GE: Government Everything

President Obama is bailing out banks, pushing green technology, rebuilding our energy, extending the war into Afghanistan and nationalizing healthcare. Doesn't General Electric:

1: Sign Loans
2: Produce Compact Fluorescent Lights
3: Supply Wind Turbines
4: Make Military Aircraft
5: Distribute MRI equipment

Thank goodness they don't own a media outlet, like NBC who is connected to Universal. Maybe our kids will be getting GE textbooks this year too.
share on: facebook

Move Over Bush, Hospitals Ruined The World

If you haven't seen the latest economy related political ads running on TV, I will direct you right to their source.

HEALTHY ECONOMY NOW - WORSE THEN TYING SADDAM TO WMDs

Prepare your defense liberals, because you are still complaining about the assertion that Saddam had WMDs and this wasn't reason enough to enter Iraq. You ignored the economic and political rationale at the time. This should be griped about equally, but you'll pass over it because your hypocritical policies never make sense as a whole. You don't mind waiting a few months for your AIDS treatment.

Apparently, the group Healthy Economy Now is blaming the current financial CRISIS on America's outdated and inefficient healthcare system. The commercial looked like it was made by the same producers who worked on the Obama campaign. The affiliated industries who make up this new group are the typical capitalist hating, socialist loving organizations. Surprise, surprise.

Healthcare in this country may need some work, but it certainly does not need to go nationalized. It is the largest employer in the country. Again, Healthcare is the #1 industry in America, and should be treated as one with room to grow, not a financial burden. The government does not need to get into the position of controlling healthcare. If it takes the President 2-3 days to know what he is talking about, how quick will it take budget leaders who decide whether or not your kidney surgery is too expensive. I'm guessing 2-3 days too late. Maybe the coffin and mortuary lobby is behind the scenes on this one.

Sadly, this is only the beginning of the propaganda parade associated with the new administration. I can't wait to see the other connections that are made. When we are attacked again by terrorists, I am sure it will be the fault of coal miners because they are tunneling too close to Pakistan as they dig in Appalachia. When do we decide the lies end?

share on: facebook

A Liberal House of Cards

The slogan for Ohio used to be "The Heart of it All," but has since been changed to "Birthplace of Lies." Alright, so it is really "Birthplace of Aviation," they meant to put soaring campaign promises and plummeting realities. I write this because our new, improved, liberal Governor Ted Strickland fails to keep up on his main campaign promise to assist education by listening to the people.

It hasn't received enough coverage, but Governor Strickland used the budget crisis last fall to cut education funding after making it a key issue on his election campaigns. He was sneaky too. He issued at the state level, that state grants and scholarships would be cut by up to 25%. Then the schools were given there own decision to also cut them by 25%. That is back to back cuts on money students need for schools. I didn't see any cuts in pay or staff at the state level, just student money. Good thing the unemployment rate is at 10%, so those students who need the extra money from jobs to support their education, will have to think about high risk loans and the prospect of dropping out.

For the rest of the country, Ohioans pay, on average, over $9,000 a year for in-state tuition. It is painful to think about the average being almost half that a decade ago. I paid almost $11,000 alone for this year, and I am glad I graduate when I do. My debt is enormous, but I don't get any bailout, just bills. My taxes pay for single mothers with 5 kids in 4 bedroom homes while I scrape by on rent. I don't have a flat screen TV or entertainment center, just an off-brand set I got at a garage sell with cash. I don't have a brand new government subsidized car, just a 20 year old beater I afforded after earning it with cash. I don't need a bailout because I was wise in my financial decisions.

Somehow, Ohio will get out of the red. Mr. Strickland wants to use "casinos" to generate the cash needed. I hate that mentality, finding schemes to pay for wasteful governments. The casino idea has been rejected by Ohio voters four times, and will continue to be, because the plan is too ludicrous for the media to spin. The idea was that Ohioans fork over millions to a casino company in money needed to fun the design, development, construction and staffing for a facility. They were asking Ohioans to pay all the upfront costs in the hopes that the casino would meet or exceed expectations on expenses and starting generating money. When the casino generates the required revenue, a variable figure, then Ohio could start to see money returned on it's investment. It was looking like paying millions of dollars over the next ten years, to start seeing money that might take another ten to pay off the investment. 

It literally was a scheme to buy a casino for a company to profit off of, and they campaigned hard to do so. The 2009 campaign for a casino in Ohio cost $60 million. Sounds philanthropic, right? This was to be 1 of 4 to be built, so the investment may have gone into the billions. Gov. Strickland scoffed at the latest election showdown as voters just not understanding what is good for them, and he vowed to do everything in his power to get more gambling into Ohio. You had to be the least bit curious as to where Keno suddenly came from?

STRICKLY OPPOSED TO GAMBLING, GOVERNOR OK'S KENO

share on: facebook

A New America: The Reward for Failure

President Obama may thank current Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm with a nomination to the United States Supreme Court. Yes, thank her. After all, she is CEO of the state with the worst unemployment rate in the nation. We need to think about Mayors, Governors, and Presidents as CEOs because they run the executive branch in their respective offices. She isn't to blame entirely for the high unemployment in the nation, and neither is President Obama. However, both have made it worse with their poor judgement on "stimulating" the economy.

The recession nationally, would have been a lot better off without such ridiculous and frivolous "stimulus" add-ons like that list of requested capital projects from the US Conference of Mayors. If you haven't casually browsed this list, it is highly recommended, because it is comedy writing at its best. Al Franken will do well in the Senate at this pace. $40 million for a Homeland Security training facility in Oklahoma that doubles as a manager training facility for motels. You can't make this nonsense up.

USCM READY TO GO PROJECTS - READY TO WASTE BILLIONS

State wise, Michigan has been spending billions on wasteful projects instead of protecting business investments to the state. They never seemed to diversify any further outside of the automotive industry, and Mrs. Granholm just continues to burn through tax payer money. Instead of encouraging their transition, Madame Governor sought to expand expensive green energy policies. Sound familiar? Instead of protecting jobs, she protected unemployment benefits and union interests. As it stands, Michigan's per capita is dropping and unemployment is skyrocketing way past national averages. Rumor has it, Michigan hasn't hit bottom yet, and bottom is a ways to go. Try and blame the conservative representatives, because you can't, it is a one party state.

Shall I Put That Into Large Bills?

This is just a series of foolish liberal ideology that President Bush shouldered at the end of his tenure, and President Obama is quickly expanding. Instead of punishing failure, and allowing businesses to earn their punishment for not being competitive in the market, we are destroying the Nation. We are telling businesses, like many of the employed, and those who have made gross errors in their financial lives; "don't worry, help is on the way!" Culturally, we are bastardizing the competitive spirit of all people, and replacing it with this government caretaker. Instead of Lady Liberty recognizing her nephew has a gambling problem, she just slips him another $400 and looks the other way.

We must stop the government from shelling out bailouts and rewards to those who fail. It is our tax money, supposed to be used to help support an institution that WE govern. I don't pay my taxes so people who don't pay them are rewarded with a US Treasury Secretary position. I don't pay my taxes so people who don't pay them are rewarded with a Health and Human Services Secretary position. How about appointing executives with poor judgement to the Supreme Court? How about bailing out corrupt, failed, campaign-contributing financial institutions so their directors can go on vacation and receive most of the bailout in the form of bonuses? Human embryonic stem-cell research shows less promise then adult stem-cell research, and we're advancing them more grants.

We all know what happens to the wealthy, spoiled brat who continually fails, while his father just knocks down any road locks on the kid's path to success. He assumes he deserves EVERYTHING and gets whatever he wants, hungry with power. Is this the lesson we are to pass onto our children? If you fail, someone will clean up the mess. The taxpaying in this country are tired of cleaning up messes and there has to be a breaking point. Bring back competition, and quit rewarding failure with my hard labor.

share on: facebook

Close Guantanamo, the Jail for Terrorists

It is only commonsense that punishments only encourage criminals. Why. if they got rid of prison sentences and trials, there would be less murders. The prison at Guantanamo Bay, which is run in accordance to the 3rd Geneva Convention of Humanitarian Law, is clearly causing an increase in terrorists recruitment. 

Radical Islamic Jihadist! Please hear our call, we are closing a prison that is entirely legal within International Law, agreed upon by the United Nations. You now have no reason to plot and kill the evil American Citizens. None what-so-ever. I know you said in all those tapes that it was because of our evolvement in the world, or exporting our culture, or the fact we give women responsibilities and authority power. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton must completely contradict your way of life. Have no more fear! Guantanamo will be gone soon, and you can have full access to the judicial system I pay for to make a mockery of me.

Give me a break President Appeaser. Guantanamo, while not always managed perfectly, is there to scare domestic terrorists out of committing heinous acts. Quit taking publicity polls drummed up by more special interest groups, who call themselves humanitarians, but would rather hurt and kill our men and women in the Armed Forces. When your national security policy fails, don't come crying to those who used to prevent it and blame them.

share on: facebook

The Empire Strikes Back

President Obama spelled out his plan for closing Guantanamo Bay without ever actually stating what the plan is. Look, no politician is infallible to holding a press conference to share details while at the same time withhold the very details the conference was called for in the first place. Mr. Obama does share the secret about finger pointing, how it gets us nowhere and that he will continue to avoid it. He then later contradicts that by stating that the issue of closing the detention center isn't on him, but rather on those who opened it. 

Official White House Transcript

This all seems to comply with the idea of making campaign promises to never tax the lower class a single dime, then increase their taxes on sugary drinks, cigarettes, gas and "unhealthy" foods. It also sounds like promising to use a scalpel like a surgeon to go through the budget line by line to remove unnecessary spending like pork, only to knowingly and swiftly approve of billions of dollars in new pork projects. He lambasted the Bush Administration for using illegal military tribunals, and then just last week gave his approval of them.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Cheney's comments on the whole matter. If you haven't watched the video of his speech, please do so. Although you may have many policy disagreements with the former Vice President, his intentions are clear. He used a method to make America safer, one that the current President has decided to personally attack, and he is receiving a response. Cheney said it best when he pointed out that attacking the method without releasing the results is foolish.

C-Span Video of Mr. Cheney's Response

Take a look at how concise and firm Mr. Cheney's message is. This should be the tone Conservatives and Independents need to use in order to win back citizen control of America. We need more, well thought-out, simply constructed, logical arguments without this feel-good, sugary image loaded nonsense in the current President's speeches. Simply having Robert Gibb answer every questioner with "ad hoc patchwork of laws" isn't going to show your intelligence. It is going to reveal why it takes Mr. Obama 2-3 days to "know what he is talking about." I am tired of hip teleprompter writers where experienced leadership is needed.

share on: facebook

Clooney's Hollywood Still at the Forefront of Civil Rights

Remember George Clooney's acceptance speech from the Oscars? He said how he was "proud to be out of touch" as a member of Hollywood.

Oscars Speech

I saw that three, wealthy, white Hollywood producers would be in charge of the upcoming Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. biopic. I am so glad Clooney cleared up the fact that they are all out-of-touch in Hollywood. If Spike Lee doesn't issue a statement for this, then the world is ending.

share on: facebook

University Prank Call

My school just called asking me to donate $100 to a Senior Class of 2009 gift. Because I have/want $100 to give back to the University so they can build a $10,000 plaque celebrating my student loan debt. What if we spent that $10,000 on a children's charity and had a donor, donate us a plaque as a generous gift. I fail to see how buying a trophy for myself is being considered a gift. 

To sweeten the deal, the voice on the phone said the extra proceeds would go toward commemorating our first "Green" day on campus. Last I checked "days" were free, and green meant scam. Move on University Autodialer, I didn't wastefully approve of your purchase with state taxes to coerce more money from me.

share on: facebook

California's $1 Billion Nuclear Park

I always enjoy a good story about government waste. Like green technology, I would have to say our bloated, lobby ridden, special interest group hindered and power corrupt government is about 10% efficient. I heard a long time ago that many of California's financial problems stem from their lack of new power plants. I was not able to find the set of laws prohibiting the construction of new plants, as I imagine the laws state something about minimum requirements that are too stringent to be economical feasible. For some reason the state went ahead and chose to import most of their energy from their neighboring states in the form of hydroelectric and nuclear power. Why taint Californian soil with dirty power plants when someone else can do the dirty work, right?

Well that is where the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station comes in, just outside of Sacramento. It was built back in 1975, during my grandfather's tenure at Babcox and Wilcox, to supply the city 963 MWe. I have read about some of the controversy involving the reactor itself, so I am not going to try and refute any of the criticisms. The thing that interests me most, is that someone with the ability to balance a checkbook, was not present when they made any of the big decisions from the State and Local levels regarding the plants decommissioning.

The plant never ran to full capacity, which isn't unusual with nuclear power plants, and is still far more efficient that any other "green" power sources. Up to 1989, it cost the state $660 million to build, maintain and upgrade. That is somewhere around $47 million a year to supply power to about 400,000 people. That is like $120 a year for the electric bill, so we aren't losing ridiculous amounts of money, it is in fact profiting, something the anti-nuclear groups failed to mention in their campaign against the plant.

In 1989, they decommissioned the power plant instead of upgrading it further and getting it's full capacity, needed desperately for the city of Sacramento and San Francisco. They turned the plant into a lovely park 2 years later for a small $400 million fee. The anti-nuclear, and environmentalist groups seem to know better then common sense in California.

Rancho Seco Recreation Area - Well Worth the Capital Losses!

The $1.1 Billion non-operating nuclear power facility that now features RV parking and duck feeding. They wanted to make use of the former grounds and installed a Solar Panel array nearby for $266 million. That is 2 MWe of solar power for $266 million vs. 375 MWe for $660 million. Or you can look at it as Nuclear is $1.76 a watt while Solar is $133 a watt. So don't tell me the reason is cost, because nuclear was 76% more cost effective then solar, and it was running at almost a 3rd of it's capacity.

The other kick in the teeth for this project is the fact that Photovoltaic (Solar) panels are only about 40% efficient, and that is in direct sun on the summer solstice. Other times of the year, when the sun is lower in the sky, and other times of the day, assuming it IS sunny, they just don't reach capacity. They obviously don't operate at night, and they obviously are severely effected by clouds, inclement weather, and smog. Nuclear runs 24/7 regardless of what the weather is like.

The real losers are Californians, myself included, who are suffering through their worst budget crisis in state history. Is the $1.1 billion waste at Rancho Seco to blame? No, but it makes up a large portion of the overall debt. This is especially important because the state could have been supporting local power, instead of purchasing it at elevated rates from it's neighbors. This makes me wonder about what has kept Nuclear Commissioning companies from building in Tijuana to avoid state environmental laws. I hate to say it, but we need to look to France to model our energy policy. Buy American, support Nuclear.

share on: facebook

Tax Refund Reality Check

I won't comment on the state of California; they owe me a tax refund and the Governator's IOU wasn't exactly cute. I did get my Federal Tax Refund, and I went to the bank to deposit it. It is a common policy for banking institutions to withhold depositing checks to assure that the issuing institution has valid funds. Under normal circumstances, I might think my bank withholding a deposit from the U.S. Treasury would be silly. Instead, I realized just how bankrupt our Treasury is, and that this might be the first time my bank's policy made sense. Lets hope it goes through tomorrow so Geitner doesn't have to use even more tax money to pay for bounced check fees...
share on: facebook

Socialist Brothers, United for Change

Separated by only 2000 miles, you might think Presidents Barack Obama and Hugo Chávez could be long lost twins. If not twins, then at least brothers. They certainly share a special bond as the Western Hemisphere's first leaders to identify themselves as African. They both campaigned as young, charismatic orators, set to reshape their nations to help the capitalist-exploited lower classes. Having been elected 10 years ago, Chávez has already left a legacy that any leftist leader would be wise to study for it's successes and failures.

Many of their similarities are not by accident or a mere coincidence in the scope of modern politics. It is typical practice for a politician to align themselves with popular and iconic figures that lead before them. Obama, like so many other politicians, found unique and creative ways to associate and connect himself to the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. He has given speeches likening his accession to that of Lincoln, and promising someday to follow in the footsteps of honest Abe and liberate the enslaved. He made a tie to Kennedy in his fictional memoir, "Dreams of my Father," in which he concluded that Senator Kennedy's direct involvement with the African Airlift was solely responsible for bringing Obama Sr. to America to receive an education.

Chávez has pulled off similar political stunts to elevate his status using hero-worship. In 1983, on the anniversary of the bolivian revolution, he gave a provocative speech tying himself to Simón Bolívar through his grandfather. He hangs flags and portraits of Fidel Castro during television broadcasts in order to relate himself to Che Guevara. He may have been a military trained man, but he never once spent any time on the battlefield. Yet he is viewed as a revolutionary, much the way Obama is being hailed an experienced civil rights leader.

What I find most troubling is really at the root of both of their political philosophies and their campaign messages. Both leaders filled voters with soaring speeches about being able to change and fix so much, even though it is impossible. They promised massive reforms and more government while claiming to be middle of the road and the best leader for everyone. Follow their political ideas, especially after almost 10 years of Chávez, and they are leftist, socialist followers.

Socialism is always euphoric on paper and in theory. There are many left leaning media outlets now professing the brilliance of Chávez's reign and how the former Bush administration did nothing but smear a great Latin American leader. One would have to accept Chávez before they could accept Obama, so it is only natural that the media that fauns over the new Administration would be praising his southern brother.

In a scheme to provide oil to the poor, Chávez used a crisis to purchase the oil industry (CITGO) and take full control of the country's commodity. They even had a pilot program, that began in of all places, Chicago, to try and give the impoverished access to the same cheap oil. The plan was doomed to fail as the oil in Venezuela is heavy crude and requires more capital to refine. Until oil went about $50 a barrel, the plan would fail. But cheap oil from Venezuela on the market would have the effect of less OPEC output and higher barrel prices. Was it a scheme to help the poor, or to help the government of Venezuela? Methinks it was the latter.

I watched a fantastic documentary on PBS Frontline: "The Hugo Chávez Show". In it they interviewed construction workers and factory workers who were hired by the government to work on national projects to assist the poor. Claims that his government programs were working were refuted by unpaid, crying workers, forced to toil like slaves to make their leader look like he was delivering. Another man, a former community organizer and campaigner, sat before Chávez on a nationally televised public Q & A session. He praised the President for everything that he had done for the poor, and came to tears expressing his love for all the work that he had done for the people of Venezuela. Then he asked his question about why they were having problems getting paid for all the campaign work they did. Chávez leapt right into defense mode and claimed the man was being paid to come and attack him for being the good guy. The man was heart broken being attacked like this from his idol, but on air, the audience felt better about having voted for Chávez because he was still fighting for them.

This is how he operates, and I promise that Obama at the slightest tinge of negativity, will find a sacrificial lamb. Is it ironic that Obama chose his former competition for offices of high power, much like Chávez has done in Venezuela? It seems every time there are enough complaints against the government in Venezuela, Chávez comes on his state controlled news station to blame a member of his cabinet for the problems, and fire them to the applause of a crowd. When will Clinton's lack of experience in foreign policy land her on Obama's chopping block?

As the Obama years begin to unfold, I expect to find many more similarities in our new found Socialist America with Socialist South America. The first American African, socialist leaders with a lineage of hero political visionaries setting about to control wealth and saddle their future peoples in an insurmountable debt will continue on their twin paths. I only hope that us remaining objective Americans can pick up the lessons learned in Caracas to avoid the forthcoming mistakes to be made in Washington.

share on: facebook

Thank You Student Loans

I was at my sister's graduation this past weekend at Kent State University. The keynote speaker was Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, who was recently replaced by Stephen Knapp as Dean of George Washington University. He gave a rather unforgettable, clichéd speech (not that any graduation speech is free from being unoriginal) about baseball statistics. A successful batter in baseball hits only 30% of his at-bats, so you can afford to fail in life and still be successful. If you haven't heard the speech, there are plenty more graduation ceremonies to catch and the success of hearing it is probably 30%.

I myself have a stage to cross in the next month, and sitting watching the graduating class of 2009 up in Kent, I couldn't help but feel uneasy about our future. I plan on labeling the top of my graduation hat with the current unemployment rate for the nation. The job market is easily one of the worst in the history of our country, and there are billions of dollars in unpaid student loans. I feel fortunate that I will be continuing my education further, but what about the rest of my peers. Are we expected to take unemployment benefits to cover loan repayment? Or is this our golden opportunity to become community organizers or join the coming Civilian Volunteer Corps?

I, like many in this country, are upset with the economy. It will be interesting to watch how inflation takes rise from the ashes of the Government's bloated and poorly conceived "stimulus bill". I expect more State Government conflict with the Federal Government. In a lot of ways, the economy can be compared to a passenger jet. You must use all your training and experience to gentle control the plane. Any sudden direction changes, or overcompensation will lead to a catastrophic crash. We are headed for that crash still. I just hope I can get a job that pays what I should earn to take care of my debt myself. Last thing we all need is to be paying taxes in order to in-debt future generations with the Class of 2009.
share on: facebook