quote:



..."On our first date, I treated her to the finest ice cream Baskin-Robbins had to offer, our dinner table doubling as the curb. I kissed her, and it tasted like chocolate."...

***

"It's a marker for the community, for posterity and tourism, too," said a spokeswoman for the site management company. The Obama kissing stone joins other South Side attractions such as the fortress occupied by Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam, and Obama's old barber chair, now enshrined in glass over on Blackstone Avenue.

Alas, things change, however. The holy Baskin-Robbins has moved several doors down. And a Subway sandwich shop now occupies the site. Obama didn't build either of these businesses.

But here are some sprinkles on top to ponder: Baskin-Robbins is one of the many stumbling companies resuscitated by an entrepreneurial enterprise named Bain Capital, which Mitt Romney founded and led so successfully for many years. Boy, that must have saved or created a lot of jobs.


http://news.investors.com/article/622556/201208170904/barack-and-michelle-obama-first-date-was-eating-ice-cream.htm

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

imo its ironic that the govt keeps average people from investing in companies like Bain, since you would need to be an "accredited investor" to be able to profit as Romney and his investors did.. the laws put in place to "protect" ya'll are the ones that restricts your options so help keep you "poor" and not profit like the big boys..

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity
Too bad Obama hasnt saved or created any jobs

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

imo its ironic that the govt keeps average people from investing in companies like Bain, since you would need to be an "accredited investor" to be able to profit as Romney and his investors did.. the laws put in place to "protect" ya'll are the ones that restricts your options so help keep you "poor" and not profit like the big boys..

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

according to Bill Maher..

""Charitable donations reduce the public coffers by about $60 billion each year," Maher cited. "They take more out of our budget than enforcing the Buffet rule would put back in.""

When i was a kid (early 20s) i worked for a stock brokerage firm and would see stock/investments owned by this or that Church.. where i was i think it was mostly Catholic Churches and such, not Mormans.. I dont care what church it is, I know i would never donate to a church since i am majorly anti-organized religion... but that is the way the laws are written so its all legal and "above-board".. lots of non-profits are questionable, imo.. but its up to the IRS to determine which are legit/acceptable and which arent.. Even if some people consider them "cults" all religious organizations have to be treated equally, of course.. or all hell would break loose..

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/05/bill-maher-takes-aim-at-mormonism_n_1483942.html

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ORIGINAL: Sanity
I would much rather charitable causes receive citizens' money than bureaucrats

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity
I would much rather charitable causes receive citizens' money than bureaucrats

I dont want the govt/bureaucrats to get my money & I dont want Churches to get my money,.. for me, charitable causes depends on the charity, who runs it and where the money it gets as donations is spent.. I think i will set my own non-profit up instead tho..

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444
just outta curiousity.. if you believe Americans are losing their liberties, why just bitch about it? why do you still live here and why are you still an American? why dont you join the 1,800 or so Americans that gave up their citizenship in the last year?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity
The best part is that, with charitable causes you dont have IRS goons kicking in your door to take whatever the politicians decide is theirs to spend on six hundred dollar toilet seats or bridges to nowhere, or to use to buy votes

You give what you want, to who you want, when you want

And, in so giving, you also have the added benefit of helping to keep the government IRS goons at bay

Win win win

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity
I would much rather charitable causes receive citizens' money than bureaucrats

I dont want the govt/bureaucrats to get my money & I dont want Churches to get my money,.. for me, charitable causes depends on the charity, who runs it and where the money it gets as donations is spent.. I think i will set my own non-profit up instead tho..

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity
I am still waiting for many of the anti Bush voters to keep THEIR promises to move to Cuba or North Korea, or wherever... Where they would feel more at home

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444
just outta curiousity.. if you believe Americans are losing their liberties, why just bitch about it? why do you still live here and why are you still an American? why dont you join the 1,800 or so Americans that gave up their citizenship in the last year?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity


I am still waiting for many of the anti Bush voters to keep THEIR promises to move to Cuba or North Korea, or wherever... Where they would feel more at home

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444
just outta curiousity.. if you believe Americans are losing their liberties, why just bitch about it? why do you still live here and why are you still an American? why dont you join the 1,800 or so Americans that gave up their citizenship in the last year?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity


I would much rather charitable causes receive citizens' money than bureaucrats

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ORIGINAL: OsideGirl

I much prefer that real charities rather than wealthy churches get the money.

Think of how much good the Catholic church could do by selling just a few of those paintings in the basement.

quote:

ORIGINAL: OsideGirl
I much prefer that real charities rather than wealthy churches get the money.

Think of how much good the Catholic church could do by selling just a few of those paintings in the basement.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity


Ever been to a Catholic hospital?

quote:

ORIGINAL: farglebargle

Does it seem weird that him and his wealthy buddies are paying < 15% in taxes and yet still complain that taxes are too high and they need tax-cuts?

Fifteen Percent.

What rate are YOU paying?

( I still think the 'smoking gun' is the profits from Stericycle, which processes Planned Parenthoods "medical waste". )

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ORIGINAL: tj444
Even if some people consider them "cults" all religious organizations have to be treated equally, of course.. or all hell would break loose..

quote:

ORIGINAL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Scientology
In 1967, the IRS stripped all US-based Scientology entities of their tax exemption, declaring Scientology's activities were commercial and operated for the benefit of Hubbard. The church sued and lost repeatedly for 26 years trying to regain its tax-exempt status. The case was eventually settled in 1993, at which time the church paid $12.5 million to the IRS—greatly less than IRS had initially demanded—and the IRS recognized the church as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.[41] In addition, Scientology also dropped more than fifty lawsuits against the IRS when this settlement was reached. Scientology cites its tax exemption as proof the United States government accepts it as a religion.

quote:

ORIGINAL: OsideGirl

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity


Ever been to a Catholic hospital?

Yes, I have been to Catholic Hospital. They refused to give my mother a hysterectomy when she had uterine cancer because they considered it birth control.

What a stellar example of kindness and charity.