The Obama vision: "If you want to rule a people with no accountability, you offer the people a bribe ("free" medical care), then subvert their rights while they are waiting for the bribe."
Subverting the Bill of Rights, Amendment 2
Eric Holder, Obama's US Attorney General, has been lying and obfuscating to the US Congress about "Fast & Furious" Mexican gunwalking. Because Holder is obviously covering-up, Congress is close to issuing Holder and indictment for contempt of Congress.
During the Obama Administration, Fast & Furious became the front for government corruption of gun laws, by ordering delivery of firearms into criminal hands through regular retailers, even when the sale was denied by the National Instant Check System.
The Administration's apparent intent was to frame law-abiding gun owners as the source of the illegal arms traffic. With those trumped up false charges, Obama could clamp down on legal gun ownership.
Pretending citizen ownership of firearms was the source of Mexican firearms, Obama already made a step in this direction. The border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California must report the sale of more than one semi-automatic rifle in any 5 day period -- even though the sale passes the National Instant Check. (Washington Post drinks koolaid.) Forced reporting only for the sake of forced reporting invades the personal right to privacy.
Subverting the Bill of Rights, Amendment 1
Obama and his radical feminist enforcers have deigned the Roman Catholic Church will be compelled to provide abortion coverage in health insurance policies. This, despite the long standing policy in the Church against abortion. Under Obama, the Roman Church is to be compelled to act against their religion and their conscience.
What happened to the separation of church and state? The US Constitution forbids government from ever making rules on religion.
Does Obama think he is above the law?
Well, yes, he does.
The Obama insisted we had to have government controlled health care, or else. No sooner was the law signed than the Administration began to grant waivers exempting certain parties from compliance. The "Affordable Health Care act does not have any waiver provisions. Obama just made them up as a lollipop for his supporters.
Granting some people exemption from an odious law is clear favoritism. This also violates the Constitutional requirement of equal protection under the law. Under equal protection, no person may be disqualified protection of the substance of the law If some are exempt, all are exempt.
ObamaCare is bad law.
~~~~~~~~
The dirty little secret is Barrack Obama is worse president than Richard Nixon. The Left and the Party controlled Press just refuse to face the facts.
~~~~~~~~
If Niemoller were alive today, he might write,
First, they came for the Catholics and I did not speak out because I was not Catholic.
Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Who's next?
 | -- either as free people or as slaves. Unchecked, ever-expanding government power -- destroys lives. Government panacea is a defective idea. | Email our servants: President Representative Senator |
Showing posts with label corruption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corruption. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Perils of big government corruption
Tell me again how the financial meltdown was all Bush's fault.... There are so many Democrats in it.
We all know about how Barney Frank used his Congressional influence to squelch the Bush administration's attempts to investigate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
More Democratic roaches are scurrying out of the dirty money pile.
According to CNNMoney reports that as William Dudley helped orchestrate the Wall Street bailouts, he owned more than $100,000 stock in AIG and General Electric, two firms that received most government assistance. Despite the apparent conflict of interest, Dudley is presently president of the New York Federal Reserve. The Democrats know how to reward their own -- when they violate public trust.
According to the Washington Post, Dudley also worked for Jon Corzine (D) (the still un-indicted CEO of MF Global, in the disappearance of $1.2 billion of customer funds), while he and Corzine were at Goldman, Sachs & Company.
Also according to the Post article, Dudley contributed to several “Democratic” candidates, “including the presidential campaigns of Al Gore, John Edwards and John Kerry, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (while Corzine was DSCC Chairman), and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT).”
We all know about how Barney Frank used his Congressional influence to squelch the Bush administration's attempts to investigate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
More Democratic roaches are scurrying out of the dirty money pile.According to CNNMoney reports that as William Dudley helped orchestrate the Wall Street bailouts, he owned more than $100,000 stock in AIG and General Electric, two firms that received most government assistance. Despite the apparent conflict of interest, Dudley is presently president of the New York Federal Reserve. The Democrats know how to reward their own -- when they violate public trust.
According to the Washington Post, Dudley also worked for Jon Corzine (D) (the still un-indicted CEO of MF Global, in the disappearance of $1.2 billion of customer funds), while he and Corzine were at Goldman, Sachs & Company.
Also according to the Post article, Dudley contributed to several “Democratic” candidates, “including the presidential campaigns of Al Gore, John Edwards and John Kerry, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (while Corzine was DSCC Chairman), and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT).”
Monday, January 30, 2012
Obamunism report
Obamanoids decry "trickle down" and supply side economics. They claim government control of the fruits of labor will be more fair and just. Reward for hard work can be stolen from those who dare to work hard and given to those who vote "correctly."
"Tax the Rich" is the war cry. If a taxpayer exceeds one million dollars in income in a year, they ought to be taxed for 30% of it, they say. Obama himself falls short of this rate. Obama has grossed just short of $2 million per year for the last three years. Last year, Obama's taxable income was around $1.75 million per year: He paid tax of $453,770. Obama's pay for being president is $400,000 per year.
If you make big money in America, you ought to be be in the government.
"Tax the Rich" is the war cry. If a taxpayer exceeds one million dollars in income in a year, they ought to be taxed for 30% of it, they say. Obama himself falls short of this rate. Obama has grossed just short of $2 million per year for the last three years. Last year, Obama's taxable income was around $1.75 million per year: He paid tax of $453,770. Obama's pay for being president is $400,000 per year.
If you make big money in America, you ought to be be in the government.
Bullying/Racists
Obama's followers are playing in the toilet again. The dirtiest form of politics is acceptable, only if you side with them.
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer finger-wagged at Obama, telling him to learn about Arizona's border problem. Obama was not interested in border security, so the finger wagging ensued. Apparently women, even governors, are not allowed to do that in Obama's America.
Obama's pets in the press are insisting the incident is racist. MSNBC carried Al Sharpton whimpering (in essence) no one should disagree with Obama because Obama is black/Democrat/authoritarian. Sirius XM radio host Joe Madison said essentially the same thing.
Oh barf. Obama was confronting the governor -- the event was mutual. The clear meaning of the "racist" charge is the Democrazies can't take the heat. By being overly protective, the Democrats show themselves as the true racists.
Sources
Mediaite
Yo (Moonbat perspective)
American Thinker perspective.
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer finger-wagged at Obama, telling him to learn about Arizona's border problem. Obama was not interested in border security, so the finger wagging ensued. Apparently women, even governors, are not allowed to do that in Obama's America.Obama's pets in the press are insisting the incident is racist. MSNBC carried Al Sharpton whimpering (in essence) no one should disagree with Obama because Obama is black/Democrat/authoritarian. Sirius XM radio host Joe Madison said essentially the same thing.
Oh barf. Obama was confronting the governor -- the event was mutual. The clear meaning of the "racist" charge is the Democrazies can't take the heat. By being overly protective, the Democrats show themselves as the true racists.
Sources
Mediaite
Yo (Moonbat perspective)
American Thinker perspective.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Remember "Occupy?"
Remember the self-absorbed "Occupy" movement? The parent organization, AdBusters, is calling for a redux this Spring in Chicago.
The Occupy movement will always remind me of that Occupy woman the television interviewer asked, "Why are you here?" He already had her full attention for several seconds at that point -- an eternity in television.
Her answer was "What?" and a blank stare.
Anyway, here is the email....
Do you suppose they have an inflated sense of ego?
Mmm... 50,000. Talk about a target rich environment.
"Guided by the Constitution" my eyeball. Criminal conduct is always unlawful.
They're apparently trying to get a number of their enthusiasts to stupidly offer their bodies so the Chicago hierarchy can go martial law. That will be just the stimulus Obama wants to justify himself to take (more of the) law into his own hands.
Gandhian ferocity? Gandhi was not an unreasoning criminal.
If you should see a copy of Adbusters, soil it. And call Nicole... repeatedly. Its an 800 number -- it only costs them. Lets see if they can take a jamming.
The Occupy movement will always remind me of that Occupy woman the television interviewer asked, "Why are you here?" He already had her full attention for several seconds at that point -- an eternity in television.
Her answer was "What?" and a blank stare.
Anyway, here is the email....
ADBUSTERS TACTICAL BRIEFING #25
Hey you redeemers, rebels and radicals out there,
Hey you redeemers, rebels and radicals out there,
Do you suppose they have an inflated sense of ego?
Against the backdrop of a global uprising that is simmering in dozens of countries and thousands of cities and towns, the G8 and NATO will hold a rare simultaneous summit in Chicago this May. The world’s military and political elites, heads of state, 7,500 officials from 80 nations, and more than 2,500 journalists will be there.
And so will we.
On May 1, 50,000 people from all over the world will flock to Chicago, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and #OCCUPYCHICAGO for a month. With a bit of luck, we’ll pull off the biggest multinational occupation of a summit meeting the world has ever seen.
And so will we.
On May 1, 50,000 people from all over the world will flock to Chicago, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and #OCCUPYCHICAGO for a month. With a bit of luck, we’ll pull off the biggest multinational occupation of a summit meeting the world has ever seen.
Mmm... 50,000. Talk about a target rich environment.
And this time around we’re not going to put up with the kind of police repression that happened during the Democratic National Convention protests in Chicago, 1968 … (1968? How old are these guys?.) nor will we abide by any phony restrictions the City of Chicago may want to impose on our first amendment rights. We’ll go there with our heads held high and assemble for a month-long people’s summit … we’ll march and chant and sing and shout and exercise our right to tell our elected representatives what we want … the constitution will be our guide.
And when the G8 and NATO meet behind closed doors on May 19, we’ll be ready with our demands: a Robin Hood Tax … a ban on high frequency ‘flash’ trading … a binding climate change accord … a three strikes and you’re out law for corporate criminals … an all out initiative for a nuclear-free Middle East … whatever we decide in our general assemblies and in our global internet brainstorm – we the people will set the agenda for the next few years and demand our leaders carry it out.
And when the G8 and NATO meet behind closed doors on May 19, we’ll be ready with our demands: a Robin Hood Tax … a ban on high frequency ‘flash’ trading … a binding climate change accord … a three strikes and you’re out law for corporate criminals … an all out initiative for a nuclear-free Middle East … whatever we decide in our general assemblies and in our global internet brainstorm – we the people will set the agenda for the next few years and demand our leaders carry it out.
"Guided by the Constitution" my eyeball. Criminal conduct is always unlawful.
They're apparently trying to get a number of their enthusiasts to stupidly offer their bodies so the Chicago hierarchy can go martial law. That will be just the stimulus Obama wants to justify himself to take (more of the) law into his own hands.
And if they don’t listen … if they ignore us and put our demands on the back burner like they’ve done so many times before … then, with Gandhian ferocity, we’ll flashmob the streets, shut down stock exchanges, campuses, corporate headquarters and cities across the globe … we’ll make the price of doing business as usual too much to bear.
Gandhian ferocity? Gandhi was not an unreasoning criminal.
Jammers, pack your tents, muster up your courage and prepare for a big bang in Chicago this Spring. If we don’t stand up now and fight now for a different kind of future we may not have much of a future … so let’s live without dead time for a month in May and see what happens …
for the wild,
Culture Jammers HQ
Adbusters issue #100 is hitting doorsteps and newsstands in a couple of weeks. Go online or call Nicole at 1-800-663-1243 to make sure you don’t miss it!
for the wild,
Culture Jammers HQ
Adbusters issue #100 is hitting doorsteps and newsstands in a couple of weeks. Go online or call Nicole at 1-800-663-1243 to make sure you don’t miss it!
If you should see a copy of Adbusters, soil it. And call Nicole... repeatedly. Its an 800 number -- it only costs them. Lets see if they can take a jamming.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Dems Beef Up to "Tax the Rich"
The Democrats insist rich don't pay their fair share of taxes. Every bitter Democrat is certain of that.
So in 2011 the Obama Administration beefed up the rate of audits on the rich from 8% of returns over $1 million to 12% of returns over $1 million. Those who earned less than $200,000 faced only a 1 in 100 chance of a skin and person audit.
The IRS stated the high percentage of audits were done only to demonstrate the tax laws were applied fairly against the rich. Whew.
So now we know for sure - The IRS audited the millionaires, and made sure they paid their fair share of taxes.
Obama proved it. In 2011, the millionaires paid their fair share.
~~~~~~~~
Its a certainty the Obama Administration will play the class envy card to crank up taxes on the rich. But anybody who can accounting will know that won't be enough.
So the tax increase on the rich will have to serve as a smokescreen for the increase on taxes on everybody else. 2012 will be the year of the economy crippling tax increases if we do not find a way to stop Obama and his thugs.
So in 2011 the Obama Administration beefed up the rate of audits on the rich from 8% of returns over $1 million to 12% of returns over $1 million. Those who earned less than $200,000 faced only a 1 in 100 chance of a skin and person audit.
The IRS stated the high percentage of audits were done only to demonstrate the tax laws were applied fairly against the rich. Whew.
So now we know for sure - The IRS audited the millionaires, and made sure they paid their fair share of taxes.
Obama proved it. In 2011, the millionaires paid their fair share.
~~~~~~~~
Its a certainty the Obama Administration will play the class envy card to crank up taxes on the rich. But anybody who can accounting will know that won't be enough.
So the tax increase on the rich will have to serve as a smokescreen for the increase on taxes on everybody else. 2012 will be the year of the economy crippling tax increases if we do not find a way to stop Obama and his thugs.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Obama crimes
"We are not going to use signing statements as a way of doing and end run around Congress." - Barrack Obama, 2008
Obama says it is his "obligation to bypass Congress" to make a non-recess "recess" appointment of Richard Cordray as his financial watchdog. Obama stated the illegal appointment was happening because he (Obama) "refuse[s] to take no for an answer."
The law which created the agency requires the appointment to have Senate confirmation. Thus his appointment wasn't legal. Considering the Senate is controlled by the Democrats, Obama is apparently having a problem controlling his own party. The noise about the Republicans blocking all this is pure smokescreen.
The administration's cover story is the Cordray appointment protected consumers. Why doesn't this administration try to protect the Constitution and people of the United States?
The purpose of the Cordray appointment is to further cover up the Democratic Party's complicity in the 2007 financial meltdown, and subsequent maladministration by the current administration. The meltdown occurred because of the "Democratic" Party abuses of Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) in 2003, treating the government sponsored enterprise as a cash cow for Democrats.
When the Bush administration tried to investigate the abuses, Barney Frank (D) and the Democratic Party operatives started shouting. The Democrat raised enough ruckus, their willing accomplices in the Democratic Party controlled Press got the Bush administration to drop the inquiry.
That was a mistake. Ever since, the Democrats use the fact the Bush administration dropped the investigation to paint Bush as the subverter of the law.
Four years later we had the meltdown. Naturally, the Democrats did not care. Freddie and Fannie had served their purpose. and since the Democrats have controlled the Congress since that time, they effectively shut down all genuine investigation.
This is the exact type of action Obama claimed (lied, really) George Bush had done illegally. By his own mouth, Obama is a criminal.
~~~~~~~~
On a side point, many liberals say the Republicans were filibustering the appointment. Therefore Obama was taking a position against the Republicans. Still not so.
The Democrats controlled the Senate where the confirmation hearing would be, and they would have known the Republicans would filibuster the hearing. Putting two and two together, the Democrats were counting on the Republican filibuster so they would not have to block Obama themselves.
We'll see how this resolves. But the logical prediction is there will be scurrying in back rooms by the Left before a deal gets done to foster special corruptions for leftist bankers. Obama is clearly moving against some of his former Democrat allies.
~~~~~~~~
Many of Obama's supporters take the position that any problems which occur between now and election time are the Republicans fault. How? If Obama himself says he does not need the co-operation of Congress, every misery this government causes is entirely his doing.
News Story Sources
USA Today
Businesweek
Los Angeles Times
FOX News
Obama says it is his "obligation to bypass Congress" to make a non-recess "recess" appointment of Richard Cordray as his financial watchdog. Obama stated the illegal appointment was happening because he (Obama) "refuse[s] to take no for an answer."
The law which created the agency requires the appointment to have Senate confirmation. Thus his appointment wasn't legal. Considering the Senate is controlled by the Democrats, Obama is apparently having a problem controlling his own party. The noise about the Republicans blocking all this is pure smokescreen.
The administration's cover story is the Cordray appointment protected consumers. Why doesn't this administration try to protect the Constitution and people of the United States?
The purpose of the Cordray appointment is to further cover up the Democratic Party's complicity in the 2007 financial meltdown, and subsequent maladministration by the current administration. The meltdown occurred because of the "Democratic" Party abuses of Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) in 2003, treating the government sponsored enterprise as a cash cow for Democrats.
When the Bush administration tried to investigate the abuses, Barney Frank (D) and the Democratic Party operatives started shouting. The Democrat raised enough ruckus, their willing accomplices in the Democratic Party controlled Press got the Bush administration to drop the inquiry.
That was a mistake. Ever since, the Democrats use the fact the Bush administration dropped the investigation to paint Bush as the subverter of the law.
Four years later we had the meltdown. Naturally, the Democrats did not care. Freddie and Fannie had served their purpose. and since the Democrats have controlled the Congress since that time, they effectively shut down all genuine investigation.
This is the exact type of action Obama claimed (lied, really) George Bush had done illegally. By his own mouth, Obama is a criminal.
~~~~~~~~
On a side point, many liberals say the Republicans were filibustering the appointment. Therefore Obama was taking a position against the Republicans. Still not so.
The Democrats controlled the Senate where the confirmation hearing would be, and they would have known the Republicans would filibuster the hearing. Putting two and two together, the Democrats were counting on the Republican filibuster so they would not have to block Obama themselves.
We'll see how this resolves. But the logical prediction is there will be scurrying in back rooms by the Left before a deal gets done to foster special corruptions for leftist bankers. Obama is clearly moving against some of his former Democrat allies.
~~~~~~~~
Many of Obama's supporters take the position that any problems which occur between now and election time are the Republicans fault. How? If Obama himself says he does not need the co-operation of Congress, every misery this government causes is entirely his doing.
News Story Sources
USA Today
Businesweek
Los Angeles Times
FOX News
Monday, December 12, 2011
Citizens for Tax Justice 'Study' = Lie
Leftist Newspeak has sunk to a new low. Not happy with distortion, the Left are speaking outright lies. The subject of the lies are so dreary, most people would rather catch a nap. But I trained as an economist, which makes me immune to nap-inducing rays (however I emit nap-rays).
At hand is a "Study" from the far left Citizens for Tax Justice about what they call Corporate tax dodging. The "Study" claims 30 companies in the United States paid less than 0% tax in one year pf the last three years. The "Study" implies this happened despite each companies profitable status.
So I checked them out.
According to Citizens for Tax Justice, the worst offender is PEPCO Holdings, the Potomac Electric Power Company. CTJ claims "Pepco Holdings had the lowest effective tax rate of all the companies in the study, at negative 57.6% (effectively, a tax refund) over the three year period." There is no way to match CTJ's claim with any reliable source.
PEPCO's published earnings report, as required by the US Government's Securities and Exchange Commission, states PEPCO paid:
$90 million in federal taxes in 2008,
$104 million in 2009,
$11 million in 201.
No time in the last three years has PEPCO experienced negative taxation.
The information is on page 148 of their annual shareholders report.
Citizens for Tax Justice is just badly messed up.
~~~~~~~~
Originally CTJ report attracted my interest because I expected to find evidence of state and federal corruption. I expected to find the government giving favorable tax treatment to their pet companies. CTJ seems to mistake government expenditure as direct tax relief.
Don't get me wrong, governments use tax credits to manipulate the market. Corruption's smoking gun will be when there is no discernible difference between two businesses, and one is getting a tax credit.
Consider corruption's smoking gun in the case of Gibson Guitar and Martin Guitar.
At hand is a "Study" from the far left Citizens for Tax Justice about what they call Corporate tax dodging. The "Study" claims 30 companies in the United States paid less than 0% tax in one year pf the last three years. The "Study" implies this happened despite each companies profitable status.
So I checked them out.
According to Citizens for Tax Justice, the worst offender is PEPCO Holdings, the Potomac Electric Power Company. CTJ claims "Pepco Holdings had the lowest effective tax rate of all the companies in the study, at negative 57.6% (effectively, a tax refund) over the three year period." There is no way to match CTJ's claim with any reliable source.
PEPCO's published earnings report, as required by the US Government's Securities and Exchange Commission, states PEPCO paid:
$90 million in federal taxes in 2008,
$104 million in 2009,
$11 million in 201.
No time in the last three years has PEPCO experienced negative taxation.
The information is on page 148 of their annual shareholders report.
Citizens for Tax Justice is just badly messed up.
~~~~~~~~
Originally CTJ report attracted my interest because I expected to find evidence of state and federal corruption. I expected to find the government giving favorable tax treatment to their pet companies. CTJ seems to mistake government expenditure as direct tax relief.
Don't get me wrong, governments use tax credits to manipulate the market. Corruption's smoking gun will be when there is no discernible difference between two businesses, and one is getting a tax credit.
Consider corruption's smoking gun in the case of Gibson Guitar and Martin Guitar.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Party to Occupy Wall Street.
Sex, drugs and open air latrines... what could be more fun? Did you really think the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations were about Wall Street greed?
Just as the Democrats were trying to co-opt the Occupy Wall Street iPhone toting crowd, OWS became more unfocused. The Democratic Party must be pleased they have support of so many fugitives and hedonistic muddle heads.
There's crime, reported the New York Post:
There's drugs and sex, reported the UK Daily Mail:
The Daily Mail picked up on a less appealing event -- the Wall Street demonstrator taking the dump on the police car. The photo can be found here.
~~~~~~~~
If the ambition of the demonstrators is the destruction of Wall Street, they may get their way. The Atlantic Wire says 10,000 Wall Street employees could lose their jobs next year.
Just as the Democrats were trying to co-opt the Occupy Wall Street iPhone toting crowd, OWS became more unfocused. The Democratic Party must be pleased they have support of so many fugitives and hedonistic muddle heads.
There's crime, reported the New York Post:
“I got warrants. I’m running from the law,” boasted Dave, 24, a scrawny, unshaven miscreant in filthy clothes from Stamford, Conn. “I’m not even supposed to be here, but it’s as good a spot as any to hide.”
Wanted for burglary, the drug-addled fugitive said some of his hard-partying pals clued him in that the protest was a good place to be fed, get wasted and crash.
There's drugs and sex, reported the UK Daily Mail:
Conspicuously living among the politically active in the makeshift village in Zuccotti Park are opportunistic junkies and homeless people - making the most of the free food on offer.
Also present and infuriating the hard core of activists are a number of teens looking to turn the gathering into an urban rave.
Among the banners and flags are now discarded packets of condoms, cigarettes and bottles of spirits, while naked youngsters happily get together with just sleeping bags covering their modesty.
There's other parties demonstrations reported The Boston Herald.The downtown protest group Occupy Boston threw its proverbial doors open yesterday, and played host to supporters of accused terrorist Terak Mehanna, who are looking to raise awareness of the Sudbury man’s upcoming trial.
The Daily Mail picked up on a less appealing event -- the Wall Street demonstrator taking the dump on the police car. The photo can be found here.
~~~~~~~~
If the ambition of the demonstrators is the destruction of Wall Street, they may get their way. The Atlantic Wire says 10,000 Wall Street employees could lose their jobs next year.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Taking Wall Street
In the park
Demonstrators from Occupy Seattle lined the Westlake Mall. They were sunning themselves, having a nice time...and frightening some people. The signs they held said things like “Down With Capitalism” “End Corporate Greed” and “Tax the Rich.”
They crowd seemed to be mostly young, smart and far left. Mostly they wanted an exciting way to spend the afternoon, Some wanted gainful employment. They blamed companies for not hiring them, although that is a bad attitude to take to a job.
But the “occupiers” raise a valuable question; Why aren't American companies hiring? The per-fabricated answers about rich corporate greed are surreal. The actual cause is this administration has sucked the life out of the private sector with their massive spending spree.
Every dollar the government spent came from the private sector and therefore was not available to make private loans to private companies. Companies need cash for liquidity, buying raw materials, and hiring. They have to borrow money for those reasons, same as anybody. Money for loans was available overseas, so that's where the jobs went.
The only way to start job creation in the US is to cut federal spending. Proof of this is the fact that the Republicans resisted giving Mr Obama his massive federal $447 billion debt-laden “Jobs” package. Despite this employment is up last month anyway. By working to reduce federal spending and federal debt, the Republicans managed to create jobs. Its not magic, it good economics.
Governments are great wasters. Who else engages in war? Everything a government does is at somebody else expense, there is no felt need to conserve resource. Government waste, in money or human lives, goes on.
~~~~~~~~
Corporate Greed?
Greed is a human motivation. Maybe the complaint is all humans are greedy. Being made up of humans, corporations have no more than their share of greed. But as to why corporations are not hiring many people, we should consider their motivation is to make money, just the same as their employees. Weirdly, it is corporate greed which puts people to work.
But the corporations don't hire... enough. Why?
First, there is a monster tax coming on employees. “Free” health care has to be paid for. Mr Obama and his Leftist cohorts in Congress added taxes so employers would pay around $4500 more, per employee, per year. An up-front cost of $4500 per hire gives corporations some pause.
The self-employed face the same taxes. So many workers who thought they dodged the tax increases face a nasty surprise.
The second difficulty has already been touched upon. Credit and loans have been hard to get due to the credit crunch. To add to the misery, the administration made extra rules to make it harder for lenders to collect. What cash was available, the government sopped up. Thus every company has a cash crunch going on. Many face the decision to lay off people or not make the payroll.
But what about record profits? Companies have had to become internally supporting; they can't get loans anymore. Less-critical jobs were cut in order to build up a supply of cash required to make tax payments. Some manufacturing jobs were cut and sent overseas usually because of regulations, usually via the EPA, which reduced productivity. Worker productivity had to increase in order for the company merely to survive.
Profitability had to increase for two reasons, companies have to internally fund what they used to be able to get from banks. Companies must carry more cash than before. Secondly, much of that apparent surplus is going to go away as soon as all of Mr Obama's new taxes kick in. High unemployment is a result of new taxation, not profitability.
~~~~~~~~
Tax the rich
There is a persistent sour attitude toward wealthy people that makes no sense. In a free market, a successful person can be copied and all the copycats get richer. There must be a nasty twist on schadenfreude which makes people complain about the wealthy. Anyhow....
I examined Forbes listing of the 400 richest Americans, then checked their political affiliation (Its easy to do. Forbes provides the links.). The top 4 were solid Democrats, then the list becomes a mix. Overall, its fair to say that “the rich” in America do not devote themselves to one party or another.
Which means neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are likely to start taxing people just because they are rich. Members of each party realize there is not enough money in the rich to cure the national debt problem, so instead they curry favor with the wealthy. The Democrats talk about taxing the rich more than the Republicans, which suggest the wealthy Democrats suffer from battered spouse syndrome.
Demonstrators from Occupy Seattle lined the Westlake Mall. They were sunning themselves, having a nice time...and frightening some people. The signs they held said things like “Down With Capitalism” “End Corporate Greed” and “Tax the Rich.”
They crowd seemed to be mostly young, smart and far left. Mostly they wanted an exciting way to spend the afternoon, Some wanted gainful employment. They blamed companies for not hiring them, although that is a bad attitude to take to a job.
But the “occupiers” raise a valuable question; Why aren't American companies hiring? The per-fabricated answers about rich corporate greed are surreal. The actual cause is this administration has sucked the life out of the private sector with their massive spending spree.
Every dollar the government spent came from the private sector and therefore was not available to make private loans to private companies. Companies need cash for liquidity, buying raw materials, and hiring. They have to borrow money for those reasons, same as anybody. Money for loans was available overseas, so that's where the jobs went.
The only way to start job creation in the US is to cut federal spending. Proof of this is the fact that the Republicans resisted giving Mr Obama his massive federal $447 billion debt-laden “Jobs” package. Despite this employment is up last month anyway. By working to reduce federal spending and federal debt, the Republicans managed to create jobs. Its not magic, it good economics.
Governments are great wasters. Who else engages in war? Everything a government does is at somebody else expense, there is no felt need to conserve resource. Government waste, in money or human lives, goes on.
~~~~~~~~
Corporate Greed?
Greed is a human motivation. Maybe the complaint is all humans are greedy. Being made up of humans, corporations have no more than their share of greed. But as to why corporations are not hiring many people, we should consider their motivation is to make money, just the same as their employees. Weirdly, it is corporate greed which puts people to work.
But the corporations don't hire... enough. Why?
First, there is a monster tax coming on employees. “Free” health care has to be paid for. Mr Obama and his Leftist cohorts in Congress added taxes so employers would pay around $4500 more, per employee, per year. An up-front cost of $4500 per hire gives corporations some pause.
The self-employed face the same taxes. So many workers who thought they dodged the tax increases face a nasty surprise.
The second difficulty has already been touched upon. Credit and loans have been hard to get due to the credit crunch. To add to the misery, the administration made extra rules to make it harder for lenders to collect. What cash was available, the government sopped up. Thus every company has a cash crunch going on. Many face the decision to lay off people or not make the payroll.
But what about record profits? Companies have had to become internally supporting; they can't get loans anymore. Less-critical jobs were cut in order to build up a supply of cash required to make tax payments. Some manufacturing jobs were cut and sent overseas usually because of regulations, usually via the EPA, which reduced productivity. Worker productivity had to increase in order for the company merely to survive.
Profitability had to increase for two reasons, companies have to internally fund what they used to be able to get from banks. Companies must carry more cash than before. Secondly, much of that apparent surplus is going to go away as soon as all of Mr Obama's new taxes kick in. High unemployment is a result of new taxation, not profitability.
~~~~~~~~
Tax the rich
There is a persistent sour attitude toward wealthy people that makes no sense. In a free market, a successful person can be copied and all the copycats get richer. There must be a nasty twist on schadenfreude which makes people complain about the wealthy. Anyhow....
I examined Forbes listing of the 400 richest Americans, then checked their political affiliation (Its easy to do. Forbes provides the links.). The top 4 were solid Democrats, then the list becomes a mix. Overall, its fair to say that “the rich” in America do not devote themselves to one party or another.
Which means neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are likely to start taxing people just because they are rich. Members of each party realize there is not enough money in the rich to cure the national debt problem, so instead they curry favor with the wealthy. The Democrats talk about taxing the rich more than the Republicans, which suggest the wealthy Democrats suffer from battered spouse syndrome.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
The long staircase
The economy is still spiraling down. This is a direct result of Obama's continuing attempt at Big Government take over of market functions.
Obama managed to eradicate trust in the American system of wealth generation. Without trust, there will be no wealth coming out from the free market system. So Obama will be able to take over economy based on him being the last man standing. Obama's system is being based on the thug's old reliable - force.
Obama's banking overthrow
People remember the “Democratic” Party's law to buy voter approval by complicating banks collection of their own money on home loans in default. (Canceled debt may be taxable) Similar law enacted to inhibit collection on unsecured credit cards in default.
Banks were prohibited from collecting the money they lent... often the same money they had borrowed from their depositors. Although sticking it to the banks is politically appealing, it is wrong. Obama is unfair. How can the banks trust this government to help them regain their property? With no recourse, bank loans became harder to obtain. Financial liquidity dries up.
Result: A marked increase in insolvency among banks. The Obama Administration got to take over quite a few small banks, thus clearing the way for a direct takeover of large national banks by the Party corruption machine.
Obama's attack on Trust
The breakdown in trust has made banks very cautious about making new loans. The banks can never tell when the Obama government might move in and declare the banks loans "noncollectable."
Inflation is significant. We the People cannot trust our dollars. Our currency is getting devalued via government sponsored inflation. When using the Bureau of Labor & Statistics, please remember the BLS calculation basis has been shifted to remove the impact of several CPI inflators. The net effect is, just when we need to be able to rely on our money retaining value, it doesn't. The administration wants it that way.
Trustworthiness is vital in economics. Without trust, the whole free enterprise system seizes up and stops working. Therefore, trust has been one of the Obama's administrations primary targets.
Obama's attack on Manufacturing
Everyone knows about the seizure of health care, but do you realize how much the EPA has been used to control economic functions? The EPA can invent an environmental impact result and quash the activity of any company Obama wishes to smash. The destruction of Gibson Guitar Inc. and its American jobs is one example. The feds seized Gibson Guitar property despite the fact that there are no charges filed. The administration is clearly abusing their power under law.
Update: Gibson Guitar And Martin Guitar use woods from the same sources. Only Gibson was raided. The reason? Gibson's CEO is a donor to the GOP. Martin's CEO is a Democrat. This is a criminal abuse of power by the Obama administration.
Restricting food supplies
Under Obama, creating food shortages has fallen to the EPA. For two years now, the EPA has conducted close inspections of a Lancaster County watershed farms operated by the Amish. Farmers in general are getting the putz by Obama's use of the EPA. Farmers are becoming reluctant to risk even putting seed in the ground for fear of expensive federal intrusion.
Control of labor
The Left continues to sideline workers by jobs control. This is a three pronged effort on its own. One is restricting access to jobs through union control. Two is the 2009 increase in the federal minimum wage to prohibit appropriate pay for entry level positions. Three is the ever-extending unemployment compensation - which is used to finance extended furloughs of workers while the workers forget the job they used to know. All of these regulations sound like compassion on the surface -- If so, why don't they work?
Obama's madcap government debt accumulation But of course
Obama's mad spending spree and the $4.4 Trillion in new debt. Ape-snot government spending is one of the things which got us into this mess in the first place. Another debt-laden "Stimulus" bill of any sort, and the country is sunk.
Obama - Avoiding blame – The political game
The old-line Left (and their puppets in the press) portray the themselves as victim of dark and sinister Republican forces. Its hard to imagine the Republicans, who are presently airing each others dirty laundry, as dark or sinister. Republicans are disorganized political neophytes – not ready to take on the power-at-any-cost “Democratic” Party.
~~~~~~~~
Tell me it ain't so
Last month, the FDA moved to expand its regulation of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to include cigars. If the FDA gets its way, new “cigar-killing” regulations could be put into effect as early as October.
I don't even smoke.
~~~~~~~~
The US has suffered so much incompetence and neglect seasoned with so much indifference, it will take years to recover. Let-them-eat-cake Obama is by far the least caring of any president ever.
Obama managed to eradicate trust in the American system of wealth generation. Without trust, there will be no wealth coming out from the free market system. So Obama will be able to take over economy based on him being the last man standing. Obama's system is being based on the thug's old reliable - force.
Obama's banking overthrow
People remember the “Democratic” Party's law to buy voter approval by complicating banks collection of their own money on home loans in default. (Canceled debt may be taxable) Similar law enacted to inhibit collection on unsecured credit cards in default.
Banks were prohibited from collecting the money they lent... often the same money they had borrowed from their depositors. Although sticking it to the banks is politically appealing, it is wrong. Obama is unfair. How can the banks trust this government to help them regain their property? With no recourse, bank loans became harder to obtain. Financial liquidity dries up.
Result: A marked increase in insolvency among banks. The Obama Administration got to take over quite a few small banks, thus clearing the way for a direct takeover of large national banks by the Party corruption machine.
Obama's attack on Trust
The breakdown in trust has made banks very cautious about making new loans. The banks can never tell when the Obama government might move in and declare the banks loans "noncollectable."
Inflation is significant. We the People cannot trust our dollars. Our currency is getting devalued via government sponsored inflation. When using the Bureau of Labor & Statistics, please remember the BLS calculation basis has been shifted to remove the impact of several CPI inflators. The net effect is, just when we need to be able to rely on our money retaining value, it doesn't. The administration wants it that way.
Trustworthiness is vital in economics. Without trust, the whole free enterprise system seizes up and stops working. Therefore, trust has been one of the Obama's administrations primary targets.
Obama's attack on Manufacturing
Everyone knows about the seizure of health care, but do you realize how much the EPA has been used to control economic functions? The EPA can invent an environmental impact result and quash the activity of any company Obama wishes to smash. The destruction of Gibson Guitar Inc. and its American jobs is one example. The feds seized Gibson Guitar property despite the fact that there are no charges filed. The administration is clearly abusing their power under law.
Update: Gibson Guitar And Martin Guitar use woods from the same sources. Only Gibson was raided. The reason? Gibson's CEO is a donor to the GOP. Martin's CEO is a Democrat. This is a criminal abuse of power by the Obama administration.
Restricting food supplies
Under Obama, creating food shortages has fallen to the EPA. For two years now, the EPA has conducted close inspections of a Lancaster County watershed farms operated by the Amish. Farmers in general are getting the putz by Obama's use of the EPA. Farmers are becoming reluctant to risk even putting seed in the ground for fear of expensive federal intrusion.
Control of labor
The Left continues to sideline workers by jobs control. This is a three pronged effort on its own. One is restricting access to jobs through union control. Two is the 2009 increase in the federal minimum wage to prohibit appropriate pay for entry level positions. Three is the ever-extending unemployment compensation - which is used to finance extended furloughs of workers while the workers forget the job they used to know. All of these regulations sound like compassion on the surface -- If so, why don't they work?
Obama's madcap government debt accumulation But of course
Obama's mad spending spree and the $4.4 Trillion in new debt. Ape-snot government spending is one of the things which got us into this mess in the first place. Another debt-laden "Stimulus" bill of any sort, and the country is sunk.
Obama - Avoiding blame – The political game
The old-line Left (and their puppets in the press) portray the themselves as victim of dark and sinister Republican forces. Its hard to imagine the Republicans, who are presently airing each others dirty laundry, as dark or sinister. Republicans are disorganized political neophytes – not ready to take on the power-at-any-cost “Democratic” Party.
~~~~~~~~
Tell me it ain't so
Last month, the FDA moved to expand its regulation of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to include cigars. If the FDA gets its way, new “cigar-killing” regulations could be put into effect as early as October.
I don't even smoke.
~~~~~~~~
The US has suffered so much incompetence and neglect seasoned with so much indifference, it will take years to recover. Let-them-eat-cake Obama is by far the least caring of any president ever.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
AttackWatch - Obama's re-election site
Obama has launched his re-election website. His condescending arrogance is almost unbelievable. See http://www.attackwatch.com/
Obama solicits you to "Join Attack Wire—and help stop the attacks on the President before they start." Imagine that, preemptive censorship -- from the most "transparent" administration.
Page at the Join AttackWire button
Attackwatch.com is an mudslinging attack site alright. Orwellian Newspeak is the language; everything is called exactly what it isn't -- with an atmosphere filled with paranoia and suspicion -- Obama's "changed" America in a nutshell. The site is chock full of distortions and hatred. In short, its almost a perfect snapshot of the Obama administration so far.
~~~~~~~~
The purpose of the site is to give Obama supporters a way to report "attacks" on the president, implying that any criticism is based on lies or misinformation.
Obama solicits you to "Join Attack Wire—and help stop the attacks on the President before they start." Imagine that, preemptive censorship -- from the most "transparent" administration.
Page at the Join AttackWire buttonAttackwatch.com is an mudslinging attack site alright. Orwellian Newspeak is the language; everything is called exactly what it isn't -- with an atmosphere filled with paranoia and suspicion -- Obama's "changed" America in a nutshell. The site is chock full of distortions and hatred. In short, its almost a perfect snapshot of the Obama administration so far.
~~~~~~~~
The purpose of the site is to give Obama supporters a way to report "attacks" on the president, implying that any criticism is based on lies or misinformation.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Outrageous! Obama's Justice Dept. Keeping Islamic Bank Settlement Secret
By Steven Emerson
The Justice Department has agreed to end its investigation into an international financial network with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and a Saudi prince in a settlement in excess of $30 million, sources tell the Investigative Project on Terrorism.
But DOJ officials refuse to release a copy of the settlement or make any comment on it.
"Unfortunately, we're unable to provide anything in connection with this matter," DOJ spokesman Charles Miller wrote in response to a query Aug. 16. He did not contest the existence of the settlement with the Islamic Investment Company of the Gulf (IICG). Repeated attempts to obtain the settlement, or at least a clear explanation of why it cannot be released when most government settlements are a part of the public record, have been unsuccessful.
"We will have no further comment," Miller said.
Read the rest
~~~~~~~~
To think, Obama promised the "most transparent administration in history." Just not when it comes to his buddies in terrorist organizations.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Obama the illegal gun runner.
Obama indulged himself in an attempt to frame citizen gun owners by spreading firearms among criminals. Obama ordered the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to start an illegal operation the BATFE dubbed "Fast and Furious." The illegal operation resulted in the death of one federal agent -- so far. The Democratic Party controlled press has been strangely silent.
Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was gunned down with a weapon traceable to Fast and Furious on December 14, 2010. That death changed everything. The BATFE allowed [illegal] straw purchasers to buy and distribute weapons among the criminal element in our society and throughout Mexico.
Interview with Rep. Paul Gosar - http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=45593
Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was gunned down with a weapon traceable to Fast and Furious on December 14, 2010. That death changed everything. The BATFE allowed [illegal] straw purchasers to buy and distribute weapons among the criminal element in our society and throughout Mexico.
Interview with Rep. Paul Gosar - http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=45593
Monday, August 22, 2011
Wisconsin schools buck union to cut health costs
The Wisconsin riots and protests were all about the money... for the corrupt Wisconsin Education Association union bosses and their equally corrupt "Democratic" Party dancing masters. My dad was compelled to pay dues to the WEA and he despised it -- 90% for the Union Bosses, 10% for the teachers.
Reprinted from the Washington Examiner article, by Byron York.
Reprinted from the Washington Examiner article, by Byron York.
The Hartland-Lakeside School District, about 30 miles west of Milwaukee in tiny Hartland, Wis., had a problem in its collective bargaining contract with the local teachers union.
The contract required the school district to purchase health insurance from a company called WEA Trust. The creation of Wisconsin's largest teachers union -- "WEA" stands for Wisconsin Education Association -- WEA Trust made money when union officials used collective bargaining agreements to steer profitable business its way.
The problem for Hartland-Lakeside was that WEA Trust was charging significantly higher rates than the school district could find on the open market. School officials knew that because they got a better deal from United HealthCare for coverage of nonunion employees. On more than one occasion, Superintendent Glenn Schilling asked WEA Trust why the rates were so high. "I could never get a definitive answer on that," says Schilling.
Changing to a different insurance company would save Hartland-Lakeside hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be spent on key educational priorities -- especially important since the cash-strapped state government was cutting back on education funding. But teachers union officials wouldn't allow it; the WEA Trust requirement was in the contract, and union leaders refused to let Hartland-Lakeside off the hook.
That's where Wisconsin's new budget law came in. The law, bitterly opposed by organized labor in the state and across the nation, limits the collective bargaining powers of some public employees. And it just happens that the Hartland-Lakeside teachers' collective bargaining agreement expired on June 30. So now, freed from the expensive WEA Trust deal, the school district has changed insurers.
"It's going to save us about $690,000 in 2011-2012," says Schilling. Insurance costs that had been about $2.5 million a year will now be around $1.8 million. What union leaders said would be a catastrophe will in fact be a boon to teachers and students.
But the effect of weakening collective bargaining goes beyond money. It also has the potential to reshape the adversarial culture that often afflicts public education. In Hartland-Lakeside, there's been no war between union-busting bureaucrats on one side and impassioned teachers on the other; Schilling speaks with great collegiality toward the teachers and says with pride that they've been able to work together on big issues. But there has been a deep division between the school district and top union executives.
In the health insurance talks, for example, Schilling last year began telling teachers about different insurance plans, some of which, like United HealthCare's, required a higher deductible. "We involved them, and they overwhelmingly endorsed the change to United HealthCare," he says. But even with the teachers on board, when school officials presented a change-in-coverage proposal to union officials, it was immediately rejected. The costly WEA Trust deal stayed in place.
Now, with the collective bargaining agreement gone, Schilling looks forward to working more closely with teachers. "I would say the biggest change is we have a lot more involvement with a wider scope of teachers," he says. When collective bargaining was in effect, "We dealt with a select team of teachers, a small group of three or four who were on the bargaining team, and then the union director. Any information that went to the teachers went through them. Now, we feel that we will have a direct dialogue."
It's not hard to see why union officials hate the new law so much. It not only breaks up cherished and lucrative union monopolies like high-cost health insurance; it also threatens to break through the union-built wall between teachers and administrators and allow the two sides to work together more closely. The old union go-betweens, who controlled what their members could and could not hear, will be left aside.
Hartland-Lakeside isn't the only school district that is pulling free from collective bargaining agreements that mandated WEA Trust coverage. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the Pewaukee School District, not far from Hartland-Lakeside, will save $378,000 by next year by leaving WEA Trust. The Menomonee Falls School District, farther north, will reportedly save $1.3 million. Facing state cutbacks, the districts can't afford to overpay for union-affiliated coverage.
Look for the unions to fight back with everything they have. If the Wisconsin situation has shown anything, it is that organized labor views the collective bargaining fight as a life-or-death struggle. If the unions lose in Wisconsin, the clamor for change could spread to other states. What happened in Hartland-Lakeside could become a model for other schools looking for new and better ways to do business.
The contract required the school district to purchase health insurance from a company called WEA Trust. The creation of Wisconsin's largest teachers union -- "WEA" stands for Wisconsin Education Association -- WEA Trust made money when union officials used collective bargaining agreements to steer profitable business its way.
The problem for Hartland-Lakeside was that WEA Trust was charging significantly higher rates than the school district could find on the open market. School officials knew that because they got a better deal from United HealthCare for coverage of nonunion employees. On more than one occasion, Superintendent Glenn Schilling asked WEA Trust why the rates were so high. "I could never get a definitive answer on that," says Schilling.
Changing to a different insurance company would save Hartland-Lakeside hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be spent on key educational priorities -- especially important since the cash-strapped state government was cutting back on education funding. But teachers union officials wouldn't allow it; the WEA Trust requirement was in the contract, and union leaders refused to let Hartland-Lakeside off the hook.
That's where Wisconsin's new budget law came in. The law, bitterly opposed by organized labor in the state and across the nation, limits the collective bargaining powers of some public employees. And it just happens that the Hartland-Lakeside teachers' collective bargaining agreement expired on June 30. So now, freed from the expensive WEA Trust deal, the school district has changed insurers.
"It's going to save us about $690,000 in 2011-2012," says Schilling. Insurance costs that had been about $2.5 million a year will now be around $1.8 million. What union leaders said would be a catastrophe will in fact be a boon to teachers and students.
But the effect of weakening collective bargaining goes beyond money. It also has the potential to reshape the adversarial culture that often afflicts public education. In Hartland-Lakeside, there's been no war between union-busting bureaucrats on one side and impassioned teachers on the other; Schilling speaks with great collegiality toward the teachers and says with pride that they've been able to work together on big issues. But there has been a deep division between the school district and top union executives.
In the health insurance talks, for example, Schilling last year began telling teachers about different insurance plans, some of which, like United HealthCare's, required a higher deductible. "We involved them, and they overwhelmingly endorsed the change to United HealthCare," he says. But even with the teachers on board, when school officials presented a change-in-coverage proposal to union officials, it was immediately rejected. The costly WEA Trust deal stayed in place.
Now, with the collective bargaining agreement gone, Schilling looks forward to working more closely with teachers. "I would say the biggest change is we have a lot more involvement with a wider scope of teachers," he says. When collective bargaining was in effect, "We dealt with a select team of teachers, a small group of three or four who were on the bargaining team, and then the union director. Any information that went to the teachers went through them. Now, we feel that we will have a direct dialogue."
It's not hard to see why union officials hate the new law so much. It not only breaks up cherished and lucrative union monopolies like high-cost health insurance; it also threatens to break through the union-built wall between teachers and administrators and allow the two sides to work together more closely. The old union go-betweens, who controlled what their members could and could not hear, will be left aside.
Hartland-Lakeside isn't the only school district that is pulling free from collective bargaining agreements that mandated WEA Trust coverage. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the Pewaukee School District, not far from Hartland-Lakeside, will save $378,000 by next year by leaving WEA Trust. The Menomonee Falls School District, farther north, will reportedly save $1.3 million. Facing state cutbacks, the districts can't afford to overpay for union-affiliated coverage.
Look for the unions to fight back with everything they have. If the Wisconsin situation has shown anything, it is that organized labor views the collective bargaining fight as a life-or-death struggle. If the unions lose in Wisconsin, the clamor for change could spread to other states. What happened in Hartland-Lakeside could become a model for other schools looking for new and better ways to do business.
Monday, August 15, 2011
ObamaBus
The ObamaBus Tour
President Barack Obama leaves the White House today for a three-day bus trip, talking job creation at small towns across the Midwest in hopes of distancing himself from the "partisan brinksmanship" he says has poisoned the economy.
(This is the same Congress which gave Obama everything he wanted.)
The trip isn't likely to be without bumps.
Obama appears to be trying out a campaign theme by blaming Congress — without a direction mention of Republicans — for the bitterness that led to an eleventh-hour debt limit agreement, and White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the president was expecting to hear more anger on the road.
Polls find that the partisan feud over raising the debt ceiling, the stock market gyrations and a stubborn unemployment rate have left Americans more pessimistic about the economy and their future than at any time this year. Republicans already have accused Obama of mixing policy with politics by barnstorming in the battleground region — at taxpayer expense.
Read the rest.
President Barack Obama leaves the White House today for a three-day bus trip, talking job creation at small towns across the Midwest in hopes of distancing himself from the "partisan brinksmanship" he says has poisoned the economy.
(This is the same Congress which gave Obama everything he wanted.)
The trip isn't likely to be without bumps.
Obama appears to be trying out a campaign theme by blaming Congress — without a direction mention of Republicans — for the bitterness that led to an eleventh-hour debt limit agreement, and White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the president was expecting to hear more anger on the road.
Polls find that the partisan feud over raising the debt ceiling, the stock market gyrations and a stubborn unemployment rate have left Americans more pessimistic about the economy and their future than at any time this year. Republicans already have accused Obama of mixing policy with politics by barnstorming in the battleground region — at taxpayer expense.
Read the rest.
Monday, August 8, 2011
The Enemy Advances On All Fronts
The TEA Party was right, they foresaw this meltdown part deux, as the result of massive govt spending. Tea Party understood that intrusion of government into free market would corrupt the market, damage the natural economy and create a lack of confidence.
Confidence and trust are necessary to create wealth.
Government must shrink. The current levels of micromanagement have profited only a cadre of bureaucrats and politicians whose only motivation is personal power. Their massive micromanagement is shrinking the economy and making us all much more poor. This is current mayhem is the expected result when authoritarians enslave a market.
A free market economy works much better for every one. It is critically important that Congress work to restore a free economy. You can expect to hear a lot of posturing about government creating employment (it doesn't) and responsibility to socialist state dependents, but all of this is red herring. Government control of the economy is cracking it. Maintaining socialist spending habits and government micromanagement will only make things worse.
~~~~~~~~
How'd this happen?
Management of government benefit programs like SS and welfare have attracted a class of unscrupulous bureaucrats and politicians who only see personal profit. This is the expected motive. But the scale of the programs matter. Corruption is easier with the increasing scale of programs.
Free market motivation is also personal profit. The market forces the quest for personal profit into a compulsion to serve other people. The free market is far more flexible than government, so it can keep up with the natural shiftiness of people out for gain.
What is amazing is the free market does this without government oversight, and without much management at all. This works because it is in every one's self-interest to watch what is happening. If something goes wrong in the free market, the result is an opportunity. By way of contrast, if something goes wrong in a managed economy, it creates misery for millions.
The free market does not require participation – this is one reason its called free. There are millions of participants, and taken together they don't miss much. Improper activity is not tolerated.
Government control requires participation, at least as a sufferer – this is why government control is immoral. Government has a limited number of managers and they miss many important details. Even if the managers were perfect altruists, they could not be perfect observers.
~~~~~~~~
Life will go on, but it won't be as comfortable as it was before the enemy invaded our economic system. Like war, economic invasion always comes with a wasteful price tag. But eventually, we will prevail and we depoliticize the economy. The enemy will be driven out.
Confidence and trust are necessary to create wealth.
Government must shrink. The current levels of micromanagement have profited only a cadre of bureaucrats and politicians whose only motivation is personal power. Their massive micromanagement is shrinking the economy and making us all much more poor. This is current mayhem is the expected result when authoritarians enslave a market.
A free market economy works much better for every one. It is critically important that Congress work to restore a free economy. You can expect to hear a lot of posturing about government creating employment (it doesn't) and responsibility to socialist state dependents, but all of this is red herring. Government control of the economy is cracking it. Maintaining socialist spending habits and government micromanagement will only make things worse.
~~~~~~~~
How'd this happen?
Management of government benefit programs like SS and welfare have attracted a class of unscrupulous bureaucrats and politicians who only see personal profit. This is the expected motive. But the scale of the programs matter. Corruption is easier with the increasing scale of programs.
Free market motivation is also personal profit. The market forces the quest for personal profit into a compulsion to serve other people. The free market is far more flexible than government, so it can keep up with the natural shiftiness of people out for gain.
What is amazing is the free market does this without government oversight, and without much management at all. This works because it is in every one's self-interest to watch what is happening. If something goes wrong in the free market, the result is an opportunity. By way of contrast, if something goes wrong in a managed economy, it creates misery for millions.
The free market does not require participation – this is one reason its called free. There are millions of participants, and taken together they don't miss much. Improper activity is not tolerated.
Government control requires participation, at least as a sufferer – this is why government control is immoral. Government has a limited number of managers and they miss many important details. Even if the managers were perfect altruists, they could not be perfect observers.
~~~~~~~~
Life will go on, but it won't be as comfortable as it was before the enemy invaded our economic system. Like war, economic invasion always comes with a wasteful price tag. But eventually, we will prevail and we depoliticize the economy. The enemy will be driven out.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Debt Doomsday
On July 12th, Obama warned that Social Security checks might not get paid on August 3rd if the debt limit is not increased.
Everyone knows the "Democratic" Party was taking money from the Social Security Trust to fund their two year, off-budget, spending spree in 2009 and 2010.
Obama is telling us the "Democratic" Party blew through your Social Security savings in only 2 years. Democrats already spent every nickel in the Social Security Trust fund -- so are we supposed to increase their debt limit?
I've got a better idea. Clearly Obama and his buddies have corrupted the balance sheet of America. Lets take Obama and the Democrats out of office and put them in prison where the other criminals are.
Debt Is for Suckers
Everyone knows the "Democratic" Party was taking money from the Social Security Trust to fund their two year, off-budget, spending spree in 2009 and 2010.
Obama is telling us the "Democratic" Party blew through your Social Security savings in only 2 years. Democrats already spent every nickel in the Social Security Trust fund -- so are we supposed to increase their debt limit?
I've got a better idea. Clearly Obama and his buddies have corrupted the balance sheet of America. Lets take Obama and the Democrats out of office and put them in prison where the other criminals are.
Debt Is for Suckers
Monday, July 11, 2011
The pause in the "recovery"
The stock market predicts the future of the economy. Generally speaking, the more income generated by optimists in the stock market, the more successful America will be. The stock market average indices are thermometers of the future prosperity of America.
Its always important to follow the money -- the economy benefits everyone, as during an expansion, the money goes everywhere people want to work. If the economy benefits only a few, as during a contraction like we're in, it is important to see who is getting ahead. The politically connected Leftist 'ruling class' are getting ahead.
But political affiliation can blind some people and result in very odd economic analyses. The establishment-liberal Zacks Investment Research published this:
This analysis shows how very turned around 'liberal' analysts can be. Housing did not start the current downturn. The US housing market was distorted by Leftist political manipulation into a bloated valuation. Think Barney Frank & Co. The dramatically increasing valuations of housing dragged along the value of everything else, resulting in a mass euphoria. Meanwhile everything became very pricey. When the political manipulation could not hold out the actual market anymore, mere anarchy was loosed. Housing values went into free fall.
Housing starts do not create wealth any more than Obama's "spreading wealth around" creates wealth. Housing is an indicator of how optimistic people are about the future, and how much cash they feel they have right now.
Sort of like the stock market, the housing market is a thermometer of the people's general expectations. The two markets should move more of less parallel each other. But one does not control the other. They both move in accord with expectation.
Things will recover some day, once we get a responsible government. Obama's method of punishing success in the market is not the way.
~~~~~~~~
Analysis and politics
Before the housing collapse, housing got very expensive. This fueled a despising of those who owned a house before valuations became ridiculous. Those who supplied housing, i.e., builders and banks, became political targets. Obama's "spreading the wealth around" sounded plausible to a majority of the electorate.
Clearly, the economy was out of hand - someone was to blame - Someone better take the fall! Too bad the public found solace with the same Leftists who corrupted the economy in the first place.
The country lurched left - and lives were ruined. Government was called upon to redistribute everything. Only the ruling class of politicians, crass manipulators, and the bureaucratic Left benefited. They Left has no idea how national prosperity is created, and that is not their interest anyway. The Leftist vision of "economic justice" is controlling who uses product and assigning blame. The Left fatten themselves on whatever they deem theirs.
The ongoing process of Leftist "deeming" means no government budget will guide government spending. Witness the 2 years of Democrat rule. There was no budget and government tossed billions of dollars after whatever they wanted. Mostly they gave money, our money, to their political allies.
Presently grabby Obama seeks more of the same. He and his cronies will crab about "Republican tax cuts for the rich" when those cuts will work to everyone's benefit. Obama and Co will complain about ruinous cuts in government spending, when those cuts are absolutely required for prosperity.
The Leftist Democrats had no idea how much they were spending; they had no budget to guide them. It bugs the ruinous Obama and the Left that control is slipping away.
The way out of the mess is the same as always. Take the control away form government and put it back in the personal hands of the people. The method was discovered centuries ago. It is the free market. Free markets have been involved in mass suffering, because the free market is the people, the free market is us.
Freedom has never caused any suffering. Its takes a self-absorbed politician to do that.
Its always important to follow the money -- the economy benefits everyone, as during an expansion, the money goes everywhere people want to work. If the economy benefits only a few, as during a contraction like we're in, it is important to see who is getting ahead. The politically connected Leftist 'ruling class' are getting ahead.
But political affiliation can blind some people and result in very odd economic analyses. The establishment-liberal Zacks Investment Research published this:
"Friday's dismal jobs report shocked investors. For the second month in a row, job creation wasn't even close to where it's supposed to be at this, or any, stage of the recovery cycle. It's almost hard to believe that it's been nearly 3 years since this crisis first began and jobs are still stuck in the neutral zone. Why isn't there more job creation?
"It all comes back to the very thing that started the financial crisis: housing. New home construction creates jobs. Right now, we're still near record lows for new construction starts. Until we get more new home construction, we won't see the big job growth we need to spark the economy."
-- Tracey Ryniec
This analysis shows how very turned around 'liberal' analysts can be. Housing did not start the current downturn. The US housing market was distorted by Leftist political manipulation into a bloated valuation. Think Barney Frank & Co. The dramatically increasing valuations of housing dragged along the value of everything else, resulting in a mass euphoria. Meanwhile everything became very pricey. When the political manipulation could not hold out the actual market anymore, mere anarchy was loosed. Housing values went into free fall.
Housing starts do not create wealth any more than Obama's "spreading wealth around" creates wealth. Housing is an indicator of how optimistic people are about the future, and how much cash they feel they have right now.
Sort of like the stock market, the housing market is a thermometer of the people's general expectations. The two markets should move more of less parallel each other. But one does not control the other. They both move in accord with expectation.
Things will recover some day, once we get a responsible government. Obama's method of punishing success in the market is not the way.
~~~~~~~~
Analysis and politics
Before the housing collapse, housing got very expensive. This fueled a despising of those who owned a house before valuations became ridiculous. Those who supplied housing, i.e., builders and banks, became political targets. Obama's "spreading the wealth around" sounded plausible to a majority of the electorate.
Clearly, the economy was out of hand - someone was to blame - Someone better take the fall! Too bad the public found solace with the same Leftists who corrupted the economy in the first place.
The country lurched left - and lives were ruined. Government was called upon to redistribute everything. Only the ruling class of politicians, crass manipulators, and the bureaucratic Left benefited. They Left has no idea how national prosperity is created, and that is not their interest anyway. The Leftist vision of "economic justice" is controlling who uses product and assigning blame. The Left fatten themselves on whatever they deem theirs.
The ongoing process of Leftist "deeming" means no government budget will guide government spending. Witness the 2 years of Democrat rule. There was no budget and government tossed billions of dollars after whatever they wanted. Mostly they gave money, our money, to their political allies.
Presently grabby Obama seeks more of the same. He and his cronies will crab about "Republican tax cuts for the rich" when those cuts will work to everyone's benefit. Obama and Co will complain about ruinous cuts in government spending, when those cuts are absolutely required for prosperity.
The Leftist Democrats had no idea how much they were spending; they had no budget to guide them. It bugs the ruinous Obama and the Left that control is slipping away.
The way out of the mess is the same as always. Take the control away form government and put it back in the personal hands of the people. The method was discovered centuries ago. It is the free market. Free markets have been involved in mass suffering, because the free market is the people, the free market is us.
Freedom has never caused any suffering. Its takes a self-absorbed politician to do that.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Deception, hatred, what else?
More telegraphy from the Left
How the Left uses intimidation and brownshirt tactics in their version of sweetness and light. From an article by Caroline Glick Unmasking the ‘international community’
How the Left uses intimidation and brownshirt tactics in their version of sweetness and light. From an article by Caroline Glick Unmasking the ‘international community’
On Sunday US Congresswoman and Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann appeared on ABC News' This Week with George Stephanopolous. Towards the end of her interview, Stephanopolous informed Bachmann that she can expect the media to begin attacking her family, and specifically the 23 foster children that she and her husband cared for.
As he put it, "I know you want to shield them [the foster children] but are they prepared and are you prepared for the loss of privacy that comes with the president [sic] campaign? And is that something you are concerned about for them?"
Stephanopolous's menacing warning was notable for what it says about the nature of the leftist-dominated media. In a recent interview First Lady Michelle Obama thanked the media for protecting her family from scrutiny. Yet Stephanopoulis had no compunction about threatening Bachmann's family with a journalistic lynch mob.
And this makes sense.
As fellow leftists, the Obamas get a free ride.
As he put it, "I know you want to shield them [the foster children] but are they prepared and are you prepared for the loss of privacy that comes with the president [sic] campaign? And is that something you are concerned about for them?"
Stephanopolous's menacing warning was notable for what it says about the nature of the leftist-dominated media. In a recent interview First Lady Michelle Obama thanked the media for protecting her family from scrutiny. Yet Stephanopoulis had no compunction about threatening Bachmann's family with a journalistic lynch mob.
And this makes sense.
As fellow leftists, the Obamas get a free ride.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)