· Limit Congress persons to not more than 2 terms (never vote for an incumbent – they have all been corrupted by the DC system. The longer in office, the more corrupt.)
· Prohibit Congressmen from voting for their own pay raises. Since when did any of us get to tell our employer how much he was going to pay us? (Did you know that Hillary’s appointment to Secretary of State, Daschle’s as Secretary of HSS, Salazar as Secretary of Interior, Solis as Labor and LaHood as Secretary of Transportation are all illegal? The constitution specifically states that any Congressman who voted to raise the pay of any civil service position, is not eligible for that position. As senators or representatives they all voted for civil service pay raises. [No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased [sic] during such time: and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.
US Constitution Article 1, Section 6.] Remember. Barack Obama will be swearing to protect and defend this constitution on 1/20/2009. Selective, and politically convenient defending and protecting? What's up with that?
· Stop paying for law-makers high-priced insurance premiums. Congressmen are part-time employees. They just might legislate some improvements to the insurance industry if they actually had to purchase their own and deal with the claims process.
· We need to eliminate the Congressional pension system. They qualify for 100% retirement after just one tour of duty. Talk about privilege. They are utterly out of touch with the real retirement world. NO ONE else in this country has that level of security which puts them that much more out of touch with their constituents. We have almost nothing in common with them since they have taken the authority to isolate themselves from the “real” world in which we all live.
· Make Congress pay into the social security system. They make the laws for it, they should be participants in it. If they were dependent on it like everyone else, it might actually be solvent.
· Stop handing out aid to ILLEGAL aliens. If we did, there would be enough for Medicaid and the food stamp program for American citizens, without inflationary money printing.
· Secure our borders. At some point our economy will recover and the influx of illegal border jumpers will increase again.
· Amendment 14 was created to protect the citizenship of former slaves, not create an anchor-baby back door to citizenship. Eliminate that loophole.
· Stop the abuse of our welfare system. We feed children 3 meals a day from age 5 to 17. Charitable organizations give away good, clean clothes, companies collect , and donate school supplies. Hospital emergency rooms provide complete health care, at tax payer expense, for illegal residents and uninsured citizens. What are parents doing for their children? What is Congress doing to correct these issues?
· With all of the money being spent on investigative processes by Homeland Security, certainly an automated cross check of Social Security Numbers against IRS records, Medicaid, Medicare, SSI, and other programs could to wonders to track down fraud and abuse of benefit programs.
· Since virtually all mortgage loans are, eventually, government related, establish guidelines that prohibit any lender from approving a mortgage to a borrower who does not qualify, or make the originating lender keep that loan as their own investment.
· CEO and Senior management pay is out of control. It is time to put a stop to the ridiculous compensation packages paid to executives. To preserve free enterprise, offer a board of directors the option of paying it out of their own pockets.
· NO “photo” ID should ever be issued to anyone who’s face is covered, regardless of their religious affiliation.
This opinion owes large thanks to Norma White, Amarillo, TX for her significant and involuntary contribution to this document. If I was getting paid, I would have to send it to her.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Are we there yet?
$350,000,000,000 (Three-hundred and fifty Billion Dollars) was handed off to a baking industry who has no conscience and is motivated almost completely by greed and power hunger. It was handed over with no “oversight”, no strings and no “transparency”. Now we are all left asking wheredit-go? When asked the banks respond with “we don’t know”; “none of your business”; “Keeping track of the money was not part of the deal.”
Bush and Paulson talked us (Congress) out of this money, because everyone is in panic mode, and then just pissed it away. The idea of this money to the banks was to loosen credit by creating liquidity; Get under-performing “toxic” assets off the bank’s balance sheets and replace them with high quality US Treasury assets. The government would take those bad assets, restructure, rework or season them into performing assets, then liquidate them to repay itself. Simple.
The problem is they did this deal with the greediest group of con men in history and they got taken, probably with malice and forethought. I can’t even imagine how much of that money is now in off-shore bank accounts. Their grandkids will have plenty of money to pay back their share. My only advice to them is to remember, somewhere in eternity, the wheel comes full circle and you will be faced with a payback. I just pray to God that I can be there to see it.
I know, Paulson’s real plan, was to have the big boys use that money to buy all of the shaky, failing mid-size banks that could have eventually bankrupted the FDIC. Everybody wins. The entrenched beaurocracy digs in deeper (click to image: large blood-filled tick on a dog’s ear – with chorus – “eeeeuuu”), the big banks get bankier, and all at the expense of that bottomless pit, the tax payers who are too stupid to figure it out. Somebody got paid! We may never know who, but somebody, besides the bankers, got paid!
The bank exectives took the money and bought more banks, subsidized their stock holdings, and entrenched their hold on their own institutions. The idiot beaurocrats (Paulson, Bush & Congress) actually thought these guys would use the money to benefit the country and their own industry, without putting rules or conditions in place. Can you even imagine the stupidity of that kind of thinking? Give an addict a fix and ask him to share it? I don’t know what planet they live on, but it isn’t mine.
So that did not fix the credit liquidity issues. The auto industry can’t sell their crumby cars because nobody and get a loan from the banks, due to “lack of liquidity”. Now we have to dip into the TARP well to give money to Auto companies so they can pay their grossly bloated-wage union workers and annual executive bonuses as usual for the next couple of months. That’s right we are about to spend $15,000,000,000 (BILLION) to save the auto industry from bankruptcy for 90 days.
This did not fix the plummeting housing prices that are pillaging the only asset most of us have. This did not fix the 40% loss of all of our retirement assets while congress keeps theirs fully intact, untouched. This did not help all of the small businesses that are now laying off their staff and shutting their doors.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right [and responsibility?] of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.[1]” Are we there yet folks?
[1] Declaration of Independence
Bush and Paulson talked us (Congress) out of this money, because everyone is in panic mode, and then just pissed it away. The idea of this money to the banks was to loosen credit by creating liquidity; Get under-performing “toxic” assets off the bank’s balance sheets and replace them with high quality US Treasury assets. The government would take those bad assets, restructure, rework or season them into performing assets, then liquidate them to repay itself. Simple.
The problem is they did this deal with the greediest group of con men in history and they got taken, probably with malice and forethought. I can’t even imagine how much of that money is now in off-shore bank accounts. Their grandkids will have plenty of money to pay back their share. My only advice to them is to remember, somewhere in eternity, the wheel comes full circle and you will be faced with a payback. I just pray to God that I can be there to see it.
I know, Paulson’s real plan, was to have the big boys use that money to buy all of the shaky, failing mid-size banks that could have eventually bankrupted the FDIC. Everybody wins. The entrenched beaurocracy digs in deeper (click to image: large blood-filled tick on a dog’s ear – with chorus – “eeeeuuu”), the big banks get bankier, and all at the expense of that bottomless pit, the tax payers who are too stupid to figure it out. Somebody got paid! We may never know who, but somebody, besides the bankers, got paid!
The bank exectives took the money and bought more banks, subsidized their stock holdings, and entrenched their hold on their own institutions. The idiot beaurocrats (Paulson, Bush & Congress) actually thought these guys would use the money to benefit the country and their own industry, without putting rules or conditions in place. Can you even imagine the stupidity of that kind of thinking? Give an addict a fix and ask him to share it? I don’t know what planet they live on, but it isn’t mine.
So that did not fix the credit liquidity issues. The auto industry can’t sell their crumby cars because nobody and get a loan from the banks, due to “lack of liquidity”. Now we have to dip into the TARP well to give money to Auto companies so they can pay their grossly bloated-wage union workers and annual executive bonuses as usual for the next couple of months. That’s right we are about to spend $15,000,000,000 (BILLION) to save the auto industry from bankruptcy for 90 days.
This did not fix the plummeting housing prices that are pillaging the only asset most of us have. This did not fix the 40% loss of all of our retirement assets while congress keeps theirs fully intact, untouched. This did not help all of the small businesses that are now laying off their staff and shutting their doors.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right [and responsibility?] of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.[1]” Are we there yet folks?
[1] Declaration of Independence
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Food for thought
The new Wal-Mart (WMT) super-store in Columbia, Kentucky is longer than the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise which is docked on the West Side of Manhattan. The retailer outlet’s ceilings are taller than those below the flight deck, probably forty feet from the floor. And, Wal-Mart is a ship of war all its own.
The location draws from five counties, bringing in people from as far away as 50 miles. That must hurt retailers in cities and towns from Russell Springs to Burkeville to Campbellsville. The LGA food supermarket in Columbia used to demand immodestly high prices. When the Wal-Mart came to town those prices came down.
The parking lot outside the store probably holds 800 cars. At 4 AM, it is partially full while a street cleaner works its way around the area to make sure that the roads and spaces are pristine. They are remarkably so, in a way the no other retailer could afford to manage.
Inside the Wal-Mart, there are a bank. 2 Delicatesins, a pharmacy, and sections with fresh food, consumer electronics, sporting goods, furniture, clothing, toys, appliances, CDs, jewelry, and almost anything else a shopper would want or need. It would actually take hours to make it down all of the aisles and look at most of the items.
The first two impressions most people would have moving around the super-center is that almost all of the food and merchandise is of extremely high quality. The black angus beef is fresh and is priced at less than half of what it would cost in most big cities. The 50 inch plasma TVs run well under $1,000. A good Acer PC goes for under $350.
Across almost every section of the store are signs that call attention to remarkable bargains. Looking through these, the promotions are no exaggeration. It is difficult to see how Wal-Mart makes any money on much of this merchandise.
A little less quickly a visitor will notice that almost all of the people in the super-center are working class, many lower-working class. There are probably not more than handful of cars in the parking lot that are worth more than $30,000. Almost no one is at the Wal-Mart there to “shop”. They don’t have the discretionary income. They are there to buy what is on a list and with a very modest budget. It is unlikely that most of the people are willing tospend more than a few dollars beyond what is on that list.
Wal-Mart does not need an apologist. Under CEO Lee Scott the company took plenty of PR beatings. Scott was never much good at defending how Wal-Mart put local businesses out of business or why the firm kept workers from organizing. He did a remarkably poor job of explaining why Wal-Mart tried to move “upscale” with more expensive clothing. A lot of what went on under Scott did not work very well. He is retiring now. The most important part of his legacy may be that Wal-Mart’s revenue went from $165 billion when he became CEO in 2000 to $375 billion last year. Usually that part gets left out.
A lot of press and analysts believe that Wal-Mart has come into its own again recently. A recession drives the middle class and lower class alike to look for good stuff that costs as little as possible. As discretionary income disappears, “everyday low prices” take on a remarkable appeal. Wal-Mart did not back into its current success. It has been waiting for its natural customer base to expand. In any normal economy Wal-Mart would be viewed as a working class person’s dream store. When home prices were doubling every five years and home equity loans grew on trees, the value of the dollar got lost along the way.
Having met Sam Walton several times, it is easy to see why he was so successful. Walton was gracious enough, but all he really wanted to talk about was the company and he was forever on his way to get into his two engine plane to travel to one or two stores a day for pep rallies with the “associates”. Lee Scott was never a big rally man. He is rich enough to have someone fly the plane when he wants to leave Bentonville.
A lot of small merchants, labor organizers, and local governments would like to see Lee Scott go to hell. He may. But, he will be joined there by all the mom and pop storeowners who used their mini-monopolies on prices and all the town council men who made a buck by picking up a few extra dollars for keeping the “big box” retailers out.
The people who can’t afford to shop somewhere other than Wal-Mart without having to walk out of the stores with junk don’t really care.
Douglas A. McIntyre
The location draws from five counties, bringing in people from as far away as 50 miles. That must hurt retailers in cities and towns from Russell Springs to Burkeville to Campbellsville. The LGA food supermarket in Columbia used to demand immodestly high prices. When the Wal-Mart came to town those prices came down.
The parking lot outside the store probably holds 800 cars. At 4 AM, it is partially full while a street cleaner works its way around the area to make sure that the roads and spaces are pristine. They are remarkably so, in a way the no other retailer could afford to manage.
Inside the Wal-Mart, there are a bank. 2 Delicatesins, a pharmacy, and sections with fresh food, consumer electronics, sporting goods, furniture, clothing, toys, appliances, CDs, jewelry, and almost anything else a shopper would want or need. It would actually take hours to make it down all of the aisles and look at most of the items.
The first two impressions most people would have moving around the super-center is that almost all of the food and merchandise is of extremely high quality. The black angus beef is fresh and is priced at less than half of what it would cost in most big cities. The 50 inch plasma TVs run well under $1,000. A good Acer PC goes for under $350.
Across almost every section of the store are signs that call attention to remarkable bargains. Looking through these, the promotions are no exaggeration. It is difficult to see how Wal-Mart makes any money on much of this merchandise.
A little less quickly a visitor will notice that almost all of the people in the super-center are working class, many lower-working class. There are probably not more than handful of cars in the parking lot that are worth more than $30,000. Almost no one is at the Wal-Mart there to “shop”. They don’t have the discretionary income. They are there to buy what is on a list and with a very modest budget. It is unlikely that most of the people are willing tospend more than a few dollars beyond what is on that list.
Wal-Mart does not need an apologist. Under CEO Lee Scott the company took plenty of PR beatings. Scott was never much good at defending how Wal-Mart put local businesses out of business or why the firm kept workers from organizing. He did a remarkably poor job of explaining why Wal-Mart tried to move “upscale” with more expensive clothing. A lot of what went on under Scott did not work very well. He is retiring now. The most important part of his legacy may be that Wal-Mart’s revenue went from $165 billion when he became CEO in 2000 to $375 billion last year. Usually that part gets left out.
A lot of press and analysts believe that Wal-Mart has come into its own again recently. A recession drives the middle class and lower class alike to look for good stuff that costs as little as possible. As discretionary income disappears, “everyday low prices” take on a remarkable appeal. Wal-Mart did not back into its current success. It has been waiting for its natural customer base to expand. In any normal economy Wal-Mart would be viewed as a working class person’s dream store. When home prices were doubling every five years and home equity loans grew on trees, the value of the dollar got lost along the way.
Having met Sam Walton several times, it is easy to see why he was so successful. Walton was gracious enough, but all he really wanted to talk about was the company and he was forever on his way to get into his two engine plane to travel to one or two stores a day for pep rallies with the “associates”. Lee Scott was never a big rally man. He is rich enough to have someone fly the plane when he wants to leave Bentonville.
A lot of small merchants, labor organizers, and local governments would like to see Lee Scott go to hell. He may. But, he will be joined there by all the mom and pop storeowners who used their mini-monopolies on prices and all the town council men who made a buck by picking up a few extra dollars for keeping the “big box” retailers out.
The people who can’t afford to shop somewhere other than Wal-Mart without having to walk out of the stores with junk don’t really care.
Douglas A. McIntyre
Sunday, November 23, 2008
WHY?
Hello:
I decided to start a blog of my own just as a place to express things that are on my mind.
I have no grand purpose or intent, and it certainly will have no pattern or focus of interest. I will post something whenever I have an itch or when something is bugging me.
It may end up being any one of animal, mineral or vegatable, but one thing it will absolutely be is I don't care what you think of it.
Bottom line is, Google is providing some free space and I have decided to use my piece of it to say things people around me either don't care about or would give me flack about if I said.
At times this will probably be pendantic and condescending and other times completely incoherent. I will probably end up here whenever I can't get a word in edgewise in a group who only want to hear themselves say things that are completely noncompus mentus. I hate to argue with ignorance so I won't - I'll come here.
This is for me not for you so enjoy this or not.
I decided to start a blog of my own just as a place to express things that are on my mind.
I have no grand purpose or intent, and it certainly will have no pattern or focus of interest. I will post something whenever I have an itch or when something is bugging me.
It may end up being any one of animal, mineral or vegatable, but one thing it will absolutely be is I don't care what you think of it.
Bottom line is, Google is providing some free space and I have decided to use my piece of it to say things people around me either don't care about or would give me flack about if I said.
At times this will probably be pendantic and condescending and other times completely incoherent. I will probably end up here whenever I can't get a word in edgewise in a group who only want to hear themselves say things that are completely noncompus mentus. I hate to argue with ignorance so I won't - I'll come here.
This is for me not for you so enjoy this or not.
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