It’s been a long time since I was a Springsteen fan. Back in 1974 (April 29) at my alma mater, the University of Connecticut, there was a spring concert. Three bands were featured: a local band called Fairport Convention, a relatively unknown called Aerosmith and another largely unknown named Bruce Springsteen. It was quite the concert.
Then, as happens so often, Springsteen became wealthy and the wealthier he became the more liberal he became. And the more hypocritical he became and the less I liked him. Today I find him intolerable. He’s become a complete asshat.
Springsteen canceled a concert in North Carolina over a “bathroom law”
The legendary musician announced Friday that his upcoming show in Greensboro, North Carolina, has been canceled in “solidarity” with those protesting the measure.
Springsteen and his E Street Band were slated to perform at the Greensboro Coliseum this Sunday. The roughly 15,000 ticketholders will all be eligible for a refund.
The newly enacted law requires individuals to use bathrooms that correspond to the gender on their birth certificate, and has drawn fierce criticism for excluding legal protections from gay and transgender people.
Matt Vespa at Townhall:
Bruce Springsteen has refused to perform a concert in North Carolina after the state legislature passed a bill that some consider to be anti-LGBT, which mostly relates to who can use a bathroom. No seriously, liberals feel this strongly about who can relieve themselves in a restroom–and apparently this is the new hill to take a stand in the progressive fight. Does it take away existing protection to North Carolina residents? No. Can businesses and private entities offer transgender people bathroom facilities? Yes. So, what’s the controversy? There is none.
Here are 18 myths about the law:
1. Does the new bill limit or prohibit private sector companies from adopting their own nondiscrimination policies or practices?
- Answer: No. Businesses are not limited by this bill. Private individuals, companies and universities can adopt new or keep existing nondiscrimination policies.
2. Does this bill take away existing protections for individuals in North Carolina?
- Answer: No. In fact, for the first time in state history, this law establishes a statewide anti-discrimination policy in North Carolina which is tougher than the federal government’s. This also means that the law in North Carolina is not different when you go city to city.
3. Can businesses and private facilities still offer reasonable accommodations for transgender people, like single occupancy bathrooms for instance?
- Answer: Yes. This bill allows and does nothing to prevent businesses, and public or private facilities from providing single use bathrooms.
4. Can private businesses, if they choose, continue to allow transgender individuals to use the bathroom, locker room or other facilities of the gender they identify with, or provide other accommodations?
- Answer: Yes. That is the prerogative of private businesses under this new law. For instance, if a privately-owned sporting facility wants allow attendees of sporting events to use the restroom of their choice, or install unisex bathrooms, they can. The law neither requires nor prohibits them from doing so.
5. Does this law prohibit towns, cities or counties in North Carolina from setting their own nondiscrimination policies in employment that go beyond state law?
- Answer: No. Town, cities and counties in North Carolina are still allowed to set stricter non-discrimination policies for their own employees if they choose.
6. Does this bill mean transgender people will always have to use the restroom of the sex of their birth, even if they have undergone a sex change?
- Answer: No. This law simply says people must use the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificate. Anyone who has undergone a sex change can change their sex on their birth certificate.
7. I’m worried about how this new law affects transgender children or students in North Carolina. Does this bill allow bullying against transgender children in schools?
- Answer: Absolutely not. North Carolina law specifically prohibits bullying and harassing behavior against children on the basis of sexual identity.
8. Does this bill affect people with disabilities?
- Answer: No. Statewide law also bans discrimination based on disability.
9. Why did North Carolina pass this law in the first place?
- Answer: The bill was passed after the Charlotte City Council voted to impose a regulation requiring businesses to allow a man into a women’s restroom, shower, or locker room if they choose. This ordinance would have eliminated the basic expectations of privacy people have when using the rest room by allowing people to use the restroom of their choice. This new local regulation brought up serious privacy concerns by parents, businesses and others across the state, as well as safety concerns that this new local rule could be used by people who would take advantage of this to do harm to others.
In fact, the Charlotte City Council tried to pass this ordinance before but failed, and passed the same ordinance in February of 2016 despite serious concerns from state officials, business leaders and other concerned citizens.
10. What about parents or caregivers bringing children into the restroom?
- Answer: The law provides exceptions to young children accompanied by parents or care givers.
11. Will this bill threaten federal funding for public schools under Title IX?
- Answer: No, according to a federal court which has looked at a similar issue.
12. Will this bill prevent people from receiving medical attention in an emergency.
- Answer: Absolutely not. Nothing will prevent people from receiving medical attention in public or private accommodations.
13. Will this bill affect North Carolina’s ability to create or recruit jobs?
- Answer: This bill does not affect companies in North Carolina. North Carolina was one of the top states to do business in the country before this law was passed, and preventing Charlotte’s bathroom ordinance from going into effect on April 1 won’t change that.
14. Why is the state telling cities and towns what it can and can’t do by repealing an ordinance the elected members of the Charlotte City Council passed?
- Answer: North Carolina is one of at least 37 states like Virginia where cities and towns cannot pass rules or regulations that exceed the authority given to them by the state. In passing the bathroom ordinance, Charlotte was exceeding its authority and setting rules that had ramifications beyond the City of Charlotte. The legislature acted to address privacy and safety concerns if this ordinance was allowed to go into effect on April 1.
15. Do any other regulations in North Carolina cities, towns or counties come close to what Charlotte was recommending?
- Answer: No. Not that we are aware of. Therefore, nothing changes in North Carolina cities, towns and counties, including in Charlotte, regarding discrimination practices and protections now that this law has passed.
16. Did only Republicans vote for this bill?
- Answer: No. 11 Democrats voted for this bill in the N.C. House of Representatives and no Democratic Senators voted against it. In fact, Democratic Senators walked out to avoid voting on the issue at all because many were going to vote for it and they did not want show their division.
17. Why did the Legislature call a special session to overturn the bathroom ordinance?
- Answer: The new Charlotte ordinance, which would have required all businesses to change their restroom policies and take away the expectation of privacy people have when using the restroom, was going to go into effect on April 1 if no action was taken.
18. Is North Carolina at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting jobs because it does not have ordinances like the one Charlotte was proposing?
- Answer: No. In fact in the last 3 years without an ordinance like this, North Carolina has created the 6th most jobs in the country – over 260,000 net new jobs. We know of no examples of companies being recruited to North Carolina that have asked if the state has an ordinance like the one Charlotte was proposing.
Bruce seems offended that he can’t pee next to little girls. There’s more. Did you know he’s a farmer? Well, he’s not. He just pretends to be one for tax season:
Bruce Springsteen is a man of the people. He stands up for the little guy. A regular blue-collar Joe. A union man. A bona fide working-class hero.
And, when he’s not busy being all that… he’s a tax-dodging liberal hypocrite worth over $200 million who pretends to be a farmer to save hundreds of thousands of dollars on his property taxes that would have otherwise funded the welfare programs he pretends to care about.
Springsteen wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper:
Consider the following.
In 2011, perhaps wanting some local free press, Springsteen decided to write a letter to the editor of his town’s newspaper. In response to an article about tax cuts and aid to entitlement programs, the Boss wrote in to praise the piece for being “one of the few that highlights the contradictions between a policy of large tax cuts, on the one hand, and cuts in services to those in the most dire conditions, on the other.”
Furthermore, Springsteen wrote, “your article shows that the cuts are eating away at the lower edges of the middle class, not just those already classified as in poverty, and are likely to continue to get worse over the next few years.” Then, with his well-honed “everyman” touch, he signed the letter along with his oh‑so-common-man-sounding town name, “Colts Neck.”
The 200 million dollar man adds this:
“The biggest problem we have now is almost 10 percent unemployment, but we also have the disparity of wealth,” Springsteen told London’s Sunday Times. “You can’t have an American civilization with the kind of disparity of wealth we have. It will eat away at the country’s heart and soul and spirit.”
But this noblesse oblige is meant only for the bourgeois:
Bruce Springsteen pays over $138,000 a year in taxes for his three-acre home in Colts Neck, New Jersey. He owns another 200 adjoining acres. But because he has a part-time farmer come and grow a few tomatoes (organic, of course) and has horses, his tax bill on the remaining 200 acres is just $4,639 bucks. Do the math. By being a fake farmer, the working-class zero Springsteen is making a mint by robbing New Jersey of the antipoverty program funds he says they desperately need.
There is no end to the list of wealthy celebrities dodging their fair share:
Wealthy celebrities including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Quincy Jones and Ted Turner have received federal subsidies, according to “Subsidies of the Rich and Famous,” a new report from the office of Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified several individuals receiving farm payments “whose professions had nothing to do with farming or agricultur[e],” says the report. These individuals include real-estate developer Maurice Wilder, a “part-owner of a professional sports franchise [who] received total of more than $200,000 in farm program payments in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.”
The report also says millionaires Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and Ted Turner have collected farm subsidies.
“These individuals include Scottie Pippen and Ted Turner, respectively. Millionaires also receive state tax breaks on farm land. For example, Jon Bon Jovi paid property taxes of only $100 last year on his extensive real estate holdings in New Jersey that he uses to raise bees. At the same time, Bruce Springsteen received farm subsidies because he leases his property to an organic farmer,” the report explains.
These gluttons suck up $30 BILLION in tax breaks. But they’ll support the hundreds of million dollars-worth Hillary when she says YOU need to pay more taxes and they’ll cry for ending tax loopholes for corporations.
A petition has been issued from Change.org in support of Springsteen. Here’s the money line:
“Bruce Springsteen has a right to his deeply held beliefs. He has a right to control his business and refuse to do business with those he disagrees with,”
He does, does he? Apparently that right is granted to uber–wealthy rock stars but not bakers.Then, compounding the idiocy, the petition says this:
Finally, Burgard urges readers to “support the right of Bruce Springsteen and ALL Americans in their right to control their own business,” by signing the petition.
Tell it to the Klein’s.
It’s hard to overstate the stupidity of liberals. About impossible.
I am inclined to help Bruce rename some of his songs to make them more appropriate for his character.
No Retreat, Baby, No Taxes, No Surrender
Tax Avoidance at the Edge of Town
Tax Dodging in the USA
Born to Avoid Taxes
Cheating this American Land
I Pay No Taxes in My Hometown
I Don’t Have To Pay
Don’t Be ashamed Of Your Tax Shelter
Realistically, who does Springsteen hurt? The answer is his own fans- who likely mostly agree with him. The cynic in me tends to think the audience wasn’t big enough to bother appearing. Either way, Springsteen is an asshat. I can’t stand him. He should have shut up and sang.
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.
His chosen profession is entertainer if he wants to be a professional protestor he needs to apply with Soros.
Dr J. Springsteen is truly one of the great rockers of our time—-and you know it D.J.
Long live The Boss.
He’s been signing the same song for 25 years or more. Boring mostly.
Just another hypocritical liberal.
http://humanevents.com/2012/03/12/bruce-springsteen-a-taxdodging-farmer/
1984 Born in the USA was released
I got something to say to the Boss
For the gay interest group, gay “marriage” was not enough. Forcing people to support gay “marriage” is not enough. Selling them cupcakes is not enough. Violating everyone else’s privacy to cheer them up will not be enough, either. So, why bother?
I only wish Texas had passed such a law and Springsteen would have boycotted Texas. I don’t even want him in my state.
Let me tell you – from personal experience – that Bruce Springsteen is a giant steaming turd.
After 9-11, I was deployed for homeland security. Part of my tour took me to Fort Monmouth, NJ. During that tour, Bruce Springsteen announced his “The Rising” comeback tour. To rehearse for the tour, he decided to use the Pruden Auditorium on Fort Monmouth.
When the soldiers in my unit heard about Bruce coming on base, everyone was generally excited. Patriotism was running pretty high after 9-11 and Mr. “Born in the USA” himself was coming to rehearse for a new tour! Since most of the country was rallying behind a “Support the Troops” cry, we thought *for sure* that The Boss might hook us up with a free show before heading out for the official tour.
Boy were we wrong. This guy – and his wife and crew – treated the soldiers stationed at Fort Monmouth like complete sh!t.
It started when we were told to alter our security patrol so as not to go near Pruden Auditorium when Bruce was rehearsing. Despite the auditorium having access to the administrative facility, and us often finding the door there ajar, we were no longer allowed to check on it lest we hear the almighty Bruce croaking out his songs.
There were rules we all had to follow. When coming on post, you had to show your ID. *I* had to show my ID despite every soldier knowing who I was because we were in the same unit. Showing your ID demonstrated that you didn’t lose it, and that it hadn’t fallen into the wrong hands. (Remember – this was right after 9-11. No one knew what was coming next and the pucker factor was still pretty high!). If you forgot your ID, you could report it and get issued a temporary ID at the security trailer, which took about 3 minutes.
Despite being briefed on the procedure, Bruce – and his entire crew – adopted the position of “Don’t you know who I am???” They perpetually forgot their IDs and were absolute d!cks about it. Once, when asked to produce his ID, Bruce purposefully took as much time as humanly possible to retrieve it from the saddlebags of his motorcycle. Meanwhile, traffic was backing up in an unsafe manner into the main road. When politely asked if he would move his bike to the side so we could clear the traffic, he derisively refused, just to “show us.” Another time, his wife came through the gate with a car full of strangers, all of whom didn’t have identification. “We’re with Bruce!” she screeched. When directed to the trailer, she *skidded her car over the grass* even though there was a paved turnaround point right there.
The entire crew was rude. “Can’t wait until you guys leave,” they would say. (Yeah, us too, jerks. We also couldn’t wait to get back to our families instead of pulling long security hours and dealing with entitled pr!cks like you.)
Needless to say, Bruce did not provide any show for the troops stationed at Fort Monmouth. We were glad when his rehearsal period was over and they were out of our hair.
World class j@ck@sses, every one of them.
Looking at what has been happening to girls and young women because of lack of such laws in other places, I am grateful for this law.
Take special note of point #6.
IF a born male is serious enough about ”identifying as a female,” he can LEGALLY change his birth certificate.
If he does that, he has a perfect right to use female bathroom facilities.
The fact of the matter is, men and young men (who identify as MALE) have already been arrested for taking advantage of such laws.
In public pools, they stand there and watch little girls change into bathing suits.
In public restrooms, they use shoe-mirror type cameras to peep under stalls at girls and women using the toilets.
In gyms they change clothes in front of girls and stay naked for a long time.
This law prevents all of the above.
Who, in his right mind, would object?
@kitt: Great Blues–Thanks
I’ve been to between 200-300 concerts in my life—NOBODY puts on a better show than Bruce and the E-Street Band—RIP Clarence
Well Mick is right there.
So much for Springsteen being a “hero of the common man”, eh?
@bolobaby:
That was such a horrible experience for you bolobaby I can’t imagine how traumatic! No free Bruce for YOU!!
No chance to hear him before his release of The Rising, songs directly concerning 9/11
Springsteen is a huge giver to charities including veteran charities
The fact that DrJ no longer likes him or aporecistes his music, well tragic as that may seem to us, is just something that The Boss will have to live with.
Ohhh and DrJ IF you had bothered to check primary sources (necessitating an excursion out of your right wing info bubble) you would have seen that the primary income from Springsteens farm wasn’t from organic tomatoes but from horse related income. It is primarily a horse farm.springsteen does more charity work than just about any American music star. Especially for first responders, especially after 9/11
His own son is in the fire service
@John: No surprise when a leftist displays hatred for the military and another leftist supports and excuses it.
The left hates the military.
@Bill, #11:
File under Actions Have Consequences.
It would appear that the military doesn’t feel all warm and fuzzy about the right. Perhaps politicians on the right might want to stop behaving like a pack of backward jackasses.
Dr J I thought you a fan of rock that could separate music from “perceived” politics–You go all far right you’re gonna end up with Cruz and country western–That would be sad??
Bill “The left hates the military.” Don’t tell Jim Webb or myself for that matter
As a Jersey Boy I can filter out Bruce’s jackassery when I listen to his music – I liked everything through most of Born in the USA – The Rising was a waste of time.
I’m just surprised nobody else joined in the end of the post with some additional alternate titles! Allow me to contribute:
Lost in the Offshore Account
Mary Queen of Tax Shelters
The K Street Shuffle
Tax Haven Across the River
April 15th, Asbury Park (Lois)
C’mon folks, there have got to be more!
@Rich Wheeler: Springsteen is a POS. He’s a liberal that violates all the rules of liberals. He believes in keeping it all for himself and letting others pay what he owes. He might be great but he only sold 15000 tickets for a concert that has been scheduled over a year. Must have bought them all and gave them away to draw a crowd or he got the local radio stations to give them away as prizes to get some folks to attend. Wonder if he flies the rainbow banners at his shows?
From 6 above “Boy were we wrong. This guy – and his wife and crew – treated the soldiers stationed at Fort Monmouth like complete sh!t.”
So yeah Richie, I can see why he would be a hero to you.
@Brother Bob:
Why would anyone be surprised. His music is crap, but then look where it comes from.
@Greg: Yeah, Greg, that would explain why Democrats routinely try to disenfranchise the absentee military vote in every election… because military personnel embrace the leftist ideology so enthusiastically.
@Rich Wheeler: The left hates the military. Jim Webb, if you tune in, the left hates the military.
Bill Clinton wrote he “loathed” the military. I’ve never seen Hillary renounce that sentiment and, in fact, has done nothing but reinforce it. Bernie and Obama have shown their affection for our nation’s protectors with their handling of the VA. Obama has squandered all the blood spilled to secure and stabilize Iraq and, soon, Afghanistan, showing how he feels about the military and their sacrifices.
The left hates the military and anyone that supports the left buys into that.
Back to the point, Springsteen is simply another liberal leftist hypocrite… only one with an ear for a tune.
@Rich Wheeler:
As I said, if they’d shut up and sing things would be fine. He lost me a long time ago and lost most everyone in my family and my wife’s family. We cannot be alone. No one wants to know what he thinks of politics and the same is true of Hollywood types. They hurt themselves but seem too stupid to realize it.
@Brother Bob:
I like it
@Redteam: Leftists have no standards for themselves, and are therefor incapable of guilt over their hypocrisy – remember my series from a few weeks ago?
And say what you want about Bruce, but do NOT start talking smack about my home state! =8^)
@DrJohn: it never surprises me to find an entertainer that turns out to me a raging liberal that thinks anyone wants to know their stupid opinions; I have grown to assume that’s how they all are. It only surprises me when I find one that is NOT.
@Brother Bob: Some backwoods Southerners can’t even separate their hatred of the performer from his state.
They also know so little about his music they can’t join your game.
I actually understand you guys—Nugent’s strong support of big game trophy hunting–including canned– turns me off to him and his music.
Bill–Kid Rock and Gary Sinise–Repub performers and strong supporters of the military. Would you clarify your Jim Webb comment?
@Brother Bob:
I wondered where that came from, but I was talking about coming from an idiot, I wasn’t talking geography.
@Redteam: Heh – no problem. Growing up in Jersey one grows a thick skin to ribbing (even if only perceived, like in this case), and we’re all family here!
@DrJohn: Thanks! And I have another add-on piece coming this weekend for this post. We can use this stupidity to go on the offensive…
@DrJohnand Brother Bob: He’s sold over 64 million albums U.S. and 120 million worldwide while filling stadiums all over the world for over 40 years.
That being said he hates to lose Jersey fans like BB and his family.
Off subject= Recently saw 81 year old Jersey Boy Frankie Valli and 80 year old Johnny Mathis in separate concerts same venue.
They were as great as they were in their 30’s !!
@Rich Wheeler: Actually in review I see it was DR J and family that deserted The Boss—not Jersyites BB and family.
Sure Bruce will feel better about that.
BB and DrJ—Who are your favorite rockers?
@Rich Wheeler: Selling albums doesn’t necessarily mean greatness – Dave Matthews is Exhibit A for that!
And ah, Frankie Valli – great Jersey Boy! Took my Mom to see Jersey Boys a few years ago & theirs is one amazing story. And the origin of their name – that bowling alley that is the namesake of the band? The league I bowled in as a kid was none other than Union, NJ’s (sadly gone) Four Seasons bowling alley!
As for my top bands – Sister Babe had the misfortune of dating the kind of fool who opens his marriage proposal with a line from a Slayer song (opening line from “Spill the Blood” if you’re wondering).
And #1? That goes to the band that wrote the greatest album in the history of humanity!
@Brother Bob: Matthews has sold about 35 mill U.S 55 worldwide less than half Springsteen sales.
Comparing Matthew’s soft edge rock to Springsteen is like comparing Foreigner to Iron Maiden..
Love your Four Seasons story–They were only American group, other than Beach Boys, that held strong against British Invasion in the 60’s. Frankie–with new younger bandmates can still hit his signature high notes, Fantastic.
Would you believe—Iron Maiden is playing The L.A Forum tomorrow–If I’d known would have bought tickets–they’ve been rocking for 40 years.
@Rich Wheeler: Don’t waste your time seeing Maiden unless it’s one of their special tours, like the “Somewhere Back in Time” shows a few years back. They’re notorious for making their fans sit through tons of new s*** to hear a handful of classics. This is why I still see Slayer whenever I can – the most “new” music they’ll play will be 5 or 6 songs if they’re promoting a new album. The rest of their sets are all of their classics, and in the 9 or 10 times I’ve seen them they’ve never failed to dust off one deep cut that has been off of the set list for a while.
I’d love to hear Slayer cover a 4 Seasons song though, like they did w/ In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida back in the 80s!
The bill in Charlotte would likely also have been used to enable property grabs. A team of crossdressers invade a bar, post youtube videos of themselves in the ladies room, irritate customers and drive down business. Owner asks them to leave and loses his business.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/oregon-bar-must-pay-400k-banned-transgender-customers-appeals-court-n432566
https://gendertrender.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/its-the-heterosexuals-stupid/
@Redteam:
Nothing wrong with the numbers who wanted to attend his concert:
I think most conservatives are merely influenced into dissing him over political sour grapes. Not whether or not his musical talents are worth the popularity.
He gives 100% electrifying energy into his stage performances, often playing for much longer duration than most bands will deliver.
@Wordsmith:
Thankfully I’ve never had to endure him long enough to know what his typical performance is. He’s always been a POS and not worth my time.
Definitely not worth the support of conservatives.
@Wordsmith: Agree with you 110%–I’ve seen all the great rockers over the past 30 years and no one puts on a better more high energy show than Springsteen.
Long live Rock.
Honorable mention to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
BTW hope you’re well and will join the current political debate.
@Rich Wheeler:
Is he a regular with the Rainbow Coalition? I guess that would be your crowd.