Unemployment in this country is now over 9.4%, the highest level in 27 years, with no sign of getting better. Foreclosures are at an all time high and show no sign of getting better. Real estate prices are at rock bottom with no sign of getting better. The Government and the United Auto Workers now own General Motors and Chrysler, and both companies are in bankruptcy. The national debt is projected to exceed ten trillion dollars by 2016 and the administration is trying to push through a national health care system that will not only destroy our private medical system but will add another trillion dollars to this debt.
Obama has appointed 21 "Czars" that report directly to the president and they are not accountable to any congressional oversight. This is now the most autocratic administration in this country's history with Obama and his cronies in the Executive branch trying to gain control of everything.
There are rumors of the government planning to tax medical insurance benefits, adding a 50 cent gasoline tax to replenish the bankrupt highway fund, and talk about adding a VAT which is a "value added tax" or in simple terms; a national sales tax. This would be a sales tax on everything we purchase, in addition to our local sales taxes. The Obama administration is also working on a "Cap and Trade" system to regulate and control CO2 emissions from American businesses which will add an energy tax that will affect every American, with some estimates projecting a $2-3000 per year increase in our average energy cost.
The North Koreans are threatening nuclear war and have just sentenced two innocent female American journalists to twelve years hard labor; many say this could be a death sentence for these American citizens. Obama's response has been a scolding to North Korea and desire to pursue "diplomacy". Iraq is sliding backwards and the Taliban are making significant gains in Afghanistan, and even threatening the government of (nuclear powered) Pakistan. During all this Obama travels around the world apologizing for the "conduct" of the United States and referring to his own country as a "torture nation".
So how is this "Hope and Change" working out for you?
Through all this, Obama still commands a 60 percent approval rating by the American public. My son said recently that "Americans are obsessed with style over substance", and nothing could be closer to the truth. It's sad to see a majority of the American public continue to skip down the Yellow Brick Road following an "empty suit" with a golden voice.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
"No Mas"
"No Mas" - the famous words uttered by boxer Roberto Duran during a championship fight when he could not continue to take the beating he was getting from Sugar Ray Leonard.
Voters said "No Mas" to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California state politicians yesterday in a special election designed to raise our taxes further. In an effort to pay for spiraling debt due to uncontrolled spending by politicians, six propositions were on the ballot; five were various schemes, cleverly worded to get people to accept additional fees and temporary taxes, with the politician's "promise" that it would only be for two years. But the voters saw through these scams and defeated the five propositions by a more than 60% NO vote. The final proposition was a new law that will not allow State Senators, Representatives, or the Governor to take a raise in pay during any year that the state has a deficit. That proposition passed by a whopping 70% YES vote.
Even though the state will now face a deficit of $20-30 billion, and our Governor has threatened to cut many vital programs, the voters have finally had it. In a state that is heavily Democratic and voted overwhelmingly for Obama, people are finally getting smart and realizing that whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, politicians cannot continue to spend money that they do not have. Schwarzenegger is now in Washington trying his best to get a "bailout" for California, and if he is successful the rest of the citizens in the country will have to pay for the morons we have in Sacramento who just spend without any thought of where money is coming from. In the past they knew that all they had to do was raise taxes on Californians to get more money - no more.
Let's hope the time will come when voters in the rest of the country will finally get the message and say "No Mas" to Obama and his free spending socialist administration that threatens the future of this country.
Voters said "No Mas" to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California state politicians yesterday in a special election designed to raise our taxes further. In an effort to pay for spiraling debt due to uncontrolled spending by politicians, six propositions were on the ballot; five were various schemes, cleverly worded to get people to accept additional fees and temporary taxes, with the politician's "promise" that it would only be for two years. But the voters saw through these scams and defeated the five propositions by a more than 60% NO vote. The final proposition was a new law that will not allow State Senators, Representatives, or the Governor to take a raise in pay during any year that the state has a deficit. That proposition passed by a whopping 70% YES vote.
Even though the state will now face a deficit of $20-30 billion, and our Governor has threatened to cut many vital programs, the voters have finally had it. In a state that is heavily Democratic and voted overwhelmingly for Obama, people are finally getting smart and realizing that whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, politicians cannot continue to spend money that they do not have. Schwarzenegger is now in Washington trying his best to get a "bailout" for California, and if he is successful the rest of the citizens in the country will have to pay for the morons we have in Sacramento who just spend without any thought of where money is coming from. In the past they knew that all they had to do was raise taxes on Californians to get more money - no more.
Let's hope the time will come when voters in the rest of the country will finally get the message and say "No Mas" to Obama and his free spending socialist administration that threatens the future of this country.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
GM - "Government Motors"
My first car in 1955 was a Pontiac, my second car was a Chevy, my third car was a Dodge, and my fourth car was the classic 1957 Chevy convertible - arguably the most beautiful car ever to come out of Detroit. I now drive a Dodge truck and have owned at least one American made car most of my adult life. Those days may be over.Last November I wrote a blog entitled "Let them die". Here is an excerpt from that blog:
"If I were President, I would tell the CEO's of the auto companies to pack their briefcases, go back to Detroit and solve these problems by themselves; or go bankrupt. If all three US auto companies went out of business it would be a dramatic event in the history of this country, but out of the ashes of their destruction would come a better, stronger auto industry that would be competitive with the rest of the world. Detroit's problems are all of their own making primarily as a result of ridiculous union agreements and lack of long term research.
Automakers are trying to renegotiate union agreements but the damage is done. If any of the big three go bankrupt many of those union employee pension and lifetime health benefits will be gone. Or maybe the government will give these auto workers a "bailout" too. "
Well, the government gave the auto workers more than a "bailout". In the "restructuring" that was announced today the United Auto Workers could own 55% of Chrysler and 39% of General motors. With the government owning the majority of the remaining stock in both companies, the UAW will have control of Chrysler and GM will essentially be nationalized. Incredibly, in the case of GM, common shareholders who owned 100% of the company a year ago, will now own about 1% of the company.
These plans will most likely happen whether or not the companies go through a restructuring bankruptcy. So we could have a "government owned" (nationalized) auto company and a "union owned" auto company; which raises some interesting questions:
1/ If GM (Government Motors) continues to fail and lose money, will the government subsidize their own company to keep it in business?
2/ Will the government come up with new rules like "Card Check" that could penalize the non-union companies that compete with them?
3/ With the UAW owning 55% controlling interest in Chrysler, how will they negotiate union contracts? Will the UAW majority owners decide what salaries and benefits their own union workers will get?
One has to wonder if this bailout and reorganization was not the plan all along by the Obama Administration - "Nationalize" GM (Americas largest auto manufacturer), and allow the UAW to get control of Chrysler.
I predict both of these companies will now eventually fail unless the government continues to subsidize them. They simply will not be able to compete with a private business (e.g. Post Office vs UPS or FedX).
As for me, I have bought my last GM or Chrysler automobile.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
"The Party is over"
"The Party is over"...a parable.
For us Christians today is Palm Sunday; a day that celebrates Jesus' triumphant entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey with multitudes waving palm leaves and shouting "Hosanna" (Arabic for "save us"). The bible says, "He proceeded to a temple where he drove out the merchants, knocked over the money changers tables, and began to heal the blind and the lame".
Today our Pastor gave a sermon about that week in ancient religious history. After arriving in Jerusalem to such a celebration on a Sunday, by Thursday the "party was over" with Jesus hosting the Last Supper, being tried and convicted by the Jewish High Priests, and crucified on Sunday.
To me there is a parable here. Our charismatic President arrives in Europe this past week to the celebration of thousands in Europe, all wishing for hope and change...someone to "save them". And he rose to the occasion; not healing any of the blind or lame; but in his charismatic way promising the world that he is here to turn the world economy around and return us to the days of prosperity. But even though the multitudes flocked, the "High Priests" in Europe did not buy his sermon. No, he won't be tried or convicted of anything, but after apologizing for America's "arrogance" he left Europe with nothing more than the adoration of thousands, who like many here, look at him as a savior.
The future will tell if he really is a "savior", because economically we need one. But I predict all the reckless spending in Washington and uncontrollable growth of debt will catch up to us and within a few years Obama's star will die out, and his "party will be over". Unfortunately our children and grandchildren will live with the legacy of this financial madness.
For us Christians today is Palm Sunday; a day that celebrates Jesus' triumphant entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey with multitudes waving palm leaves and shouting "Hosanna" (Arabic for "save us"). The bible says, "He proceeded to a temple where he drove out the merchants, knocked over the money changers tables, and began to heal the blind and the lame".
Today our Pastor gave a sermon about that week in ancient religious history. After arriving in Jerusalem to such a celebration on a Sunday, by Thursday the "party was over" with Jesus hosting the Last Supper, being tried and convicted by the Jewish High Priests, and crucified on Sunday.
To me there is a parable here. Our charismatic President arrives in Europe this past week to the celebration of thousands in Europe, all wishing for hope and change...someone to "save them". And he rose to the occasion; not healing any of the blind or lame; but in his charismatic way promising the world that he is here to turn the world economy around and return us to the days of prosperity. But even though the multitudes flocked, the "High Priests" in Europe did not buy his sermon. No, he won't be tried or convicted of anything, but after apologizing for America's "arrogance" he left Europe with nothing more than the adoration of thousands, who like many here, look at him as a savior.
The future will tell if he really is a "savior", because economically we need one. But I predict all the reckless spending in Washington and uncontrollable growth of debt will catch up to us and within a few years Obama's star will die out, and his "party will be over". Unfortunately our children and grandchildren will live with the legacy of this financial madness.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Gopher wars continue...
We have been invaded by gophers. We have gophers everywhere, but they mostly invade the soil around our house - in the lawn, in my wife's flower gardens, and in our small vineyard. Now it's not like these little buggers are starving. We live on 20 acres with an estimated 600-900 oak trees, so they have enough oak roots to eat from now until eternity. But I guess the gophers are looking for more culinary delights like, "root of fescue grass with topsoil", or "root of marigold", or "root of agapanthus", and the more discriminating gophers go to our vineyard where they can feast on "root of Viognier" before dinner, followed by "root of Pinot Noir" for the main course.
This is a war, but we have discovered a new weapon; "The Gopher Tool", a subsoil bait injector. The "Tool" is a clever invention; it is a long probe with handles on the upper end plus a capsule with a crank. The capsule is filled with poison bait. The probe is pushed into the ground and when you feel a sudden lack of resistance, you know the tip of the probe has entered a gopher tunnel. You then turn the crank and a small door opens at the bottom of the probe and deposits strychnine poison pellets (coated with a special tasty "gopher sauce") in the tunnel. The gophers come along, feast on this delicacy and die.
We recently ran out of the pellets, which we have been borrowing from our neighbor. He said that to get a new supply, a government permit from the Department of Agriculture was required and his permit had expired. So being a lifelong taxpayer that has never depended on the government for anything, I decided to put the government in action. So the next day I went to our local DOA office. As I walked in, it was like a morgue but I could see several people behind glass windows "hanging out" in their offices. I was the only visitor in the building. I told the receptionist I was there to get a permit to buy "Wilco Gopher Getter" poison bait pellets. She said, "You need to talk to an Agriculture Inspector for that let me see if he is available". Unfortunately he and his office mates were obviously very busy behind the glass windows and she came out to tell me that he would have to call me back, and she took my name and phone number.
So I left the DOA, and on the way home I stopped at our local Farm Supply where I know a guy, who in addition to working at the store, has a 20 acre vineyard. I told him that I was at the DOA to try and get a permit to buy bait for my "Gopher Tool" and asked him if there was anything else I could use. He said, "We have the Wilco Gopher Getter bait" and took me to a section with a full shelf of what I wanted. He then explained that the bait used by homeowners like myself includes 0.5% strychnine poison and is available off the shelf. He said the poison that requires a permit (like my neighbor had) contains 1% strychnine and is normally only used in large vineyards and agriculture fields where they spread the poison pellets and then plow them into the ground so gophers eat them while they are digging their tunnels. Isn't it nice to know that the vines that grow our grapes and the agriculture we eat is grown in soil laced with a bit of strychnine poison?
Anyway, that evening I was back in action filling those tunnels with an evening meal for all the local gophers.
A week later...
Now originally this was going to be a sarcastic blog about our incompetent government, but I received a call today from an Agriculture Biologist with the local DOA. I must admit he was professional, personable, and very accommodating. He spent a lot of time with me literally describing the physiology of gophers, how this poison bait works, and why it is regulated and is sending me a booklet on gopher control. He said I made the right decision buying the lower dose poison bait since the higher dose is only used by large agriculture operations.
So even though they were a week late in responding to my problem, my perception is that at least this small segment of our government seems to know what they are doing.
This is a war, but we have discovered a new weapon; "The Gopher Tool", a subsoil bait injector. The "Tool" is a clever invention; it is a long probe with handles on the upper end plus a capsule with a crank. The capsule is filled with poison bait. The probe is pushed into the ground and when you feel a sudden lack of resistance, you know the tip of the probe has entered a gopher tunnel. You then turn the crank and a small door opens at the bottom of the probe and deposits strychnine poison pellets (coated with a special tasty "gopher sauce") in the tunnel. The gophers come along, feast on this delicacy and die.
We recently ran out of the pellets, which we have been borrowing from our neighbor. He said that to get a new supply, a government permit from the Department of Agriculture was required and his permit had expired. So being a lifelong taxpayer that has never depended on the government for anything, I decided to put the government in action. So the next day I went to our local DOA office. As I walked in, it was like a morgue but I could see several people behind glass windows "hanging out" in their offices. I was the only visitor in the building. I told the receptionist I was there to get a permit to buy "Wilco Gopher Getter" poison bait pellets. She said, "You need to talk to an Agriculture Inspector for that let me see if he is available". Unfortunately he and his office mates were obviously very busy behind the glass windows and she came out to tell me that he would have to call me back, and she took my name and phone number.
So I left the DOA, and on the way home I stopped at our local Farm Supply where I know a guy, who in addition to working at the store, has a 20 acre vineyard. I told him that I was at the DOA to try and get a permit to buy bait for my "Gopher Tool" and asked him if there was anything else I could use. He said, "We have the Wilco Gopher Getter bait" and took me to a section with a full shelf of what I wanted. He then explained that the bait used by homeowners like myself includes 0.5% strychnine poison and is available off the shelf. He said the poison that requires a permit (like my neighbor had) contains 1% strychnine and is normally only used in large vineyards and agriculture fields where they spread the poison pellets and then plow them into the ground so gophers eat them while they are digging their tunnels. Isn't it nice to know that the vines that grow our grapes and the agriculture we eat is grown in soil laced with a bit of strychnine poison?
Anyway, that evening I was back in action filling those tunnels with an evening meal for all the local gophers.
A week later...
Now originally this was going to be a sarcastic blog about our incompetent government, but I received a call today from an Agriculture Biologist with the local DOA. I must admit he was professional, personable, and very accommodating. He spent a lot of time with me literally describing the physiology of gophers, how this poison bait works, and why it is regulated and is sending me a booklet on gopher control. He said I made the right decision buying the lower dose poison bait since the higher dose is only used by large agriculture operations.
So even though they were a week late in responding to my problem, my perception is that at least this small segment of our government seems to know what they are doing.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
"The great Obama facade"
'facade': a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect.
Today President Obama signed a budget bill that included more than 8500 "earmarks'". This was a candidate that promised he would eliminate earmarks line-by-line if he were president. Unlike all of the executive orders and bills he has signed (with much fanfare) in front of the cameras the past few months, this bill was signed in private without cameras. Later he made a short televised speech and stated that this was an "imperfect" bill, but in the future he will insist that Congress change their ways and he will clamp down on all earmarks. As I watched his head move from side-to-side reading the teleprompter during this short speech I was again amazed that this man cannot even make a short statement without reading something that was prepared for him.
Obama is the most closely managed politician I have ever seen. He seems almost incapable of speaking from his heart. He only gives interviews to friendly media. The few press conferences he has had have been ridiculous. The main stream media are his co-conspirators throwing him "softball" questions and he follows with long meaningless answers. As we have observed the past few years, "Obama says nothing better than it has ever been said before".
Even during a recent interview he made with the New York Times; when they asked him if he was a "socialist" he stumbled, and the interview had to be revised in a phone interview the next day. That next day Obama told the Times, "I thought you were kidding when you asked that socialist question". Let's be real - he didn't think they were kidding; his "handlers" knew that he got off message and immediately went into damage control.
This guy is a gifted public speaker and brilliant in front of a teleprompter, but I believe we are witnessing one of the greatest "political facades" in the history of American politics.
Today President Obama signed a budget bill that included more than 8500 "earmarks'". This was a candidate that promised he would eliminate earmarks line-by-line if he were president. Unlike all of the executive orders and bills he has signed (with much fanfare) in front of the cameras the past few months, this bill was signed in private without cameras. Later he made a short televised speech and stated that this was an "imperfect" bill, but in the future he will insist that Congress change their ways and he will clamp down on all earmarks. As I watched his head move from side-to-side reading the teleprompter during this short speech I was again amazed that this man cannot even make a short statement without reading something that was prepared for him.
Obama is the most closely managed politician I have ever seen. He seems almost incapable of speaking from his heart. He only gives interviews to friendly media. The few press conferences he has had have been ridiculous. The main stream media are his co-conspirators throwing him "softball" questions and he follows with long meaningless answers. As we have observed the past few years, "Obama says nothing better than it has ever been said before".
Even during a recent interview he made with the New York Times; when they asked him if he was a "socialist" he stumbled, and the interview had to be revised in a phone interview the next day. That next day Obama told the Times, "I thought you were kidding when you asked that socialist question". Let's be real - he didn't think they were kidding; his "handlers" knew that he got off message and immediately went into damage control.
This guy is a gifted public speaker and brilliant in front of a teleprompter, but I believe we are witnessing one of the greatest "political facades" in the history of American politics.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
"The chute didn't open"
Yesterday the auditors of General Motors reported that they have "substantial doubt" that GM will be able to survive and may go into bankruptcy. This is after GM has received $13 billion in "bailout" funds and is asking for another $17 billion.
American International Group (AIG) has received a $150 billion "bailout" and are now asking for $30 billion more.
Citi Group has received $45 billion in "bailout" funds and is asking for more. Yesterday their stock dropped to less that $1 per share from a high of $50, as experts predict their failure.
Housing foreclosures continue to increase and today the House approved a $75 billion "bailout" program that will allow homeowners in trouble to refinance at more attractive mortgage rates and longer payment terms. These "bailout" rates will in many cases be MORE attractive than the rates being paid by homeowners that have been responsible by making their mortgage payments. In addition this bill will give judges the ability to "cram down" a mortgage - in simple terms, if the irresponsible homeowner can show they have "made an effort" to redo their mortgage, the judge can cram down the interest rate and possibly even the principle of the mortgage to ease their payments and keep them in the home. So if Obama eventually signs this bill, a judge may have the power to legally break a contract and decide that an irresponsible homeowner does not have to pay the price they agreed to when they bought the home. This stupid "cram down" provision will never work because lawsuits will stop much of this program and attorneys will get rich while the courts decide if this latest "bailout" is constitutional.
After throwing billions of dollars at these failing companies and bad mortgages, these "bailouts" have failed and our economy is falling like a skydiver whose chute did not open.
I am an advocate of letting market forces work; looking back here is something interesting - Bear Stearns was given no "bailout" money and they were allowed to fail. The market worked, the economy absorbed that business failure, and it is behind us. But we were told: "AIG is too big to fail". Could it be because AIG insures the Congressional Pension Plans? Most experts agree that one way or another AIG will fail or be broken up and us taxpayers will take it on the chin again...but what the hell, it's only $180 billion.
The stock market is a predictor of the future and it continues to plummet. The market has lost 3000 points since the Obama administration took over - the worst stock market performance for a new President in more than 100 years. Investors are standing on the sidelines wondering when the market will reach bottom. In my opinion it will reach bottom and start to turn around when our President and our moronic politicians in Washington stop the spending madness and say; "NO MORE BAILOUTS". The pain may be great, but the economy will recover and the country will be stronger. And after all, how could the economy get much worse?
American International Group (AIG) has received a $150 billion "bailout" and are now asking for $30 billion more.
Citi Group has received $45 billion in "bailout" funds and is asking for more. Yesterday their stock dropped to less that $1 per share from a high of $50, as experts predict their failure.
Housing foreclosures continue to increase and today the House approved a $75 billion "bailout" program that will allow homeowners in trouble to refinance at more attractive mortgage rates and longer payment terms. These "bailout" rates will in many cases be MORE attractive than the rates being paid by homeowners that have been responsible by making their mortgage payments. In addition this bill will give judges the ability to "cram down" a mortgage - in simple terms, if the irresponsible homeowner can show they have "made an effort" to redo their mortgage, the judge can cram down the interest rate and possibly even the principle of the mortgage to ease their payments and keep them in the home. So if Obama eventually signs this bill, a judge may have the power to legally break a contract and decide that an irresponsible homeowner does not have to pay the price they agreed to when they bought the home. This stupid "cram down" provision will never work because lawsuits will stop much of this program and attorneys will get rich while the courts decide if this latest "bailout" is constitutional.
After throwing billions of dollars at these failing companies and bad mortgages, these "bailouts" have failed and our economy is falling like a skydiver whose chute did not open.
I am an advocate of letting market forces work; looking back here is something interesting - Bear Stearns was given no "bailout" money and they were allowed to fail. The market worked, the economy absorbed that business failure, and it is behind us. But we were told: "AIG is too big to fail". Could it be because AIG insures the Congressional Pension Plans? Most experts agree that one way or another AIG will fail or be broken up and us taxpayers will take it on the chin again...but what the hell, it's only $180 billion.
The stock market is a predictor of the future and it continues to plummet. The market has lost 3000 points since the Obama administration took over - the worst stock market performance for a new President in more than 100 years. Investors are standing on the sidelines wondering when the market will reach bottom. In my opinion it will reach bottom and start to turn around when our President and our moronic politicians in Washington stop the spending madness and say; "NO MORE BAILOUTS". The pain may be great, but the economy will recover and the country will be stronger. And after all, how could the economy get much worse?
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