Obama Socialism Sign In Public Space—All You Need Is Some Black Tape

Above is a anti-Obama sign I saw in Cincinnati on my recent trip to that city.

I enjoyed this sign a great deal.

It is on a busy Cincinnati street and I wager a number of motorists will see it is only a pro-Obama sign.

I guess using public space in what is likely an improper fashion is okay with people concerned about socialism taking over the nation.

Why don’t they do the capitalist thing and purchase billboard space?

If you see one of these signs, all you need to do is put some black tape over the socialism part and you will have a fine Obama sign.

Bolivar Ferry Gibb Gilchrist In Houston Ship Channel Boat Yard For Work—Free Ferry Is Socialism

Where are boats in the Bolivar Ferry fleet sent when they need maintenance or repairs?

From the picture above that I took last week, I’d say they go to a boat repair yard in the Houston Ship Channel.

Above you see the Bolivar Ferry called the Gibb Gilchrist in a boat repair yard in Houston Ship Channel.

The Gilchrist is the yellow boat in the middle of the picture.

The Bolivar Ferry runs from Galveston Island to Bolivar Peninsula. It is a “free” service run by the Texas Department of Transportation.

Where are the cries of socialism?

I thought a real Texan could cross a few miles of Galveston Bay on his or her own and without help from a meddling government.

Where are the citizen-volunteers to fix the boat, instead of the tab taxpayers are no doubt picking up for whatever work is being done?

Here are facts about who Gibb Gilchrist was from the excellent Handbook of Texas Online.  The upshot  is that Mr. Gilchrist was once President of Texas A & M.

The Bolivar Ferry is a great ride. You can walk on and take a round-trip that will run about 50 minutes. You’ll see big ships and you might see some dolphins.

While you are riding the Bolivar Ferry, you are using a taxpayer-provided government service that enhances the common good.

Bolivar Ferry In The Houston Ship Channel—How About A Tea Party Citizen-Navy?

When the boats that are part of the Bolivar Ferry service need some repairs or a tune-up, it seems that they are taken to the spot you see above in the Houston Ship Channel.

The red boat and the yellow boat in the picture are each part of the Bolivar Ferry.

The Bolivar Ferry is a free government service offered by the State of Texas that takes folks between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula.

The Bolivar Chamber of Commerce has no objections at all to this subsidy.

The Houston Ship Channel receives all sorts of government funds to stay up and running.

I’m not aware of any large industrial concerns complaining about socialism at the Houston Ship Channel.

Maybe Tea Party cells and small government advocates could muster up volunteer crews to run the ferry and to operate the Houston Ship Channel.

Surely the Tea Party has considered raising a citizen-volunteer navy to go along with all the talk of citizen militias and defending freedom.

(Photo copyright 2011 by Neil Aquino.)

What To Do When Visting Houston For The Final Four—Some Excellent Suggestions

The college basketball Final Four will be played in Houston. The event begins on Saturday, April 2 and ends on Monday, April 4.

(Above–Basketball. Here is a useful history of basketball.)

What should folks visiting Houston do while in our city for the Final Four?

I have some suggestions.

1.  Thank every person you see in Harris County for helping to pay for Reliant Stadium. Even if the money comes from car rental and hotel taxes, it is still money that belongs to the people of Harris County.  Our county has a big budget shortfall right now that will involve vital services being cut. Still, even if some folks can’t  get mental health counseling anymore , we at least have plenty of taxpayer subsidized sports facilities.

People at the games are free to start chants in favor of socialism as they enjoy the Final Four.

2. Arrive in Houston early and attend the Harris County Green Party fundraiser to be held at 8:00 PM on Thursday, March 31 at Bohemeo’s. Bohemeo’s is located at 708 Telephone Rd. in Houston. We deserve other options than just the two major parties.

3. Visit our newly renovated Downtown Houston Public Library. The library had plenty of books for you to read.

4. April 4th marks the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King. ( Please click here for the best Martin Luther King Reading & Reference List on the web.) The well-known Rothko Chapel features a sculpture outside the building that honors Reverend King.  The Rothko Chapel is located at 3900 Yupon Street.

(Below–Rothko Chapel. Photo by Argos’Dad.)

5. Drive 50 miles down the road and visit Galveston, Texas. There is a lot of history in Galveston and there is plenty to do. Galveston is working to recover from Hurricane Ike and your visit will be most welcomed. One of the very best attractions in Galveston is the free Bolivar Ferry. This boat trip runs about 25 minutes each way between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula.  You can park the car and walk on board. Or you can drive on and explore Bolivar.

(Below–View from the Bolivar Ferry. Picture taken by myself.)

The Bolivar Chamber of Commerce thinks the ferry is wonderful. I’m glad to see this Chamber favors the Texas Department of Transportation money that keeps the ferry free to all.

In any case, provisional on your ability to drive in a civilized fashion if you are renting a car, and contingent on your willingness to tip well given that you have enough money to attend these basketball games, welcome to Houston.

When Will Government Get Out Of Our Lives?—Socialism In Clear View

Above is a picture I took two days ago in Cincinnati’s Eden Park.

Look at all the ways government intrudes in our lives.

Government tells us we are at the corner of Alpine and St. Paul.

Maybe we feel we are someplace else.

The government just wants us to think we are at the corner of Alpine and St. Paul.

Government tells us this is a one way street.

What about hard-working, English-speaking, tax-paying Americans who want to go another way down this street? 

First they tell us what we can do in our very own cars. Next they will harvest our organs for a United Nations organ bank.

The government wants us to stop at a certain place on the road.

What if this is not the place we wish to stop?

Should not free citizens be able to employ their superior knowledge of traffic management to know just the right place where they should stop?

Government says we can not turn left between noon and ten on Sunday. 

Where is that restriction in the Constitution?

Sunday is the sabbath. What if God directs me to turn left at Alpine and St. Paul in the middle of the afternoon on a Sunday?

If you look at the top of the stone wall near the pole of the traffic sign, you see that the stone wall was built by the New Deal Works Progress Administration in 1941.

Socialism.

When will the Cincinnati Tea Party come to tear down this wall and build a new one with citizen-volunteer labor?

How have the people of Cincnnati allowed this socialism to stand in clear view for 70 years? 

When will government get out of our lives?

( Photo copyright 2011 by Neil Aquino)

Non-Profit Community-Owned Green Bay Packers Win Super Bowl—Vince Lombardi Was A Democrat

The Green Bay Packers, who just won the Super Bowl, are the only community-owned non-profit team in American major league sports.

(Above–Citizen-owners at the Packers game. Photo by yunggunn2k3.)

From the Georgetown University newspaper The Hoya—

“Unlike the 31 other professional football teams, or any other sports team for that matter, the Packers are not owned by some wealthy individual (or group of individuals) seeking a profit. Instead, they’re owned and managed by 111,968 devoted fans. In that lies their power….Green Bay fans themselves vote on and serve as part of the board of directors, which appoints the pivotal managerial and coaching staff of the Packers. Unlike most other teams across the nation, when Packers fans are frustrated, they don’t have to suck it up. They have the ability to enact change through shareholder votes and air their grievances directly with Packer management.Socialism has worked pretty well in this case.”

Socialism seems to work pretty well for the Packers.

Not only that, legendary Packers Coach Vince Lombardi, for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named, was a loyal Democrat.

Coach Lombardi was close friends with John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy.

Here is a great quote from Coach Lombardi—

“People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.”

Congratulations to the citizen-owners of the Green Bay Packers.

Building on a foundation of teamwork provided in good part by the enduring example of the visionary Vince Lombardi, a true people’s championship has been won at Super Bowl XLV.

(Below—Coach Vince Lombardi–A Great American.)

Socialist Government Snowplows On The Advance All Over Nation

I’ve not seen any Tea Party/Republican Party volunteers out over last two icy days in Houston to sand the roads, direct traffic if signals were out, or respond to accidents on the road.

Where was the Tea Party? When are these folks going to step up and stop letting government do it all?

(Above—Socialism advancing. Photo by SnowKing 1.)

I wonder if anywhere in our wintery nation Republican voters got together  as self-reliant citizens to refuse the socialist city, county, and state snow plows?

Rather than letting government do the work of free people, where were the citizen-shovelers?

Sacrifice is always for somebody else in the Tea Party/Republican Party world view.

Our Park—Socialism Is Plenty American

Here is a park in Houston called Our Park.

This is a great and an apt name.

The parks are ours. Just as are the schools, the police department, the waterworks, the public streets, the libraries and so on.

All this going on about socialism.

And yet the common ownership of public assets is an American as Social Security and the U.S. military.

Photo copyright Neil Aquino.

2010 Texas A & M Maroon Out Shirt Is Pure Socialism

Above is a shirt design for an upcoming Texas A & M football game.

There is, I’ve just read, a yearly custom at A & M called Maroon Out that involves the design of a new Aggie t-shirt.

This year’s slogan is pure socialism. I love it.

“None of us are as strong as all of us.”

This slogan is fully appropriate as A & M is a public institution. It is owned by all the people of Texas.

They say that A & M is a conservative campus in a conservative state.

Maybe though Aggies are seeing the light.

We are at our best when we come together as a society to meet the challenges of the day.

I’m certain Aggies all over our great nation take Social Security benefits and make use all types of government services.

Here is a link to a post I did about the 1912 socialist platform. It is filled with crazy ideas like a minimum wage and a progressive income tax.

Ohio Endorsements From Texas Liberal

(Blogger’s Note–With Election Day tomorrow, I’m rerunning my Ohio endorsement post from last week. I lived in Ohio for many years.)

While I live in Texas today, I lived in Cincinnati, Ohio for 18 years. I left Ohio in 1998.

( Above–The flag of the great State of Ohio at Lake Erie. Photo taken by Matthew Trump.)

Since I still have a number of connections in Cincinnati, I’d like to offer up a brief slate of Ohio endorsements.

In the race for Governor, I encourage all to vote for incumbent Democrat Ted Strickland. Governor Strickland has moved up in the polls in recent days and appears to have a shot at winning. Governor Strickland will help President Obama carry Ohio again in 2012, and will make a big difference in redistricting Ohio’s many Congressional seats for the decade ahead. After so many years of a Republican Governor in Columbus, Mr. Strickland has restored priorities that benefit average Ohioans.

For the United States Senate from Ohio, I endorse Socialist Dan La Botz. The idea of a Socialist U.S. Senator is not as odd as it may seem. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is a self-declared Socialist. His presence in the Senate has not caused the Republic to fall.

Mr. La Botz offers the hope of an alternative to the two major parties that will take the needs of working people into greater consideration. Many elected Democrats are decent people. But the role of big money in our politics has become such that an additional option merits a look.

If Socialism Is The Way We Are Headed, Where Are The Socialist Marches And Candidates?

I keep hearing that the nation is moving towards socialism, yet I have not seen one socialist rally or heard of a socialist radio program.

While I imagine that there are socialist candidates for office in the United States, I am not aware of any.

We do, I’m glad to say, have one avowed Socialist in the United States Senate—Bernie Sanders of Vermont refers to himself as a Socialist. I wish we had more Socialist elected officials.

There was a time when Americans were open to Socialism. In 1912, Socialist Eugene Debs won 6% of the overall vote for President. There were Socialist parties in states across the union.

The 1912 Socialist platform had planks such a minimum wage and an income tax.

The Nation Magazine ran an article last year about ideas of Socialism in the United States today.

There is nothing that says Socialism can’t again become a force in the United States.

Just as I feel we should be open to the Green Party as on option when Democrats fail the American people, Socialism and the ideas of Socialism can be part of the agenda on the left.

Texas Governor Perry Says Health Bill Is Part Of Spread Of Socialism—I Hope He Is Right

Crazy far right wing Texas Governor Rick Perry has said tonight that the passage of the health care bill means that socialism is spreading across the United States.

( Please excuse the absence of a link to the quote. I’m on my iPhone around midnight in a hotel room in the Chicago suburbs. Getting links in the post is beyond my skills and current energy level.)

All I can say about what Governor Perry has said is that I hope he is correct.

If Socialism Is Good Enough For Greece & Portugal, It Is Good Enough For You And I

Socialists have won recent elections in both Greece and Portugal.

(Above–Socialism looks awfully nice in Greece.)

In Greece, Socialists defeated an incumbent government of the right.

In Portugal, a Socialist government was returned to office–Though with a smaller number of seats than before the election.

If Socialism is good enough for the fine people of Greece and Portugal. than it is good enough for you and I.

Here is a series of articles from The Nation magazine considering Socialism as it might work in the United States. 

There was a time when a fair amount of Americans voted for Socialist candidates. Who is to say that such a thing cannot happen again?

Amanda Ulman, Socialist Candidate For Mayor Of Houston, Should Run A Serious Campaign—Or She Should Not Run At All

(Blogger’s Note 11/5/11–What I said here about Ms. Ulman’s campaign 2 years ago is valid again for her 2011 campaign.)    

Amanda Ulman is a Socialist candidate for Mayor of Houston.

It is useful for voters in Houston to have the option of a socialist candidate. Republicans have put the idea of socialism back in the public’s mind after a long absence. Nobody was thinking of socialism before the Republicans started calling Barack Obama a socialist.

Though it has been many years, socialist candidates for public office were once able to win between 5% and 10% of the votes in elections all over the nation. Once in a while they would even win a race.

In 1912, Eugene V. Debs took 6% of the vote nationwide as the Socialist candidate for President of the United States. There is nothing to say that candidates running as Socialists could not at some point in the future win support in our nation.

If Ms. Ulman is going to run for Mayor of Houston, as she did also in 2007, she should be serious about what she is doing. Otherwise, she will be easy to dismiss as a kind of joke.

As far as I can see, Ms. Ulman does not have a web site. How can a credible campaign in this day and age not have web site? Ms. Ulman is missing a cheap and easy way to get her message out.

I can tell Ms. Ulman that as Election Day approaches, people will start putting her name in search engines as they see her name on the ballot.

Two years ago, when Texas Liberal got much less traffic than it does today, I got something like 1000 hits in the days leading up to Election Day for a post I’d written about a candidate for Mayor of Houston named Outlaw Josey Wales. (Sadly, Mr. Wales is not running in 2009.)

Every time I write about a candidate for public office, I get a large spike in my blog traffic for that post in the last few days before the election. People see who is running for the various offices and they research these candidates. Often traffic about that candidate’s post goes up for a few weeks before the election as people early vote.

With a web site, Ms. Ulman could write about how her Socialist beliefs are relevant to governing Houston. What is more socialist than a government run police department or fire department?

Ms. Ulman could talk about the local relevance of issues like the need for universal health insurance or a more fair distrubution of income. The three “serious” candidates for Mayor of Houston, all Democrats, seem not to care very much about issues facing the poor—and about economic issues facing working people of all kinds—here in Houston.

While Ms. Ulman may not be able to raise much money, she could stand on busy street corners with a sign that simply said: Amanda Ulman–Socialist For Mayor Of Houston.

I realize she might not want to do that by herself in the current political climate. Still, voters would could least attach a real human being to the idea of socialism and would see that at least one fellow citizen of Houston holds socialist beliefs.

Has Ms. Ulman contacted the editorial boards of the Houston Chronicle and of the various community weekly newspapers in Houston asking for an interview? Has she asked for time on all of the T.V. and radio community affairs programs? Has she produced a cable public access message that is being broadcast? Does she have a Twitter account?

Ms. Ulman could represent a real choice for voters frustrated with the big money donors and lack of attention to so many serious issues that seems to define campaigns for Mayor of Houston. Maybe Ms. Ulman could be the start of a real core of socialist support in Houston. You never know.

Ms. Ulman should run a real race or she should give it up and stop harming her cause by not being serious.

Here is a series of articles from The Nation magazine about ideas for socialism in modern America.

National Cash Register Sneaks Off To Georgia—The Advantages Of Treating People Like Dirt For 200 Years

The National Cash Register (NCR) company is relocating it’s corporate headquarters from Dayton, Ohio to Georgia.

For many years NCR made cash registers. Today they also make, among other things, ATM machines  and barcode scanners.

An additional profit center for the company is scamming tax-breaks from taxpayers as NCR moves jobs from a community that has long supported the company.

( Above–Dayton, Ohio. Please click here to learn about visiting Dayton.)

National Cash Register has been in Dayton since 1884. Dayton will lose over 1,200 jobs because of the move.

After all those years in Dayton, and despite the job losses in an already suffering community,NCR officials would not even return the phone calls of officials in Dayton and with the State of Ohio.

Georgia’s conservative Republican Governor Sonny Perdue offered NCR a $60 million package of incentives.

I’m sure Governor Perdue would not call it socialism.

The CEO of NCR, Bill Nuti, said that the cost of living in Georgia had some impact on the decision to relocate the firm.

It’s a wonder what 200 years of racial apartheid, keeping your white folks uneducated, offering poor government services and union busting can do for your economic climate.

Here is a viewpoint on Governor Perdue’s recent backing of a Confederate History/Heritage Month in Georgia. 

Here is an excellent report on the economic fate of Dayton from a diary on Daily Kos.  The factory jobs are gone and no realistic replacement for these jobs exists.    

Will President Obama ever question and challenge our economic system to the point where we have jobs for the jobless and where we stop poaching jobs from one state to another based on unfair advantages and secret deals?