Welcome to the new normal.

The fiscal cliff. A political move that may stunt our economic growth for years. Is this really a political stalemate, as this administration would have us believe, or is it really a calculated move to further an agenda?

I usually try only to stick to facts and leave the conjecture to the liberals. This current manufactured crisis for our country's fiscal future is bringing out the conspiracy theorist in me. In order for a good conspiracy to work, it needs a just a couple of points. A good question and a viable answer.

First question:

Q: Who stands to benefit from going over the cliff?

A: The Democrats, Liberals and Progressives.

Now, we have to look at the question. What could anyone possibly benefit from such a huge wallop to our economic base? It's been no secret that Democrats, Liberals and Progressives don't fully believe in capitalism and it's practices. Going over the 'fiscal cliff' will help tank the economy thus devaluing the dollar and prompting someone (the Democrats) to try and affect change. When the majority of the people are suffering they will gladly except, what is perceived as, help. The problem with their kind of help,as the old adage goes, is if something sounds to good then it's probably too good.

It is also no secret that all politicians abhor our form of currency that is not easily tracked. This very point was made when the government outlawed large bills. There is no bill in use over $100. The reasoning they used was that large bills were being used for illegal purposes. The real fact was that they were unable to track large transactions and tax them. Devaluing the dollar to a point where it would take a handful of paper money to buy a gallon of milk would push us into a new form of currency. This new currency would, in my opinion, be electronic in nature enabling the government to track and tax EVERY CENT. The power of the government would double. The GDP of the United States stands at $15.09 Trillion. The government believes that at least that much business is done 'under the table', ie: money that can't or isn't tracked by Uncle Sam. Of course, all of our problems would be fixed if they had pockets that deep. Our current tax receipts for 2012 stands at $2.9 Trillion with a budget of $3.8 Trillion. If every dollar was tracked and taxed, this revenue number would balloon to $5.8 Trillion. This would effectively fix our problems and pay down our debt. The problem with that is, if you give those bastards in Washington D.C. more money...they're just going to spend more.

Sorry..that was a long paragraph!!

Could you imagine forced fiscal equality? Work hard and increase your own monetary base, only to be told by the government that YOU can afford to give more of YOUR hard earned money to someone that 'needs' it. What will be the incentive to achieve? If everyone makes the same...why would anyone work hard to excel? Are we condoning a culture of mediocrity?

All good questions..anyone want to wager an answer?

The Republicans and Conservatives wouldn't benefit from this because they would rather stick to the status quo. Smaller government, less taxes, liberties left alone and freedom.

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.

Brinksmanship.

Brinksmanship. That's what our government has become. It's no longer a group of elected officials that work together to solve problems, it's a group of people that practice brinkmanship. Brinkmanship is the ability to create deadlines and crisis only to get to the point and create a new deadline for a new crisis. And We The People are allowing it to happen.

Our Congress, Senate and even our President have become superstars in the game of 'Kick the Can'. Instead of addressing problems with real solutions they instead put band-aids and a patchwork of 'fixes' that move the actual consequences of the problem to a different point in time. These individuals that ran an election in which they preached they were part of the solution are in fact the problem. Our elected officials have been given a pass for too long.

I believe we need to create a different compensatory system for the people that run the government. Congressional, Senatorial and Executive Branch staff members have put themselves on a higher plane than the rest of us. Let's knock 'em down a peg or two. I've outlined in a previous post some details on how to reign in our elected officials. I'd like to expand that a little bit.

My original post:

• Tie congressional compensation (pay) to the median income level of that congressman's home district. 
• Tie senatorial compensation (pay) to the median income level of that senator's home district. 
• Take control of the office budget from the offices of elected officials and create a board of CITIZENS from that elected officials home district that oversee that budget. 
• Realign the benefits packages that congressmen and senators receive to be on par with the benefits of normal government workers.

My additions to this list:

•  All elected officials INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT AND HIS CABINET are subject to ALL laws and rules pertaining to the people of the United States. ALL elected officials shall make no law or rule excluding them from the governing laws and rules of the United states. Effective immediately and retroactively. 
• No elected official should be allowed to profit from investments directly tied to his or her position. If an elected official is found to have broken this rule, he or she is subject to immediate dismissal, possible criminal proccedings and/or forfeiture of any/all monies made over the course of that elected official's terms. 
• Any elected official accused of infractions will be judged by a citizen jury and a legal team that shall be called by lottery. All elected/appointed legal official's shall be excluded from said lottery. Only unelected/appointed citizens shall serve in this capacity. 

And stole this one from Warren Buffet:

• If at any time the deficit is equal or greater than 3% of  GDP all sitting members of Congress, (and I added) the Senate and the President are ineligible for re-election.

I would be willing to bet that our elected officials would begin to drop like flies. Only people truly interested in fixing our nation's problems would become elected officials. No more 'Brinksmanship'. Kicking the can down the road would be a tough pill to swallow for people that have morals. What we have now is a nation run by liars, cheats and thieves. They make law and regulations that they directly profit from.

Maybe a citizen's initiative to effect change. We need to come together as a nation.

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.   

Thanksgiving

In this post I'd like to take the time to all of you that read my posts. This blog is a wonderful outlet for my feelings as pertains to current events. Thank you all for sharing in my mental musings. Hopefully I can continue to entertain and enlighten you in years to come.

With that, I ask the more fortunate ones out there to give. Give to charities that truly need it. Try to steer clear of the big commercial ones, I won't name names. Give to your local food bank, small churches, local clothing drives and local people you know that need it. I don't believe in giving to the 'super markets' of charity. The amount you give them is used to run their bloated system. I believe they play on our charitable feelings to profit. One well known charity organization runs big box size retail buildings. I'm not sure that the running cost to charitable giving ratio is so good on that one.

Now for my more conservative friends...

I know with my ideals I give what I can and I give to whom I think will benefit. I also give to the Federal Government which they dole out as THEY see fit. My charitable giving is on a much smaller level, but I bet my meager giving (as compared to the bloated government) has more impact dollar for dollar then the Fed can even come close to.

On this Thanksgiving, be thankful. No matter your place in life.

So Long Twinkie!

This week we learned of the soon to be demise of Hostess food brands. A union strike protesting cuts from a company in bankruptcy forced that company to call it quits. About 6700 employees represented by the union will lose their jobs and another 12,300 not represented will also be on the wrong side of the door. In this economic climate...do we really believe labor is a rare commodity?


Hostess isn't the only one making large cuts in workforce to survive the perceived regulatory onslaught by the current administration. There are dozens of others currently announcing cuts and soon will be dozens more. (A more comprehensive list can be found here) Now, can this be attributed directly to Obama? No, but...He has surrounded himself with a group that is ideologically opposed to a capitalist societal structure that demonize the rich. Unless of course those rich are supporters of their cause.

Running a business breaks down easily. Money coming in must be greater or equal to that going out. Preferably greater than. No one will invest in a company that does not make them a reasonable return. There is only one entity that decidedly operates this way...the government. The only reason they get away with it is because they need not ask for investment..they merely take it.

Let's take a brief look at the day to day dealings of a business and break it down so the morons can understand it. Say we make computers, No..scratch that, let's make it even simpler than that. Say we make paperclips. If we look at a quick business model, it'll illustrate the costs associated with running a business.


First you need a plant. Say that plant costs $100 million. Your going to need capital investment and those people are going to want a dividend. let's say 6%. So $100 Million X 6% = $6 Million in interest, that's if someone is willing to give you $100 Million @ 6%! So, that loan (capital investment) for 40yrs would have a payment of $550,210.36 a year or $45,850.86 a month. Add energy costs, which by the way have been fluctuating wildly, and we'll see another $50-100 Thousand a year. For the sake of being frugal, let's make it $50,000 a year or $4166 a month. Here comes the raw material we need to make those paperclips! Steel coils, that have to be pulled (resized) down to paperclip size. Raw steel right now is going for about $400 ton. Finished steel coiled rod goes about twice that or $800 a ton. There are about 1000 paperclips in 1 pound so, by my rudimentary math, that's 2,000,000 paperclips per ton, to put this in perspective..this is about 1/2 a pallet of paperclips. Most companies are going to expect a large first order, so let's get 10 tons of steel coil for $8000.

Before we've even made one paperclip, we've already incurred a monthly bill of $58,016.86!

Ok...now to get those paperclips made, we're going to need labor. Every added cost is a commodity, so we'll try to get this as cheap as we can too. Machine tenders, machine mechanics, office staff, general labor...most successful businesses try to keep labor to about 25% of overall monthly costs. Using this model we can expect a number of $14,504.22 for labor. Still ain't made a paperclip yet...all those people still have to be trained. We're currently looking at $72521.08 per month...and we've yet to make a dime back.

Ok...now we bring in the government. At least they are nice enough to expect their taxes quarterly...but...regulatory costs kick in immediately. Workers comp insurance, Unemployment insurance, Social Security employer percentages..not to mention costs to have people come in and make sure that the handrails are the right height, all guards are in place on machines, government MANDATORY energy saving measures are in place and all employees have been hired per government standards. These cost are currently unmanageable because of this current administration's failure to lead. By law, Obama and his ilk were to put out a list of intended regulatory agenda, which it did not. So, investment in American business will be put on hold until the unknown is known.

Now..fast forward 20 years. People have retired...now the company also incurs legacy costs. Fast forward 50 years and now the retired outnumber the employed. The company paid good benefits when it was the other way around, but now carry unproductive costs. Labor costs go from 25% to 50%. Current union officials decry cuts..stating the rich investors have the cash to carry a company even if that company fails to produce a dividend. The investors see it differently, no dividend, no investment...no investment, machines become antiquated and break down, no capital to fix and the company withers and dies.

This is easy. Why is this so hard to understand? I'm sure that all the wonderful liberals out there have a pink and rosey outlook on how capitalism works..but it's really cut and dried.

Money coming in must be greater or equal to that going out. Preferably greater than. No one will invest in a company that does not make them a reasonable return.

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.

"Fiscal Cuts A Love Story"

Catchy title huh? Looking at the looming fiscal cuts gets me thinking, where could we make some cuts where it would hurt the least? I've got some ideas that may be unpopular but I bet it would be wicked productive! Even the ideas wouldn't generate all that much in actual fiscal cuts but the political implications would be huge!! I'm going to put this to the people across the nation. WE NEED A CHANGE AND IT WILL START WITH US.

Who gives two shits about the fiscal cliff? I say let her go! What we are going to get is instead of these politicians turning the car around, they are going to just turn it and ride along the edge of the cliff until someone grows some balls and grabs the friggin' wheel! LET GRAB THE WHEEL PEOPLE, WE HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT IT IS OUR FRIGGIN' CAR!


So, let's all get off our collective lazy asses and get the word out. This idea has the potential to shake up our government and return it to the hands of the people in DAYS. To fundamentally change the way Washington works in the first few hours it would be enacted. We need to do this. They won't work on their own, we need to make them do it. They are a bunch of children that won't mind.

My idea is simple. It only would take up one or two pages in an actual bill and have positive ramifications across the board. It would strip the power from the people in Washington and return it to the people. This is actually an idea that anyone, Black, White, Hispanic, Liberal, Conservative or Independent could get behind. Everyone could support this...except the politicians. They will ALL fight against this with a fervor never seen before in any political issue.

Here it is:

• Tie congressional compensation (pay) to the median income level of that congressman's home district. 
• Tie senatorial compensation (pay) to the median income level of that senator's home district. 
• Take control of the office budget from the offices of elected officials and create a board of CITIZENS from that elected officials home district that oversee that budget. 
• Realign the benefits packages that congressmen and senators receive to be on par with the benefits of normal government workers.

That's it. Easy enough. In a hundred words or less. I could tweet this for crying out loud. How in the hell did we end up with a greater than a THOUSAND page health care bill? Because the monkeys are running the zoo.

Now let's look at these points. The first two would instantly see some savings. There are 435 Congressmen and 100 Senators getting a salary of $174,000 plus benefits. More for the leaders of the two. That's $93,090,000. Just in income! If we were to tie that to congressional/senatorial district median income that across America hovers right around $50,000 then that number shrinks to $26,750,000! Not only does it get their income inline with the people they represent, it lights a fire under their asses to help spur economic growth in his or her district!! Talk about motivation! The fiscal savings of $66,340,000 is a drop in the well compared to the money spent by the government a year..but the political implications would be GIGANTIC! The way I see it this is something we as Americans can collectively agree on across the board. These bastards make too friggin' much money for way too little work!

Next point. A Congressman/Senator's budget includes staff expenses which average $1,014,443.11 across the board which adds up to $542,727,063.85 a year. Over half a billion dollars a year. For a group of individuals that can't play nice together. Bunch of friggin' children. We The People (parents) need to take their (children) toys away. Some of these budgets range from $1.5 Million up to $5 million. We should make them ask for everything. Right down to a friggin' box of staples. Even though this is a very minor fraction of the national budget..worry about the pennies and the dollars come off. I'm a gear-head and a racers mantra is worry about ounces and pounds come off..a leaner car is a faster car. I'd bet a leaner government would be a more efficient one.

I've been to Washington D.C. several times and these people have lost their minds! After only 5 or 6 days in that city you get sucked up in it and completely forget where you came from. If these elected officials had to ask the people that elected them to authorize a $100 steak meal or a bottle of liquor...they'd think twice. It's that thought that will draw them back to where they came from. Every successful business has a bean counter. I say we become the bean counter for the people that work for US. An elected board of individuals right here at home..at home across the USA..making decisions that will drive those in Washington to act. Imagine Joe Public struggling to feed his kids being asked to OK an expenditure for a $100 steak...yeah..that's not going to happen.


Finally, the benefits. Do any of us really think that a Congressman/Senator is really worth being FULLY VESTED in their retirement at 5 years?  At the age of 62 a Congressman/Senator that was elected to 3 terms would take home about $84,000 a year for life. Plus healthcare. Is there anyone out there in the private sector that has this kind of golden parachute regardless of performance? More like a lead balloon. We need to reign in this bullshit. They talk about an election as if it gives us power. We have none! There is no repercussions from us the people...they merely need to feed us bullshit for 3 terms then they are set for life. Our elected officials go into office broke and come out millionaires...I wonder why?

We are letting this happen. The monkeys are truly running the zoo and we need to wrest control from the poop throwing animals. It's not going to be easy...imagine trying to take away this monetary power from the very people we entrust to be stewards of it. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Now, back to the title.."Fiscal Cuts..A Love Story" It's become clear that politicians feed on controversy. I believe it's because it keeps us from looking at their direct fiscal house. They have lived high on the hog for a long time...and it's high time to put 'em on a diet!

Share this with your friends and family. We need to affect change and I believe this would hammer that message into Washington.


That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.

 

Meltdown

I apologize for my lack of posts after the election. I've been out of sorts and completely dumbfounded by the choices made by the country I've come to know, or at least thought I knew. The people of these United States have spoken loud and clear. They want more from their government. For me, more was a performance issue, for the majority it's things. They want more stuff and this is the administration that they believe will get them it.

For the past few days I've been watching the goings on around the world to see a pattern. Some patterns are becoming apparent quite quickly. The DOW JONES falls 500 point in the 2 days following the election. Mass lay-offs across all employment sectors. CEO's of companies talking strategies to deal with climbing costs of this administrations regulatory agenda and Obamacare that include cutting hours of staff and closing plants. Even his own cabinet members are jumping ship at an alarming rate. I believe we're going to see some toxic shit come from the next four years of Obama. It's quickly careening out of control. This country is poised to go over the fiscal cliff and I really believe that the majority could care less.

Why would I make such a bold assertion that the majority could care less? How can I speak for the people I believe voted blindly for continuation of the status quo when I didn't? Because I care. Because I've researched the facts and crunched the numbers. Because I can see what the 'entitlement attitude' is doing to our country and pillaging our children's future. Because I have personally been told by someone that voted for Obama that "why should I care, I'll be dead and gone when the debt needs to be payed back". Another exchange was "It's all about me, it should be about us, the rich are all me's and us's suffer". I charge that without the 'me me me' people the 'us us us' people are going to fall apart. All this 'free' stuff comes at a price that we all will pay.

People voted for the rock star. We have elevated our public servants to rock star levels. They have become power hungry monsters that serve only themselves and special interests. The left would charge that only the Republicans do this..but get on this computer and dig around. THEY ARE ALL ON THE TAKE. Every last politician has been corrupted by the system.

Chance favors the prepared soul. I will stay prepared and leave little to chance. Our country is on the precipice of a new age. One marked an entitled electorate that can't get enough. It's kind of poignant that the consumerism that most liberals abhor is the only thing that keeps them in power. They only need to keep them in the dark for a little while longer. Collapse our monetary system, seize control of our financial systems and then dictate compensation across the board. The ultimate system of redistribution. WE WILL STILL FIGHT AGAINST IT. Bartering is already making a huge comeback.

I heard a woman on a radio program talking about a socialist country she left. She described socialism as everyone being equally miserable except for the politicians and criminals. This is a woman that came to America because everyone has an equal shot at greatness with hard work and perseverance. Now she is ashamed that the people that she wanted to become a part of are reverting to the system she fled. It's a pipe dream. History has shown us the way and we continue to repeat it. Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing something over and over and expecting a different outcome. What we have here is the majority of Americans are insane by definition.

I will continue to, as Obama put it "cling to my guns and bible" even tho I'm not in the least bit religious. I can't help but think that I've been part of the problem all along. My divisive rhetoric may have soured a few conservative folks. I've gone back over my posts and always felt I've been inclusive in my ideals. I try not to exclude any person and make a point to try and build common ground. I've come to realize there is no common ground for the selfish. The left would have us believe that a rich man that works super hard for his wealth is more selfish than a man that sits on his fat ass and expects to be taken care of. I'm going to continue to work hard and be proud of my success and be ashamed of the person that feels entitled to a piece of my success. 

I'm still going to be critical of the government in my blogs, at least until they tell me to stop. I would have been no less critical of a Romney presidency. There is bad and good but modern political wrangling has blurred those lines. We're headed for a meltdown and it's going to be an interesting four years...

That's my two cent's. Don't spend them or put them in the dish for the next person...you may be needing them soon.

We have taken the first steps to socialism.

Today we celebrate (mourn?) the results of another American Presidential election. The American people stepped up and resoundingly sided with Barack Obama and his lack luster, partisan failure. Our future has been fiscally raped, our present blinded by idealism. Hindsight is 20/20, foresight is blurred by ideals. I truly hope my foresight is blurred by my ideals.

A majority of our people voted for our government to take a greater role in our care. From foodstamps to healthcare our people have needs (wants?). This administrations and the administrations before have solidified their voting base with handouts. Not just the poor or middle class, but the rich as well. Huge bailouts, no risk government loans and friendly regulatory changes to base friendly groups. We have no sense of cost anymore. Billions and Trillions do not register in the minds of people that will never see that kind of money. A person close to me put it quite eloquently when asked how he felt about the debt forced on the future: "What do I care, I'll be dead by then and it won't effect me". Greed and arrogance.

This election has turned the tide to a more dependent electorate. More and more of our family and friends will rely on government handouts to get by. More and more will vote with their own ego instead of the greater good. What will I get from my vote? Free phone? More foodstamps? Maybe a little raise in social security benefits? The majority has their handout for more, should I just join them?

We, the people will survive. It may take many, many years to reverse the damage done but we will make it happen. The only thing we can do is stay prepared. Look and read at the economic problems going on in Europe. Take the lessons learned from that and prepare. Then we need to take an active roll in their idea of a new republic. Starve the beast by taking part in all the handouts they provide. Facilitate the collapse. If we speed up the inevitable corruption of the system, it may change the tide of power. People may wake up and take notice. Then again...maybe we're just another Greece.

This vote illustrates the ignorance in which people vote. Instead of researching the individuals we're charged with voting for, we rely on the opinions of others. Willful ignorance. We will reap the crop of the seeds we sow. Right now the President is laying down a hell of a layer of bullshit...let's hope something grows in it.

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person. 

ELECTION DAY 2012!!!

Today we choose hope and change or four more years of hopeless changing. This blogger is excited but reserved. I really don't know which way this vote will go. While it feels like the people in the Romney camp are way more excited than the Obama camp, the vote lies with the entire country. Will we as a country choose right? Or will we as a country be lazy and let the media choose our next President? It is our right to vote, it is our duty to know who we are voting for.

Read my other posts, I have done some of the leg work on answering some of the questions on both candidates. Note that I said some. Some of you have questions of these candidates that I did not answer. This is where the research comes in. Do it for yourself. Don't take my words as the final authority. Don't trust CNN, ABC, NBC or FOXNEWS. They all put a spin on it. Find out where the spin stops.

Today we will either be known as the people that chose to continue the American way of life, or that we want as a nation to adopt the European style of governance. Today we either choose to turn the debt in the right direction or continue to spend our futures money to the tune of $12 per person per day just on that debt. Today we will choose to suffer a little now to create a better future, or live high on the hog til there ain't no hog for our future. Today we will choose individual liberties and rights or collective rights and limited liberties.

Both men have proved themselves in the public arena. The choice for me is clear. Obama isn't running on his record and why is that? Answer it for yourself.

GET OUT AND VOTE!!

That's my two cents spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.

TOMORROW....WE VOTE!

 

Tomorrow November 6th, 2012 will go down in history as the day the country continued down into regulatory purgatory or the day we voted for real change. Four years ago, President Obama ran on hope and change. Today, four years later there is little hope and the only change we've seen is higher gas prices, smaller paychecks, crushing debt and a healthcare bill we didn't ask for nor 56% of America approves of.

I really don't care who you vote for. I believe that people who actually know something about our country, specifically where we came from and where potentially it can go, will vote for the more conservative candidate. Why would I make this assertion? Because I believe that people don't trust the government. Who in their right mind would trust a big, bloated machine that eats money and regurgitates regulation? Not this blogger.

Tomorrow will highlight to our future citizens that we chose to work hard, suffer a little and make a better tomorrow for them. Or it will cement into history our greed and laziness, that we collectively decided to finance our today at the cost of their future. We will collectively vote to change the course of government, to return to a government that oversees the states and supports their decisions. Or we will decide to hand over sovereignty to that big, bloated, money eating machine. Our future is our legacy. We are the greatest nation on the planet and in one day of voting we could throw that away.

Why would our current administration allow the United Nations monitor the vote? Is this an administration that believes in individual rights and sovereignty of states? Why no budget in this administration's entire term of Presidency? Why does this administration shirk the law and not make public it's regulatory agenda, cutting out on the last two due dates? Why, after touting the most transparent administration in history, has this administration chosen to be the most opaque? Do you have a better choice than the status quo? If you research and answer these questions for your self, then the choice will be clear. 

Please, whom ever you decide to vote for, vote informed. READ UP ON THE CANDIDATES. This is the most important election for our future.

My vote will go to Willard Mitt Romney. I don't think he is the best choice for but it's the only choice I'm given. If I choose to vote for Gary Johnson I believe it's a vote for no one. He hasn't the chance in hell to win and my vote is better given to a possible challenger to the status quo.

I would like to thank everyone that reads my blog. I will continue to post after the election and will hold either administration's feet to the fire for any decisions that threaten our future. The subject material may change a little, more posts about life and my interests, but I'll try to stay entertaining. Again, thank you.

That's my two cent's, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.  

The Election is Closing In

November 6th is coming right up and this is the election that will define the nation for the future. Will we stand up and be counted for our constitutional ideals or vote en mass for entitlements and continued debt? If the latter, can our country survive the economic fallout?

In many conversations with both sides of the isle (ideology wise, I've found more and more people are identifying themselves as Independent) the topic of discussion is choice. More to the point, who we have to choose. Let's take a brief look at our choices.

We have on the Left: Barack Hussein Obama. 44th elected President of these United States. Community Organizer, Lawyer, Author and former U.S. Senator. Winner of a Nobel Peace Prize. Father of two and husband to Michelle.

On the Right: Willard Mitt Romney. Former Republican Governor of a predominantly Democratic Massachusetts. Management Consultant, Venture Capitalist and Private Equity investor. Father of five, Grandfather to sixteen and  husband to Ann.

Pretty much evenly stacked if you take into account that the Nobel Prize, in my opinion, was merely a ceremonial appointment for little to no actual actions by Obama. In my opinion, it was the European Progressive Movement's attempt to cement in history Obama as the great peacemaker.

Now, the conversations I have usually center around the fact that we haven't got a lot of choice this election. Two to choose from. For myself it's an easy choice even if my choice is not the best. My choice isn't so much as what I want as to which direction I'd like to turn my country.

Some simple questions for everyone to ask themselves: Do we really want four more years of lackadaisical, one-sided rule under a hard left leaning administration? Can we afford four more years of deficit spending in the guise of social reform? How can we sit back and justify the pillaging of our children's future earnings to make our world stable for us, in the now? Do we really believe what they tell us? When did we stop questioning the motives of politicians?

I don't think that Mitt Romney is the best man for the job. But given the choices he's the ONLY man for the job we have to choose from. I think Mitt Romney has an eye to the future. He genuinely wants to leave a country in better shape for his children and more to the point his grandchildren. He has the money to pull up stakes and go where ever in the world he'd like to go, but he wants to stay here. He want's to keep America great, as great as we have ever been and stronger than any nation in the world. Although he is a moderate. This will have a bit of a chilling effect on the hard Right but I think we need a man that will unite the parties not widen the divide created by the current administration.

Barack Obama has shown his hand time and time again over the last four year and illustrated his political affiliations. He has the liberals believing that he's doing it all for them and has them blinded with trinkets and baubles (healthcare reform and food stamps) while he makes back room deals with billionaires in the 'green' arena. (Purely conjecture, however, he did appoint the people that made these deals) 26 billion to 'special interests' that did little to create jobs. It did create lots of debt that the American people will be paying for for generations. He can't run on his record because his record sucks.

I implore all my readers to get out and vote. Don't take my words as gospel, I'm just another man running my mouth. I try to back all my ramblings with fact but undoubtedly by conservative colors bleed through. Our choice this election is not an easy one for all of us. Many have been touched by economic strife and getting the help afforded by the Federal government outweighs our sensibilities and love of liberty. Many would gladly give up liberties that "don't affect me" to have an improvement in lifestyle. What I propose is that we should all drop the bullshit and live and let live. Your liberties are no less important than the ones I hold dear. My liberties that you could so easily dismiss could start the chain reaction that strips you of yours. Think before you act.

How about voting for a man who believes we the people can do it WITHOUT help from someone else? How about a government that gets out of the way and let's us make our own decisions for a change? How about a man that knows with hope a community can affect change not that change from the government can affect hope?

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.  

Obama is afflicted with what he claims Romney has

Kimberley Strassel of the Wallstreet Journal wrote a nice piece that I'd like to like you all to. All that's interested in it anyway! This piece illustrates the depths of which Obama sink to regain the title. He is guilty of what he charges others with. Obamnesia.

Click the link below to view the article. 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203897404578078902106077268.html


The sad fact is that ALL politicians change their stance on most political subjects. The positive way of looking at the changes they make is to look if the changes cut to the core of their ideals. If a man can make a change to affect change for the majority, without endangering another man's liberties or compromising his own core ideals, then that man is a great thinker. Obama has shown us his colors. We can't afford four more years of a President that himself votes "present".

That's my two cents (and Kimberley Strassel's), spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.

Tax The Rich!

This Presidential election cry from the left is "Fair share! Tax the rich!!" and "No more tax breaks for the wealthy!" Let's address how that money that the government would like to get their BIG GRUBBY paws on is spent by the "rich". We, the middle and lower class, have only numbers that are not applicable to our lifestyle to go on. $100 Million is a number we can't put to use in our mind. Anything over $1 million or, for that matter, a lump sum of $100,000 and we think we'd be in good shape.

The town I grew up in and the surrounding communities for many years enjoyed an employer that had the capacity to employ just about everyone that wanted to work. An internationally recognized papermill with an abundance of natural resources and renewable energy (hydroelectric). All of the improvements done to the mills in the 100+ years it ran strong were paid for by the rich, fat cats who held the profits. Investment in that little town cemented their fortunes. Dams were built for more power, equipment bought/upgraded and investment made in employees. Money makes money.

The unions, at first trying to improve worker safety, challenged the administrative powers at the mill and did indeed win and make it a safer place to work. Now that it was a safe place to work, the union decided that it needed to press social issues. The people at the top had investment and were good stewards of their money, so retirement was going to be comfortable for them. For the workers it was a different story. They felt that they needed a more comprehensive retirement program, double time on sundays/holidays/call ins, paid medical dental/vision, all the perks and negotiated such. One person asking for a performance perk that seems reasonable it leads to another, to another..until all of the people think they are entitled to that perk. All of a sudden, a performance bonus becomes a directed bonus to all. What was once a 1% budgetary expense becomes a 25% balloon payment for no discernible reason. However, the workers had a group (the international union) that is NOT good stewards with money negotiate on their behalf. The result was a system that at first looked and seemed like a wonderful, perpetuating program that would take workers and retirees into their golden years with everything they needed. But it was all smoke and mirrors. The system was built to be self supporting.

These deals were made at the height of the mills profitability. As it is with all things, things changed. Eventually there we're more retirees than there was workers. The system that the union had negotiated could no longer support itself. As the mills found themselves getting crushed under new social debt, new regulatory controls came along at a dizzying pace with the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. Forced investment in unproven technology to 'clean' the water/air and waste prevented investment in basic infrastructure of the mills. A very large dam proposal was shot down and the power needs for the mills could not be supported without supplemental power generation that was expensive. All aspects of the day to day financials of the mills started to skew towards lower profits. The people that had the capacity and capital to run and improve the mills dumped their controlling ownership. It was no longer lucrative to own a paper mill in Maine. The wealthy took their investments somewhere else. The 1980s was the last time the mills would have the capacity to hire just about all of the high school graduates in the area.

Now, out of the two mills in that area, only one is running. It employs 250 employees and is a mere shadow of it's former glory of over 5500 direct employees. It's been said that at the height of it's glory the mills employed direct and indirectly over 20,000 people. At one point the town I grew up in had over 13,000 residents and now it's under 5000.

While I believe that it's really a good thing that the towns respect this employer, it was not always so.  I'm sure that many of the people in my small town will take offense to this. Those towns, both of them, have always been a bit protective of themselves and their way of life. What this post charges is that they were also their own undoing. The very people that had such a protective attitude of their situation had a hand in it's destruction.

We now hear on the national stage about corporate greed. Well, I'm here to charge us all with individual greed. It's individual greed that pulls down large companies. Eventually we'll have no one to invest in companies besides the government. We see how that's working out. The Obama administration has invested $26 billion in companies that have led to huge bankruptcies on the back of the tax payer, huge contracts that took jobs over-seas and outright loss. The power hungry politicians should not be picking winners and losers in our capitalist society. The government can't even balance it's own budget..what makes us think it'll be able to run a business?

And now they want us to believe that if the rich pay more, it will make it all better. If you take money from the rich then they won't invest that money into PAPER MILLS in Maine. They won't create businesses to support those ventures or the people that live in those areas. The only reason that 'Trickle Down' economics never seem to work, is because there's a middle man grabbing drops on the way by. He's old, white beard, top hat and suit that's made out of an American flag. That's right people...Uncle Sam. He's ripping us off an all you people that live off a the drops that make it through let him get away with it for fear the drops will stop. Sheep.

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person. 

Obama Left Them to Die

Today it's been reported that what the Obama administration knew that the Benghazi attack was learned about through emails 2 hours into the attack was that it was indeed a organized terrorist attack. 2 hours into an attack that killed Americans. There could have been intervention that saved some of those people and yet our President did nothing. Well..almost nothing. He went on a 2 week misinformation spree with his administration directed to say it was because of a poorly acted Youtube video. This when it was apparent to Obama and the administration that it was an act of terror.

And still there are people that buy his bullshit. On September 11th, 2012 an organized (as reported by intelligence) attack began on the Benghazi, Libya American Embassy. It has been stated that there were coordinated 'waves' of attack. Both small arms and mortar fire. Four Americans were killed and 2 Americans injured. No ground, air or other support was applied or offered. Very little follow up in the days post attack was applied due to 'instability' in the area. Instability that was fine for the people that were killed?

Two hours into the attack it is now reported that the Obama administration received emails stating the attack was of terror and a terror organization was taking credit as such. Instead of LEADING a charge to protect the remaining people on the ground, the administration sat back and watched. Why? Possible political fallout? Anger Obama's voting base, the peace loving liberal left? The Obama administration continued this charade for weeks. Asserting that it was an angry mob not terrorism. Not even when confronted with facts to the contrary.

The sad part about all of this is that two Navy Seals, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, we're alive and fighting AFTER the administration learned about the attacks and their nature. The fought valiantly for FIVE hours after the Obama administration found out. Reports of the scene have their rifles 'caked with blood' showing these two men fought even after being injured. These men were left to die by our own President and his administration.

Not only is this a deplorable development in this case, but it's an illustration of the leadership we can expect from this administration. To all out lie, and yes it was a lie, about the nature of the attack for TWO weeks post is a travesty and black mark on the office of the President. For what? What exactly, if anything, was gained?

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.     

Obama's comments come back to bite

Obama's comment about bayonets, horses, aircraft carriers and submarines shows just how little he knows about the country he runs. This big, perceived, win by the left is turning out to be a big loss for the country. Our own Commander in Chief doesn't understand the history of warfare nor where it's headed. I guess that stems from blowing off two thirds of his security briefings.

The bayonet was first used in war in the 1600's by the French. It may have been created earlier than this due to early firearms being inaccurate. Having a blade attached to the firearm allowed early hunters to dispatch an animal quickly if a kill shot had been ineffective. The bayonet has been an integral part of a soldiers armament in all the history of warfare and continues today. Lance Corporal Sean Jones of the British Army was awarded a Military Cross for his role in a Bayonet Charge in October of 2011 cementing the usefulness of the bayonet in modern warfare.

Horses have been used in warfare for over 5000 years. They are still used today by our very own soldiers. Most have been relegated to a purely ceremonial role however, there are still horses used in the Afghanistan conflict. The mountainous regions of Afghanistan prevent motorized forms of transport and there is no substitute for a sure-footed animal.

"On 4 May 1912 the first plane to take-off from a ship underway took place when Commander Charles Samson flew from the deck of HMS Hibernia." Wikipedia The aircraft carrier has been a deciding factor in many conflicts and continues to be today. Our military currently has 11 aircraft carriers, one is due for decommissioning and one is being built to be commissioned in 2015. Our Navy is the strongest in the world and has been used in many conflicts, even some that were not ours. Just our show of force is sometimes enough to quell a conflict. That says something for a strong Navy!

The first submarine confirmed to be used in military conflict was the Turtle in 1775 in the American Revolutionary War. Submarines have since taken pivotal roles in numerous conflicts throughout the world. Huge technological steps have moved current submarine use to new levels. Speed, depth and time at sea has been improved. Currently the U.S. Navy has 72 active duty submarines. During World War two the U.S. Navy had 314 subs in service achieved 55% of the total sunk of enemy ships.

Obama needs to bone up on his history. To have a leader attack someone on fact, without facts, removes all of that leaders credibility.

That's my two cent's, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.    

The Vote of the American Woman

According to polls, Obama and Romney are pretty much split 50/50 on the American Woman Vote. This is perplexing because I always figured woman to be more calculating than men. A more informed vote if you will. Are they blind to the facts by Obama's shining charisma? Are they taking his word as fact and not checking the actual facts? It's not readily apparent on both questions.

Looking at some of the facts that may attribute to Obama's popularity with the female set employment could be one reason. Male unemployment percentage stands at 8% in September 2012, 7.5% for female. That .5% could be an indicator. Traditionally female careers in healthcare have not been affected as much as non-traditional careers such as manufacturing. This could lead to a false sense of security for the employed female voters. Every aspect of employment will eventually be affected by the terrible state of our economy. Healthcare will undoubtedly be affected, maybe in a good way though. I work in healthcare and have seen a marked increase in emergency room visits. Most of these visits are by people who have no insurance or are on Medicare/Medicaid. My co-pay is $200 to go to the ER..so unless I'm bleeding to death..it'll wait til my Doctor can get me in. My access is being limited by the people abusing that access. But...more patients (even if they aren't paying) means more healthcare workers.

But, now that groceries are costing an average of 46% more than four years ago, how is Mom justifying another vote for the man who put us in this pickle? The stay at home woman voter is the demographic that should be better informed. They have time to listen to the news and form opinions from the noise. I'm not saying that they sit at home all day doing nothing...quite the opposite. Stay at home family adults live a very busy lifestyle. It's not easy running the day to day goings on of a family and Mom (or stay at home Dad) is very often the conductor of this orchestra. It eludes my thinking how these stay at home individuals can vote for a man that doesn't respect a budget enough to get one passed. Don't you Moms have to live by a budget? Do you routinely spend more than you and your family takes in?

I can only qualify this with opinion and not fact. I think that the media has these women lulled into a stupor that is impossible to shake. They've dismissed the facts as Right Wing rhetoric in spite of damning evidence. Most of the mainstream media outlets sound like a press group for the re-election of Barack Obama. The very people that are supposed to be respected impartial purveyors of information, have become shills for a corrupt government ideal. We get what we deserve. We are all rats and his ilk the Pied Piper.

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.

Obama has had four years for forward movement.

The Obama campaign has adopted "Forward" as it's slogan. It is fitting for his campaign since there has been little forward motion under his direction. All the people of the left keep saying that it can't be directly attributed to Obama. I agree, it does take the House and the Senate to effect the foward momentum of government however, the President is supposed to be the big coach. The man that rallies the troops to effect change. The great communicator that finds common ground where there seemly is none. By his own actions, has he demonstrated that he is that man? My position is no, he has not.

The first two years of Obama's term he enjoyed a controlling majority in both the House and Senate. What did he do in that time? Champion a cause for the middle class? No. The middle class still got the shaft. Under the ACA (ObamaCare) A family of four maximum out of pocket costs will be $992 for a family making $31,900 but climbs to $8379 for a family making $88,200. And the sneaky bastard said he would raise taxes on the middle class..isn't this a tax in non-tax clothes? A 3% cost for the family making $31,900 and 9.5% for the family making 88,200. So, by my very rudimentary math..that is 6.5% more so let us call it what it is...a tax. My insurance is going up...larger deductible, larger bi-weekly payment. Costs across the board are going up. 

The same people that have to pay more are the people that are going to have to not do that home improvement (carpentry jobs), fix or buy a car (mechanic/dealership jobs), enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant (food service jobs), take a trip (travel jobs) and help finance their children's education (most education enjoys a large subsidy, making most education worthless, so no jobs here).

That same family at $31,900 is entitled to a whole lot more government subsidies as well. Food stamps, a free phone, heating oil assistance, Medicaid and other subsidies. Google it, facts are facts. This amounts to redistribution. You can't make the poor rich by making the rich poor. What incentive is there if you lose a perk depending on your income level. I've read articles in my local paper of families going to the extreme of one of the two working adults 'cutting back' hours to fall under the income guidelines to retain public assistance. Is this the kind of America we want? Stop trying, it's not worth it. We'll cover the expenses you just sit at home, we'd hate to have you miss your soaps. We've stunted a whole generation because it's more lucrative (easy?) to do what you want to do instead of working. Forward?? Really?? What a farce.

The current administration keeps championing education. They want small classrooms and more teachers. In 1960 the teacher/student ration stood at 1 teacher to 26 students. It now stands at 1 to 16. That number doesn't take into account teacher aides of which, in some schools, there is sometimes one to one. I am a champion of education as well but, if you pump out the people with educations faster than an economy can support them, then that education is worthless. Example: If someone wanted a white car and the majority of the car dealers only offered white cars, then the color really wouldn't be an incentive to pick from. Only a truly standout car dealer would get the sale. Now, if the buyer was looking for a red car and only one dealer sold red...guess who gets the sale? If everyone has a degree that's looking for a particular position, the employer really doesn't take that into consideration when looking at a prospective employee rendering the degree worthless. Education is only going to be good for the country if the country is good for the people who are educated. An improved business climate cannot rise with class warfare.

Obama and his administration has had four years to affect change. They have not. Now the only thing they have to run on is that they need more time. Enough is enough. We can't afford four more years of this.

That's my two cent's spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.

American Nightmare Part II

This post touches on a little better description of the American Nightmare. The American Dream for most people breaks down to a good career, a nice home and a secure future. So we'll take a look at these three things and see where they stand.

A good career could be anything from a minimum wage job to millions a week. If your happy in your job you don't work a day in your life. In our current economic climate one cannot choose a job or career. One has to take what happens to be available at this time. Many over-qualified individuals with Associate, Bachelors and even Masters/Doctorates cannot find work in their chosen field and yet the current administration tells us that the economy is improving. 500,000 less total people working as compared to December 2007.  Your chance of happiness depends on how many people are applying for the job you want. Right now that number is almost non-nonsensical. I've talked to employers that take so many applications in that they pick a couple of acceptable parameters and toss the rest. Some of the applications don't get more than a quick scan. If you don't stand out, than your not even considered. In a recovering economy...everyone will be considered.

A nice home is high on anyone's list. I for one am perfectly happy renting and I'll tell you why. Home ownership used to be a wonderful shelter for your self investing. It's not as lucrative as you think. If you were to buy, lets say, $100,000 house and take out a 30 year loan your payment would be around $536 a month X 360 months. With 5% interest on that your total payment at payoff is around $193,000! Add into that a new roof because that isn't going to last 30 years, furnace, appliances, floors, that new kitchen the wife HAD to have, paint, windows, siding, insurance and of course TAXES....that investment is looking pretty bleak. Now...on top of all that realestate volatility. The small town that this blogger came from has been thrust into economic obscurity due to the large papermill there becoming...not so large. A house in that town, that would have cost $100,000 now can be had at a fraction of that. Sure you might be able to be on the winning end and sell that home for $150,000 but still at a loss.

A secure future is not looking so good either. Poor employment outlook, dismal personal investment opportunities, and a government with crushing debt and huge unfunded liabilities. Social Security and Medicare are heading for the crapper. We have created a society that views these as future necessity instead of a fall back program if all else fails. These numbers that the majority of Americans are expecting when they reach the age to collect are part of the great shell game of politics. Social Security is, reportedly, going to be insolvent by 2024. That means more going out than coming in. Just like our government runs anything this too shall be mismanaged. Also, Medicare will be put on life-support due to changes made to it by the ACA (Obamacare). This will lead to reduced access to care. Detractors of my point of view, at this point, would yell bullshit but I work in healthcare. I got a pretty good idea what will happen. People will still have 'access' but your going to have to travel for it. I guarantee that. No one will staff a clinic where they have to pay a bunch of people to see a few patients a day. The only access you will have is government subsidized, critical access care. Just like the hospital in my little hometown.

Of course, what this all breaks down to is that the American Dream is still alive and well...but not for current Americans. We have gotten used to an 'easy' life. Everything within reach, all amenities available to everyone. That's going to change big time. Our American Dream is being rewritten to many a chagrin . I'm a proponent of a 'reapplication' of our ideals. Stick to the Constitution, it got us this far let it work! In a couple of weeks we are all charged with voting our conscience. How, in good conscience, could you vote to take our country in the direction we've been headed for the last four years?

That's my two cent's, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.

The American Dream Has Become a Nightmare

That post headline ought to catch a few eyes! The American dream has become a nightmare to many in this polarized social/political landscape. No longer has the ideals that were put forth by our founding fathers an important catalyst for our continual improvement. Now a large contingent of Americans see our government's welfare system, not as a stop gap measure, but a way of life.

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. Wikipedia.

Let's take a good look at that statement. "Opportunity for prosperity and success...achieved through hard work". Our government has put the brakes on that through taxes, regulation and now class warfare. Don't get me wrong, there still is a chance for prosperity and success...for those willing to be demonized for their success and taxed/regulated to the brink of disaster. The people we see take those chances most of the time are not natural born citizens, but in fact immigrants. People who have suffered under oppressive regimes have come here with the tools to work with our oppressive business climate. Our own citizens however have been stunted in this system because the government hands out so much. So much is expected and not many will take the chance. No longer can you rise to the top on your abilities since your abilities are defined for you by the government or the governments officers. Teachers, police, judges, probation officers, unemployment/career counselors and even social workers. Division by socioeconomic and perceived ability as prescribed by the government. PROVE ME WRONG.

As a child I was told by many that I would amount to nothing. That my future was sealed in my lineage and that my attitude would severely hamper any upward mobility. This was told to me by teachers that were charged with molding my future and my peers that singled out my social status. Granted, I was a little prick and I accept that. Any book I grabbed was easily absorbed and discarded, committed to memory then I moved on to the next. I couldn't sit still for fear the vibration would start a fire! I didn't sleep much, constantly climbing trees or tearing something apart. Things would be different for me if I'd have been born in this time...and I think I'd probably be on social security. 

Children in my position now are given special care, drugs (which I for one don't approve of) and therapies that give them the tools to flourish. Or so it would seem. Many of these children get the wonderful chance to have college educations paid for because of, perceived, disability. They are no longer allowed to fail, the lines are skewed and standards are dropped. Everyone gets a trophy now. Being allowed to fail on my own terms showed me the successes I could achieve...on my own terms. It took awhile to sink in and I mourn the loss of both parents who sadly did not live to see my achievements that I as so proud of. I was given the tools to sink or swim. Just enough rope to climb out of the hole, or make a noose and hang myself with it. Expected self achievement through my unique abilities. The American way.

Now we have a president that is saying that a certain class doesn't want you to achieve. That they want you to have dirty air and dirty water. That they want grandma and the kid with autism to fend for themselves. Fair share...by one group's definition. Right now that fair share falls squarely on the middle class and any changes he has proposed to the system will affect the middle class' share for the negative. If we allow one class to be preyed upon by another it will erode the American Dream. Fairness, Equality and Opportunity has become Selective Inclusion, Specific Rights Based on Sexual Preference, Color, Nationality and Political Affiliation and An Extension on Unemployment Compensation. This president is rewriting the American dream to his own ideals. What he doesn't realize, in his arrogance, is that dream is not his...IT'S OURS.

I just realized that I'm becoming one of the 'Beautiful' people of the left..I'm writing this sitting in a Starbucks, sipping my Medium Roast caramel non-fat coffee listening to cool jazz. This shit gets under your skin. No wonder most of the more extreme liberals I know are Moon-Bats.

That's my literal subsidy, use it or subsidize the next individual.

(That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.)

Political Ping Pong

I have to be honest..I've only skimmed the debates. I'm not a big fan of political posturing, more to the point: Actions speak louder than words. With that said, let's take a little look at the future and where we are potentially headed. Here's a few questions to ponder:

1. Can we continue to support this debt and spending level?

2. Who is best equipped to address the current fiscal issues we face?

3. Am I best equipped to make the right choice?

Right now as of this writing at 4pm on 10/18/2012 the US total debt stands at

                  

 That's alot of friggin' commas! No one, ever in the history of the world has ever had this level of debt. EVER. As Americans we enjoy many freedoms that will erode to support this debt.

Let's look at the 4 years that Obama has had to work on changing this. No budget under this administration. Some on the left say that a budget isn't needed. That discretionary appropriations take the place of a budget. Bullshit. We need a baseline before those discretionary appropriations. No budget allows the government to have more latitude on those discretionary appropriations. In other words, spend what you want, we'll vote on it and if you have the votes we'll let you have it. This reckless spending policy has led to the number you see above.

Which brings us to the answer of the first question: An emphatic NO.

This can be fixed by first creating a atmosphere in Washington D.C. that limits spending. Start with a budget. That'll at the least give the idiots that run the show a soft boundary. I mean there will still be the discretionary spending, but at least there will be a number that when they pass it we'll hear about it on every news channel. Push for and enact a BALANCED BUDGET amendment. Many states enjoy this perk and it works. Money going out has to equal money coming in or it just don't jive.

And to answer the second question: Romney. Do I feel he's perfect? No, but as a businessman he balanced budgets, as Governor of Massachusetts he balanced the budget and as chair of the Olympics again, he balanced the budget. As a businessman he's had to create an air of compromise for forward movement on many business deals. Obama has not ever, EVER created nor balanced a budget (unless it was his own household, but I'm even having trouble saying that) he's never had to pull a group together with varying views to create forward movement. Prove me wrong.

This brings us to a question that is on all of our minds and our third question: YES.

We are all equipped to make the right decision as to who should be at the helm of this great country. The problem is that we are asking the wrong question. John F. Kennedy said it best "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what YOU can do for your country." More and more people, instead of looking at what could be done for the country as a whole, ask first "What am I going to GET out of it" Now handouts trump citizenship. Foodstamps, free cell phones, cash benefits, unemployment extensions and healthcare. No purpose in life except trying to figure out how to get more from the system. They tell us this is isolated to a small group but then tout the 99%. Which is it? We are the system. We allow this behavior. We support this behavior. WE HAVE CREATED THIS BEHAVIOR. I AM PART OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE I'VE STAYED QUIET TOO LONG.

In order to get this country on the right track we must return to our principles. Now I'm not saying that you need to find Jesus or Allah or any other religion, but I am saying that we need to have a distinct line between right and wrong. This line as it pertains to our government and their inability to be good stewards of our money has been blurred by social issues. The left pounces on any budgetary steps on any entitlements as 'barbaric' cuts, the right wants grandma to starve or eat catfood, or one freeze to death. How about when the money finally runs out? No long a $10 a month cut..money is gone you get none.

So, the debates just feel like rhetorical ping pong. Soundbites at the expense of us all. Obama is a charismatic bastard, as is Romney. But the simple truth is in the actions of both men. I will stand with Romney's imperfect record before I except the continued failings of Obama.

That's my two cent's spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next guy.

Another failing argument from the LEFT.

One of the arguments I continue to hear over and over again is that "Obama is for the middle class, Romney works for the rich". NEWSFLASH: We all work for the rich! This subject is getting increasingly harder to explain due to the inflammatory class warfare from the left. People just don't understand supply and demand vs cost and profitability economics or just complete disregard common sense.

Lets try to shed some light on these fundamental truths.

We've all learned through basic economics that demand of a good or a service drives up those good's or service's cost. Tickle Me Elmo, Iphones, Ipads, Itouch, Air Jordan sneakers and even on the high end items such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Rolls Royce. The one thing that all these items enjoyed was a HUGE demand. That demand drove up cost. Goods that could normally be sold at a reasonable price suddenly were unreasonable. BUT...people still went out in droves to buy them. Even took extreme measures to procure some of these things. Up to and including murder in the case of the sneakers. Companies control the supply side of these items in order to fan the flames of demand. It works. It happens over and over again with all types of goods and services. All this excitement keeps cost up on those goods and services cementing their production and offering.

Now, when supply and demand fall off, or cost trumps profitability companies will no longer make or provide those goods or services. A good company will make a replacement that duplicates the excitement created by the original good or service. But what happens when there is still a supply and demand, but there isn't a profit because of the cost that is controlled by the person or company that pays?

Let's look at healthcare! We'll start with birth control. A recent discussion that was had with a fellow healthcare worker was enlightening. The discussion covered several points, but we'll just hit on the economic side. With Obamacare, insurance companies will have to provide no cost birth control to women. While I believe this is admirable, it will do away with choice. Why? If you dictate to insurance companies what they will offer for a good or service, then they will ALWAYS go with the cheapest alternative. Now, when the cheapest alternative is the only profitable (for pharmaceutical companies) that's the only one they will produce. The higher cost birth control will no longer be made because insurance companies won't pay for it. No profit, no one will make it. Basic economics.

We can touch on other goods and services in healthcare that'll change...any joint replacements, numerous medical testing and rural healthcare, but people will just dismiss this as conspiratorial rhetoric. Even though it's basic economics. When it's no longer profitable because of insurance companies that will only pay a certain amount calculated through a complicated metric, some services will not be offered anymore. 

COST    X  NEED           
PROFIT          NECESSITY

Tough metric huh? If you divide cost over profit, then divide need over necessity, than your left with a number. The problem being that the importance of the numbers are not equal. Cost over profit will always be greater than need over necessity. ALWAYS. If a good or a service does not break even or make money than it will not be compensated at the level for that good or service to survive. If it's in great need and necessary, but not recompensable by insurance companies, then it'll go away. No one will offer a service that isn't paid for.

If a hospital or clinic's ability to offer services and pay the people that offer them skews into the negative, that hospital will be running a deficit. A hospital or clinic is a business. Run too far into deficit and it's sure demise for that entity. There is only one entity in the USA that can offer goods and services at a running deficit and survive...The government. And they are quickly getting to the point where their own survival is being placed in question.

How hard is it to realize that in order for a good or service to be offered, it needs to be lucrative to someone offering it? Every time this argument plays out, the left brings up "Trickle Down" economics. They always emphatically pronounce that "Trickle down doesn't work!!". Newflash numba two: Redistribution has NEVER worked. Google any of the governments that champion redistribution and see where there economy is headed. Either in the crapper or headed for it. The only reason "Trickle Down" is viewed as a loser, is because it works to slow.

BUT..IT DOES WORK. Every day someone climbs the ladder of success. Every day we step up to the faucet of the trickle. Every day someone figures out how to turn that trickle into a torrent and make it big. That's the beauty of our system. Anyone can make it. With a better idea or a good work ethic we all have the chance. Under redistribution that better idea or good work ethic won't matter anymore. That will be a sad day for America.

The fact of the matter is, if we don't elect a government that is friendly to business then businesses will go where they are respected. If there is no business to provide jobs, then we don't work. If we don't work, we don't pay taxes. If we don't pay taxes the government can't provide goods and services. Vicious cycle huh? This is already happening on the local level. Some very large cities in the USA have claimed bankruptcy. Services such as Fire, Police and Education suffer and we suffer as a result. Google it. Don't just take my word, be an informed voter not just a follower. 

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person. 

Employment numbers no conspiracy theorys

The jobs report has come out and it looks like we've dropped below 8% for the first time since Obama took office. Key word here being LOOKS. Let's take a look at those numbers and see where they came from.

The jobs report for September 2012 states that we added 114,000 jobs to the economy, much lower than the average 146k per month. How does that corellate with a 0.3% drop? According to the BLS the unemployment rolls decreased by 456,000 people. That's 456k that are no long getting unemployment. Did they get jobs? Doesn't jive does it? Math is a fickle beast indeed. The BLS included in their report a household survey that counted a 873,000 increase in the number of people working and states:

"Total employment, as measured by the household survey, rose
by 873,000 in September, following 3 months of little change.  On
a month-to-month basis, the household survey employment measure
is more variable than the payroll employment measure due to the
smaller household survey sample.  Over longer periods, the
changes in household and payroll survey employment tend to track
more closely."

I'm not sure where these numbers come from. These "household survey" numbers could have come from a sample size of 10 households or 10 Million house holds. To support these numbers we would have to see a net job increase per state of 17,460. I know that hasn't happened in Maine. I'm not sure if that's happened anywhere that I know of. Even if we are to believe that this number creeped up over the course of the year...how many people have seen this kind of job increase in their own community? Not too many people hiring, at least not at this level.

These are the facts, not a theory. The math does work if, and only if, you ask the right question. The question they ask is who is on unemployment. The question we ask is who is unemployed. The U-6 number, or real number of unemployed currently stands at 14.7% and is unchanged. The fact is that the employment outlook is still very bleak. The 7.8% unemployment rate is still unacceptable. 7.8% of the unemployed are getting unemployment compensation, the other 6.9% none. That's dismal.

I'm not going to twist the numbers like the two parties. I personally know of dozens of people in my current field (medical imaging) that have training, certification and state license but cannot get work in the field. Their is not one of us that has had our life touched by someone that is unemployed or under-employed. We need a new direction.

That's my two cents, spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.

Why a progressive agenda isn't good for us

Posts like the previous one seem to be getting more the norm with Conservative Liberal exchanges. Even if one side is willing to budge the other is not. It's unfortunate that the political landscape has become so polarized, however it's illuminated a spotlight on the goings on in Washington. Federal control was never meant to be all encompassing for the states.

We are a nation of sovereign states under a sovereign nation. We are meant to be self governed down to a local level. That self governance is quickly being eroded. Progressives feel that one government is the best for all. One government cannot create legislation that works for everyone. Our forefathers knew that each state and it's demographics were unique and as such created a government that took local control into account. What is good for the people of southern California does not translate well for people in northern Maine.

I continually charge my detractors with impeaching my facts. Sometimes this happens, most of the time it does not. When it does I concede the fact and move on. If the facts support their view I change my view. It may not look the same as theirs because of my conservative slant but it changes none the less.

That's my two cent's spend 'em or put 'em in the dish for the next person.
 

Why the arguments never hold up. Passion cannot be construed as fact.

This was an exchange with an (un) friend on Facebook. Figured I'd share it with y'all.

My original post:

If you not a liberal at 20yrs old, you don't have a heart. If your not conservative at 40yrs old, you don't have a brain. Churchill. I guess some people just refuse to grow up and accept facts. You gotta hand it to them, they do exude a childlike ignorance.

First rebuttal from friend (in blue)

And your complete and utter disregard for people who think differently than you is not ignorant? Time to buy a dictionary, or is Webster to liberal for you?

My responses (in red)

I have no disregard for people that don't think like me (name omitted)..I do however disregard those who do not think. Facts are facts. Left leaning people are just children who think if they scream loud enough, people will listen. Obama opens his mouth and the left takes it as gospel. If the facts don't support it, they twist the facts or outright disregard the facts. Pretty child-like. I remember some of those kids.."if you don't play by my rules, I don't wanna play at all". Why is it then only 20% of the United States identify themselves as liberal, while 40% identify themselves as conservative?(adjusted to median) http://www.gallup.com/poll/154889/nearly-half-identify-economically-conservative.aspx

 If anyone can show me facts to support a different view then I'll change mine. I'm not unreasonable, but I do reason. Unlike most of the left leaning people I know. They do not want to hear any good about anyone other than their own candidate. I'd rather have a Massachusetts moderate than 4 more years of a disinterested snake oil salesman.

 
I have just been called an ignorant, left leaning child by someone who I thought had the ability to see past differences in opinion and agree to disagree with mutual respect. Look at your flawed logic! You just said you have no disregard for people who think differently than you. Then, you say that people who are liberal don't think. So, logically, you disregard liberal people. I have too much respect for your wife who is a friend of mine to say what I want to say to you, but I don't have to accept any more of your insulting and close-minded shit anymore on a forum that I use as a means of relaxation and enjoyment. All the best.

At this point, I was unfriended by this person.


 I'm sure my wife would have no issues with anything you'd have to say to me (name removed). My opinions are just that, opinions, but my opinions are born in fact. You don't like those facts and your decision to 'take your toys and go home' drives home my point about liberal antics. If you act like a child you'll be called out on it. You yourself said some things about Gov. Romney and his 'arrogance' that prevented you from watching the debate so as to not 'get sick'. Your refusal to even accept another way that isn't your own illustrates your extreme party affiliation. I respect you and your position that you've worked hard to attain. I also give you props for all the great work you do for the community. I'm at odds with your political views merely because they are not rooted in facts. I'm sorry if my views and opinions have made you decide to unfriend me. I do not unfriend anyone. My views are for anyone to see because I believe that they can stand up under any scrutiny.

 I've been called many names over the course of this political season. Many by you (name removed). My opinions of liberals are in generalities. I do not point at any one person, more to the point as a whole. The very people the preach the about inclusion and toleration are the very people that so easily cast these aside. I'm sorry to my other left leaning friends if these posts hurt your feelings but it's my opinion. If you don't like it don't read. Easy enough. When people want God removed from schools, its the liberals. When they want people to stop driving SUVs, it's the liberals. When ever people want to remove a liberty..it's a liberal that's leading the charge. If it isn't their view, remove it.

At this point the conversation moved to private messenger.



It's not your views that made me decide to unfriend you, it's your attacks on people who are as hard working and intelligent as you are but happen to take a different stance on issues that bothers me. I appreciate banter and discussion, but I won't do it only to be belittled by someone who hides behind a very thin veil of alleged fact to ridicule others. For the sake of civility, I think we both need to go to our corners and shut up.


 I hide behind a thin veil of alleged facts? Show me where any of my facts are wrong and I'll change my view. You always poke holes in my views with a very small poker. Fox News is not where I get my facts.

 And I attack no one. I've given up on responding or posting rebuttals on any of my left leaning friends posts. I only respond to the posts on mine. I've come to realize that most of these people will not change their mind anyway. I have many liberal friends, it comes with the territory (healthcare) and many of them disagree with me.



No, I have wasted enough of my time on arguing with you about politics. I'm done. I'm not going to change your mind and you won't change mine. Go vote for your people and I will vote for mine and move on. 

You simply don't get the fucking FACT that you have crossed the line from expressing opinion to being a hurtful jackass. How can you in one breath say you respect me as an educator and in the next say I'm ignorant of facts. You're not the only one who does research you know.


So instead of calling me names, show me your facts that you research. Easy enough. If the facts hurt, than they must strike a nerve. Too much worth is put on words. Ignorant isn't name calling. It's a state of reacting without substance.


I am so done. DONE  


No supporting facts huh? It's all good (name removed). I still like you as a person, your one of the better wordsmiths on Facebook and I'll miss our exchanges. I'm not the type of person to let my views dictate my affiliations and if I ever run into you I'll still convey the respect you deserve and would hope for it in return. If I was a religious man I'd say God bless you, but I'm not, so I wish you good health and prosperity. May your days be filled with happiness, good food and friends.


I am also not the type of person who chooses friends based on belief. I wish you well also, but again, you were attacking not only my sensibilities, but my intellect. To even say that I do not support facts is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Yes, if I ever run into you, there will be no hard feelings, but for now, back off and go attack others who are more willing to accept it on their social network.

I chose to end the conversation at this point and not respond further. I didn't want to 'attack' anymore (although I can't see where I've done any attacking, more to the point fending off an attack). It's exchanges like this that illustrate the desperation of the left. Facts do not support their direction. Continued calls for them to prove me wrong is met with childish rhetoric and conjecture. They haven't a factual leg to stand on. 

PROVE ME WRONG.