2015 will be like this for many Americans

I do not know any better way to describe it. We are barely one week into 2015 and it is starting out to look to be even more sucky than the recent sucky year of 2014. Mostly due to the insane statements and actions by Republicans and their ilk. See the previous post to see some other moves they have already made.

Industry eliminates High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Yep, the much maligned ingredient in damn near everything will disappear soon – from the nutrition label, anyway. Apparently the foods and additives industry have had enough of real scientists blaming HFCS for everything from cancers to obesity to diabetes. So they have met the challenge head on!

They changed the name of HFCS to a couple of names that no one will recognize. Thus they intend to fool the public while still peddling their noxious concoction. No longer will you see “HFCS” or “High Fructose Corn Syrup” on those damn meddling gummint required labels. Now you will have to look for “Isolated Fructose” or the very revealing “fructose” or “fructose syrup.”

Arsenic by any other name will still be just as deadly

Mitch: Republicans Save The Economy Again
Got to say one thing. The next two years may be a glimpse of hell for most Americans while Republicans continue in their quest to turn this country into yet another third world country that corporations and the wealthy can exploit. But for comedians this could be a golden age. There will be a competition to say the most insane thing among Republicans who will be bellying up to try to take credit for anything good, no matter how much they opposed it.

Thus Wednesday Mitch McConnell jumped forward to claim that the economy is suddenly good because Americans elected a Republican congress. Yep – the day of the election it was morning in America again.

Once again Republicans ignore history. Just as they did in 2008 when they claimed the economy was just hunky-dory right up until election night of 2008 when the son of Lucifer from Kenya was elected.

When scientists talk about wormholes leading to alien worlds, I suggest they follow the worms that have burrowed into Republican minds wherein they will find minds living in a world totally alien to earth.

2015 and Branstad
When the newest job numbers came out Friday it was once again a major gain in the US employment. Just statistically, Iowa should show a gain of 1% of those jobs. Over the past year the country gained 3,000,000 + jobs. I have no doubt that Iowa will fall short of their share and remain short in the recovery. The folks over at Iowa Policy Project keep a very close eye on this.

Iowa Policy Project is one of the few places in this state that gives a truly objective take on the state of Iowa’s economy and other trends in the state. If they reflect badly on Branstad, that is due to Branstad not doing his job.

California raises taxes, economy soars.
Kansas Schools sue to get funding
Here’s another one you won’t hear on Fox News. A few years back, voters in California got sick and tired of Republicans and their no tax bad economy. Jerry Brown was elected governor, huge Democratic majorities were elected. They then went about repairing a broken economy by raising taxes and restoring priorities to things like infrastructure and schools, and away from tax cuts for the rich. The economy has soared.

Meanwhile down in our neck of the woods, good old rock-ribbed Republican Kansas continues to reel as Sam Brownback was given 4 more years to prove just what Republican policies can do. They can turn a good solid economy into such a horrible economy that even the school districts have had to turn to the courts to get funding to keep schools running.

While some might think that increasing taxes at this point would seem reasonable in Kansas it probably won’t happen. Look for larger classes, shorter school years, maybe 4 school days a week. Kansas would rather watch their schools and infrastructure sink to 3rd world status rather that raise one more penny in taxes. BTW Koch Oil is headquartered in Kansas.

One unmentioned effect of low wages
Social Security funds and Medicare funds will be depleted greatly as more and more Americans are forced to accept low wage jobs. While this may not be the central objective of keeping wages unlivable low, adding the possibility of depleting Social Security and Medicare funds is an unreported plus for Republicans.

How low can they go? As Al Jolson used to say “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”