This is the thread for the week of March 1 – March 7, 2009 issues and comments about our broken government.
We have a real crisis in our government, this is not just a financial crisis any more. The media no longer pretends that things are getting better. According to CNN survey 86% of Americans believe the US government is broken.
President Obama was ill-equipped to handle the magnitude and the complexities of this financial crisis. He did not even prioritize his first year effectively to stop and reverse job losses and foreclosures which are now crippling state and local governments. Four week average of jobless claims (smooths out volatility) rose 6,000 to 473,750 as of this writing. Job losses are getting bigger, not smaller. Many governors are predicting their budget problems will get worse, resulting in lay-offs, and status would be no better next year. Crime will increase because police departments have to lay-off officers, and many more problems will affect cities and states which have to cut services adding to ranks of the unemployed. Jobs lost like dominos falling.
If you read the news, rather than personally experiencing them like Michelle Obama does, then you have to draw the conclusion that Obama can’t solve any of this. The only thing he can do is talk. The country is in worse shape today than a year ago. There is reason to believe we will have a second and much deeper down turn in our economy. Even weather is not cooperating for Obama, massive snow fall has closed roads in the east, preventing people from driving to working.
These two videos cover some of the reasons why our government is broke and why too many of our citizens are suffering and frustrated: Voter frustration and Homeless and hungry
Michelle is promoting herself by speaking about obesity – 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese. But she is ignoring the fact that 1 in 4 children are at risk going to bed hungry tonight. Her project does not cover the crucial first 4-5 years of a baby’s life. Without proper nutrition these children will not develop to their full potential. Lack of proper nutrition during those early years can result in irreversible brain damage during brain development, learning disabilities, physical and medical problems.
Obama campaigned with the promise not to name lobbyist for any position in his government. He lied. The nation is polarized by the red/blue divide which at times breaks out to show the worst in our law-abiding citizens. The liberal democrats believe it is our moral responsibility to take care of people. The rest believe we cannot help anyone if the country is bankrupt. Earmarks are still hidden in 1000 page bills. Banks are still failing, and FDIC has already ran out of money. The capabilities of the Federal Reserve are maxxed out and they sit on a pile of toxic mortgage backed securities.
Obama wants unions to control labor while unions have been one reason the US auto industry could not compete with foreign car makers whose legacy costs are but a fraction of what our car makers have to pay. GM legacy costs to retired employees are around $6 billion per year. GM has more than 2 retired employees for each active employee. GM pension fund deficit stands at $18 billion.
Automakers face growing deficits as funds bring lower rates of return
My readers educated me about the link between our government and Google. What role does Google play in our government? Is Google the name of our big brother?
During the 2008 presidential campaign only Barack Obama, Sam Brownback and Ron Paul promised to implement the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. Now that Obama has shown us his true agenda, we can assume Obama and Ron Paul had entirely different reasons for wanting to complete the task.
President Obama and Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma co-sponsored a bill together when Obama was in the Senate, a transparency bill known as “Google for Government.” Obama chose Google for this task. If you look at the search engines on Obama loving media, like CNN, the site is searched using Google.
Now Google has married Wiki and produced an offspring, the full wiki, which allows wiki information to be linked with Google maps. And here I thought the Microsoft was the Evil Empire.
We live in the information age. He who controls information has power. Who wanted to control the 2010 Census? Information is worth more than money. Dictators and despots have always collected information and used it against the people.
And I found this PDF document:
Based on CEO speech sponsored by the New America Foundation
Eric Schmidt speech: What’s ahead in 2009
Technology, Economic Growth & Open Government
Priorities for 2009
21st Century Infrastructure
- Create more broadband Internet competition
- Increase broadband penetration
- Protect an open Internet
Smart Energy
- Reduce demand through efficiency
- Develop renewable energy
- Deploy smart electric grids
- Electrify transportation
Innovation
- Protecting the balance in copyright law.
- Enact patent reform legislation.
- Invest in research & development.
Education & Workforce
- Improve math and science education.
- Recruit highly-skilled teachers.
- Increase H-1B visas.
Open & Accountable Government
- Make government information accessible.
- Make government information useful.
- Increase citizen participation.
© Copyright 2008. Google is a trademark of Google Inc.
Why has Google – a search engine company – written a document suggesting electric cars as the priority for 2009?
These are some of the issues we have to face – with a broken government that is not working for the people – they are working for big corporations. And Obama is working really hard for the unions. He will need their money in a year or two.
We are left to hope for big changes in senate and congress during this worst winter of our discontent. And we have to work hard: let’s move the Obama’s out of the White House in 2012!
Birdettes,
Here we can vent our frustrations on real issues also. There is no light in the tunnel of recovery, and nothing that “we can feel” as meaning we are getting out of this anytime soon, with people going back to work.
I’m not sure what you want to discuss but this is a starting place. I’d love you all to discuss your pet topics related to the current crisis. Obama is still spending his days on health care while another 2 million people lost their jobs during the last 30 days.
It looks so bad… maybe big banks have recovered, but the people, states, cities, and soup kitchens are in much worse shape now than a year ago.
And we are getting to a point that we can now start pointing the finger at Obama. He promised all things to mankind but all he has to show for his precidency so far is his Nobel Peace Prize and we have no clue what he did with his cash.
His Obamanomics is in paralysis. Or does he even have a clue about economics? I’d say no, he is just a politician with some training in community organizing. That has come handy for him during his town hall meetings.
Looks like the Waxman-Boxer Bill and the House Bill on cap and trade will be rejected. Senate wants to block the EPA as well.
Reality setting in? Maybe
Forgot link
http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politics/1453-helter-skelton-key-lawmaker-reverses-on-climate-action
Great news, Lynn! Out of Obama’s agenda has anything been successful? It was the most childish thing for him to sign the exec order to close Guantanamo on his first few days in office without knowing any facts. He missed that deadline and does not know now when it will be closed. AZ has many prisons for sale – He should ask Janet which one would be the best! We are in a hole for $3 billion, we are worse off than CA thanks to Janet Napolitano.
I just hope we have a huge Chicago style scandal and get out of this before 2012.
The Walpin scandal is resurfacing. It involves Holder and the WH (Obama).
Check is out:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/economists-warn-financial-us-economy/story?id=9990828
The most ethical congress evah!!
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZWE5N2ExODNkMTllYThhOWQ0ODg4ZGM3M2YyYWFjZjk=
Public/local government backlash is starting to build against the union across the country. It’ll be a tough fight, but one worth fighting.
PLEASE take the time to read or listen. Gov. Christie paints a road map to recovery.
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/03/governor-christie-time-to-hold-hands.html
I posted below. In case you don’t scroll down, it’s a piece that shouldn’t be missed.
Birdie,
Banks are closing, 600 since the beginning of the year. Citigroup is now saying they will limit withdrawals. It’s not looking good for any of us.
At today’s health summit, McCain had the right idea about special interests getting exemptions from healthcare, Unions, and states getting preferential treatment, FL, NO, NB. Rep Paul Ryan laid out the smoke and mirrors in the Dem plan, I love that man and hope to be able to vote for him as Pres some day.
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/02/rep-paul-ryan-r-wi-washington-doesnt-have-all-the-answers-video/
I left some links concerning unions on another thread for your perusal. (Michelle hugs Harry)
Lynn, Thank you for the links! Paul Ryan sounds so good and after him, Obama comes on stuttering and can’t speak without his teleprompters, and all Obama is trying to sayis give someone else time to speak. I hope many voters who are on the fence about Obama watch the summit. Obama is a total control freak.
I totally agree, Paul Ryan would make a great president: he can speak, he is very articulate and knows what he is saying and makes perfect sense. And on top of that he is young and handsome. The GOP has to come up with someone as youthful as Obama. He makes Obama look like healthcare bully.
I have not read or seen much about him but I have a feeling Paul Ryan is like a handsome young version of Ron Paul – is he? The names have about the same letters and Y is for “young” LOL And I just love Ron Paul but he does not come across presidential. It’s really sad that today a president has to look and sound like a TV news anchor.
Birdy, you are right in sensing a darkening mood and deepening frustration. 2 wars and persistent, growing unemployment. Obama’s first year agenda should have been simple: jobs. And yet he persists in pursuing wholesale, radical reform. We can only conclude that he is intentionally destroying the economy and country. We absolutely are witnessing hardship and suffering in our community. Extremely tough business environment and job market. Obama is a disaster, plain and simple. I’m shocked by the arrogance and complete lack of leadership. I thought we saw his true colors on display today: petty, arrogant, nasty, dangerous.
That’s my rant for the day!
The destruction is intentional. No doubt in my mind about that at all.
And I suspect this financial crisis was intentionally manufactured by the Democrats. If you look who stopped all pleas for reviews and new control measures of Freddie and Fannie we can blame only the democrats.
On the other post you wrote (brilliantly as usual) what kind of jobs Obama wants our country to have. He needs banks, insurance and investment broker and these were bailed out. I think the auto industry was given anything only because of they had workers under labor union control. This is a deliberate process to eliminate the independent “ungovernable” middle class who can think for themselves and take care of themselves. The boomers retirement funds got hit, and boomers have to support their own kids who can’t find work even with their good college degrees. I know several boomers who are spending their retirement savings trying to keep their kids world from a total financial and emotional collapse. That is just one way to make people with money to spread the wealth.
Oh yes. “spread the wealth” would include a lot of entitlement, mostly to minorities.
Absolutely intention. The dem “old guard” in the congress has had bits and pieces of the HC bill on the back burner since Clinton’s failure.
Obama? I saw a 2 comments before he won–”he’s nothing but a hood ornament”, and ” he’s the errand boy for the grocery store clerks.”
Who owns the store?
I’ve never observed such a lazy POTUS and one that lacks all the sensibilities for a successful presidency. As much as Bush 2 wanted to reform social security, with a GOP majority in congress, after push back from the public/minority in congress, he dropped it.
It’s like Obama does not get it. Is he expecting the job losses to continue and he feels he can’t do anything about it? His labor unions are going to choke this country like they did with the Bid 3.
Good news of the day.
Two bills failed in the House. One of them Had a “sneak amendment” on torture added by Louise Slaughter to the Intelligence Bill. She’s the a**hat who talked about teeth at the health care conference. It’s all falling apart now, the bill was pulled from the floor.
ROFL! I missed too many comments during last week.
It’s exactly what he wants.
Public/local government backlash is starting to build against the union across the country. It’ll be a tough fight, but one worth fighting.
PLEASE take the time to read or listen. Gov. Christie paints a road map to recovery.
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/03/governor-christie-time-to-hold-hands.html
Majority thinks the gov is a threat to rights. I agree with the majority.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/26/cnn-poll-majority-says-government-a-threat-to-citizens-rights/?fbid=6hN6vP0r4Qa
The government Obama wants is totalitarian.
More from the Senate.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100226/ap_on_go_co/us_unemployment_benefits
This proves my point.
The Unions get their payback for campaign money. O doesn’t even try to hide it anymore.
President Obama named SEIU Chairman and close associate Andy Stern to his deficit panel today.
The Hill reported:
Other appointees include Alice Rivlin, former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ann Fudge, former CEO of Young and Rubicam Brands, and Dan Cote, CEO of Honewell. Obama had previously named former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) and Clinton official Erskine Bowles to co-chair the group, which wil make recommendations for reducing the nation’s long-term debt.
The choice of Stern is already drawing fire from business groups.
The Workforce Fairness Institute, which has steadfastly opposed major labor legislation supported by SEIU, blasted the decision in a statement Friday morning.
“Either the White House doesn’t read the newspaper or simply doesn’t care, but naming Andy Stern as a member of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility doesn’t pass the laugh test,” said Katie Packer, the group’s executive director.
…doesn’t pass the laugh test!
LMOA!!
This could be turned to a reality TV show to pay off our national debt. Everyone chip in a $1/day to see the latest on how badly he is doing.
Oh good, they made the jobless benefits available.
and now from the housing market,
In other news, losses are mounting for the federal mortgage giant Freddie Mac, which warns that another wave of foreclosures is coming. The new losses seem likely to increase the taxpayer-covered liability for Fannie and Freddie past the $200 billion dollar mark.
Gates of Vienna
I don’t think Freddie and Fannie are my son’s problem, it’s Obama ReFi Buckaroos Scam…backstory…
He bought a house during the bubble in a Ft. Lauderdale gated community (oh yeah, la-di-dah) because his BANK talked him into an interest only loan….so he could buy a MORE EXPENSIVE house. LOng STory short, 6 years later, his home is worth about 200k less than his mortgage and he has no EQUITY ! And a 75k bubble payment is due this year.
Good Mom that I am….I sent him all the great Obama Money Links available for sh*tty home mortgage loan sharks that preyed on idiot (yeah, my kid) homebuyers during the bubble… (he just had twin babies at the time, wifey and he desperate for a safer, more secure neighborhood, he’s an air marshall, NEVER home)….Obama Bucks don’t apply to him, looks like he makes too much money?
Obama’s found the Catch-22 for the middle class.
I am so sorry. It all stinks to high heaven. I have never trusted the mortgage brokers, they’re all crooked. Those balloon mortgages are the worst. He should see a mean lawyer
Good article on PJ media about the Toyota witch hunt. Seems eerily similar to a war on GM several years ago:
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/looking-for-ghosts-in-toyotas-machines/
Good catch. They’ll be after Ford next.
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=131622
GM recall for steering problems. 1.3 million problems
That’s too bad… I wonder how much red ink they get from that one. Did they respond to the problems soon enough, not looking like Toyota.
Not to worry, no red ink there. Taxpayers own it and taxpayers will fix it. Thanks to Obama who guarantees that one.
So Obama running GM has now caused a recall.
I can’t wrap my mind around this. We put the 99% dead companies on life support, while we have millions of citizens homeless and hungry.
It looks so bad from here – I live in what has been called the Sonoran Desert way before Michelle was born – we have healthy food in the stores but I see fewer people shopping all over in comparison to January/early February. Once the holiday rush was over I saw just a few cars in the parking lots. We have good weather so it’s people just not buying. Prices are too high for food even I complain.
Uh oh, Bernanke is letting Congress in on anew reality.
http://reason.com/blog/2010/02/26/bernanke-to-congress-you-are-g
Bernanke has been good, or at least based from where we are now. We thought Alan Greenspan was OK but we can blame him partially for the crisis by keeping rates too low.
The Congress will not be able to deal with that. How long did they have to work on a $10 billion jobless extension?
Even if we get all new reps in Congress for the seats up for a vote,it will take a long time before the new people will learn the ropes.
and here comes the pushback from Congress on terror trials.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_security_usa_trials
That makes Onama look likea fool.
“no dangerous terrorists imported into this country, where they will have the same rights as American citizens.” If they bring them here to USA it’s like directing all Haz Mat trucks to drive thru Main Street.
And no citizenship to illegal aliens. We really have to set some ground rules for these liberals – they have no common sense.
Coast Guard cuts coming. TSA bloated to get even more so
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/83973-obamas-coast-guard-cuts-a-recipe-for-disaster-rep-john-mica
Gack Lynn…..he’s disolved the Space Program as we know it, now the Coast Guard ?!?
TSA must be union? OK, I can’t get my brain wrapped around this right now…..the guy is nuts.
Oh yes, gov employees union.
http://goooh.com/home.aspx
Interesting concept.
Lynn, WOW thank you for the link!
They sound like they thought thru the system and most likely that could become reality. THAT would be great! Hope! CHANGE!
Here we go again. The rest of the story on the Andy Stern appt to the Deficit Committee
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/03/02/video-the-partys-just-about-over-for-unions/
The union pensions are similar in many ways to the Social Security and Medicare entitlement disasters looming for the US. Unions have repeatedly raided pension funds on the assumption that growth in membership would allow them to eventually cover all of the commitments to its beneficiaries. They need Card Check as a means to force millions of workers to start contributing to their Ponzi-scheme structures to stave off utter collapse.
Yid with Lid has some interesting data on this problem:
Should these pension plans collapse its curtains for the Union Leaders and it would not be the best recruiting tool for the labor movement in general.
How bad off are the union pension plans? The best single indicator of a plan’s financial health is its Funding Percentage. A fully funded plan will have a funding percentage of 100%. A plan is underfunded when the percentage is below 100%. The lower the percentage, the greater the risk that benefits will not be available when they come due.
According to the Pension Protection Act of 2006 multi-employer (plans set through unions and company sponsors) plans are evaluated via their funding levels. To ensure retiree benefits are protected, when a multiemployer plan falls below certain funding levels, stronger funding requirements become effective under provisions of the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Plans whose funding levels are below 80% are referred to as “endangered,” while those below 65% are referred to as “critical.”
The SEIU National Industry pension fund is right at the 65% mark. The Newspaper Guild’s plan is at 62.8%, which is interesting in that newspapers seem uninterested in reporting on the problem. Sheet Metal Workers National is only funded to 38%.
If one wants to understand the desperation of Andy Stern and his allies in the Democratic Party to push Card Check — and to eliminate the secret ballot for workers in organizing elections — one need only look at the multitude of pension funds in critical condition. That also applies to union efforts to expand the federal government, which would mean a greater demand for workers paying dues to unions like SEIU and AFSCME (the latter of which doesn’t appear to have these kind of pension issues). It’s also no great surprise that the White House has been pushing to favor union-shop bids in federal contracting, for the same reasons.
These pension fund problems are like the third wave to hit soon as fewer workers support more retirees.
I worked for a company that actually put our pension money in a separate trust, run by a Wall Street institution. So our pension funds were fully funded until this financial crisis with stocks crashing.
The leading edge of the boomers are retiring. I think the Social Security solution has to be limiting benefits by income and/or assets. I’m sure that would cause an outcry but is it better if those who really need the money can’t get the amount they were banking on? These people will end up on welfare of some type if their “benefits” are cut. Or are we planning on kicking old people to the streets? Right now a lot of boomers are doing double duty AND working full time: caring for their aging parents and their grown unemployed children.
Benefits are called that because the employer pays them, not the employee. If employees were to invest part of their pay into a retirement program, we would all be better off. To make up for downsizing in mfg., prices for items we buy have to increase. Like with the Auto industry. It is unsustainable to keep asking employers and the rest of us to pay for the increasing benefits. I blame the union leaders for this. They encouraged the rank and file to demand more and more from employers in the form of benefits instead of contributing to their own retirement. We have become a country of freebies on demand. Turning SS into a government slush fund is another problem the Dems have caused. They have spent that money meant for retirement on other social programs. That is the very reason for the shortfall.
Absolutely, nothing has been done right, especially the last decade has been totally wrong in every way. What totally shocked me about FDIC running out of money because they had not collected a fair share “insurance” payment from the huge banks because “they were too big to fail”. And even now we are not getting the oversight in financial matters that we need because of banks lobbying against it.
And Dodd is the one drafting the new rules? He was one of the pols collecting most money from the banks and AIG.
For those of you doing your own retirement investing, I have a suggestion. State bonds, which can yield up to 7% income. Some yield more, but the average is 5%-7%. If you invest in the state you live in, the income is tax-free. For saving for retirement, invest in bonds and roll the income back into more bonds. By the time you retire, you should have a nice little nest egg that will give a nice income, tax-free. That way the only taxes you will have to pay on income are the ones on your Social Security, which would be minimal. And best of all, you will be investing in and supporting your local infrastructure.
A good idea, the rates may even go higher in states which are in financial trouble now. I don’t think states can declare bankruptcy and the bonds to be worth nothing.
My grandparents kept their capital intact during the Depression with state bonds. The thing about state bonds is that even if the state can’t afford to pay the full yield at the time it is due, and they pay a reduced amount, they still owe you the difference. And they pay up when times get better. Also, your yield may be less in hard times, but your capital value, ie. the bonds worth, remains the same. So you may not get as much out of them during hard times due to the state’s lack of funds, but what you don’t get paid is owed to you and is paid when the state gets the funds available. That debt is first in line to be paid, before any others. And in the end, you have as much capital, ie. money, as you started with. Can’t say that about the stock market!!
Which party passed the Pension Protection Act of 2006?
The unions are going to fall under their own weight..It never made sense to me that some high school drop out auto worker could make 75000 a year,while a teacher made 35000. Add to that, they were retiring at 50 with most of their pay, and free Cadillac health care for life..No wonder the Big Three couldn’t cope..and no wonder cars cost so much more than they are worth. I don’t begrudge anyone making a living wage, but the auto unions were the tail wagging the dog, for years..Naturally, their executives were also overpaid, you couldn’t have a management person making the same as a production person..how emabarassing!
And the beat goes on…..
They’re going to fix that, don’t you know.
Andy Stern on how our new economics will work out for the benefit of (ahem) all.
http://www.breitbart.tv/obamas-new-fiscal-responsibility-commissioner-andy-stern-loves-redistributing-wealth-and-global-government/
Conner, it is a mess, like cutting your own throat. And did you read about the legacy cost for US made cars vs. Japanese cars? $2000/US car and $200/Japanese car ~ a few years back. I think things are worse now.
Also the sales per dealership showed the foreign dealers sell 2 or 3 times as many cars as US dealers.
Every way you look at it, the US car companies are not competetive. We used to buy Fords, Chevys, Pontiacs, minivans to support the US manufactures, we never even looked at the foreign makes. But I drive a Honda today, it’s been the most reliable car I have had.
This one made me chuckle.
The owners or operators of about 20 sight-seeing aviation companies and flight schools estimated today that they lost about $200,000 in revenue when their operations were substantially restricted or shut down altogether during President Obama’s Christmas vacation here.
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2010/03/after-obama-vacation-hawaii-businesses-seek-200k-in-damages.html
O just wrecks everything he’s near.
I believe the loss of business after watching how they shut down a good portion of Times Square on a Saturday night for their date night. Many restaurants, bars and shops were in the security zone and customers couldn’t get to them….from about 4pm til midnight.
I know security’s an issue and want them to be safe…..wish they’d take advantage of the Kennedy Center nearby…..they have security built in for them and plays as good as anything on Broadway.
Wasn’t their anniversary dinner a 12 car motorcade that traveled less than a minute to their table? How many shops shut down in Foggy Bottom that night??
Oh, the hypocrisy! Not to mention 344 parties for the “people” (if you’re a donor) in a year. What crass numskulls they are.
I get madder at them everytime I re-watch The American President. I wanted Andrew Shepherd for my President during Bush, and I want him more now for Obama.
Would be nice if there was one out there like that. One of these days we’ll find one good enough for us.
and take more advantage of Camp David. Everyone else in office did out of consideration for the public. Privacy if they want it, family and social gatherings with friends. I don’t understand why MO has to have a big spectacle all the time. O either.
Talk about broken. Look at some of the reasons for our fiscal mess.
http://dailycaller.com/2010/03/01/gao-chief-says-government-wastes-98-billion-a-year-on-improper-payments/
and video on hearings of Fannie and Freddie
http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=Maxine+Waters+on+Fannie+and+Freddie&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701&vid=0001319739516
More on the backroom deals for Dems with Fannie and Freddie
http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=Jamie+Gorelick+on+Fannie+and+Freddie&n=21&ei=utf-8&fr=yfp-t-701&tnr=21&vid=0001597809421
You have no idea how much this upsets me.
Obama say “bipartisanship” on healthcare overhaul
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100302/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul
“Blabby Fingers” at it again. LOL!!
Don’t apologize, love your enthusiasm Lynn!
Name them and shame them to the world. It’s become a passion with me to do whatever I can to stop the socialist takeover of our country.
From the dailybeast.com
“To understand why the Rangel scandals are so dangerous for Democrats, you need to understand something about midterm landslides: They’re usually composed of three parts. First, the other party’s activists are highly motivated. Second, your own activists are highly unmotivated. Third, independents want to burn Washington to the ground.”
Sounds about right. The Indies are such cynics and less ideological. They have a tendency to want all the bums thrown out LOL!
I live in Allan Boyd’s district, he usually runs unopposed. There is a HUGE sign down the road from my house, right on the main highway for this end of the county, that says,
“Uncle Sam says:
Save the USA from Bankruptcy
FIRE CONGRESS!”
I will try to get a pic of it with my phone next time I go by there. It’s an expression of local rage against what is going on in DC. And for the local farmers to get that upset, it takes a lot, quite a lot. I grin every time I see it. I hope signs like that spring up all over the country.
I’ve heard of quite a few. LOL
Now they understand “shock and awe”
Not all of our country is broken.
This proves it. For them Honor is everything.
http://bearcreekledger.com/2010/02/22/not-all-of-d-c-was-shut-down-10-days-ago/
Thank you for addressing this.
There are so many things about Obama. Sometimes it seems that they are going waaaay out of their way to shock and anger people. Like appointing the Union person to work on debt????And persuing the health care thing rather than jobs. I am afraid that they have no fear of us, and plan to use the unions and Acorn to stay in power. The corruption and non tax paying -it is almost like a bad joke. And they hide behind the racist card. Anyone who complains is a racist.
jj’
Don’t let the racist meme get to you. It’s just cover to be used when one has zero facts to discuss. Tell anyone who says that you have never purchased anyone to be farm equipment. Libs aren’t going out of their way to shock people, it’s who they are. O and MO are just the culmination of their socialistic beliefs.
jj ~ do you watch/listen to Glenn Beck? He agrees with you !
lynn ~ again, spot on. DC is broken.
Glenn Beck has done a great job of waking America up to the danger we are in, but I get frustrated when he refuses to entertain certain questions. It seems to me that a refusal of Obama to produce his birth certificate, grades, passport,transcripts, etc. just set the stage for the whole sham we are going through. After that we were not to question how Geitner could at the same time be the only person smart enough to get us out of the debt crisis while being too inept to figure out Turbo Tax. We were not to question anything about anything. And reducing everything to “birthers” means if you question anything about this administration you are a “birther”. I think his grades and choice of classes, how he paid for his education, how he went abroad during his college years, etc. could tell us a lot, but those questions as well as the answers to them are off the table as soon as you are labeled a birther.
His legal team has spent a million to keep any and all information concerning his background out of the press.
I’m not a birther, his mom was an American citizen and so is he, but I do know sealing ther relevant material is shady.
Re: the banks–I heard a comment last night that most of them have stopped being banks and have become predators.
Until there is complete transparency from the Fed this problem will only continue. They continue to wallpaper over their dealings. Ron Paul seems to be the only rep calling them out. He needs support on this and let the chips fall where they may.
Predators is right! Some have jacked up interest rates to 36%.
Charlie Rangle!! What a mess.
Leno and Sarah smashed Letterman and Romney in the late night ratings!
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/03/03/leno-with-palin-beats-letterman-badly-again-on-night-two/43706
Just thought I drop this off
More suggestions from academia on how to tax the “smug little people”
Fuel Taxes Must Rise, Harvard Researchers Say
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
To meet the Obama administration’s targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, some researchers say, Americans may have to experience a sobering reality: gas at $7 a gallon.
To reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector 14 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, the cost of driving must simply increase, according to a forthcoming report by researchers at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
The 14 percent target was set in the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget for fiscal 2010.
In their study, the researchers devised several combinations of steps that United States policymakers might take in trying to address the heat-trapping emissions by the nation’s transportation sector, which consumes 70 percent of the oil used in the United States.
Most of their models assumed an economy-wide carbon dioxide tax starting at $30 a ton in 2010 and escalating to $60 a ton in 2030. In some cases researchers also factored in tax credits for electric and hybrid vehicles, taxes on fuel or both.
In the modeling, it turned out that issuing tax credits could backfire, while taxes on fuel proved beneficial.
“Tax credits don’t address how much people use their cars,” said Ross Morrow, one of the report’s authors. “In reverse, they can make people drive more.”
Dr. Morrow, formerly a fellow at the Belfer Center, is a professor of mechanical engineering and economics at Iowa State University
If the EPA will set the rules it’s going to hurt our economy. The working poor can’t afford $7/gallon. They have old cars making fewer MGS. And the working poor could not afford to benefit from a “cash for clunkers” deal.
Why would it matter if electric or hybrid cars would be driven more? It’s not like the tax breaks would be based on miles driven. Any tax credits should be limited to buying these vehicles, not driving them. If I use a bike to get around, can I stop paying my taxes altogether?
Couple things the libs always neglect when hyping electric and hybrids. 1) Electric cars still require energy and there are a whole host of associated issues; 2) the batteries in hybrids represent a huge environmental conundrum that they’ve not addressed -elephants in the room.
Re: taxes, Birdy, I totally am making choices that don’t give the gov’t any more of my $$. Example -MO has a hefty personal property tax on vehicles. My solution: drive old cars. Of course every where they’re dreaming up fees, taxes to breathe, exist.
Furthermore, bio-fuels are creating a world wide food shortage. The most helpless are being hurt by this mess, the children of the world.
Yep, and further, re: biofuels, it is hugely energy intense to conduct the farming and harvesting to produce fuels like ethanol. We’re deep in corn country here and, while enjoying the bounty $$ from recent corn boom, think ethanol is a boondoggle. No easy answers, and the ding dongs making policy just want bumper sticker solutions (that cost and cost -us).
I agree, if the soild can produce food it should grow food. There are various alternatives to make diesel. The is on type of algae that makes pretty close to pure biodiesel and the rest if food for cattle or for recycling. The initial cost is high because the algae has to be grown in containers and getting the biodiesel out of it requires some work. The beauty of this is that the country has huge numbers of diesel engines (18 wheelers, farm equipment, industrial engines, ships) and we might as well keep using them.
The algae grows in water and sun. So places like the deserts of the Soughtwest are ideal places to do this. These places can’t support any other purpose, not so far. Huge solar power plants are also popping up. I am really interestin this algae process – sounds super cool. And if I remember right this biodiesel burn clean, Diesel is the cheapest and dirtiest fuel out there, and it would be great if those engines would use biodiesel instead.
The planet will struggle to feed the people in another few decades.
From the Daily Caller
Going in, all the platitudes were in place. The summit was an opportunity to work together—to hear all sides and choose the best ideas from both parties. Then, the president threw a childish hissy fit at Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), exposing the phony nature of the event with three caustic words: “The election’s over.” The president wasn’t there to listen, he was there to dictate.
Unfortunately for Obama, what ended up on television was hours of video featuring a petulant, self-important, lecturer scolding those he views as inferior. Perhaps he blames them for the year-long failure of his agenda, or simply deems them responsible for the Obamacare debacle, but his disdain for the assembled congressmen was palpable. The president’s nose-in-the-air demeanor was captured by an unforgiving camera and broadcast to millions of viewers. Someone needs to tell the commander in chief that body language isn’t just a goofy segment on “The O’Reilly Factor,” because the attitude is unflattering, painfully obvious, and one of the reasons his poll numbers take a nosedive every time he opens his mouth.
The other reason is that, despite being assured that they overwhelmingly support the president’s initiatives, the politically aware are just not on board with the big-government cause. They spent an entire year making that fact clear to all but the most willfully ignorant. In fact, 24 hours after the summit, as if to drive the point home, a CNN/Opinion Research poll revealed that 56 percent of Americans believe “the federal government’s become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens.”
After more than a year of “hope and change,” almost 60 percent of Americans feel their own government is the enemy. Lest you think only the right believes this, the number includes a whopping 63 percent of independents—the very people who’ve been given the dubious honor of having placed Obama in power.
Well, at least the Indies finally got their heads out of their nether regions
That is a very good read..facts finally, no sugar coated BS.
“The election’s over.” and how many other times has he said the same thing implying that he won, and that he rules. I sure hope the American people are sick of him by 2012.
We took our eye off the ball and got complacent. I blame Americans for that one. We should have paid attention to what Congress was doing a lot more then we did. Complacency got us to this and engagement will get us out. I wish I had spoken up a lot sooner.
http://dailycaller.com/2010/03/01/white-house-contracting-proposal-could-have-big-impact-on-construction-industry/
Supporters of the proposal, including organized labor and progressive think tanks such as the Center for American Progress, have lobbied the administration to leverage the government’s buying power to raise wages and labor standards across the U.S. economy. They argue many workers on federal contracts have incomes below the poverty level and cost the government more through programs such as food stamps and Medicaid.
According to one draft of the proposal obtained by The Daily Caller, companies seeking to do business with the federal government would be evaluated by a central office that would assign a score based on contractor’s compensation of its entire labor force, not just the workers on the federal contracts.
Every agency would also have a labor standards advocate who would have the discretion to change a company’s score based on their intent to comply with the new standards. Industry groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have argued this process will become a de facto screening for unionized companies.
Just in case no one knows, the government already requires us to pay prevailing wage to all persons working.
Our laborers make 11.34 per hr
Carpenters make 18-24 per hour
Master carpenters average 35- 45 per hour.
These are gov guidelines for prevailing wages
Union laborers are paid 9-10 per hour
Carpenters 12-16 per hour
Master carpenters 28-32 per hour
Non-union shops and workers make more to pay their own healthcare and benefits and do not have to pay union dues.
Average union dues per month are $250 to $350. Tell me which one is the better employer.
That’s amazing. I don’t quite understand how the unions rule companies. Why can’t any company hire the best qualified candidate weather they belong to a union or not?
There was a time for unions when the country had a few huge companies controlling a large share of the economic output. But today we have internal competition within the USA, and of course now a whole lot of competion with foreign companies and foreign labor, and outsourcing. The unions are not required. The best companies get and keep the best workers. It’s how capitalism is supposed to work. But here we have had the worst of two worlds: capitalists colelction huge salaries and bonuses for the risks they took in business while not spreading much of it to anyone, and when they lost their their bets the economy turned to socialism to spread the losses.
“The best companies get and keep the best workers.”
Yes, they do. The ethical companies get the business. It’s how the bad and depraved are weeded out in a capitalist work environment.
I’ve had the pleasure of overhearing my guys argue with other crews about working for a woman. My guys told them “we would work with her any day. She does the same jobs we do. She pays fair and works with us.”
The prevailing wages set by government have to be followed. It’s the law. There are strict regulations in place for everything we do. When we build a house, we “own” that house forever. If, by some chance, the house settles structurally more then 1/2 inch, we are obligated to jack that house back up no matter if its 2 years or 20. Any asbestos we remove to a 12′ thick concrete facility is tagged. If anything happens to the facility we have to pay to move it again. We pay for bonds to every city we work in and they are not cheap. Some performance bonds can be as costly as $50,000. We have to be licensed in every city we work in and pay for that city’s bonds as well. We carry liability on everyone who works with us, electricians, plumbers, HVAC. Liability is carried to insure the property and the client from any damages. All these things are required by law. Just as the permits for every job are required by law. Our taxes are also higher then most people realize. 15.9% and that doesn’t take into account city and state taxes. Sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth it.
Hey Lynn, Are you hiring?! Love the way you think -I’ll work for you!
Wish I were. Construction has almost flatlined here. If it weren’t for our reputation and word of mouth we wouldn’t be working at all. It’s the only thing saving us right now. We have a record anyone could be proud of. One complaint with the BBB in 20 years, decided on our behalf. Never turned down for an inspection by any Inspector. Never fined for any reason by any city. Our licenses have never been in jeopardy of being revoked. This is a tough business for women to be involved with, but I love it.
Our liability is $3 million, required by state law.
Birdie,
Any union employee is not allowed to work for anyone else who is not union. I believe it’s part of their bylaws. Any business who wants to hire union has to go through the union and their business agents.
As if it isn’t tough enuf:
http://www.examiner.com/x-35821-Immigration-Reform-Examiner~y2010m2d18-Missouri-sheriff-arrests-illegal-alien-laborers-feds-order-them-released
YEP, same thing goes on here. I refuse to hire illegals. I’m totally up front about it too.
Robert Rubin: ‘Virtually Nobody’ Saw Crisis Coming, Bush Deserves Much Of The Blame
at Huff Post. It’s propagating the DEMs false isea that Bush is to be blamed. The first ones to blame are the DEMs who deregulated banking, and refused to allow any oversight of Freddie nad Fannie. Barney Frank is to be blamed formost, he lead each opposition drive to keep Bush and his regulators out of their cash cows business. They insisted banks had to make loans to minorities how could not afford to maintain the homes they bought nor to make increasing monthly payments.
This is the single most important thing for people to understand that if anything, the DEMs are as guilty as the Bush gov to “let” this crisis happen.
I wonder if there could be a class action law suit ( yes, I am against them in general) to hold the media accountable and have them pay for gross misrepresentation of facts.
The worst part is Barney and Maxine want to do the same thing again with multi-family units. This is his idea of reforming Fannie and Freddie. The commercial bubble is about to burst and there is nothing we can do about it. The Domino effect is setting in. People who thought they would not be affected are going to get hit hard.
Bill Clinton said the same. When he tried to push for regulation the Dems had a fit and wouldn’t support him.
More from Biden on “shovel ready” jobs in the construction industry. The cost to job ratio is unbelievable.
The Obama administration has invested in the creation of jobs in 21st century industries such as green technology and high-speed rail, and it’s up to unions to organize in those fields, Biden said.
“That’s a new economy. That’s where labor is going to lead. That’s where you’re going to get to organize,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Biden told construction workers outside Orlando that the federal stimulus spending was working.
With piles of broken concrete slabs and asphalt chunks behind him, the vice president told about two dozen road construction workers sitting on large concrete pipes that most economists agree the year-old recovery act has saved or created at least 2 million jobs.
“When you lose 8 million jobs in this Great Recession and you keep it from being 10 (million), that’s no solace to the 8 million who don’t have a job, man,” he said. “We have to make this work. Too many people are in trouble in this country.”
Biden, who appeared with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., predicted that stimulus spending will continue to create jobs as the year progresses.
“More shovels are going to be going into the ground this spring and this summer than any time last year,” Biden said, adding that in Florida it “means 15,000 guys wearing hard hats and engineers and surveyors, people who are able to make a decent wage and raise a family on, are going to be put to work.”
The workers are part of a $20 million project to expand a 3.8-mile stretch of U.S. Route 27 from four to six lanes. It will create between 20 and 50 jobs at different stages.
That is jus idiotic, but what else can you expect from a life long politician.
Like shovel jobs are going to create an economic impact beyond a few miles of highway?
People will spend less time communting but no one is going to get a job as a result of it. Most of the money will be literally poured on the ground and will never create new jobs.
That is again putting jobs where the unions have power and to make them happy donors for 2010 and 2012.
Today’s WSJ, calls “reconciliation” an abuse of power by Congress.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704625004575089362731862750.html
OMG!!!! Read this latest outrage
THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION IS FUNDING TWENTY FOUR MILLION DOLLARS– 24,000,000.00 DOLLARS FOR NEW ELECTRONIC
MEDICAL RECORDS PROCESSING FOR OUR
CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS !!
THEY ARE OBTAINING THESE FUNDS and I QUOTE DIRECTLY FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY WEBSITE……………
” THIS MONEY WILL COME FROM THE SAVINGS TO BE GENERATED FROM WITHHOLDING ” COST OF LIVING INCREASES FOR 2010 & 2011 in
SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR THE ELDERLY AND A $2.00 INCREASE ON ALL MEDICARE RX BENEFIT CO-PAY”
Please pass this to ALL your friends and have them “PROTEST TO THE IDIOTS WE ELECTED TO CONGRESS ” who by the way, have just voted themselves ANOTHER 3% SALARY INCREASE!!!
HOW on earth is this possible? It’s like everyone is out of control!
The link for GOOOH was great, I think that is our own hope. Was Obama preparing for a revolt? He may be surprised it is coming sooner than he wanted.
Can we kick out elected officials (recall) if they are not working for us or not doing what we want?
On we go with the O program on “green” energy (cap and trade) Again they insult the American public. Can you say Soros and Lobbyists?
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/breaking-anti-lobbyist-obama-administration-recruited-left-wing-lobbyists-to-sell-bogus-green-jobs/
Put it on your blog roll and tell everyone what it’s about. GOOOH is a real pushback.
Link to the page with the SS info, please?
Lynn // March 4, 2010 at 10:00 AM | Reply
No link now
ERROR: 404 – The requested resource could not be found but may be available again in the future
No link now
ERROR: 404 – The requested resource could not be found but may be available again in the future
LOL I changed this to weekly thread but we may need a daily thread at the rate we find out what’s wrong with our government.
Birdie,
Sorry I loaded up this thread. The corruption is now so blatant and rampant and cruel to the American people. And it’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Now for the teacher’s union. Another stupid move to keep volunteers out of the classroom.
http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2010/03/detroit-teachers-unions-opposing-very.html
Good points, all.
Americans are angry, frustrated.
Washington made the BigBoys whole when they got in a jam.
They left us to ‘swing in the wind’.
Not just swing in the wind, but more fees and taxes to pay for swinging in the wind. It’s downright criminal.
The topic is so big but I thought the Wall Street Journal’s article on Paul Ryan’s critique of the Heathcare bill is interesting: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704548604575097602436388116.html#mod=todays_us_opinion because the bill does not solve healthcare’s soaring costs which soon will consume 20% of our GNP.
While covering the uninsured is an issue, a moral issue about what kind of society allows folks to have no healthcare, in fact, it is the soaring costs of healthcare that is ruining this economy. A dollar taken up in healthcare is a dollar taken from something else. We have simply got to face this issue.
Obama’s bill is sold as fiscally sound based on medicare cuts that will not happen. Cuts to medicare never materialize, as they should, because the Congress, both parties, refuse to vote to cut medicare. The bill is contingent upon these cuts which will never happen.
So essentially it is a lousy bill that does cover some uninsured but does nothing to address the major problem which is the soaring cost of healthcare.
My concern with Paul Ryan is that while his analysis is very good, he needs to develop a healthcare bill that will cut costs. The health savings plans, such as Mitch Daniels has in Indiana, do not cover the costs of medical care. In fact, folks with these plans are unlikely to seek medical care when they should. So while those with health insurance consume too much medical care, those with only health savings plans will consume too little.
It might have been better if Obama had had healthcare hearings the first term to identify the real issues in healthcare.
In order to develop an economic plan to get our fiscal house in order, healthcare costs need to be addressed. But this cannot be done in a few months with the president nagging Congress to give him any old bill so he can say he did something.
These politicians are all so corrupt.
Elsa,
The majority of us agree with you. We all want reform, just not this one. Under this plan, my business will be fined if I carry my own health insurance and not purchase through our business. If I purchase through the business, then I will be fined personally. I can’t win with this type of health care. Either way.
Agreed. “Reform” doesn’t need to mean “takeover”. Thoughts:
1) Waste -why hasn’t this been addressed already?
2) Eliminate the tax deduction for corporations to level the playing field for all
3) Allow competition across state lines
4) Address Pre-existing conditions, which is indeed increasingly problematic
5) Promote Health & Wellness -no mention of this anywhere to date
6) Focus on quality of patient care -lost in dem’s push
Is anyone saying the system can’t be improved? No -but let’s not destroy what makes our system the en
…envy of the world. There’s a reason the Saudis come here for the heart surgery.
7) Tort reform. Limit legal fees on medical malpractise.
SEIU Andy Stern says they “want a return on our investment”. In other words Pass the healthcare bill because we gave you $450 million. Pass the consumer protection new bureaucracy act because we paid you for it. Obama owes way too many favors to the unions and Soros run orgs.
Senator Demint has info from whistleblowers in the Dept of Interior on a new Obama plan to destroy our economic base.
You’d think the Obama administration is busy enough controlling the banks, insurance companies and automakers, but thanks to whistleblowers at the Department of the Interior, we now learn they’re planning to increase their control over energy-rich land in the West
http://www.infowars.com/demint-white-house-land-grab/
More on the housing crash and what and who caused it
http://pajamasmedia.com/eddriscoll/2010/03/04/and-speaking-of-new-york-gone-wild/
“One of the key reasons why [Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are] bankrupt today, and why the government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars in supporting them, is because of the edicts pushed through by Mr. Cuomo,” said Bove, of Rochdale Securities, in a live interview.
“It’s also thought by many that the hundreds of thousands of people who are losing their homes, are [doing so] to a great degree because of the actions taken by Mr. Cuomo at HUD,” Bove added.
Cuomo, who was secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1997 to 2001, has been blamed in some quarters for helping to trigger the financial crisis by pushing Fannie and Freddie to buy more subprime mortgages to increase home ownership among the poor. Many of those homeowners eventually defaulted, and the mortgage-backed securities market later collapsed.