Steve Stanard

Hubby. Anti-racist dog dad. Freelancer, graphics guy. Guitar-playing wailer at downwest dot net. Born on April Fools Day.

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@EmmaVigeland Just switch with @SamSeder . You deserve it!

[Nicole Minét @mouvement33]

⚡️During his 2010–2012 overhaul of the National Mall, President Obama completely modernized the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Instead of wasting millions of gallons of potable city water, the project switched the pool's source to the nearby Potomac River Tidal Basin. To keep it clean, they installed a massive ozone water filtration and circulation system—essentially transforming how the iconic landmark handles water quality and sustainability.

It's obvious Trump removed the filtration system Obama had installed, thus creating a dangerous, toxic pool of algae-ridden water that can make bystanders, pets, and wildlife very ill.

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@RyanKJory @SteelCityClaire My Los Angeles neighborhood has deciduous oak and sycamore trees that change color then drop their leaves every year. But it starts in December

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@kelly_carlin It’s a vegetarian staple

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@kelly_carlin Same

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

Keep blowing up the bubble

[Kalshi @Kalshi]

JUST IN: SpaceX valuation nearly equals the combined value of every major US IPO since 2000

[Ken Klippenstein @kenklippenstein]

This is partly Platner's fault too. He spends way too much time apologizing. Do it once and move onto the issues.
https://t.co/ccEk64RNpB

[Jared Ryan Sears @JaredRyanSears]

Social Security does not add to the national debt. It is even prohibited by law from borrowing money.

Politicians who talk about cutting or changing Social Security to address the debt are lying to you.

Here is how Social Security funding works:

Social Security is funded by payroll taxes. When more money comes in from payroll taxes than benefits that need to be paid out, Social Security is obligated to invest the surplus in Treasuries.

Treasuries are bonds. Governments and corporations issue bonds to generate money. A bond is a loan from the purchaser to the issuer.

A bond has a principal, a maturity date, and an interest rate. The principal is the value of the bond. When you buy a bond, you pay the principal. When the bond reaches its maturity date, the issuer is required to pay the principal back to the holder. The interest rate is the amount the issuer pays to the bondholder.

It is similar to how, when you take out a 30-year mortgage, you agree to a repayment schedule and to pay interest until the loan is repaid.

As Treasuries mature, if Social Security doesn't need that extra money, it rolls them over by buying new Treasuries.
When Social Security needs more money to cover benefits, it cashes out Treasuries.

The federal government has had a deficit for the past 25 years. This means that when it has to meet its obligations, it needs to borrow money.

This is how people claim that Social Security adds to the debt. That is ridiculous.

Companies and countries buy US Treasuries. You and I can buy them. Anyone holding a Treasury when it matures isn't increasing the debt. The government’s unbalanced budget is causing the debt.

Cutting Social Security will do nothing to get the US out of debt, but it would create hardship for millions of Americans.

Social Security currently has a shortfall, primarily because people are living longer and the large Boomer generation is retiring. In 1960, there were 5.1 people paying into Social Security. Today, there are only 2.7. The trust fund from past surpluses is keeping it afloat, but it is running out.

The easiest way to address the shortfall is to remove the tax cap on Social Security. Benefits do not have to be increased to do this. This is exactly what was done for Medicare in 1993. The tax cap was removed, and benefits weren't increased to better fund the program.

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@kenklippenstein If you know her history, she's concerned but she'll vote for him anyway.

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@ZaidJilani Or they can thank Platner.

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@dsa_losangeles slowly but surely taking over local politics. Love to see it.

[More Perfect Union @MorePerfectUS]

NEW: We brought @AOC to deep red Georgia to talk data centers.

We found a data center rebellion, with people willing to radically shift their politics.

One conservative voter said: "If there's a chance that anything can be done, I feel like she's gonna be the one to do it."

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@franklinleonard I legit thought Nithya would win outright. Anecdotal, but hers were the only yard signs I ever saw.

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@5149jamesli OK new follower here. Well done.

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@LeftyWinter

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@queerBengali I met my girlfriend at work too.

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@LeftyWinter

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@BasedBandita https://t.co/hg6ALGkhFf

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

I live in northeast Los Angeles and all the yard signs are for Raman. All of them. We know who she is.

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@enggirlfriend Raman is a popular city council member

[Steve Stanard @SStanard]

@_iamlougotti Friends. Could never sit through an entire episode