" If only they would pay more in taxes all our problems would be solved." Hmm...I'm not sure that is the message President Obama is sending and most people are receiving. I think his point is that by raising taxes and closing tax loopholes, the problems would be more shared, not solved.

JH what is wrong with paying their fair share. Back in the 1960s they were paying 80 to 90% and everyone had jobs with things made in America. The rich did ok then!

My name is Joshua Perry and I am featured in this photo, i would just like to say as a twenty something year old (23 now i will be 24 in February) I couldn't be more upset that Obama has gotten re-elected. i have attempted to get and keep two jobs since the time this photo was taken, though it seems college and an amazing resume and lots of real life experience does not matter in this economy when looking for a job unless you are a older middle age person or already have a family. What about those like me and my fiance (also featured in the photo) that want to start a family?

Two years into the last term of Obama's rule i lost pretty much my life, lost my job, my car, and had to move back home after being on my own already for quite some time. it was not an easy transition. now I'm ready after such a traumatic blow to get out and start a new. I just don't see it happening though, I really thought the american people wouldn't forget this movement but sadly they must have. I seem to remember something i said in the days and nights i was at our 99% movement, it was something along the lines of this; Obama promised CHANGE and the only thing he has done since gaining his job is helping me lose everything and a lot less CHANGE in my pockets. He has gained a re-election and he is my president though I did not vote for him, I'm scared my parents may lose there house and i'll be engaged till i'm close to 30 if there isn't change soon. I really thought that a good change would have been to give someone anyone a chance to fix this place i live, i cant call the united states of america home for any other reason now aside from i live here, If given the option i would live elsewhere and plan to if our economy ever gets strong enough to do so.

We the people of the united states owe China's government a tremendous amount of money and i don't think they would be very happy if we couldn't give it back to them. I know I will not retire if i live in the USA my whole life, I also know that if i stay in Maryland especially it will be hell to find a carer not just a job but something to move into that i can support a wife and kids. At my age that opportunity is very slim. To close I would like to add the Baltimore 99% movement was the most organized, safe, peaceful, and helpful 99% city i went to, we had 99%er's that were emt's and doctors one who graduated from Hopkins and couldn't find work. we had breakfast and lunch donated and hot dinner every evening cooked at a church less than a mile away, due to the mass appeal of the Baltimore homeless wanting there voices to be heard as well (more people have become homeless during the past 4 years in Maryland then in anytime I've been alive). we had a lookout/security team that made sure there was no harassment violence or drug use, we had a legal team in place and applied for different permits many times, we had a media team.

Most importantly I would like to point out a little unknown factoid about the Baltimore city police officer's that i spoke to while there, a lot of them wished they could stand next to us with signs due to the cuts they were dealing with at the time. Once we heard that we would be evacuated from the area we had a large rally one lat time the night before and in the early hours and bitter cold we were awoken and left peacefully unlike many other city's 99% protests. I sure hope this country's president can pull it together very soon and that i can once more believe i have the chance to live the american dream but for now i still see my generation having no chance of that.

Nice try Samantha, but check out the facts first ( try Tax Policy Institute or CNNMoney for recent articles on this matter). Things are bad now but we don't have anywhere near 50% of our households below the poverty line. About 86% of the households that pay no federal income taxes have household incomes of $ 100,000 or less. Some are below the poverty line. However, a great many are not. And I am sure there are some examples of millionaires that don't have a federal income tax liability, but very few. President has an ugly message that divides our nation at a time when we all should pull together.

JH said "About 86% of the households that pay no federal income taxes have household incomes of $ 100,000 or less."

That is the fallacy in this argument the GOP is pushing. Whether or not that figure is correct, how it is being used is wrong. If 86% of households don't pay taxes, it misses how that statistic is gathered. Let's say Dad works and earns $50,000.00 per year. He's paying taxes. But Son is working for minimum wage. He is not paying taxes, in this example. But, for statistical purposes, that house counts as "a household not paying taxes".

Quote JH: "About 86% of the households that pay no federal income taxes have household incomes of $ 100,000 or less."

Well, "$100,000.00 or less" is a pretty wide swath. Less could be anwhere from $99,999.00 to $10,000.00. I suspect if your statement is true, the majority of the $100,000 or less are less than the median income.

If lower taxes for the "job creators" worked, we'd be in booming times now. We are not. The Bush tax cuts coupled with the Reagan Revolution style deregulation have put us smack dabb in the middle of the worst Depression we've had since the 30s.

I can see how you might read the misleading media statements about taxes and conclude that only the poor and middle class pay taxes. Lots of misleading press coverage and the President is pushing nonsense to divide the nation. His Warren Buffet statements are very misleading. In this case, Buffet paid millions in taxes while his secretary paid a few thousands. He paid more than 1,000 times more than his secretary. However, to hear some people present the information you would think the opposite is true. Lower tax rates do not equal lower taxes paid. Need to tax those freeloaders that don't pay any income taxes at all ----- nearly 50% of households pay nothing.

JH said "...nearly 50% of households pay nothing".

Again, JH, you are misrepresenting that statistic. If I am earning a taxable income but my son is not, that counts as a "household not paying taxes". That is how they come to that statistic. It is a bogus argument that "50% of the people aren't paying taxes".

The Bush tax cuts were so destructive, horrible, and evil that Obama and his Senate majority just had to continue them :)

Tonto, Obama was pushed to the center on extending the Bush tax cuts. Blame it on the Reagan Revolution. It still is the major force in U. S. politics. It is also the major reason our country is in such a mess.

Is this type of behavior really something you want to get behind, Sean? This is hooliganism, plain and simple.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A protest that shut down the Port of Oakland to show the broadening reach of the Occupy Wall Street movement ended in violence when police in riot gear arrested dozens of protesters overnight who broke into a vacant building, shattered downtown windows, sprayed graffiti and set blazes along the way.

http://news.yahoo.com/occupy-protesters-remove-blockade-oakland-port-161355762.html

Of course I don't support the violence, but there is no way to tell in a crowd that size who started the destruction. There are rowdies out there just looking for a reason to bust something up. Does that mean we must stop all protests? If so then why wouldn't some group that has designs to give another group a bad name just plant some trouble makers in the crowd?

Actually the Port of Oakland protest was to stop the government from doing something - signing stupid trade deals like NAFTA and WTO that kill American jobs.

Its simply a distraction away from the failure Obama, they will be singing a new distraction song soon slowly winding down Occupy. I believe its all part of a script for Michael Moores new "B" movie coming out next year right before the election. Nobama = No jobs, More corporations = More jobs. All the rest is hogwash :)

Obama a failure? You are kidding, right? The man is doing a good job as president.

Sean,

You are the poster child of blind faith. When is the last time you left your basement and where do you get your information?

First of all Regan hasn't been president in 23 years and that guy that was president before him is regarded as the worst president in American history. Regan turned around the destruction in less than 3 years that Carter created.

Do you remember a guy named Bill Clinton? Well he was president after 12 years of republican control of the white house. Times where so good because of it that he didn't have to anything but chance women and get bj's in the oral office.

Then came George W. Bush that had the economy rolling after a resection towards the end of the Clinton years and 9/11 that the unemployment rate was 4%, that stock market was 14,000+. But then came Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in 2007 which coincidentally is when the unemployment rate took a nosedive to 7% in 2009 when Obama took office. Since Obama has been in office unemployment has went up as high as 10% and has been at 9.2% for at least a year. When W left office gas was at $1.21, under Obama it's been at least $3.30 with no signs of going down.

So do you want to tell me again how Obama is doing a good job?

Rob, Ronald Reagan's vision is why our economy is in the shape it is in now. This truly is the Reagan Depression. Yes, I know he hasn't been president since...bla...bla...bla...his message of government is bad, deregulation is good, and hands off business is exactly what happened and we are paying the price now.

Obama has done an outstanding job refocusing the "War on Terror" on fighting the real enemy.

Obama has done a good job with the economy. Despite what so many believe, the Stimulus bill did stop our country from sliding into even a deeper economic slump. The only thing that has stopped Obama from continuing is the GOP controlled House.

Let me put it to you this way, as of tonight, there isn't a Republican candidate who can beat Obama in '12.

Yeah when he bands drilling in the gulf it has an effect on gas prices. And just ask the media when a republican is office and the gas prices are high who's at fault.

Polls from weather underground and socialist.org don't count show your recourses.

http://www.google.com/#pq=worst+presidents+in+us+history&hl=en&sugexp=kjrmc&cp=13&gs_id=1z&xhr=t&q=obama+bans+drilling&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&source=hp&pbx=1&oq=obama+bans+dr&aq=0v&aqi=g-v1g-j3&aql=f&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=c03b834434bf0d0e&biw=1280&bih=821

Robert better get some new glasses :)

"Yeah when he bands drilling in the gulf it has an effect on gas prices. And just ask the media when a republican is office and the gas prices are high who's at fault."

How do you so easily forget about 20-30 million gallons spilling into the gulf? Yes, damn this Obama for doing something that protects American citizens.

Yeah they are from Cuba, Mexico, Valenzuela and the middle east. American companies are banned from drilling just ask all the unemployed Americans in the Gulf. Don't worry though because they are selling that oil back to us at inflated prices.

Thank You Barak Obama.

Rob wrote "Yeah they are from Cuba, Mexico, Valenzuela and the middle east. American companies are banned from drilling just ask all the unemployed Americans in the Gulf. Don't worry though because they are selling that oil back to us at inflated prices."

You know theres this whole thing called trading with other countries. It's something we do all the time. Not to mention the fact that America has much more lucrative and desirable exports than oil.

What you fail to report is that they had to sue the government i.e. Barak Obama for the right to drill and that they are not at this moment drilling. Although Cuba, Mexico, Valenzuela and the middle east have been drilling nonstop with no reaction from the American hating president that resides in the White at this current time but not for long.

Rob wrote: "What you fail to report is that they had to sue the government i.e. Barak Obama for the right to drill and that they are not at this moment drilling. Although Cuba, Mexico, Valenzuela and the middle east have been drilling nonstop with no reaction from the American hating president that resides in the White at this current time but not for long."

You're walking talking points for the Oil industry. Alot of the unemployed Americans in the gulf are unemployed because their homes and business' were destroyed by Katrina. It's also hard to make a living when a large percentage of your population are fishermen and their livelihoods were devastated by BP.

It's fascinating. I also like how you've turned "Barack Obama" into some fictional character who actually has absolute control over the government and economy.

If you want to blame people for the economy, look no further than the elected republicans to congress and the senate who don't allow votes or vote for policies that would actually help the country. Instead they run around yelling "No" and spiting the people they were elected to represent because they have an unexplained hatred for this president.

Give me a break, the politico is as far left as Joseph Stalin and I suspect that your as well.

might as well be fishing poles :) dude, everybody knows that polls are rigged for what you pay for them to say. Not a good referance.

Rob wrote "Give me a break, the politico is as far left as Joseph Stalin and I suspect that your as well."

You're one "Hitler" away from scoring the right-wing hat trick in this article. You can do it!

no it stands for Beyond Petroleum.

If you think I believe that your dumber then you think I am. A college grad just out of school lands a $135K job while there are 14 million people out of work. That job would have had at least 500,000 people in line for it. Tell us another one....

And just to amuse myself I read your article about the poll and any poll that ask professors and political scalars is leftwing. Show me a scientific poll that ask real Americans who the best president is and if Obama is in the top 40 I'll kiss your feet.

Rob wrote: "If you think I believe that your dumber then you think I am."

Let's just take a moment and admire that sentence.

Rob then wrote: "A college grad just out of school lands a $135K job while there are 14 million people out of work. That job would have had at least 500,000 people in line for it. Tell us another one...."

Do you really believe that there would be "500,000 people" who are qualified for a position that pays 135k? A job of that value takes years (and an obscene amount of money) of learning very difficult skills.

Open your eyes. It's hard enough for people to find positions that pay $20-30k a year (which is well above minimum wage) and that's barely enough to support a single person or small family in today's economy.

Bethlehem Steel shut down because of cheap foreign imports. That free trade thing.

Rob wrote: "And just to amuse myself I read your article about the poll and any poll that ask professors and political scalars is leftwing. Show me a scientific poll that ask real Americans who the best president is and if Obama is in the top 40 I'll kiss your feet."

First off, i think you meant "Scholars" (I know, damn this left-wing dictionary!)

I'm sorry that you don't regard teachers and educated people as "Real Americans". I'd love to know what your definition of "Real Americans" is.I fear for the people growing up in your America where people don't learn a damn thing (especially spelling and grammar).

Obama is a fine president. He is well spoken, well educated, and takes time to inform himself about topics before speaking about them. He also is more of a statesman (look the word up yourself) than any president in decades. He is someone who can actually represent America to other nations of the world and that's something worth supporting.

Successful companies come and go all of the time. It's one of the beauties of the free market. Most of them don't have unions or shareholders.

Well, sounds like your the man for the job Mr. President :)

What crazy candidates? They just have Bachman, Perry, Paul, Cain, and Romney.

Oh, right...

On the plus side, maybe this time around Obama can get a congress that will actually do something.

Crap Tonto, you keep saying the Occupy is over and it ain't. You keep lying. Also, I just read a GOP member converted to DEM because of you. You are doing a great job!!!!! I guess you are on the side of the liberals....Keep up the good work. Racism always wins over......

Somebody got some bad spinnich i think :)

Did you get your wish list in to Santabama yet? Man i'm getting a new house w/car in garage, cash, hi paying job with the government, early retirement, and a huge pension w/free medical! HELL YEA!

Tonto, nobody thought that Obama was going to cause everyone to win the lottery just improve the status quo (which hes slowly doing).

You're posting on Reisterstown Patch. Chances are you live somewhere in the surrounding area so you more than likely know several people who actually work for the government or for a business that the government contracts to. Get off your high horse and come on down to reality.

Scott, its no secret communism is a failure. Why o why do we keep going through this over and over in the world? Just who will decide who gets to pick thy neighbors pocket ?

No body said anything about communism. Could you try making some points that actually have some merit and remain on topic?

Capitalism isn't proving to be the shining example of the world in how to run a country.

Sure Scott, you see i don't use cover words like socialism. You will soon be herded along by your liberal media like a sheep as Occupy slowly winds down and they begin the next grand diversion away from the failed, inexperienced, community organizer from nowhere. Nobama = no jobs - More corporations = more jobs :)

I get my news and information from a variety of sources daily, which apparently is something that people on here lack the capacity to do. If you think the occupy movement is slowing down you're just proving that fact.

If you take the time to look at the recent numbers, the president has been creating jobs and unemployment is on a decline. Corporations don't make jobs. The high dollar "job creators" do nothing of the sort. The problem right now is that small businesses can't get loans or financial stability from the banking institutions that were put in place to do just that.

Businesses can't grow when no capital goes into them from investors, loans, or simply consumers. If businesses can't grow then new jobs don't open up and the economy remains stale.

Additionally, Obama put forth a quite comprehensive jobs bill that would put many Americans to work but the obstructionists who put their own interests over the American public have stopped that from going through. You're really putting the blame in the wrong place.

Solid argument. Keep up the good work.