I realize that I’m just a dumb old “car guy”….and not a brilliant, Harvard educated politician….but there are a couple of things that should be obvious to most anyone. (unless of course you’re a Harvard educated politician) For example….the “Cash For Clunkers” program. When I first heard about the program……there were no less that 1,607,356 reasons that ran through my head, as to why this program would not work. (Technically…as these reasons ran through my head the actual words were “why this program would suck”. But since that doesn’t sound professional, I won’t use that term) Let me start out by saying that I have been in the “car business” for 28 years. Of those 28 years…..I spent a couple of years as a salesman…..and the rest as a manager or owner. So my perspective may be somewhat different than others who will write about this….
First of all….the whole premise of this program was that the government would be spending billions of dollars of my money (tax money…and since I pay taxes…it’s my money) to get people to spend their money. Here’s the problem…….(well the first of many). The majority of the people didn’t use their own money to buy those cars….they had to borrow money in order to buy them. That means that you stimulated people into BORROWING money at a time when we have record levels of personal debt…..record levels of bankruptcy…..close to record levels of unemployment……and record levels of home foreclosures. So was “stimulating” the public to go out and take on more debt….the smartest thing do? NO….of course not. In fact I will predict that within 1 year…we will also see record levels of car repossessions. Who will pay to clean that up? And of course...the blame will fall on those "evil car dealers" who forced these people into cars that they could not afford.
The numbers that came back after the program closed said that there were 690,000 new vehicles sold under the “cash for clunkers” program. (and all of the politicians stood and patted themselves on the back for a job well done) At up to $4500 per car....that the government “gave away for free”….the total cost of this program came out to over 3 BILLION dollars (yes with a “B”). Now that’s sounds bad enough…but there are several other problems. We now hear that of the 690,000….only 125,000 of those cars were directly attributed to the program. Right about now a lot of you guys are probably asking….”So what can the rest of those cars that were sold be attributed to?”…... Well some of those remaining 565,000 cars were bought by people who were going to buy a car during that same period of time anyway…..but they said “hey if I can get $4500 for free….I’ll do it now”. So that was just wasted money. Then the rest of those 565,000 cars were bought by people who were going to buy a car over the following few months who said…”hey if I can get $4500 for free….I’ll do it now”. (sound familiar?) More wasted money. We know that this was the case….because as soon as the “cash for clunkers” program was over…..new car sales fell FLAT. All they did was steal future business…that would have been there anyway….….I will bet that the 12 month running average….will probably end up the same as it would have been WITHOUT spending 3 billion dollars.
Now that part of this story is probably being written about by 1000’s of other people. But here’s the part that you probably won’t hear about…(hence the whole "rest of the story" thing)…… Since sales of new cars have been down for at least the last couple of years….that also means that there have been fewer cars traded in. I remind you that the only source of those "used cars"...is when somebody trades their car on another car...and the majority of those come from "new car dealerships"....(Just as a side note....The reason that the only source for used cars is when they are traded in......is because there are no longer any factories that are dedicated to building "used cars").........That in turn has caused the price of used cars to skyrocket over the last couple of years. With that shortage of used cars already existing prior to the “cash for clunkers” program….NOW let’s fast forward to this brilliant scheme. (First....go back and read the side note about the used car factories....you DID get it...right?)
Each of those 650,000 transactions in the “cash for clunkers” program…..involved a “trade-in”….in order to qualify for the program. But in the infinite wisdom of the government….the program required that the dealers who took those cars in on trade….would have to “destroy” the trade-ins. This was done by pouring something into the engine that would cause it to seize up. These cars could NOT to be resold under any circumstances. They had to be reduced to salvage. The reasoning (flawed reasoning) was that if we take these “gas hog” cars off of the road and get people to buy “eco-friendly” cars….we will help the environment and SAVE all of these billions of dollars back. (that is some seriously twisted logic) Well….it didn’t really happen that way. For one….people who have a brand new car…..tend to do more driving than they did, when they had their old crappy car….so that didn’t really help the environment very much. (more driving=more exhaust emissions…AND…more driving=using more gas) The OTHER less obvious thing was this…..A used car market that was already in trouble because of a lack of cars….was hit even harder because of this program……Why is that you ask?.....It’s because the price of used cars that was already at an all time record….set new records…..because we just sucked 650,000 “trade-ins” out of the system. (that supply and demand thing again) So….for all of the people who could not....would not...or cannot afford to buy a new car….they now have to pay even more to get a used car than they would have....without the “cash for clunkers” program…….Good move there Washington….money well spent. You screwed over the taxpayers for 3 billion dollars……you “stimulated” a lot of people to go into debt, who shouldn’t have gone into debt……AND you hurt an entire industry (the used car market) in one swoop. To me that could possibly be the greatest example of government efficiency ever seen….Then Again….That’s Just Me.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
….What’s In A Name? That Which We Call A Pig " By Any Other Name…Would Still Smell Like A Pig…."
“…What's in a name? That which we call a rose
by any other name would smell as sweet…”
Actually the quote directly above this paragraph is the actual quote from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet…..But to be honest with you….I like my version better……I feel that it is especially fitting right now….when we see what Nancy Pelosi and crew are trying to do with the latest “Health Care Reform” bill proposal. Now.... just in case you are saying out loud… ”Well David…I hadn’t heard about this…..could you please tell me more?”….My response could only be….”Yes I can”.
What was once referred to as the “Public Option”…or fondly as “Obamacare”….or my all-time personal favorite “Free Health Care For Everyone”…..has some new names. Speaker Pelosi felt that a new name was necessary for this government health care plan to work....so there are actually a couple of choices being offered up. The first new name would be the "consumer option" and then if you don't like that one....there is always the "competitive option". Rather than me trying to give you my version of how she explained it....let me just let you read it for yourself. (keep in mind that the audio was much more effective than just reading a transcript….since she has such a soothing speaking voice)……
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“You’ll hear everyone say, ‘There’s got to be a better name for this,’” Pelosi said. “When people think of the public option, public is being misrepresented, that this is being paid for with their public dollars.”
--------------------------
Now THAT is brilliant….and I’m not being sarcastic….(ok….I am) Seems that EVERYONE is saying that there has to be a better name for this….Actually I think those of us with greater than (or equal to) an IQ of 62….are probably saying that there has to be a better PLAN than this…NOT a better name than this. The problem is NOT in the name......it’s in the idea itself. It won’t work. No…No….No….let me take that back…IT CAN”T WORK. (at least in the world of sane people)
Then she says “when people think of the public option, public option is being misrepresented”…. had she stopped right there, I would have agreed with her. It certainly IS being misrepresented…..by Ms Pelosi and her sidekick Harry Reid….by telling people that there is a chance in Hades that it will work….But of course that’s not what she meant. She meant that all the evil people on the right were misrepresenting it, by saying that “this is being paid for with their public dollars”. Ok…I have a silly question. If it’s not being paid for with public dollars, then how is it being paid for? The last time I checked, the government has no way to pay for ANYTHING without using public dollars. Nancy…did you start a business that is so profitable that you are going to donate a trillion dollars to pay for this fiasco? Or maybe President Obama gave you the key to the room, where the money printing press is…and you were going to sneak in and print off a trillion dollars after everyone went home. Seriously Nancy….where else would it…or could it….possibly come from? It can only come from tax dollars that, believe it or not, come from TAX PAYERS.
So what is her solution?......Hmmmm, after much thought, the idea of actually changing the plan was pitched out and….instead, the idea that Nancy came up with was to…(hold on this is SO good)…her idea was to change what you call it. Yup…just change the name. That makes it ok….Let me see if I get this right…..If I walk up to you and sucker-punch you in the nose and call it “pugilistically administering an unrequested action toward your smelling organ"….then it would be ok….right Nancy? That’s because NOW, it’s no longer considered a “sucker punch in the nose”.
No matter what you call this health care debacle….it’s the same thing….and the end result is the same. You either increase taxes to pay for it or you go broke and drive it into the ground like most other “government run” programs. Here’s an example….Look at AMTRAK. According to a September 20, 2007 article on the Heritage Foundation’s website….the average salary for “snack car workers” on AMTRAK is “$54,000 per year plus tips”… In that same article it goes on to say that “Amtrak costs $210.31 per passenger per 1,000 miles, compared to $4.66 for intercity buses and $6.18 for commercial airlines in FY 2002.” According to Subsidyscope, an arm of the Pew Charitable Trusts….it cost taxpayers an average of $32 for every passenger that rides AMTRAK. That just an average…however certain routes do much better. For example the AMTRAK route that runs between New Orleans and Los Angeles costs taxpayers $462 per passenger. So every time someone steps on an AMTRAK train on that route….it costs taxpayers $462. Now THAT my friend….is an example of governmental efficiency when it comes to spending YOUR money. Still not convinced?......Here’s something to put it into perspective….According to KAYAK (a search engine for travel)…as of today, you can book a round-trip flight from New Orleans to Los Angeles for $205. It would be cheaper for us to buy all of these people round trip airline tickets and tell them to stay off of the train. Maybe we just need to come up with a new name for AMTRAK. (Note to self and Nancy: come up with new name for AMTRAK that causes it to magically make money)
Now with those numbers in mind, I can certainly feel good about a government run health care plan….cant you? They have proven for decades that they can’t run the Post Office….a Coffee Shop (see blog from October 15th, 2009) or a Railroad, without losing billions of dollars of someone else’s money…..so why should we think that they can run health care and as President Obama said “not increase the deficit one dime”? (this is where I join Sen Joe Wilson with a simple statement of “You Lie”) Oh yeah I forgot….this time it will work because you changed the name. Then Again….That’s Just Me.
by any other name would smell as sweet…”
Actually the quote directly above this paragraph is the actual quote from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet…..But to be honest with you….I like my version better……I feel that it is especially fitting right now….when we see what Nancy Pelosi and crew are trying to do with the latest “Health Care Reform” bill proposal. Now.... just in case you are saying out loud… ”Well David…I hadn’t heard about this…..could you please tell me more?”….My response could only be….”Yes I can”.
What was once referred to as the “Public Option”…or fondly as “Obamacare”….or my all-time personal favorite “Free Health Care For Everyone”…..has some new names. Speaker Pelosi felt that a new name was necessary for this government health care plan to work....so there are actually a couple of choices being offered up. The first new name would be the "consumer option" and then if you don't like that one....there is always the "competitive option". Rather than me trying to give you my version of how she explained it....let me just let you read it for yourself. (keep in mind that the audio was much more effective than just reading a transcript….since she has such a soothing speaking voice)……
-------------------------
“You’ll hear everyone say, ‘There’s got to be a better name for this,’” Pelosi said. “When people think of the public option, public is being misrepresented, that this is being paid for with their public dollars.”
--------------------------
Now THAT is brilliant….and I’m not being sarcastic….(ok….I am) Seems that EVERYONE is saying that there has to be a better name for this….Actually I think those of us with greater than (or equal to) an IQ of 62….are probably saying that there has to be a better PLAN than this…NOT a better name than this. The problem is NOT in the name......it’s in the idea itself. It won’t work. No…No….No….let me take that back…IT CAN”T WORK. (at least in the world of sane people)
Then she says “when people think of the public option, public option is being misrepresented”…. had she stopped right there, I would have agreed with her. It certainly IS being misrepresented…..by Ms Pelosi and her sidekick Harry Reid….by telling people that there is a chance in Hades that it will work….But of course that’s not what she meant. She meant that all the evil people on the right were misrepresenting it, by saying that “this is being paid for with their public dollars”. Ok…I have a silly question. If it’s not being paid for with public dollars, then how is it being paid for? The last time I checked, the government has no way to pay for ANYTHING without using public dollars. Nancy…did you start a business that is so profitable that you are going to donate a trillion dollars to pay for this fiasco? Or maybe President Obama gave you the key to the room, where the money printing press is…and you were going to sneak in and print off a trillion dollars after everyone went home. Seriously Nancy….where else would it…or could it….possibly come from? It can only come from tax dollars that, believe it or not, come from TAX PAYERS.
So what is her solution?......Hmmmm, after much thought, the idea of actually changing the plan was pitched out and….instead, the idea that Nancy came up with was to…(hold on this is SO good)…her idea was to change what you call it. Yup…just change the name. That makes it ok….Let me see if I get this right…..If I walk up to you and sucker-punch you in the nose and call it “pugilistically administering an unrequested action toward your smelling organ"….then it would be ok….right Nancy? That’s because NOW, it’s no longer considered a “sucker punch in the nose”.
No matter what you call this health care debacle….it’s the same thing….and the end result is the same. You either increase taxes to pay for it or you go broke and drive it into the ground like most other “government run” programs. Here’s an example….Look at AMTRAK. According to a September 20, 2007 article on the Heritage Foundation’s website….the average salary for “snack car workers” on AMTRAK is “$54,000 per year plus tips”… In that same article it goes on to say that “Amtrak costs $210.31 per passenger per 1,000 miles, compared to $4.66 for intercity buses and $6.18 for commercial airlines in FY 2002.” According to Subsidyscope, an arm of the Pew Charitable Trusts….it cost taxpayers an average of $32 for every passenger that rides AMTRAK. That just an average…however certain routes do much better. For example the AMTRAK route that runs between New Orleans and Los Angeles costs taxpayers $462 per passenger. So every time someone steps on an AMTRAK train on that route….it costs taxpayers $462. Now THAT my friend….is an example of governmental efficiency when it comes to spending YOUR money. Still not convinced?......Here’s something to put it into perspective….According to KAYAK (a search engine for travel)…as of today, you can book a round-trip flight from New Orleans to Los Angeles for $205. It would be cheaper for us to buy all of these people round trip airline tickets and tell them to stay off of the train. Maybe we just need to come up with a new name for AMTRAK. (Note to self and Nancy: come up with new name for AMTRAK that causes it to magically make money)
Now with those numbers in mind, I can certainly feel good about a government run health care plan….cant you? They have proven for decades that they can’t run the Post Office….a Coffee Shop (see blog from October 15th, 2009) or a Railroad, without losing billions of dollars of someone else’s money…..so why should we think that they can run health care and as President Obama said “not increase the deficit one dime”? (this is where I join Sen Joe Wilson with a simple statement of “You Lie”) Oh yeah I forgot….this time it will work because you changed the name. Then Again….That’s Just Me.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
How Much Does Free Cost?
The following is the transcript of an interview that took place during the 2008 Presidential Campaign. The interview is between a reporter and Ms. Peggy Joseph, an Obama supporter in Florida. I know we’ve all heard it a million times….but please read it one more time….please…..it will make you smile…..(or more likely it will make your head explode)
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Reporter: Peggy Joseph took her daughter out of school early Wednesday for this. Her emotions ran high following Obama's speech.
Peggy Joseph: It was the most memorable time of my life. It was a touching moment.
Reporter: Why?
Peggy Joseph: Because I never thought this day would ever happen. I won't have to worry about putting gas in my car. I won't have to worry about paying my mortgage. You know. If I help him, he's gonna help me.
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Wow….where do you start with that?.....That is just wrong on SO many levels. But I will try……
Let me see if I have this right…you went to hear a campaign speech and “it was the most memorable time of my life”……Not to sound petty...but from what I read, you have a daughter. I know this because not only am I quite the detective, but also because it says that you took your daughter out of school early to go and hear this campaign speech. I would think that somewhere in time, between the birth of your daughter and this speech….there was something in your lives that was as memorable as a campaign speech. But I could be wrong. I’m sure that Ms Joseph has attended numerous other political rallies….however I do wonder what was so important about this particular speech that Ms. Joseph felt compelled to not only attend herself, but also compelled enough to take her daughter out of school, to attend along with her? Based on her comments, it’s probably a safe bet (especially...based on her next statements) that Ms. Joseph was not going to hear Obama speak as part of a fact finding mission in order to complete her doctoral thesis in Political Science. (That’s just a guess though) (and no I don't have one either)
Then we come to the all important statement…..”I never thought this day would come”…What day is that? That you would actually go hear a political campaign speech?....NO, that’s not it at all. I didn’t think that the day would come when “I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car. I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage”….My question is a simple one…(only because I’m a simple kind of guy)….Why is it that you never thought this day would come?......Is that statement based ONLY on the fact that Obama is black and you are black? (I know some people just got a little scared that I’m headed into a dangerous territory…..but, hang on for just a minute...I promise I'm headed somewhere)…..If her statement is based solely on that criteria….then Ms. Joseph is a racist…..OR worse yet….she thinks that Obama is a racist…and is going to give her “free stuff”…not because she and he are Americans…but because they are both black. So tell me exactly why you "never thought this day would come"? Either of those reasons….are just wrong.
Then there’s the second half of that infamous statement…“I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car. I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage”….Let me ask this silly question…If YOU’RE not going to worry about it….then who is? Obama? If that’s what you meant….let me ask you this…"how’s that workin’ out for ya’?" Let’s just say that IF “he” really is going to take care of your mortgage and gas for your car…..where is “he” going to get the money to do it? Flashback to the lady in Detroit who was waiting for her “Obama money”…..when asked where Obama was going to get the money she said “I don't know, his stash. I don't know. (laughter) I don't know. where he got it from, but he givin' it to us, to help us”…..sound familiar? First of all....I must be missing something here....so tell me again why ANYONE is going to give you free money?….and more importantly....WHERE is this free money coming from?
Does anyone in this country really think that anything that the government does for you….is free? Do they not realize that someone has to pay for it….The government does not have a source of income other than taking it from the citizens of this country. They don’t have a product that they manufacture and sell…..They certainly don’t get paid to give advice to any company that wants to stay in business. So where does all that “free money” come from…..Before you answer….let me tell you that the rich people can’t pay for it. It’s not only that the rich people can’t pay for it……they also won’t pay for it. If you tax the rich people enough, they only have a few choices. They can raise the prices of the goods that they manufacture and sell (which means it will cost you more as a consumer). They can fire people that work at those businesses in order to make up for the extra expense brought on by the higher taxes. Or they can always close their businesses…..or another choice is to move them to another country. Before you say….”so what”…..If that happens...that means that you will probably lose your job. If and when you lose that job……..why don’t you go job hunting and see how many poor people are hiring.
Then there is "free" health care (fortunately Ms Joseph didn’t know about that at the time....or she would have probably included that in the rest of the free things that Obama was going to give her)…..anyway, this Free Health Care that is being talked about….if it wasn’t so sad, it would be laughable. Those that are pushing it are saying that part of it will be paid for by cutting 500 BILLION (yes with a “B”) dollars in corruption, waste and fraud out of the current Medicare and Medicaid programs. I have an idea….why don’t you show me that you can do that….and then we will talk. Or even better yet…..Here’s my REAL problem with a statement like that…..(lean forward and look very closely at your screen)……If you have known all along about this 500 billion dollars in corruption, waste and fraud…..and you knew that that there was a way to eliminate it...... (wait for it…..wait for it…..and BOOM)….then WHY HAVEN'T YOU ALREADY DONE IT....YOU MORONS? Why are you telling us that if we give you another Trillion (YES with a “T” this time) dollars….you will cut out 500 billion dollars of corruption, waste and fraud….Are you that stupid?....Or do you think that we are? The problem with this is that it is always easier to spend someone else’s money. And it’s obvious that a LOT of those in Washington don’t pay their fair share of taxes like the rest of us…so they are in fact….spending someone ELSE’S money.
So for you seriously idiotic people in Washington....Please…..stop and think for a moment where we are headed. We cannot sustain a spending spree like the one that we are currently on.
For anyone who really thinks that "free" doesn't cost anything.....why don't you stop thinking that the government owes you anything....and YOU go out and EARN what you want and need....for you and your family......
One of the greatest things about our country, is the tremendous freedoms that each of us have (like no other nation in history has ever had)...…We have a free market system that has worked just fine for all of these years…..We have capitalism..... and that has been proven to be the only sustainable way for a country and it's people to flourish….Finally....I believe that (up until now) we also had the greatest foundation of principles that served to promote and reward a person for their accomplishments and hard work….not their laziness…...Then Again....That's Just Me
(to be continued)
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Reporter: Peggy Joseph took her daughter out of school early Wednesday for this. Her emotions ran high following Obama's speech.
Peggy Joseph: It was the most memorable time of my life. It was a touching moment.
Reporter: Why?
Peggy Joseph: Because I never thought this day would ever happen. I won't have to worry about putting gas in my car. I won't have to worry about paying my mortgage. You know. If I help him, he's gonna help me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow….where do you start with that?.....That is just wrong on SO many levels. But I will try……
Let me see if I have this right…you went to hear a campaign speech and “it was the most memorable time of my life”……Not to sound petty...but from what I read, you have a daughter. I know this because not only am I quite the detective, but also because it says that you took your daughter out of school early to go and hear this campaign speech. I would think that somewhere in time, between the birth of your daughter and this speech….there was something in your lives that was as memorable as a campaign speech. But I could be wrong. I’m sure that Ms Joseph has attended numerous other political rallies….however I do wonder what was so important about this particular speech that Ms. Joseph felt compelled to not only attend herself, but also compelled enough to take her daughter out of school, to attend along with her? Based on her comments, it’s probably a safe bet (especially...based on her next statements) that Ms. Joseph was not going to hear Obama speak as part of a fact finding mission in order to complete her doctoral thesis in Political Science. (That’s just a guess though) (and no I don't have one either)
Then we come to the all important statement…..”I never thought this day would come”…What day is that? That you would actually go hear a political campaign speech?....NO, that’s not it at all. I didn’t think that the day would come when “I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car. I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage”….My question is a simple one…(only because I’m a simple kind of guy)….Why is it that you never thought this day would come?......Is that statement based ONLY on the fact that Obama is black and you are black? (I know some people just got a little scared that I’m headed into a dangerous territory…..but, hang on for just a minute...I promise I'm headed somewhere)…..If her statement is based solely on that criteria….then Ms. Joseph is a racist…..OR worse yet….she thinks that Obama is a racist…and is going to give her “free stuff”…not because she and he are Americans…but because they are both black. So tell me exactly why you "never thought this day would come"? Either of those reasons….are just wrong.
Then there’s the second half of that infamous statement…“I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car. I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage”….Let me ask this silly question…If YOU’RE not going to worry about it….then who is? Obama? If that’s what you meant….let me ask you this…"how’s that workin’ out for ya’?" Let’s just say that IF “he” really is going to take care of your mortgage and gas for your car…..where is “he” going to get the money to do it? Flashback to the lady in Detroit who was waiting for her “Obama money”…..when asked where Obama was going to get the money she said “I don't know, his stash. I don't know. (laughter) I don't know. where he got it from, but he givin' it to us, to help us”…..sound familiar? First of all....I must be missing something here....so tell me again why ANYONE is going to give you free money?….and more importantly....WHERE is this free money coming from?
Does anyone in this country really think that anything that the government does for you….is free? Do they not realize that someone has to pay for it….The government does not have a source of income other than taking it from the citizens of this country. They don’t have a product that they manufacture and sell…..They certainly don’t get paid to give advice to any company that wants to stay in business. So where does all that “free money” come from…..Before you answer….let me tell you that the rich people can’t pay for it. It’s not only that the rich people can’t pay for it……they also won’t pay for it. If you tax the rich people enough, they only have a few choices. They can raise the prices of the goods that they manufacture and sell (which means it will cost you more as a consumer). They can fire people that work at those businesses in order to make up for the extra expense brought on by the higher taxes. Or they can always close their businesses…..or another choice is to move them to another country. Before you say….”so what”…..If that happens...that means that you will probably lose your job. If and when you lose that job……..why don’t you go job hunting and see how many poor people are hiring.
Then there is "free" health care (fortunately Ms Joseph didn’t know about that at the time....or she would have probably included that in the rest of the free things that Obama was going to give her)…..anyway, this Free Health Care that is being talked about….if it wasn’t so sad, it would be laughable. Those that are pushing it are saying that part of it will be paid for by cutting 500 BILLION (yes with a “B”) dollars in corruption, waste and fraud out of the current Medicare and Medicaid programs. I have an idea….why don’t you show me that you can do that….and then we will talk. Or even better yet…..Here’s my REAL problem with a statement like that…..(lean forward and look very closely at your screen)……If you have known all along about this 500 billion dollars in corruption, waste and fraud…..and you knew that that there was a way to eliminate it...... (wait for it…..wait for it…..and BOOM)….then WHY HAVEN'T YOU ALREADY DONE IT....YOU MORONS? Why are you telling us that if we give you another Trillion (YES with a “T” this time) dollars….you will cut out 500 billion dollars of corruption, waste and fraud….Are you that stupid?....Or do you think that we are? The problem with this is that it is always easier to spend someone else’s money. And it’s obvious that a LOT of those in Washington don’t pay their fair share of taxes like the rest of us…so they are in fact….spending someone ELSE’S money.
So for you seriously idiotic people in Washington....Please…..stop and think for a moment where we are headed. We cannot sustain a spending spree like the one that we are currently on.
For anyone who really thinks that "free" doesn't cost anything.....why don't you stop thinking that the government owes you anything....and YOU go out and EARN what you want and need....for you and your family......
One of the greatest things about our country, is the tremendous freedoms that each of us have (like no other nation in history has ever had)...…We have a free market system that has worked just fine for all of these years…..We have capitalism..... and that has been proven to be the only sustainable way for a country and it's people to flourish….Finally....I believe that (up until now) we also had the greatest foundation of principles that served to promote and reward a person for their accomplishments and hard work….not their laziness…...Then Again....That's Just Me
(to be continued)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sometimes You Just Have To Make A Decision....
In the 1994 movie “Speed”….Keanu Reeves plays a young policeman who finds himself on a bus full of people, that is rigged with a bomb to blow up if the speed of the bus drops below 50 m.p.h.. Among the passengers on the bus with Reeves, is Sandra Bullock, who ends up driving the bus, after the bus driver is injured. At one point, as they are driving on the interstate….they see that the traffic ahead of them has come to a complete standstill.….they also realize that there is an exit off of the interstate, that if chosen, would put them in a congested downtown area. At this point, a split second decision has to be made as to whether they stay on the interstate and hit the stopped traffic….or get off at the exit and take a chance on not being able to maintain the 50 m.p.h. speed in a downtown area. Sandra Bullock looks at Keanu Reeves and screams “stay on or get off…stay on or get off”…..he makes the decision and yells back to her “off….off…hold on”.
Now….some of you (if you haven’t clicked off of this page because of your intense contempt for Keanu Reeves as an actor…..[as a side note, to a side note….where does that contempt come from?...what did he ever do to you?]…)…anyway back to the movie….As I watched that clip, I realized that it was very fortunate for all of those poor innocent people on that bus, that it was Keanu Reeves on there with them….and not Barack Obama. I only say that because had Obama been on the bus…….Sandra Bullock would have had to drive the bus into the concrete divider between the highway and the exit ramp….yup, right down the middle. This would be so that he would not alienate his base of “stay on” supporters, and the same time, come across as sympathetic to the “get off” supporters. By doing this, it would guarantee that his popularity poll numbers would stay up. Now of course he would tell those “stay-on-ers” that he hears them….and at the same time, tell the “get-off-ers” that he hears them as well and then announces that there’s going to be "change”….(and his supporters on the bus go wild with glee...without really knowing why)….Then he would call a press conference to announce that he has listened to the people….and would be holding off on his decision to “stay on” or “get off” until certain events played out…..and at this point, the only thing that he would be announcing, was that he had made a firm decision to stay on the bus himself. Upon that announcement the “stay-on-ers” would celebrate that he didn’t give in to the “get-off-ers”…(there would be cake and punch and light finger foods)….Of course the main stream media would laud him for his wisdom to not rush into anything……AND for trying to bring both sides together….While a lone evil network would report that he really hadn’t done anything. (Back to the bus) In the mean time, as a result of not making a decision…he truly would bring both sides together..…Because the bus crashes into the divider between the interstate and the exit ramp……explodes on impact….and kills everyone involved.
Putting that incredibly brilliant example behind us for a moment….let us move on. According to FactCheck.Org….the New York Times and the Associated Press reported that while in the Illinois State Senate, Barack Obama voted “present” 129 times. That means that when it came to making a decision as to where he stood on certain issues…..rather than voting “yes” or “no”….Obama voted “yeah I’m here”…..(which is actually better than his record as a U.S. Senator where he completely missed (wasn’t even there to vote “present”) 24% of ALL votes…and missed as many as 80% of the Congressional votes during his campaign for President). So in essence as a State Senator in Illinois….he stood firmly right in the middle with no opinion. While that might be acceptable in the Illinois State Senate….it really isn’t acceptable as the President of the United States. Here’s why….as a Senator, you’re not the only one there. There are others who will step up and make the decisions that need to be made….while you sit back and avoid any criticism that may come with actually making a tough decision……(especially important if you are in perpetual campaign mode) How many promises did he make while running for President that have simply been backed away from because they require making a stand one way or the other. He said that he would bring the troops home….so his supporters hooted and hollered…just knowing that the day after he was sworn into office….he personally would fly a big plane over to Iraq and Afghanistan…..load up all the troops in that one plane….and they would all be back for dinner that night. However, after he was elected, when he realized that he couldn’t do that….he decided to delay his decision. Now the Generals on the ground are saying that in order to win in Afghanistan, they need more troops. If he sends troops….his fanatical base will say….”but you promised” …..and on the other hand, if he doesn’t….the generals are telling him that we cant win…(and that would look equally as bad). So what’s his decision?….(drum roll)….DO NOTHING. Yup that’s about it. I’ve never been President….(I know that’s hard to believe….I personally find it hard to believe at times)…but I’m pretty sure that along with living in the White House…..flying on that really cool Air Force One…..getting to design your own awesome Presidential limo…..that you also have to make some decisions. That means making decisions, even when it hurts your popularity. Bush did it. He knew that “staying the course” would hurt his poll numbers. But he had conviction enough to stick to the task that needed to be done….regardless of what it would do to his poll numbers. But then again…if the only thing that you really want to accomplish in your first term as President….is to get elected to a second term as President…..I guess you can’t afford to make those decisions.
I DO have to give him credit on making one decision……Obama had no problem making a decision to launch a full scale attack on the only network that dared to report anything other than what that mealy-mouthed Robert Gibbs fed to the rest of the networks.….So why was that decision different?....Because that’s the kind of decision that amounts to little more than campaign mentality….and it boosts his support from the far-left, foaming at the mouth, rabid supporters he will need to get re-elected. With that said…here are a couple suggestions that I’m offering for free to the President…..
Here goes….First of all….The President has stated that he is holding off on his decision of whether or not to send more troops…..until after the next round of Presidential elections in Afghanistan are over. The problem with the first round of elections was that there was widespread voter fraud. The fraud was so rampant that now a runoff election will be held on November 7th…between the top two contenders (Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah). Since having a smooth running election in Afghanistan is paramount to President Obama’s decision on troop deployment…..my suggestion would be to close all ACORN offices in Afghanistan. If there is THAT much fraud…..then ACORN has to be there. So close ‘em down…..have the election and make a decision……
Second suggestion………Move the headquarters of Fox News to Afghanistan. At that point you will have no problem sending in an extra 40,000 troops over to destroy THEM…..and in the mean time if you kill some “bad guys” over there…..it’s a bonus…..Everybody wins….Right? It’s kind of a twist on an old Chicago political tactic in which all of your opponents die in strange accidents.
I’m not suggesting that the President should make BAD decisions as opposed to NO decision. Not at all. I mean he has already proven that he is perfectly capable of making bad decisions. Just look at his choice of staffers….his czars…or his choice to sit in a church for 20 years, where the pastor is a complete racist wacko. I wouldn’t have thought that ANY one person could make THAT many bad decisions….(Sorry I got sidetracked….so back to the point….) What I AM saying is that when you are at the top….you HAVE to make those tough decisions….even when it may hurt your popularity or chances for re-election. That’s because your job is NOT to start running for re-election as soon as you are sworn in…..your job is to do what is best for the country. President Obama often tries to compare himself to Abraham Lincoln…One thing that history points out is that Abraham Lincoln had to make a lot of very hard decisions….Decisions that were painful for him personally and painful for his country…..but they were the decisions that HAD to be made. Lincoln’s decisions weren’t made based on what it would do to his chances for re-election or what was best for his poll numbers….not at all….I believe that he made those tough decisions out of a deep love for his country. So President Obama….it’s time to stop the finger pointing at the last administration….and “man up”…and do the right thing. This is YOUR war now. Either send enough troops to Afghanistan to win this war….or bring them all home. Don’t just sit around….afraid of making a decision….as the soldiers that are over there, are killed off a little at a time. You have all the facts in front of you….provided by some of the best military minds of our day….so make a decision…One thing I know for sure is this...You can’t vote “present” on this one…..….I think it’s time to start acting like a President instead of a candidate ……Then Again….That’s Just Me.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
"I think when you spread the wealth around….it's good for everybody."
When I read a quote such as "I think when you spread the wealth around….it's good for everybody."…..I find myself quoting Grandpa Chip from the movie “Talladega Nights: The Legend Of Ricky Bobby”…..when he said…..”I can’t hold my tongue”.
"I think when you spread the wealth around….it's good for everybody." is a well known quote by then presidential candidate Barack Obama….defending his tax plan to Joe the Plumber in Toledo, Ohio, Oct. 12, 2008. There’s not a lot said about this quote anymore. Probably because since that statement was made, there has been so many other quotes brought to light that underscore now President Obama’s Marxist views. Yes…..his Marxist views…..(Note to self and President Obama:…having Marxist views can tend to make people consider you a Marxist)….A lot of people would say....how dare you call our President a Marxist....BUT…before you start looking around for a rock to throw at me……read on…..There are too many people who are so in love with the man, that they have no idea what his message is....If you are one of those people...the sad reality is...that by the time you wake up and say..."you were right"...and I would have the opportunity to say "I told you so"....it could very well be too late for our country.
In 2001, the then Illinois State Senator said the following during an interview with WBEZ (A Chicago Public Radio Station). “.....generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. Says what the states can’t do to you. Says what the Federal government can’t do to you, but doesn’t say what the Federal government or State government must do on your behalf, and that hasn’t shifted and one of the, I think, tragedies of the civil rights movement was, um, because the civil rights movement became so court focused I think there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalition of powers through which you bring about redistributive change. In some ways we still suffer from that”
I don’t claim to be a Constitutional Law Professor like President Obama does….but I can read…..so let’s look at a portion of that statement….First of all he says that the Constitution says what the the States and the Federal government “can’t do to you”….I think that’s an accurate statement and I agree with that. I will even go one step further to say that…yeah that’s kinda’ what the founding fathers were trying to establish…..The problem is that he doesn’t stop there. He goes on to say (Keep in mind that he is speaking about the Constitution of the United States….you know the one that most of us here in the United States hold up as being kind of important)….he goes on to say about THAT Constitution, that it “doesn’t say what the Federal government or State government MUST do on your behalf”….(emphasis added by author). No it doesn’t and again a true statement. The problem is that he feels that that is a fault of the Constitution. That is not a FAULT…..it was the INTENT of the Constitution…..to keep the government out of our lives. Keeping the government out of our lives….is NOT a fault……it’s part of the foundation of our system of government. (That’s why people left where they were living….and came here in the first place…to get away from that type of thinking) The Constitution was written to protect us FROM government intrusion into our lives…It was not written to guarantee that we will always be happy, that the sun will always shine, that we wont have to worry about paying our mortgage or putting gas in our car, that we won’t have to get up every day and go to work and it certainly doesn’t guarantee that I will never have more than my next door neighbor or vise-versa…..
Some people might say…”well that’s quite a stretch from what he said”. Really?...Do you really believe that?....How about reading a little further where he talks about the shortfall of the civil rights movement being that it took on the wrong focus, instead of focusing on bringing about “redistributive change” . In my simple world….”redistributive change” means simply “that I will never have more than my next door neighbor or vise versa” (to quote a very simple, yet wise man)….It also follows right along with Obama’s quote while on the Presidential campaign trail…."I think when you spread the wealth around….it's good for everybody." …..Again I say…Really?.... Good for everyone, huh?.....I believe that it is close to impossible for it to be good for everyone…..It might be good for the recipients…. but probably not quite as good for those that it was taken from.
So…..let me see if I have this right…….If my choice for the direction of my life is to stay in school and get a good education…and my parents and I sacrifice and work extra jobs so that I can go to college…..and I apply myself and work hard and continue on when it’s not the easiest thing to do….then at some point in my life I decide to put everything that I have worked for, on the line to start a small business…..then after years of my family struggling to get that business up and running, I become successful. (or a chance that I lose everything in my pursuits)….I’m supposed “spread the wealth around” with the guy who dropped out of school in 9th grade….went to prison for a few years….had 13 kids before he was 30…..and hasn’t held a job for more than 3 months in a row?......Really?.....And to make it even more of an insult…..Obama had the (insert your own word here…..but think about your choice of words, since the word that popped into your head first….he has pretty much proven that he doesn’t possess those)…..anyway…..he had the hubris to say that….”it’s good for everybody”. Hmmmm……tell me again how that is good for me? (I get the part of how it was good for the other guy)….There are those who would say “well it’s your Christian duty to give to those with less than you”….Ok….I’ll give you that…but it’s NOT my Christian duty to give it to the government so that they can give it to WHO they want to give it to…..I can manage that on my own just fine…..and arguably at a MUCH higher percentage than those who are attempting re-write the Constitution.
Here is what it really comes down to…..there are those who want to stay in office….(for life if possible)….and to do that, they realize that they have to pander to the masses. If that means promising to take from the evil rich…..and giving to those who aren’t….then so be it. After all, there are more of those who aren’t rich…..than those who are. So you will usually win elections that way. In its simple form, it’s called buying votes. It’s no different than standing at the polls as people are going in to cast their vote…..and passing out hundred dollar bills if they promise to vote for a certain person. After all getting free money, beats working for it….right? If you can get people to stop trying to succeed on their own (why try to succeed if the government is going to take it anyway)……and instead let the government “take care” of them…..then eventually you will own the people…..Why?.....Because when they can no longer do for themselves....they will have no choice but to turn to the government…..It is then, that they will have in fact become slaves to a governmental social system.
Taking from the rich and giving to the poor is not a new concept……and the Obama administration did not come up with it on their own…..No, not at all….in fact it dates back to 1875….the exact quote is this….”From each according to his ability, to each according to his need”……That means that the government should take from those who have more…..and give it to those who need more…..sounds great doesn’t it?......Yes it does….and we all get a cute little puppy and a lollipop too. Many Obama supporters would say at this point….”well that’s what he was saying to that awful Joe the Plumber guy”….And to that I would say….”You are correct”…..Because ”From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” is exactly the same thing as "I think when you spread the wealth around….it's good for everybody."….Yup, sure is. However before you throw a rock at me (you know that one you’ve been looking around on the ground for….yeah I saw you) for calling President Obama a Marxist…..please read this….The quote “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” was originally written in 1875 in a piece called the “Critique of the Gotha Program” .....and it was written by none other than Karl Marx……So here is the place where it would be easy for me to say….”I told you so”…but I wont..….But Again….That’s Just Me….
"I think when you spread the wealth around….it's good for everybody." is a well known quote by then presidential candidate Barack Obama….defending his tax plan to Joe the Plumber in Toledo, Ohio, Oct. 12, 2008. There’s not a lot said about this quote anymore. Probably because since that statement was made, there has been so many other quotes brought to light that underscore now President Obama’s Marxist views. Yes…..his Marxist views…..(Note to self and President Obama:…having Marxist views can tend to make people consider you a Marxist)….A lot of people would say....how dare you call our President a Marxist....BUT…before you start looking around for a rock to throw at me……read on…..There are too many people who are so in love with the man, that they have no idea what his message is....If you are one of those people...the sad reality is...that by the time you wake up and say..."you were right"...and I would have the opportunity to say "I told you so"....it could very well be too late for our country.
In 2001, the then Illinois State Senator said the following during an interview with WBEZ (A Chicago Public Radio Station). “.....generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. Says what the states can’t do to you. Says what the Federal government can’t do to you, but doesn’t say what the Federal government or State government must do on your behalf, and that hasn’t shifted and one of the, I think, tragedies of the civil rights movement was, um, because the civil rights movement became so court focused I think there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalition of powers through which you bring about redistributive change. In some ways we still suffer from that”
I don’t claim to be a Constitutional Law Professor like President Obama does….but I can read…..so let’s look at a portion of that statement….First of all he says that the Constitution says what the the States and the Federal government “can’t do to you”….I think that’s an accurate statement and I agree with that. I will even go one step further to say that…yeah that’s kinda’ what the founding fathers were trying to establish…..The problem is that he doesn’t stop there. He goes on to say (Keep in mind that he is speaking about the Constitution of the United States….you know the one that most of us here in the United States hold up as being kind of important)….he goes on to say about THAT Constitution, that it “doesn’t say what the Federal government or State government MUST do on your behalf”….(emphasis added by author). No it doesn’t and again a true statement. The problem is that he feels that that is a fault of the Constitution. That is not a FAULT…..it was the INTENT of the Constitution…..to keep the government out of our lives. Keeping the government out of our lives….is NOT a fault……it’s part of the foundation of our system of government. (That’s why people left where they were living….and came here in the first place…to get away from that type of thinking) The Constitution was written to protect us FROM government intrusion into our lives…It was not written to guarantee that we will always be happy, that the sun will always shine, that we wont have to worry about paying our mortgage or putting gas in our car, that we won’t have to get up every day and go to work and it certainly doesn’t guarantee that I will never have more than my next door neighbor or vise-versa…..
Some people might say…”well that’s quite a stretch from what he said”. Really?...Do you really believe that?....How about reading a little further where he talks about the shortfall of the civil rights movement being that it took on the wrong focus, instead of focusing on bringing about “redistributive change” . In my simple world….”redistributive change” means simply “that I will never have more than my next door neighbor or vise versa” (to quote a very simple, yet wise man)….It also follows right along with Obama’s quote while on the Presidential campaign trail…."I think when you spread the wealth around….it's good for everybody." …..Again I say…Really?.... Good for everyone, huh?.....I believe that it is close to impossible for it to be good for everyone…..It might be good for the recipients…. but probably not quite as good for those that it was taken from.
So…..let me see if I have this right…….If my choice for the direction of my life is to stay in school and get a good education…and my parents and I sacrifice and work extra jobs so that I can go to college…..and I apply myself and work hard and continue on when it’s not the easiest thing to do….then at some point in my life I decide to put everything that I have worked for, on the line to start a small business…..then after years of my family struggling to get that business up and running, I become successful. (or a chance that I lose everything in my pursuits)….I’m supposed “spread the wealth around” with the guy who dropped out of school in 9th grade….went to prison for a few years….had 13 kids before he was 30…..and hasn’t held a job for more than 3 months in a row?......Really?.....And to make it even more of an insult…..Obama had the (insert your own word here…..but think about your choice of words, since the word that popped into your head first….he has pretty much proven that he doesn’t possess those)…..anyway…..he had the hubris to say that….”it’s good for everybody”. Hmmmm……tell me again how that is good for me? (I get the part of how it was good for the other guy)….There are those who would say “well it’s your Christian duty to give to those with less than you”….Ok….I’ll give you that…but it’s NOT my Christian duty to give it to the government so that they can give it to WHO they want to give it to…..I can manage that on my own just fine…..and arguably at a MUCH higher percentage than those who are attempting re-write the Constitution.
Here is what it really comes down to…..there are those who want to stay in office….(for life if possible)….and to do that, they realize that they have to pander to the masses. If that means promising to take from the evil rich…..and giving to those who aren’t….then so be it. After all, there are more of those who aren’t rich…..than those who are. So you will usually win elections that way. In its simple form, it’s called buying votes. It’s no different than standing at the polls as people are going in to cast their vote…..and passing out hundred dollar bills if they promise to vote for a certain person. After all getting free money, beats working for it….right? If you can get people to stop trying to succeed on their own (why try to succeed if the government is going to take it anyway)……and instead let the government “take care” of them…..then eventually you will own the people…..Why?.....Because when they can no longer do for themselves....they will have no choice but to turn to the government…..It is then, that they will have in fact become slaves to a governmental social system.
Taking from the rich and giving to the poor is not a new concept……and the Obama administration did not come up with it on their own…..No, not at all….in fact it dates back to 1875….the exact quote is this….”From each according to his ability, to each according to his need”……That means that the government should take from those who have more…..and give it to those who need more…..sounds great doesn’t it?......Yes it does….and we all get a cute little puppy and a lollipop too. Many Obama supporters would say at this point….”well that’s what he was saying to that awful Joe the Plumber guy”….And to that I would say….”You are correct”…..Because ”From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” is exactly the same thing as "I think when you spread the wealth around….it's good for everybody."….Yup, sure is. However before you throw a rock at me (you know that one you’ve been looking around on the ground for….yeah I saw you) for calling President Obama a Marxist…..please read this….The quote “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” was originally written in 1875 in a piece called the “Critique of the Gotha Program” .....and it was written by none other than Karl Marx……So here is the place where it would be easy for me to say….”I told you so”…but I wont..….But Again….That’s Just Me….
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
"……..With Liberty And Justice For Some….."
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands
One Nation under God, indivisible,
With liberty and justice for all
If I remember back to when I was a kid and learned the “Pledge of Allegiance”…..I’m pretty sure that’s how I learned it. However, it seems that at some time during the last (fill in the blank) years, since I was in grade school, they have officially changed it. The best that I can tell….it has been officially changed to “with liberty and justice for some”. And the “some” seems to be entirely dependant on how and what you believe. For example…If you believe in evil things like…oh I don’t know…let’s say for example something really disgusting….like displaying the flag of the United States…(you know…the flag that represents that country that we live in….and the one that young men and young women are giving their lives daily to defend…yeah THAT one)…if you believe in displaying THAT flag….(yeah the one with the red and white stripes and the 50 stars on a field of blue)…you could be told that you cant display it if someone finds it offensive….and then you could be fined, sued or fired from your job if you don’t take it down……. Huh? ....…Really?....Let me see if I’ve got this right.....You find the flag that is representative of the greatest country that has ever existed…offensive?...Really? Why is that? Because you don’t believe in what it stands for? Because you don’t like the principles on which this country was built? Because you…along with those like President Obama want the country that that flag represents, changed from the way that the founding fathers set it up….into a Marxist nation? As hard as that is to believe……almost daily we are seeing citizen’s rights infringed on because they are displaying the flag of their country….I’m not talking about Iran or North Korea…..…No….it’s here in the United States.
Back a couple years ago thousands of illegal immigrants took to the streets to riot, and protest the fact that they were being “targeted” with laws that would force them to obey the laws of the country, that they were living in…..(Can you imagine a country that would be SO evil, that they would think that criminals protesting in the streets is wrong?) Anyway…during that time….(here in the United States)....those protesters (many of whom were criminals) were displaying the flag of Mexico….carrying it down the streets or flying it in front of their businesses in protest of their “oppression”….The interesting thing was that those who consider themselves “progressives” (insert your choice of words here….Communists, Marxists, America Haters, or Obama supporters…they all work equally as well)….were fine with it. They would comment with statements like “isn’t it beautiful that people can take to the streets to protest in this great country?”…..Or they would say “Well, it’s their right”…..First of all, if you are not a citizen of this country….aren’t your rights just a tad bit limited?.... Secondly, if you are a criminal in this country (like it or not…being here illegally would constitute be a criminal….)….I’m guessing that your rights are also just a tad bit limited. But those like President Obama and Nancy Pelosi look at it as a tremendous exercise of free speech….seriously? With that in mind…… remember that those who showed up at “tea-parties” were just a bunch of crazed right-wing fringe nut-jobs. It’s just shocking that these people were doing these things……(take a deep breath)….Hold on ….THOSE PEOPLE WERE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY!!!!! As citizens, they have the RIGHT to do that….(yeah it’s that whole ridiculous first amendment nonsense that guarantees “the right of the people peaceably to assemble”)…..and from all accounts, the “tea parties” were done peaceably. However the other group that I mentioned before….first of all…if they are here illegally, they don’t have that right…..and number two…they certainly weren’t very peaceable....No, they did everything that they could do to be disruptive…. If that makes me a hater….a racist….or maybe even a right-wing nut job…..I'm ok with that.
What about the attempt to limit free speech when it comes to Fox News?....Or do those who are here illegally (law breakers) have more rights than Fox News?......Back to the flag….Let me get this right…..in our nation, ALL it takes anymore for you to be told to take down your flag is for someone to say…”I’m offended”…..After much thought…..I would like to propose a VERY simple solution for those who are offended by the flag of the United States of America….It’s official name is the “Go Buy Yourself A Plane Ticket And Leave The United States Act. You're telling me that I'm supposed to be o.k. with the fact that you can burn our flag, spit on it, and complain that you have to look at it?…..Well to put it plainly “I’M NOT OK WITH IT”. This is MY country and I am proud of it. That red, white and blue flag represents my country. If you don’t like the flag that represents this country, then you don’t like my country……so leave. Go to a country where you are NOT offended by their flag or their country. It’s really that simple. In fact I propose that we take some of the money that is being wasted by the idiots in Washington and use it to help you buy a plane ticket so that you can leave more quickly…..So, if you're one of those who is offended by the flag of this country…….Please GO AWAY….Don’t come back. I’m pretty sure that on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, part of the inscription reads "…Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”…...This country has always been open to those who come here legally and who will embrace the ideals that this country was founded on. Here’s the simple version…..if you don’t like the way that this country works…..go to Iran….see how that whining about the government works out for you there. If you want socialism…..there are plenty of countries that are governed by a system of socialism…..pick one and leave……If you tend to lean toward Marxism….knock yourself out finding a Marxist government….After you find that country….I think that you should leave this one and go there where you can be happy……Just do me a small favor….stop by Washington on your way out…..and pick up Obama and his Marxist czars, and take them with you…….
So let me see if I have this right...you can fly the Mexican flag in the United States and that's ok, and maybe even applauded. But you can't display the American flag if someone is offended. You can make movies that show this country as an evil nation (note to self...mention Michael Moore in this article), but if you are Fox News...and you report something other than the Obama/Marxist message...you're evil. If you are in this country illegally, you can protest, riot and disrupt other people's lives...and that's ok....But if you gather together to protest against those in Washington who are attempting to destroy the very foundation of this great nation...you're evil. I feel that we as a country have lost our way...and sadly, if we don't get back to the principles that this great country was founded upon....we are in big trouble. …..Then Again….That’s Just Me……..
Of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands
One Nation under God, indivisible,
With liberty and justice for all
If I remember back to when I was a kid and learned the “Pledge of Allegiance”…..I’m pretty sure that’s how I learned it. However, it seems that at some time during the last (fill in the blank) years, since I was in grade school, they have officially changed it. The best that I can tell….it has been officially changed to “with liberty and justice for some”. And the “some” seems to be entirely dependant on how and what you believe. For example…If you believe in evil things like…oh I don’t know…let’s say for example something really disgusting….like displaying the flag of the United States…(you know…the flag that represents that country that we live in….and the one that young men and young women are giving their lives daily to defend…yeah THAT one)…if you believe in displaying THAT flag….(yeah the one with the red and white stripes and the 50 stars on a field of blue)…you could be told that you cant display it if someone finds it offensive….and then you could be fined, sued or fired from your job if you don’t take it down……. Huh? ....…Really?....Let me see if I’ve got this right.....You find the flag that is representative of the greatest country that has ever existed…offensive?...Really? Why is that? Because you don’t believe in what it stands for? Because you don’t like the principles on which this country was built? Because you…along with those like President Obama want the country that that flag represents, changed from the way that the founding fathers set it up….into a Marxist nation? As hard as that is to believe……almost daily we are seeing citizen’s rights infringed on because they are displaying the flag of their country….I’m not talking about Iran or North Korea…..…No….it’s here in the United States.
Back a couple years ago thousands of illegal immigrants took to the streets to riot, and protest the fact that they were being “targeted” with laws that would force them to obey the laws of the country, that they were living in…..(Can you imagine a country that would be SO evil, that they would think that criminals protesting in the streets is wrong?) Anyway…during that time….(here in the United States)....those protesters (many of whom were criminals) were displaying the flag of Mexico….carrying it down the streets or flying it in front of their businesses in protest of their “oppression”….The interesting thing was that those who consider themselves “progressives” (insert your choice of words here….Communists, Marxists, America Haters, or Obama supporters…they all work equally as well)….were fine with it. They would comment with statements like “isn’t it beautiful that people can take to the streets to protest in this great country?”…..Or they would say “Well, it’s their right”…..First of all, if you are not a citizen of this country….aren’t your rights just a tad bit limited?.... Secondly, if you are a criminal in this country (like it or not…being here illegally would constitute be a criminal….)….I’m guessing that your rights are also just a tad bit limited. But those like President Obama and Nancy Pelosi look at it as a tremendous exercise of free speech….seriously? With that in mind…… remember that those who showed up at “tea-parties” were just a bunch of crazed right-wing fringe nut-jobs. It’s just shocking that these people were doing these things……(take a deep breath)….Hold on ….THOSE PEOPLE WERE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY!!!!! As citizens, they have the RIGHT to do that….(yeah it’s that whole ridiculous first amendment nonsense that guarantees “the right of the people peaceably to assemble”)…..and from all accounts, the “tea parties” were done peaceably. However the other group that I mentioned before….first of all…if they are here illegally, they don’t have that right…..and number two…they certainly weren’t very peaceable....No, they did everything that they could do to be disruptive…. If that makes me a hater….a racist….or maybe even a right-wing nut job…..I'm ok with that.
What about the attempt to limit free speech when it comes to Fox News?....Or do those who are here illegally (law breakers) have more rights than Fox News?......Back to the flag….Let me get this right…..in our nation, ALL it takes anymore for you to be told to take down your flag is for someone to say…”I’m offended”…..After much thought…..I would like to propose a VERY simple solution for those who are offended by the flag of the United States of America….It’s official name is the “Go Buy Yourself A Plane Ticket And Leave The United States Act. You're telling me that I'm supposed to be o.k. with the fact that you can burn our flag, spit on it, and complain that you have to look at it?…..Well to put it plainly “I’M NOT OK WITH IT”. This is MY country and I am proud of it. That red, white and blue flag represents my country. If you don’t like the flag that represents this country, then you don’t like my country……so leave. Go to a country where you are NOT offended by their flag or their country. It’s really that simple. In fact I propose that we take some of the money that is being wasted by the idiots in Washington and use it to help you buy a plane ticket so that you can leave more quickly…..So, if you're one of those who is offended by the flag of this country…….Please GO AWAY….Don’t come back. I’m pretty sure that on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, part of the inscription reads "…Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”…...This country has always been open to those who come here legally and who will embrace the ideals that this country was founded on. Here’s the simple version…..if you don’t like the way that this country works…..go to Iran….see how that whining about the government works out for you there. If you want socialism…..there are plenty of countries that are governed by a system of socialism…..pick one and leave……If you tend to lean toward Marxism….knock yourself out finding a Marxist government….After you find that country….I think that you should leave this one and go there where you can be happy……Just do me a small favor….stop by Washington on your way out…..and pick up Obama and his Marxist czars, and take them with you…….
So let me see if I have this right...you can fly the Mexican flag in the United States and that's ok, and maybe even applauded. But you can't display the American flag if someone is offended. You can make movies that show this country as an evil nation (note to self...mention Michael Moore in this article), but if you are Fox News...and you report something other than the Obama/Marxist message...you're evil. If you are in this country illegally, you can protest, riot and disrupt other people's lives...and that's ok....But if you gather together to protest against those in Washington who are attempting to destroy the very foundation of this great nation...you're evil. I feel that we as a country have lost our way...and sadly, if we don't get back to the principles that this great country was founded upon....we are in big trouble. …..Then Again….That’s Just Me……..
Friday, October 16, 2009
Crabgrass…..The REAL Reason That Government Has To Stay Out Of Private Business….
If you live in Florida, and have a yard…..then you are probably familiar with crabgrass. It’s official name is “Digitaria” and it is a genus of about 300 species of grass (family Poaceae) native to tropical and warm temperate regions. First let me say that I truly believe that crabgrass is evil. Here is why I say that………
I really take pride in my yard….I actually have the regional manager’s phone number for TruGreen (my lawn service for fertilizing and weed control, etc.) on the speed dial of my phone. (that’s not a joke…that’s for real). I see my yard for approximately 5 minutes every day…..as I am walking to my car in the morning and then again as I round the corner on my street, see my house and yard, park my car, get the mail and walk into the house in the evening. (ok, maybe 7 minutes)…But here’s my point….when I do see it….I want to see grass…beautiful green grass. However from time to time when I actually walk through my yard, I will look down and see this “grassy looking” growth that while it is green, it’s not like the rest of the grass. It is (play creepy, evil sounding music here) CRABGRASS. (sorry, that was the spookiest font I could find). While crabgrass is green and resembles “real” grass….it is not. What’s more, if you just look at it, leave it there, and say….”oh it’s just a little patch”….you are in for serious trouble. If you don’t yank it out by the roots, right then and there, when you come back tomorrow it will have spread. If for some reason you don’t come back tomorrow and it’s next week when you finally come back….it could have spread over a large portion of your yard. If you look at it as it has spread over a large portion of your yard and say….”well at least it’s green…and it’s just too much trouble to pull it ALL up by the roots….so I’ll just leave it”….Let me tell you that is a BAD IDEA….The reason this is a bad idea is when you come back in a month….you will find that you no longer have “real” grass…..just CRABGRASS. (any better…as far as evil looking fonts go?)….What has happened at this point is that the evil crabgrass has taken over and destroyed the “good” grass….and any lawn care person will tell you that the only way to get your “real” grass back….is to kill (Roundup® kind of kill) the entire yard and start over. That is a real pain and VERY expensive….but if you want your yard back….it is necessary. So they come in and spray the yard with poison….wait for it to die….bring in a sod-cutter to remove the dead grass and then put down brand new healthy sod. That is great and now your yard is perfect……BUT……pay close attention to the BUT…..If you don’t keep an eye on this brand new yard….that evil crabgrass will creep right back in and destroy this yard as well…..so you watch this brand new yard every day…and if something doesn’t look right, you do something about it…..it’s the proverbial “nipping it in the bud”
Right about now….some of you (if you are still awake….or still reading) are saying…..”Wow….I had no idea that he knew so much about grass”……or “I wonder if it’s really all that bad to officially recognize Pluto as a planet….since we’ve done it for all of these years?”……or MAYBE there are a very few that are saying “What does this have to do with government involvement in business?”….While I would love to address the first two observations….I will only address the last one.
The government is like crabgrass…..it’s bad enough in small quantities….but in large quantities….it is just evil. (Maybe I should have my Senator and Congressperson’s phone numbers on my speed dial just like the TruGreen guy) It would be great if we could just go through our daily lives walking around and living our lives……and thinking that all the while our society and the rest of the world around us would go on with no problems. You know, just ignoring all of the little things that are annoying. That’s is no more realistic than looking at your yard for 5 (or 7) minutes a day and expecting it to remain perfect…..Just not gonna’ to happen. Here’s why that doesn’t work………One day we happen to see something in our government where they have stepped into private business and forced this business to do business in a way that is unconstitutional….but it’s just a little thing, or it doesn’t involve us personally….so we say…”oh it’s no big deal”….and we let it go…..BUT…..pay attention to the BUT…..if we ignore it for a short while, it gets bigger and maybe affects us, (maybe not directly…maybe just our neighbor or someone at church…but not US directly)….so we say….”Oh its not that big of a deal….my life is still ok”…..BUT….then all of the sudden it starts to affect us a little and we say…”well I don’t like this but now it’s gotten kind big…so there isn’t anything I can do without a LOT of work”……so we let it go…..Here’s where it gets VERY serious…..if we ignore it for an extended period, we look around and see that the government has taken over everything and there is no such thing as “privately run” companies any more…..the government has slipped in just like crabgrass….a little at a time and taken over.
Recently I was involved in a online discussion with a friend. In the course of the discussion he made the following statement………”those who claim to be independent thinkers but have voted straight ticket have chimed in today not realizing their candidates and conservative heroes of choice have played a large role in American Keynesian economic policy”…….. (Author’s Note: Let me insert a definition here….Keynesian (pronounced /keinziən/) economics advocates a mixed economy—predominantly private sector, but with a large role of government and public sector) …… He went on to say……”Keynesian economic theory……..is the belief that a mixed economy is optimum. I believe it has been the driving force and paradigm our nation has used since WW2 - from Roosevelt to Reagan to Bush to Obama. The cries of communism and socialism are a rouge. The argument is about the mix not replacing capitalism.”……..Here’s my problem with that type of thinking…..It would be the same line of thinking that a little bit of crabgrass is good because it helps identify the “real” grass….Yes I believe that there has to be a certain amount of regulation….but not to a point to where the government gets involved in the same business as you….and becomes your competition….(read article from 10-15-09 for more information on that)…..and then destroys your business…since they don’t have to operate on a “for-profit” basis. Once that happens….free enterprise is GONE….The government has no sense of business….If they did how could they make a claim that providing health care for somewhere between 10 and 40 million (another fine example of government accuracy in accounting….or really in this case…counting) “wont raise the deficit one dime”…..Seriously?....You can say that with a straight face…and then get pissed when someone calls you a liar?....Really?……The only thing the government will do is destroy the Health Insurance industry and then once they “own” it all….the pricing will go out of control…..That’s because the government has no control over itself….once it steps in…it destroys what it tried to “fix”. In the little town where I have my business….I have seen the city government literally drive businesses….out of business. I have seen this enough to where I now refer to the “Code Enforcement” people as the “Department of Business Prevention”. They just DON’T know where to stop. So yeah…maybe a “mix” is good….but why is it that the mix doesn’t stay balanced when the government gets involved?
It’s about health insurance now…..but what’s next? Maybe groceries? After all everyone has to eat….so let’s control the food industry….grocery stores, fast food places, Mom and Pop restaurants? Why don’t we take them ALL over...tell them how much they can charge for a product....and then tell them how much profit they can make….Because after all, profit is a four-letter word….right? (actually it’s a six letter word) If right about now you are saying….”well that sounds good to me”….let me remind you of this….(pay attention anyone who might work for a local, large privately owned supermarket chain)…..if the government regulates groceries…in the way they want to regulate health insurance….YES, the price of groceries will go down…but in the process, so will profits…then in order to stay in business there HAS to be cuts in expenses. As a business owner I can tell you that the best way to cut your expenses…is to cut people out of jobs…So if you’re ok with that for the evil health care insurance companies (that they ALL lose their jobs)…just hang on….they will get to you eventually. Once the government starts taking over ANY industry….it’s only a matter of time until they take over the one you’re working for. (Yes…I’m talking about YOU) First health insurance….because EVERYONE needs it and deserves it…..Then it’s controls on gasoline pricing….because EVERYONE needs it and deserves it…..THEN it will be the food industry….WHY?......because the same logic would follow that EVERYONE needs it and deserves it…….then you wake up one day….unemployed and say…”what happened?.....You really want to know?......you didn’t stop the crabgrass when you had a chance……Then Again…..That’s Just Me.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Just A Thought On Government Run Health Care....
Often I hear people talking about the dilemma of health care in our country and in the course of the conversation, the following question comes up…….”what’s so wrong with the Federal Government taking over and running health care in the United States?”…….So…what is wrong with that question, you might ask? Other than the obvious fact that it contains the words…”taking over”…..”running”……and “Federal Government”…..all in the same sentence……I guess there is nothing at all wrong with it.
The following is taken from a news story that was written by Paul Kane, a reporter for the Washington Post. The story was published on June 9, 2009……
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“Year after year, decade upon decade, the U.S. Senate's network of restaurants has lost staggering amounts of money -- more than $18 million since 1993, according to one report, and an estimated $2 million this year alone, according to another……
…..The financial condition of the world's most exclusive dining hall and its affiliated Capitol Hill restaurants, cafeterias and coffee shops has become so dire that, without a $250,000 subsidy from taxpayers, the Senate won't make payroll next month.”
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First let me say…..”I am SO sorry to hear that”…..Then let me offer up some facts as why this little endeavor doesn’t work very well……..
One reason could be that the average Senate food service worker makes $37,000 per year….keep in mind that’s PLUS full government employee benefits. Another reason for this fiasco was clearly pointed out in a quote by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) "financially breaking even has not been the objective of the current management due to an expectation that the restaurants will operate at a deficit annually."……So let me get this straight….They don’t expect it to even BREAK EVEN?.....Much less turn a profit?.....But at least she explained herself in the next part of that same quote…..it is simply “due to an expectation that the restaurants will operate at a deficit annually“…..Well that makes perfectly good sense doesn’t it?....If you have NO expectation of making a profit…..then you PROBABLY WONT.
That’s the problem with anything the government runs….there is no expectation for it to break even….which means that they plan on EVERYTHING losing money. Here’s another brilliant quote by Sen. Feinstein…”There are parts of government that can be run like a business and should be run like businesses."……Really?....Do you think so?....Here’s an idea…how about all of the government being run like a business?....That means that you don’t pay people for simply showing up for work, they have to actually work to keep their job….if they are not productive…they no longer have a job. How about paying people in the government a wage that is comparable to the same job in a “privately” run business? How about if you can’t at least "break even"….you get shut down…..or you figure out ways to cut costs to bring expenses back in line with the income. (That’s what American families are forced to do every day) How about raising the prices in the restaurants, and telling the Senators if they don’t like it….then they can go out to McDonalds and eat lunch? Why is it that the simple, everyday principles that apply to most families and privately held business, don’t apply to the government?
The following is from another report in the New York Post dated August 6, 2009…”The U.S. Postal Service lost $2.4 billion in the quarter that ended June 30 and forecasts a $7 billion loss for the fiscal year”….Yet another example of a government-run “business”. That’s $19,178,082.19 per day that the Post Office loses (that’s based on being open 365 days per year….which we know isn’t the case) So ask yourself this……Is there any other business in the history of the world that could lose billions of dollars year in and year out….and still be operating? This is just one more example of when the government is involved in anything….the cost of operation skyrockets due to bureaucracy, inept leadership, (dare I say the “U” word?), overspending, waste….and mostly…well…honestly…because it can…..Of course there’s also that fact that everyone expected it to lose money anyway….That way if, and when, it loses billions of dollars a year, no one is surprised and no one loses their job. Again I ask you….would that work in the REAL world? If you were put in charge of running a business and it lost money (a LOT of money) year after year…..do you think you would still get your 6 weeks of vacation and a bonus?....No…you would get fired.
Yet Congress continues to operate in a deficit year after year…..they call it deficit spending…..YOUR bank would call it an OVERDRAFT or Not Sufficient Funds on the check you wrote. Deficit spending is simply spending money that you don’t have…..That is impossible because we all know that you can’t spend money that you don’t have….Right?....Well unless you are the government….
So we have established that the government doesn’t know how to live within its means, when it comes to running any type of program……(There are PLENTY more examples….however these are just a couple of obvious ones)….To overcome any financial shortfalls that they might have, the government has a couple of methods that they usually resort to….First, raise taxes. It’s especially popular to raise taxes on people who have been successful in business…..and then of course, the business itself. Never mind that these people and these businesses were successful because they didn’t run their business the way the government runs theirs…..Some of those successful people sacrificed and did without everything they “just had to have” for a long time before they finally “made it”. But not the government…..Rather than reeling in spending and waste….they would rather take it from those who have succeeded doing things the right way.
So that brings us to Health Care……If they cant run a restaurant and the Post Office…..do you REALLY think that all of those estimates, for how much this little baby is going to cost, are anywhere close to being accurate? Of course not…How about this….You prove to me that you can do something right…before I give you something as important as health care to run.
Another fallacy……well actually not a fallacy…..just an out and out lie….is that having a government option will provide competition and will in turn, bring prices down….Really?...We have seen that anything that the government touches has far more expense associated with it that ANY privately run company. (see the above examples) If the government runs health care like they run everything else….the end result will be that they have to charge MORE than the privately run companies not LESS. It is also a lie that it will bring about competition…..It can’t…What it WILL do is put those privately run companies out of business…..Why you ask?....Because in order for them to stay in business, they have to take in more money than they spend…..plain and simple business. On the other hand the government DOESN’T have to do that….they can lose billions and billions of dollars….year after year…and keep right on going. Everybody gets to keep their job and they just raise taxes or print more money to make up the “deficit”. Of course you understand that when all of the privately run health insurance companies are gone….forced out of business…..the government will raise the prices of your insurance….Why?.....Because NOW there is NO competition.
I am not in the insurance business nor do I have any vested interest in the insurance business (or as Michael Vick would say…”I don’t have a dog in this here fight”)….But I think that before we run off willy-nilly (don’t you just love that term?....I can’t say that I have actually ever used it before….so I hope I spelled it correctly, so as not to offend you regular users of the term “willy-nilly”)…Anyway….where was I?......Oh yeah, although I have no vested interest in the insurance industry….I do have a family…..and personally I would rather have their health care company run by some evil capitalist corporate CEO….than by some politician who cant run a coffee shop without losing millions of someone else’s money. I think it's time to fire some government employees.....and Congress sounds like a good place to start……Then Again….That’s Just Me
The following is taken from a news story that was written by Paul Kane, a reporter for the Washington Post. The story was published on June 9, 2009……
--------------------------------------------------------------------
“Year after year, decade upon decade, the U.S. Senate's network of restaurants has lost staggering amounts of money -- more than $18 million since 1993, according to one report, and an estimated $2 million this year alone, according to another……
…..The financial condition of the world's most exclusive dining hall and its affiliated Capitol Hill restaurants, cafeterias and coffee shops has become so dire that, without a $250,000 subsidy from taxpayers, the Senate won't make payroll next month.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------
First let me say…..”I am SO sorry to hear that”…..Then let me offer up some facts as why this little endeavor doesn’t work very well……..
One reason could be that the average Senate food service worker makes $37,000 per year….keep in mind that’s PLUS full government employee benefits. Another reason for this fiasco was clearly pointed out in a quote by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) "financially breaking even has not been the objective of the current management due to an expectation that the restaurants will operate at a deficit annually."……So let me get this straight….They don’t expect it to even BREAK EVEN?.....Much less turn a profit?.....But at least she explained herself in the next part of that same quote…..it is simply “due to an expectation that the restaurants will operate at a deficit annually“…..Well that makes perfectly good sense doesn’t it?....If you have NO expectation of making a profit…..then you PROBABLY WONT.
That’s the problem with anything the government runs….there is no expectation for it to break even….which means that they plan on EVERYTHING losing money. Here’s another brilliant quote by Sen. Feinstein…”There are parts of government that can be run like a business and should be run like businesses."……Really?....Do you think so?....Here’s an idea…how about all of the government being run like a business?....That means that you don’t pay people for simply showing up for work, they have to actually work to keep their job….if they are not productive…they no longer have a job. How about paying people in the government a wage that is comparable to the same job in a “privately” run business? How about if you can’t at least "break even"….you get shut down…..or you figure out ways to cut costs to bring expenses back in line with the income. (That’s what American families are forced to do every day) How about raising the prices in the restaurants, and telling the Senators if they don’t like it….then they can go out to McDonalds and eat lunch? Why is it that the simple, everyday principles that apply to most families and privately held business, don’t apply to the government?
The following is from another report in the New York Post dated August 6, 2009…”The U.S. Postal Service lost $2.4 billion in the quarter that ended June 30 and forecasts a $7 billion loss for the fiscal year”….Yet another example of a government-run “business”. That’s $19,178,082.19 per day that the Post Office loses (that’s based on being open 365 days per year….which we know isn’t the case) So ask yourself this……Is there any other business in the history of the world that could lose billions of dollars year in and year out….and still be operating? This is just one more example of when the government is involved in anything….the cost of operation skyrockets due to bureaucracy, inept leadership, (dare I say the “U” word?), overspending, waste….and mostly…well…honestly…because it can…..Of course there’s also that fact that everyone expected it to lose money anyway….That way if, and when, it loses billions of dollars a year, no one is surprised and no one loses their job. Again I ask you….would that work in the REAL world? If you were put in charge of running a business and it lost money (a LOT of money) year after year…..do you think you would still get your 6 weeks of vacation and a bonus?....No…you would get fired.
Yet Congress continues to operate in a deficit year after year…..they call it deficit spending…..YOUR bank would call it an OVERDRAFT or Not Sufficient Funds on the check you wrote. Deficit spending is simply spending money that you don’t have…..That is impossible because we all know that you can’t spend money that you don’t have….Right?....Well unless you are the government….
So we have established that the government doesn’t know how to live within its means, when it comes to running any type of program……(There are PLENTY more examples….however these are just a couple of obvious ones)….To overcome any financial shortfalls that they might have, the government has a couple of methods that they usually resort to….First, raise taxes. It’s especially popular to raise taxes on people who have been successful in business…..and then of course, the business itself. Never mind that these people and these businesses were successful because they didn’t run their business the way the government runs theirs…..Some of those successful people sacrificed and did without everything they “just had to have” for a long time before they finally “made it”. But not the government…..Rather than reeling in spending and waste….they would rather take it from those who have succeeded doing things the right way.
So that brings us to Health Care……If they cant run a restaurant and the Post Office…..do you REALLY think that all of those estimates, for how much this little baby is going to cost, are anywhere close to being accurate? Of course not…How about this….You prove to me that you can do something right…before I give you something as important as health care to run.
Another fallacy……well actually not a fallacy…..just an out and out lie….is that having a government option will provide competition and will in turn, bring prices down….Really?...We have seen that anything that the government touches has far more expense associated with it that ANY privately run company. (see the above examples) If the government runs health care like they run everything else….the end result will be that they have to charge MORE than the privately run companies not LESS. It is also a lie that it will bring about competition…..It can’t…What it WILL do is put those privately run companies out of business…..Why you ask?....Because in order for them to stay in business, they have to take in more money than they spend…..plain and simple business. On the other hand the government DOESN’T have to do that….they can lose billions and billions of dollars….year after year…and keep right on going. Everybody gets to keep their job and they just raise taxes or print more money to make up the “deficit”. Of course you understand that when all of the privately run health insurance companies are gone….forced out of business…..the government will raise the prices of your insurance….Why?.....Because NOW there is NO competition.
I am not in the insurance business nor do I have any vested interest in the insurance business (or as Michael Vick would say…”I don’t have a dog in this here fight”)….But I think that before we run off willy-nilly (don’t you just love that term?....I can’t say that I have actually ever used it before….so I hope I spelled it correctly, so as not to offend you regular users of the term “willy-nilly”)…Anyway….where was I?......Oh yeah, although I have no vested interest in the insurance industry….I do have a family…..and personally I would rather have their health care company run by some evil capitalist corporate CEO….than by some politician who cant run a coffee shop without losing millions of someone else’s money. I think it's time to fire some government employees.....and Congress sounds like a good place to start……Then Again….That’s Just Me
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
I Am Now Supporting The Public Option…..
Yes…it’s true. After listening carefully to the latest events in Washington….I have decided to support the “Public Option”. I believe it’s time that all of us bind together in support of this idea. If you’re not a proponent of this “Public Option”…hopefully by the time you finish reading this, you too will agree that it is time for CHANGE....and the "Public Option" is the ONLY way to go. Please try to keep an open mind as you read…….
Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. This is the committee that is charged with writing tax legislation and bills affecting Social Security, Medicare, and other entitlement programs. (pay particular attention to the “tax legislation” part…since as it would appear by the title…they write the laws regarding taxes) Recently Chuck had to file an amended financial disclosure report….showing a net worth of almost double what he had previously filed. Seriously?....I don’t know about you but I think I can guess my net worth…off of the top of my head…a little closer than half of what it actually is…..much less if I were having to fill out a required “disclosure report”, and had the time to do a little research. (Especially knowing that I was the Chairman of the committee put in place to write laws that pertained to those types of disclosures)…..But in Chuckle’s defense I will offer a reasonable explanation….it seems that he simply forgot to list a couple of bank accounts….One was a checking account with over $250,000 in it. (Actually that is SO easy to do…I myself have done it many times, and if you’re honest you have too….)….The other was a mutual fund worth somewhere in that $250,000 range as well. That didn’t include another bank account and other mutual funds…..and other assets such as stock holdings and land that totaled somewhere in the neighborhood of another $300,000….(that’s not the neighborhood I live in)…..So the overview is this….He said he was worth somewhere around $1,000,000….when actually it was closer to twice that….If that was all there was, I would be…..well….nope…I still wouldn’t be ok with it….but happily, that’s not all that Chuckbert did……He also “forgot” to report more than $75,000 worth of rental income from a villa that he owns in the Dominican Republic….(again those kinds of things are SOOOO easy to forget)…In 2008, it was found out that Chucky was renting 4 “rent-stabilized” apartments in Upper Manhattan…..Now the fact that these places were “rent-stabilized”….and that meant that he was paying probably HALF of the fair market value....seems fair….right? I mean after all, why shouldn’t he get a little help since he’s only worth $2,000,000?
If the Chuckster were the only person in Washington that was pulling these types of shenanigans, antics, capers, dirty tricks, funny business, hanky-panky, high jinks, horseplay, mischievousness and last, but certainly not least monkey business……then I STILL wouldn’t be ok with it. And the truth is….he’s not. Washington is full of corruption……(yes Virginia….there are corrupt Republicans as well) and it’s time to vote them out of office. It’s time for term limits. It’s time that this bunch of losers, liars and tax cheats were forced to go out and get REAL jobs. There’s the clincher….if they were forced to get “real jobs” many of them would probably end up back on the government payroll…(only this time on unemployment)….since far too many of them have NEVER held a “real job”. By the way….I personally don’t count “community organizing” a real job, but that's another whole topic to be discussed at another time……It’s bad enough that you have someone who can’t keep up with their own personal finances…while serving as the CHAIRMAN of a committee that writes laws regarding taxes……..but then when it is proven that he broke those very laws….nothing is done?.....that is NOT acceptable….that means that it a really good chance that the Chuckmeister’s buddies in Washington are just as corrupt as he is. Maybe they don’t want anyone looking too closely at those types of things either…..possibly out of fear of what they might be hiding as well...(Enter Sen. Maxine Waters (D-CA)who said this in defense of who....by this statement...would seem to be her fellow tax cheat..."I want to tell you, there are many members who, if you go back over all of their records, over all of the years, you're going to find that there were disclosures that were not made")...Let me see if I understand what she is saying....You can't pick on him, because the rest of us do the same thing....hmmm,did I get that right?....Try that defense the next time you happen to be in court
Ok…..right about now you are probably saying to yourself….”hmmm…as interesting and informative as this has been….and although it could possible be one of the most intriguing and revealing articles that I have EVER read regarding the corruption that takes place in Washington D.C…….and although I agree with every word of it…..what does this have to do with the public option?” (tell the truth…..that IS what you were saying, isn’t it?....come on…..admit it, you were saying those exact words…)
Well since you asked…..and since I brought it up….I will answer your inquiry…..The “Public Option” that I am in favor of is just a little, tiny bit different than the one that is being swatted around Washington right now…..Here’s my idea…when someone like The Lone Rangel is found to be breaking the law….he should be punished. If it is found to be a law that he helped to “craft”, then his punishment should be twice the regular punishment. Anyone who is found to have known about the guilty party’s indiscretion and still did nothing…or stood in the way of said person’s punishment….would receive the same punishment as the original guilty party. Here’s the simple version…..Everyone knows that Chuck the Magic Dragon is guilty…..obviously there are many more who have know for some time….and still did nothing….those that only recently found out about his crimes and STILL stood up for him should be found as guilty as him and receive the same punishment.
Right about now there are literally millions of people screaming (ok that number is a little off)…..actually there are 3 people asking quietly….”but what about the public option?”
Here it is…..Chuckorama and all of those who have covered up for him and made excuses for his behavior……should be stripped of their places on committees (especially chairmanships)….their seats in Congress….and then they should ALL be led out in front of the Capitol and be publicly punished. In all fairness…..I feel that they should be “placed in stocks”…so the American people can stop by and finally get a meeting with them….or do lunch…(without them hiding behind their aides)…in order to be able to tell them in person, how they feel about the job that they and the rest of our “elected officials” are doing in Washington…..I personally think that Mr. Rangel’s (didn’t see that one coming….did you?) punishment should be MUCH more severe…since he has probably helped to write laws that have, more than likely, sent some of the “little people” to prison for doing things nowhere nearly as reprehensible as his actions. I’m not sure exactly what that additional punishment should be…(I’m open to suggestions…).….but regardless what it is…..it should be the people’s OPTION for these elected criminals to be punished in PUBLIC......Yup….I’m all for that there PUBLIC OPTION……..Then Again……That’s Just Me.
Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. This is the committee that is charged with writing tax legislation and bills affecting Social Security, Medicare, and other entitlement programs. (pay particular attention to the “tax legislation” part…since as it would appear by the title…they write the laws regarding taxes) Recently Chuck had to file an amended financial disclosure report….showing a net worth of almost double what he had previously filed. Seriously?....I don’t know about you but I think I can guess my net worth…off of the top of my head…a little closer than half of what it actually is…..much less if I were having to fill out a required “disclosure report”, and had the time to do a little research. (Especially knowing that I was the Chairman of the committee put in place to write laws that pertained to those types of disclosures)…..But in Chuckle’s defense I will offer a reasonable explanation….it seems that he simply forgot to list a couple of bank accounts….One was a checking account with over $250,000 in it. (Actually that is SO easy to do…I myself have done it many times, and if you’re honest you have too….)….The other was a mutual fund worth somewhere in that $250,000 range as well. That didn’t include another bank account and other mutual funds…..and other assets such as stock holdings and land that totaled somewhere in the neighborhood of another $300,000….(that’s not the neighborhood I live in)…..So the overview is this….He said he was worth somewhere around $1,000,000….when actually it was closer to twice that….If that was all there was, I would be…..well….nope…I still wouldn’t be ok with it….but happily, that’s not all that Chuckbert did……He also “forgot” to report more than $75,000 worth of rental income from a villa that he owns in the Dominican Republic….(again those kinds of things are SOOOO easy to forget)…In 2008, it was found out that Chucky was renting 4 “rent-stabilized” apartments in Upper Manhattan…..Now the fact that these places were “rent-stabilized”….and that meant that he was paying probably HALF of the fair market value....seems fair….right? I mean after all, why shouldn’t he get a little help since he’s only worth $2,000,000?
If the Chuckster were the only person in Washington that was pulling these types of shenanigans, antics, capers, dirty tricks, funny business, hanky-panky, high jinks, horseplay, mischievousness and last, but certainly not least monkey business……then I STILL wouldn’t be ok with it. And the truth is….he’s not. Washington is full of corruption……(yes Virginia….there are corrupt Republicans as well) and it’s time to vote them out of office. It’s time for term limits. It’s time that this bunch of losers, liars and tax cheats were forced to go out and get REAL jobs. There’s the clincher….if they were forced to get “real jobs” many of them would probably end up back on the government payroll…(only this time on unemployment)….since far too many of them have NEVER held a “real job”. By the way….I personally don’t count “community organizing” a real job, but that's another whole topic to be discussed at another time……It’s bad enough that you have someone who can’t keep up with their own personal finances…while serving as the CHAIRMAN of a committee that writes laws regarding taxes……..but then when it is proven that he broke those very laws….nothing is done?.....that is NOT acceptable….that means that it a really good chance that the Chuckmeister’s buddies in Washington are just as corrupt as he is. Maybe they don’t want anyone looking too closely at those types of things either…..possibly out of fear of what they might be hiding as well...(Enter Sen. Maxine Waters (D-CA)who said this in defense of who....by this statement...would seem to be her fellow tax cheat..."I want to tell you, there are many members who, if you go back over all of their records, over all of the years, you're going to find that there were disclosures that were not made")...Let me see if I understand what she is saying....You can't pick on him, because the rest of us do the same thing....hmmm,did I get that right?....Try that defense the next time you happen to be in court
Ok…..right about now you are probably saying to yourself….”hmmm…as interesting and informative as this has been….and although it could possible be one of the most intriguing and revealing articles that I have EVER read regarding the corruption that takes place in Washington D.C…….and although I agree with every word of it…..what does this have to do with the public option?” (tell the truth…..that IS what you were saying, isn’t it?....come on…..admit it, you were saying those exact words…)
Well since you asked…..and since I brought it up….I will answer your inquiry…..The “Public Option” that I am in favor of is just a little, tiny bit different than the one that is being swatted around Washington right now…..Here’s my idea…when someone like The Lone Rangel is found to be breaking the law….he should be punished. If it is found to be a law that he helped to “craft”, then his punishment should be twice the regular punishment. Anyone who is found to have known about the guilty party’s indiscretion and still did nothing…or stood in the way of said person’s punishment….would receive the same punishment as the original guilty party. Here’s the simple version…..Everyone knows that Chuck the Magic Dragon is guilty…..obviously there are many more who have know for some time….and still did nothing….those that only recently found out about his crimes and STILL stood up for him should be found as guilty as him and receive the same punishment.
Right about now there are literally millions of people screaming (ok that number is a little off)…..actually there are 3 people asking quietly….”but what about the public option?”
Here it is…..Chuckorama and all of those who have covered up for him and made excuses for his behavior……should be stripped of their places on committees (especially chairmanships)….their seats in Congress….and then they should ALL be led out in front of the Capitol and be publicly punished. In all fairness…..I feel that they should be “placed in stocks”…so the American people can stop by and finally get a meeting with them….or do lunch…(without them hiding behind their aides)…in order to be able to tell them in person, how they feel about the job that they and the rest of our “elected officials” are doing in Washington…..I personally think that Mr. Rangel’s (didn’t see that one coming….did you?) punishment should be MUCH more severe…since he has probably helped to write laws that have, more than likely, sent some of the “little people” to prison for doing things nowhere nearly as reprehensible as his actions. I’m not sure exactly what that additional punishment should be…(I’m open to suggestions…).….but regardless what it is…..it should be the people’s OPTION for these elected criminals to be punished in PUBLIC......Yup….I’m all for that there PUBLIC OPTION……..Then Again……That’s Just Me.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Is Personal Responsibility A Thing Of The Past?
Here are a couple of definitions that I felt obliged to offer as part of this thought for today. While some people will be terribly offended…others could possibly find these words interesting or possibly even intriguing….Let me offer a disclaimer at this point that these words are rarely used in today’s society…and it seems that the reason is mainly due to the fact that they seem to have come from a lost language in our distant past. Since so many people are not familiar with these words, I wanted to make a case for bringing them back for use in our modern, everyday vocabulary. If by a rare chance you are already familiar with these words, please do not be offended at this little exercise.
PERSONAL: (pur-suh-nl) Of, pertaining to, or coming as from a particular person…Intended for use by one person: i.e. a personal car
RESPONSIBILITY: (re-spän-sə-bi-lə-tē) A particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible…Moral, legal, or mental accountability
While these definitions are shown separately….after doing a great deal of research, I have discovered that it is in fact, acceptable in the English language, to use these words together…. (take a moment and breathe deeply….yes it’s true) While many people believe that the use of these two words together was outlawed on Jan 21, 2009…(take a moment….wait for it…wait for it…Ohhhh…ok)that is simply not true. For those who are not familiar with these words when used in tandem, I am going to do something so that you will recognize them in the future. When put together, they look something like this:
Personal Responsibility
Yup….while the rumors of its death have been greatly exaggerated….personal responsibility is still alive and well among some in the United States. It spite of that, many people in our day have decided to turn the running of their lives over to the government. It seems that many people think they “deserve” for the government to take care of them….mostly because they misquote or misinterpret the portion of the Declaration of Independence that says….“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. "
First of all….it says that “We hold these truths to be self-evident”…in other words these things should be obvious or self-explanatory….Then it goes on to say that all men are “created equal”…. (Ok, here’s where I probably get in a LOT of trouble)….Yes we are all “created equal”…(let me say it again, just in case you missed it the first time) We are all “created equal”…With that being said….that doesn’t mean that in the course of their lives, that there won’t be some who will attain higher goals or obtain more wealth than others. It is NOT the government’s role to keep us all “equal” by taking away from those who have worked hard and sacrificed…and giving it to those who have not worked hard and sacrificed. That is not what the founding fathers were saying.
Then there are those in our society who also say (in an especially whiney, annoying voice)…“But it does guarantee me happiness, look…it’s right there in writing”
Listen closely…lean in toward your monitor….THAT’S NOT WHAT IT SAYS !!!!!
The Declaration of Independence does not guarantee anyone happiness. That is NOT what it says….it guarantees us the PURSUIT of happiness. That means that you have to get up off of your butt and go after it. (yet another definition…PURSUIT: (per-soot) an effort to secure or attain…)
Why is it that there are so many people in this great country of ours, who have come from a difficult childhood, or even a background of poverty…yet in spite of that…they went to school…studied hard…sacrificed and applied themselves…and in the end, they end up being very successful? Luck?....No, it’s called hard work and sacrifice. Of course that’s not a popular thing today. It’s much easier to stand in line in Detroit for free “Obama money” than to get up off of your butt and go to work. I would guess that there probably weren’t a lot of successful people standing in that line…and do you know why?......BECAUSE THEY WERE AT WORK. I am so sick of people having the attitude that the government “owes” them something. The only thing that the government owes you is the pursuit of that happiness…but it requires that you make the effort to achieve that happiness for yourself.
I realize that there are some people who truly need government assistance from time to time….but not from generation to generation. I personally believe that before we hand out that assistance we need to ask a couple questions…..
1) In this country we have public schools that you can attend for free (up to a certain age, there is even mandatory attendance)…..So Question # 1 is this….”Did you graduate from High School” …..if the answer is no….then…sorry, you didn’t pursue happiness with enough vigor….so it sucks to be you….and you get NO money
2) Question # 2….”Would you please step into that bathroom there and pee in this little cup?”….if the answer is no…or if the drug test comes back positive for an illegal substance…..then again….it sucks to be you….and you get NO money
3) Question # 3….”Are you willing to take a job if it were offered to you, even if it’s not a job being the CEO of a multi-national corporation?”……and again….if the answer if no…then one more time….it sucks to be you and you get NO money.
4) Question # 4…..”Did you have 14 children before you reached the age of 26?”…..this time if the answer is yes….then again for the last time….it sucks to be you and you get NO money
Harsh?.....I don’t think so….I think it is fair…Where is the incentive for someone to go to school…stay away from drugs….work hard at a less than ideal job…and to not start having sex at the age of 13….if you get rewarded for DOING those things? How do you think the majority of the people at the “Obama money” party in Detroit would answer these 4 questions?
It all comes back to personal responsibility…..taking responsibility for our successes…..taking responsibility for our “screw ups”….and working hard even when the money is not all that great. Too many in our society have become exactly what this current administration wants….slaves to the government….if we become a people that looks for the government to provide everything for us….we are in fact slaves to that government….because if we have not taken responsibility for our own lives….we have no where else to turn but to the government. It’s time to stand up and be responsible. It’s time to go out and achieve everything that we can achieve….and its time to take responsibility for who and where we are. I believe that it is only when we take personal responsibility for who we are...and where we are...in our lives…that we will be able to change the direction in which we are headed………..But Then Again….That’s Just Me.
PERSONAL: (pur-suh-nl) Of, pertaining to, or coming as from a particular person…Intended for use by one person: i.e. a personal car
RESPONSIBILITY: (re-spän-sə-bi-lə-tē) A particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible…Moral, legal, or mental accountability
While these definitions are shown separately….after doing a great deal of research, I have discovered that it is in fact, acceptable in the English language, to use these words together…. (take a moment and breathe deeply….yes it’s true) While many people believe that the use of these two words together was outlawed on Jan 21, 2009…(take a moment….wait for it…wait for it…Ohhhh…ok)that is simply not true. For those who are not familiar with these words when used in tandem, I am going to do something so that you will recognize them in the future. When put together, they look something like this:
Personal Responsibility
Yup….while the rumors of its death have been greatly exaggerated….personal responsibility is still alive and well among some in the United States. It spite of that, many people in our day have decided to turn the running of their lives over to the government. It seems that many people think they “deserve” for the government to take care of them….mostly because they misquote or misinterpret the portion of the Declaration of Independence that says….“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. "
First of all….it says that “We hold these truths to be self-evident”…in other words these things should be obvious or self-explanatory….Then it goes on to say that all men are “created equal”…. (Ok, here’s where I probably get in a LOT of trouble)….Yes we are all “created equal”…(let me say it again, just in case you missed it the first time) We are all “created equal”…With that being said….that doesn’t mean that in the course of their lives, that there won’t be some who will attain higher goals or obtain more wealth than others. It is NOT the government’s role to keep us all “equal” by taking away from those who have worked hard and sacrificed…and giving it to those who have not worked hard and sacrificed. That is not what the founding fathers were saying.
Then there are those in our society who also say (in an especially whiney, annoying voice)…“But it does guarantee me happiness, look…it’s right there in writing”
Listen closely…lean in toward your monitor….THAT’S NOT WHAT IT SAYS !!!!!
The Declaration of Independence does not guarantee anyone happiness. That is NOT what it says….it guarantees us the PURSUIT of happiness. That means that you have to get up off of your butt and go after it. (yet another definition…PURSUIT: (per-soot) an effort to secure or attain…)
Why is it that there are so many people in this great country of ours, who have come from a difficult childhood, or even a background of poverty…yet in spite of that…they went to school…studied hard…sacrificed and applied themselves…and in the end, they end up being very successful? Luck?....No, it’s called hard work and sacrifice. Of course that’s not a popular thing today. It’s much easier to stand in line in Detroit for free “Obama money” than to get up off of your butt and go to work. I would guess that there probably weren’t a lot of successful people standing in that line…and do you know why?......BECAUSE THEY WERE AT WORK. I am so sick of people having the attitude that the government “owes” them something. The only thing that the government owes you is the pursuit of that happiness…but it requires that you make the effort to achieve that happiness for yourself.
I realize that there are some people who truly need government assistance from time to time….but not from generation to generation. I personally believe that before we hand out that assistance we need to ask a couple questions…..
1) In this country we have public schools that you can attend for free (up to a certain age, there is even mandatory attendance)…..So Question # 1 is this….”Did you graduate from High School” …..if the answer is no….then…sorry, you didn’t pursue happiness with enough vigor….so it sucks to be you….and you get NO money
2) Question # 2….”Would you please step into that bathroom there and pee in this little cup?”….if the answer is no…or if the drug test comes back positive for an illegal substance…..then again….it sucks to be you….and you get NO money
3) Question # 3….”Are you willing to take a job if it were offered to you, even if it’s not a job being the CEO of a multi-national corporation?”……and again….if the answer if no…then one more time….it sucks to be you and you get NO money.
4) Question # 4…..”Did you have 14 children before you reached the age of 26?”…..this time if the answer is yes….then again for the last time….it sucks to be you and you get NO money
Harsh?.....I don’t think so….I think it is fair…Where is the incentive for someone to go to school…stay away from drugs….work hard at a less than ideal job…and to not start having sex at the age of 13….if you get rewarded for DOING those things? How do you think the majority of the people at the “Obama money” party in Detroit would answer these 4 questions?
It all comes back to personal responsibility…..taking responsibility for our successes…..taking responsibility for our “screw ups”….and working hard even when the money is not all that great. Too many in our society have become exactly what this current administration wants….slaves to the government….if we become a people that looks for the government to provide everything for us….we are in fact slaves to that government….because if we have not taken responsibility for our own lives….we have no where else to turn but to the government. It’s time to stand up and be responsible. It’s time to go out and achieve everything that we can achieve….and its time to take responsibility for who and where we are. I believe that it is only when we take personal responsibility for who we are...and where we are...in our lives…that we will be able to change the direction in which we are headed………..But Then Again….That’s Just Me.
Monday, October 12, 2009
So...What You're Saying Is That There IS Such Thing As A Free Lunch?
Recently in Detroit, thousands of people lined up to get "free money".....Reporter Ken Rogulski, with WJR News interviewed some of those in line. The following is a transcript of two of those interviews......
Number 1
ROGULSKI: Why are you here?
WOMAN #1: To get some money.
ROGULSKI: What kind of money?
WOMAN #1: Obama money.
ROGULSKI: Where's it coming from?
WOMAN #1: Obama
ROGULSKI: And where did Obama get it?
WOMAN #1: I don't know, his stash. I don't know. (laughter) I don't know
where he got it from, but he givin' it to us, to help us.
WOMAN #2: And we love him.
WOMAN #1: We love him. That's why we voted for him!
WOMEN: (chanting) Obama! Obama! Obama! (laughing)
Number 2
ROGULSKI: Did you get an application to fill out yet?
WOMAN #3: I sure did. And I filled it out, and I am waiting to see what the
results are going to be.
ROGULSKI: Will you know today how much money you're getting?
WOMAN #3: No, I won't, but I'm waiting for a phone call.
ROGULSKI: Where's the money coming from?
WOMAN #3: I believe it's coming from the City of Detroit or the state.
ROGULSKI: Where did they get it from?
WOMAN #3: Some funds that was forgiven (sic) by Obama.
ROGULSKI: And where did Obama get the funds?
WOMAN#3: Obama getting the funds from... Ummm, I have no idea, to tell you
the truth. He's the president.
ROGULSKI: In downtown Detroit, Ken Rogulski, WJR News
After hearing that, I immediately went to the emergency room where they fitted me with one of those big cushy neck braces. I needed it for two reasons.....
First....as I was listening, my bottom jaw fell open so far, that I could not close it. The brace is helping to slowly return it to it's normal closed position (the fact that "closed" is the normal position is highly debated among family and friends).....but anyway....
Secondly.....I had to get the big cushy neck brace because as I was listening, I was shaking my head so violently that I think I pulled a muscle in my neck....(Thankfully we can go to the emergency room for free now....we can...right?)
Now that I am recovering, I wanted to share a couple thoughts on this.....
Question..."why are you here?".....Answer..."to get some money".......that in itself shows that far too many people have never studied civics in school. (do they still teach civics in school?) Anyone who knows anything about government would know that you cant just line up and get "Obama money". By her own admission, she didn't know where it came from, because when asked....she said "I don't know"...(you're probably saying right about now..."this guy should be a detective")....Of course she doesn't know....what's more, she doesn't care because it's "free". But then she redeems herself by saying where she truly thinks it came from..."his stash". Those who have truly studied American history in depth, know that every President since Benjamin Franklin has had a secret "stash" of discretionary money to hand out as he feels. Once I realized that this lady was a true student of American history, I had a whole new respect for her. The next couple of comments did concern me though......"we love him" and "that's why we voted for him".....The main reason that I was concerned with the whole "we love him" statement is that if that statement is true.....the Beatles were a bunch of big-fat-liars......because they were VERY clear in their circa 1964 hit that "money can't buy me love".....and here we have this obviously intelligent woman saying something much to the contrary.....all I can say is that somebody has some "'splainin' to do"......My next concern was the statement of "that's why we voted for him".....I find that very offensive, because anyone that knows anything.... knows that he was elected solely on his past record of accomplishments. To assert that people voted for him ONLY because they thought they would receive money....is well....offensive at best. All a person has to do is look at years of "community organizing", his voting record while in the Illinois State Congress and then again his voting record in the U.S. Senate.....THAT is why he was elected....his vast experience and accomplishments. To assert anything else.....much less that he would stoop to "buying votes"....is just irresponsible.
The second lady was obviously much better educated than the first.....that's a given. After all, when asked where the money came from....she said "the City of Detroit".....and we all know how financially stable the City of Detroit is..... however she backed down from that statement by saying "or the state"....now that's just silly. Then she was asked "where did they get it from"....and she redeemed herself by answering "some funds that was forgiven (sic) by Obama".....There you go....from Obama....she obviously knows about the secret "stash" that all Presidents have.....and then the nasty reporter pushes her to see where Obama got the money....Knowing that he obviously didn't know about the "stash".....she tries to change the direction of the conversation by saying "Ummmm, I have no idea, to tell you the truth. He's the President"......well played Woman #3.....well played.....So take that Ken Rogulski...(if that is your real name).
Wow......so...how do you follow that?......those interviews are as hard to follow as something that is very difficult to follow......but I will try. Seriously "free money"....has anyone in that line ever heard of paying taxes?......or have they always been on the receiving end? The government does not have a revenue source other than taxes (well...and those "fees" as well....but those are NOT taxes). If we don't wake up and start teaching personal responsibility, we are going to wake up one day and the majority will be on the government dole....and a very small number of "select few rich people" will be paying taxes to support them....and after a short while of that...those with money will leave the country because they can't take it anymore. Look at other countries that have become a "nanny state", that is exactly what has happened. A system like that rewards laziness....discourages people from succeeding....and punishes (through ridiculously high taxes) those who do. I was always taught that "there is no free lunch".....I am beginning to question that wisdom.....I am also looking forward to meeting Santa Claus this Christmas Eve....(oops...I meant Winter Festival Where We Do Not Celebrate, Nor Acknowledge The Birth Or Existence Of Anything Or Anyone Associated With Any Religion....or in it's short form.......... WFWWDNCNATBOEOAOAAWAR)..............Then Again....That's Just Me
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