Tonight 2016 comes to a finish and we start a new year and a fresh
start. Those resolutions you made at the beginning of this year may very
well be the ones you make for 2017. Don't worry about it. Live your
life and enjoy the moment. We will cry tears of sadness in 2017, we will
also cry tears of joy. With a little luck we will still be standing
together next year at this time looking back and moving forward. I look
forward to experiencing the wonders of this new year with all of you.
I also am reflecting back on those who are no longer here. 2016 marked
the last chapter of many peoples lives. Some friends, some family, some
who touched us all with their talents. They are gone but will never be
forgotten. They live on in our thoughts and memories and will continue
with us until our final chapter is written.
So tonight I plan to
raise a glass and toast in the new year. May 2017 be filled with love,
happiness, and prosperity for us all. Happy New Year!
December 7th, 1941. 75 years ago the US was attacked at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, it was our invite into World War 2. During that war countless Americans gave their lives in support of freedom and the so called American way of life. Freedom of speech, freedom of and from religious worship, and freedom of the press.
I wonder what many of those soldiers would think of America today. Free speech is threatened everyday. Our elected officials actually want to create lists of those who worship differently. And our President Elect threatens retaliation against the press who dare criticize him. The very things our soldiers fought and died for are becoming the way of life now.
Another Veterans Day is upon us and I see that the feed is full of thanks. If only people really felt that way.
The ones who say cut taxes don't care about veterans health or well-being. The taxes they want to cut goes to supportive services to help them. Services like health care, housing, and food stamps. It pisses me off to see veterans who need these services not get them because people don't want to pay taxes.
And I understand people are fed up with how much is taken in taxes. However when they turn around and vote in asses who won't raise taxes on big business that puzzles me. Where do they think money comes from? Everyone needs to pay their fair share.
Now some say we should stop sending money to foreign countries and I would agree with you. However do you really believe we would use that money here? I don't.
You see after all these years I have realized that we want our poor to look the part. It makes people feel superior to those they're helping. America has too many safety nets designed to help our citizens. Our poor don't look needy enough and compared to say the Syrian refugees they'd be right.
But our poor, our hungry, our homeless, and yes our veterans deserve more. they are Americans and we take care of one another. We should be doing more for all of them.
I have never met a Veteran who only cared about themselves, they care about their country and their fellow citizens. So many care so deeply and hurt so much they turn to thoughts of suicide. They need more supportive services, they need us to step up and do the right thing.
I try to do the right thing, I support programs and charities that help people. We as a nation should and could do so much more. We truly need to honor our veterans everyday, not just once a year. And when we honor them, honor their sacrifice for all of us.
Well election 2016 is over. I hope that Donald Trump surprises us and actually leads this country but I don't know. I hope that democrats have learned the lesson they were taught yesterday, stop and actually listen to the people. The people are fed up with career politicians like Hillary Clinton. They want to believe in our future and they haven't been seeing it reflected. The democrats need to stop caring about anointing leaders and actually build new bridges to the future. Bernie Sanders could have been a great foundation to build on, instead the insiders of the democratic party destroyed it.
Now I want to say it is time we on the left move our party back to the left. People like Bill and Hillary do NOT reflect progressive policies, neither does Tim Kaine. We need to work hard on getting progressive candidates elected on local and national campaigns. We need to build from the ground up. The trickle down theory does not work when is comes to campaigns as well.
And lastly people need to stop saying defriend me or stop gloating to the winning side. If it had gone the other way you would be acting the same. Their candidate won and they have the right. Remember when they go low, you go high.
Oh and speaking of high where can I get a joint? It's legal here in California and I truly would like to go high.
I always wondered why the people in Germany didn't fight when Hitler became Chancellor. They seem to just accept that madman as it's savior and followed him blindly down Germanys self destructive path. That same acceptance is what I see in BOTH Trump and Clinton supporters today. Blind acceptance for their candidates flaws and weaknesses, which will lead America down that same path.
I guess in many ways we have slowly been going that path, from Reagan supporting the Taliban to Obama's drones, we have lost our principles and our way. Remember when America used to stand for what was right, not whats profitable. We dreamed big dreams and made them happen. Roosevelt created safety nets for our citizens, Johnson strengthened them with his war on poverty. Both were flawed men and probably would not stand a chance in this era. Thankfully they were from an era where sex wasn't used to sell everything.
Sadly sex does sell today, just look at the way the media jumped all over Trump for his dirty talk but hardly gave any coverage of Hillarys leaked emails. I will admit I never cared for Bill Clinton, he was a republican dressed up as a democrat. However his sex scandal was nothing to be impeached over. I don't vote for President by who he sleeps with, I vote for who best represents my views.
In no way does Donald Trump represents my views, he is a bigot, a fool, and like Hitler before him, a madman. He does not get my vote.
If you think that leaves me to vote for Hillary Clinton, it doesn't. For the same reasons I stood up against Bill Clinton is why I will continue to stand up against Hillary. She will never get my vote as she only feels my views are something that can win her votes. Besides, I've never voted for a republican and I never will.
However in this great republic in which we live my vote doesn't really matter, nor does yours. See we only vote for the electoral college and pretty much my state will go for Hillary. My vote for Jill Stein will be in solidarity with others who truly want change. Until there is a viable third party we will always be under the thumbs of those who control the political parties. You know, their corporate sponsors.
This ends my rant for the night. I know its written horribly but I am amazed its coming out at all after the ambien I took about an hour ago.
Elie Wiesel died today, if you don't know who he was google him and learn something. I'm sadden by his death but in a way a little relived. Relived he will not see the oppression and degradation of human beings he witnessed in the past reoccur. Trump's America is not the country we should be.
I'm saddened by so much in 2016. I'm sad that I am witnessing this country turn from everything it stands for. Sad that people are so willing to surrender freedom out of fear. Sad that we no longer can call ourselves the land of the free and the home of the brave. If we elect Trump we will become everything this country has fought against.
I'm saddened that this fear has lead us to two worthless candidates and one bad decision that we as a country have to make. Why must we always vote for the lesser of two evils?
After most every terrorist attack you see people saying "We Are ______". Why don't we do that for our muslim brothers and sisters? They are human beings just like us, are we only supposed to show sympathy for those in countries that we are allies with? Muslims are not people to be afraid of, they just worship differently from you. I don't worship at all, I'm an atheist. I cry for christians, muslims, gay, or straight who die at the hands of hate.
I am sorry to those in Turkey and other countries like Nigeria, Iraq, and so many others impacted by hate. We don't say it enough but we Americans cry for your loss too. We are human just like you.
The news is now reporting the shooter was a regular at the club. Was he
casing the place out? Maybe he was enjoying himself. This attack could
have been a thought out strike at America or maybe this crime was an act
of redemption from his religion which thinks homosexuality is a sin.
Terror attack or hate crime, perhaps both? Definitely both. Either way
innocent people are dead and family and friends are grieving.
Hate
brings hate, which brings more hate. Gays are evil, muslims
are terrorists, they're not like us. I hear this all the time, most
people don't seem to get that this fear of others is nothing to fear.
Thankfully we are all different, that difference should be celebrated
and shown the respect that its due. Whether you are religious or not,
straight or gay, man or woman, different religions or different colors,
we all make up the same human race. A race that should be nurturing each
other instead of killing each other.
Time we stop blaming and find a
way to exist together.
Hillary Clinton has the
nomination almost in the bag, nothing is gonna stop her. Those hoping for an FBI indictment need to give it a rest, Obama will not let that
happen while he is president. Sadly having the nomination doesn't mean
she will win the general election. Odds are President Trump will be what
we hear for the next 4 years. That is what us progressives have to live
with. As we won't vote for her, she will lose. The US Supreme Court, The
EPA, Roe V Wade, and all that we hold dear will be gutted. But that's
OK, we will go back to living our lives knowing we won't be targeted by
Trumps storm troopers. However people of color, muslims, women, they
won't be so lucky. At least they will know that we stuck to our
principles, principles soaked in white privilege. Let us be honest in
what we do.
We delivered a petition to Bank of America last October when more than 100 bank workers and
supporters marched into the Bank of America building in Los Angeles. I
was there and the petition had about 5000 signatures. When we entered the bank we
screamed and shouted, we picketed and protested, we demanded to be heard. All while doing it as legally protected actions. The Bank of America employees from
around the country who participated still work for the bank and are still organizing.
I will say it feels good standing up for yourself and your coworkers
and making the company treat you with respect and dignity. I see the
changes that have occurred since we started organizing. Robin was
transferred out and John replaced her. The mass write ups and threats of
termination have disappeared. Training has gotten better though it
still needs more work. Even the extra 5 minutes on Mondays is a show of
respect to employees. I do believe this was the result of us working for
the betterment of conditions.
I thank my coworkers who are
working to make BofA a better place to work. I may be one of the spokesmen but
the people who support this effort, who work behind the scenes, the real
power behind us are the ones who should be acknowledged. This has
always been about teamwork and we have built the best team.
I am proud to have been a part of the creation of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Committee for Better Banks and look forward to expanding throughout the finance industry here in
our state. Santander, Citizens, Fidelity, and others all have call
centers here in RI. We are better when we are connected but we are
stronger when we are united.
So I'm wearing my bank workers are organizing shirt and am in cvs. The
clerk asks me about it so I tell him many people would be surprised to
hear a third of tellers in this country receive food stamps or other
public assistance. He was shocked then said cashiers at cvs were
probably easily more than a third. I asked if he supported the fight for
$15. He said he did but cvs would raise their prices. Knowledge is
power. Think I shall make my own fight for $15 too.
Spoke at the Bernie Sanders rally April 16th, 2016 in
Providence. I'm posting the speech here to share. Let me know what you
think, after all only together can we make change.
Thank
you, my name is Tony Hempfer and I'm with the Committee for Better
Banks. We are a national coalition of bank workers, community groups,
and labor organizations coming together to improve conditions in the
industry for frontline workers and the communities we serve. From
unreasonably low pay to sales goals that lead to job insecurity and
predatory practices, workers that I’ve met from across the country are
organizing around the most pressing issues in the industry.
Personally, I work for Bank of America, but not in the way most
people think of bank workers. I'm one of the little people, we are the
tellers, the call center reps, the data entry people, those who work in
the backroom doing the work that needs to be done.
Today I am here to show my support for Senator Bernie Sanders
because he is the only candidate addressing issues that affect bank
workers. Many people would be surprised that my coworkers and I need a
raise. Almost three-quarters of bank tellers make less than $15 an hour
and a quarter of frontline workers rely on food stamps or other public
assistance to survive.
Bernie Sanders is leading the way to a better America, one that values working class Americans over corporate profits.
One of the main ways some banks bring in profit is by enforcing
really high sales goals to pressure frontline workers to push products
on consumers that may not be in their best interest. Us frontline
workers want our customers and our communities to be financially
successful, but it’s often difficult for us to meet your needs when the
bank is threatening to write us up or fire us if we do not sell enough
products that day or week.
On sales goals, we’ve already seen progress. For example, the
city of Los Angeles is suing Wells Fargo for their aggressive tactics.
Bank workers and the working families we serve deserve an end to
unreasonable sales goals that transfer wealth from communities straight
to the 1%. Bank workers need a voice in our workplaces so we can fight
for better working conditions in the richest industry in the world.
Bernie gets it. He is for change and I can say that us lower paid
bankers in the finance industry like change. Hell we make it for you
everyday. But we do other things as well. Sure you know we make deposits
and withdrawals into your accounts. We watch for elder abuse, monitor
suspicious deposits, all the while constantly watching for fraud. We
protect your accounts. Senator Sanders wants to protect your accounts
too.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak here today. If there are
any bank workers out there interested learning more about the Committee
for Better Banks, please go to www.betterbanks.org or contact me. Once
again my name is Tony Hempfer and the transcripts of my speech will be
made available online because Senator Sanders and his supporters have
nothing to hide.
Prince was from my generation, he was exciting like life itself. We danced through the 80's, slowed down through the 90's, and was still moving mountains in the new century. We lived through his music and grew old together. Thank you for that.
I saw Prince back on the 1999 Tour in '83. He put on a great show and his talent lifted me up. If I was ever depressed I could put his
music on and he could change my mood for the better. How could it not, it was full of life. Now for awhile I
will listen in sadness. Like artists before we will rejoice in
his talent for years to come. The music will never die, just fade away
like you and I.
This country will finally put a woman and a person of color on our
currency and I for one say 'bout time. Harriet Tubman is an excellent
choice and hopefully will encourage people to learn more about her and
what she accomplished. Black history shouldn't be celebrated one month a
year, it should be celebrated and taught all year round. That goes for
all history as well. We only move forward when we learn from our past.
Interestingly she is being put on the $20 bill. Learn her history and you'll see that is a fitting place for her.
The Committee for Better Banks has helped me find my voice and make it be heard at my workplace, they can help you as well. Contact them and be the change that you and your coworkers need. Whether you work for a big bank or a small one stand up for your rights. Together we can make change.
I used to post here but then my computer died. As I had an iPad I never bothered getting it replaced. Sort of missed sitting and typing so now I'm here and will see if I feel like doing this still. Who knows maybe people actually care what I think lol
