CapitalistMarks

Congress. The dog that won’t hunt.

Posted on 16. Sep, 2009 by scott.

How irresponsible are the leaders of the House of Representatives?

Like, uhm, uh, well — totally!

Congress is going to the dogs — ugly ones too!  Yikes — how could anybody love the creature pictured today?  Only a mom . . . .   How could anyone love those yahoos in congress (mothers again)?

With everything that has to be done in our nation the democratic leadership took time out for the last two days to debate, rehash and masticate the stupid outburst by representative Wilson during the President’s talk on health care.

Sure Wilson was out of line.  Sure he acted stupid and offended our elected leader (and most of us).  Sure he showed that he has little self-control and even less intelligence.  Sure he demonstrated that he has no business representing the people of South Carolina (Wait a minute, what about their immoral and stupid Governor??  Is there something in the water of that otherwise wonderful state??)

What Wilson did was embarrassing to himself, his family, his state and this nation.  We all get it.  But how hypocritical can the dems be?  They sure as heck didn’t treat Bush with respect time and time again in the previous 8 years.  Put an end to this childishly symbolic partisan crap.

When will this idiotic waste of tax payers money stop?

Simple.

When we stop electing leaders to multiple terms. Then we will get real citizens serving and not life time ‘politicians.’

The House censure that was passed today is indicative of how little our leaders care about us, the American people.

We need them making positive changes to our system so that everyone has health care and energy is renewable and inexpensive and our troops have the best equipment available to fight extremists wherever they are.   You know, that kind of IMPORTANT stuff.

And what do they do?  Like little kids they start bickering and pointing fingers and calling each other names (as well as the most important man in the world).

Come on.  We can do better.

Term limits.

Don’t vote (EVER) for incumbents.

Let these knuckleheads know that we want progress not pretentious recess behavior!

Sorry I had to go off on this when there are some MANY other worthy topics to explore.

It is just that these guys drive me crazy.

Nuts!

Phooey!

thanks to irish typepad for the photo at flickr

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Unemployment. Obama’s Rubicon.

Posted on 14. Sep, 2009 by scott.

Sure health care is important (I agree totally), and the war in Afghanistan is critical (Iraq is winding down), and the search for Osama must go on, and better education in the U.S. is key to our children’s future . . . but the MOST IMPORTANT issue facing the President today is unemployment.

This is his Rubicon.  With everything else on his plate (he is at a smorgasbord as far as that goes) only one thing really matters today.

Unemployment.

It is at near record, post depression, highs (9.7%) with only the early 80’s recession leading (10.1% in 1982).  And the truth is that few economists, and certainly not this one, believe we will stop at 9.7% nor even 10.1%.  Eleven percent would be a good place to stop, and I think we should shout with glee if that were to be the case.  Sadly, 12% or even higher is not out of the question.

Why?

Because our President has his eyes on other things, issues that will (at least in his mind) help him go down in history as a genuine ‘doer.’  And, while he is giving speeches and holding town hall meetings about health care, more loyal Americans are losing their jobs.

What is it going to take for Obama to push these other important (much less so than unemployment) issues to the background and focus on the ONE thing that nearly all of us on Main Street worry about the most . . . our jobs (or the ones we used to have)?

Most of the ‘up front and center’ members of this administration are touting the ‘fact (?)’ that the recession is at (or coming to) an end.  But, they are jumping the gun.  I don’t think we have come close to seeing the end of the financial crisis and unemployment is one of the key reasons why.

Think about this:  with more people out of work consumer spending will continue to drop, that will lead to further cutbacks which will lead to further layoffs which will lead to more consumer debt defaults which will lead to companies going out of business which will lead to commercial rents disappearing which will lead to foreclosures on commercial property AS WELL AS further defaults on home loans!!

All of that means further bad news is coming and the recent run up is just wishful thinking (I am talking here about the stock market).  Until we can get these other ‘forgotten’ financial issues taken care of we simply can’t count on the recession ending (at least not for very long).

At the center of this perfect storm is unemployment.  It is the first and the last thing our economic wizards in the government should be addressing.

Hey, at 9.7% unemployment we even in worse shape that Europe (9.5%) for crying out loud!!

President Obama is right on the bank of his Rubicon and maybe even leaning a bit.  He can choose to cross it with an active engagement of the problem or he can stay where he is and play the passive ‘wait and see’ game (no one ever wins big taking that approach).

He must know how terrible this is.

Since December of 2007 we have lost about 7,000,000 jobs in our economy.  That is a decline of incredibly fast and historic proportions.  But it is even worse than it seems because the relevant statistic is actually the unemployment rate combined with the ‘under employment’ rate (includes those who have taken part-time jobs or have quit looking out of despair).  That rate is an amazingly awful 16.8%!!  In other words roughly 20,000,000 citizens of our country simply can NOT find a decent job!!

Think of everyone in the intermountain west (Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado) being out of work AND then throw New Jersey in just for good measure!!  OUCH!

It really strikes home to those in cities where employment is unbearably high:  Detroit (17.7% –roughly one out of five unemployed), Riverside, California (14.3%) and Las Vegas (13.1% ).

We have to start generating new jobs . . . right now.  Americans need to see sufficient employment growth to cover not just the current unemployed but ALSO the natural growth from the increases in the labor force due to immigration and young people entering the job market.

And the implications of continuing high unemployment are generational not just a current problem.  Among them, a deteriorating labor force (in training, skills and motivation) packed on top of increasingly higher poverty rates and subsequent lower taxes for our government to pay off the incredibly obscene debts that they have recently burdened us with (and will continue to do so for YEARS!).  There is simply no rosy picture that can be painted from the present scenario.  Obama and his minions have to do something NOW!

The only growing segments of our economy (relative to employment) are health care, government and education.  That is bad news because we need health care and government to decline in employment in order to cut costs and reduce deficits.

Obama, do you get this?

Cross the Rubicon, man.

Stop worrying about health care (at least right now) and plain old forget about ‘cap and trade’ in the House’s Environment bill (a real job killer).  Pull out all stops and start spending billions on productive and useful programs that will improve our future by making our nation more competitive and with improved consumer confidence (i.e spending).

Fix our roads, our bridges, our airports our sea-ports, our dams, our electric grid and such.  Pile on with new and better schools, more teachers, better text books, safer playgrounds, improved national parks and access.  Fix our tax system so that it is easier and more fair.  Limit harassment (blackmail) lawsuits.  Lighten up the regulatory restrictions and requirements on small business (the BIGGEST segment of employment in the country).  Eliminate capital gains taxes.  Make investment easier and more profitable and thereby promote private-sector spending to create jobs.  I could go on but your economic geniuses must surely have the brains to get this done.

Unemployment is not just the defining issue of your first term, Mr. President.  It is the defining issue for your ONLY term if you don’t get the job done.

Join in the effort folks.

I suggest you copy this message and send it to your congressmen and then directly to the WhiteHouse.  Send it to your Governor as well.  Send it to your friends and neighbors.

NOTHING in our economy or political system is more important right now.

Urge the President to cross that torrential river of political ‘whitewater’ and get the job done . . . if  not you just might be losing your (if you haven’t already)!

thanks to flickr’s travelingtamas for the photo

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Afghanistan in turmoil. Where is the exit strategy?

Posted on 12. Sep, 2009 by scott.

It appears, sadly in my view, that President Karzai is going to serve another term.  I couldn’t think of a worse scenario for our efforts in the wilderness we call Afghanistan.  The country as it stands is a mess. Furthermore the current U.S. administration (I can’t even begin to talk about how awful this was handled by the prior one) has no idea how to proceed today let alone have a viable exit strategy.

Today I am going to provide my day-to-day command orders and a truly viable exit strategy.  I can only hope (and you should to) that someone in Obama’s team reads this and gets it to the CEO of our country . . . I don’t even care if that someone takes credit for it!

Where do things stand today?  Turmoil — plain and simple.  A 21st century VietNam waiting to happen.

According to reports there are numerous cases of potential fraud in the election that was recently held.  Apparently Iran has influenced its neighbor to the east regarding elections and only the incumbent has any chance.  Is that democracy?  Heck NO!

The difference here is that there will be no open opposition party protests on the streets of Kabul.  The local police and army are so beholden to Karzai that harm is practically guaranteed to those who would protest.  There won’t be any.

It is a truly sad state of affairs in this tribal region.  Ever since the Russians first got involved decades (1979) ago it has been difficult to even consider Afghanistan a nation.

This is one case (among several unfortunately — think Venezuela, Iran, Honduras etc.) where the price of democracy seems to high (for our military to pay anyway) and the execution of democracy is beyond recognition to those who plead its case internationally.  At least right now.  So we work and wait.

Like Iraq, which should never have been made into one country when the British left after 1932, Afghanistan is too fragmented to even attempt a single government.  In cases such as these the powers that be (the U.S. more than anyone else) should recognize the fragmented state of affairs and try to create several ’states’  out of one.  For example the Kurds in Iraq should be allowed to form their own country and free them from the Shia and Sunni ‘civil war’ that is bound to come when America leaves.

In the case of Afghanistan we are not yet far enough along to even attempt such a feat.  But, it is for certain that the current government is NOT one we should support.  Although my heresay knowledge would not be allowed in court, it seems to be the consensus among pundits who talk about the country.  The government is rotten to the core and aid and rebuilding $$ are being wasted or stored in Swiss banks for Karzai and his cronies.

The existing government is rife with fraud, deceit, bullying, nepotism and outright criminal behavior.  In such a case how can we (Obama and his minions) support this government any longer?  They are petty crooks in a non-existent country and they are doing more harm than good.  We, and the Afghan people are better off without them.  Obama needs to do what the British did in August to the government in the Turks and Caicos.  Get rid of them.

Our government should appoint an interim administrator(s) with any title that makes sense and he (or she . . . wouldn’t that be something for the Taliban to swallow?) should then begin to create (from scratch and with local help and local employees) a complete bureaucracy that would eventually be able to run the resulting ’states’ until legitimate democratic elections could be held.

This would be something akin to what has happened with the old Yugoslavia.  A bunch of smaller countries with a functioning bureaucracy and REAL elected leaders came out of the old Yugoslavia.  I don’t care if there are 8 or even 9 resulting ’states’ . . . but they have to provide their own security, tax structure and economic conditions that would allow for creation of modern (or at least 20th century) infrastructure.  A further crucial element that would have to be developed is a police force (an army is redundant in these cases because they should not be allowed — by the UN — to even consider war) and a judiciary so that reasonable rule-of-law could be relied on by the citizens.  All this backed up by the might of the U.S. and other forces now there (hopefully under this plan others would sign up too).

Are you getting the idea?

Afghanistan is not a case where our soldiers should be dying for the freedoms we love, and believe the Afghan people would also appreciate.  It should be their own people who are the ‘laboring oar’ in this process.  We should be trainers,advisors and (at least for the time being) financiers.

Break the country up into manageable ’states’ and let various UN partners handle the process.  Start with training policemen and providing them adequate arms and tools to do their jobs.  Build up a highway department, an education system, a health system a sewer and water department and so on in each of these states (it would be good to have a few professional basketball teams too!).  In other words for the dummies in D.C. — create jobs for the people, and create them by the thousands and immediately!  Give the people hope and let that hope be in their own future created by themselves.

As things start to work expand the process until legitimate elections can be held in each tribal area uh, ’state.’  If things work out really well in say five or ten years then these individual states will be able to handle their affairs without US!  Then after a while they can decide if they want to be a group of united states and hold a ‘national’ election for that (The United States of Afghanistan).  If not let them continue on their own.

Just don’t let the existing Karzai government exist.  Get rid of them now.  Stop pretending that they are doing any good.  Get the people to realize how the Taliban are hurting them.

Start over.

Do it their way with their unique society considered in the process.  Make sure the people know that what we are doing is setting them up to do it all themselves as quickly as possible.

After this reset, I think a whole new world of possibilities would open up to the Afghan people.

It is their country(ies) let them handle it!  Beginning tomorrow.

That is is.  Day to day stuff?  Handled.  Exit strategy?  Handled.

By the way, it is not too late to do the same thing in Iraq . . . it would sure solve a lot of problems down the road and it has to be done while WE have all the power there!

Thank you and good night.

thanks to flickr’s opendemocracy for the photo

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Atlas, um er, Obama Shrugged.

Posted on 10. Sep, 2009 by scott.

Obama’s speech last night was both encouraging and disappointing.  Kind of like the tree above, it was all over the place (and way too long at about 45 minutes).  You have to be paying attention to sort through the ‘advertising’ to get the meat.  Not an easy job.

Thanks heavens there were some fireworks to make it all interesting.  Can it be true that someone really called the President a liar, shouting it actually, during his speech?  Way to go Republican congressman (he who shall not be named — but whose last names rhymes with ‘Wilson’).  How reasonable can that nutcase be?  Shame on the people that voted for him and I hope they see the light next year.

The fireworks and unkind reception the President got from the republican side of the aisle shows just how difficult and divisive this issue is.  It also is a clear indication that the republicans don’t have any real interest in trying to work things out.  Maybe that is why the President spoke about bipartisan discussions but then went on to make it clear that something is going to get done regardless of those who oppose reform (the right wing of our political system).

I watched his speech and also listened later to the whole thing so that I wasn’t prejudiced by the emotions of the assembly.  Frankly this was NOT the home run I was hoping for.  Obama really did shrug . . . apparently the world on his shoulders is a bigger burden than he wants to bear (pity good old Atlas then . . . he has been at it for millenia).

I liked and approved of much that was said.  Many of the crucial points I outlined yesterday were addressed –  some in slightly different ways, but that is okay.  Give and take is a good thing when it comes to legislation.

The thing that bothered me was that he really hedged on the republicans desire for effective Tort reform.  He didn’t make any friends on the other side of the aisle as a result.  To make this a success, the President has to give the other side something and Tort reform is easy and good for everyone (except trial lawyers).  It just might be the difference that would get the legislation some votes from liberal republicans.

So, Atlas Obama shrugged.  It is going to take months to know who far he leaned, but I really hope congress takes his outline and puts some meat on it.  Fast (‘cuz we sure got a few other things to deal with).

We need this reform.  I wish it would be faster than the four years Obama talked about, but the fact is he put some fire in the democrats and now everyone should understand the issues.

Don’t listen to the lies and ignore the media idiots who can NEVER find anything good to say about this administration.  Push for passage along the basic lines Obama spoke of.

thanks for the picture to flickr’s informatique

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Obama’s Atlas moment — trying to reignite health care.

Posted on 09. Sep, 2009 by scott.

The photo accompanying the article today is from the Doges Palace in Venice.  I have been there and seen it (only after years and years of pestering by my wife — and I can tell you that the alternative to that trip was a golf vacation in Ireland and Scotland, including St. Andrews, so you must see the sacrifice I made) and can tell you that the artist got it right.  Atlas’s face exhibits a visceral agony that you can only detect close up.  He appears to be doing his job and is not finding it easy.

President Obama faces an ‘Atlas’ moment tonight.  He intends to take the world of health care on his shoulders and influence everyone from ‘blue dog’ democrats to liberal republicans and then on to the thinking public.  The question is can he do it?

I find Barack Obama to be the most eloquent and personable President since Ronald Reagan.  He talks to the people and resonates most when he wanders from his teleprompter and just says what is on his mind.  It is a good thing too since his task tonight seems near impossible.

Not since Vietnam has a single topic caused such a great divide among the American people (and our congressmen).  The truly disappointing thing is that the need, the details and the benefits have not been communicated effectively.  In point of fact, few people really understand the issue and are just reacting to the partisan dialogue they hear from the ‘talking  heads’ on TV.  A sad commentary on America.

Atlas er, Obama must change all of this.  He has got to get the people on his side.  And to do this he must persuade or he will not change any minds.  Frankly he needs to talk about the whole issue but he must focus on the important aspects.  To whit:

1) The U.S. is the ONLY developed nation that does NOT provide health care for all of its citizens.  This is not only a huge blot on our image but a tremendously costly mistake because when the uninsured need health care they get it (at taxpayer and or health provider expense) in the most expensive and least effective place — the emergency room.  It is generally free to them BUT someone IS paying for it.

2)  Tort reform.  Our legal system practically encourages trivial and costly lawsuits.  This is exacerbated by the fact that Americans have become an ‘entitled’ people.  They think the blame is ALWAYS on someone else and that that someone else needs to pay and pay big.  Lawyers of course feed on this frenzy and extract exorbitant fees for minimal work (particularly in the case of large medical class action suits).  This needs to be stopped: for our doctors, our hospitals, and our drug companies.  We could adopt the British system of making the loser in any case pay all costs.  But,  since we have gone down this awful road for so long even more drastic action is needed.  There must be real penalties associated with the filers of unjustified lawsuits.  Obama knows this but I wonder if he will go against the powerful trail lawyers lobby?

3) There simply has to be a public component to any health care reform.  I wrote about this previously but public health clinics could work.  There are other ways too.

4)  The most important thing is that somehow the government has to step in and stop the terrible inflation of health costs and health insurance premiums (they are growing much much faster than the real inflation rate).  I can’t go into the details of this (frankly because I just don’t know how to make this happen — I really haven’t devoted time to it . . .yet) but it must happen!

5)  The reform MUST include language that will make it unlawful (with stiff penalties — kind of like the RECO law that goes after organized crime) to cancel any policy except for nonpayment with plenty of previous notice, to refuse a customer based on pre-existing conditions, to refuse drugs or treatments that could save money or lessen suffering, or to refuse treatment that is known to be effective.

6)  Insurance companies must be allowed (and in fact encouraged) to develop nation wide networks so that the competition among them is increased.  This alone could drive costs of insurance to much lower levels.

So, I hope you get the tone of this.  President Obama has a HUGE task in front of him.  It is going to take all of his rhetorical skills and about 110% of his crowd pleasing demeanor to pull it off.

I hope he does it.

You should too.

Our health care system is broken and must be fixed.  NOW . . . not with the hollow promise of considering it some time down the road (like the government always does with Social Security, but that is a problem for another day . . . whoa, I sound just like our weak and ineffective legislators!).

I will be listening intently tonight.

Hope you will be to!

thanks to flickr’s lightmatter for the photo

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The Dems are flatlining on healthcare!

Posted on 07. Sep, 2009 by scott.

This whole issue of a public option is getting out of control.  Too many people are too strident in their arguments against any consideration of the options from the ‘other side.’  It seems to me that they have been watching too much FOX NEWS and such (come on Glen Beck . . . give us real arguments and real alternatives and not just pernicious and far out rhetoric that appeals to the fringe right — and while you are at it apologize for calling OUR PRESIDENT a ‘racist’).

The fact is that we need health care for every citizen in our country and we need it now.  To fail is to relinquish our position as global leader in many respects (human rights comes to mind).  We are the ONLY developed nation that fails in this respect.

We have heard that a public option could bring down costs and increase competition with insurers.  Both of these statements are true on the face of the arguments.  Competition will bring down costs,and put pressure on insurers to match pricing structure.  That is the way our capitalist system works . . . time and time again.  Let the companies that are not competitive and viable fail.  Let those that can grow.

A public option will provide insurance access to a much broader population and those that opt out should be hit with penalties so that they are no longer a drag on the health care economy (i.e yours and my tax dollars).

As an added incentive the laws should be changed so that there is true insurance competition throughout the nation.

My insurer for example can only insure people in Utah.  What if they have a good and efficient plan and could offer it nation-wide?  What if we allowed every insurer to offer plans nation wide?

Sure there would be consolidation in the industry and that would be good as long as it was controlled.  The fact of the matter is that we treat health care as if it were a regional or individual state issue, but the reality is that it should be treated as if it were a nation-wide public ‘utility.’  With proper controls and regulatory standards this would really work well.

To accomplish this we have to force our legislators to stop paying attention to the health care lobbyists who are lining their pockets with perks and outright $$.  And to accomplish that we need to have term limits that deny any elected official more than two terms.

A further option for the truly poor or economically disadvantaged would be Public Health Clinics and a real Public Health Service (maybe tied into the Veterans Administration or at least similar in structure).  These would be located throughout the nation so that anyone that needs them could have access.  The infrastructure would be paid for by the government and would probably cost less than the current cost of treating those  without insurance in emergency rooms now.

These Public Health Clinics would be staffed by medical personnel whose education is paid for by the government and in return they serve for between 5 and 10 years at reasonable wages and benefits (depending on the cost of their education and other factors).

Anyone could use the clinics but everyone would have to pay something based on their capacity to pay.  The more disposable income the more they pay.  If they are truly poor they would have to either pay a small amount over time or work their way out of the payment by doing menial (or skilled if they possess the capacity) labor in the clinic or in some related facility.

Now, I admit that I haven’t thought all of this completely through, but the principle I am trying to convey is that THERE ARE SOLUTIONS OUT THERE!  We just have to put our minds to finding them and refining them until they are effective for everyone and fair to all.

This means that President Obama should not put artificial time-lines on any bill(s) to be passed and that the Democratic majority MUST listen to ALL proposals.  Further this means that the Republican minority must stop whining and complaining and come up with some viable alternatives.

Everyone must work together to get this done.  Our future depends on it because it is obvious that we can’t continue as we are now.  In the last couple of years my insurance costs have more than doubled!  If this continues for the next decade or so then our nation and our enterprises will be able to afford ONLY health care and NOTHING else (yeah, forget national defense, forget education, forget highways and bridges etc. etc.).

Get the picture.  It is serious.

Call, email and snail-mail.  Let your congressmen know that you won’t stand for inaction.   And, while you are at it send them a copy of this so that they can start considering some serious and viable options.  Give them your thoughts too.  In fact send them to me as well.  Maybe together, we the people, can show our leaders how to do this.

God Bless America!

thanks to flickr’s brykmantra for the photo

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U.S. infrastructure disaster coming!!

Posted on 01. Sep, 2009 by scott.

I  am taking a break from discussion of the BRIC countries to bring you some breaking news.

Darn I wish that were really true but the fact is that what I am going to write about today has been a growing problem for decades.

Fact: America’s infrastructure was once the envy of every other nation, but now it is a looming disaster that could destroy our economy and cost hundreds of billions of $$ to fix.  And take decades to correct.

I am talking about our roads (how many tires have you ruined in potholes lately?), our airports (ever heard of passengers having to wait for hours on the tarmac or runway?), our bridges (remember the bridge that collapsed in Minnesota?), our water mains (we are losing billions of gallons to leaks every day), our sewers (leaks here can cause ground water contamination and spread disease), our electric grid (not modern enough or extensive enough to take real advantage of solar or wind power), and, well I could go on but you get the idea.

This was all brought home to me as I watched a two-hour special on the HISTORY channel last night.  It was all about our failing infrastructure and how big the disaster will be if we don’t get a handle on it.  Go to their website and maybe you can view it for yourself (I really hope they rerun it every day for the next month so that the President and Congress can get a handle on the critical problems they are avoiding).

The reality here is that our bridges are not always safe (we know that already) and the overall rating for ALL of our infrastructure as determined by dedicated Civil Engineers is a “D” on a report card.

After watching this show you will be worried every time you drive across a bridge, next to a levy, over a mountain road, or cruise through a tunnel.

There is so much we have to do and our government is ignoring the facts and necessity.

Other governments (China in particular) are spending billions to create jobs in this recession by updating, improving and modernizing their infrastructure.  It is working and they are going to end up with transportation systems (roads, bridges, railroads, airports, tunnels and such) that are far superior to ours. Better communications and utility networks too.

As a result their economies in the future will have a big head-start.  Transportation, communications and utilities are essential for a smooth running economy.  The advantage are obvious and we are falling behind.

High speed rail?  China will have thousands of miles of 200mph tracks laid soon.  What do we have?  None of that capability.  I know the Obama administration released 8 billion $$ for work on this just yesterday but that is a drop in the bucket.  And much of that is focused on making Washington D.C. easier to get to for our legislative leaders.  Yech!

If we are going to go into debt in our country lets do it by improving our infrastructure to the tune of hundreds of billions of $$.  We can use it be getting back the $$ we gave to protect banking and finance executives in their jobs.  From money pumped into GM and Chrysler and other similar short-sighted expenditures of tax $$.

President Obama, Congress . . . watch this program in your fancy private big screen theaters.  Then start to do something about it.

Imagine if we allocated $500 billion to improving and making safe our utility networks, our roads and bridges, our levies and dams, our airports and ports, our water and sewer systems.

Dang there would be a couple of million jobs added in a few months and something real and important would be accomplished.  Something that would pay for itself in improved conditions for everyone in the nation . . . and we would be SO MUCH more competitive and efficient in nearly every aspect of our own commerce let alone the advantages to us in peddling our exports at better prices.

We could increase a declining competitive advantage in global markets if we had better infrastructure across the board AND make our country a safer place to live!

We really need this . . . more than health care, more that cap and trade, more than a declining space program, surely more than a few new private jets for Congress!

Get scared ‘cuz it is a real problem.  Watch the show (no fee paid to me for this promotion — it is simply an excellent bit of TV journalism).

Then get mad and jump all over your congressmen, governors, and even the President himself.

It might be too late in a couple of years.

Coming up next.  Back to the BRIC’s with a look at India.

Check back.

thanks for the photo to salukipilot4590 at flickr

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American’s use more than they provide! Still!!

Posted on 23. Aug, 2009 by scott.

In the good old days, before the white-man banned the natives of this land to desolate and barren places far from urban centers (helped their consciences I suppose), people lived off the land and thrived.  Even my two of my great-great-grandfathers were able to sustain large (yes, and polygamous) families (60 odd . . . and I do mean odd . . . kids each) with just the labor of their own hands.

They used what they grew or trapped or hunted or harvested and that was about it.  And they were happy and content.  Don’t forget the odd part because that may have been crucial to their contentedness.

Not now.

Why can’t we learn from our ancestors?

We need to give back and quit just taking.

The problem is that we just don’t want to and it starts at the top.  President Obama and Congress want to spend more than they make from taxing us (to the tune of trillions of $$).  And we want to let them (we elected the democratic majority didn’t we?  But the Repubs haven’t been any better for years!).

We have to moderate spending (publicly and personally) and use what we have and no more.  How hard can that be?

It isn’t going to get easier if we don’t act now.

Sure markets are up all over the world, including the U.S.  But the news isn’t all good.  The Conference Board let us know recently that leading economic indicators are up for the fourth consecutive month.  So what?  The bad stuff is hidden in the overconfident headlines that the media glombed onto.

Six of the ten leading indicators were up.  True.  But what about the ones that were down? Not so good.

The biggest negative was consumer expectations.  Followed by real money suupply (how can the consumer be confident if the money isn’t there to spend — yeah and on stuff they can’t or shouldn’t afford).  And the third?  Building permits!!

Yikes, what got us into this mess.  Money freezing up and the housing debacle and consumers running for the shed.

Why are we so stupid as to think the government can throw trillions of our $$ at these current problems and bail us all out long term.

Let me give you an example that will resonate.

The feds pumped $3 billion into the clunker program and around 600,000 cars were sold (or will be by tomorrow).  The feds also gave first time homebuyers and $8,000 credit (and that expires in November) and that’s a few billion $ more.

A shot across the bow of the recession that will end up being a shot in the foot~!

So what will happen in the next few months.  I’ll tell you and you can check back and chastise me in those few months if this doesn’t happen.  It is so dang predictable because Congress and the President are more interested in voting polls than in what is good for our country.

We are going to see a BIG drop in new car sales and a BIG drop in first time homebuyers because the feds stimulated them to all buy quickly without really considering the long term (or even mid-term) implications for them or the government’s debt.

And what will that do to the economy?  Fro crap’s sake it will help justify the NEXT wave of stimulus and bailouts (that some of our leaders are already talking about) as the recession refuses to go away.

More debt.  Like heck do we need it.

I’m not saying we all have to go live off the land, although it sounds good to some.  Shoot, that would be impossible with 307 million people.  But we can learn from our nation’s original inhabitants and just ‘use only what we have’ and wait for anything else until we can get it without going into debt or stealing from out children and grandchildren.

If you don’t need it and can’t afford it, save.  If you want it too bad, borrow it from a neighbor (assuming they will let you).  Don’t steal.  But you can dream . . . that is always authorized in my economic scheme of things.

Give back to the land and the people and stop this selfish consumer driven ‘better that the joneses’ drivel.

Enough is enough. You make up your mind to do this and force our leaders to follow.

Start by throwing out  ALL incumbents.  You can do like I have done for the last couple of elections.  Never, never, never vote for anybody this is an incumbent!

Had enough?  Dang, wait until I start charging you to find out what is REALLY going on in our country!!  Then you can REALLY get mad!

thanks to flickr’s tokomabibelot for the photo from the Jefferson Building in D.C. it is Lakota Chief Ito-na-gaju, “Rain in the face” and how appropriate is that??

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Barack IS American!

Posted on 20. Aug, 2009 by scott.

My fellow Americans.  It it time to stand up for what is right, to get something done, to end the partisan politics, to ignore the conspiracy theory nuts.

We are the greatest country in the history of the World and yet in this first part of a new century we are failing.

Failing to improve our own lot.  Failing to provide comfort to the poor, the needy the oppressed (in our country and others as well).  There is so much more we could accomplish.  There could be such great examples in our system for others to follow.  There could be true liberty AND social justice.  There could be opportunity.  There could be universal healthcare.  There could be jobs for everyone that wants one.  There could be all the education anyone could want at affordable prices.  There could be universal healthcare.  There could be high-speed rail from New York to Los Angeles.  There could be a cure for cancer, chronic back pain, migraines and more.

There just could be SO MUCH MORE.

And we sit around arguing about whether Obama was born in America.  Or whether the government is going to let your grandma die and a Congressman the same age live.

Why waste the time.  Can’t you nuts that push this crap spend your time on something productive and worthwhile (or at least keep you idiotic and insane opinions to yourselves)?

Look at the picture above.  It is Obama playing the quintessential American sport, and he does it pretty good for a guy that has to worry about the fate of the civilized world 24/7.  Of course he was born here.  Of course he is our President.  Of course he is going to make a few mistakes (he’s human).  And of course he is NOT the anti-Christ, the contra-Mohhamed, the opposite-Buddha or anything else like that.  I’ll tell you what is.  Contention.  Contention is devilish.  It stops any good from happening.

Debate, considerate argument, looking at both sides . . . that gets stuff done.

President Obama is a good man (not perfect), a family man, an honorable husband.  An elected official.  Stop whining about it.  It is good enough for me (and I didn’t vote for him).  It should be good enough for you.  You don’t have to support everything he says or does (I sure as heck don’t).  But support the INTENT TO DO GOOD!!

Getting anything done in this country is hard enough.  We have over 300 million people with disparate backgrounds and views.  Makes it tough.  But we DO have a system that has proven to work in the past and can do so both now and in the future if we let it (and contribute to it intelligently).

Congress, as you all know, is not one of our more functional institutions.  Brought to its knees too often by individual legislator’s desire solely to be re-elected.  So the ‘less’ than prime beings in congress listen to the loudest voices as they seek constant access to votes.  The vociferous minority has too dang much power.  The intelligent and wise majority needs more.

Sure doesn’t help to have nuts raising stupid issues that the media gloms onto and turns from molehills into mountains in their efforts to get viewers and sell more ads.  Octomom?  Birthers?  Space-alien abductees?  Sells papers (well not so much anymore) and ads on TV, but what good is it?

So let’s set the record straight once and for all.  Obama was born here, he was raised by an American Mom and American grand-parents.  He graduated from American schools and has an American law degree and was an American Senator and . . .  dammit, he plays American basketball!!  He plays it too naturally to be a plant. And besides you nutcases, who out there could have been forwarding looking enough to ‘plant’ a secret terrorist in our midst as a baby back in the 50’s expecting him to be PRESIDENT??  In the 90’s maybe, the 50’s???  If you think that is realistic move back to whatever planet you call home.

We need support and loyal opposition both to make things happen  in this country.  Pay particular attention to the ‘loyal’ part.  Opposition just for opposition’s sake is counter productive and downright dumb.  You listening Republicans?  The Repubs didn’t like it when the Dems opposed them in the past . . . but if they are the real ‘Christian’ right can’t they forgive and help us get some real work done?

Not without your help.  Throw the bums out unless they get something done.  Throw ‘em out anyway after two terms (NEVER MORE).

Ignore the nuts.  Complain to the tainted media about stupid stories.  Complain to Congress about self-serving ideology.  Lets get real news, impactful news, meaningful news all the time.

And, let’s get something done for a change!!

thanks for the photo to flickrs’ eyasu.solomon

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Congressional Holiday destroys health care reform.

Posted on 14. Aug, 2009 by scott.

Two weeks ago, I said that the vacation Congress takes every August would prove the end to Obama’s vaunted effort to reform health care.

If you have been listening or watching the news the past week then you will see the results of our ‘leaders’ holiday romping.

Anger, frustration, and confusion abound.

Nobody is home in the Capitol to deal, generally anyway, with the many falsehoods and misrepresentations that the enemies of Democrats have promulgated.  Nor to offer any sensible alternative from the other side of the aisle.

Now, I am no friend of the Dem’s efforts to socialize our nation, and that is what is seems they are trying to do.  But, I am also no friend of the incompetent handling of issues that has become the trademark of Republicans.

Dang, I wish we had a real third party choice in this country. Crap, I wish we could just throw all the bums out and start over.

Lincoln is turning over in his grave at what the Repubs have become.

Truman and Roosevelt are crying in their Apple-Beer at what the Dems are NOT.

And what happens?

Our celebrity President is beginning to find out that early popularity is not enough to carry the day on every single issue he has ever dreamed up.

At the end of the day, American’s will be left with the same ‘ol broken health care system that requires me to spend more every year for health insurance than it costs to buy a good car!  And I am one of the lucky ones.  At least I have insurance.

Am I frustrated?

Dang right.

What we have doesn’t work and what is proposed is frightening to the electorate.  Does anybody out there speak English?

And we are going to be left with the status quo.

Canada is looking like a good option.

Can I join the Cannucks (he said lovingly)?  And still live in America?

Guess not.

Thanks for screwing this up Congress and Obama.

I blame every single one of you and I think the rest of my country-men will too.

Four years for you Obama.

One term for the rest of you nuts.

Remember, I have been advocating term-limits for, well, like EVER!!

No picture today.  I couldn’t even bear trying to find one that describes how I feel on this awful Friday the Fourteenth.

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