Thanks Obama, it's only gonna get worse. He'll have the rich kids money too.

I believe it's more like-Thanks Republicans, for helping to erode the unions, which help working class people make a decent living wage, for voting against health care reform, and for helping to slowly rid this country of a middle class. For most people, even a 4 year degree these days won't get someone a job good enough to provide for an average family.

The surest way to lower teen unemployment is to tax business at a higher level. The higher the rate of taxation the more businesses hire. Coupled with unions demanding higher wages and "cadillac" benefits, how could business not but succeed? Are unionized businesses bankrupting because of executive pay or union wage, pension, and health care obligations? This exact plan has been tried in Western Europe where teen unemployment is twenty-five percent, and has reached fifty percent in Greece. Is there any country that has been successful following this model? Even Norway and Sweden are being downgraded as crushing debt is beginning to mount. Germany is soon to suffer its second downgrade, while the U.S. is about to be downgraded for the third time. The union/socialist model has utterly failed humanity. Additionally, it is enormous union money that, over the last few decades, has enabled the Democrat Party to infuse American society with easy divorce, wholesale abortion, and rampant homosexuality.

okay, otis, you lost me when you tried to inject your moralizing into the argument. that last sentence has literally nothing to do with the rest of your paragraph.

The whole union BS is what got GM into the mess they were in. Look at the union workers that sat around and did nothing and made 30 bucks an hour. Yes,there were some that worked very hard, but many that didn't. And when problems arose and someone was asked to go into the plant to look at why things were running slow, that person was cursed by those union workers who didn't want someone watching them work. Yep, all we need is more unions.

Everyone working public service in Washington D.C. anytime in the last 15 years shoulders a little bit of the blame. Maybe some a little more than other but to blame one and not blame the other is where the true ignorance of Americans is displayed the most.

Robert, by the way that was the good ole boy way over at Saginaw. You cant place all unions in that idiotic state of affairs that was going on in that place.

WELL ANGIE DEAR ---UNIONS OR NO UNIONS DONT YOU AGREE WITH RIGHT TO WORK---OR SHOULD YOU PAY SOMEONE TO DO A MEAGER JOB AND KEEP IT EVEN WHEN YOU DRINK SCREW OFF AND OTHER THAN WORK RELATED STUFF. AND DONT YOU THINK MITS GREAT THAT UNIONS CLOSED DOWN SCHOOLS IN CHICAGO BECAUSE TEACHERS PAY DIDNT GO ABOVE 85K A YEAR. AND ANGIE ISNT IT GREAT THAT UNION BOSSES AND SOME OF THEIR ASSISTANTS DRAW MORE MONEY THAN YOU DO JUST BY YOU AND ALL EMPLOYEES PAYING THEM YOUR DUES. KINDA LIKE THE MAFIA---YOU PAY US OR WE SHUT YOU DOWN.YEARS AGO THE UNIONS HAD THEIR PLACE AND DID WONDERS---BUT THEY HAVE LIKE POLITICIANS TIRNED IT INTO A LIVLIHOOD,A MOCKERY OF FREEDOM AND ALL OVER THE DESIRES TO BE MORE AFFLUENT. LOOK HOW MANY OF OUR NEDIA HAVE CHANGED AND STRETCH THE TRUTH. IT USED TO BE WHEN GRANDPA SAID HONEY ITS TRUE CAUSE CONKRIGHT SAID SO. NOW 1/2 WHAT YOU HEAR FROM MANY MEDIA OUTLETS 1/2 OR THE HEADING MAY BE TRUE.-- SO ANYWAY ANGIE WHAT YA GONNA DO WHEN YOU RAISE A CHILD WHO SAYS --HEY MOM YEARS AGO JOINING A UNION WAS VOLUNTARY AND I BELIEVE THAT WAY --SO I AINT JOINING---GUESS YOU WILL KICK HIM OR HER OUT SINCE BY YOUR THOUGHTS THEY WONT BE WORKING. UNIONS NO LONGER DO ANYTHING BUT CHARGE HIGH DUES AND KEEP LOW CLASS INADEQUATE AND LAZY EMPLOYEES ON THE JOB AS AMERICAS COMPANIES DISCOVER THEY CAN GET CHEAPER LABOR FROM CHINA AND THE TUMBLWEED KEEPS ON ROLLIN ROLLIN ----

TEENAGERS MAY BE DUMB BUT NOT AS DUMB AS CHARLES KIRBY WHO THINKS THE AVERAGE SALARY IN PENNSYLVANIA IS THREE TIMES THAT IN ALABAMA. READ THIS

On 12/23/12 at 09:34 AM, CHARLES from wrote:

Alabama's taxes compared to states like Pennsylvania's are about a third! However, that is not the full picture. Their salaries are about three times ours also. When you multiply our wages times three, then it will be acceptable to discuss taxing us times three. Let's tell the truth here. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The majority of people in Decatur make less than $25K annually. (Watch someone say these are not propety owners! Well if you raise the landlord's costs, he will pass it on to the renters!) Many of these are already in foreclosure. How will raising their taxes help them? The reality is that there is no single "push of the button" solution. We took 40 years getting here. Perhaps we should look at the ingredients that contributed to our problem. What are we continuing to do that we have been doing for 40 years? Workforce development and education are part of the answer. But what aspect of our "manufacturing based local economy" is not contributing to our schools? Why are schools outside Decatur finding money to build and Decatur is not? The answer will appear if you think about it!

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On 12/23/12 at 12:42 PM, William from wrote:

Charles that is just garbage. Teachers in Pennsylvania make approximately 9 thousand dollars a year more than in Alabama. That's not three times as much. You are creating facts to suit your own purposes. Our city leaders are great at saying things to make you think they know what they are talking about but really they are completely lost. Charles Kirby is the dumbest city council person we have ever had.

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On 12/23/12 at 03:31 PM, Greg from wrote:

I love the way people from up north like to come here and tell us our taxes are too low. There are many, many advantages to living in the south and this is just one of them. New buildings will do nothing for the level of education offered in our schools. It is what it is, which by the way is very good. As far as the poverty level, what do you think we should do? If people want to go to our schools, get a good education and apply themselves, they will dig themselves out of poverty. I am so tired of everyone wanting the government to fix their problems and take care of them. Granted, this is where Obama is taking us, but for now at least, we have the choice. It's yours to make. Get an education and make something of yourself or live in poverty. And I hope, Decatur doesn't live beyond its means, just to "keep up with the Joneses." Everyone living here can certainly not afford higher taxes and this will be just the beginning of what we face in January. Dr. Nichols will do an excellent job of coming up with a plan that will benefit Decatur and not put us in a tremendous amount of debt that we cannnot afford.

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On 12/23/12 at 07:04 PM, CHARLES from wrote:

Article above never mentioned teachers salaries.....William. You are not near a smart as you think. The statement was wages in general and taxes. These were the things stated by others, not me. Get a clue, get a life, then get over yourself. If you and I are always in the same room, I can NEVER be worse than 2nd dumbest.

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On 12/23/12 at 08:53 PM, William from wrote:

Show me anything where salaries in Pennsylvania are three times those in Alabama. Anything. You are a windbag who knows nothing and simply enjoys hearing himself talk. I just used teachers as an example. In 2009 the average household salary was 40,400 on alabama. For you to be correct, it would have to be 120,000 in Pennsylvania. It wasn't. It was 49,500. You are either just dumb. Or you are a liar. Probably both.

AND i KNOW THIS POST HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH THIS ARTICLE, BUT............CHARLES KIRBY, COULD YOU PLEASE STOP POSTING ON DD AND HAVE THESE POT HOLES FILLED ON MY STREET? SINCE YOU ARE MY COUNCIL REP. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EARN YOUR 15,000/YR BY CONTRIBUTING TO THE AREA YOU REPRESENT! THANKS! AND THAT'S ON EDGEWOOD STREET SW...RIGHT OFF DANVILLE ROAD! OH, AND BY THE WAY, I HAVE ALSO ASKED FOR CHILDREN PLAYING SIGNS TO BE PUT UP ON THIS STREET, BUT HASN'T HAPPENED YET! OR COULD WE GET SOME OF THOSE SPEED BUMPS.....HOW ABOUT A POLICE PATROL EVER NOW AND AGAIN? JUST WONDERING! PLEASE AND THANK YOU!

OH, AND LOCAL #558 IBEW HERE.......UNIONS INSTEAD OF RATS!!!!!!!!!!

I AM JUST SICK TO DEATH OF EVERYONE TYPING IN ALL CAPS. DO YALL NOT KNOW SIMPLE NETIQUETTE? YOU ARE SCREAMING AT YOUR AUDIENCE! DO YOU TALK LIKE THAT IN REAL LIFE? I DONT THINK SO! THEN WHY HERE?

Never got versed in netiquette? but yeah, I was yelling at Charles!

I want an explanation why a guy that thinks Pennsylvania citizens make three times the salary of Alabama citizens is doing in office. If he's that dumb he shouldn't represent other people. He likes to seem smart by getting on here and telling everybody how much he knows but if he was really smart he'd just shut the heck up and do his job.

William, I REFUSE TO READ YOUR POST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BOTHER TO TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. You make my eyes hurt.

Angie, you're wrong. I've posted one time with caps lock and just to tell the difference between my post and the part that was copied. But you probably wouldn't understand the big words anyway.

The few people who still whine about the downfall of unions are simply people who have been layed off or had a family member lose a job, the day of the unions is OVER . The sooner you realize it and quit looking back crying and whineing the better off you'll be. 99% of the problems unions have are self inflicted. I have always hated the unions mob mentality. My political heros have always been the brave people like Reagan who stood up to the bullying tactics and smashed the unions . VIVA LA REAGAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A smart company knows how to keep a union out. You provide your employees with the tools to perform their job effectively and safely, pay well for a hard day's work, involvement in the decision making process, job security, and respect. If you leave no reason for employees to desire a union, they will never vote for a union.

Yes, It's all Obama's fault. Doesn't matter what the hell we're talking about, how long it's been going on, or what actually caused it, it is 100% Obama's fault.