I love Florida with every fiber of my being.  I have no doubt she can return to the Paradise she once was, but it is up to those who love her as much as I to wrestle her away from those who have spoiled her magnificence.

I leave this format with two IKEA boxes full of published clips.  I have the satisfaction of knowing that one day years from now, someone can access my work and read what I had to say over the last several years.  That being said, support the public libraries who archive the print editions of your local paper.

For as so noted in our digital world, in a moment, it can all be gone.

See ya.

And thanks again.

Weekend Zen

Hey now baby, get into my big black car
Hey now baby, get into my big black car
I wanna just show you what my politics are.

Hey, hey, hey
I wanna just show you what my politics are.

Politician.  Cream.

A Day at the Rep

Well, I can see why Mitt Romney hesitated the release of his tax return and I'm not buying his story he feared the $4.1 million tithe to his church would be used against him by his challengers.

The man is clearly a one percenter.  I'd stake my claim the man's estimated worth of $250 million will not sell to those living in tents pitched throughout this country.  (Per the AJC, "...only 8,274 filers reported income above $10 million.")

Newt Gingrich is a pauper ($3 million, give and take some change) compared to Romney.  On the other hand, Newt pulled a toxic salary of apparently $1.6 million over several years (and several contracts) from Freddie Mac.

In the spirit of transparency, Newt released his 2006 contract with the reviled mortgage company, which he insists details compensation as a consultant, not a lobbyist for Freddie Mac.

A second contract recently released reflects $25,000 compensation paid monthly to Newt's consulting business.

I can't wait to the see the contract stipulating the dollar amount Newt received as a historian for Freddie Mac.


Talk to Me.

State of the Union Highlights

Highlights I took away from last night's State of the Union address.  Feel free to post highlights of your choice.

Manufacturing:

(...)

"Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.

We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it. 

So let's change it. First, if you're a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn't get a tax deduction for doing it. That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.

Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here.

Third, if you're an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you're a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.

My message is simple. It's time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. Send me these tax reforms, and I'll sign them right away."

Trade:

(...)

"I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products. And I will not stand by when our competitors don't play by the rules. We've brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration - and it's made a difference. Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires. But we need to do more. It's not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated. It's not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they're heavily subsidized.

Tonight, I'm announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China. There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or new markets like Russia. Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you - America will always win."

Job Skills and Training:

(...)

"Jackie Bray is a single mom from North Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic. Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte, and formed a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College. The company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training. It paid Jackie's tuition, then hired her to help operate their plant.

I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackie did. Join me in a national commitment to train two million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job. My Administration has already lined up more companies that want to help. Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, Orlando, and Louisville are up and running. Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers - places that teach people skills that local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing. 

And I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help they need. It's time to turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work".

Education:

(...)

"We also know that when students aren't allowed to walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. So tonight, I call on every State to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn eighteen.

When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July. Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves middle-class families thousands of dollars. And give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next five years.

Of course, it's not enough for us to increase student aid. We can't just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we'll run out of money. States also need to do their part, by making higher education a higher priority in their budgets. And colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep costs down. Recently, I spoke with a group of college presidents who've done just that. Some schools re-design courses to help students finish more quickly. Some use better technology. The point is, it's possible. So let me put colleges and universities on notice: If you can't stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down. Higher education can't be a luxury - it's an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford."

Home Owners:

(...)

"There's never been a better time to build, especially since the construction industry was one of the hardest-hit when the housing bubble burst. Of course, construction workers weren't the only ones hurt. So were millions of innocent Americans who've seen their home values decline. And while Government can't fix the problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn't have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief. 

That's why I'm sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low interest rates. No more red tape. No more runaround from the banks. A small fee on the largest financial institutions will ensure that it won't add to the deficit, and will give banks that were rescued by taxpayers a chance to repay a deficit of trust."

Taxes:

 (...)

"... we need to change our tax code so that people like me, and an awful lot of Members of Congress, pay our fair share of taxes. Tax reform should follow the Buffett rule: If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes. And my Republican friend Tom Coburn is right: Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires. In fact, if you're earning a million dollars a year, you shouldn't get special tax subsidies or deductions. On the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn't go up. You're the ones struggling with rising costs and stagnant wages. You're the ones who need relief. 

Now, you can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense. 

We don't begrudge financial success in this country. We admire it. When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it's not because they envy the rich. It's because they understand that when I get tax breaks I don't need and the country can't afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference - like a senior on a fixed income; or a student trying to get through school; or a family trying to make ends meet. That's not right. Americans know it's not right. They know that this generation's success is only possible because past generations felt a responsibility to each other, and to their country's future, and they know our way of life will only endure if we feel that same sense of shared responsibility. That's how we'll reduce our deficit. That's an America built to last."

Washington:

(...)

"I recognize that people watching tonight have differing views about taxes and debt; energy and health care. But no matter what party they belong to, I bet most Americans are thinking the same thing right now: Nothing will get done this year, or next year, or maybe even the year after that, because Washington is broken. 

Can you blame them for feeling a little cynical? 

The greatest blow to confidence in our economy last year didn't come from events beyond our control. It came from a debate in Washington over whether the United States would pay its bills or not. Who benefited from that fiasco? 

I've talked tonight about the deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street. But the divide between this city and the rest of the country is at least as bad - and it seems to get worse every year.

Some of this has to do with the corrosive influence of money in politics. So together, let's take some steps to fix that. Send me a bill that bans insider trading by Members of Congress, and I will sign it tomorrow. Let's limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact. Let's make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can't lobby Congress, and vice versa - an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside of Washington. 

Some of what's broken has to do with the way Congress does its business these days. A simple majority is no longer enough to get anything - even routine business - passed through the Senate. Neither party has been blameless in these tactics. Now both parties should put an end to it. For starters, I ask the Senate to pass a rule that all judicial and public service nominations receive a simple up or down vote within 90 days.

The executive branch also needs to change. Too often, it's inefficient, outdated and remote. That's why I've asked this Congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy so that our Government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people.

Finally, none of these reforms can happen unless we also lower the temperature in this town. We need to end the notion that the two parties must be locked in a perpetual campaign of mutual destruction; that politics is about clinging to rigid ideologies instead of building consensus around common sense ideas."

Veterans:

(...)

"Above all, our freedom endures because of the men and women in uniform who defend it. As they come home, we must serve them as well as they served us. That includes giving them the care and benefits they have earned - which is why we've increased annual VA spending every year I've been President. And it means enlisting our veterans in the work of rebuilding our Nation.

With the bipartisan support of this Congress, we are providing new tax credits to companies that hire vets. Michelle and Jill Biden have worked with American businesses to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for veterans and their families. And tonight, I'm proposing a Veterans Job Corps that will help our communities hire veterans as cops and firefighters, so that America is as strong as those who defend her."

Working together:

(...)

"One of my proudest possessions is the flag that the SEAL Team took with them on the mission to get bin Laden. On it are each of their names. Some may be Democrats. Some may be Republicans. But that doesn't matter. Just like it didn't matter that day in the Situation Room, when I sat next to Bob Gates - a man who was George Bush's defense secretary; and Hillary Clinton, a woman who ran against me for president. 

All that mattered that day was the mission. No one thought about politics. No one thought about themselves. One of the young men involved in the raid later told me that he didn't deserve credit for the mission. It only succeeded, he said, because every single member of that unit did their job - the pilot who landed the helicopter that spun out of control; the translator who kept others from entering the compound; the troops who separated the women and children from the fight; the SEALs who charged up the stairs. More than that, the mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each other - because you can't charge up those stairs, into darkness and danger, unless you know that there's someone behind you, watching your back.

So it is with America. Each time I look at that flag, I'm reminded that our destiny is stitched together like those fifty stars and those thirteen stripes. No one built this country on their own. This Nation is great because we built it together. This Nation is great because we worked as a team. This Nation is great because we get each other's backs. And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard. As long as we're joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward, our future is hopeful, and the state of our Union will always be strong.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America."

***

Read the President's speech in it's entirety here.

Short Shorts

Florida Reps head to the polls, Ron Paul skips the sunshine.

President Obama is expected to set the tone for his reelection through delivery of the State of the Union address this evening. Expect a reach out to the middle class via his vision for college affordability.

Gabrielle Giffords calls it a day. We wish her the best.

The Supremes rule that yes, indeed a warrant is needed before law enforcement attaches a GPS to citizen's vehicle.  The decision was unanimous.

Talk to Me.

Piracy Smiracy (© 2012 S. Shatsky)

As reported by The Baltimore Sun, 1/20/2012:

"...the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations ... shut down file-sharing website Megaupload and charged seven people associated with it of running an international enterprise based on Internet piracy.

Megaupload is one of the most popular Internet services that lets users transfer large documents, music, photos, and movies anonymously. The movie and music industry has accused Megaupload in the past of copyright infringement.

A New York Times report shows Megaupload, run by Kim Schmitz, also know as Kim Dotcom, of causing $500 million in damages to copyright owners and generating more than $175 million in ad revenue and selling premium subscriptions to users."

Soon after this story broke, Republican U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith who proposed the Stop Online Privacy Act aka SOPA, withdrew the bill from congressional consideration.

My guess is the Megaupload arrest spotlighted the fact that laws are currently in place to curtail copyright infringement and online piracy.

Which causes me to ask why yet another law when those in place seem to do the job?

It's simple. Laws like SOPA and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) are (were) a not so cleverly veiled attempt to shut down your voice and mine and make it look like said copyright infringement and online piracy. 

And let me be the very first to recall that the Internet is a populist response to a media who has served to report but failed to question and investigate the superficial nonsense offered up by politicians--regardless of party--that curtail the rights of everyday citizens through unnecessary laws (such as SOPA and PIPA) that remain standing until the courts kick the garbage to the curb.

How very annoying to your run-of-the-mill politician when an "alternative" media points out the obvious.

Whether you frequent Red State or Daily Kos, together we must stand united on the right to be heard.

Because it's a brand new world, baby.  These informational times, they are a'changing. 

If you see my little red rooster
Please drive him home
Ain't had no peace in the farm yard
Since my little red rooster's been gone.


 

Score One for Online Privacy and Rubio Backs Down

Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) jumped ship fast after website after website after website--including both Google and Wikipedia--went dark today in protest of congressional attempts to net the Net.

One "blacklist" bill was co-sponsored by no other than Rubio himself.

Rubio--sensing the anti-censorship sharks circling his political boat--issued the following disclaimer via Facebook.

(...)

On the Senate side, I have been a co-sponsor of the PROTECT IP Act because I believe it’s important to protect American ingenuity, ideas and jobs from being stolen through Internet piracy, much of it occurring overseas through rogue websites in China. As a senator from Florida, a state with a large presence of artists, creators and businesses connected to the creation of intellectual property, I have a strong interest in stopping online piracy that costs Florida jobs. 

However, we must do this while simultaneously promoting an open, dynamic Internet environment that is ripe for innovation and promotes new technologies.

In other words.  Man overboard.

Rubio's bill would essentially create a blacklist of potentially millions of websites that may or may not be engaged in copyright infringement regarding movies, television, and music.  Think YouTube.

FYI.  Supporters of the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act (aka SOPA and PIPA) include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Motion Picture Association of America, the Walt Disney Company and the Motion Picture Association of America, to name a few of the companies standing in support with politicians now finding themselves in deep censorship waters without a life boat.

Find out how you can help turn the tide via the Electronic Frontier Foundation. 

(...)


January 18th is just the beginning. We’re also gearing up for a day of action on January 23rd  when the Senate will be back in session and getting ready to vote on the Protect-IP Act, SOPA’s sister bill.  We’re calling on digital activists and Internet users everywhere to call Senators on the 24th and voice their opposition to this censorship legislation. Despite the chorus of opposition from human rights advocates and the tech community, Senators are still trying to push through this dangerous censorship bill. We need all hands on deck to make sure that doesn’t happen.

All hands on deck.

Short Shorts

At the seque, WTKS-FM Real Radio 104.1 Orlando radio celebs Jim Philips and Soul Brother Kevin tossed back and forth the topic of a National ID card.  Is this conversation back and why?  Mother Jones says, 'eh maybe not such a bad idea.

(...)

"...But here's the thing: we already do this for most people. Most of us already have picture IDs in the form of driver licenses. And nearly all of us have a permanent ID number in the form of a Social Security number. So like it or not, if you're worried about having tons of information about yourself collected into computerized databases — well, that ship sailed a long time ago. It's already happened."

Read more from Kevin Drum's The Friendly Future of a National ID Card here.

***

Facebook Status of the Week

"It is getting so boring how so many people are complaining and moaning about the economy, about money, about this and that, yada yadda yadda. As long as your brain is fully operational you have the ability to create whatever world you want. So stop taking the lazy route of blaming everything and everyone for your situation and get off your (buns) and do something about it. Your life is your responsibility not anyone elses."

-- Happiness Is Not an Illusion, John Fahey, Author

***

Off to work.  Busy day.

Talk to Me.

Zappos Zapped

Those who love shoes love Zappos.

As do hackers.

The online merchandiser found itself the target of thieves who cracked the customer database and made off with enough information to make a customer's life miserable.

(...)

Zappos customers should be on high alert for "phishing" e-mail crafted to lure them into divulging sensitive information, such as a Social Security number, or to clicking on a seemingly trustworthy Web link that actually installs a virus.

And they should be aware that the hackers are likely to attempt to use their Zappos account e-mail and password to access their other online accounts.

Zappos has contacted and advised 24 million customers to create new passwords. 

Might want to update the virus protection as well.

Read more over at USA Today.

Curtains for Credit

I'm more of a Dave Ramsey fan than Suze Orman.

Yet, a comment made by the personal financial advisor during a Press Pass interview with David Gregory rang true to me.

"...The middle class has disappeared. Today as I sit here, there is a highway into poverty. There's not even a sidewalk any more to get out. Once you find ... you lost your house, you lost your car, you don't have any money left, you can't find a job, you are stuck there. If you look at the face of who's in there, it's the face of middle class."

Orman also discussed the future of credit scoring through her introduction of the Approved Card, a prepaid debit card that would be the first to report back to the credit bureau TransUnion with the ultimate goal to create a FICO score for people who pay cash instead of credit.

If the middle class grabs hold of this out-of-the-box idea, using other people's cash for purchases could prove a thing of the past.

Find out more about the Approved Card here.

Weekend Zen

One more cup of coffee for the road,
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
To the valley below

Bob Dylan.  One More Cup of Coffee.

Out of the Hunt

Like many Democrats, I can't figure out why more voters who lean right don't stand in support of Jon Huntsman, especially after reading his recent op ed, Wall Street's Big Banks Are the Real Threat to our Economy.

(...)


As president, I will break up the big banks, end future taxpayer bailouts, and restore capitalist principles – competition and creative destruction – to our financial sector.

We will accomplish this by imposing a fee on banks whose size exceeds a certain percentage of GDP, proving them an incentive to slim down and localize.

Many of us can recall an earlier time when we had community banks that were actually a part of the community, instead of a faceless Wall Street entity. They sponsored our kids' baseball teams. You knew the president on a first name basis. Your small business or farm's credit was based as much on your reputation and character as your FICO score.

We need banks that are closer to our communities that, if mismanaged, are small and simple enough to fail – not financial public utilities.

The federal government cannot afford to wait until the next financial crisis is upon us to act, which will be too late and cost taxpayers too much.

Whether it is ending Too-Big-To-Fail, reforming the corrupted culture of Congress, or eliminating special interest preferences in our tax code, we need a president who is not indebted to the power brokers in Washington or on Wall Street.

My guess is the last paragraph of the above citation isn't quite the Huntsman fundraising magnet, but more than that, any Republican who worked for a sitting Democratic president pushes one point home.

Huntsman is his own man.

Bringing me back to ask the original question.

Why aren't more Republicans supporting this guy?

Talk to Me.

Grade "A" Bucks

The Florida Department of Education has been holding out on Florida teachers employed at "A" schools.

Instead of releasing School Recognition Funds prior to the holidays as in years past, the DOE held on tight to more than $100 million in bonus money to schools.  Reasoning? 

Might not be enough cash to go around.

(...)

Last school year, the state Department of Education handed out the school recognition money in two phases, giving non-high schools their bonus money in September 2010 after their grades were released, then later doling out high schools' money in January 2011, since their grades came out later.

But this year, the state decided to delay payments to elementary and middle schools pending the release of high school grades. The decision was made at least in part out of concerns that the pot of money for the Florida School Recognition program - set at $129,914,030 this year - might not be sufficient, especially as the number of A schools in the state has risen.  
 
Makes a girl want to toss her teacher contract to the wind and embrace state-financed merit pay.  (Not).

Looks like February before the bucks roll in.

Read it and weep here.

Penny for Your Slots

FLORIDA TODAY asked community contributors to weigh in on a casino gambling bill which would increase regulation of gaming in Florida communities where voters give the go-ahead.

Read what seven contributors (including myself) had to say here.

What I found especially refreshing is the offered insights didn't necessarily match the professed political ideology of several commentators.

What's good for Florida--especially beleaguered Brevard County--might cause us all to try on the definition of progressive I offered some time back to a Tennessee Gannett newspaper reader--

Progressives put "We, the People" first, before profits and special interests, and believe the common good is necessary for individual well-being. Progressives meet life's challenges cooperatively, democratically, holistically and nonviolently with solutions that maximize liberty, imagination, leadership, justice, sustainability and respect for all.

Meaning, roll up your sleeves and let's work together to bring Brevard back to her former glory.

Is Nevada-style casino gambling the right or wrong way to go?   My guess is many of the area unemployed will gladly pull the lever (fingers crossed) in hopes of rolling of a triple Yes! Yes! yes! Yes!

Talk to Me.

One Cup for the Road

My excuse to travel to Savannah over winter break was to replace a broken souvenir coffee cup purchased from Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady and Sons.

Yet, only I would arrive home to break both the replacement and the extra cup.  (Heavy sigh).

As I wait for a return call from the retail store to reorder (with a request to go heavy on the bubble wrap) as The Lady herself would say...

...Happy New Year, y'all!

I'm back to regular posting next week.

(And honestly, does anyone need an excuse to travel to Savannah?)