PROPAGANDA PRESIDENT RELIES ON TELEPROMPTERS, STAGED PHOTOS, AND PHONY PRESS CONFERENCES

Many claim President Obama is brilliant and the epitome of “cool” as manages world affairs from the White House Oval Office. Unfortunately, like the wizard behind the curtain, a different reality is beginning to emerge.

It appears that the President is neither brilliant nor cool. He is a manufactured puppet, manipulated by Valarie Jarrett, Michele Obama, and a cadre of progressive socialist democrats who appear corrupt, self-serving, and ideologically twisted toward European-style socialism.

Look at the allegations …

  • Here is a man without a significant history, like the backstory, friends, writings, and anecdotes that define most Americans. His personal records are sealed and probably destroyed.
  • Even though there are significant questions about his birth certificate, eligibility for office, travel record to foreign lands, draft record, social security number, no satisfactory explanations are forthcoming. Although we do know that millions of dollars in legal fees have been spent keeping these records hidden. Even though he self-identifies as black, most of his actions mark him as an elite white liberal.
  • Here is a man who served as the Editor of the Harvard Law Review, yet there is no record of any scholarly articles or other work that would indicate that he was a proactive editor or even a major participant in the process.
  • Here is a man who is touted as a brilliant orator, but who can barely speak coherently about any subject without a prepared speech and a TelePrompTer.
  • Here is a man quick to anger, and unable to accept the blame for any of the scandals that apparently originated with his crew; preferring to appear “shocked, shocked I tell you” about such matters, as if he is above it all. Curious and troubling because these are things done by his people, in his name, and for his benefit. On a number of occasions when the fateful question, “what did you know and when did you know it” was asked, he claimed that he read about it in the papers like ordinary Americans. What? The President of the United States does not get a national security and press briefing each and every day? If this is literally true, either President Obama is incompetent and out-of-touch or, alternatively, he is culpable and responsible for impeachable crimes, the least of which is flouting the law and violating the Constitution.
  • Here is a man who shamelessly lies to Americans. Big lies. Provable lies. Lies about Obamacare, Benghazi, the IRS, the NSA, and the claims of “executive privilege” to thwart legitimate constitutional congressional oversight into various Administration activities.

A liberal news media is just noticing that there is propaganda coming from the White House …

AP editors: Obama relies on staged propaganda photos

Editors of The Associated Press condemned the White House’s refusal to give photojournalists real access to President Obama, who prefers to circulate press release-style pictures taken by his own paid photographers.

These official photographs are little more than propaganda, according to AP director of photography Santiago Lyon.

The AP has only been permitted to photograph the president alone in the Oval Office on two occasions–both in his first term–and has never been allowed to photograph the president with his staff in the office. The AP generally receives access when foreign leaders are visiting, but at other times the White House relies on its own photographers to take pictures and distribute them to the press.

“[The Obama White House] is limiting press access in ways that past administrations wouldn’t have dared, and the president is answering to the public in more controlled settings than his predecessors,” wrote the AP. “It’s raising new questions about what’s lost when the White House tries to make an end run around the media, functioning, in effect, as its own news agency.”

The article quoted Mike McCurry, press secretary to former President Bill Clinton, as saying that Obama exercises a level of control over the media far beyond previous presidents. What gets lost are those revealing moments when the president’s held accountable by the representatives of the public who are there in the form of the media,” said McCurry.

Source: AP editors: Obama relies on staged propaganda photos | The Daily Caller

Funny, the progressive mainstream media continues to push the meme that they are actually representatives of the public and are able to “speak truth to power.” A pure, unadulterated, mistruth that is self-serving. A convenient lie that can be revealed by listening to three of the four major broadcast outlets. With the fourth apparently tacking leftward.,

Rats deserting a sinking ship?

So why is the liberal Associates Press complaining now about lack of access? Could it be that the mainstream media, seeing the fateful handwriting on the wall, is deserting the Obama camp like the proverbial rats on a sinking ship? Have they noticed that Americans are becoming increasingly concerned about the level of White House manipulation and outright lying about scandals that all point to White House involvement? Many scandals yet to be uncovered, like why Valerie Jarrett, with no known military or foreign affairs experience, was able to thwart missions to capture America’s number one enemy, Osama bin Laden, for political purposes – ostensibly to protect Obama from adverse publicity should the mission have failed.

Bottom line …

There is little or no doubt in my mind that something bad is happening in America. Obamacare and the various other scandals like Fast and Furious, the NSA Spying, the IRS interference in a Presidential election, Benghazi, etc. All containing elements of criminal and impeachable offenses. There is also little or no doubt that the progressive mainstream media has a vested interest in maintaining the Obama fiction lest their own credibility be so irrevocably shattered as to destroy all trust with their primary audience. One corporate media entity going so far as to support President Obama and his cadre of progressive socialist democrats as a business model.

The garbage can lid has been cracked open a hair and an evil smell is emanating. More to come, I am afraid, a great deal more. Hopefully there will come a time when President Barack Hussein Obama and his cadre of progressive socialist democrats will be held accountable for their actions. And, presumably that time will be Tuesday, November 4, 2014 – the day of the congressional election cycle when ALL members of the House and one-third of the Senate are up for review by the American people.

-- steve

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“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"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

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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Allen West Speaking truth to power ...

Allen West: Speaking Truth to Power:

What he told Laura Ingraham …

Speaking about the President’s budget speech (which was given in “campaign” mode) …

“What you continue to see is a third world dictator-like arrogance, that’s what I saw in that speech last week. And look, Laura, to borrow a phrase from Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the chickens are coming home to roost. . . . This whole talk about shared prosperity I mean that really gives me the goosebumps because I’m starting to believe that a community organizer is nothing but a low-level socialist agitator.”

The interview …

And when if he wanted to walk back the rhetoric …

“I am sick and tired of this class warfare, this Marxist, demagogic rhetoric that is coming from the President of the United States of America.”

“It is not helpful for this country and it’s not going to move the ball forward as far as rectifying the economic situation in our country.”

This is the guy I want representing my interests in Washington …

 

--- steve

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"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

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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UNIONS: Best example yet ...

Unions would fire or layoff 5,000 of the youngest, smartest, most cost effective, creative and energetic teachers to preserve the jobs of 2,000 expensive, mediocre and worn-out teachers. And tell you they were doing it for the children.

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"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

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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A CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT HISTORY LESSON ... RE-LEARNING THE 3 R's: REPEAL, RECALL, REVOLT!

In the past we have seen radical left activists infiltrate the halls of higher learning as well as the educational unions that dominate so much of what is being taught to our children today.

In case-after-case we have seen the tenets of multi-Culturalism, diversity and political correctness alter the very nature of the educational process.

In reading, where the substitution of “whole language” learning concepts replaced the sounding out of words (“phonics”) and produced a generation of functionally illiterate children who were more inclined to read pop-culture magazines and comic books than more stimulating fare.

In writing, where grammar, language and spelling use no longer counted; as long as the ideas being expressed were politically correct.

In mathematics where the correct answer was not as important as self-esteem. Where the ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide without the use of a calculator has gone the way of a dodo bird. Where repetitive drills and pop-quizzes give way to mathematics illustrated with pop-stories.

In history, where revisionism was the watchword and cultural biases were eliminated as moral equivalency was stressed. Good and evil were taught to be no more than just two concepts competing against other ideas. Where evildoers were celebrated as freedom fighters instead of terrorists and where patriotism was just another form of nationalism – something to be shunned in our global world. Where our forefathers whose wisdom produced our great nation were reduced to some old rich white guys who exploited the masses and just happened to occupy a particular time in history.

In behavior, where good citizenship and appropriate behavior gave way to the tolerance on insubordination and outright thuggish behavior. Where individualism was shunned and collectivism was the operative rule of the day.

An generation compromised by those activists who spouted far left liberal propaganda, demonized and punished anyone that did not agree with them and then destroyed the ability of today’s young citizens to think critically – against a solid background of historical context of right and wrong.

A generation compromised by those who needed to dumb down classes to accommodate non-English speakers being mainstreamed into inappropriate grade-levels based on their chronological age. Not to mention the dumbing down of the educational requirements to support a class of teachers who tried to game the system by teaching to the test, rather than simply teaching the required basics.

And now that the democrats have been so infiltrated by the radical left activists, perhaps it is time for the citizens of America to stand up and teach these political special interests our own version of the 3 R’s:

  • REPEAL

  • RECALL

  • REVOLT

Repealing a decade or more of politically correct programs that conferred citizenship rights on those who were illegally in the United State and were complicit en mass for the destruction of our healthcare, educational, judicial, retirement, social and cultural infrastructure. Repealing legislation which is confusing, conflicting and which contains the loopholes designed to further the aims of special interests who provided campaign funds to legislators who proven they could be bought for very little money. Repealing older legislation before replacing it with newer legislation so as to eliminate the patchwork of conflicting rules, regulations, laws, loopholes, grandfathered rights and such other legislative folderol.

Recalling those who have led us into unsustainable budgets, whose profligate spending produced nothing of lasting value while our utility systems were in desperate need of repair or replacement. Recalling those who have acted as surrogates for corrupt special interests – and especially those who attempted to breach the sovereignty of the United States by pandering to illegal aliens and others outside of our country.

Revolting against those taxes and surcharges which will surely bankrupt our nation, our states, our cities and ourselves as the accumulated result of our labors is transferred to those who refuse to work and whose claim to our bread and butter is based on their friendship with the people in power. Revolting against celebrities who, while dumb as rocks, manage to spew pre-written lines with believable sincerity. The ones who pretend they are intellectuals and yet cozy up to dictators and despots.

I must be a racist …

So before the name calling starts, let me warn you I do not care what you may call me. Because I refuse to pander to illegal aliens of Mexican decent, I must be a racist. Because I openly oppose Barack Obama, I must be a racist. Truth be known, everybody is a racist: preferring to be with their own tribe rather than somewhere more uncomfortable. It’s not right or wrong, but it is human nature.

But this is the tactic of the far left liberal democrat activist: to divide the masses by class, race, ethnicity, sex or any other category which can be used to promote the democrat concept of victimhood. For without victimhood, why would anyone lead democrat leaders to seek redress from “the man.”

Consider our politicians today …

The are almost thoroughly corrupt. Bought and paid-for by the unions and private sector special interests whose entire being rests upon being able to tap the public treasury and aided and abetted by those who are allowed to dictate how funds are spent.

Boy was I wrong …

I once admired what I thought was a principled politician. A man who openly spoke his mind on matters, especially those related to profligate spending and budgetary manipulations. Unfortunately, I learned a hard lesson in politics. When termed out, this man simply ran for another public office, a professional politician pursuing his career of living off the public teat. I was also surprised to learn that he was not a neighbor, living in my community. But an established resident of a suburb of the state Capitol. The house in the neighborhood belonged to his parents. Further disillusionment followed when I learned that a vote, which  I thought very odd for a fiscal conservative, was placed in context when I discovered the issue’s backers had spent millions of dollars on my representative’s campaign.

Most  politicians no longer represent the people …

We are living in an age where the politicos no longer listen to the public. They act solely in their best interests based on campaign funding, bloc voting and appearances in the media. We have lost control of our politicians – and by extension, our government on the local, state and federal levels.

Direct action: repeal, recall and revolt …

Thus we are faced with the prospect of taking direct action: by demanding the repeal of harmful legislation which will sink us further into debt and obligation to foreign nations. By demanding the recall of those who openly flout the public’s wishes by contesting legislation which has already been approved by the majority of the voters. Not to mention those who appear to be either corrupt or beholden to toxic special interests; especially those who do not wish the United States well or want to violate our sovereignty for economic or political power. And by revolting against those who are destroying America with their self-interest, self-serving policies.

There is absolutely no reason why we should tolerate the enlargement of government until the reach the critical mass of self-perpetuating and ever-increasing funding. Where we become the slaves to the elite rulers and their faceless bureaucrats. Damnit – they are supposed to work for me, not me for them.

Consider what I have said before you cast that next vote or write a contribution to a politician based on their celebrity appeal. Before you buy that next newspaper, magazine or listen or watch those who have sold America short. Before you bank with companies who were complicit in destroying our retirement funds. And before you trust those who have paid off our politicians with pennies on the dollar and then have surcharged our purchases to cover the expense of our own demise.

Disagree? You are welcome to argue your point. Either by commenting at the end of this blog entry or by sending an e-mail. Prove me wrong, I dare you!

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

flag

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"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

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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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 …

Capture2-10-2009-7.02.08 PM

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


flag

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"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

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

| Comments (0)

| |

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.

Ask the Magic Eight-Ball

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

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"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

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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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

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"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

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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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 …

Capture2-6-2009-12.53.15 PM

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

Capture2-6-2009-12.51.48 PM

(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

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"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

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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Smooth talk, half-truths or omitted details make the stimulus package dangerous ...

In his own words: watch the smooth-talking orator tell you about his economic stimulus       plan …

This is an example of a well-delivered speech. A speech which one hopes would set the tone in Washington and usher in an era of a government whose political parties set aside their petty political differences and began to serve the American people, openly and honestly, without considering the special interests and their campaign contributions. Fulfilling the dream of our forefathers: representing the people of the United States and doing the people’s business.

But, unfortunately as Barack Obama has said on numerous occasions, “These are words, only words.”

How can we believe someone who stands before a TelePrompTer and tells us only half of the story: the half which we want to hear? The half about hope and change? The half that does not contain fraud, waste and abuse safeguards and the provisions that require specific performance for the funds being spent? The half that does not speak about the enlargement of the government, the increase in taxation, the payback to the unions and others who helped elect Barack Obama. The half that does not acknowledge that these funded mandates are only the first part of the funding and that the government infrastructure will require additional sums for 25-50 years for all of the new government employees hired? The half that insures a massive government employee cadre that can outvote the American public when it comes time to increase their own benefits at the expense of the American taxpayer?  

And the essential truth: that the amounts of money to be allocated and disbursed under this bill are not some carefully crafted, well thought out plan, but crude estimates made by politicians who know that the follow-on legislation will serve to balloon these initial amounts as surely as government-run projects balloon from mere millions into multi-millions and then into billions from cost overruns that disguise the waste, fraud, corruption and the payment of bills for entertaining politicians, vendors and the so-called “powerful people.”

What does the Congressional Budget Office have to say about the stimulus bill?

Job creation is not as immediate as it might be portrayed …

“In estimating outlays for that third category, CBO expects that the rate of spending in 2009 for many programs funded in the legislation would be considerably slower than historical rates of spending for a full year of funding because the bill would be enacted almost halfway into the fiscal year. Thus, it would not be appropriate in most cases to use the full-year rates that CBO typically employs for appropriations enacted near the start of the fiscal year.”

Some funding measures duplicate existing funding …

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

Difficulty in managing and overseeing projects …

“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.

Lags in spending …

Lags in spending stem in part from the need to draft plans, solicit bids, enter into contracts, and conduct regulatory or environmental reviews. Spending can be further delayed because some activities are by their nature seasonal. For example, major school repairs are generally scheduled during the summer to avoid disrupting classes, and construction and highway work are difficult to carry out during the winter months in many parts of the country.”

“Brand new programs pose additional challenges. Developing procedures and criteria, issuing the necessary regulations, and reviewing plans and proposals would make distributing money quickly even more  difficult—as can be seen, for example, in the lack of any disbursements to date under the loan programs established for automakers last summer to invest in producing energy-efficient vehicles.”

Bottom line …

“Throughout the federal government, spending for new programs has frequently been slower than expected and rarely been faster.” <Source>

And because the current recession is significantly advanced, it is possible that this stimulus bill might serve to prolong the recession and create rampant inflation.

Therefore, let us take a moment to examine what Barack Obama is saying.

“So let’s talk about what this plan does.”

“From the beginning, at it’s core it had a simple idea. Let’s put Americans to work doing the work America needs done. It will create or save more than three million jobs all across the country in the next two years. Many in your own communities. 16,000 jobs in Maine. 80,000 in Indiana. Almost all of them in the private sector. And all of them jobs which help us recover today and prosper tomorrow.”

There is no doubt that the stimulus package will not be effective immediately and it may take a number of years before its provisions become fully productive.

“Jobs that upgrade classrooms and laboratories in 10,000 schools nationwide. At least 485 in Florida alone. And train an army of teachers in math and science.”

Is this the same Florida that routinely loses and abuses thousands of children in its child protective services over the years? Perhaps this critical issue should be resolved before giving Florida another dime?

Considering that our nation’s teachers unions have resulted in the degradation of our children’s education and that there is no causal link between per pupil funding and scholastic success, perhaps we need to re-think this portion of the spending bill as, in many areas, enrollment is declining and much of the aid is being spent on illegal aliens whose environment, language skills and lack of parental concern serves to impede the progress of true education reform. Why not tie this funding into mandates for teacher competency testing and certification? Demanding that “tenure” and lifelong job security be removed as it is in the private sector? Thus making it easier to remove teachers and administrators that are incompetent and underperforming. Where are the provisions that keep the school systems from building monumental ego projects like the high schools built in California at outrageous costs.

“Jobs that modernize our healthcare system, saving us billions of dollars and countless lives.”

Perhaps we need to first enact a “patient’s privacy” bill which insures that the government and insurers do not have access to these records for purposes unrelated to the immediate provision of patient healthcare. The sad fact is that doctors do not have the time to review voluminous patient records and the hand-scrawled paper forms will be a nightmare to convert into electronic form and remain legible and comprehensible. Not to mention that the average patient’s records are so spread out over the years, that it would require a massive database to capture it all. A database which, without appropriate safeguards, could be used for nefarious purposes such as blackmail, denial of insurance coverage and the potential rationing of healthcare to meet future budgetary restraints required when the governmental health system derails. 

“Jobs that construct a smart electric grid. Connect every corner of the nation to the information superhighway.”

These massive infrastructure projects are privately owned and used to “unofficially” tax the American people. Don’t believe me, just check the bottom of your recent utility bills. Surely, the American public should be given a stated return in exchange for the use of their money to assist these private ventures. And about the information superhighway – how many people know that there is existing legislation which requires all telecommunications carriers to enable the government to easily and quickly monitor your activities? (CALEA)

“Double our capacity to create renewable energy.”

The easiest and most cost effective method for achieving energy independence from foreign sources and providing energy to the American people is through nuclear energy.  Not one word about this important program as they government talks about unreliable windmills and solar energy.

“And grow the economy of  tomorrow. Jobs that rebuild our crumbling roads, bridges, levees and dams so the tragedies of New Orleans and Minneapolis never happen again.”

Yes, we need to repair or replace our crumbling infrastructure. Electric grid, aqueducts and other essential services.  But what hubris to claim that tragedies like New Orleans and Minneapolis never happen again. Just consider the devastation that will occur when nature unleashes a major earthquake in a populated area? New Orleans is a city that is partially under sea level, thus necessitating extensive levees and pumping stations. How much more appropriate would it be to turn this into a deepwater port and move the housing away from nature’s wrath? Spending more money to rebuild structures which will, once again, face a future natural disaster does not seem either prudent or wise.

“It includes immediate tax relief for our struggling middle class in places like Ohio where 4.5 million workers will receive a tax cut of up to a thousand dollars.”

Amazing. They want to give you $500 or $1,000 in tax relief and then burden you with the responsibility of paying off $14,o00 in profligate spending incurred by their tax cutting programs. The more children, the more money, the more incentive to have children that you cannot afford.

“It protects health insurance and provides unemployment for those who have lost their jobs.”

It appears that the program extends existing unemployment and social benefit programs beyond there normal cut-off periods. And it does nothing for the self-employed entrepreneurs and sole practitioners who make this country great.  Most of these people are not eligible for unemployment.

“And it helps our states and communities avoid painful tax hikes or layoffs for teachers, nurses and first-responders.”

Nothing more than a payoff to the public service employees unions whose members will be severely impacted by state deficits. The size of government should be reduced. So once again, the democrats make their pitch to save teachers, nurses, firemen and policemen – truth be told, public safety concerns should be funded before education and non-life threatening social programs. The ever-rising cost of union-driven education should be dialed back until we see significant change in the education our children obtain. In essence, this is no more than a bailout of states which have overspent on social welfare programs and government employee benefits. We need to eliminate payments to illegal aliens until the needs of our legitimate citizens are met.

We should be reducing the size of government. Reducing the labor contracts which provide life-long employment and a retirement most of us can ill-afford. Eliminating those employees who retire one day and are re-hired at the same salary the next.

“That’s what’s at stake with this plan. Putting Americans back to work. Creating transformative economic change. And making a downpayment on the American Dream that serves our children and our children’s children for generations to come.”

This bill does not embody transformative change. It is merely the unfettered pork barrel spending that the democrats have dreamed about for the last fifty years. While they claim that there are no earmarks in this legislation, some of its provision are so narrowly crafted as to apply to only one or two organizations in the nation – conveniently located in certain legislative districts. 

“And we’re going to do all this with unprecedented transparency and accountability. I’ll appoint an aggressive inspector general and a cabinet-level oversight board to make sure your money is spent wisely.”

Already Barack Obama broke his promise of placing legislation on the government’s website prior to signing it into law. There was no such action taken on the recent Ledbetter bill – and it appears that such information may be highly and selectively edited to portray the Administration in a good light.

“And more importantly, I will enlist all of you. As soon as this plan is signed into law, recovery.gov goes live. And you will be able to see precisely where your tax dollars are going.”

The money will be spent by the states and private contractors who do not have the obligation to report on the details. Knowing that ABC school system was allocated $500,000 for a language lab does not really tell you how the money was spent – or even if it was used for the language lab.

Consider the states who received designated grant and bond money to purchase transportation-related items. And then turned around and sold them to a private investor who leased them back to the state in order so the operator could provide service to the public. And thus allowed the government evildoers to convert restricted funds into unrestricted funds to be spent on their special interest projects. And when their insurance company, AIG, crashed, the states were forced to hustle to provide additional insurance to the private investors who did the sale and leaseback – thus revealing the scam to the public.

“Because this is your democracy. As I said throughout the campaign, change never begins from the top down, it begins from the bottom up. It begins with each and every one of you. So I hope that you will talk about the importance of this plan with your friends and neighbors.”

An outright lie: change is being crammed down from the top. But I do agree with Obama, you need to discuss this with your relatives, neighbors, friends and co-workers. But ask questions about how the government is going to deliver on its promise? How the government is going to eliminate waste, fraud, corruption and special interest pork? Or even, if the government even is going to take action on the ethics violations that continue to be lodged against individual legislators – even though not a single action was taken over the last few years.

“Because we cannot wait to take action and turn this recession around. We’ve inherited a terrible mess. But I know that we have the capacity to rise to this moment and keep the promise of America alive in our time. If the American people demand that we do. Thank you.”

The American people should demand that our government provide a well-thought out plan and not just another spending bill which rewards the unions and special interests. A plan based on real numbers, not wild-eyed guesstimates which are tuned by legislative compromise.  A plan which is phased into existence based on the measurable progress of money already spent. A bill that is a slap in the face to corrupt politicians who claim that they best know how to spend the money and refuse to explain the details of the spending.

And above all, the guarantee of a mandatory jail term for those who abuse the process. And the accountants and lawyers who aided and abetted in the action. Make accountants accountable. And lawyers bound by the law.

Obama is right about one thing. It’s up to you to take back your government from the current crop of thieves and freebooters who are doling out our hard-earned tax money to their friends, who in turn provide campaign funding kick-backs and jobs for the relatives of the legislators.

THIS IS A BAD BILL AND YOU SHOULD TELL YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE THAT THEIR FUTURE IS ON THE LINE.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"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

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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Representative John Conyers: a pattern of promoting victimhood for political advantage?

This is not the first time …

This is not the first time that Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) has utilized the Marxist tactic of dividing the population into classes of victims which can then be pitted against each other for political advantage.

Proposing special legal protections for those whose religion commands them to kill  or enslave “infidel” non-believers …

Once again, we find our enemies using our own freedoms and laws against us as they plot and prepare to attack the United States from within. There have been numerous accounts of radical hate speech being preached in Mosques, some of which are being funded by foreign radical Wahabist elements emanating from Saudi Arabia. One need only open their eyes to observe what happens when the Islamic community grows to critical mass in a Country – and then starts demanding the implementation of Sharia law and creating areas which are not welcoming of existing civil authority. Another instance of the demographic bombing of a nation leading to the creation of foreign-dominated influence within communities. Leading, of course, to gaining sufficient political power to ride roughshod over the original community’s laws. To the end of forcing those who do not agree to move away from the community and thus concentrating political power in the hands of those who advocate a radical philosophy.

According to Conyers’ own words …

“Text of My Resolution Regarding Religious Intolerance”

“I received a large number of comments, and quite a spirited debate, concerning my resolution opposing religious intolerance, including desecration of the Quran. I appreciate all of the comments, both those supporting and opposing my actions. I continue to believe that given recent events, it is worthwhile for the Congress to actually express its support for the freedom of religion.”

“The resolution was drafted to oppose all religious intolerance. To the extent it mentions the Quran and Islam specifically, that is obviously to respond to those who believe our nation would tolerate disrespect of that religion or its holy book. Clearly we should not, at least in my opinion.”

“Anyway, below in the extended entry is the full text of H. Res. 288. I hope you agree that read in its totality, it is a fair and appropriate resolution.”

“Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives condemning bigotry and religious intolerance, and recognizing that holy books of every religion should be treated with dignity and respect.”

We are definitely living in an Orwellian world, when up is down, white is black and right is wrong. You need only ask yourself a single question: What other modern religion openly promotes religious  intolerance and bigotry as does Islam?

“Whereas believers of all religions, including the Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, should be treated with respect and dignity;”

Right off the bat, we can see the democrats fondness for moral equivalency and their treatment of good and evil. Nowhere in the Judeo-Christian philosophy does it encourage those to kill non-believers and spread the religion at the point of a sword. At least, not in modern times and using modern weapons of mass destruction.

(And am I the only one to note that the Quran does not apparently have any reference to the creation and seems to be a selective mixing of existing Judeo-Christian principles with self-serving rules promulgated by a then local warlord?)

Whereas the word Islam comes from the Arabic root word meaning “peace” and “submission”;

Whereas there are an estimated 7,000,000 Muslims in America, from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds, forming an integral part of the social fabric of America;

Whereas the Quran is the holy book for Muslims who recite passages from it in prayer and learn valuable lessons about peace, humanity and spirituality;

How conveniently Conyers overlooks toxic passages which urge its followers to commit barbarous acts of horror over the centuries to support the “religion of peace.”

    • “The only reward of those who make war against Allah and His messenger
      and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be murdered or crucified,
      or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land.
      Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom; 005.033 [AL-MAEDA (THE TABLE) HOLY QURAN]”
    • “Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, "We are Christians": because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant.” 005.082 

Hardly peace and religious tolerance for other non-Muslim peoples.

“Whereas it should never be official policy of the United States Government to disparage the Quran, Islam, or any religion in any way, shape, or form;”

It is already the policy of the United States to open accept all religions – it’s codified in the Constitution as the First Amendment. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

“Whereas mistreatment of prisoners and disrespect toward the holy book of any religion is unacceptable and against civilized humanity;”

What would a radical agenda be if it did not attack the government’s treatment of prisoners? 

The prisoners are not American citizens, protected by the Constitution and, in almost all cases, are not subject to the Geneva Convention due to their conduct on the battlefield. Conyers’ resolution does not mention that the prisoners have no compunction against killing, beheading, torturing, maiming, raping anyone that does not accept their religion. Or that the prisoners Conyers wants to be treated with religious respect were taken from the battlefield where they were engaged in attempting to kill or actually killing Americans. In my opinion, this “prisoner issue” is part and parcel of the democrats disregard for America as they attempt to regain and maintain political power. 

Restating the obvious …

“Whereas the infringement of an individual’s right to freedom of religion violates the Constitution and laws of the United States:

And creating another legally protected class enabling the enemy to self-fund their operations through extortionate lawsuits …

Now, therefore, be it  Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) condemns bigotry, acts of violence, and intolerance against any religious group, including our friends, neighbors, and citizens of the Islamic faith;

The clause “and citizens of the Islamic faith” is totally unnecessary and should be stricken. In fact, the entire clause should read: “condemns bigotry, acts of violence, and intolerance against any religious group.” But that would hardly suit Conyers’ political agenda.

(2) declares that the civil rights and civil liberties of all individuals, including those of the Islamic faith, should be protected;

Again, the phrase “including those of the Islamic faith” should be stricken as being totally unnecessary.

(3) recognizes that the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as any other holy book of any religion, should be treated with dignity and respect; and

Here I disagree … any book, holy or otherwise, which urges believers to kill non-believers or force them into submission is not to be treated with dignity or respect – even if it forms the basis of a religion. If the book advocates violence and the suppression of God-given human rights and freedoms and demands fealty, it should be treated as any other political book.

(4) calls upon local, State, and Federal authorities to work to prevent bias-motivated crimes and acts against all individuals, including those of the Islamic faith.

<Source>

And, once again, the phrase “including those of the Islamic faith” should be stricken.

Is Conyers a racist or simply a self-promoting politician?

One may ask yourself, is Conyers’ reinforcing the rights of all American citizens, acting as a politician with a self-promoting agenda or is openly perpetrating an act of divisive racism by urging the separation of a single class of people, based on nothing more than their religion, as alleged victims of some overarching government or civil conspiracy?

Now consider Conyers’ current proposal: rewarding those for the actions of our ancestors …

“Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act (H.R. 40 Introduced in House)

“To acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a commission to examine the institution of slavery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes.”

In literature, law and other areas of life, the abominable actions relating to the practice of slavery have been denounced. However, it appears to be the democrat’s dream to somehow create another level of “victimhood” out of the ancestors who may have suffered under slavery and then create another entitlement program to compensate the “aggrieved descendents” for the actions of people long dead. All for the political advantage of gaining the votes of a large class of current American citizens who have been traditionally treated by the U.S. government as a class of victims and worthy of special privileges.

Considering the amount of money that has gone into the war on poverty, affirmative action and other social programs which have not yielded broad reforms – I believe that we have already paid any debt owing to those who were enslaved by historical precedence. As for their modern descendents, I believe their grievance should be with the democrat party who has siphoned off monies that were legitimately owing to the American people and who have promoted egregious racists policies that have resulted in the breakup of the black family. By insisting that those requiring financial assistance not have a black male or father present in the house and by the upwards scaling of benefits to those who have a larger number of unaffordable children, I believe that the democrat party has wreaked havoc on black society and are the ones that should be punished for their actions.

Truth-be-told, it seems that it was the democrats who opposed racial equality and promoted racist policies at every turn of the political path. And were the most complicit in denying those American citizens who happen to be black decent housing, employment, education and other necessities of life – as they stole their birthright in an orgy of political and personal corruption. It is hard to think of a single major democrat-controlled predominantly black area that does not feature waste, fraud, corruption and a staggering crime rate.

My thoughts …

Why should any money be given to any citizen for the past actions of people long dead?

Why should I, the average American taxpayer, be taxed or surcharged for the actions of those over whom I exerted no control and, in fact, were not be related to me at all?

If society did owe a debt to some class of oppressed people, be they indigenous natives or people brought here against their will, has it not been long extinguished by the creation of “special” social programs like affirmative action. We have now spent trillions of dollars on the so-called democrat “Great Society” and the “War on Poverty.” There programs were abject failures and the democrats want to spend even more money.  

The problem is democrats not slavery …

We seem to have created a society where the average American citizen will go out of his way to avoid being labeled as a racist. A condition which has led to the rise of corrupt black leaders who feel that they are entitled to special privileges because of their skin color.

What we have inadvertently done to destroy much of the individualism and personal initiative that was championed by our forefathers is to create a sense of entitlement in those who are being portrayed as victims by those who want to secure and maintain power by creating an unbreakable bond of social benefits that can never be breached by the opposition party – a battle between those who offer opportunity to achieve and those who offer payments to the terminally lazy.

Obama’s change …

To those who can see clearly, consider that Barack Obama’s program of change and hope is really one of smoke and mirrors; put forth by a charismatic, telegenic and well-spoken (at least with a TelePrompTer) individual. Look behind the scenes and you will find an opportunist who has, by sheer luck, found himself in the Office of the President of the United States – not by popular acclaim, but by being the antithesis of one of the most maligned Presidents in modern history. An historical fluke. Consider Obama’s associations with radical anti-American, anti-Semitic, terrorist and corrupt people. People in and of the corrupt Chicago political machine. Now consider the number of corrupt democrats who are coming out of the woodwork.

Furthermore, consider the radical agenda of the democrats who seem to be willing to do or say anything to secure their future power. Especially by promoting “victimhood” and further entitlements.

One need only took at the so-called “stimulus” bill which was an amalgam of democrat pork barrel spending and social measures guaranteed to reward those who voted for democrats.

Institutionalized democratic crime?

Closer to home, consider Conyers’ wife, who appears for all intents and purposes to come from the Cynthia McKinney “crazy as a loon” branch of the democrat party.

According to the Detroit News …

“Bribe probe ensnarls Conyers”

“Feds: Surveillance evidence suggests councilwoman took money tied to waste pact”

“Federal investigators have electronic surveillance evidence that allegedly links Detroit City Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers with receiving a payment or payments in connection with a city-approved sludge contract, two people familiar with the investigation said.”

“Conyers -- who changed her position from speaking in opposition to the sludge contract to voting in favor of it -- and at least one other council member are under FBI investigation in connection with possible bribes related to the $47 million contract with Synagro Technologies Inc. of Houston, one of the people familiar with the investigation said Friday. Bribes allegedly paid to people connected with the city but not members of the City Council also are under investigation, one person said.”

Of course, Conyers has professed innocence, but remains absent from her position. \

See Monica Conyers in action …

What can YOU do?

Study your history of civil rights and notice it was the Republicans and not the democrats who were fully engaged in promoting civil rights and the appointment of qualified blacks to positions of high office.

See if you can find a major city that is being run by democrats (one-party rule) that is not is serious trouble in terms of housing, employment, crime and poverty? Along with a disproportionate number of corrupt politicians.

Consider the democrat’s Marxist propensity for dividing people into various classes of victims along class, ethnic and racial lines for the purposes of political manipulation.

Vote for politicians who seem honest, ethical and who promote individual achievement over Marxist collectivism and further enslaving entitlements.

Demand that your elected officials punish corrupt politicians from both sides of the political aisle.

For the democrat victims among us, remember, you are an American first. Not a hyphenated-American who is somehow diminished by history. Our country guarantees equality of opportunity, not equality of outcomes. Suggested reading material: “While African Americans Slept: Leadership by Parasites” by Dr. Lenton Aikins.

Perhaps we should follow the army’s prescription for harmony: everybody is green, everybody is treated equally – like crap -- and rank, when not abused, has its privileges.  And incorporate the Navy’s command philosophy” everybody has a boss, everybody is accountable – and if it happened on your watch, you will be held responsible! 

-- steve

Quote of the day: “Know your enemy and you won't be defeated." -- Sun Zi

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:

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"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

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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