51.  ABORTION
I am pro-choice. It is a woman's right to choose, but I believe we need to change our attitude and what we teach our young women. We should encourage medical abortion over surgical abortion. No one should need to have a surgical abortion when it is so easy to detect and end an unwanted pregnancy before it become a fetus - when it is just a fertilized egg the size of the head of a pin. Surgical abortions are still 85% of the procedures even though medical abortion is readily available. Today we have inexpensive, accurate pregnancy tests, easily obtained at your local drug store. They can detect an unwanted pregnancy as early as 14 days after conception. Is it asking too much that our young women test frequently and end an unwanted pregnancy as soon as possible?

The numbers:  88-92% of all abortions happened during the first trimester, prior to the 13th week of gestation (AGI/CDC). This is good as many of us believe life begins at Quickening when the soul enters the body and the fetus flutters. Ideally, we should have our women pledge that if they find themselves in the situation, to take action quickly - within 6 weeks. In 2007 86% of abortions were surgical - performed by curettage (which includes dilatation and evacuation [D&E]). Most curettage abortions are suction procedures (CDC).  Medical abortions made up approximately 12% of all abortions reported (CDC).

How medical abortion works:  Mifepristone / RU-486: You take one pill (Mifepristone) in the office. This pill blocks the pregnancy hormones from working. It stops the pregnancy from growing. Most women feel normal after taking this first pill. You take a second set of pills (Misoprostol) at home. You take the second set of pills at least 24 hours after taking the first pill. There is even an early detection 2 pill - one day formula. 

There are two states that will perform a surgical abortion of a healthy fetus at 24 weeks.  I feel this is absolutely wrong. Be responsible and end your pregnancy early.
 

52.  CHINA

China is undercutting the currency. (This issue is currently under construction)

53.   TIGER FARMS

I hate to have to take this stand but there is no other way to prevent the extinction of our tiger population. Unless we take political action the tiger population in the wild will be decimated in ten years. Why? Poachers. This is due to demand by the growing Chinese middle class. They have money and they want tiger parts: The coat for rugs, the bones for tiger wine, the meat, even the penis as a aphrodisiac.

On November 10, 2011, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature officially declared the western black rhino of Africa extinct. The IUCN says two other sub-species of rhinoceros also are close to extinction. The deputy director of IUCN’s Global Species program, Jean-Christophe Vie, says poaching is the main threat to the survival of the rhinoceros. "People are just shooting them to take their horns. So, that is it," said Vie.

The rhino horn, like the tiger penis, is also wanted as an aphrodisiac

To the buyers of these products I say - what is wrong with you? The rhino is extinct, the elephant is almost extinct and the tiger will soon be - haven't you ever heard Levitra, Cealis, and Viagra.  Leave our wild life alone!

Recently President Obama overruled EPA science and blocked crucial new protections against smog pollution that have been years in the making. The decision was the result of a major campaign by corporate polluters and Republicans to kill the rules. What is wrong with Republicans?  They seem to want to drive our country into the ground and they have no regard for the people.  I, like many people have asthma and a history of repertory illness.  

This new roll back, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is likely to result in tens of thousands of premature deaths, as well as increased illness among seniors, kids with asthma, and people who have lung problems.  People like me. Worse, in announcing his decision, President Obama repeatedly discredited tea party talking points about environmental rules costing jobs. The reality is that these standards were the best thing for the economy and the environment. And clean air protections are the perfect issue to remind Americans that enforcing rules to protect citizens' health and safety is one of the most important roles for our government.

This is a disaster and I blame the Republicans.  Although, we live by the Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, I’ve lived in places in this country, politically Republican areas, where I literally had to get in my car and drive to get a breath of fresh air.  I cannot tell you how awful that is.  If you can’t build it without hurting the environment or people’s health, THEN DON’T BUILD IT. President Obama’s decision was a huge gift to polluters and corporations, he stated that since the standards were going to be reviewed in 2013, he did not want to ask states and businesses to undergo two rounds of tinkering with their environmental policies. Fine, if I am your Senator I promise that in 2013 there will be no compromise on my part.

I remember in the 1960s how simple environmental rules changed all of our lives for the better. This is a very bad blow. I would always fight for clean air, clean water and quality of life protection.

55.  ABOLISH THE US-ISRAEL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Abolish the US-Israel Free Trade Agreement, which costs the U.S. billions.  Of course, our first Free Trade Agreement would be with Israel (1984). At the time, it made absolutely no sense but that’s the power of AIPAC for you and another example of our elected officials falling all over themselves to prove they are more pro-Israel than the next guy. It’s a veritable love-fest. Read about it, and also know that the U.S.-Israel FTA has cost hundreds of thousands of American jobs. Just another example of Israel benefiting while the U.S. pays the prices. Some friend. We’ve been an excellent friend to Israel; they need to act in kind. I’ll fight to abolish the US-Israel FTA – no more preferential treatment for a country that will not lift a finger to solve its racial, domestic injustice – an ongoing injustice that makes you and I unsafe. http://irmep.org/US-Israel_Trade.htm
(See my Third Bill). 

56.  WHITE COLLAR IMMIGRATION
As a software engineer I lobbied with the American Engineering Association in 1999  against upping the amount of foreign labor we let in. We were just five people up against the major corporations and a ton of executive recruitment firms who were lobbying for foreign labor. We didn't have a prayer. They won and there went my technical career.

At UBS Warburg, 400 foreign visa holders work in the Stamford Building - 400 high-paying jobs that did not go to our children. Interactive Brokers in Greenwich – 375 employees; fully 60% of these employee were brought in from overseas. Good jobs, and we just give them away. Between those two companies alone that means 1200 high- paying American jobs that didn’t go to Fairfield County workers.

Neilson Ratings just sent a division to India.  Is there any wonder that economist Alan Blinder says we are expected to lose 14 million American jobs in ten years. Eliminate the H1—b, L1- E1, 2 and 4 visas.  We have plenty of educated talent here.

57."ANTI-SEMITIC," FIGHT THE INACCURATE USE OF THE TERM
I actually used to admirer Elliot Spitzer – as attorney general  of New York he went after the big guys unlike the attorney general in my state who promised to regulate the big shots and failed miserably. Spitzer had guts and he was a determined champion of Wall Street abuses. His use of the Martin Act was the only thing that put fear into the Wall Street crowd. He was a hero. I was really surprised last year when Spitzer on CNN referred to Turkey as the “most anti-semitic country.” I stopped watching his show after that. To say someone is anti-Semitic means they are a racist and their hatred unfounded - a character flaw. It shifts blame.  Spitzer’s inaccurate choice of words shocked me as I expected more precision from a man with such an obvious high IQ.  Clearly he is biased or pandering to the ignorant. This is the problem – the misuse of the term "anti-Semitic." To criticize Israel’s actions does not make the speaker an anti-Semitic racist any more than criticizing the UK makes the speaker anti-Anglo to all Anglo-Saxons abroad and here. To the bright folks out there who understand shades of meaning, let’s try to be as accurate as possible?

Here are the facts leading up to Spitzer’s comment:  Turkish citizens may in fact be anti-Israel or not pro-Israel or just plane furious with Israel. They have good reason. In 2010 the Turkish ship called the Mavi Mar Mara embarked from Turkey on a peaceful humanitarian mission to the people of Gaza. Those of us in the peace community watched with rapt attention as it attempted to bring humanitarian aid.  Israel soldiers boarded the dead of night and killed nine unarmed peace activist. Including one American of Turkish descent. Israel has refused to apologize.

In October 10, 2011, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed this issue:  “As long as they refuse to apologize for the nine people of Turkish descent who lost their lives on the flotilla, as long as they refuse to pay compensation to the families and as long as the embargo on Gaza has not been lifted, the relations between the two countries will never be normalized.”  So there you have it.  It is not unreasonable racist rage.  It is merited anger - cause-and-effect.  It’s like I always say:  Israel is hated not because of what it is – but because of what it does.

In terms of the perceived “recent rise in anti-Semitism” that is due to the Internet. People are no longer relying on mainstream press which buries the truth or spouts pro-Israel spin to make Israel the poor victim, justified in its actions.  People are learning the truth now, finally. Maybe now Israel will finally do right by its indigenous underclass.

58.  SIMPSON-BOWLES
No. Tax revenue should not be capped at 21 percent of GDP. I belive in Keynesian economics - no caps at this tough economic time. 

59.   ZIONISM (a.k.a the Settlements) IS STEALING