Note the headline on this article, "When did government regain competence?" Read the entire column, recommended, here: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081229/OPINION03/812290324/1008/OPINION01
Of course, the question is facetious. Government hasn't "regain[ed] competence." The same old people (and, yes, that includes the "Messiah," BO--note how his wife wants some of the gov't largesse, that is, our money to pay her for being First Lady, and his same old lame appointments) are still there. Read the quotes from Barney Frank, you know, the watchdog over Fannie and Freddie...I guess I should have written "the competent watchdog...." Ha! And this guy is determining the direction of the US????
Will is great at slamming the failed policies of FDR, LBJ, et al. We don't know our history. We like people giving us things that cost us nothing (at least we don't think they cost us anything--but wait, just wait!). We are more interested in voting (texting our votes?) for American Idol and Dancing with the Stars and you name it than electing really competent government officials.
Note, too, how he drags in the education establishment as an example of incompetence. One word he uses is "delusional." Naming the new US Dept of Ed bldg after LBJ is almost, not quite, but almost as hypocritical as givng Yassir "That's My Baby" Arafat the Nobel Prize for Peace. The guy was a crook--note how he directed the Surgeon General as the "Egg Czar." And some of us know how he played politics with the 1967 Detroit riots, while more people on the streets were getting killed, just so he could make a potential Rep Pres'l opponent (Romney) look bad--yep, trading lives for votes. W is a joke on education, No Child Left Behind. All these people with fake degrees from fake curricula....
For shame....
Monday, December 29, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Oh, C'mon....
Check this out:
"If people like Ray LaHood and others aren't able to earmark dollars, that money will be spent by some bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. And who knows better how to spend money on worthwhile projects than a community and an individual congressman [sic]?" Author of this malarkey? Congressman Ray LaHood--Ill., BO's nominee for Sec of Transportation. Oh, and this guy's a Republican (in name only, of course)!
Just read it carefully. The arrogance runs off this like slime! "...who knows better...?" That is the attitude among those arrogant hypocrites on Capitol Hill.
Reminds me of the attitude in the schools. "We have to spend this money!" But what if we don't need anything? "We have to spend it or they'll give it to someone else and we won't get as much next year." How utterly brilliant! Of course, it's easy to be "brilliant" with other people's money. There are flaws (dare I say stupidity!?!?) on both sides. First, maybe "someone else" needs the money more. Second, it's not "their" money, despite what Gov Jennie has stated. Third, maybe if the case can be made that we don't need the money now, but might need it next year, funds can be found for "next year."
How about this? Instead of "earmark[ed] dollars," what about a tax cut, a big one, instead of
wasting more and more money, with no end in sight? "...who knows better..." my ass--I wonder if this ding-a-ling even knows the national debt is approaching 11 trillion dollars. If he does, he obviously doesn't care. How do we keep electing these fools????
See what happens when a "Leviathan" is created and allowed to grow without restrictions and limits. We can thank most Presidents from FDR up to the present for this mess. But what do (or did) they care? One, it was always other people's money and, two, they're dead now. And, apparently, we don't care either, at least we don't care about the huge debt we are leaving our children and grandchildren. In fact, maybe it's not the "debt." Maybe we don't care about our children and grandchildren. Maybe it's all about us. Shame on us, double shame on us.
"If people like Ray LaHood and others aren't able to earmark dollars, that money will be spent by some bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. And who knows better how to spend money on worthwhile projects than a community and an individual congressman [sic]?" Author of this malarkey? Congressman Ray LaHood--Ill., BO's nominee for Sec of Transportation. Oh, and this guy's a Republican (in name only, of course)!
Just read it carefully. The arrogance runs off this like slime! "...who knows better...?" That is the attitude among those arrogant hypocrites on Capitol Hill.
Reminds me of the attitude in the schools. "We have to spend this money!" But what if we don't need anything? "We have to spend it or they'll give it to someone else and we won't get as much next year." How utterly brilliant! Of course, it's easy to be "brilliant" with other people's money. There are flaws (dare I say stupidity!?!?) on both sides. First, maybe "someone else" needs the money more. Second, it's not "their" money, despite what Gov Jennie has stated. Third, maybe if the case can be made that we don't need the money now, but might need it next year, funds can be found for "next year."
How about this? Instead of "earmark[ed] dollars," what about a tax cut, a big one, instead of
wasting more and more money, with no end in sight? "...who knows better..." my ass--I wonder if this ding-a-ling even knows the national debt is approaching 11 trillion dollars. If he does, he obviously doesn't care. How do we keep electing these fools????
See what happens when a "Leviathan" is created and allowed to grow without restrictions and limits. We can thank most Presidents from FDR up to the present for this mess. But what do (or did) they care? One, it was always other people's money and, two, they're dead now. And, apparently, we don't care either, at least we don't care about the huge debt we are leaving our children and grandchildren. In fact, maybe it's not the "debt." Maybe we don't care about our children and grandchildren. Maybe it's all about us. Shame on us, double shame on us.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Learning
I was reminded of the malfeasance among educators today. Now, it's all about "technology." That is the magic word. Anyone who questions, rightly or wrongly, "technology" is immediately dismissed as some sort of Neanderthal. Hardly, but I digress.
Science and math are also near the top of the list, as they should be. I'm not sure where English, or whatever they're calling it today ("Language Arts???") is. If it is an emphasis there's something missing. Have you seen your newspaper lately? Just today I read, "I had drank..." and "Snow and ice vexes travelers...." A recent college test reveal community college students' proficiency in writing: 19% were proficient--64% were not proficient and 17% were marginally proficient. We might well ask why these students are in college instead of high school--or junior high. But, again, I digress.
Where is history? The study of history has been relegated to an afterthought. One the Michigan state exams, what was the last subject to be included? And, once it was, was it ever really "counted" as part of the tests' scores? Nope. How many art or language teachers, lacking a full load in their fields, and coaches are called upon to teach history, with little training in history. (By this I mean a degree in history, not some fake thing like "history education" or "social studies.") There are lots of reasons for the study of history and good history teachers can make a difference. Our ignorance of history has allowed politicians to play us for fools. If these pols themselves know any history, they must be laughing at us until their sides hurt.
The December issue of Hillsdale College's Imprimis, found here http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis.asp , addresses this, in part. Hillsdale pres Larry Arn writes, ""we must recover the art of constitutional government...because we have lost sight of it." That's because we no longer study history or, if we do, it is taught by people who don't understand history.
Imagine having an American History teacher who says of the Civil War, the seminal event in US History, "It was a war. A lot of people died. Get over it. Now on to the Gilded Age." It has happened.
As Arnn notes, learning history "beckon(s) to a road" toward virtue and character. He cites this in discussing the "greed" of the recent financial crises.
Also from Arnn, "...the two qualifications to be a successful student: they [sic] must be willing and they [sic] must be able." A bit earlier in his essay/speech, he notes, "Students cannot be taught except when they work hard at learning..." and "...the hundreds of pages of unreadable rules that are promulgated and elaborated year after year by the Dept of Edu seem like so much foolishness." No kidding!!!! This has been the modus operandi for several decades. One of my more intelligent former colleagues said this for years about parents at conferences, "Give my kid an A, but don't make him work for it." If students cannot write (see above), how can they be getting (note I refrained from saying "earning!") Bs in college???? And who is running the education establishment today? You guessed it. And merit pay? Based on what? Some silly administrator's evaluation? Results from some deeply flawed tests?
Arnn, and others, have written some worthwhile things in Imprimus. You can read some good stuff at the Web site or even subscribe for free. Check it out.
Science and math are also near the top of the list, as they should be. I'm not sure where English, or whatever they're calling it today ("Language Arts???") is. If it is an emphasis there's something missing. Have you seen your newspaper lately? Just today I read, "I had drank..." and "Snow and ice vexes travelers...." A recent college test reveal community college students' proficiency in writing: 19% were proficient--64% were not proficient and 17% were marginally proficient. We might well ask why these students are in college instead of high school--or junior high. But, again, I digress.
Where is history? The study of history has been relegated to an afterthought. One the Michigan state exams, what was the last subject to be included? And, once it was, was it ever really "counted" as part of the tests' scores? Nope. How many art or language teachers, lacking a full load in their fields, and coaches are called upon to teach history, with little training in history. (By this I mean a degree in history, not some fake thing like "history education" or "social studies.") There are lots of reasons for the study of history and good history teachers can make a difference. Our ignorance of history has allowed politicians to play us for fools. If these pols themselves know any history, they must be laughing at us until their sides hurt.
The December issue of Hillsdale College's Imprimis, found here http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis.asp , addresses this, in part. Hillsdale pres Larry Arn writes, ""we must recover the art of constitutional government...because we have lost sight of it." That's because we no longer study history or, if we do, it is taught by people who don't understand history.
Imagine having an American History teacher who says of the Civil War, the seminal event in US History, "It was a war. A lot of people died. Get over it. Now on to the Gilded Age." It has happened.
As Arnn notes, learning history "beckon(s) to a road" toward virtue and character. He cites this in discussing the "greed" of the recent financial crises.
Also from Arnn, "...the two qualifications to be a successful student: they [sic] must be willing and they [sic] must be able." A bit earlier in his essay/speech, he notes, "Students cannot be taught except when they work hard at learning..." and "...the hundreds of pages of unreadable rules that are promulgated and elaborated year after year by the Dept of Edu seem like so much foolishness." No kidding!!!! This has been the modus operandi for several decades. One of my more intelligent former colleagues said this for years about parents at conferences, "Give my kid an A, but don't make him work for it." If students cannot write (see above), how can they be getting (note I refrained from saying "earning!") Bs in college???? And who is running the education establishment today? You guessed it. And merit pay? Based on what? Some silly administrator's evaluation? Results from some deeply flawed tests?
Arnn, and others, have written some worthwhile things in Imprimus. You can read some good stuff at the Web site or even subscribe for free. Check it out.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Are We Rome?
Good insights by Cullen Murphy:
He likens the "insularity" of Rome at the end of the Empire to Washington, DC "inside the Beltway." Both lost any comprehension of what common people's lives were like. Each seemed to think they knew what was best for people they no longer understood (although they certainly wouldn't admit they no longer understood them). How very true! Although this book was written a couple years ago, if you followed the bailouts, esp the auto hearings, it rings true, as clear as a bell.
He notes the loss of what the Romans originally called, "virtu." It was a sense of duty, of responsibility to do what was right. People acted in the best interests of others, not selfishly. Of course, the last decades (centuries?) of the Empire saw a collapse of this sense of "virtu." The early Americans, esp the Founding Fathers, had a similar sense. Rather than a sense of duty, Americans have come to be selfish, to look to the government for its duty to take care of us.
He writes of "the privatization of government," both in Rome and the recent US. This "condition has left government responsive to particular interests, but deaf to the popular will." Again, this was written a while ago, before the recent fiascos--both in DC and Lansing.
Other similarities (I'm not quite done with the book), including remarkable ones in the military, are clearly exposed.
Yet, who cares? Even if some people did read this book, who would care? Most would still vote for BO or McC, Jennie, Kwame, or others of their ilk. Of course, most think these people and the government are going to save us. (See above.)
The subtitle of the book is "The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America." Hmmmm.
He likens the "insularity" of Rome at the end of the Empire to Washington, DC "inside the Beltway." Both lost any comprehension of what common people's lives were like. Each seemed to think they knew what was best for people they no longer understood (although they certainly wouldn't admit they no longer understood them). How very true! Although this book was written a couple years ago, if you followed the bailouts, esp the auto hearings, it rings true, as clear as a bell.
He notes the loss of what the Romans originally called, "virtu." It was a sense of duty, of responsibility to do what was right. People acted in the best interests of others, not selfishly. Of course, the last decades (centuries?) of the Empire saw a collapse of this sense of "virtu." The early Americans, esp the Founding Fathers, had a similar sense. Rather than a sense of duty, Americans have come to be selfish, to look to the government for its duty to take care of us.
He writes of "the privatization of government," both in Rome and the recent US. This "condition has left government responsive to particular interests, but deaf to the popular will." Again, this was written a while ago, before the recent fiascos--both in DC and Lansing.
Other similarities (I'm not quite done with the book), including remarkable ones in the military, are clearly exposed.
Yet, who cares? Even if some people did read this book, who would care? Most would still vote for BO or McC, Jennie, Kwame, or others of their ilk. Of course, most think these people and the government are going to save us. (See above.)
The subtitle of the book is "The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America." Hmmmm.
I Don't Understand
Why is there no outrage over the $2 billion of the financial bailout money (remember, this was not a loan, but a Chris present and doesn't need to be repaid!) going to exec bonuses? Where is the Congressional oversight? Where is Paulsen (and he was going to be the auto "czar?")? And the autos had to crawl to Canossa?
And where is the anger at BO's stimulus program (now there's a nice euphemism)? How much? Right now it's $1 trillion and counting. Hmmm...I wonder where that money is coming from. And I wonder, who's going to get it?
I hate to say it (because I get it, too), but we deserve what we get. If you haven't picked up a copy of Cullen Murphy's Are We Rome?, do so. It's not a comprehensive history of the Roman Empire (or Republic) nor a polemic diatribe with what's wrong with us. But it is a thoughtful, insightful look at where we are, how we got here, and, if we care about the future, what to do. No, No...I'm sorry. American Idol is on.... Repeat the first sentence of this paragraph.
And where is the anger at BO's stimulus program (now there's a nice euphemism)? How much? Right now it's $1 trillion and counting. Hmmm...I wonder where that money is coming from. And I wonder, who's going to get it?
I hate to say it (because I get it, too), but we deserve what we get. If you haven't picked up a copy of Cullen Murphy's Are We Rome?, do so. It's not a comprehensive history of the Roman Empire (or Republic) nor a polemic diatribe with what's wrong with us. But it is a thoughtful, insightful look at where we are, how we got here, and, if we care about the future, what to do. No, No...I'm sorry. American Idol is on.... Repeat the first sentence of this paragraph.
Friday, December 19, 2008
The Blame Game
One of the most egregious (there are so few opportunities to use that word, I just had to get it in here) pieces of foolishness I encountered in the public schools was "Let's not cast blame" when things went poorly. How stupid! I suppose it goes along with no accountability, no shame, everybody goes to college, etc. And, at the very least, if nobody gets blamed, what is to prevent letting the same fools make future stupid decisions????
Now the auto bailout has taken on finger-pointing. No doubt there is enough blame to go around for the current mess. (BTW, if the recent spike in gasoline prices was due to world-wide demand increases, how can there be a world-wide crisis in car purchasing???) Yep, the execs at the Big Three have made mistakes. The UAW acted irresponsibly (namely with work rules, jobs bank, etc.). The government (which can't get much, if anything, right) tried to dictate to the auto
industry. (Of course, the arrogant, hypocritical imbeciles will never admit that. See, "no blame" isn't just in the schools.) Yes, fingers should be pointed. People should be held accountable (no, not with multi-million dollar golden parachutes!).
But several things have irked me more than anything. One, it is the arrogance, hypocrisy, and stupidity of our elected and appointed officials. I've ragged on this before, but it needs to be repeated again and again. You see, nobody listens--the same arrogant, hypocritical, stupid people (or others just like them) keep getting elected and re-elected.
Two, I hear and read about the UAW and the money its members earned in wages. (This doesn't excuse the jobs bank and work rules.) "Oh, they make so much, too much...." Blah, Blah, Blah. Well, first, what makes some pencil pusher worth any more than a guy on the line? Filling out forms instead of welding a joint? Second, and more important, I'll bet these critics of UAW wages weren't complaining when UAW members were buying their goods, purchasing their services, were they? I didn't hear any of them say, "Hey, you UAW guys make too much money. Stop frequenting my business/industry?" What do these critics think became of the money? And, those not in the union--do they think their high wages weren't influenced by what the UAW was receiving?
Three, I've learned a lot (but not enough!) about economics. One thing to remember is that it's an inexact science. Bernacke and Paulson are only making reasonable guesses (and, I think, bad ones) as to what to do. How, then, to explain economics scientifically in light of the profitability of, say, "pet rocks?" Think about this when considering the current situation.
Four, where are Sens Levin and Stabenow? Hey, where were they when the likes of Gore (what a hypocritical blowhard; the Nobel committee should be drawn and quartered for giving him--and Yassir, that's my baby, Arafat, Peace Prizes!), Boxer, etc. were dumping, often ignorantly, but with the self-righteous pompousness of zealots (wasn't Hitler a zealot?) all over the auto industry? Why weren't Levin and Stabenow standing up to the zealots? For that matter, where were the Porta-Johns, Conyers and Dingell? Oh, all of our Sens and Cong were working behind the scenes--yeah, right. Oh, Cong McCotter is an exception and look how he's been ostracized. Isn't that odd--stand up for what's right and get ostracized? Is that what we've become? Shame on us.
Now the auto bailout has taken on finger-pointing. No doubt there is enough blame to go around for the current mess. (BTW, if the recent spike in gasoline prices was due to world-wide demand increases, how can there be a world-wide crisis in car purchasing???) Yep, the execs at the Big Three have made mistakes. The UAW acted irresponsibly (namely with work rules, jobs bank, etc.). The government (which can't get much, if anything, right) tried to dictate to the auto
industry. (Of course, the arrogant, hypocritical imbeciles will never admit that. See, "no blame" isn't just in the schools.) Yes, fingers should be pointed. People should be held accountable (no, not with multi-million dollar golden parachutes!).
But several things have irked me more than anything. One, it is the arrogance, hypocrisy, and stupidity of our elected and appointed officials. I've ragged on this before, but it needs to be repeated again and again. You see, nobody listens--the same arrogant, hypocritical, stupid people (or others just like them) keep getting elected and re-elected.
Two, I hear and read about the UAW and the money its members earned in wages. (This doesn't excuse the jobs bank and work rules.) "Oh, they make so much, too much...." Blah, Blah, Blah. Well, first, what makes some pencil pusher worth any more than a guy on the line? Filling out forms instead of welding a joint? Second, and more important, I'll bet these critics of UAW wages weren't complaining when UAW members were buying their goods, purchasing their services, were they? I didn't hear any of them say, "Hey, you UAW guys make too much money. Stop frequenting my business/industry?" What do these critics think became of the money? And, those not in the union--do they think their high wages weren't influenced by what the UAW was receiving?
Three, I've learned a lot (but not enough!) about economics. One thing to remember is that it's an inexact science. Bernacke and Paulson are only making reasonable guesses (and, I think, bad ones) as to what to do. How, then, to explain economics scientifically in light of the profitability of, say, "pet rocks?" Think about this when considering the current situation.
Four, where are Sens Levin and Stabenow? Hey, where were they when the likes of Gore (what a hypocritical blowhard; the Nobel committee should be drawn and quartered for giving him--and Yassir, that's my baby, Arafat, Peace Prizes!), Boxer, etc. were dumping, often ignorantly, but with the self-righteous pompousness of zealots (wasn't Hitler a zealot?) all over the auto industry? Why weren't Levin and Stabenow standing up to the zealots? For that matter, where were the Porta-Johns, Conyers and Dingell? Oh, all of our Sens and Cong were working behind the scenes--yeah, right. Oh, Cong McCotter is an exception and look how he's been ostracized. Isn't that odd--stand up for what's right and get ostracized? Is that what we've become? Shame on us.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
I've Finally Figured It Out!
I think I got a pretty good view of what's wrong with us yesterday. First, driving along I 696 in some pretty lousy conditions yesterday AM, cars were passing those of us who are sane. We had slowed to 50-55, fairly reasonable with the glaze on the roads. More than half of the ding-a-lings passing were in "monster trucks" or SUVs, doing well over 70, probably over 80, I'd guess. Almost invariably, these drivers had cell phones in their hands. Who knows, they might have had cigarettes, cups of coffee, etc. in the others? All these guys are/were concerned with was themselves. They had to get somewhere. The safety--consider their speed, the driving conditions--of others be damned; they had to get somewhere. MPG at 80 is about 30% less than at 55-60 (reasonable surely under the conditions). The future--our kids and grandkids--be damned; they had to get somewhere. Cell phones aplenty. That numerous studies show cell phone usage while driving to be as dangerous, if not more so, than drunk driving be damned--they had to get somewhere. And it dawned on me: It's all about us! Greed must be contagious, reaching down to most people. Now I think people should be free to do things. But just because they can do something, doesn't mean they should do it. (And, of course, I was reminded of the soccer mom in her SUV last fall, speeding along at 80+ mph on I 696, with her trendy "No blood for oil" bumper sticker.
Second, the interchange at Wixom and I 696 has been open for a month or more now. I had occasion (the misfortune?) to use it twice yesterday. Yep, had to wait each time. Karen said, "There weren't backups like this before." No, no! This is the product of "technology." We can't argue against "technology." I think I've waited to get onto I 696 more in the past month than I have in the previous 30+ years out here. And, that's it--it matters not if there is improvement. It's "technology." Apparently nobody learned that technology isn't a synonym for better. I am reminded of the dimwads at the hs, with their new "technology" for taking attendance. First, sometimes students were marked absent on the screen before they even showed up for class--and when they did, they couldn't be marked present. Second, sometimes an absent student couldn't be marked absent; the system wouldn't accept the mark. And to underscore how efficient and wonderful this "technology," we had to take attendance not once, not twice, but three times. Once, it was on the computer. Twice, it had to be taken in the little brown books, you know, like it used to be taken. Thrice, at the end of each week, printouts had to be made and rechecked, filed in a looseleaf binder. Technology!!!! What a waste of time, of money, of resources! But try explaining that to the dimwits--they'll merely look at you like you are a Neanderthal.
Not everyone must be like Mother Teresa, not at all. I'm not Mother Teresa, will never be like her, don't want to be like her. But we must consider a greater good, within the context of individual freedoms. At the very least, everyone should have to read the first part of The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk (although the reading is a bit tough).
Out to write....
Second, the interchange at Wixom and I 696 has been open for a month or more now. I had occasion (the misfortune?) to use it twice yesterday. Yep, had to wait each time. Karen said, "There weren't backups like this before." No, no! This is the product of "technology." We can't argue against "technology." I think I've waited to get onto I 696 more in the past month than I have in the previous 30+ years out here. And, that's it--it matters not if there is improvement. It's "technology." Apparently nobody learned that technology isn't a synonym for better. I am reminded of the dimwads at the hs, with their new "technology" for taking attendance. First, sometimes students were marked absent on the screen before they even showed up for class--and when they did, they couldn't be marked present. Second, sometimes an absent student couldn't be marked absent; the system wouldn't accept the mark. And to underscore how efficient and wonderful this "technology," we had to take attendance not once, not twice, but three times. Once, it was on the computer. Twice, it had to be taken in the little brown books, you know, like it used to be taken. Thrice, at the end of each week, printouts had to be made and rechecked, filed in a looseleaf binder. Technology!!!! What a waste of time, of money, of resources! But try explaining that to the dimwits--they'll merely look at you like you are a Neanderthal.
Not everyone must be like Mother Teresa, not at all. I'm not Mother Teresa, will never be like her, don't want to be like her. But we must consider a greater good, within the context of individual freedoms. At the very least, everyone should have to read the first part of The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk (although the reading is a bit tough).
Out to write....
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Thurs Thoughts
Is anything simpler than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Yet, at the right time, that simple PB and J is better than a steak, seafood, or other dish. Sometimes simple is good, maybe best.
And what is better than reheated spaghetti? Note I didn't say the pretentious "pasta." Yep, it's great!
How about a 5K through Greenfield Village? Any time of the year would be good. I bet it would attract a good crowd. With enough publicity, maybe a thousand would show up. What a cool race that would be!
Remember Thomas Jefferson's words: A government strong enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything away, too. Think about that as we look to Washington to solve all of our problems, giving the ding-a-lings more and more power.
And what is better than reheated spaghetti? Note I didn't say the pretentious "pasta." Yep, it's great!
How about a 5K through Greenfield Village? Any time of the year would be good. I bet it would attract a good crowd. With enough publicity, maybe a thousand would show up. What a cool race that would be!
Remember Thomas Jefferson's words: A government strong enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything away, too. Think about that as we look to Washington to solve all of our problems, giving the ding-a-lings more and more power.
Czar, Tsar, Tzar?
Which reminds me, what is this "auto czar?" From the same folks who brought us Social Security, Medicare, No Child Left Behind, Fannie and Freddie, and the $9 billion national debt? What makes anyone, excepting themselves, believe Congress can appoint a "czar" who will be any more effective in oversight than, say, Barney Frank or Chris Dodd? Yeah, it's a joke, a sad joke that you and I (and our kids and grandkids) will pay for dearly (note I didn't end the sentence with a preposition!).
And, speaking of a "czar," where is the "czar" for the financials? They received, what 40 times?, yes, that's right (I used my calculator!) 40 times as much money, yet are answerable to nobody. By the way, was the financials bailout a "loan" or a "present?" Hmmm. And they know they are answerable to nobody--note how much looser the credit market has become in the past month or so (not at all); note the money being "earmarked" for executive bonuses (and why not? the financial execs played Congress for incredible fools--you could write this stuff in a novel and people would think you were being preposterous); note the healthy financials (who also received $$$ although they didn't need it) who used the $$$ to buy out other financials. Perhaps the Congressmen and Senators didn't want the financial grilled in committees like the Big Three CEOs. Maybe some things would have come out that the Congs and Sens didn't want to come out? (BTW, great nickname I heard for Chris Dodd today, "PACman!") Did I ever mention a joke, a sad joke?
And where are Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow? Hmmm. Great leadership, huh? Maybe they are working "behind the scenes," but what good does that do to convince the American people that a bridge loan was necessary, that is, to pressure their Senators and Congressmen into approving a package? They should have been all over the media; we should have been sick of seeing their faces, hearing their voices...unless they are opposed to a loan? But, then, why did they vote for the financials bailout????? Just speculating...after all, you, not me, elected them.
I'm still not convinced a bailout is good, that it is necessary. Government involvement is the kiss of death (see above and, frankly, history). The only hedge I have is that gov't created much of this mess and maybe should have to fix it--or, I guess, get out of the way before it messes up again?
And, speaking of a "czar," where is the "czar" for the financials? They received, what 40 times?, yes, that's right (I used my calculator!) 40 times as much money, yet are answerable to nobody. By the way, was the financials bailout a "loan" or a "present?" Hmmm. And they know they are answerable to nobody--note how much looser the credit market has become in the past month or so (not at all); note the money being "earmarked" for executive bonuses (and why not? the financial execs played Congress for incredible fools--you could write this stuff in a novel and people would think you were being preposterous); note the healthy financials (who also received $$$ although they didn't need it) who used the $$$ to buy out other financials. Perhaps the Congressmen and Senators didn't want the financial grilled in committees like the Big Three CEOs. Maybe some things would have come out that the Congs and Sens didn't want to come out? (BTW, great nickname I heard for Chris Dodd today, "PACman!") Did I ever mention a joke, a sad joke?
And where are Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow? Hmmm. Great leadership, huh? Maybe they are working "behind the scenes," but what good does that do to convince the American people that a bridge loan was necessary, that is, to pressure their Senators and Congressmen into approving a package? They should have been all over the media; we should have been sick of seeing their faces, hearing their voices...unless they are opposed to a loan? But, then, why did they vote for the financials bailout????? Just speculating...after all, you, not me, elected them.
I'm still not convinced a bailout is good, that it is necessary. Government involvement is the kiss of death (see above and, frankly, history). The only hedge I have is that gov't created much of this mess and maybe should have to fix it--or, I guess, get out of the way before it messes up again?
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Addendum
I forgot to add this. Nick reminded me, but I think I wrote of it earlier. Citi, which wants billions in bailout $$$, spent $450million to get its name on the Mets' new stadium. Hmmm. and how many did Citi lay off in the last year, 50,000+, enough to sell out the 45,000-seat stadium!!!! Oh, they can't afford tickets.
Tuesday Musings
Can the picture become any bleaker? Now, as a condition for the auto bailout, Congress gets to appoint a "car czar." Brilliant! Just freakin' brilliant! Has anyone recently looked at Congress's ability to run anything? Social Security? Freddie and Fannie? Medicare? Homeland Security? FEMA? Let's just go right to the budget...what is it now, a $9 trillion dollar national debt? And the fools continue to spend and bailout and.... Maybe it's not the Congressmen and Senators who are the fools. Maybe the fools are looking at us in the mirror.
After all, how can anyone with a straight face say Nancy Pelosi should be Speaker, let along a member of the House? Ditto for Barney and Chris Dodd. Yep, our two Senators can be added in there, too. It shows more than I can write how much clout Levin and Stabenow have in the Senate--where are they? why aren't they all over the news, every darn talk show they can find? where are their defenses of the auto industry? At least Congressman McCotter is speaking up and, in my view, making sense.
I am opposed to bailouts (or loans or whatever euphemism is passing for "bailouts" these days) in principle. When government gets involved, look out, things are bound to get worse. But, several things. First, much of the auto problem is due to government ineptness, be it the mandates on what to produce (why can't the US auto makers make the cars Americans want to and will buy?), the largely government-created credit crunch, or whatever else. Since gov't created this mess, shouldn't gov't fix it? Of course not, don't be silly. Second, our gov't turns a blind eye to the unfair advantages foreign makers have (other gov'ts subsidize, manipulate currencies, etc.) and then tells the Big Three, "Compete!" (This isn't ignore the unbelievably stupid contracts the Big Three agreed to with the UAW over the years. I don't blame the UAW, but the auto cos. How can anyone defend, let alone agree to/with, the silly "work rules," the "jobs bank," etc.? I think the money and benefits the UAW hammered out are perfectly fine. Workers deserve them. Their higher pay created more prosperity and jobs for more Americans in a number of ways. But this is fodder for another blog....) Third, where does it end? First the financial and investment cos, then the Big Three, who's next? Can I wait in line, too? (Just kidding...I don't want to wait in line. I just want government to get out of the picture.)
And, I am furious at the blatant hypocrisy, dishonesty, ignorance, and you can toss in a few more epithets of Congress. What gall, hubris! But what do Senators and Congressmen care? We don't, obviously. We keep sending Ted Kennedy (apparently about to be deified, a God among us; I wonder what Mary Jo Kopechne thinks about this. Oh, she doesn't think about anything!), Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Carl Levin, Debbie Stabenow, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, et all back to Congress. Oh, OK, I won't forget that bastion of the Republican Party, Richard Shelby. What a genius! He must have to work at being as ignorant as he is. And, again, he keeps getting re-elected. What do they care? We don't, obviously.
How can so many Americans overlook the unconditional $700 billion given to the credit and investment firms? "Unconditional?" The CEOs didn't even have to go to DC--let alone drive there in hybrids! (Really, our representatives in Congress are stupid!) How can so many overlook that there was little or no oversight of Freddie and Fannie by, get this, Frank and Dodd, who just happened to be the recipients of the two largest campaign contributions of Fannie and Freddie? (The public record of their lack of oversight, their ineptness, is right out there for all to see.) How can so few Americans see that $700 billion would give us all, if Congress had any fortitude and intelligence, a 6-month vacation from federal income taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes? (Now, that isn't a shortfall of 6-months' of income; Congress can either give the money to Wall Street or to us. The amount of federal monies doesn't change.) How can so few Americans see that the hundreds of billions are not being used to ease the credit crunch? (Of course, gov't is responsible for it, too, along with the stupidity and greed of the lenders--dare I say borrowers, too?) I could go on, but let's sum up with how can so few Americans care????
I'm very worried about the lives my grandchildren will live in this United States of the immediate future. This is not going to be a nice place to live. Things will be difficult and we are and have been breeding citizens who are not equipped to handle difficult times. We give everything to them--they don't have to work for them. They are "entitled" to things. Most of all, government will provide all they need. Government will "do something." Yep, we see what happened to the other countries where government, not people themselves, "did something." But, nobody cares.
I am, perhaps, even more upset with Americans. How can they allow all of this to happen?
After all, how can anyone with a straight face say Nancy Pelosi should be Speaker, let along a member of the House? Ditto for Barney and Chris Dodd. Yep, our two Senators can be added in there, too. It shows more than I can write how much clout Levin and Stabenow have in the Senate--where are they? why aren't they all over the news, every darn talk show they can find? where are their defenses of the auto industry? At least Congressman McCotter is speaking up and, in my view, making sense.
I am opposed to bailouts (or loans or whatever euphemism is passing for "bailouts" these days) in principle. When government gets involved, look out, things are bound to get worse. But, several things. First, much of the auto problem is due to government ineptness, be it the mandates on what to produce (why can't the US auto makers make the cars Americans want to and will buy?), the largely government-created credit crunch, or whatever else. Since gov't created this mess, shouldn't gov't fix it? Of course not, don't be silly. Second, our gov't turns a blind eye to the unfair advantages foreign makers have (other gov'ts subsidize, manipulate currencies, etc.) and then tells the Big Three, "Compete!" (This isn't ignore the unbelievably stupid contracts the Big Three agreed to with the UAW over the years. I don't blame the UAW, but the auto cos. How can anyone defend, let alone agree to/with, the silly "work rules," the "jobs bank," etc.? I think the money and benefits the UAW hammered out are perfectly fine. Workers deserve them. Their higher pay created more prosperity and jobs for more Americans in a number of ways. But this is fodder for another blog....) Third, where does it end? First the financial and investment cos, then the Big Three, who's next? Can I wait in line, too? (Just kidding...I don't want to wait in line. I just want government to get out of the picture.)
And, I am furious at the blatant hypocrisy, dishonesty, ignorance, and you can toss in a few more epithets of Congress. What gall, hubris! But what do Senators and Congressmen care? We don't, obviously. We keep sending Ted Kennedy (apparently about to be deified, a God among us; I wonder what Mary Jo Kopechne thinks about this. Oh, she doesn't think about anything!), Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Carl Levin, Debbie Stabenow, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, et all back to Congress. Oh, OK, I won't forget that bastion of the Republican Party, Richard Shelby. What a genius! He must have to work at being as ignorant as he is. And, again, he keeps getting re-elected. What do they care? We don't, obviously.
How can so many Americans overlook the unconditional $700 billion given to the credit and investment firms? "Unconditional?" The CEOs didn't even have to go to DC--let alone drive there in hybrids! (Really, our representatives in Congress are stupid!) How can so many overlook that there was little or no oversight of Freddie and Fannie by, get this, Frank and Dodd, who just happened to be the recipients of the two largest campaign contributions of Fannie and Freddie? (The public record of their lack of oversight, their ineptness, is right out there for all to see.) How can so few Americans see that $700 billion would give us all, if Congress had any fortitude and intelligence, a 6-month vacation from federal income taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes? (Now, that isn't a shortfall of 6-months' of income; Congress can either give the money to Wall Street or to us. The amount of federal monies doesn't change.) How can so few Americans see that the hundreds of billions are not being used to ease the credit crunch? (Of course, gov't is responsible for it, too, along with the stupidity and greed of the lenders--dare I say borrowers, too?) I could go on, but let's sum up with how can so few Americans care????
I'm very worried about the lives my grandchildren will live in this United States of the immediate future. This is not going to be a nice place to live. Things will be difficult and we are and have been breeding citizens who are not equipped to handle difficult times. We give everything to them--they don't have to work for them. They are "entitled" to things. Most of all, government will provide all they need. Government will "do something." Yep, we see what happened to the other countries where government, not people themselves, "did something." But, nobody cares.
I am, perhaps, even more upset with Americans. How can they allow all of this to happen?
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