tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5667484536893326922024-03-20T13:00:29.826-07:00Con10tious AdventurerCon10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-45725812557520033972010-05-15T07:01:00.001-07:002010-05-15T07:11:38.223-07:00Illegal Immigration<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Like so many others, I was really peeved at Suzan Hebson and the Township High School District 113 Board of Education for denying the Highland Park High School girls basketball team a chance to compete in tournament held in Arizona. What petty posturing I thought. Until I read this article in the <a style="color:#0000CC;" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fnorthnorthwest%2Fct-met-highland-park-reaction-0514-20100514%2C0%2C3820200.story&h=b0c2d">Chicago Tribune</a> which includes the following quote from assistant superintendant Suzan Hebson: <br /><br />"Since <b>undocumented students</b> may be participating on any of our extracurricular teams, we need to ensure that all of our students can travel safely, especially in the United States." <br /> <br />I am perplexed and my anger is growing. Ms. Hebson's concern evinces her clear understanding that <b>undocumented students</b> is a euphemism for illegal alien! <br /><br />Why does that understanding not extend to the notion that illegal aliens are at risk no matter where they go in the US precisely because they are, well, ... you know it's coming ... <b>ILLEGAL</b>! <br /><br />Illinois Township High School District 113 is embracing the notion of and providing sanctuary to illegal aliens and they apparently they don't care who knows. <br /><br />There are an estimated 20 million illegal aliens in the US which means our politicians have been ignoring this problem for way too long. We need to address the issue now. <br /><br />In the meantime, if you are like me and inclined to let the Township High School District 113 Board of Education and Ms. Hebson know how you feel, send them an <a style="color:#0000CC;" target="_blank" href="mailto:bshlensky@dist113.org,MSandlow@aol.com,Ehj1217@aol.com,kfishbain@dist113.org,alidawer@dist113.org,msmith@dist113.org,gfornero@dist113.org,shebson@dist113.org">email</a>. Please be polite, but let them know that their decisions have consequences. </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-10325177928898470602010-05-11T09:47:00.000-07:002010-05-12T03:49:37.703-07:00Arizona Immigration Law Reasonable - NY Times<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> OK, so I am a bit concerned that I agree with the New York Times when they declared the recent Arizona immigration law reasonable in their article entitled <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/opinion/29kobach.html" style="color:#0000CC;" target=”_blank”>Why Arizona Drew a Line</a>.<br /><br />If everyone would simply <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/summary/s.1070pshs_asenacted.doc.htm" target="_blank">Read the BILL</a>, I think there would be considerably less confusion and considerably more support. <br /><br />Perhaps President Obama might support the law, although based upon his appearance at the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFZ4dvZ-1mQ" target="_blank" style="color:#0000CC;">Correspondence Dinner</a> I seriously doubt it. How can you poke fun at something that has caused such controversy, especially when you are the one that has failed and failed miserably to take action??? <br /><br />Here's Governor Brewer's recent ad telling <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLgZ1LWLlko" target="_blank">President Obama</a> that no one's laughing now. <br /><br />I know, several other presidents have failed to close the borders as well. I am ticked at them too! But Obama is in office and clearly he doesn't think this is such an important issue. <br /><br />I am not yet of the opinion that we should consider something like <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Wetback" target="_blank">Operation Wetback</a>, which was one of the three times in the history of the US that the federal government actually decided that there were too many illegal aliens in the country and went about deporting them! Although, if circumstances continue to deteriorate, if jobs become so scarce, then we may have to consider doing something!! </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-1921129260331117482010-05-08T11:51:00.000-07:002010-05-08T12:41:24.300-07:00Seniority Trumps Competence<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">New York city schools like many others across our country are <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703686304575228593250933792.html?mod=WSJ_NY_LEFTTopStories" target="_blank"> bracing for spending cuts</a>. Given their current economic situation, they need to do this to keep from sliding into an economic abyss. But necessity and union rules should not abrogate reason. Cuts should be made with an eye towards the consequences. <br /><br />Sadly, such is not the case in New York city where layoffs are going to cause the loss of some talented, caring, competent teachers. They will be laid-off because some other teachers who are less competent, less caring and less capable will stay simply because they have more seniority. This is so because the teacher's union who thinks that the most important consideration when deciding who should stay and who should go is who has the most seniority. Competence does not enter into the equation at all!! <br /><br />Parents should not let this happen! </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-12778695832125287562010-04-28T09:01:00.000-07:002010-04-28T16:34:31.992-07:00Shared Responsibility<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Congress has lied and obscured the facts of their depravity so completely, that I don not think anyone really understands how bleak the the situation really is. <br /><br />But never fear, Steny Hoyer, the proud Tax and Spend Democratic House Majority Leader wrote today in the WSJ that <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704671904575194113752103610.html" target="_blank">shared sacrifices</a> are necessary to solve the debt crisis. <br /><br />Yes we have a debt crisis, but the bigger issue, the one that he and the other progressive nitwits in Congress need to take full responsibility for is their unprincipled, pork laden, unbridled, socialistic SPENDING! <br /><br />For instance, did you know the following: <br /><br />$12.9 Trillion in debt – <a href="http://www.usdebtclock.org/" target="_blank">US National Debt Clock</a><br /><br />40% of all 2009 income taxes will be applied to pay the interest on our national debt – <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704429304574467071019099570.html" target="_blank">US National Debt Clock</a> <br /><br />$700 Billion is the estimated interest payment in 2019 - <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Interest-payments-on-national-debt-set-to-explode-8577764-71953337.html" target="_blank">The Washington Examiner</a><br /><br />$108.4 Trillion in unfunded liabilities - <a href="http://www.usdebtclock.org/" target="_blank">US National Debt Clock</a><br /><br />$2.7 Trillion state pension liability - <a href=" http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=32368" target="_blank">The Pew Charitable Trusts</a><br /><br />$400 Billion blank check to Fannie and Freddie - <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704234304574626630520798314.html" target="blank">Wall Street Journal</a> <br /><br />300% the increase in the number of dollars in circulation since July 2008, from $800 Billion to $2.4 Trillion - <a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?chart_type=line&width=1000&height=600&preserve_ratio=true&s[1][id]=AMBNS" target="_blank">Federal Reserve</a><br /><br />17% to 22% true unemployment rate - <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/how_nation_true_jobless_rate_is_N4E6MjtfhnMcCi537pucaJ" target="_blank">NY Post</a><br /><br />In order to survive, we need across the board cuts of at least 20%, including the total disembowelment of some programs (I would recommend Obama Care and Farm subsidies right off the bat) and we need to do it now! </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-49357080147859425012010-03-13T09:30:00.000-08:002010-03-13T09:35:10.497-08:00The 12 Percent Problem<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> We are a nation of consumers. Almost 70 percent of our economy is based upon consumerism. From coupon shoppers, to Internet searchers, to barterers, to newspaper sales ad readers, to hagglers, we are a nation of consumers who almost daily exercise our right to find the best deal for our money. So why do we ignore our consumer roots when it comes to purchasing healthcare? According to <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2010/02/26/the_health_care_number_you_didnt_hear_98362.html target="_blank">Real Clear Markets</a> Americans only control 12 percent of their healthcare dollar. The other 88 percent is spent on our behalf. <br /><br />The current healthcare model is driven by the fact that most of us are only responsible for a relatively small co-pay of twenty or twenty-five dollars. Most of us are so pampered that the doctor's staff is responsible for sending in the paperwork to claim the remainder of their fee for services rendered. Most if not all of us rarely ever notice or care about what the doctor actually charges. We do notice and review our healthcare plan whenever it comes up for renewal. We may even opt to increase or decrease our co-pays or change providers so that we are not even responsible for making co-pay charges. So for most, as long as our co-pays remain manageable, we really don't care about what the doctor actually charges! And therein lies the problem. We act like responsible consumers for our co-pays and basically ignore the larger 88 percent of actual costs, which is the real cost driver. No wonder that healthcare costs are rising!<br /><br />If we are to control healthcare spending, then we need to become consumers for the entire about we spend and not just 12 percent. </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-35663784083205647082010-03-03T05:07:00.000-08:002010-03-13T09:54:26.023-08:00The Road to Perdition is Paved with Compassion<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Obama Care is a mistake. Look at the test systems in Massachusetts and Maine. Both are costing much more than predicted, have increased healthcare fees and are bankrupting their respective states. I do not think anyone can point to one example of a program that cost less than the amount government said. Big government is expensive in terms of the money it sucks from our pockets and maniacal abuses it foments from power hungry progressives. Our founding fathers understood the problems with big government and emphasized small government and self reliance instead. <br /><br />Progressives say healthcare is the compassionate thing to do. They laugh and ridicule anyone who suggests otherwise. But is it? Obama Care basically takes from the rich and gives to the poor. In reality isn't that the same as giving a man a fish as in the old saying: "Give a man to fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." The better and more lasting solution is to teach everyone how to fish, so they can become self reliant and pursue their own course to happiness. <br /><br />Progressives use compassion as a fashionable, powerful, motivating and pretentious aphrodisiac to ruin this country. The party of NO should take pride in standing up for individual freedoms and fiscal probity. </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-23199721687790372312009-12-12T07:38:00.000-08:002009-12-12T07:39:37.670-08:00$1.1 Trillion Bill Set to Advance<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am dumbfounded to read that Congress is seriously considering upping our debt limit and spending more money that we simply don't have. I keep thinking that at some point an inkling of fiscal responsibility will occur to someone up there in Washington and they will stop this unbridled and seemingly limitless spending!! But when???<br /> </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-52369231558854181952009-12-12T06:28:00.000-08:002009-12-12T07:34:21.786-08:00Ilegal Immigration<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">America needs to do something about illegal aliens, NOW. It is unconscionable to ignore and accept the presence of anyone who has illegally immigrated to this or any country. Illegal aliens are unproductive residents, who for the most part, do not pay for or contribute to the governmental services they use and their illegal status exposes them to abuse by opportunistic predators, including some employers. <br /><br />This is not the first time illegal immigration has become a national issue in this country. President Eisenhower set into motion <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Wetback" target="_blank">Operation Wetback</a> to address the burgeoning population of illegal aliens in favor of making sure troops returning home after WWII did not have to compete with illegals for jobs! Our current illegal alien population is many times greater than we were experiencing in the 50's and we need to address their continued residency here in America in a sane, rational and, yes, compassionate, way.<br /><br />First we need to complete the installation of an impenetrable, or nearly so, border fence. Then for all existing illegals who are in all other respects law abiding citizens and who are able to meet all other immigration criteria, we need to resolve their status in a compassionate manner. I suggest that in exchange for registering with INS that each illegal agree to sign a statement acknowledging that they entered the country illegally and that conviction of a serious crime would result in their immediate deportation.<br /><br />I am not suggesting that we round up all illegal aliens and deport them as is clearly allowed under the law as it exists today. This is, in my opinion, a harsh, unproductive result that overlooks the fact that as a nation we failed to take action to close our borders despite overwhelming evidence that the borders were and continue to be extremely porous. Nor am I suggesting that we do nothing. Immediate action is necessary and reasonable for our security, for our fiscal stability and to restore our national pride.<br /></span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-14491851617013012272009-09-10T14:50:00.000-07:002009-09-13T10:44:56.351-07:00Rep. Wilson got it RIGHT, President Obama Lied<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> The Prevaricator-in-Chief put on a stunning performance the other night when he addressed Congress, once again obfuscating every bit of truth. Sure Obama Care will be everything to everyone ... so why wait 4 years to put it in place? Because, despite claims to the contrary President Obama wants to be re-elected before the light of the truth shines on him. <br /><br />The Obamanation started out lying and kept right on lying all the way through. In my opinion Representative Joe Wilson showed remarkable constraint waiting as long as he did! <br /><br />To illustrate, I'll stroke the Obamanation like he disingenuously stoked Republicans by first saying that I agree, no where in any of the Obama Care bills does it say there will be death panels. No where. But it doesn't say there won't be either. <br /><br />Instead the bill advocates death counseling because, well, we could possibly cut costs if old people come to grips with the fact that they will or are dying and eschew expensive end of life treatments. <br /><br />Question. Unless you are God (in which case this question is totally pointless) how will you know when you are actually going to die? This is not a rhetorical question without consequence. The obvious answer is that YOU DON'T! DOH! <br /><br />But some people, bless their souls, will opt for the morphine drip and pass on because they will think they are dying and, you know, its the right thing to do for their family, friends and society. They will believe after they have received their "counseling" that they don't want to waste away or spend a bunch of money needlessly. Needlessly? To resort to the same moral rhetoric as the Obamanation if we save or extend just one life for a year, isn't the cost worth it? <br /><br />So, yeah the "truth" is Obama Care doesn't include death panels, but that is clearly the net effect. Some people will die earlier because they will forgo every medical procedure available to them. Ergo sometimes death counseling will lead to premature deaths. The semantic advantage goes NOT to the Obamanation, but to critics like Rep Wilson and myself who, after examining the facts, undoubtedly believe that the Obamanation lied!<br /><br />Another thing, I totally agree that Obama Care needs to be paid for before it’s enacted! But what if the costs soar over the Obamanation’s incredibly optimistic cost estimates just like the Congressional Budget Office say they will? Does the bill also contain protections and prohibitions that would render it void and discarded? NAY NAY. Another semantic advantage tending to prove that the Obamanation lied. <br /><br />For every omission or half truth the Obamanation uttered there was an equal and most likely outcome that he denounced as a scare tactic! It's okay for the Dimwitocrats to assert falsehoods to scare people, but not critics. That's un-American and it sure doesn’t alleviate the inconsistencies and potential for misery that exudes from this liberal, progressive fantasy like stink on poo.<br /><br />BS you say?? Fine. You don't have to take my word for it, the following WSJ article <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203440104574404893691325078.html"target="_blank">Medicare for Dummies</a> details many of the Obamanation's manipulations of the truth!<br /><br />Still not satisfied? OK, what if I said that I could embrace Obama Care IF it included ironclad prohibitions or expirations for every evil that any thinking person knows will happen. Sadly I am on solid ground here because Pelosi, Reid and the rest of the intellectually challenged Dimwitocrats won't include ironclad guarantees because they know the truth. To wit, that the criticisms against the bill are true or have a very high probability of coming about because the bill just doesn’t include exact, unambiguous language of the type that everyone reads and agrees says what it says! <br /><br />The only explanation that makes any sense to me is that the Obamanation is so enamored of what he perceives will be and surely, rightfully is his place in history, he just can’t let this go. Yes he did make one hell of a fine pitch for Obama Care; but I just don’t believe what this liar is selling. I didn't believe him as candidate Obama and every single one of his actions since he has taken office concretely support that Rep. Wilson and I made the right assessment then as now. Obama lied! <br /><br />For everyone out there who will think I am merely providing additional noise to the cacophony that is the health care debate I offer the following. I know it would be pointless for me to attempt to educate the Obamanation, but still, if I had a moment to speak with him I would suggest that he embrace the <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://healthcare.cato.org/free-market-approach-health-care-reform" target="_blank">free market reforms</a> advocated by the Cato Institute. I would stress that free market reforms would not be as alluring as his fantasy, but they sure make sense and cost nothing to implement! And from that standpoint alone they deserve a chance, unlike Obama Care which should be absolutely and totally abandoned and soon forgotten! </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-20812589941950477562009-09-08T04:48:00.000-07:002009-09-13T11:14:51.681-07:00The Chickens are Starting to Come Home to Roost!!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Over and over candidate Obama assured us that he was unaware of Rev. Wright's rants. Well, karma must be in play here as the Obamanation's chickens are coming home to roost in the form of <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203440104574399452969175732.html" target="_blank">Van Jones's exposure and resignation</a>. When will America and the main stream media wake up and recognized that they have been duped? <br /><br />The silver lining to this story is that the Obamanation's ineptitude has, so far, stymied his own efforts to enact legislation that could really harm America! </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-70746282422047226922009-07-24T07:52:00.000-07:002009-07-24T23:21:03.082-07:00Share this Chart and Annoy Speark Pelosi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Vn7r-xF_A5-m1HyDxwE0OZi0OWZObOP79Xu_D-xVR79_LeUEVvV_gw8i-X6PM-4CFS8yjPuISrR43PoXwEsIoZQUlx4xjv3qly8MewopwxowoHXK70SMjE2AwUG36j1eiOG-4h47tFQ/s1600-h/House_Dem_Health_Plan071509-768777.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Vn7r-xF_A5-m1HyDxwE0OZi0OWZObOP79Xu_D-xVR79_LeUEVvV_gw8i-X6PM-4CFS8yjPuISrR43PoXwEsIoZQUlx4xjv3qly8MewopwxowoHXK70SMjE2AwUG36j1eiOG-4h47tFQ/s400/House_Dem_Health_Plan071509-768777.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362041530903563698" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas designed this colorful chart depicting Obama Care that Speaker Pelosi and other Dimwitocrats don't want the public too see. Interestingly, they are not complaining that the chart is wrong or misleading, but <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);" href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/23/gop-charges-dems-censorship-sign/" target="_balnk">Speaker Pelosi</a> is preventing House members from using their Franking or mailing privileges to send the chart to their constituents. <br /><br />Speaker Pelosi's decision begs the question, why is she afraid of this little chart? Could it be that too much information in the hands of the public is not a good thing? Could it be that the Dimwitocrats are afraid to tell voters what is contained in Obama Care before its enacted? Things like the Office of Minority Health? Or Office of Civil Rights? Or Health Choices Administration? Maybe!?!<br /><br />But who cares! Nows our your chance to annoy Speaker Pelosi like she's been annoying us! Past this chart along to everyone you know and let them know how you feel about Obama Care!!! </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-86540053344507144502009-07-23T08:22:00.000-07:002009-07-23T08:41:42.152-07:00President Obama Bullying CBO<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> The <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203517304574304343697759178.html"target="_blank">Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)</a> was summoned to the White House to be confronted by President Obama and true-believer lobbyist after he publicly announced the savings claimed by President Obama just weren't possible. Once a petty Chicago thug always a thug. <br /><br />This is not the first time the CBO has disputed the Prevaricator-In-Chief. Last time the CBO said that the recession would end without any "help" by the end of the year. Lo and behold, President Obama said he had to act to protect jobs and end the recession. So what happened to cause unemployment to surge higher and the recession to deepen? President Obama intervened with his much touted and absolutely necessary $800 Billion dollar stimulus package. How long do we have to endure this President's financially reckless agenda. When is the media going to wake up from their Obama enchantment? <br /><br />Sadly, and precisely because any such admission will be seen as a vindication for the political pundits they trashed and denigrated, I doubt that the main stream media will make any such admission or ever report objectively on the Prevaricator-In-Chief. </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-71663387394591957022009-07-23T04:16:00.000-07:002009-07-23T04:28:25.521-07:00President Obama, Orwellian Speaker Extraordinaire<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> <b>OBAMA:</b> "We already have rough agreement" on some aspects of what a health care overhaul should involve, and one is: "It will keep government out of health care decisions, giving you the option to keep your insurance if you're happy with it." <br /><br /><b>THE FACTS:</b> In House legislation, a commission appointed by the government would determine what is and isn't covered by insurance plans offered in a new purchasing pool, including a plan sponsored by the government. The bill also holds out the possibility that, over time, those standards could be imposed on all private insurance plans, not just the ones in the pool. <br /><br />As reported here on <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/22/fact-check-obama-health-care/" target="_blank">FoxNews Fact Check</a>. When is the Liar-In-Chief going to stop treating all Americans as if they are the entitlement dependent, uninformed, community illiterates he is used to dealing with? </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-66607860750515995772009-07-17T08:37:00.000-07:002009-07-17T09:26:18.438-07:00Will Obama Veto Earmarks in the Military Appropriations Bill<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> While running for office in 2008, Senator Obama said <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/15/obama.earmarks/index.html" style="color:#0000CC;" target="_blank">We can no longer accept a process that doles out earmarks based on a member of Congress' seniority, rather than the merit of the project.</a> <br/><br />Yet when faced with his first real test of conscious, he signed into law an omnibus spending bill with roughly 9,000 earmarks worth more than 5 billion dollars. Now the liar-in-chief has another opportunity to veto pork. But will he? <br/><br />With Cap & Trade and Healthcare still to be enacted, will the President risk losing support for his agenda by forcing Congress to toe the line? I truly doubt he has the courage to change the way Washington works. <br/><br /></span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-25807886315311437092009-07-17T03:55:00.000-07:002009-07-17T04:26:44.333-07:00Just Say No<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> I admit to rooting for President Obama over Hilary Clinton; I just couldn't take more of the Clinton drama. I also believed that economic realities would temper his legislative agenda. I am dumbfounded that he just keeps right on spending and demanding more! President Obama is treating America like a union, demanding bigger and bigger concessions like a blood sucking leach without concern for its host. President Obama needs to understand that his host, America, is on the verge of financial calamity and just say No to any more tax or spending increases. <br/> <br />If President Obama really thinks we need Cap and Trade, why is he giving away billions in tax revenue to private concerns to run energy exchanges? Why aren't the government and taxpayers reaping this windfall? President Obama needs to rethink this give away and change the beneficiaries or just say NO. <br/><br />One last thing, I just don't understand President Obama's contempt for America. Everywhere he goes he apologizes; but he does not speak for me. Enough is enough. Just say NO!!<br/> </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-12488226111370446262009-07-16T09:32:00.001-07:002009-07-16T09:55:54.947-07:00President Obama's Consciously Dishonest Way<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> I can certainly see why the left hates Karl Rove so much, his clarity of thinking, factual recall and insights are dead on. So when he takes President Obama to task like he does in his recent WSJ article entitled: <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124770231103148561.html" style="color:#0000CC;" target="_blank"> The President Moves the Economic Goalposts</a> his observations are devastatingly accurate. <br/><br />This time Mr. Rove ridicules the President for attempting to redefine what he meant when he said we had to have his stimulus package now so that the economy could start getting immediately better and unemployment would not rise above 9 percent. Well unfortunately the economy hasn't gotten better and unemployment is above 9.5 percent and still rising. <br/> <br />Just before President Obama made his pitch for his must have Stimulus Bill the CBO said that if we did nothing we would be out of this recession by the third or fourth quarter of this year. Now President Obama says that things are going to remain bad for all of this year and most of next. Could it be that President Obama's stimulus bill had the exact opposite effect on the economy? Well of course it has. Anyone with a reasonable intellect knows that pork barrel spending does not equate an investment in revitalizing the economy. It may well be an investment in getting the intellectually challenged likes of Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, and a whole host of other liberal Dimwitocrats re-elected, but it ain't gonna help the economy. <br/><br />And remember how the progressive, liberal media howled at conservative pundits for suggesting that President Obama's plan wasn't gonna work? Where are those same self-serving twits now? I sure wish someone would hold President Obama AND the media accountable now before President Obama and Congress make some even graver mistakes with Cap and Trade, healthcare and worse, a second stimulus package! <br /></span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-29016480260201150482009-07-11T12:18:00.000-07:002009-07-11T14:12:25.462-07:00Speaker Pelosi's CIA Quagmire<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> I have enjoyed watching Speaker Pelosi squirm in response to her self-inflicted CIA imbroglio. Poor girl cannot escape her own outrageous lies! Unfortunately the morass is entangling others as the WSJ points out their commentary entitled <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124718513104720457.html" target="_blank">About that CIA Lie</a>. <br/><br />The facts weave a disgusting story of some Dimwitocrat low lifes who authored a deceitful <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://www.dimwitocrat.com/LetterToPanetta.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a> to Leon Panetta in an intellectually challenged attempt to discredit the CIA and to unsnarl Speaker Pelosi. <br/><br />Long story short, the partisan pigs were outed for their chicanery. Bet it’s no big surprise that the Diwitocratic low lives came from California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington, huh? Well, it is a bit, because somehow New York was excluded!! <br/><br />Regardless, Representatives Eshoo, Tierney, Holt, Thompson, Hastings, Schakowsky and Smith ought to be ashamed of such blatant buffoonery. As my cartoon hero Bugs Bunny used to say, “What maroons! What embezzles!” When will the decent people they represent get fed up and say enough and elect honest representation? <br/> <br/> </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-61866104237209723482009-07-05T06:35:00.000-07:002009-07-11T13:35:10.113-07:00Happy Birthday America!! Please support our Troops!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Please support our troops and take a moment to watch this amazing video made by then 15 year old Lizzie Palmer entitled <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ervaMPt4Ha0" target="_blank">Remember Me</a>.<br /><br />And enjoy this great website: <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://obamaclock.org/" target="_blank">Countdown until Obama leaves office</a>.</span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-89941951631626070182009-07-05T06:11:00.000-07:002009-07-05T06:34:43.952-07:00re: New Evidence on the Foreclosure Crisis, WSJ, July 3, 2009<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a style="COLOR: #0000cc" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124657539489189043.html">Dr. Stan Liebowitz</a> makes some good points in his article, including that we need to get back to the basics and impose an equity requirement on residential mortgages. Unfortunately, he also omitted some useful data that clearly discloses his bias and gives credence to the old saw that: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics.”<br /><br />I do not agree with Dr. Liebowitz's conclusion that the increase in subprime defaults is statistically insignificant such that we can summarily dismiss allegations of inappropriate conduct as being purely partisan politics.<br /><br />A quick survey of the internet confirms the following: subprime mortgages account for 25% of residential mortgages and the default rates in 2005 were 2.2% for prime and 14.6% for subprime borrowers. And while I am not an economist (like Dr. Liebowitz) or a mathematician, it seems to me that 200% of 25% of 14.6% is a statistically bigger number then 488% of 75% of 2.2%. In fact, the increased subprime default rate is almost 300% larger than the increased prime default rate!!! Clearly Dr. Liebowitz should have been able to figure this out for himself. So I can only conclude that he has an undisclosed agenda.<br /><br />Regardless, I would highly recommend that Dr. Liebowitz revisit his conclusions (and perhaps a remedial statistics class) and suggest some strategies to prevent Democrats like Rep. Barney Frank and Senator Chris Dodd from further hurtful meddling.<br /></span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-18311527106891610702009-05-03T13:41:00.000-07:002009-05-03T14:47:36.928-07:00Cap and Trade is really a Carbon Tax!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> I wonder if the Dimwitocrats who elected the Obamanation understand Cap and Trade or understand how GE and Al Gore are poised to make billions from what is essentially is a TAX on carbon emissions? That's right, the Obamanation is crafting legislation that would give billions to private companies for what should be the governmental function of tax collection. <br /><br />Cap and Trade is a green initiative to reduce carbon emissions. The government will ration or otherwise set standards for much carbon emissions various industries should produce. If an industry is green then they can probably live within the ration they will be provided. If a company is not green and they go over their ration, then they pay a penalty or they purchase carbon credits from other companies that do not exceed their rationed amount. It is the cottage industry that is in the planning stages to manage the rations, to act as a broker between the green companies and the ones that need extra help that GE and Al Gore are positioning themselves to corner. That's right, the television news station that never said a single bad story about the Obamanation is now poised to reap huge rewards from helping him get elected!!! They both have committed fraud, in my opinion. <br /><br />Hear me people, if GE and Al Gore think they are about to become incredibly rich based upon their commission activities as a broker based on the amount of revenue that the Obamanation is predicting (TRILLIONS, with a T!!) should not we be worried about who is going to pay that TRILLIONS DOLLARS? Because when push comes to shove, it is going to be you and me who pay. Not the manufacturers or the transportation companies or someone else!! It will be you and me! That's why this is and should be called a CARBON TAX! <br /><br />Incredibly, and oh so unbelievably ironic, is the fact that the socialist Obamanation is turning to private enterprise to collect his CARBON TAX. Right now the government owns about 50 percent of the banks and GM. So why are they turning to private companies to be Carbon Ration Brokers. Because if the Obamanation actually called Cap and Trade a CARBON TAX, the voters would throw the bum out!! <br /><br />Let's not delay, let's start doing something now rather that wait until the Obamanation yokes us with another TRILLION dollar debt! </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-89322995655378260822009-03-22T06:44:00.000-07:002009-03-22T07:00:46.062-07:00The Obamanation Continues ...<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> The Obamanation made it all the way through Chicago dirty politics exactly by not being the point man on anything. He promoted himself by associating himself with everything that succeeded. Now, while the economy tanks, the Obamanation is joking with Leno that he bowls like a special Olympian! Obviously the trend continues ... Meanwhile the Obamanation's henchmen, Pelosi, Dodd, Hoyer, Frank, Waxman, Conyers, Waters and others carry out and implement his socialistic "Change." I wonder how he will throw them all under the bus when the economy continues to tank. <br /><br />When the Obamanation started talking about wealth redistribution the country should have known that he would behave and think like the welfare recipients he organized. Clearly education and hard work mean nothing and the government owes them everything! That the Obamanation wants wealth redistribution after having excelled to the Presidency is incredibly ironic given that he has excelled precisely because he worked and studied hard. I guess in the end, its all about what others can do for you, not what you can do for yourself. How sad. </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-43148130426293226232009-02-27T04:43:00.001-08:002009-02-27T05:03:27.976-08:00One Big A__ Mistake, America<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfVI5ZYI66S20AR9lgzILhdRZFYZiTNku44txoGcGZ_tWJ-F3yja6mPKrYRnnLNKbY9p_3RGzPommpWaKoTP6mtn5hPiuVKFBaki1GT3EnFgRoYf2eoTnLPc1H38weWX2XyuCRSwiLP8/s1600-h/OBAMA.1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 365px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfVI5ZYI66S20AR9lgzILhdRZFYZiTNku44txoGcGZ_tWJ-F3yja6mPKrYRnnLNKbY9p_3RGzPommpWaKoTP6mtn5hPiuVKFBaki1GT3EnFgRoYf2eoTnLPc1H38weWX2XyuCRSwiLP8/s400/OBAMA.1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307459030193463058" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> These fine bumper stickers are available from <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://www.discountbookdistributors.com/bumperstickers.aspx">Patriot Depot</a>. Too bad folks did not learn more about President Obama's past before they voted for him. I agree with with former Bush Press Secretary <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/26/bush-aide-blasts-obama-budget-criticism/">Tony Fratto</a> who said "Trying to mask huge spending increases under the cloak of 'fiscal responsibility' is the height of audacity." </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-5101571924797088542009-02-21T14:54:00.000-08:002009-02-21T15:40:21.038-08:00As California goes, so goes the Nation! Gee, I hope not!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> The "Terminator" turned girly man has turned California into France according to <a style="color:#0000CC;" href=”http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123517419077037281.html”>Matthew Kaminski</a> of the WSJ. To quote Chester A. Riley, protagonist of the 50s TV show "The Life of Riley," "What a revolting development this is." One of my favorite places on earth used to be La Jolla, but now, I fear that ambiance just won't be the same. Worse, Mr. Kaminski suggests that the rest of the country is not far behind and destined to become a “dysfunctional financial mess” hamstrung by an electorate too accustomed and dependent upon feeding at the public trough and too self-unenlightened to correct the problem. <br /><br />Consider also that the <a style="color:#0000CC;" href=”http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123457379583786611.html”>dean of the University of California, Irvine law school</a>, a public institution, is suing the community of Laguna Beach over its treatment of some of the homeless who have started pitching tents and living on the beach. This despite the fact that “Michael and Robert, wearing sunglasses and relaxing in a park overlooking the sparkling Pacific Ocean, cheerfully list … the meals and services available to them: coffee and Danish brought to the park every weekday morning; bag lunches and dinner feedings; showers, laundry and kitchen facilities at a drop-in center; and shelter during the winter months.” Sounds like they have it pretty good! I understand that we need to support those less fortunate, but I wow, do I wish I lived on the Pacific Ocean! <br /><br />Many years ago I head a joke that said California was like a bowl of granola full of fruits, nuts and flakes! Clealy the situation has not improved. </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-89473039289395327472009-02-09T05:45:00.000-08:002009-02-09T06:03:07.689-08:00Who Created this Economic Mess?<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Professor <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123414310280561945.html?mod=djemEditorialPage">John Taylor</a> of Sanford University thinks our government created the financial crisis and I think he has a very strong argument. <br /><br />However, Mr. Taylor gives to much credence to the increase in oil prices, which were driven by speculators, and the public's reaction to TARP, which was a need jerk reaction to such large sums and not a studied and thoughtful response to Messrs. Bernanke and Paulson. In my opinion, Jay Leno's person-on-the-street interviews and John Ziegler's HowObamaGotElected.com suggest that the vast majority of Americans probably have no clue who either person is and what they did. So it is highly unlikely that their poor congressional performance elicited a strong response. <br /><br />Artificially low interest rates and undervaluing the risk of mortgage back securities due to the wrong headed meddling of congress, lax oversight and partisanship where in my opinion the major forces. With stories everywhere about the steep increases in housing prices and a steep increase in the numbers of homes purchased by investors the Fed should have raised interest rates. Unethical relations with the industry like Senator Chris Dodd's with Countrywide and Representative Barney Frank's with his lover at Fannie Mae were probably unethical and diminished congressional oversight to the point that they became cheerleaders for new excesses in the housing mortgage market. And when President Bush and regulators complained, Democrats led by Dodd and Frank defended with partisanship rancor instead of investigating the complaint or providing a reasoned response. </span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566748453689332692.post-70645872988633180222009-02-08T05:11:00.000-08:002009-02-09T05:44:23.155-08:00Consequences<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123388255500354969.html">Speaker Pelosi</a> says we are losing 500 million jobs every month, so we need to act now. According to the Census Bureau <a style="color:#0000CC;" href="http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html">Population Clock</a> there are about 306 million people in the U.S. The magnitude of Speaker Pelosi's error makes me wonder if she did not commit some other errors of magnitude when she helped draft the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Increased spending of the magnitude that contained in the Act will harness our future with an incredible debt.<br /><br />Simple interest on the Act's trillion dollar spending spree is somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 to 45 billion dollars a year. Can we really afford that? <br /><br />What got us into this mess were rocketing home prices caused by questionably-qualified mortgages, congressional interference pushing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase risky mortgages, lax oversight and unethical congressional behavior and historically low interest rates, all of which was rationalized on sky rocketing home prices. That's right. Rising prices lulled lenders into making 100 percent or no money down mortgages. President Clinton pushed through modifications to the Community Reinvestment Act and Congress, instead of providing oversight pushed Fannie and Freddie to do more and accept ever riskier mortgages. Alan Greenspan contributed by keeping interest rates low. All of which kept home buyers motivated to offer ever higher prices. Prices that everyone relied upon to explain their behavior, which in turn pushed prices higher1! <br /><br />When the government borrows money, it can take on many forms including notes, bonds and bills. But mostly Government borrowing is more like a uncapped adjustable rate, interest only loans. When the government needs money the Treasury issues various instruments and then according to the terms and conditions contained therein Treasury makes interest payments at various intervals. Currently the long term rates are at about 4.5 percent. <br /><br />The problem is, for every 1 percent increase in the repayment interest rate, we increase our burden another 10 billion dollars. Since there are no market caps on how much the repayment rate can increase or decrease we can not accurately forecast how much this debt will cost us. If everyone stopped supporting our debt and demanded the repayment of their principal investment, the Government would fail. The bottom line is that no one can say or predict with any clarity what will happen and how much we will eventually owe.<br /><br />Remember the surge in gas prices? Most industry analysts now agree that the most likely cause of the steep and rapid increase of oil prices was speculators. What if speculators start artificially manipulating the Treasury market. Interest rates could shoot up and our debt could skyrocket. <br /><br />Consider too that this is a course of action from which we cannot retreat. We cannot default or walk away from our debt because once we accept the money and spend it, we are burdened with the debt until we can retire it and repay principal obligation. <br /><br />Which gets us back to the Act. President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and myriad others say if we don't spend money now we may never recover. But at what price? No one can say for sure what that price is or what will happen if we pass the bill or if we do not.<br /><br />Therefore, it is my fervent hope that all the Senators and Representatives think about the consequences of the Act before they cast their vote. I for one hope they stand up to President Obama's and Speaker Pelosi's dire admonition that we must do something and vote NO on the Recovery and Reinvestment Act.<br /></span>Con10tioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11609866962645414719noreply@blogger.com0