Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

[TV and credit cards]

AOC wants a higher threshold than $50,000 - to help doctors and the like with very big student-load debts.

Doctors (i.e. physicians) in the US have large salaries and can well afford to pay their student loans.
View attachment 34011
Why should these 1%ers be subsidized with student loan forgiveness?

And again, how would she pay her entire wish list?

Yea, but you're forgetting that their expenses are going way up. You can't deduct as many expenses on your second home, boats are more expensive, salary for butlers and maid are way up, jet fuel is up, $400,000 a year dosn't go as far as it use to. We need to help the medical class out better...

And now, the rest of the image.



And an average salary as a resident of about $50k when your struggling to pay just the interest to Sallie Mae.

So, yeah, 10 to 14 years later when you actually start getting your doctor pay, it's nothing but boats and butlers.

Or maybe buy a home, raise a family, pay off your loans.

But then, then, you're for sure jetting off to the vacation home.

Fairly, they probably live pretty nice in retirement.

Nothing like the meager existence we suffer.

 

[Trausti]

Yea, but you're forgetting that their expenses are going way up. You can't deduct as many expenses on your second home, boats are more expensive, salary for butlers and maid are way up, jet fuel is up, $400,000 a year dosn't go as far as it use to. We need to help the medical class out better...

And now, the rest of the image.

View attachment 34088

And an average salary as a resident of about $50k when your struggling to pay just the interest to Sallie Mae.

So, yeah, 10 to 14 years later when you actually start getting your doctor pay, it's nothing but boats and butlers.

Or maybe buy a home, raise a family, pay off your loans.

But then, then, you're for sure jetting off to the vacation home.

Fairly, they probably live pretty nice in retirement.

Nothing like the meager existence we suffer.

But why should the working class who could not or did not want to attend college subsidize that?

 

[untermensche]

But why should the working class who could not or did not want to attend college subsidize that?

If doctors do not have huge student debts they can see less patients.

That means they can spend more time with each patient.

Who wants a cardiologist in a hurry because they have huge student debt?

 

[Trausti]

But why should the working class who could not or did not want to attend college subsidize that?

If doctors do not have huge student debts they can see less patients.

That means they can spend more time with each patient.

Who wants a cardiologist in a hurry because they have huge student debt?

You live in your own fantasy, unter.

 

[untermensche]

But why should the working class who could not or did not want to attend college subsidize that?

If doctors do not have huge student debts they can see less patients.

That means they can spend more time with each patient.

Who wants a cardiologist in a hurry because they have huge student debt?

You live in your own fantasy, unter.

I work in healthcare and talk to doctors every working day.

 

[lpetrich]

AOC Interview On MSNBC's All In With Chris Hayes(FULL) - YouTube
split in two:
AOC On Manchin’s Voting Rights Excuse: ‘I Don’t Buy It’ - YouTube
AOC Slams Biden Immigration Plan: ‘It’s Wrong And It’s Inhumane’ - YouTube

She said that many of her colleagues consider democracy under threat by Republicans trying to rig elections so that it is nearly impossible to defeat them. She thinks that some people have "an unwavering faith" in American institutions that is not very justified. Some politicians may represent constituencies that are not under threat. She suspects that Joe Manchin's constituency is not the sort of people who feel that their right to vote is under attack, the way that many black Americans do. She says that West Virginia is not a very high priority for Republican vote suppressors because that state is very reliably Republican.

She continues with HR1. It has countermeasures against both voter suppression and against dark money. She especially likes the latter. She said that the likes of the Koch brothers and the Heritage Foundation did a "victory lap" over Tim Manchin's continuing support of the Senate filibuster.

Interviewer Chris Hayes then got into Kamala Harris saying to would-be immigrants "Do not come. Do not come." She criticized the admin's immigration policy as "wrong" and "inhumane". These immigrants know about the dangers that they face, and AOC compared the trip to jumping out of a burning building, because of the horrible things that they risk in their homelands. She then noted US meddling and climate-change troubles. She suspects that detention of immigrants is deliberately cruel to deter immigration.

Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Interview On CNN State Of The Union (FULL) - YouTube

The interview started with the proposed compromise infrastructure bill, $1.7 trillion, with $0.6 T in new spending. Would AOC vote yes or no? She is disappointed in its lack of climate action. It's something that's spread out over 8 to 10 years. She said that a big problem is Senate Democrats who are obstructing this effort for reasons that she thinks don't hold a lot of water. Where are the 10 Republican Senators who would help in overcoming the other Republicans' inevitable filibuster? She pointed out that not enough Republicans supported a 1/6 commission despite it having a thoroughly bipartisan design.

She thinks that it's better to go it alone and get more done rather than try to pursue Republican votes that may likely not be delivered. I think that she's right. Mitch McConnell is dead set on obstructing the Democrats. He did that over Obama's presidency, and he did that after the Democrats took the House in 2018.

She suggests that some filibuster defenders romanticize an era of Republicans that does not exist anymore. Also that Sen. Manchin likes the status quo of accepting lots of lobbyist money.

Then how the Biden DOJ seems to be continuing some Trump policies. Could it be that this is from some Trump appointees still being in place?

Then when she tweeted that some fellow Democrats have mischaracterized some of the things that Ilhan Omar has recently said. IO was talking about some ICC investigations into war crimes, and some people claimed that she was equating the subjects of these investigations.

That has led to people making threats against IO, something that AOC herself is familiar with.

Then about Rep. Mondaire Jones saying that Supreme Court Justice Steven Breyer should retire, so that Pres. Biden and Congress can fill his seat with a younger liberal successor. She didn't quite call for his resignation, but she noted the opposite happening, evidently a reference to Ruth Bader Ginsburg's refusal to step down. After saying that we cannot expect to depend on the Supreme Court, she said that "that should be a consideration". It's something that she thinks about, and that she inclines toward "yes", but she conceded that she'd have to give it more thought.


She recently Instagrammed on how she did that interview. She noted that a lot of policymakers watch the Sunday-morning politics talk shows, and that that could be trouble in this age of COVID-19. She said that Zoom is sometimes unreliable and that one's home or office is not the best sort of studio. So CNN sent out a studio van, and she did her interview in it.

 

[lpetrich]

Seems like AOC could have a great career in NYC politics if she burns out of national politics.

New York Indivisible on Instagram: “ Some friends want to tell you that #EarlyVoting begins today. @aoc @jamaalbowmanny @brad.lander @cabanforqueens @danielefram”

Tiffany Cabán on Instagram: “Recently our Congresswoman @AOC said, “If your movement isn’t having fun, it isn’t growing!” …”

Recently our Congresswoman @AOC said, “If your movement isn’t having fun, it isn’t growing!”

#TeamCabán is having a blast. Over the past two weekends we have hosted huge events with special guests to get out the vote!

We had a rally with @sengianaris and @jumaane.williams at Astoria Houses while listening to some of our dopest homegrown talent @discotwins and @djspunk spin. Shoutout to @louie.p.sosa, @T_Spunk, @DiscoTwins, @PrettyFace_Q, @Pure_n_Sexy, @TheNappyFrappe, @Chynas_Kitchen_NYC,

Brad Lander on Instagram: “Great to kick off an early voting canvass in Astoria with the best team this morning! …”

Early voting kickoff w AOC & Jamaal Bowman!

Great to kick off an early voting canvass in Astoria with the best team this morning!

Thank you @aoc @jamaalbowmanny @jumaane.williams for coming to help us get out the vote for @cabanforqueens and me!

Find your poll site: findmypollsite.vote.nyc

 

[lpetrich]

Quoting this because I'm not very good at transcription.

The Recount on Twitter: "Rep. @AOC on Sen. Joe Manchin, HR1, & the filibuster:

"This romanticism of bipartisanship is about an era of Republicans that simply do not exist anymore."

"...You have the Koch brothers ... really doing victory laps about Joe Manchin's opposition to the filibuster." (link)" / Twitter

The Recount on Twitter: "Rep. @AOC on whether liberal justice Stephen Breyer should retire from SCOTUS at the end of this term:

"I would probably lean towards yes. But, yes, you're asking me this question, so I would give more thought to it, but I'm inclined to say yes." (link)" / Twitter

I like this response:
Sheldon on Twitter: "@therecount @AOC Tell me again how MTG & Boebert are contemporaries of this thoughtful, intelligent and articulate leader.

Don’t even have to agree with everything she says to see that she comes to her job prepared……not spouting trump/FOX scripted junk." / Twitter

 

[TV and credit cards]

Yea, but you're forgetting that their expenses are going way up. You can't deduct as many expenses on your second home, boats are more expensive, salary for butlers and maid are way up, jet fuel is up, $400,000 a year dosn't go as far as it use to. We need to help the medical class out better...

And now, the rest of the image.

View attachment 34088

And an average salary as a resident of about $50k when your struggling to pay just the interest to Sallie Mae.

So, yeah, 10 to 14 years later when you actually start getting your doctor pay, it's nothing but boats and butlers.

Or maybe buy a home, raise a family, pay off your loans.

But then, then, you're for sure jetting off to the vacation home.

Fairly, they probably live pretty nice in retirement.

Nothing like the meager existence we suffer.

But why should the working class who could not or did not want to attend college subsidize that?

I’d think a wealthy nation would see the benefit of paying for the education of all its citizens so they may achieve their full potential and the country as a whole may benefit from their talents.
Wouldn’t you agree, twelve years of stripped down public education just isn’t getting the job done? Wouldn’t you agree at least four more years are necessary to develop a person’s talents, two if swinging a hammer or turning a wrench is all you’ve got to give?
Why should a person’s talent languish? Why should the country not benefit from another surgeon and their specialty? Because they couldn’t afford it? No. Any person’s talent left undeveloped diminishes us all as a nation. I’m more than happy to chip in. And those who cannot see the benefit or are simply selfish and believe themselves to be an island should be made to chip in.
This is where government comes in. Not to simply bend to the will of the collective mass as doing so would only lead to mediocrity or worse. Ideally we elect the best and brightest amongst us to do what is in our best interest even when we do not recognize it as such.

 

[lpetrich]

Aaron Rupar on Twitter: "AOC: "I do think that we need to talk about the elephant in the room, which is Senate Democrats which are blocking crucial items in a Democratic agenda for reasons that I don't think hold a lot of water." (link)" / Twitter
then
Aaron Rupar on Twitter: "AOC on if she thinks Justice Breyer should retire: "I would probably lean toward yes." (link)" / Twitter


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "A lot of folks will chide those of us who believe in pushing Congress to do more for working people and the planet by saying “well, how do you plan on getting 50 votes?” instead of asking the Dems who are blocking voting rights in the Senate where they plan on getting 60." / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "We have an obligation to do the most we can for working people, civil rights, and the planet with the power people have entrusted to us.

We should lower the age for Medicare, roll back voter suppression, and create millions of jobs w/ infrastructure that combats climate change." / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

A former top staffer in AOC's office said he left his position earlier this year mostly because he 'couldn't afford the job,' as the congresswoman fights for bigger budgets for staff paychecks

Dan Riffle on Twitter: "It is mostly for this reason that I left @AOC's office a couple months ago. She's a great boss and I adored my colleagues, but with two kids in daycare I just couldn't afford the job. It's not just that the Hill pays less than K street. It's less than non-profit or local gov't." / Twitter

Andrew Solender on Twitter: "INBOX: 110 House members, led by @AOC, call for 21% increase in the budget House offices use to pay staffers as "an important first step" to "recruit and retain a diverse and talented workforce." (link)" / Twitter

For years, pay and benefits of the staff of Member offices, leadership offices, and committees have fallen farther and farther behind what is offered in the private sector. At the same time, the cost of living here in our nation's capital has risen substantially, placing opportunities such as homeownership, rental housing, and childcare out of reach for many. Thankfully, many House internships are now paid, thanks to our efforts last Congress, but the low salary available to entry-level staff continue to raise barriers to entry and advantage those who are already wealthy and connected. These realities have hamstrung the House in our ability to recruit and retain the talented and diverse workforce we need to serve the diversity and needs of the American people in the best way possible.

Back to the original article.

A report from Insider's Kayla Epstein this week detailed shockingly low pay among many Capitol Hill staffers and the lengths some go to in order to live in Washington, DC, one of the nation's most expensive cities, while fulfilling their dreams of public service.

Junior-level staffers can start out in the low $20,000s to $30,000s in a city where the average one-bedroom apartment costs more than $2,000 a month. Some have resorted to working second jobs.

Like daycare costing $2,000 - $2,500 per month.

"Between daycare, mortgage, food, transportation, and other costs, we're basically treading water until we can get the kids into pre-K, which is free in DC," he said.

...
Obviously, K Street pays more than Congress, always will," Riffle said, referring to the street known as a hub for lobbyists and advocacy groups. "That's not for me, but there's lots of nonprofit and local-government jobs where you don't have to compromise your values or work-life balance that still pay far more than mid-level congressional careers."

This is where he has gone: Dan Riffle on Twitter: "@GarethCKelly @JayRod212 @ryangrim @AOC Local government" / Twitter

Riffle praised Ocasio-Cortez, who has been a vocal proponent of livable wages for workers, supporting a $15 minimum wage and frequently calling out corporations she believes don't offer financial security or opportunity for their employees.

"I think she has also led by example on the pay issue," Riffle told Insider.

Her starting pay is $52,000 per year, about twice what is typical.

"I appreciate that the congresswoman implemented a nontraditional system where she pays her chief of staff and director-level positions significantly less than the average on the Hill, which freed up more money to pay to younger, entry-level staff," Riffle said.

 

[lpetrich]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Generational wealth shouldn’t be a requirement to work in Washington.

Congressional staffers have been far underpaid for far too long. This has damaging effects on both policymaking & diversity.

Thankful to my colleagues who joined us on the effort to pay staff dignified wages." / Twitter

Elvina Nawaguna on Twitter: "Read the letter @AOC and others plan to send to House appropriators demanding increased funding for staff salaries. Insider's reporting revealed that lots of Capitol Hill staffers can barely get by on salaries that start in the $20,000s. (link) via @KaylaEpstein" / Twitter


AOC has been plenty busy.

Nancy Pelosi on Instagram: “Economic inequality has been a growing concern for years …”

Economic inequality has been a growing concern for years – one that has intensified during the pandemic. The widening chasm between CEO compensation and worker pay has gone from unfair to immoral. There is recognition that our economy, which is based on free market capitalism, has not served many Americans well. And it has become clear that the stagnation of workers’ pay is an historic picture of injustice.

The priority of addressing wealth and financial disparity is a broad one, encompassing many concerns and constituencies. That is why I am proud to name the following Members to the Committee, who reflect the array of these challenges:

@RepJimHimes of Connecticut: bringing extensive professional experience from the private sector and in affordable housing, will be Chair.
@RepMarcyKaptur of Ohio: focusing on regional economic revitalization.
@RepGwenMoore of Wisconsin: leading action to close the racial wealth gap.
@RepVicenteGonzalez of Texas: recognizing the connection between economic growth and infrastructure connectivity.
@RepJayapal of Washington: delivering workers better wages and a brighter future.
Congresswoman Angie Craig of Minnesota: representing the concerns of family farmers and rural communities. @RepAngieCraig
@RepAOC of New York: addressing generational disparities and increasing worker power in the economy.
@RepSaraJacobs of California: focusing on the future of work with both a family and a global perspective.

The Select Committee will study and recommend proposals to make our economy work for everyone, powering American economic growth while ensuring that no one is left out or left behind in the 21st Century Economy.

That is our mission: with this Committee, we can Build Back Better in a way that ensures liberty, prosperity and opportunity for all.

 

[lpetrich]

Cori Bush on Twitter: "I love my sisters." / Twitter
noting
Ilhan Omar on Twitter: "Sisterhood, solidarity and a late night Chinese dinner is our fuel (pic link)" / Twitter
showing
AOC, Ayanna Pressley, Cori Bush, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib.

Sarah Silverman on Twitter: "@IlhanMN @CoriBush @RashidaTlaib @AOC @AyannaPressley Love this group!! You give me hope! (Wish there was a progressive jewess in there someday)" / Twitter
then
Ilhan Omar on Twitter: "@SarahKSilverman @CoriBush @RashidaTlaib @AOC @AyannaPressley You could run and join us " / Twitter
then
Sarah Silverman on Twitter: "@IlhanMN @CoriBush @RashidaTlaib @AOC @AyannaPressley my skeletons have skeletons" / Twitter


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "“It’s almost impossible to find workers,” say at-will employers refusing to offer living wages, sick/hazard pay, parental leave, or reliable schedules while rents, childcare costs, & student debt reach record highs.

“We tried offering free coupons. What else can we possibly do?”" / Twitter
noting
Zoé on Twitter: "From the McDonald’s drive-thru: (link)" / Twitter
with sign

"Effective immediately, we will not be opening until 7:00 am. I am sorry about this, but we just don't have enough employees. As soon as we do, we will open again at 6. Thank you."

 

[lpetrich]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Since FEMA began accepting ..." / Twitter

Since FEMA began accepting COVID-19 funeral assistance applications about two months ago, $190 MILLION has been approved for almost 28,000 eligible applicants.

Individuals who have faced incredible loss due to COVID-19 shouldn't be saddled with an additional financial burden.

The deceased's documentation status is not considered, but the applicants must be U.S. citizens, legal residents, asylees, refugees, or non-citizen nationals.

See if you qualify and apply here: COVID-19 Funeral Assistance | FEMA.gov

[https://twitter.com/RepAOC/status/1403013319825543170 Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "In addition to combatting voter suppression, ..." / Twitter]

In addition to combatting voter suppression, the #ForThePeopleAct also stands up against lobbyists and dark money.

Might be why *some* people have arbitrarily decided that saving our democracy is a partisan issue.

Anti-dark money policies in HR 1 would:

require super PACS & “dark money” groups to disclose donors publicly
break the so-called ‘nesting-doll’ sham that allows big-money contributors & special interests to hide the true funding source of their political spending
& more

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "You don’t say (link)" / Twitter
Worker shortage: How businesses are raising wages to fix the issue - The Washington Post

Across the country, businesses in sectors such as food service and manufacturing that are trying to staff up have been reporting an obstacle to their success — a scarcity of workers interested in applying for low-wage positions.

...
The experience of 12 business operators interviewed by The Washington Post who raised their minimum wage in the last year points to another element of the equation: the central role that pay — specifically a $15-an-hour minimum starting wage — plays in attracting workers right now.

...
Enrique Lopezlira, a labor economist at the University of California at Berkeley and an expert on the low-wage workforce, said the stories were a sign, albeit anecdotal, that the market was functioning as it should in the face of excessive demand for workers.

“The more employers improve the quality of the jobs and the more they think of workers as an asset that needs to be maximized, the better they’re going to be able to find and retain workers long term,” he said.

As opposed to going the route of Amazon, the route of embracing churn.

 

[lpetrich]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Yesterday, ..." / Twitter

Yesterday, @VP, @SenatorMenendez, and @SenatorDurbin met with six immigrant care workers to hear their stories and why we must ensure TPS holders, DACA recipients, and essential workers are given a pathway to citizenship.

One of these care workers is from NY-14. Rukmani from @adhikaar came to the US from Nepal in 2014. In 2015, there was a devastating earthquake in Nepal, destroying her family’s home. She has two daughters in Nepal & dreams of reuniting with them after being separated for 6 years.

We must pass citizenship for people like Rukmani and millions more.

This is long overdue.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Last night, Congress voted to pass the Corporate Governance Improvement and Investor Protection Act. ..." / Twitter

Last night, Congress voted to pass the Corporate Governance Improvement and Investor Protection Act. In addition to increasing corporate accountability across the board, the bill includes @RepCasten’s Climate Risk Disclosure Act.

The Climate Risk Disclosure Act requires public companies to disclose their contribution to climate change AND requires the SEC to establish industry-specific climate standards – so we can tell what companies are good climate stewards, and those that aren’t.

 

[lpetrich]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "It’s more important now than ever to address generational disparities and increase worker power in the economy.

Rep. AOC is joining the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth to take on these important issues. (link)" / Twitter
Opinion | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launches a new select committee to confront wealth and fairness - The Washington Post

Our political divisions have complex manifestations, but the core problem actually is simple: The rewards of our economy are distributed in a grossly unfair way, and the pandemic has made it worse. Anger about this unfairness is shared by Whites and Blacks, conservatives and progressives, Trump voters and Biden voters. Indeed, it may be one of the few things we all agree on.

“Equality is the hidden American code, the unspoken feeling that everyone shares,” writes George Packer in his new book, “Last Best Hope.” He quotes Alexis de Tocqueville’s observation after visiting our young republic in the 1830s that equality is the “ardent, insatiable, eternal and invincible” yearning of democratic societies.

So House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is launching a Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth.

The basic idea, she told me in a recent interview, is to create a forum that can bring together representatives from all sides: Rust Belt districts harmed by plant shutdowns, urban districts ravaged by racial injustice, rural districts where farmers are suffering from drought, and districts across the country where young people are struggling with debt, low-wage jobs and an uncertain future.

“The whole point is to make sure that people are listened to,” she told me in her office, where rioters were ransacking files just six months ago. “We have a patriotic obligation to find common ground.” In a “Dear Colleague” letter she planned to circulate late Tuesday, she said the aim of the committee was “to intervene in the increasing divide” that separates the parties and the country.

Her inspiration was FDR's Temporary National Economic Committee of 1938, which had the task of how to get out of the continuing stagnation after 5 years of New Deal reforms. After initially considering big-business monopolies, they decided in 1941 on massive Keynesian government spending. Then on December 7 of that year, the Imperial Japanese Navy created the ideal pretext for such spending in the US's Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Hawaii.

NP has selected 8 Democrats for the committee, and Senate Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will select some Republicans for it.

In her statement announcing the select panel, Pelosi quotes FDR’s 1938 speech urging Congress to study the concentration of wealth in America. “The liberty of a democracy is not safe if its business system does not provide employment and produce and distribute goods in such a way as to sustain an acceptable standard of living.“

True then, true now. The best way protect capitalism is to make sure that its fruits are shared equitably.

 

[lpetrich]

AOC continues her involvement in local transit issues.

LaGuardia AirTrain project delayed after Queens congresswoman urges further federal review – QNS.com

Ocasio-Cortez jumped into the fray soon afterward saying the infrastructure project didn’t make logistical sense, and that a review of documents by the environmental group Riverkeeper showed the case for the AirTrain was “really sketchy.” In a letter to the FAA, the congresswoman asked the feds to “refrain from approving” the project and prevent the Port Authority from beginning construction.

“This project would be built in the heart of one of the most heavily impacted communities by COVID-19, with many community members opposing the development,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “It is critical that this project be held to the highest ethical and efficacy standards – and it is clear that has not been the case to date.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Thanks to continued advocacy of community members, ..." / Twitter

Thanks to continued advocacy of community members, the FAA announced that they are pausing approval on the LGA AirTrain project.

This wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of Sensible Way to LGA, Riverkeeper, Ditmars Blvd Block Association, Queens Neighborhoods United, Flushing Chamber of Commerce, Jackson Heights Beautification Group, and Guardians of Flushing Bay,

in addition to East Elmhurst Corona Civic Association, NAACP East Elmhurst Corona Branch, and Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens CDC.

 

[Derec]

AOC continues her involvement in local transit issues.

So she is against a local transit project, while pushing rail everywhere else?

 

[Derec]

I work in healthcare and talk to doctors every working day.

Of course doctors themselves would love to see their student loans paid by the taxpayers so they can use their large salaries to buy that boat years sooner.

 

[untermensche]

I work in healthcare and talk to doctors every working day.

Of course doctors themselves would love to see their student loans paid by the taxpayers so they can use their large salaries to buy that boat years sooner.

It is a public good to have rested well paid doctors.

I have no clue who or what you are in the service of.