Creating jobs will bring down the debt. And as a small business owner who happens to have a contract with the DC government that requires me to create jobs, I can tell you first hand that the best way to create jobs is to pass the unemployment bill then attach it to securing employment. You can accomplish this by allowing employers to hire folks receiving unemployment benefits by matching their benefits for six months (or if their benefits plus the match exceeds the normal rate of pay then match it until meets but not exceeds a typical employee’s pay rate). Then the employers must hire that employee at the normal pay rate. The government should also provide incentives such as lower tax rates when and only when they participate in this type of program. Thus you've created the incentive to go back to work as well as opportunities for employers to hire while paying lower wages. This may even help with the hiring of illegals since it lowers the cost employers are paying employees.
You could also tie the benefits to volunteering . . . example would be a person would only have access to the unemployment benefits if they volunteer with a nonprofit agency. The thought process is that when you are actively participating in a work environment you are being productive. And by volunteering you are possibly learning a new job skill. The government could also provide incentives to the nonprofit organizations who hire these folks after they’ve volunteered for a while. It’s a win/win situation simply because companies usually are hiring from time to time and it’s always best to hire someone who understands what you’re doing and how you’re doing it . . . the continuity of services.

Do you even have an idea let alone a clue as to where you're getting your information from? Can you for once stop reading the opinions of others incredibly bias and think for yourself. If you believe he's brought back the welfare state then explain based on what you've seen and know. Reading is fundamental . . . thinking is common sense! Do both but be critical when reading and forming opinions based on what you've read otherwise you come off looking like an idiot. And for the record I'm not saying you are wrong or right. I'm merely saying you sound a bit like an idiot quoting others.

Waiting

The air . . .
between us
seems to have grown
as cold
and painful
as the moments of time
untold

We are . . .
we seem
to be
the end
to the once beautiful
love story
now
alone in loneliness
I ache
like a thousand years of darkness
yearning for light
tired of my heart weeping
through too many
sleepless nights
yet
my breaths . . .
they have no choice
you stole them
as you did
my voice

And so
I sit
in silence
hurting
crying
waiting
for time
to heal

I really wish I had that kind of creativity!!

Those who come here as children with their parents ought to have a clear path to citizenship. No questions asked but their parents should also pay a very steep price. For those who come here illegally should be sent back. The basic necessities of life are important but so is the fight for those necessities. I argue that if the world heard you speak then there would be international help. No country would sit back watch those fighting for equality without offering assistance. I have a problem with those who fight for immigration reform here but won't fight for basic needs at home.

I disagree with you . . . and yet I can honestly say I appreciate your viewpoint. Being called an African American does not in any way denotes a desire to continue racism but rather allows those who choose to call themselves that to have some semblance of self. If all that you are was taken from you and then you and your children and your children's children must live without any knowledge of your history then you will always be missing something. But them moment you can identify with your past you have something to hold onto. Trust me when I say that African American is not a title that will last the forever but it is the end of the civil rights era. In due time, maybe not in our lifetime but soon enough, we will all be Americans. But you have to give time to expression for it is how we become free.

I am staunchly democratic politically but I do not support the idea of immigration reform. I do not feel that we, as a nation, must amend our laws to satisfy a group of people who have decided amongst themselves to break our laws. As a black man born to parents who played a significant role in the struggle for equality here in America, I can honestly say that I appreciate the struggles and the fight to overcome them. And with that being said, I ask why will a person come here for a better life as opposed to fighting for a better life where they live? That struggle, that fight, amounts to dignity; it amounts to giving your children a reason to stand and be proud. I read a story about a woman who came to America illegally. She now resides in Columbia, MD where she cleans office buildings for a living. According the author of the story, she has made more money and worked fewer hours than she would have working in the country she came from. She also hasn’t seen her son in over three years. Some say would argue that that kind of commitment to making a better a life for her child is the kind of people we need here in America. But I’d argue that theory. To me, she has taken the easiest path; the one of least resistance to earning money. And his life, her child’s life, has to be worth more than money. To leave your child to be raised by someone else in hopes of earning enough money to bring him somewhere illegally isn’t parenting. It’s teaching your child that doing something wrong is ok so long as your reasons justify making money. To me though, fighting for a better life at home; fighting to change the laws where you live is the admirable thing to do. As learned during the Civil Rights Movement, no struggle is greater than the people who have the courage to stand up to it and change it. Regardless of the outcome; whether it is imprisonment or even death. You fight for what you believe in! Yet too often you look around and virtually everything American is slowly turned into something of an international commentary of what the sad state of affairs is. You can go into a grocery store and find more people speaking Spanish than English; you have people arguing that English should not be the “official language” because so many people can’t speak our language. We have our schools split between English speaking and Spanish speaking students. It has to change. I can readily admit that I do not hate anyone or any culture but at the same time I admit that I love my country. For better or worse I love America and I wish that those who come here illegally leave and try to come back the right way. Or better yet, be the person who is willing to stand up and fight for your country to a better place to live.

I Have This . . .

I have this
ache
sometimes in my hips
and other times
in my knees
sometimes
I sound like a bowl of cereal
snap
crackle
with a whole lot of pop
and it ain’t getting better with time either

Got gray hair
that’s receding
I would use that formula stuff that’s made for men
but at this rate
I won’t have hair at all in a few years (sigh)
I’m grumpy too
to the point where every morning I wake up
damn rolls from my lips
as if it’s a permanent resident
and in my state of mind
it is
call it kids
you love ‘em
watch ‘em grow
give ‘em all you are
watch ‘em leave
and then watch as they bring their kids back to you
yeah damn

Oh ok . . . yeah
I love the grandkids
and the kids
they were not that bad
even the aches and pains had a reason
guess I’m just missing
the one person
who was there with me as I grew to be this old grumpy man
you see
I have this
ache . . . in my heart
and there isn’t a lot I can do
because I’ll love her
until the aches and pains are gone

Thanks to everyone and Leigh you know I'm just trying to write something beautiful . . . or at least something decent

This one is SWEET!!! Love it

The Who What Where and Why Kind of Blues


Alone
with one candle
on the table
flickering fiercely . . . but losing its will
along with the aroma
of a cigar that should’ve been put out
long ago
Jack
no ice
and strumming along
with the pain that Muddy knew

Each sip
came with a warm burning
reason to contemplate
who . . . that damn woman
that’s who
what . . . what she did with him
him being that no good
supposedly damn friend o’ mine
where . . . where they didn’t belong
in our bed
and why . . . I can’t answer why
but the two of them together
got me humming
what Muddy knew

I got the blues
the aching kind
that won’t go away with just whiskey and time
but the kind that lingers
in deep thought
like it’s the part of living
I got to live with
whether or not
I want it . . . and I don’t
because now . . . well now
I’m going to always have
what Muddy knew

The Quiet Sigh

I ease
into another moment
of another day
of another year
similar to the many left behind
and with a sip of single barrel bourbon
I start to
relive
reflect
and smile but just a bit
because I had my share of mistakes and foolishness
with a twist of risks
but still . . .

Another sip
and the smile grows wider
I indulge in the vivid memory
of the first breath I took
after the winds started to die down
and the clouds began to slowly dissipate
it feels as time has sacrificed itself
just to warm my soul with this new moment
pains are gone
struggles have been set free
and the evening’s sun
has painted the sky the color of warmth wrapped within beautiful
I close my eyes
and exhale
the quiet sigh
‘cause for now
life is as it should be

Then I hear it,
her voice
“Damn it Earl how much are you going to drink?”
and so I pour one more double
and think . . . you just gotta love thirty years of marriage

I love this!!!

Very heartfelt

Another great poet on Mingle . . . nice one

Once Again


My soul
aches
like love
unfinished
as my heart
cries out
with disdain
because you have to leave
once again

Another Tear


You paved a path
of cobblestones
with an absent love
that left me alone
so my road
was rough
made me tough
because
I was aware
of the emptiness
created by a father
who wasn’t there
and though my thoughts
were bent
they were never twisted
because of a mother
who was also a father
existed
so when I grabbed truth
with youth
she taught me
the hard reality
that if I used you
as an excuse
then I deserved
life’s abuse
but . . .
as she would say
that tomorrow
was the moment
I live today
so if life isn’t better
then I need to make a few changes
because it won’t last forever
and my change is
to let go
and forgive
because anger
is pain
and pain is hurt
and you’re not worth
another tear

Happy Holidays . . . how are things going?

Yeah I like this one

I Become

I feel like dancing
with the cool wind
as it travels
with the force of a gentle morning kiss

I want to feel
each blade of grass
and the morning dew
between my toes
as I sway to its rhythm

I want to be
as beautiful as the first ray
of morning light
that paints the world
the colors of promise
so when I dance with the wind
I become hope