One Citizen Speaking...

THE OBAMA $TIMULU$: STIMULATING THE CYCLE OF CORRUPTION?

Where is our money going?

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that one of the greatest reasons that governments on the local, state and federal levels are running major deficits is because they not only have to fund ongoing public safety, education and social programs, they must also fund ever-growing employee wage and benefit programs which offer the average government worker lifelong employment, above average wages and almost obscene health and retirement benefits when compared to the private sector.

"We have far less to spend on core services, such as public safety, education, parks and senior centers," Mayor Michael Bloomberg wrote in December of the city's pension costs. "That defies common sense, and it's hurting our city."                     -- F0rbes

And the reason for this outrageous behavior is because the public has very little input into the process. They have been frozen out of the picture by the unholy alliance between politicians and the unions.

A perfect illustration of the cycle of corruption …

Politicians pander to the unions to obtain the financing and votes to gain or maintain political office. Then they are reluctant to vote against union demands for higher wages and better health and retirement benefits. And because the union can put additional sums of money into paid advertising during election campaigns, is it any wonder that the unions come first and the electorate comes in dead last?

Socialism …

I do not know what disturbs me most about unions …

• The apparently socialistic roots and support for Marxist organizing tactics;
• Their unholy alliance with organized crime in some cities;
• Their leadership which seems to run the union for their own benefit;
• Their acceptance of illegal aliens in their ranks while knowing full well that other illegal aliens are depressing wage rates and taking jobs from their members;
• That the members may have little or nothing to say about which political parties or politicians are supported;
• Their nefarious dealings with government leaders knowing that they have the advantage of possessing “inside knowledge” provided by their membership;
• Their onerous and detailed work rules which have employees sitting idly by while other employees perform the work – or even worse, make a requester wait while employees of more than one union are required to complete a single job;
• A grievance process which makes it almost impossible to fire a poor performing worker;
• A grievance process which intimidates members of middle management to the point where they will simply walk away from egregious behavior because it isn’t worth the trouble of tangling with union representatives;
• A system which rewards seniority over merit and accomplishment and which often results in productive workers being chastised by their slower counterparts for making them look bad or setting a superior standard of accomplishment;
• Their propensity to strike at the most inopportune times to force the general population to suffer mightily as to coerce the politicians to settle the strike on terms favorable to the unions;
• Their association with the democrats, especially in one-party governments, where a disproportionate portion of the waste, graft and corruption can be associated with unionized projects; or
• Their latest flirtation with union organizing: the card-check program which denies American workers the right to a secret ballot and exposes the individual worker to coercion and thuggery.

Look around at most cities controlled by the democrat party and which feature an active union presence. Note the level of decay and political corruption. In my mind, cause and effect.

Why are public sector unions even necessary?

What was wrong with civil service? In many ways, it was almost as cumbersome as union representation – but without the propensity to strike.  For years unions have claimed they were necessary to fight against the excesses of the capitalistic private sector. So why are they necessary to protect the rights of public sector employees when a civil service arrangement would suffice? With the added benefit of allowing the public sector employee to keep more of their money as a real stimulus to the economy? Not to mention a corresponding reduction in political corruption?

It is about time to set aside the old myths …

The myth that public service workers are provided with guaranteed employment because they receive substantially lower pay than employees in the private sector has long been disproven.

“In public-sector America things just get better and better. The common presumption is that public servants forgo high wages in exchange for safe jobs and benefits. The reality is they get all three. State and local government workers get paid an average of $25.30 an hour, which is 33% higher than the private sector's $19, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Throw in pensions and other benefits and the gap widens to 42%.”           --Forbes

The myth that public safety personnel deserve significantly better benefits because they put their lives on the line is also mostly untrue. Especially when you consider what our volunteer soldiers are actually paid. True first responders and those who risk their lives daily are a relatively few in number when you consider cubicle workers with similar benefits. Yet is is this group of dedicated employees which are always featured in position advertising whenever anyone attempts to cut salaries, overtime or benefits.

The myth that it’s for the children and that we have underpaid union teachers is mostly that: a myth. Paying teachers outrageous sums for non-teaching administrative jobs is also out of control. There is something wrong with the picture of a  teacher forced to buy classroom supplies out of their pocket while the school district spends $320 million dollars for a monstrosity of a modern art high-school to soothe the ego of a politically-active billionaire. Especially when the teachers unions complain about crowded classrooms -- when three high schools could have been built for the cost of that modern art monstrosity.

And the worst and mostly false myth of all: that government knows what is wrong and can provide a solution with legislative controls and stimuli.

What Obama has done …

By not demanding work standards and competitive bidding from both union and non-union sources, he has increased the cost of all government projects and subjected them to the usual type of waste, fraud, corruption and mismanagement that plagues most government contracts. Projects which are sure to feature cost overruns and additional funding to complete the project.

By not demanding hiring controls, Obama has promoted another class of government employee who will stay employed long after the stimulus funding has run out – and another 20-30 years of guaranteed employment with wage, benefits and retirement funds which will further cripple government operations. Further draining the treasury and placing a burden upon us all.

“Four in five public-sector workers have lifetime pensions, versus only one in five in the private sector. The difference shifts huge risks from government to private-sector workers.”                        --Forbes

By enlarging government, Obama has contributed to a critical mass of government employees, many of them union-controlled, that can simply override the public’s input and continue with their self-interest programs to increase their benefits.

By bailing out state and local governments, Obama has rewarded those who spent profligately on special interest projects and social engineering. Perhaps, pumping new life into the political careers of poseurs such as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And most importantly, by acting in this egregious manner, Obama has provided aid and comfort to our enemies who want to see our economy and military decimated. If Obama had only studied history, he would have seen that it was Russia’s inability to finance further military and economic actions that led to their downfall. Obama is in the process of insuring that we meet the same fate.

Solutions …

We need to get government costs under control. One, by eliminating unions in favor of civil service programs. Two, by imposing work rules and requirements (for non-sworn personnel) that eliminate any disparity with the private sector. And three, by eliminating politicians from selling their votes – however subtle their actions are. We need to prosecute transgressing politicians and not simply allow them to file amended reports and returns.

We need to educate the people into seeing what corrupt losers their politicians have become and the damage they have done to their community, their state and the country.

Another solution is to separate those first-responders and others who have risky lives or an increased probability of harm from those who live their lives as cubicle functionaries and are more likely to die choking on a donut than while engaged in life-saving activities.

And even these benefits should be capped at some reasonable amount that does not count overtime and other such factors when computing retirement.

Public service people should be employed at will – with no guarantee of life-long employment – and the ability to double dip in the retirement pool.  They should be hired for their abilities and fired when they are no longer productive. They should have the same type of 401(k) retirement programs of the private sector.

Remove the employee unions and you eliminate much of the waste and corruption in government. We will deal with the waste and corruption involved with private sector special interests also.

Talk about working for the man …

Here were are, the American public, now forced to work to provide wages, benefits and retirements to an expanding cadre of government workers – benefits which will include healthcare and retirement that will not be available to the average American under an Obama-driven socialized healthcare plan and with the meager amount of money remaining in our retirement plans.

Welcome to the third-world where government and its friends enjoy life and everybody else struggles to make do. 

-- steve

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

The Employee Suppression Of Choice Act|Forbes

Gilt-Edged Pensions|Forbes

Does the Treasury Secretary have a clue to solving the problem? Not if you see today's pathetic performance.

The Bush/Paulson solution failed …

Henry Paulson, the Secretary of the United States Treasury went before Congress and the American people and claimed that if the TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) legislation was not passed, we were sure to experience a financial system meltdown of catastrophic proportions.

As time went on, we were to learn:

• The $700 BILLION number was picked from a hat; a number that sounded serious and substantial and less than a psychological barrier of $1 TRILLION.
• After approximately half of the TARP funds were disbursed, we found out that the money was being spent by the banks to acquire other financial institutions or shore up the balance sheets of the recipient. Little or no money actually went to facilitate consumer or commercial lending.
• In a pitch for the remaining funds, Paulson admitted that there were problems with the initial TARP fundings but that he needed the remaining money to avert a catastrophe in the financial markets. He also acknowledged that the banks were not, as a condition of receiving TARP funds, required to report to the Treasury Department exactly how these funds were allocated.

Time for the messiah …

Exit the Bush Administration and Treasury Secretary Paulson and enter the Obama Administration and Treasury Secretary Timothy “TurboTax” Geithner.

One would assume that Geithner, head of the New York Federal Reserve, close associate of Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke, and one of the authors, with Treasury Secretary Paulson, of the TARP program would have a plan in place to distribute the remaining TARP funds and deal with the additional BILLIONS allocated in the Obama Stimulus package.

Winging it …

And now we find that Geithner, too, plans to wing-it with little or no real disclosure and a program of public utterances that are Obama-like in that they say little or nothing about the problems at hand, but simply quote the dire consequences of inaction.

Saying nothing of substance: Tim Geithner, in his own words …

The market doesn’t believe Geithner gave a credible answer…

In response to a presentation which featured a broad overview of the problem and very little of substantive detail of an estimated $1 TRILLION program, the market reacted;  the Dow industrials falling by 381.99 points, or 4.62 percent, to 7,888.88. Likewise in the much broader market,the Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 42.73 points, or 4.91 percent, to 827.16. The NASDAQ composite fell 66.83 points, or 4.20 percent, to 1,524.73.

This is the biggest decline since Obama’s inauguration on January 20th. Quite a response to someone who has been hailed as “The One,” the messiah who can return normalcy to our financial markets as well as right previous social wrongs and his minion, Treasury Secretary Geithner.

Wait and See?

Truth be told, Paulson, Geithner and Bernanke do not have a plan – other than to try a little of this and a little of that – buying enough time so that the recession naturally corrects as it has historically and enough time for the financial institutions to further camouflage their balance sheets. 

For those readers who desire to read Treasury Secretary Geithner’s prepared remarks at today’s hearing before the Senate Banking Committee, they can be found here.

For those readers who want to really find out what Treasury Secretary Geithner is up to, you might want to click below.

I am sorry I can’t be of any further help as my crystal ball seems somewhat cloudy.

What I do know is:

The first step in resolving this financial meltdown is to institute “safe and sane” accounting rules. Eliminating “off balance sheet” accounts and suspending or eliminating the “mark-to-market” requirement which has decimated the balance sheets of financial institutions.

The second step is to develop a methodology for handling toxic derivatives, be they held by individual financial institutions or be acquired by a so-called “bad bank.” By building a program to re-aggregate some of these assets, fire sale pricing might be side-stepped.

The third step is to develop rules and regulations for the creation and marketing of derivatives – the fruit of the poisonous tree which caused our fall from grace. Whether or not derivatives should be capped at two-generations, much like a multi-level sales program, will be up to the regulators.

The fourth step is to develop a marketplace to register and wind-down all of the credit default swaps which used as bogus insurance. Perhaps by cancelling all contracts in which the purchaser did not own the assets being covered. This estimated $55 TRILLION exposure must be eradicated before one has faith in an insurers, or anyone else’s balance sheet.

But this is all conditioned on stopping the downward spiral of the housing market. Without some form of price stabilization, mortgage-backed securities and other assets will continue to have “wonky” valuations that are more a product of computer schemes and the presence of a willing counterparty than a tangible and reliable value.

As for people who have lost their house to foreclosure or are about to lose their house in foreclosure, might I suggest that we simply apply sound underwriting standards which presuppose that one can muster the necessary cash flow to service their debt. In this instance, a cash flow equivalent to the amount of money that would be required to rent a property of equivalent value in today’s market. For those who purchased property far beyond their means, I am sorry. For those who tricked them into buying, be it the real estate agent who cited rising values, the appraiser who fudged the numbers, the loan officer who falsified data, or the borrower who simply misstated their credit capacity – you have a one-time “get out of jail free” card if you simply walk away from the property and relinquish all claims. Otherwise, let the chips fall where they may.

As for Treasury Secretary Geithner, we wish him well as we do Federal Chairman Bernanke. As for Obama, we wish him to fail before any more disastrous policies are initiated and the American Dream turns into a survivalist nightmare.

Be well and be safe.

-- steve

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

OBAMA: THE STEVIE WONDER* PRESS CONFERENCE?

It was a boring press conference where Barack Obama gave a 10-minute head-swiveling answer to an unasked question. Obama did not look into the camera as his head continuously swiveled back-and-forth (right-left-right-left) as he read from his TelePrompTers. Never looking directly at the camera and the American people.

And perhaps that is the real answer: looking Presidential as he spews lofty words penned by others. The ultimate empty-suit performer. Worthy of an Emmy for a momentous speech by someone who says absolutely nothing.

The fact that the President is engaging in fear-mongering and telling only part of the story should be condemned. But not as much as a complicit mainstream media which can no longer be trusted to “tell truth to power” as they jockey for corporate privileges.

The short answer …

• “The plan is not perfect.”
• "At this particular moment, with the private sector so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back to life."
• "My bottom line is to make sure that we are saving or creating 4 million jobs."

The biggest lie …

“But when they start characterizing this as pork, without acknowledging that there are no earmarks in this package -- something, again, that was pretty rare over the last eight years -- then you get a feeling that maybe we're playing politics instead of actually trying to solve problems for the American people.”

What would you consider $4 BILLION FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ACORN (Which is allegedly complicit in improperly and illegally registering democrats)?

The toughest question …

The single toughest question, in my opinion, was when  Associated Press reporter Jennifer Loven asked:

“Mr. President. Earlier today in Indiana, you said something striking. You said that this nation could end up in a crisis without action that we would be unable to reverse. Can you talk about what you know or what you're hearing that would lead you to say that our recession might be permanent when others in our history have not? And do you think that you risk losing some credibility or even talking down the economy by using dire language like that?”

My highlight …

When the cute Bloomberg reporter, Juliana Goldman, asked “Many experts from Nouriel Roubini to Senator Schumer have said that it would cost the government more than a trillion dollars to really fix the financial system. During the campaign, you promised the American people that you won’t just tell them what they want to hear, but what they need to hear. Won’t the government need far more than $350 billion remaining in the financial rescue funds to really solve the credit crisis?

Obama’s answer revealed the fact that the government really doesn’t know how to solve the problems at hand and what they will cost. It is against this background that I find that I have little or no confidence in the Obama Administration to solve the underlying crisis of trust.

“Well, the credit crisis is real, and it's not over. We averted catastrophe by passing the TARP legislation. But, as I said before, because of a lack of clarity and consistency in how it was applied, a lack of oversight in -- in how the money went out, we didn't get as big of a bang for the buck as we should have.”

“My immediate task is making sure that the second half of that money, $350 billion, is spent properly. That's my first job. Before I even think about what else I've got to do, my first task is to make sure that my secretary of the treasury, Tim Geithner, working with Larry Summers, my national economic adviser, and others are coming up with the best possible plan to use this money wisely in a way that's transparent, in a way that provides clear oversight, that we are conditioning any money that we give to banks on them reducing executive compensation to reasonable levels and to make sure that they're not wasting that money.”

“We are going to have to work with the banks in an effective way to clean up their balance sheets so that some trust is restored within the marketplace, because right now part of the problem is that nobody really knows what's on the bank's books. Any given bank, they're not sure what kinds of losses are there. We've got to open things up and restore some trust.”

“We also have to deal with the housing issue in a clear and consistent way.”

“I don't want to preempt my secretary of the treasury. He's going to be laying out these principles in great detail tomorrow.”

“But my instruction to him has been: Let's get this right. Let's create a template in which we're restoring market confidence.”

“And the reason that's so important is because we don't know yet whether we're going to need additional money or how much additional money we'll need until we've seen how successful we are at restoring a sense of confidence in the marketplace that the federal government and the Federal Reserve Bank and the FDIC, working in concert, know what they're doing.”

“That can make a big difference in terms of whether or not we attract private capital back into the marketplace. And ultimately the government cannot substitute for all the private capital that has been withdrawn from the system. We've got to restore confidence so that private capital goes back in.”

The lowlight …

In my oh so humble opinion, the lowest point of the press conference came when Helen Thomas, the old hag in the red dress who should have been retired after John Kennedy’s last press conference, stupidly asked:

“Mr. President, do you think that Pakistan and -- are maintaining the safe havens in Afghanistan for these so-called terrorists? And, also, do you know of any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons?”

So-called terrorists? Trying to out Israel as having nuclear weapons? How many people know that Helen Thomas’ parents were Lebanese immigrants? Her time has long been over and this is one long-standing tradition that should be scrapped. The time would have been better spent taking more important questions.

The unasked and unanswered questions …

If your previous promise to bring cooperation and bi-partisanship back into the government, why did you ask Senator Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, among the most liberal ideologues in Congress, to  write the stimulus package – which wound up packed with projects having nothing to do with the creation of jobs?

How do you account for the future cost of all of the new government employees whose cost will continue for twenty to thirty years, with ever mounting salaries and benefits – and a retirement obligation that exceeds all but the top executives in the nation?

How do you account for the lack of the stimulus bill’s provisions for cost-effectiveness when obviously one needs to employ union workers with their outrageous, non-competitive salaries and work rules? Not to mention, a provision which prohibits the use of undocumented illegal aliens. And a provision which provides criminal penalties with mandatory imprisonment for fraud and corruption.

Why should we believe you and not the Congressional Budget Office when they say that “no action” might be preferable to implementing this bill?

And the biggest unasked questions of all:

Where are we going to get the money to pay for this program and will it finally end in an inflationary nightmare?

How can we trust a government, which cannot accurately count votes or account for monies spent on past and present government programs, to be responsible for the trillions of dollars which are about to be spent in governmental programs.

How can we trust a government who wants to institutionalize health care and deny care to an aging population?

Most dangerous …

What he said …

“The same applies when it comes to information technologies in health care. We know that health care is crippling businesses and making us less competitive, as well as breaking the banks of families all across America. And part of the reason is, we've got the most inefficient health care system imaginable.”

“We're still using paper. We're still filing things in triplicate. Nurses can't read the prescriptions that doctors -- that doctors have written out. Why wouldn't we want to put that on -- put that on an electronic medical record that will reduce error rates, reduce our long-term costs of health care, and create jobs right now?”

What’s really in the bill …

According to an analysis by Bloomberg News (page numbers provided for reference) …

“The bill’s health rules will affect “every individual in the United States” (445, 454, 479). Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system. Having electronic medical records at your fingertips, easily transferred to a hospital, is beneficial. It will help avoid duplicate tests and errors.”

“But the bill goes further. One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective.”

“The goal is to reduce costs and ‘guide’ your doctor’s decisions (442, 446). These provisions in the stimulus bill are virtually identical to what Daschle prescribed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” According to Daschle, doctors have to give up autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners.”

“Keeping doctors informed of the newest medical findings is important, but enforcing uniformity goes too far.”

“New Penalties”

“Hospitals and doctors that are not ‘meaningful users’ of the new system will face penalties.  ‘Meaningful user’ isn’t defined in the bill. That will be left to the HHS secretary, who will be empowered to impose ‘more stringent measures of meaningful use over time’ (511, 518, 540-541)

“What penalties will deter your doctor from going beyond the electronically delivered protocols when your condition is atypical or you need an experimental treatment? The vagueness is intentional. In his book, Daschle proposed an appointed body with vast powers to make the ‘tough’ decisions elected politicians won’t make.”

“The stimulus bill does that, and calls it the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (190-192). The goal, Daschle’s book explained, is to slow the development and use of new medications and technologies because they are driving up costs. He praises Europeans for being more willing to accept “hopeless diagnoses” and “forgo experimental treatments,” and he chastises Americans for expecting too much from the health-care system.”

“Elderly Hardest Hit”

“Daschle says health-care reform ‘will not be pain free.’ Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. That means the elderly will bear the brunt.”

“Medicare now pays for treatments deemed safe and effective. The stimulus bill would change that and apply a cost- effectiveness standard set by the Federal Council (464).”

A staged event …

You had your part to play, the press theirs. Unfortunately, many people will not go beyond the “celebrity” factor and analyze exactly what was said and what was left unsaid.

Yes, you looked good, spoke well, and said precious damn little. The press corps did not do their job. No follow-up questions. No wonder while you were jawboning and mugging for the cameras.

Bottom line: This was a speech – with the press as props. Obama is still in campaign mode – promising something which he may not be able to deliver. And a mainstream media unwilling to challenge the President and ask the hard questions.

What can YOU do?

Consider President Barack Obama as you would a Trojan Horse. Provoking curiosity until the fateful act of allowing his programs inside the gated walls of society.

Obama admits that they really don’t know if this will work or what the long-term consequences of this program will be. Therefore, why the rush towards oblivion. We need to allow this stimulus bill to go through the normal bi-partisan legislative process – including committee hearings.

I do not believe that this program will encourage people to spend, spend, spend to stimulate the economy. With the current atmosphere in the country, people are more likely to use stimulus funds to pay down debt or put the money aside for the rainy day most believe will be forthcoming.

Ask yourself if you want you doctor to deny the care you need because he is afraid of violating governmental care guidelines enforced with civil money penalties and possibly the loss of practice privileges.

Perhaps you should reconsider your support of AARP which allegedly represents seniors, but in reality is a portal to profit from selling travel, medical insurance, pharmacy services to the senior community. Lobbying for liberal democrat causes which support dangerous medical legislation such as that contained in the ill-defined stimulus bill.

We need also to stop electing people who are insulated from the results of their legislative decisions by reason of wealth, power or position. We need to insure that the average American is treated as well as members of Congress and government employees.

Be well, be safe – and remember: the bastards are not looking out for the average American.

-- steve

* No disrespect to Stevie Wonder

Quote of the day: “when the day comes for you to receive that life-saving treatment, don’t be surprised when your doctor simply says ‘Next!’”  -- steve

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

H.R. 1 -- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|U.S. Government

Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan|Bloomberg News

Global Warming: Going Beyond The Science ...

Please don’t continue to accuse me of being a denier: I am a “denier!”

I have been recently attacked by those who accuse me of being a “denier,” a pejorative term that is used for those who do not worship at the altar of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) and accept Al Gore as the messenger angel that has come to save mankind.

My beliefs are simple:

Climate change is cyclical and we do not know the exact  periodic nature nor the amplitude of the changes. And since we do not know the nature of the cycle, we can only assume that nature is regressing to some unknown mean value as our global climate experiences fluctuations around this unknown mean value.

Carbon dioxide is not the causal trigger for AGW, but may be little more than a lagging indicator that the warming oceans are emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And that the lag is somewhere between 600 and 800 years. Hardly indication of a causal factor.

Political evildoers and a complicit media have latched on to the braying of a few highly visible people who assert that we are facing a global emergency and that we should ignore our own common sense and cede enormous power to those who profess to have a solution to mitigating AGW.

That one need only look at the factors beyond our control, solar output, Earth’s planetary path, the inherent instability of atmospheric dynamics which give rise to local weather, etc. to see that man’s cannot possibly exert a meaningful effect on nature at this present time and with our present technology.

That man needs to concentrate in cleaning up ground, water and air pollution NOW instead of allowing the use of indulgences (carbon credits) to allow polluters to keep polluting localities in return for planting trees in some foreign forest.

I have also come to believe that some global warming proponents have adopted AGW as their religion and reason for being. For some, a social interaction which brings otherwise inaccessible people into their social orbits. And for others, a chance to overcome their background and social environment in order to feel good about themselves as they are saving the planet – a task larger than their individual lives.

And, I have come to believe that it is no longer about the science. It’s about politics and self-interest agendas. In some cases, it is about ceding sovereign power to an extra-governmental triumvirate consisting of the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Court.  Science is only the pretext for taking emergency actions which push through legislation without critical analysis – all based on the politician’s fearing a public backlash which would throw their sorry asses into the street where most of them belong.

For those who actually care about the science, perhaps you can explain the following two charts to me …

One chart showing that the UN’s IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Models have little or no predictive capabilities …

And this one illustrating the divergence between the climate models and reality …

(I wish to thank the editor of the Climate Cycles Change C3Headlines web site for sending me the links to these illustrative charts.)

What say you?

I am willing to listen to anyone who can explain what is really going on with these charts without asking me to take their word as a leap of faith (akin to a religion). Or answer a simple question: why is it that the media surrounding Al Gore is so tightly controlled that he refuses to engage with reputable scientists of an opposing viewpoint or be sworn-in when he provides “testimony” before a governmental body?

-- steve

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Financial Crisis: The Pretense of Knowledge

Yesterday’s blog entry, “Global Warming: The Pretense of Knowledge” was inspired by Nobel Laureate Friedrich August von Hayek and his 1974 Prize Lecture in Computational Economics titled “The Pretense of Knowledge”

Hayek’s lecture pointed out that …

“The theory which has been guiding monetary and financial policy during the last thirty years, and which I contend is largely the product of such a mistaken conception of the proper scientific procedure, consists in the assertion that there exists a simple positive correlation between total employment and the size of the aggregate demand for goods and services; it leads to the belief that we can permanently assure full employment by maintaining total money expenditure at an appropriate level. Among the various theories advanced to account for extensive unemployment, this is probably the only one in support of which strong quantitative evidence can be adduced. I nevertheless regard it as fundamentally false, and to act upon it, as we now experience, as very harmful.”

Which brings us to the assertion …

The Assertion …

Those who believe the democratic economic stimulus plan  are putting forth the assertion that there exists a simple, positive correlation between the amount of taxpayer money that can be spent by the government, both federal and state, and the nation’s level of unemployment.

And by extension …

And by extension, if we can spend the taxpayer’s money on infrastructure projects, we can exert a positive control over the recovery as well as to produce sorely needed employment.

Supported by nothing …

This assertion is seemingly supported primarily by pointing to historical anecdotal evidence relating to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s handling of the Great Depression. And what we “popularly” now know is wrong.

According to UCLA economics researchers …

“Two UCLA economists say they have figured out why the Great Depression dragged on for almost 15 years, and they blame a suspect previously thought to be beyond reproach: President Franklin D. Roosevelt.”

Policies signed into law prolonged the recovery by 7 years …

“After scrutinizing Roosevelt's record for four years, Harold L. Cole and Lee E. Ohanian conclude in a new study that New Deal policies signed into law 71 years ago thwarted economic recovery for seven long years.”

"Why the Great Depression lasted so long has always been a great mystery, and because we never really knew the reason, we have always worried whether we would have another 10- to 15-year economic slump," said Ohanian, vice chair of UCLA's Department of Economics. "We found that a relapse isn't likely unless lawmakers gum up a recovery with ill-conceived stimulus policies."

“In an article in the August issue of the Journal of Political Economy, Ohanian and Cole blame specific anti-competition and pro-labor measures that Roosevelt promoted and signed into law June 16, 1933.”

"’President Roosevelt believed that excessive competition was responsible for the Depression by reducing prices and wages, and by extension reducing employment and demand for goods and services,’ said Cole, also a UCLA professor of economics. ‘So he came up with a recovery package that would be unimaginable today, allowing businesses in every industry to collude without the threat of antitrust prosecution and workers to demand salaries about 25 percent above where they ought to have been, given market forces. The economy was poised for a beautiful recovery, but that recovery was stalled by these misguided policies.’"

In the three years following the implementation of Roosevelt's policies, wages in 11 key industries averaged 25 percent higher than they otherwise would have done, the economists calculate. But unemployment was also 25 percent higher than it should have been, given gains in productivity.

Meanwhile, prices across 19 industries averaged 23 percent above where they should have been, given the state of the economy. With goods and services that much harder for consumers to afford, demand stalled and the gross national product floundered at 27 percent below where it otherwise might have been.

Research acclaimed by other economists …

"This is exciting and valuable research," said Robert E. Lucas Jr., the 1995 Nobel Laureate in economics, and the John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago. "The prevention and cure of depressions is a central mission of macroeconomics, and if we can't understand what happened in the 1930s, how can we be sure it won't happen again?"

And did I mention that this seminal work wasn’t published yesterday with foreknowledge of the current economic crisis, it was published in 2004 when we were still experiencing the effects of the real estate boom and our economy appeared to be chugging along at acceptable levels.

Policies unconstitutional …

“NIRA's [National Industrial Recovery Act] role in prolonging the Depression has not been more closely scrutinized because the Supreme Court declared the act unconstitutional within two years of its passage.”

The deleterious affects of the unions …

“NIRA's labor provisions, meanwhile, were strengthened in the National Relations Act, signed into law in 1935. As union membership doubled, so did labor's bargaining power, rising from 14 million strike days in 1936 to about 28 million in 1937. By 1939 wages in protected industries remained 24 percent to 33 percent above where they should have been, based on 1929 figures, Cole and Ohanian calculate. Unemployment persisted. By 1939 the U.S. unemployment rate was 17.2 percent, down somewhat from its 1933 peak of 24.9 percent but still remarkably high. By comparison, in May 2003, the unemployment rate of 6.1 percent was the highest in nine years.

“Recovery came only after the Department of Justice dramatically stepped enforcement of antitrust cases nearly four-fold and organized labor suffered a string of setbacks, the economists found.”

Sound familiar?

"’The fact that the Depression dragged on for years convinced generations of economists and policy-makers that capitalism could not be trusted to recover from depressions and that significant government intervention was required to achieve good outcomes,’ Cole said. ‘Ironically, our work shows that the recovery would have been very rapid had the government not intervened.’"

The conclusion that the recovery was delayed by government intervention is not what the government wants to hear – especially as they attempt to capitalize on the current crisis to enlarge the size of government, raise taxes, chip away at our personal freedoms – and reward all of their fellow travelers who help elect them to office.

Why can’t the democrats understand history …

American Philosopher George Santayana claimed “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” So why do all of the smart people assisting Barack Obama not know more about historical precedent as they quote historical guidelines as a precedent for their current actions? 

Two thoughts come to mind. One, they apparently ignore history because they are busy rewriting it to their advantage, it has become the party line. And the second one, and more malevolently, they care little about the long-term consequences of their actions as they go about gaining and maintaining their leftist power base.

The triumph of perception over reality …

For some of you, it might be hard to accept that you have been deceived. You have been fooled by the media into believing what was being portrayed as substantive fact by a credible source although it was nothing more than a political platitude and far from the truth. There are those who have allowed their minds to be manipulated by the media; which itself was manipulated by political forces driven more by their hatred of the Bush Administration and the Republican failure to curtail military and financial excesses than they were motivated by the innate character of the candidates being presented by both parties. This provided the tipping point to elected what is beginning to appear as a corrupt and inept Administration. Something that was readily apparent to those who considered the toxic associations with anti-American rogues, crooks and unrepentant Marxist terrorists who surrounded the candidate. And those who anointed this telegenic, well-spoken man offering nothing more substantive than the words change and hope as the nation’s savior – even though the observed facts belied the conclusion.

Don’t do as I do, do as I say …

One of my friends, upon reading one of my blog entries, sent me an e-mail containing the following lines …

“Perhaps you've forgotten what the word ‘liberal’ means:  ‘generous; open-minded; of a political party, favoring changes making towards democracy.’ [Webster's New Dictionary -- no doubt very subversive]”

“Now that sure smacks of the ‘un-Americanism’ that you so easily and foolishly tout about anyone who doesn't believe that Capitalism is the be-all/end-all answer to all of human needs ... “

Even though her missive was signed by “xxx,” I responded with …

“That is the textbook definition. In practice it is synonymous with Marxism, corruption, waste, fraud and securing lifelong political advantage so you come out as the ruling elite rather than the mass of victims you have created.”

And that seems to be the basis of the argument. That what the democrats cite as the political answer to our economic woes is far different from what they are putting into practice. One need go no further than the new head of the Department of Justice, Eric Holder, who will take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States from its enemies, both foreign and domestic – and who famously argued against the Second Amendment, asserting it was not an individual right, but a collective one. An attempt to impose unconstitutional gun control on those who were guaranteed access to weapons solely for the purpose of preventing government tyranny. Not hunting, no target shooting, not even to uphold the God-given right of self-defense; but as a means of preventing our government from ever enslaving the population.

Which points out why the rich and the powerful allow this political folderol to exist …

Because by wealth, power, privilege or position they are exempt from the consequences of the legislative actions which will affect us lesser mortals.

Not to mention that self-interest demands that they support those who will continue to confer special treatment to the very people who consider themselves “special.”

Look closely at the so-called “stimulus” package …

I defy you to tell me that this package is not simply democrat pork and earmarks writ large. While I could cite, line by line, spending which will not create jobs, spending which will allow the fat cats to get fatter and provisions that will allow the unions to gain an inordinate degree of control over the government and private industry, it is not necessary. One need only consider that the great majority of legislators who are voting on this complex document written in legislative gibberish have not even read the full document, let alone understand what it contains. Written by the democrats, famous for being the party of lawyers and loopholes, this singular piece of legislation is characteristic of democrat ideals: reward our special interest friends and secure our position by buying the votes of a rather naive population which can be persuaded to come along with ever increasing entitlements and freebies. Entitlements and freebies which demand a larger bureaucracy for administration and which portend complex machinations which allow significant chunks of money to fall into select private pockets.

They must scream CRISIS!

“Rule one: Never allow a crisis to go to waste,” Mr. Emanuel said in an interview on Sunday. “They are opportunities to do big things.” <Source: New York Times>

The entire purpose of capitalizing on a crisis is to persuade the American taxpayer/citizen to overlook common sense, prudent and sound financial management – and their native patriotism – to allow legislation which stinks of the possibility of waste, fraud and continued corruption to be passed without significant political consequences by those who are selling out their constituents – if not their country.

Dare I say TREASON …

In my humble opinion, there are those who do not wish America well. A fifth column of Marxists, Communists, Anarchists and others who have infiltrated our educational and government institutions. Hell bent at promoting policies which weaken the United States both militarily and economically. To reduce the power of the United States towards those who are militarily and economically weaker than ourselves. All conditioned on some false belief that the United States  is a bad actor on the world stage and that we need to pursue a more “civilized” approach when it comes to dealing with other nations and their people of  different color, races and ethnicities. A country with a higher regard for the leftist United Nations with a preponderance of corrupt despots in attendance all pretending to respect human rights as they enslave and oppress their people. I believe that there are those who are actively working against America’s interests – and they will be emboldened by the passage of this “stimulus” legislation. Funded by its provisions which allow them to grow stronger and further metastasize, like a spreading cancer, into the body politic of the American people.

What can YOU do?

Tell your elected officials that they are going to be held responsible for their actions. For the first time, the American people will not let the issue die and the malefactors escape with their ill-gotten gains.

Discuss this issue with your relatives, friends, co-workers and consider what this legislation might contribute to the end of the United States as we know it.

Do not trust the mainstream media without applying both common sense and the “smell” test to what they are saying. Considering their overwhelming support for the democrats, Obama in particular, they, with very few exceptions, have lost all pretense at journalistic integrity in favor of political pandering and fawning.

Do what is necessary to protect yourself from the ravages of an out-of-control Administration. Remember: they want you to incur debt as you spend, spend, spend our service-oriented economy to health. If you are already in debt, common sense tell you that you are already in trouble and about to make it worse – whether you are a real person or a government entity. Again, do what is necessary to protect yourself. We are a strong nation based on strong individuals – not a collection of weaklings that require the government to manage every facet of our daily lives.

Be well and be safe.

-- steve

Quote of the Day: “History repeats itself because no one was listening the first time.” --Anonymous

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

Global Warming: The Pretense of Knowledge |One Citizen Speaking...

The Pretense of Knowledge | Nobel Laureate Friedrich August von Hayek (1974 Prize Lecture in Economics)

New Deal Policies and the Persistence of the Great Depression: A General Equilibrium Analysis; Harold L. Cole and Lee E. Ohanian (doi: 10.1086/421169); Journal of Political Economy August 2004, Vol. 112, No. 4: pp. 779-816

Abstract:  “ There are two striking aspects of the recovery from the Great Depression in the United States: the recovery was very weak, and real wages in several sectors rose significantly above trend. These data contrast sharply with neoclassical theory, which predicts a strong recovery with low real wages. We evaluate the contribution to the persistence of the Depression of New Deal cartelization policies designed to limit competition and increase labor bargaining power. We develop a model of the bargaining process between labor and firms that occurred with these policies and embed that model within a multisector dynamic general equilibrium model. We find that New Deal cartelization policies are an important factor in accounting for the failure of the economy to recover back to trend.”

Cited by:

Gauti B. Eggertsson. (2008) Great Expectations and the End of the Depression. American Economic Review 98:4, 1476-1516 Online publication date: 1-Oct-2008. CrossRef

Tom Nicholas. (2008) Does Innovation Cause Stock Market Runups? Evidence from the Great Crash. American Economic Review 98:4, 1370-1396 Online publication date: 1-Oct-2008. CrossRef

D.W. MacKenzie. (2008) Supercapitalism – By Robert Reich. American Journal of Economics and Sociology 67:2, 381-389 Online publication date: 1-May-2008.
CrossRef

V. V. Chari, Patrick J. Kehoe, Ellen R. McGrattan. (2007) Business Cycle Accounting. Econometrica 75:3, 781-836
Online publication date: 1-Jun-2007. CrossRef

Luca Pensieroso. (2007) REAL BUSINESS CYCLE MODELS OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION: A CRITICAL SURVEY. Journal of Economic Surveys 21:1, 110-142 Online publication date: 1-Mar-2007. CrossRef

Gregor W. Smith. (2006) The spectre of deflation: a review of empirical evidence. Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'economique 39:4, 1041-1072 Online publication date: 1-Dec-2006. CrossRef

Edward C. Prescott. (2006) Nobel Lecture: The Transformation of Macroeconomic Policy and Research. Journal of Political Economy 114:2, 203-235 Online publication date: 1-Apr-2006. Citation-Full Text-PDF Version (530 kB)

ALEXANDER J. FIELD. (2006) Technological Change and U.S. Productivity Growth in the Interwar Years. The Journal of Economic History 66:01, Online publication date: 1-Apr-2006. CrossRef

Sergio Rebelo. (2005) Real Business Cycle Models: Past, Present and Future. Scandinavian Journal of Economics 107:2, 217-238 Online publication date: 1-Jul-2005. CrossRef

PRICE V. FISHBACK, WILLIAM C. HORRACE, SHAWN KANTOR. (2005) Did New Deal Grant Programs Stimulate Local Economies? A Study of Federal Grants and Retail Sales During the Great Depression. The Journal of  Economic History 65:01, Online publication date: 1-Apr-2005. CrossRef

Global Warming: The Pretense of Knowledge

The Assertion …

Those who believe in anthropogenic (man-made) global warning are putting forth the assertion that there exists a simple, positive correlation between atmospheric carbon, chiefly in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) and the global mean temperature of planet Earth.

And by extension …

And by extension, if we can control atmospheric carbon dioxide, we can exert a positive control over the global mean temperature.

Supported by computer models …

This assertion is seemingly supported primarily by computer models which embody some, but not all of the energy transfer mechanisms thought to occur in our dynamic planetary processes.

The “output” …

The mere fact that we can produce an “output” which appears to correlate with the global mean temperature may no more significant than watching computer programs (cellular automata) with a limited number of simple rules produce pictures which appear to be two-dimensional representations of natural structures (shells, leafs, etc.) – but in reality do very little to add understanding of the natural and physical process which appears to produce this representation of a physical phenomenon. A picture of a tree is hardly a scientific description upon which to base public policy.

This ludicrous interpretation is analogous to those who have identified apparent, and possibly coincidental, patterns in stock prices, but still fail to predict the market, let alone manipulated the underlying factors which would lead to a predictable outcome.

Enter the politicians and their special interest kingmakers …

Therefore, we find politicians trying to mold human behavior in order to achieve global results – which is, in actuality, based only on the pretense of knowledge. Using data derived piecemeal from faulty historical records and climate proxies and integrated over the spheroid we call planet Earth.

Which leads the rational thinker to the conclusion that the emperor truly has no clothes and is merely exhibiting the pretense of knowledge rather than the actual knowledge itself.

If one is to base public policy on science, the basic requirements of good science demands that the phenomenon be both observable and measurable. And yet we cannot separate our man-made efforts from the background of nature’s climate variability without the consideration of time frames long beyond our lifespan.

Which is not a problem for politicians as their preferential time frames are often given in terms of election cycles . Time spans of sufficient length to see them out of office and not politically, morally or financially accountable for their actions.

The burden of their public policies fall mainly on you and me – never on those who are insulated from their decisions by wealth, power, privilege or position.

That the outputs of computer models, which are manipulated by politically-motivated activists is naively accepted as “science” by the politicians and an uncritical media – is to posit the proposition that global warming is a mad-made political scam of historical and monumental proportions.

The fact that the underlying subject matter originates with the United Nations and coincides with their desires for strictly controlled population growth, a one-world government and an ultimate goal to become the final arbiter of political, financial and social policies only adds to my suspicion that any public policy that can be used to control nature’s awesome and still mostly-understood forces is bound to be bogus.

That is not to say that there are not reputable scientists studying the issues related to global climatology and planetary dynamics, but that their work is being misunderstood and misrepresented by those who are pursuing their own self-interest agendas leading to political power and personal profit.

Might I remind you that no real scientific consensus currently exists other than that posited by politicians and those scientists (often administrators) whose career and continued funding is dependent upon governmental or quasi-governmental (NGOs) institutions. And they do not know, with any degree of certitude, whether or not our global temperature is regressing to some unknown mean or remains in some pattern of unknown periodicity and amplitude. 

Therefore, I was somewhat dismayed with Al Gore’s recent appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee which was characterized to the public as “testimony” although it was not delivered under oath and was not vetted by any "testimony” by reputable scientists of opposing viewpoint. The very same Al Gore whose off-shore investment company raises serious “conflict of interest” issues and some of whose past assertions relating to the impact of global climate change have now been proven to be either false or misleading.

And while there appear to be other cyclical physical phenomena which also correlate to a greater or lesser degree with the historic data, these explanations are ignored or even given short shrift as they do not lead to the conclusion that man can alter the course of nature through public policy any more than a king can command the heavens to stand still.

I honestly believe that the science is so unsettled as to preclude the necessity of public policies to alter that which may very well be unalterable. The simple fact that all agree that the historical record demonstrates that the rise in carbon dioxide lags the rise in the global mean temperature tends to rule out carbon dioxide as the cause of global climate change. However, it does not rule out that the rise of CO2 is associated with the warming of the oceans; giving rise to increasing carbon dioxide levels much in the same way a warm soda releases CO2 into the atmosphere. Based on the scenario of warming oceans, one might want to consider that our planet's path around the sun is the primary causal factor and that the moderation of CO2 will result in little or no effect on the real world’s global mean temperature. 

It is also my opinion that good public policy should mandate a reduction in ground, water and atmospheric pollution – rather than giving out indulgences (credits paid for by the public) to continue polluting based on the growth of a forest somewhere else on the planet. The entire cost, of course, to be borne by the taxpayers who will be required to finance this madness. All to the financial benefit of those who want to engage in the type of Wall Street financial manipulation that has brought us to the present financial crisis.

And that those who want to control energy production as a means to control population growth and human behavior would find a more receptive world if they embraced nuclear energy as being sustainable, cost effective and relatively non-polluting over energy sources which must be heavily subsidized to be even moderately successful.

I am but One Citizen Speaking and I invite you to prove me wrong with more than just links to individual scientific papers and limitless speculation about the nature and meaning of temperature rise.

-- steve

P.S.

I would like to credit Nobel Laureate Friedrich August von Hayek and his 1974 Prize Lecture in Computational Economics titled “The Pretense of Knowledge” for  the inspiration required for this essay.

I am reminded of a quote from Sir Isaac Newton, discoverer of the Law of Gravity. He said, “If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Each succeeding generation stands on the shoulders of those who have gone before them. Hopefully unburdened by today’s modern politicians who produce nothing by self-serving public policy to provide some advantage to the special interests that support their political campaigns.

The Evil Empire Strikes: The demographic bombing of their enemies?

Consider the United Nations …

What is the real agenda of the United Nations, a consortium of third-world nations that seems preoccupied with an environmental policy that starts and ends with population control?

The problem is the Earth’s population …

It was bad enough when the United Nations’ wildly optimistic population growth numbers were based on the faulty assumption that population growth was linear and the numbers were climbing so drastically as to endanger the planet. But it was their prescription: limit population growth by any means before we destroy the planet, that I found objectionable.

A matter of food …

Then it was on to the problem of feeding the world. Again, being short-sighted and not fully pressuring those despotic rogue nations to release the food received via international aid societies to starving people rather than diverting the food to the friends and military of the DIP (despot in power); with the surplus sold on the black market. Of course, the United Nations blamed the problem of commodity shortages on the rampant population growth – and once again their prescription was: limit population growth by any means before all of the world’s people starve. Unfortunately, there was enough food to go around and those who were being denied sustenance were in areas controlled by evildoers. Something the United Nations does not recognize as they promote diversity, multiculturalism and worst of all, the moral equivalency between good and evil, freedom and enslavement.

Global warming …

Now comes global warming. Dire predictions of population dislocation and rampant hunger as our planet’s ability to produce food is severely compromised by the weather. The prescription: limit population and its impact on the global climate. This time by a scheme to control the energy production of industrialized nations to reduce their prosperity and increase the financial impact of having additional children.

Idiot politicians …

So why am I not surprised when I read in London Sunday  Times …

  “Two children should be limit, says green guru”

“Couples who have more than two children are being ‘irresponsible’ by creating an unbearable burden on the environment, the government’s green adviser has warned.”

“Jonathon Porritt, who chairs the government’s Sustainable Development Commission, says curbing population growth through contraception and abortion must be at the heart of policies to fight global warming. He says political leaders and green campaigners should stop dodging the issue of environmental harm caused by an expanding population.”

“A report by the commission, to be published next month, will say that governments must reduce population growth through better family planning.”

“ ‘I am unapologetic about asking people to connect up their own responsibility for their total environmental footprint and how they decide to procreate and how many children they think are appropriate,” Porritt said.”

“ ‘I think we will work our way towards a position that says that having more than two children is irresponsible. It is the ghost at the table. We have all these big issues that everybody is looking at and then you don’t really hear anyone say the ‘p’ word.”

“The Optimum Population Trust, a campaign group of which Porritt is a patron, says each baby born in Britain will, during his or her lifetime, burn carbon roughly equivalent to 2½ acres of old-growth oak woodland - an area the size of Trafalgar Square.”

“The British population, now 61m, will pass 70m by 2028, the Office for National Statistics says. The fertility rate for women born outside Britain is estimated to be 2.5, compared with 1.7 for those born here. The global population of 6.7 billion is expected to rise to 9.2 billion by 2050.”

Demographic bombing …

Has anyone noticed that population control is exactly what our enemies, those who do not wish us well under our present political system, want. To be able to massively grow their population base while the “concerned” people reduce the very population growth needed to sustain their own culture – that which makes the people of the region unique.

By granting citizenship to those who give birth within a nation’s geographical borders, by overtly or covertly encouraging the migration of illegal aliens, and by promoting policies granting amnesty and citizenship to those who have broken the law, you are complicit is destroying the character of your nation.

Which is not a problem for the United Nations with their aspirations to serve as the seat of a “One World Government” and the arbiter of all things political, social and financial.

Eurabia: a convenient illustration is at hand …

“Europe is undergoing two profound changes. The first is the weakening of Christianity. The second is demographic decline. Presently, across Europe, there are only two-thirds the number of children born necessary to sustain the population. The consequent drop in population has mostly been made good by immigration of Muslims. The fast-growing Muslim population is generally not integrated into the host societies nor politically acculturated to its norms. To the contrary, radical Islamic movements are gaining in strength among these émigré populations. In addition, European governments, especially the French, have developed foreign policies aimed at winning the favor of Middle Eastern regimes.”

“The question arises: is this a temporary aberration or is Europe on the road to losing its historic identity? The latter: Europe is rapidly being transformed into ‘Eurabia,’ a cultural and political appendage of the Arab/Muslim world that is fundamentally anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, anti-Western and anti-American.” <Source>

Israel …

Israel faces much the same problem as other industrialized nations and it will be only a matter of time until the Israelis vanish from their land – especially when listening to a regime who wants to give up land for peace and remove self-contained and fertile settlers from the land promised by God.

In fact, had it not been for the meddling of certain muddle-headed Brits; the very people who, on a Sunday afternoon, reshaped the Middle East by drawing lines on a map to provide an aggrieved Prince Abdullah with a country (Jordan) because his brother, Faisal, was granted an arbitrary patch of sand now known as Iraq; much of the Middle East tribal conflict would have reduced as indigenous trade and cooperative governments developed. <Source: Kingmakers: the Invention of the Modern Middle East>

Los Angeles, California …

And across the pond, here in America, we are experiencing much the same thing. Consider that in the core of California’s largest city, Los Angeles, it appears as if you are in Little Tijuana: the signs are in Spanish, the dominant language is Spanish, a large number of the politicians are Hispanic and cater to their Hispanic constituency: legal citizens and illegal aliens alike – and law enforcement is extremely reluctant to enter certain areas without heavy reinforcements and advance planning. Vicious gangs, mostly comprised of illegal aliens, is slowly tightening their grip on the immigrant population with occasional spill-over into traditional society. This very demographic is pushing hard to create so-called anchor babied which, upon their birth in the United States, become automatic U.S. citizens. One wonders exactly how long it will be before the U.S. experiences a de facto annexation by Mexico or is forced by exigent circumstances (including the possible collapse of the Mexican government and infrastructure) to assume Mexico as either a protectorate or some other legal form of confederation?

The “elites” know best …

The point being: while the so-call intellectual elites and limousine liberals spout drivel about reducing population growth and saving the planet, we are being demographically being forced out of our homes and into accepting a foreign culture. Incrementally, of course, but it is happening. Of course, those limousine liberals who visibly support these policies are the very ones who are insulated, by wealth, power and position, from the consequences of the policies they foist on others in order to make some of them feel that they are contributing members of society instead of the wastrels, clowns and dilettantes they are in reality.

Who are our enemies?

Other than the radical Islamists and power-hungry dictatorships, why are we so afraid of pointing out that our enemies walk among us as they do their best to convert, co-opt and coerce those “do good – feel good” liberals into becoming fellow travelers in a nefarious plot to weaken Western civilization and the freedoms it holds dear.

“Porritt, who has two children, intends to persuade environmental pressure groups to make population a focus of campaigning.”

“Many organisation think it is not part of their business. My mission with the Friends of the Earth and the Greenpeaces of this world is to say: ‘You are betraying the interests of your members by refusing to address population issues and you are doing it for the wrong reasons because you think it is too controversial,” he said.

And just what are the interests of the members of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth in addition to the normal ones of providing a social meeting ground for the disaffected, increasing their funding, expanding their leadership and allowing the members to “feel good about themselves” by associating with a cause bigger than their individual lives – saving their planet for future generations.

I wonder just how many of their members have noted that the old “cold warriors,” the Marxists, the Communists and the Anarchists have infiltrated the environmental movement to obtain tax-free funding from gullible people who can be easily fooled and led about like sheep. Not to mention pushing their political agenda while they aggregate political power by pointing the way to electing their fellow travelers for elective office. And appointing their cohorts when the arrive “on station.”

Let them die: it’s good for the planet …

“Porritt, a former chairman of the Green party, says the government must improve family planning, even if it means shifting money from curing illness to increasing contraception and abortion.”

“He said: ‘We still have one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Europe and we still have relatively high levels of pregnancies going to birth, often among women who are not convinced they want to become mothers.”

To be fair, perhaps Porritt did not mean that we should ignore curing illness as a means for limiting population – or then again, maybe he did. There is no doubt in my mind that there are those who look towards pestilence, disease and weather-induced famine as means for achieving their goal of limited population.

A failure of religion?

Here in Los Angeles, under the direction of open borders advocate, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, the church is attempting to revive its flagging fortunes (dissipated by the international pedophile scandals) and declining membership. Since the Church is responsible to Rome, rather than Washington, D.C., it should be no surprise that they are welcoming illegal aliens into their flock and advocating an open borders policy – based, of course, on humanitarian grounds. As with the Cardinal’s apparent obstruction of justice in moving known pedophiles around his fiefdom, he appears not to concern himself with the destruction and decay that is slowly rotting Los Angeles and turning it into the equivalent of a third-world nation. Where productive and creative people are abandoning California for more business friendly and culturally attuned climes – and states which do not spend a massive amount of money catering to illegal aliens at the expense of their own legal constituency. One might ask, where is the morality in all of this? Is the Church also complicit in allowing our nation to be demographically bombed by illegal aliens who are pumping out anchor babies with abandon, not even mindful of the financial consequences of having unaffordable children as they seem to be well taken care of by California’s social benefits system. An entitlement system that will be greatly expanded by Barack Obama has he consolidates his “entitlement” constituency.

What can YOU do?

Decide for yourself whether or not you can afford to have, nurture and support children without state assistance. It is a personal God-given freedom that should not be abridged by church nor state.

If you disagree with the direction our elected officials are taking us, consider working with a grass-roots group to recall them or elect ones more beneficial to the constituency. Demand that those politicians who have committed crimes be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. For those who have committed acts that are short of criminal prosecution and have been allowed to file retroactive reports, turn them out of office.

It is time we take back our country from the political elites who believe they are entitled to dispense the taxpayer’s hard-earned money for their personal political benefit and personally profit from the results of  their actions.

It is also time to dial back the adoration of celebrity, knowing that most of these people are trained actors who are quite unlike the people they may portray on stage. Many of these “respected” people are sick puppies and would be shunned by decent people had the truth about their private actions become public. But then again, maybe not, as our culture is beginning to reward both the famous and the infamous.

As for the United Nations, consider the consequences of removing them from our shores and de-funding their initiatives. In my opinion, the UN is comprised of too many self-righteous, self-indulgent political hacks who pander to the worst among them.

As for the future, and at this point in time, it seems that our politicians and their special interest friends have temporarily doomed us to additional suffering – all in the name of the “quick buck” and political power play. Can you even imagine, in any other historical time, when politicians like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George Bush (41 &43) and Jimmy Carter could be considered leaders? Or when the political parties would sacrifice their principles on the altar of political office – just to obtain access to the power to dole out funding to their friends?

We are screwed. Or as my best friend puts it, “doomed.” That is, unless we start to right the ship of state and stem the tide of liberalism that surely will become our downfall. If we continue to progress as is, those receiving entitlements will continue to vote for bigger and bigger entitlements and the political party that doles out the treats. Until we bankrupt ourselves and find the fruits of our labors accruing to the Chinese, the Indians, the Japanese and others who have not embraced the type of silly, superficial liberalism that is being spewed by our political leaders and celebrities – and widely publicized by a media that has compromised its journalistic ethics for corporate privileges doled out piecemeal by the politicians they pretend to cover.

Bottom line: take care of yourself and your family first. Be well and be safe.

-- steve

Quote of the Day: “Freedom is not a laughing matter, nor can it be bought from those who do not have the right to sell it.” – steve

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

Two children should be limit, says green guru - Times Online

White House: Middle Class Task Force or a diversionary "Project FEEL GOOD" to aid the unions?

Ignoring the government failure of the democrat “War on Poverty” initiative, it’s on to building “A Strong Middle Class …”

It is no secret that the democrat “War on Poverty” has been an abject failure and that the billions of dollars which have been spent on social engineering schemes to improve housing, education and employment opportunities have been severely compromised by a government riddled with waste, fraud, corruption and cronyism – not to mention politicians who act in their own self-interest to achieve their own political or personal profit goals.

It is against this failed democrat initiative that the democrats, once again, attempt to enlarge government and reward their special interest friends under the guise of improving the lives of middle class Americans.

Rewarding the unions who supported Obama?

According to CNSNews.com …

“Vice President Joe Biden says the goal of a new White House task force is to raise middle-class living standards.
At the request of President Barack Obama, Biden will chair the Middle Class Task force along with other Cabinet members and Obama advisers. President Obama announced the task force on Friday.”

““Over the upcoming months, we will focus on answering those concerns that matter most to families,” says the task force Web site, called AStrongMiddleClass.gov. ‘What can we do to make retirement more secure? How can we make child and elder care more affordable? How do we improve workplace safety? How are we going to get the cost of college within reach? What can we do to help weary parents juggle work and family? What are the jobs of the future that we can begin to create?’”

YOU BET!

“The goals of the task force are plums for the labor unions that supported Obama’s presidential bid. Those goals include:

• Expanding education and lifelong training opportunities
• Improving work and family balance
• Restoring labor standards, including workplace safety
• Helping to protect middle-class and working-family incomes
• Protecting retirement security”

PROOF …

“At the same press conference where he announced the Middle Class Task Force, President Barack Obama signed three several executive orders intended to  ‘level the playing field’ for labor unions in struggles with management.”

" ‘I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem. To me, it's part of the solution,’ Obama said, prompting applause. ‘You cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor movement.’"

Sounds like typical Marxist labor union rhetoric to me! An the last statement, “You cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor movement" is an outright lie!

Obama rewards the unions with favorable executive orders …

• “Require federal contractors to offer jobs to current workers when contracts change.”
• “Reverse a Bush order requiring federal contractors to post notices telling workers they can limit their financial support of unions serving as their exclusive bargaining representatives.”
• “Prevent federal contractors from being reimbursed for expenses intended to influence workers deciding whether to form a union and engage in collective bargaining.”

The first executive order appears to limit the flexibility of a government contractor to re-staff with personnel with specific experience to meet the demands of the new contract.

The second executive order is probably unconstitutional on the grounds that it limits an employer’s right to free speech regarding political activities.

The third executive order is probably ineffective, since government contractors have evolved billing practices to hide everything from offering special favors and perks to government employees and politicians (yes, I know this might be an illegal activity – but it still occurs) and to creating fictitious overhead accounts to hide expenses.

Weakening America?

While Obama is eulogizing the benefits of trade unions, let us consider a happening event. Trade unions threatening the peace, prosperity and functioning of sovereign governments.

“The gloom surrounding this year’s World Economic Forum descended into confrontation yesterday as international labour leaders launched a withering attack on the 1,400 business executives and 41 heads of government at Davos over what the labour leaders alleged was their failure to respond effectively to a deepening crisis of their own creation.”

“Guy Ryder, the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), said that the current financial turmoil had triggered a social time bomb that would lead to deepening civil unrest and soaring crime.”

“The comments from the confederation, which represents 168 million workers in 157 countries, are the most ferocious example yet of a backlash that has persuaded many who attend frequently to stay away from Davos this year.”

Scared Politicians …

“Yesterday Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, became the latest political figure to stay away from the meeting, after a similar move by David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary.”

“Mr Ryder, speaking as strikes involving hundreds of thousands of workers erupted across France and Germany, told The Times: ‘We are on the road to serious social instability, which could be extremely dangerous in some countries to democracy itself.’”  <Source>

While these European trade unions could not manage a strike to shut down multiple countries in the European Union, they did manage to cause the government to spend additional sums of money on security and contingency planning.

Obama: Ignoring a clear and present danger to America?

An ever-expanding government along with an ever-expanding public employee’s union and an ever-expanding union presence in the private sector presents a clear and present Marxist-style danger to America and the American way of life. All aided and abetted by far-left liberal democrat politicians like Barack Obama, Teddy Kennedy, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and their fellow travelers like George Soros.

This, folks, is the fifth column, the enemy from within who will most likely be a participant in the trashing of America. These insiders with access to political and financial power – and the very secrets which are used to protect this nation from evildoers – is an unprecedented threat. Want proof? Just consider the damage done by spies who leaked our nuclear secrets and those who enabled others to gain access to our classified information and computer systems. This is nothing more than the institutionalization of foreign spying under the guise of union fellowship and collective bargaining.

And while there are many patriotic union workers who have made tremendous sacrifices for their country, one must wonder about the union’s leadership and their potential role in compromising the nation’s security in times of labor unrest.

Suggestions for fulfilling the Administration’s leadership role …

On the assumption that President Obama is sincere about his middle class initiative, let us play along.

If President Obama and Vice President Biden were truly serious about fulfilling their leadership roles in strengthening the middle class, they would ignore the rantings of the far left anti-nuke, anti-war, open borders pro-union and anti-America crowd and proceed with a plan so simple that even government personnel can understand it …

Solution One:

To: White House Middle Class Task Force If you were serious about your goals: you would immediately fast track nuclear power plant constructions. Thus solving the need to provide good paying jobs, relive us of energy dependence and mitigate global climate concerns. This solution will result in lower energy costs for the middle class and is a total win-win solution.

Forty plus years of new technology has rendered many of the old concerns about nuclear energy moot. Of course, there are those activists left over from the cold war who have infiltrated the environmental movement and continue to spew out-of-date horror stories and other anti-nuke, anti-war and anti-American propaganda to the media. There is no doubt in my mind that nuclear energy can and will fulfill all of our needs for a clean, sustainable and low-cost source of energy. Not only will this benefit all Americans, but it will also allow the United States to pursue a rational foreign policy that will allow the United States to deal with overbearing  two-faced funders of terrorist activities such as Saudi Arabia – but will also reverse our complicit funding of those who do not wish us well.

However, because many of the foreign nations have partially-owned subsidiaries in the United States and employ a legion of lawyers, lobbyists and public relations counsel, it is unknown if the needs of the American public can transcend traditional democrat machine politics.

Solution Two:

To: White House Middle Class Task Force If you want to improve middle class life, remove the burden imposed by illegal aliens who are destroying our healthcare, education, judicial, retirement, social and cultural infrastructure. Prevent the balkanization of our nation along class, ethnic, racial and sexual divides.

The democrats are traditionally associated with the balkanization of American citizens into separate victimhood constituencies along class, racial, ethnic and sexual lines. It is then by developing a coalition of these victim fringe groups do they gain enough votes to swing an election. Democrats are traditionally dividers, not uniters – in spite of their loft rhetoric. And the time, effort and money to reward these fringe groups heavily impinges on the middle class American who does not regard themselves as a victim of anything but their government.

There is no doubt that we are being demographically bombed by foreign nations who are attempting to subvert our traditional values by a preponderance of illegal aliens who hope to become naturalized citizens with a stroke of the democrat pen. In Los Angeles, it is not unusually to see candidates for office and elected officials pander to the illegal alien activists; thus resulting in some sections of Los Angeles looking and behaving like little Tijuana. Our California State budget has been crippled by special interest spending on the public employee unions and social engineering in favor of illegal aliens. It appears that it may only be a matter of time when the middle class citizens of California are driven from their homes by an alien culture in which they are a minority.

Solution Three:

To: White House Middle Class Task Force It would be reasonable to assume that a reduction in government size, reducing the bureaucratic paper-shuffling and administrivia that passes for government business would speed up government oversight and reduce the paperwork burdens on American business and the individual citizen. It would also go a long way to reducing the fraud, corruption, waste and cronyism that we seen in a hyper-partisan Administration.

I have personally witnessed the creation and processing of paperwork which serves little or no practical purpose. Reports and studies which are produced weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually which are never read or used for public policy decisions. “Just in case” paperwork to cover the sorry asses of government employees who are seeking plausible deniability or insulation from the consequences of their actions.

On numerous occasions we find that millions – and even billions of the taxpayer’s hard-earned money has gone missing in a plethora of accounting systems, none of which seem to be able to keep an accurate record of monies received and authorized amounts expended. Especially when government funds are used to fund community or state initiatives. This lack of accounting – both of money and responsibility – is unduly impacting all citizens, not just the poor and middle class.

Solution Four …

To: White House Middle Class Task Force We need to overlook the input of celebrities and those who are financially and socially insulated from the consequences of their silly "feel good" policies which waste time, effort and money rather than provide a tangible, measurable benefit to the American public. Enough of the "feel good" media-related projects which do absolutely nothing to improve life and are used only to show government in action.

The reason much of the silliness exists in governmental programs, is that celebrities who can provide campaign donations and free media face time push initiatives from which they are financially and socially insulated. Most celebrities have deep-rooted psychological problems which make them fight for recognition and pursue programs which make them feel both relevant and good. Is it any wonder that they hold any number of self-celebratory fundraising ceremonies and awards programs. I personally know of one prestigious award that was decided more on the basis of who could underwrite the evening’s celebration and bring in the largest number of large contributors than for any real individual achievement.

So while someone like famed director Rob Reiner, said to have had aspirations to be the governor of California, managed to push through an initiative to use the proceeds of tobacco taxes for the benefit of children; his efforts resulted in personal embarrassment (for the alleged misuse of collected funds) and billions of interest bearing dollars diverted to accounts which are now being eyed by Arnold Schwarzenegger and other California politicians as a means for helping erase part of California’s budgetary woes. Many regarded this effort as nothing more than the standard California democrat liberal fare of building a day-care/baby-sitting infrastructure to benefit illegal aliens and union members. 

I responded, will you?

The strength of our great nation lies in the contributions of the individuals which productively contribute to society – and not the energy-sapping victim/entitlement crowd that seems to dominate today’s politics. Surely there are any number of competent and knowledgably individuals that can provide ideas to this task force.

Even though the Task Force and their web site might be just another democrat ploy to attract favorable media attention and to coerce the public into believing that they can influence government policy making, and on the theory that there might really be someone that is looking at their web-based idea submissions, rather than using an electronic calculation of the most frequently appearing words, I took the time to submit these solutions on the task force’s official website. Although it has been my experience that the Administration’s minions regularly ignore citizen input in favor of lobbyists, campaign contributors and the special interests who can deliver funding and voters, perhaps if a number of like-minded individuals also participate, they might get the message.

Lipstick on a pig: websites, flashy graphics and audio files …

To be sure, repackaging old concepts with modern technology does not prove that the original premise that governmental interference in one’s life is either necessary or beneficial. In fact, it resonates with a message of “don’t do as we do, do as we say” that is often prevalent in an increasing “nanny” state.

But if we don’t try to influence public policy and fail to create a grass-roots response to an ever-increasing government whose actions are becoming increasingly self-serving, we have no one to blame other than ourselves.

What can YOU do?

Recognize that government initiatives are often not what they seem. They are little more than media events to portray the Administration and individual politicians in a positive light. In this case, the single most important question to ask those who spout twaddle about the “middle class.” HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE MIDDLE CLASS? All the while noting that they will resist providing a definition lest someone accidently assume that they are a part of the middle class and may be entitled to additional government-sponsored benefits. It is also wise to note that it has traditionally been the middle class that is soaked for financial support to be distributed to those said to be of an impoverished class. But then again, President Obama warned you that he did believe in the Marxist concept of wealth redistribution.

Get involved. Even if all you do is cast an informed vote, you need to get involved. Talk to your family, neighbors, co-workers and others about how you believe government should be run and try to obtain a consensus voting block – based not on party politics, telegenic and well-spoken candidates – but those candidates who appear to be knowledgeable and have a record of tangible achievement.

Put celebrities in their proper perspective. Paid performers who are well-compensated to entertain, inform and divert your attention from life’s little problems. Sean Penn may be a great actor/director, but does anyone believe that his cozying up to malevolent dictators such as Fidel Castro or Hugo Chavez should be taken seriously. Penn, the son of an ardent leftist, is not the face of America; he is just another citizen entitled to his opinion – no more and no less. Listening to Penn on political matters would, if taken to the obvious conclusion, result in a Marxist/collectivist state. Unfortunately, Hillary Clinton, with somewhat of the same leftist views is now our Secretary of State under a President who may share similar views. You need to get involved lest these people destroy the character of American and help turn the United States into the American Union.

Vote for candidates who have a record of speaking the truth and a positive record of accomplishment. Forget the political parties which have wreaked havoc on the United States in their quest to gain or retain their political power – plundering the U.S. Treasury at will on behalf of their political friends.

Take care of yourself first, be well and be safe.

-- steve

Quote of the day: “We have met the enemy and they is us.” – Walt Kelly, Creator of the Pogo cartoon

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

CNSNews.com - Obama Administration Aims to Raise ‘Middle Class’ Living Standards

Unions condemn delegates on crisis - Times Online

Democrat Stimulus: Rewards to their radical political friends, special interests, unions and institutionalizing the type of corruption seen in democrat-controlled venues ...

This is pork barrel spending, pure and simple …

This is no stimulus package, it is a thinly disguised $825 BILLION (+347 billion in interest if paid off by 2020) rip-off of the American taxpayer in favor of the labor unions, radical leftists and socialists, the special interests and those who do not wish America to prosper.

This egregious piece of legislation, the largest single piece of economic law in history was crafted by a single party, did not go through any of the normal congressional committee hearings, was not subject to serious challenge and was passed with about one hour of discussion. Although the Republicans refused to vote for the stimulus program, the democrats pushed the bill through the House.

This is a more egregious example of democrats buying votes and financial support with their earmarks and social engineering programs.

Consider for a moment exactly how the following items will bring us our of our financial recession …

$1 BILLION for Amtrak which continues to require increasing subsidies to operate

$2 BILLION for childcare subsidies (expensive babysitting)

$2.4 BILLION for carbon capture demonstration projects

$650 million for digital television coupons (so the content owners can enforce copyright controls and bring you the latest pro Obama government propaganda)

$600 million for new government vehicles (over and above the direct bailout funds to the automakers and the money already allocated for their fuel-efficiency conversion efforts.)

$400 million for global warming research (provided the results are politically correct)

$50 million to the National Endowment for the Arts which produces little or nothing of tangible economic value.

$335 million for the Pelosi STD (sexually transmitted disease) program which will have a negligible effect on the economy.

Including money for such left-wing radical groups such as ACORN who were at the heart of the financial crisis with their “affordable housing initiatives” and who attempted to subvert the election process in favor of the democrats. Also money for educational activism groups which further push the liberal victimhood agenda of political correctness, multi-Culturalism and diversity by the numbers.

None of these items will repair our crippled financial institutions or  move our economy out of the doldrums ...

Bailing out Mexico and the illegal aliens …

The democrats are clearly sending a message to the unions and those who wish open borders that they are willing to assist illegal aliens …

The legislation, which now contains tax credits of $500 per worker and $1,000 per couple, appears to expressly disqualifies nonresident aliens, but contains a loophole which would allow people who don't have Social Security numbers to be eligible for the checks.

The bill would allow anyone with an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) to qualify for the tax credits – even if they paid no income tax. ITINs are provided by the IRS without regard to citizenship to enable those who work illegally in the United States to open bank accounts and access other social services.

One should remember that one of Mexico’s greatest source of hard-currency income are the remittances from thousands of illegal aliens living in the United States and sending money back home.

Why the rush …

According to the Congressional Budget Office, almost half of the stimulus package would not be spend until 2011, so the jobs they are proposing to create would come years after the passage of this particular bill.

“Spending Under H.R. 1. H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, as introduced in the House of Representatives on January 26, 2009, would result in additional spending of $604 billion over the 2009-2019 period, CBO estimates. About 15 percent of that spending would occur in the remaining several months of fiscal year 2009; another 37 percent would be spent in 2010. A total of almost 80 percent of the cumulative 11-year spending would occur from 2009 through 2011. (In addition to that spending, H.R.1 would reduce [tax and other] revenues by an estimated $212 billion over the 2009-2019 period.)”

Double or triple funding of existing programs …

“Moreover, under H.R. 1, some programs would receive funding that is significantly above (double, triple, or more) the amounts provided for existing or similar programs in recent years.”

My conclusion is that most of the job growth would occur in the public rather than the private sector – and what jobs may be directly be attributable to infrastructure funding would probably be under the control of the union, with all of its wage, benefits and work rules siphoning off both dollars and productivity. We can rest assured, based on historical projects, that any union project is likely to involve significant delays, massive cost overruns and an end-product which is somewhat less than first imagined.

Progress bound to be impeded by bureaucratic inertia …

“Frequently in the past, in all types of federal programs, a noticeable lag has occurred between sharp increases in budget authority and the resulting increases in outlays. Based on such experiences, CBO expects that federal agencies, along with states and other recipients of that funding, would find it difficult to properly manage and oversee a rapid expansion of existing programs so as to expend the added funds as quickly as they expend the resources provided for their ongoing programs.”

This is the type of government program which encourages waste, fraud, abuse, cronyism and results in the corruption of government workers. Historically, massive amounts of money (in the billions) have remained unaccounted for in fast-track government programs which featured expediency over prudent management. And with the democrats, one can rest assured that graft and corruption will follow the money.

Legislating governmental corruption …

“Actions that Could Accelerate Spending. CBO has not analyzed the various programs in detail in order to identify the specific steps that might be taken in each case to speed up spending. Some possibilities for accelerating spending in infrastructure and other grant programs include changing federal standards and requirements by:

• Waiving requirements for environmental and judicial reviews;
• Allowing contracts and grants to be awarded outside the normal competitive bidding process;
• Waiving maintenance-of-effort requirements for state and local governments; and
• Changing the way funds are distributed. For example, spending for some education programs might be sped up if the federal government used formulas instead of competitive processes to distribute funds. In the case of transportation projects, it could mean waiving formulas and instead giving priority to those grantees that are able to get to contract most quickly.”

Remember when the liberal left democrats excoriated President Bush over the Halliburton “no bid” contracts which were issued when Halliburton appeared to be the only company that could perform the required services in an accelerated time frame … well here is the exact same thing that is being considered to be legislatively implemented by the democrats. Hypocrisy, to say the least.

More of the same …

“Some funds for infrastructure projects might also be spent more quickly if recipients were:

• Offered financial incentives for work completed within one to two years of enactment;
• Given deadlines for obligating funds;
• Given the authority to ‘pre-award’ contracts (that is, award contracts before all of the currently required approvals and certifications are obtained); and
• Allowed to self-certify compliance with certain standards (federal agencies would then review paperwork and documentation after projects have begun).”

Financial incentives without controls often results in hasty, shoddy work which is a clear and present danger to the safety of American citizens. Pre-awards involve monies advanced to entities which can be spent on other projects, and should the project fail to get the necessary approvals, be irretrievably lost as the “special purpose” limited liability company formed for a particular venture simply files for bankruptcy – while the rest of the company moves on. And we all know that self-certification without controls, and severe penalties (not just money paid by the corporation but mandated jail time for its executives) is bound to result in further corruption of the system.

The scariest chart ever ...

This chart, courtesy of the St. Louis Federal Reserve, shows the amount of currency in circulation. As you can plainly see, the largest early recessions/depressions (shown as gray bars) did not require huge stimulus injections. Now look at the sharp rise in money ... this is the prescription for future inflation which will rob us of purchasing value and sink future prosperity.

What can YOU do?

Observe the monumental hypocrisy of the democrats who are excoriating executive for their multi-million dollar bonuses while they dole out billions to their friends.

Considering that much of this money will be spent over a number of years, the democrats appear to be buying votes which require the recipients of these funds to vote democrat to keep the funds flowing, are you willing to cede political power to the democrats on the basis of special interest spending?

Consider also that it is unlikely that the democrat-controlled Justice Department would prosecute those who flagrantly abused the process or diverted funding as it would reflect poorly on the Administration’s oversight activities.

Consider that it is also unlikely that the mainstream media would report such events as it would run counter to their tacit support during the election cycle.

Consider that it is improbable that all of the politicians who are supporting this bill have thoroughly read and understand its 647 pages along with the supplementary materials.

You need to write your Republican Congressional representatives to thank them for remaining strong in the face of an ill-conceived, ill-advised and ill-timed program that would simply institutionalize democrat pork-barrel politics instead of providing a needed stimulus to our economy. 

You need to write to your democrat Congressional Representative to remind them that you will hold them responsible for the results of this package in 2010 and 2012.

Recessions rarely last long compared with cycles of prosperity and are often over before we see the benefits of Congressional remedies or stimulus efforts.  So consider also that this stimulus package is likely to promote disastrous inflationary or deflationary results since much of the money might be spent after the economic recovery is under way.

This stimulus package is a naked power grab by the democrats and one that is likely to move the United States down the road to socialism at a pace which may preclude remedy and mitigating action. Ask yourself, are you are willing to sell out America for a paltry $500 and the promise of future entitlements.

And consider that this governmental power grab is likely to be accelerated by the next fake crisis – global warming.

This is nothing short of an economic apocalypse!

-- steve

Quote of the Day: “If the politicians can monetize the political process and control the direct distribution of money, they can turn our nation over to our enemies without so much as single shot being fired.” – steve

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

An Assessment of How Spending from the Economic Stimulus Proposals Currently Before the Congress Could Be Accelerated|Congressional Budget Office

H.R. 1 - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

“Making supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes.”

It's for the children: unfortunately not YOUR children ...

Yes, America has a soft spot in its heart for Children, Firefighters, Nurses and Bambi. But how these iconic images are manipulated to direct funding decisions, union affairs and political actions is often as shameful as it is misleading.

At a time when our healthcare infrastructure is crumbling under the assault of illegal aliens who use emergency rooms as their primary care facilities and are overburdening our hospital’s maternity rooms in the quest to create “anchor” babies, someone must make some rational decisions.

Consider for a moment the following story …

“Ana Puente was an infant with a liver disorder when her aunt brought her illegally to the U.S. to seek medical care. She underwent two liver transplants at UCLA Medical Center as a child in 1989 and a third in 1998, each paid for by the state.”

“But when Puente turned 21 last June, she aged out of her state-funded health insurance and was unable to continue treatment at UCLA.”

“This year, her liver began failing again and she was hospitalized at County-USC Medical Center. In her Medi-Cal application, a USC doctor wrote, ‘Her current clinical course is irreversible, progressive and will lead to death without another liver transplant.’ The application was denied. The county gave her medication but does not have the resources to perform transplants.”

“Late last month Puente learned of another, little-known option for patients with certain healthcare needs. If she notified U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that she was in the country illegally, state health officials might grant her full Medi-Cal coverage. Puente did so, her benefits were restored and she is now awaiting a fourth transplant at UCLA.”

“Jose Lopez said he came to the U.S. with his mother illegally as a child. Soon after, he contracted hepatitis A and received his first liver transplant. Eight years later, he got cirrhosis and received another transplant. Both were performed at UCLA and paid for by the state.”

“As his 21st birthday approached, his mother, Maria Elena Lopez, searched for clinics that might agree to treat her son. She applied for Medi-Cal for him but has not received a response.”

These cases highlight “ two controversial issues: Should illegal immigrants receive liver transplants in the U.S. and should taxpayers pick up the cost?”

“The average cost of a liver transplant and first-year follow-up is nearly $490,000, and anti-rejection medications can run more than $30,000 annually, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, which oversees transplantation nationwide.”

“Donor livers are also in scarce supply. In California, nearly 3,700 people are on a waiting list for livers, according to the network. Last year, 767 liver transplants were performed in the state. <Source>

Americans are a compassionate people and nobody wants to see suffering prolonged. But the fact remains, that Mexico continues to outsource their major medical cases to the United States in the form of illegal aliens.

A question of fairness …

Why should legal citizens and residents of California accept the additional burden of supplying health care to a third world country at the expense of its own citizens and their health and welfare? Considering that Hispanics have risen to political power in a number of areas, and an open border policy is backed by the democrat party, the unions and the Roman Catholic Church, we are seeing a foreign invasion take place under our nose and doing little or nothing to stem the tide of Southern California’s conversion to Alta Mexico.

Harry Reid, enabler of illegal aliens …

One need only know that Harry Reid represents the State of Nevada which has become increasingly dependent upon the use of illegal alien labor in its resort communities. And considering the historic confluence of organized crime, labor unions and gambling, one must consider that this position is a precursor to an increased role of those elements in our society which does not wish America well and believes, like good socialists,  that our resources should be shared with the world, even though it may mean shortages and disruptions at home. In the socialist model, the individual must suffer and sacrifice for the collective.

According to CNSNews.com …

”SCHIP Bill Does Not Require Photo ID or Proof of Citizenship for Socialized Health Care”

“A proposed change to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), currently under reauthorization by Congress, could make it possible for people to get health coverage by presenting only a Social Security number, not a photo ID or proof of legal residency or citizenship, such as a birth certificate, driver’s license or passport.”

“When asked about this proposed revision in the SCHIP enrollment rules, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the legislation ‘is enforceable and fair, and I don’t think we need to do any better than what we’ve done.’”

“Reid added that this proposed change can be debated and senators will be allowed to make amendments to SCHIP as reauthorization moves forward.”

Reversing former President Bush’s common-sense approach to controlling the rampant rise in healthcare costs by restricting delivery to those for whom the program was originally designed …

“The proposed change reverses a Bush administration regulation that required new enrollees to provide photo identification and proof of legal residency or citizenship to qualify for health coverage under SCHIP.”

Who among us has not seen the social security system complicitly sit back while fake, forged and stolen social security numbers have been used to cause millions of legal Americans to lose time, money and effort to straighten out paperwork catastrophes involving identity theft. Now we are beginning to see those who are finding that identity theft does not only extend to financial matters, but health matters as well – as insurance companies are being defrauded by those who present themselves as someone else.

“The new rule would require enrollees to present only a Social Security number and no other form of identification. This change opens the possibility that people could enroll in SCHIP with a fake or stolen Social Security number.”

Even IRS, at the urging of the financial industry, has enabled illegal aliens to obtain ITINs (Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers) which are issued without regard to immigration status and can often be used in the place of a social security number for financial transactions. And is it any wonder that the democrats are pushing hard to issue drivers licenses with photo-ID and biometric information to illegal aliens without the requirement to differentiate these licenses from those issued to legal citizens?

“The State Children’s Health Insurance Program, started in 1997, matches federal tax dollars with state funds to pay for the health care of children in families with modest incomes – incomes slightly above the cutoff for Medicaid coverage.”

Reid waffles …

One only wonder how this mediocre, and allegedly corrupt, example of a politician could rise so high in the democrat party as to assume the leadership of the Senate.

“Speaking at a press conference Friday about the past success of SCHIP, Reid was asked why the rules were changed and what states could do to prevent fraud. Reid was evasive in his answers.”

“When asked if he was willing to accept the risk that people could abuse the new enrollment rule to get SCHIP coverage, Reid was evasive, telling CNSNews.com, ‘We’re going to have a full debate on this legislation. If people want to offer amendments, they can do that.’”

Here, again, is Harry Reid on the United States’ funding of abortions around the world …

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would not comment Friday on President Obama’s reversal of the Mexico City Policy, which had prohibited U.S. tax dollars from going to organizations that promote or perform abortions abroad.”

“The executive order means that abortions around the globe will now be paid for by federal funds. While Obama was expected to issue the order sometime Friday, he did not actually do so until around 7:00 p.m. that night--when weekly news coverage is at a minimum.”

“ ‘That’s not SCHIP,’ Reid responded to CNSNews.com when asked about the move to have the United States government fund abortions in other countries. Reid was speaking at a press conference at the Capitol on Friday afternoon in support of legislation to provide health insurance for children paid for by states and the federal government. ‘We can talk about that some other day,’ Reid said.” <Source>

Democrats continue their march towards universal health care coverage for all …

“Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) also was evasive in answering why Democrats removed another provision, broadly supported by congressional Republicans, which would have prevented families earning more than 300 percent of the federal poverty level from enrolling in SCHIP.”

“The bill would allow families earning more than $63,600 per year to enroll their children in federal health care.”

Jay Rockefeller is, for all intents and purposes, your typical rich, family-supported, far left democratic liberal who is insulated from the consequences of his legislative actions – and the normal day-to-day concerns facing ordinary citizens. Your typical limousine liberal who supports the concept of perfect people for a perfect world.

“We had a number of decisions to make on this,” said Rockefeller. “There are only so many fights you can take on.”

What the asshat does not understand is that you fight for “good” over “evil” and “right” over “wrong” each and every time you go to battle. There is no compromise – and those who compromise will open the door to evil just a little bit wider each and every time the lay down and claim “There are only so many fights you can take on.”

It’s for the children …

“Rockefeller chastised critics of the proposal, wondering how fellow senators could vote against a children’s bill simply because of its size.”

“ ‘To me, it should be difficult enough to (even) think of voting against a bill on children, but people around here want to do that, particularly if they can latch onto an issue like that.’”

Safeguards needed …

“The provision that could possibly allow fraudulent enrollment has been criticized by some conservative Republicans who think it lacks the provisions needed to adequately prevent illegal immigrants and others from getting free health care.”

There is no doubt that waste, fraud and corruption has driven the cost of socialized benefit costs beyond the bounds of our ability to continue to pay for adequate care and has degraded the entire healthcare infrastructure. Much of the benefits of this waste, fraud and corruption has gone to those who push nothing but paper, the insurance companies and major healthcare monitors who successfully lobbied Congress to become the well-paid gatekeeper to the system and whose executives pocket multi-million dollar bonuses and fly on private jets while legal citizens are denied healthcare in order to boost the company’s profits. Not to be overlooked is their lobbying efforts and campaign contributions which keeps them in a position of power.

Bottom line …

Truth be told, this is just another democrat ploy to obtain votes by empowering those they promoted to victimhood based on race, ethnicity, class – and now citizenship. Perhaps we should demand that the unions and the Roman Catholic Church lose their tax-exempt status and pay their fair share of the healthcare burden.

What can YOU do?

Remove the democrat socialists from office in 2010 and notify your elected officials that you are concerned about your children’s health and welfare and that the reason you are working hard and contributing your tax money to the local, state and federal government is to see that legal, law-abiding citizens receive the social benefits that they are paying for with their time, effort and money.

Consider that many cities have established clinics devoted for the care of illegal alien children and that prominent hospitals like UCLA are not primary care facilities. In the case of UCLA, while they do support emergency operations, they are considered a tertiary hospital – to be accessed for their specialty care after one has been seen by their primary care doctor/facility and/or regional/community medical center. Unless you are familiar with UCLA Hospital, now named the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, they have completed their new earthquake-resistant hospital – which contains fewer beds than the old hospital facility, thus making medical care harder to access.

There is no doubt that we need comprehensive immigration reform and we must remove politics, the unions and the church from the decision-making. My suggestions for such a program can be found at the end of my recent blog entry titled, “The public relations push to grant amnesty to illegal aliens on humanitarian grounds?”

Consider that celebrities and other wealthy limousine liberals often attempt to make themselves feel better or justify the tremendous amount of money they have earned by promoting positions from which they are isolated. They have the money which can buy the best medical care in the world. They do not stand in lines and deal with the aggressive bureaucratic functionaries whose primary task is to say NO. Especially egregious are those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths such as the Kennedys and Rockefellers. Families of privilege whose protection even extends to covering up crime and wrongdoing.

Remember, the United States is under assault for foreign powers who are “demographically bombing” the United States with illegal aliens whom they hope will retain their national allegiance when, and if, they are given citizenship. In addition to destroying our healthcare, education, judicial, retirement, social and cultural infrastructure – they are gaining the political power to vote us out of our own homes and turn America into a third-world nation.

It has always been a point of contention that we have, here in American, an underserved class of poverty-stricken blacks who live in crumbling democrat-ruled ghettos and certainly, as legal American citizens, deserve more consideration than illegal aliens. Their democrat-ruled school systems often produce illiterates and that is one of the root causes of continued poverty. Unfortunately, they do not make the connection between the democrats who talk about victimization and the democrats whose foot is on their neck. All led by self-proclaimed reverends and community activists who serve as Judas goats to perpetuate their victimhood to gain and maintain democrat political power. A reading assignment, Dr. Lenton Aikins’ book: While African-Americans Slept: Leadership by Parasites.”

Be well and be safe. Take care of yourself and your family first. Nobody in Mexico, China or any other foreign country cares about your welfare or is willing to reciprocate by providing the rights and privileges we accord to illegal aliens to your fellow United States citizens.

-- steve

Quote of the day: “In tough times, charity begins at home.” -- unknown

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

SCHIP Bill Does Not Require Photo ID or Proof of Citizenship for Socialized Health Care|CNSNews.com